"Fog? How could such a thick fog rise so suddenly?" Out at sea, Ishikawa's expression shifted instantly as he watched Kakashi's figure quickly fade into the haze.
Such a dense and abrupt fog was clearly no natural phenomenon.
"This is the Hidden Mist's trademark assassination technique—Hidden Mist Jutsu. Ishikawa, stick close to me and don't act on your own," Kakashi said, halting in place and swiftly lifting his forehead protector to reveal his scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan.
In conditions like this, only the Sharingan's penetrating insight could detect the enemy's movements.
"This is bad. The enemy's aware of us—they're either blocking our approach or preparing an ambush. Sensei, can you use a Wind Release to blow the fog away?" Ishikawa's voice was low and tense as he gripped the chakra dagger tightly, his nerves stretched taut.
"No. Ordinary wind jutsu can't disperse such a wide area of thick fog. And even if I drained my chakra to clear it, the enemy could just recreate the mist instantly—it'd be a complete waste of energy." Kakashi shook his head with a helpless expression. He simply didn't have chakra to spare.
It would be ridiculous if he exhausted himself on fog, only to fall short in actual combat.
Kakashi's reply left Ishikawa speechless. As always, Kakashi's chakra reserves were tragically limited—his strength teetered on a razor's edge...
For the first time, Ishikawa truly felt the thin line between life and death.
Even facing the Raikage hadn't brought him this kind of dread. This time, the fear came from the deadly, formless white mist.
With unseen threats and enemies cloaked in fog, Ishikawa was under an immense and unfamiliar psychological strain.
The dangers and unpredictability of the shinobi world loomed once again before Ishikawa with brutal clarity…
"Watch out!" Just as Ishikawa was frozen with nerves, Kakashi shouted and suddenly kicked him aside.
Ishikawa was flung several meters away. Before he could react, the clash of blades rang out across the sea.
"As expected of Kakashi. You've got the Sharingan—you actually blocked my strike. Looks like you're worthy of being buried by my hand." Raiga's eyes gleamed as he took in the sight of Kakashi, who had parried both of his blades—one with a kunai and the other with a hand guard. He hadn't expected his ambush to be intercepted.
With Ranmaru's guidance, he was confident his assassination technique had been flawless—yet Kakashi still managed to react in time!
So this... was the power of the Sharingan?
"Thunder of the Hidden Mist, Raiga. I didn't expect it to be you—Kirigakure's missing-nin. After defecting from the Hidden Mist, you've even abandoned your title as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and now you stoop to raiding merchant ships?"
Kakashi locked eyes with the brawny swordsman and feigned a teasing tone, though unease stirred deep in his gut.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were all elite jōnin on par with him. This wasn't good…
"What?! Kurosuki Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Hearing Kakashi's words, Ishikawa's expression changed dramatically. His face turned as dark as the ocean at midnight.
This was the worst! First, it was the Raikage; now it was one of the Seven Swordsmen. How was a low-level genin like him stuck in these boss fights? How am I going to make it through this!
"Oh, right, I almost forgot about the little fish over there." Just as Ishikawa was despairing, Raiga turned his head, grinned mischievously, and laughed.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed sharply. He spun around in an instant.
And then, using the insight of his Sharingan, he spotted two figures swiftly approaching Ishikawa from beneath the surface—one in front, one behind.
"Watch out below!" Kakashi's face changed drastically. Without hesitation, he shouted a warning.
Ishikawa snapped out of his daze the moment Kakashi's voice rang out. Instantly, he surged chakra from his soles and leapt into the air!
It all happened in a flash. Just as Ishikawa jumped, two shadowy figures burst from the sea at once.
With a loud splash, the attacker in front was struck by Ishikawa's chakra dagger and fell back into the water.
But the one behind him raised a blade—and drove it straight toward Ishikawa's back.
"Ugh—!"
Almost at the exact moment the kunai pierced his back, Ishikawa let out a scream, coughed up blood, and fell into the sea with a splash, sinking quickly beneath the surface.
"One down!" Seeing Ishikawa's limp body sink powerlessly to the bottom, the man who had landed the blow grinned smugly.
A mere Genin brat—he, a former Chunin of Kirigakure, could take him down with ease!
"Ishikawa!!" Kakashi's eyes went wide at the sight. Lightning crackled around his body as his chakra flared violently.
"Careful!" Raiga was just about to intercept when a sudden voice behind him issued a warning, making him pause instinctively.
At that very moment, Kakashi's figure turned into a streak of lightning, appearing behind the Chunin in an instant.
Slash! With a swift motion, Kakashi's kunai cut clean across the Chunin's neck. Blood sprayed into the mist...
"I once vowed I'd never again let my comrades die before my eyes. And now... you've killed my most treasured student." Kakashi slowly turned his head, his blood-red Sharingan glowing with murderous rage as he stared at Raiga.
He had only just begun to pass on his sword techniques—just started seeing potential—and in the blink of an eye, they were now separated by life and death.
Unforgivable. How could he ever accept something like this?!
"Hmph, death is part of a ninja's life. Kakashi, it seems the rumors about you were nothing special after all..." Raiga scoffed in contempt. A man who lets emotions rule him has no right to call himself a true shinobi.
"Bastard!!" Kakashi roared, brandishing his kunai. His figure turned into a dark blur as he charged straight toward Raiga.
Whoosh—
Just before Kakashi's blade could strike, Raiga's figure vanished.
"…What?" Kakashi frowned as Raiga disappeared before his eyes, and the voice from earlier echoed in his mind.
Someone was clearly guiding Raiga—warning him in real time.
"There!" In a flash, Kakashi's Sharingan flared again. Locking onto a faint presence, he struck immediately.
But—
"What the hell...? I clearly detected a chakra here. The kind of feedback involving the meridians—there's no way it was fake!" Kakashi's brows knitted as his attack hit nothing but air.
Something was off—terribly off.
Before he could fully process it, another chakra signal surged from within the thick fog…
Without hesitation, Kakashi retaliated.
But once again, it was another false target. The area around him was empty.
"What's going on? Was it... that thing I saw earlier?" Kakashi's thoughts raced. Something strange was happening. And then, he recalled what he'd sensed earlier.
Behind Raiga—there had been another chakra presence.
Just as Kakashi began piecing things together, another attack erupted from the mist… This time, it was a mix of real and illusion.
Crack! Caught off guard, Kakashi was struck by a sudden bolt of lightning and blasted backward.
Even with his Lightning Style Chakra Mode, this dangerous blend of fake and real assaults was starting to overwhelm him!
'Is this the power of the Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai, Red Eyes? Looks like sensei's in trouble. If I want to survive… the only path left is to fight to the death.'
Beneath the surface, a venomous sea snake glided swiftly through the water, its pupils flashing with eerie, multicolored light.