Chapter 10: A Dance of Nullity and Savagery
The mist swirled around their feet, a silent stage for the confrontation. Kakashi and Sasuke moved forward, creating a unified front. Naruto and Sakura fell back, their bodies forming a protective barrier around the terrified bridge builder.
"Sasuke, you take the one in the coat," Kakashi ordered, his voice low and steady. "His chakra feels volatile. Be cautious. I'll handle the other one."
Sasuke just grunted, his eyes locked on the pale, coughing boy. Yami's gaze was fixed on him in turn, a look of pure, predatory contempt. This was his chance. A chance to prove his worth to Kagerō-san.
Kagerō, the bandaged man, just offered a lazy, one-eyed smile. "Oh, do try to make this interesting. I would hate to die of boredom before I get the chance to die beautifully."
The fight started without a signal.
Kakashi moved first, a blur of motion. He didn't commit to a direct attack, instead flashing through a simple set of hand seals. "Water Clone Jutsu!" A perfect replica of himself formed from the mist and shot towards Kagerō, kunai in hand. It was a standard, effective probing maneuver.
Kagerō didn't dodge. He didn't even raise his arms to block. As the water clone lunged, kunai aimed for his throat, he simply extended a single, delicate finger and gently poked the clone in the chest.
There was no explosion. No impact. The clone just… stopped. The chakra holding its watery form together dissipated into nothingness, the water collapsing into a harmless puddle at Kagerō's feet with a soft splash.
"Ninjutsu," Kagerō sighed, a look of profound disappointment on his face. "Such a tedious art. All that effort, for what? A parlor trick."
Kakashi froze, his visible eye widening in shock. He didn't dispel it. He… nullified it. On contact.
At the same moment, the other side of the bridge erupted in violence. Sasuke exploded forward, his fists and feet wreathed in the shimmering, fiery aura of his Burning Fist. He was a projectile of pure aggression, closing the distance to Yami in an instant.
Yami didn't flinch. As Sasuke's scorching fist came flying towards his face, the black coat on his back came alive. It surged forward, morphing into a monstrous, fanged jaw of hardened black material that clamped down on Sasuke's attack.
CLANG!
The sound was of heated metal striking an anvil. Sasuke was thrown back, his fist buzzing from the impact. Yami's coat, Rashōmon, retracted, a wisp of smoke curling from where the fiery punch had connected.
"You are weak," Yami rasped, a cough shaking his thin frame. "Your existence is an insult. I will erase you and prove my worth to Kagerō-san!"
The black coat erupted again, this time forming a dozen razor-sharp tendrils that shot towards Sasuke like a volley of spears. Sasuke was forced onto the defensive, dodging and weaving, his fiery fists punching the tendrils aside, each block sending a shower of sparks into the air. He had the power, but Yami had the range and a ferocity that matched his own.
Back on Kakashi's side, the Copy Ninja was running through possibilities. He needed more data. He leaped back, putting distance between them, and began a complex sequence of hand seals. The air crackled. "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive, roaring dragon of swirling water rose from the mist, a testament to his skill, and charged at Kagerō. It was a jutsu powerful enough to tear through solid rock.
Kagerō didn't retreat. He didn't even look concerned. He began to walk calmly towards the charging beast. He raised one bandaged hand. As the dragon's immense jaws were about to crush him, he simply placed his palm flat against its snout.
For a split second, the jutsu held its form. Then, it unraveled. The intricate chakra network holding the dragon together dissolved like sugar in water. The roaring beast collapsed into a torrential, powerless wave that crashed harmlessly around Kagerō's feet, drenching the bridge.
It's confirmed, Kakashi thought, his mind racing, a cold dread seeping in. It's a contact-based nullification. He can erase any chakra construct he touches. Ninjutsu… is completely useless against him.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura watched the two battles unfold, protecting Tazuna.
"This is bad," Sakura whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "Kakashi-sensei's ninjutsu isn't working, and Sasuke-kun is being pushed back!" She was analyzing, her training kicking in despite the terror. "That man in the coat… he keeps coughing. Is he sick?"
Naruto was silent, his blue eyes sharp and analytical. He wasn't just watching the fight; he was reading the energy. Kagerō's ability… it wasn't chakra. It felt like a void, a passive anti-chakra field. Just like his own Reiatsu and Kidō, it was a power that existed outside the known rules of this world. And Yami… Naruto could feel the strain. The boy's power was immense, but it was burning him out from the inside.
Sasuke was getting frustrated. He couldn't get close enough to land a decisive blow. Yami's coat was a perfect defense. "I'll burn that rag to ashes!" he yelled, flashing through seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive orb of fire shot across the bridge. Yami's coat surged in front of him, forming a thick, layered shield—Rashōmon: Murakumo. The fireball exploded against it, enveloping him in flames. For a moment, Sasuke thought he'd won. But when the fire cleared, Yami was still standing, his shield scorched but intact.
"Is that all?" Yami snarled, his eyes wild. "My turn. Rashōmon: Agito!"
The coat morphed into a swarm of serrated, blade-like limbs that tore through the air, overwhelming Sasuke. He was forced back, a sharp pain lancing across his arm as one of the blades sliced through his sleeve, drawing blood.
Kakashi knew he couldn't hesitate. Ninjutsu was out. He had to rely on pure skill. He drew a kunai and vanished, reappearing in front of Kagerō in a burst of speed, his body enhanced with the bare minimum of chakra required for movement. He lunged, aiming the kunai at Kagerō's unbandaged eye.
Kagerō's smile never faltered. He didn't meet the attack. He moved with it, a graceful, dance-like sidestep that seemed to flow around Kakashi's lunge. His movements were designed not to evade, but to close the gap.
As Kakashi's arm shot past, Kagerō reached out and gently tapped Kakashi's bicep with his fingertips.
The effect was instantaneous and horrifying. It felt like a circuit being broken, a fuse blowing out in his soul. The subtle, controlled layer of chakra enhancing Kakashi's muscles and speed sputtered and died.
He was wide open.
"Such a waste of energy," Kagerō murmured, raising a hand, preparing for a simple, decisive strike. "Now then… shall we die?"