Chapter 256 — Yusuke vs Kakashi
Kakashi drew Ame-no-Habakiri, fully prepared, his gaze fixed on Yusuke.
"No need to tense up like that," Yusuke said with a faint smile.
"Nii-san, you're not using Enma?" Kakashi asked.
"Oh, right." Yusuke smiled and brought out Enma.
Kakashi fell silent, his expression darkening. A kenjutsu duel… yet the man brought out that katana.
"What… how is that possible?" Kakashi stared at Enma, which had drastically changed. Shock flickered across his face.
"Don't make that face, Kakashi. The Black Blade Enma is one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords," Yusuke said calmly.
"Black Blade…?" This was Kakashi's first time hearing of such a thing.
"By fusing Armament Haki with your sword intent, then tempering it repeatedly, you can create a Black Blade. Its edge turns pitch black, and its power increases drastically," Yusuke explained.
"Hmph. Even if it's a Black Blade… so what?" Kakashi refused to acknowledge the advantage so easily.
Meanwhile, Hatake Sakumo and Yūhi Shinku were observing the duel between the two brothers.
"Who do you think will win, Sakumo?" Shinku asked, stunned.
"To be honest, I don't know. Kakashi's swordsmanship surpassed mine long ago. Even I can't predict this one. If this is a pure kenjutsu battle, I doubt anyone could beat Kakashi," Sakumo said.
"Then Yusuke will lose?" Shinku asked in confusion.
Sakumo shook his head.
"I don't know… but I also can't imagine Yusuke losing. In all these years, he has never lost—not then, not now," Sakumo said.
"What kind of answer is that!?" Shinku protested.
"It's been years since I last saw Yusuke fight. And he definitely hasn't used a sword in ages. I truly have no idea where his level stands now," Sakumo replied.
"Then let's watch carefully."
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"Come on, Kakashi," Yusuke said with a smile.
"I'm coming, Nii-san!" Kakashi's expression sharpened as he burst forward.
His first slash targeted Yusuke. Yusuke countered with his own strike. The blades clashed, sending a fierce swirl of wind outward, and both retreated before immediately engaging in a rapid exchange again.
"One-Sword Style: Obliteration!"
"One-Sword Style: Obliteration!"
The two identical slashes collided, releasing a violent surge of wind. Kakashi instantly followed up.
"Hatake Sword Style: Thunder Annihilation!"
Lightning wrapped around his blade before he swung toward Yusuke.
"Hatake Sword Style: Thunder Annihilation."
Yusuke parried with the exact same technique. Another stalemate.
"One-Sword Style: Flying Dragon."
A swift arc cut through the air. Kakashi was struck and forced back several steps.
"Nii-san, warm-up is over. Now I'm going all out," Kakashi said, his expression turning serious.
"That's fine. I'm invincible, after all," Yusuke replied casually.
Kakashi pulled off his forehead protector. His Sharingan locked onto Yusuke while Armament Haki and chakra concentrated at the tip of his blade. A massive surge of energy erupted outward. A colossal slash soared toward Yusuke.
"One-Sword Style: Heaven Annihilation," Kakashi said coldly.
"Not bad. So you've stolen my technique, huh," Yusuke said.
This slash was identical to the one Yusuke used when he cut down Shukaku—its strength, its aura, everything.
"What an incredible strike," Shinku whispered in awe.
"It's more than incredible. Look at the sky," Sakumo said gravely.
"Huh?" Shinku looked up—and froze.
The sky, which had been covered in clouds, now split open, carving a wound across the night. Moonlight illuminated the terrifying sight.
"He… he split the sky?" Shinku muttered.
"Kakashi's slash is powerful. But…" Sakumo said.
Even though Kakashi had surpassed him in strength, Sakumo's sword intuition was unmatched. Decades of wielding a blade sharpened his insight beyond what the younger generations could comprehend.
Just like an old sports coach—outperformed physically, yet possessing a depth of understanding no student could match. Sakumo was a man like that.
"For a true master, this kind of slash is meaningless," Yusuke said with a smile.
He lifted Enma and gave a simple, light swing. Kakashi's enormous slash shattered like brittle glass, dispersing into the night without a trace.
"W-What…?" Kakashi's eyes widened in pure shock.
"Kakashi, slashes that shake the heavens are impressive. But remember this: everything has a 'breath'. Some blades can cut steel, but cannot slice a sheet of paper. You haven't grasped that yet," Yusuke said.
Kakashi fell silent. Reflecting on his own strike, he suddenly understood his mistake—it was too blatant, too forceful. A good blade didn't always bare its fangs. Even a slash had its own 'breath'.
His eyes widened slightly. The intense aura that had been blazing earlier faded, becoming quiet and still. The overwhelming pressure around him vanished as well.
"Hahahaha, not disappointing for my little brother," Yusuke said.
"To think… even in kenjutsu, I'm still so far behind you, Nii-san," Kakashi replied with a bitter smile.
"Even so, please show me, Nii-san. I want to witness your strongest blade," Kakashi said.
"Kakashi, there is no strongest blade. But… there is the strongest person," Yusuke said with a gentle smile.
"I understand, Nii-san," Kakashi answered.
Even though he possessed the same aura and strength, his techniques were still full of openings. Meanwhile, even Yusuke's softest slash felt absolutely invincible.
"All right."
They clashed again. The small island they fought on had now been split apart into multiple fragments.
Both stood upon the water. Kakashi was covered in wounds, while Yusuke didn't have a single stain on his clothing.
"Huff… Nii-san, let's end this with one final slash. I want to see exactly how wide the gap between us truly is," Kakashi said.
"Hatake Sword Style: Heaven-Shaking Earth-Splitting Slash!"
Armament Haki and chakra surged, far more than before. The slash roared forward like a falling meteor.
"You've grown well, Kakashi," Yusuke thought, a faint pride flickering in his eyes.
"One-Sword Style: Great Dark Sky."
The night, already dark, grew even darker. The moon's glow vanished. The world seemed engulfed in total darkness—except for one terrifying slash that everyone could see clearly.
"…I lost," Kakashi murmured with a bitter smile.
"Nii-san… could you show me your full power?"
Throughout the entire duel, Yusuke had not used full Armament Haki or chakra.
"Are you sure? I'm afraid you'll be traumatized once you see it," Yusuke said.
"I want to see it," Kakashi replied with complete seriousness. He wanted to know how insurmountable the gulf between them truly was.
"Very well."
Yusuke gripped Enma with both hands. Armament Haki wrapped around the blade. He did not use Conqueror's Haki or chakra—Kakashi wouldn't be able to withstand Conqueror's Haki anyway.
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