Across from him, the Copy Ninja moved.
He was several levels faster than before.
Kakashi Hatake darted across the training ground, leaving a blue-white streak of light in the air with every movement. The streaks overlapped, making it impossible to tell the real from the false.
Human eyes simply could not keep up with his movements.
Uzumaki Hayashi tried tracking him by sight twice. Both times, he lost him, seeing nothing but afterimages.
Uzumaki Hayashi held his tachi across his body, fully activating Mind's Eye of the Kagura. Even then, he could barely keep track of that light for a moment at a time.
Just as he focused all his attention on that streak of light-
Kakashi lunged at him!
A lightning-wreathed kunai came crashing down at his head!
Clang-!!
Uzumaki Hayashi braced his blade against it, his whole body sinking under the impact.
What a heavy blow!
It nearly knocked his tachi straight out of his hands!
Uzumaki Hayashi reacted, instantly putting all his strength into his grip. Lightning from the kunai crawled half an inch down his blade, sending a numbing shock through the web of his hand.
He gritted his teeth and held on.
Cold crept from his wrist onto the blade-a faint layer of Ice Release began to coat the entire tachi.
"Tch."
Kakashi Hatake clicked his tongue, pivoted, and drove a side kick straight at his flank!
Both of Uzumaki Hayashi's hands were on his sword, struggling against that kunai. He had no hand to spare-
Ice Release!
An ice shield hastily formed at his side.
Crack-!
The ice shield shattered.
The kick landed squarely.
Uzumaki Hayashi went flying sideways!
In midair, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to twist, regaining his balance before thrusting his tachi down into the ground-
Thud-
The blade