"Even a super idol's smile isn't as sweet as yours~[1]"
Sakura Hashimoto covered her little face, her mind filled with Kakashi's smile from earlier.
Even though she could only see one eye, he was still so handsome!
Seeing Sakura Hashimoto looking lovestruck, Kenpei Aburame's anger flared up.
I just stood up for you, and one smile from the villain completely bewitched you?
All these years of devoted waiting, and I still can't compare to a man you only just met?
Kenpei Aburame's heart shattered. In the end, the one who made her laugh had lost to the one who made her cry.
He roared inwardly, We're both covering half our faces, so why do you turn a blind eye to my beauty?
Meanwhile, Kakashi, fully armed, left the border base.
As the saying went, skill bred courage. Even without Kenpei Aburame working with him, Kakashi had some confidence in his ability to stay alive.
Looking at the vast forest before him, Kakashi stretched lazily.
"Is there anywhere in the world better suited for training than this?"
"When no one is around, I can train and develop new ninjutsu. When people show up, I can use those new ninjutsu on them and immediately test the results of my training."
"Well, without anyone getting in my way, I also don't have to worry about certain secrets being exposed. Not bad."
Kakashi was fairly satisfied with this arrangement. He just needed to be careful not to get entangled with enemy squads that were too powerful.
"Strolling beneath the setting sun, I absorb the essence of the sun and moon."
"Be careful when guns go off by accident—I fucking prefer cold weapons.[2]"
Pulling White Fang from the chest of the man before him, Kakashi gently wiped the blood from its blade and let the corpse collapse to the ground.
"That makes seventy-nine. Things have really been unsettled lately."
With a few flashes, Kakashi vanished into the forest.
The commotion from that fight had not been small. Unless something unexpected happened, at least four or five squads would come to investigate soon. Since he was alone, it was best to leave quickly.
After finding a place he had confirmed was safe, Kakashi sat cross-legged on a tree branch and began his training for the day.
"A year has passed, and my progress is getting slower and slower."
Kakashi's chakra reserves had now reached roughly eight or nine cards, but the growth of his chakra reserves had been slowing recently and was gradually stabilizing.
Kakashi understood that his golden period of growth as a ninja might be nearing its end.
The Natural Energy within his body also seemed to have accumulated to a certain limit. It had shown no signs of increasing for a long time.
But with the help of the mysterious Sage Art, his use of Natural Energy had become increasingly proficient. Not only had he developed several pseudo-Sage Art ninjutsu, but he also felt that his chakra and Natural Energy were showing signs of merging.
"Lord Third has already been urging me to return. Other places need manpower as well. Looks like I need to hurry."
Kakashi opened his eyes, leaped up, and vanished into the shadows once more.
Who knew how many days had passed when Kakashi, standing in the shadows, gave a faint smile.
"After tracking you for so long, I finally found you."
Two groups of ninja were fighting ahead of him, and one person among them looked especially familiar.
"Bastard, that guy is the real leader!" one ninja shouted.
"Unfortunately, you realized it too late." Murakami tossed aside the corpse in his hand and calmly ordered, "Hurry up. This area hasn't been safe lately."
Kakashi silently appeared behind a ninja keeping watch in a tree and viciously slashed his throat with a reverse grip on his kunai.
The ninja did not even have a chance to groan before his life was extinguished.
Gently placing the corpse on a thick branch, Kakashi made not the slightest sound and continued inching forward.
Of the two squads fighting, one was Murakami's squad. The other was temporarily unidentified, but clearly was not from Konoha.
Kakashi sighed. "Konoha really has been infiltrated like a sieve."
The other squad had been ambushed by Murakami's tried-and-true tactic, losing the initiative. Several members had fallen one after another, and now only their strongest captain remained, struggling desperately.
Murakami's squad had four people. Aside from Murakami himself and the lookout Kakashi had killed, the remaining two were gang-beating that pitiful captain.
Murakami had freed up his hands and was preparing to join the battle.
The moment he entered the fray, the man opposite him would become his bounty.
But just then, a figure burst from the earth and split one of Murakami's team members in two with a single slash.
The short blade spun in the figure's hand and swept sideways. Not only did its momentum not diminish, it sliced across another of Murakami's team members' abdomens at even greater speed.
That team member dropped to his knees in agony. The figure behind him looked at him coldly before bringing the blade down in a heavy strike.
Both sides on the field were startled.
Everything had happened too quickly. In just an instant, the battle had changed completely.
Seeing the arcs of electricity dancing across the short blade and that strange mask, the captain cried out in shock, "You're Silver Lightning!"
Silver Lightning—this was Kakashi's current moniker.
Over the past year, at least a dozen elite squads had fallen at Kakashi's hands.
But Kakashi was only one man, so some fish had inevitably slipped through the net and escaped from him.
Kakashi's name had spread from the mouths of those ninja who fled back alive.
A silver-haired man whose short blade was like lightning from the heavens, capable of severing every obstacle before it!
The captain glanced at Murakami in the distance and said, "Silver Lightning, that man's strength is exceedingly formidable. Why don't the two of us join forces and deal with him first..."
Before the captain could finish, he fell straight to the ground.
Kakashi, who had been standing before him just moments ago, had somehow appeared behind him and stabbed straight through his heart.
"Those who invade our territory will be shown no mercy."
Kakashi did not take the captain's proposal seriously at all.
How could he possibly trust someone like that with his back? The man might just stab him in both sides, so it was better to stab him to death first.
Murakami looked at Kakashi, drew his long blade, and tensed every muscle in his body with extreme caution.
"White Fang's son. We meet again. I said that one day you would become famous throughout the Shinobi World, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon."
Kakashi smiled. "I also said that my White Fang would be buried in your chest."
"Why wait for another day? How about today?"
Murakami sneered. "Killing me won't be so easy. Sharp words alone won't be enough."
[1] "A Smile from a Super Idol Isn't as Sweet as Yours at 105°C"
[2] Kill the Game
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