Chapter 529: Kakashi's Ultimate Sword
Might Guy poured all his strength into his arms. Veins bulged across them, and his whole body looked like a fierce tiger poised to strike.
Whoosh, whoosh!
He clenched his fists and unleashed a storm of punches at a single point in front of him. The speed was so terrifying that ordinary people could barely follow it, and the violent barrage stirred up a fierce wind.
Daytime Tiger was not only wide ranged, but overwhelmingly powerful as well. Might Guy believed that even Kakashi would have difficulty blocking it.
And once Kakashi blocked Daytime Tiger, he likely would not have enough chakra left to unleash One Thought Strike.
"As expected, chakra reserves are my biggest weakness," Kakashi thought with a quiet sigh the moment he saw what Guy was doing.
Guy's strategy was simple, but brutally effective.
In most battles, Kakashi was forced to choose because of his chakra. He could not have everything.
"Still, people say a person's potential is forced out under pressure. Since every choice leads to failure, I may as well go all in."
Kakashi silently entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
A simple Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall could never block Daytime Tiger. Whether he used offense to cancel it out or a defensive ninjutsu to withstand it, he would lose the ability to use One Thought Strike afterward.
So Kakashi made his decision.
He would pour every last bit of chakra he had into the most powerful No Thought Strike he had ever used, betting everything on one attack that could shatter Daytime Tiger and catch Might Guy off guard.
If he won the gamble, he would win the match.
If he lost, he would lose.
If this were a real battlefield, Kakashi might have hesitated. Losing one's ability to fight in war was a terrifying thing.
But this was only a match, and the opponent was a friend.
So Kakashi felt he could take the risk.
After all, if he did not gamble, defeat was guaranteed, and that would mean accepting the punishment for losing the internal battle. But if he gambled, he still had a chance to advance.
Fizz, fizz!
Lightning crackled violently. Blinding purple arcs bloomed along Kakashi's arm, then streamed continuously from his palm into the White Fang Short Blade he had just drawn.
"Daytime Tiger!"
The air in front of Might Guy was compressed again and again under his rapid punches. At the instant it reached its limit, he roared, changed his fists into palms, and slammed both hands together.
Roar!
The air, compressed to the absolute limit, erupted like a volcano. A violent wave burst outward, its howl as soul shaking as the roar of a tiger.
Immediately after, the expelled pressure condensed into the shape of a white tiger and lunged toward Kakashi like a living beast.
At that moment, Kakashi did not need superior perception to understand how terrifying Daytime Tiger was. The wind alone, crashing against his face, made that clear.
"Hah."
Kakashi slowly exhaled, tightening his grip on the White Fang Short Blade and pouring all his remaining strength into it.
The entire blade was now wrapped in violent purple lightning. Even someone standing close to him could no longer make out its true shape. To those in the stands, it looked as if Kakashi were holding a mass of lightning itself.
Under the support of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, all of Kakashi's chakra was rapidly converted into lightning chakra. Most of it flowed into his right arm and the White Fang. A small portion was used to reinforce his entire body.
"One Thought Strike!"
As the Daytime tiger closed in, Kakashi swung.
The moment the White Fang Short Blade came down, a brilliant purple arc flashed across the field.
Its range was nowhere near as massive as the sea of fire created by Nagato's Fire Release, nor as grand as the waves stirred up by Kisame's Water Release. Yet at that instant, every contestant and spectator in the arena had their attention seized by that single streak of lightning.
Boom!
The purple lightning slash erupted with the draw of the blade. Thunder roared as a narrow streak of lightning split the air and collided head on with the white tiger formed from compressed air.
The moment they met, an intense flash exploded from the point of impact and spread across the battlefield, so bright that no one could look straight at it.
Rumble!
Then came a deafening explosion.
The roar of the tiger and the thunderclap merged into one terrifying sound that echoed throughout the entire venue.
The resulting shockwave blasted outward, and the ground shook violently under the impact, as though it might crack open at any moment.
Even the spectators in the stands felt a savage gust of wind wash over them, forcing many to shut their eyes.
Many of the eliminated contestants were stunned.
They had thought the battle between Sasori and Nagato represented the peak of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
They had not expected Kakashi and Might Guy's match to be just as monstrous.
As the dust and mist gradually cleared, the scene beneath it came into view.
Hiss!
With an aura as if it could split everything beneath heaven, Kakashi's lightning slash tore straight through the giant air tiger, reducing it to nothing. Then it continued on without slowing and shot directly at Might Guy.
The air along its path seemed to be ripped apart, giving off a shrill scream.
"He even cut through that technique!" Zabuza could not help but complain. "Kakashi Hatake, isn't your blade supposed to protect your comrades? At this rate, it'll leave them without even a trace!"
The power of One Thought Strike was truly terrifying. Daytime Tiger had previously wiped out all of Kisame's sharks and heavily injured him, yet now it had been severed by Kakashi's lightning slash.
"As expected of my eternal rival. The flames of youth are burning hotter than ever!" Facing the incoming lightning, Might Guy did not show even the slightest fear. Instead, he laughed loudly, eyes shining with excitement.
The battle with Kisame had been exhilarating, but for most of it, Kisame had simply been on the receiving end. That was not the kind of fight Guy loved most.
The battle he longed for was one where both sides clashed back and forth, not one where he simply overwhelmed the enemy.
So Kakashi cutting through Daytime Tiger was exactly the kind of challenge he had hoped for. How could he fear something he had been looking forward to?
"Golden Skyline!"
The lightning was already upon him. There was no time for the perfect form of Golden Skyline.
Might Guy could only pour as much strength as possible into his fingers, join his index and middle fingers together, and swing them like a blade.
A thin golden line appeared, like dawn splitting open the darkness, and struck directly against the dazzling purple lightning.
Boom, boom!
Another explosion erupted.
The ground shattered. Rocks and dirt were blasted into the air. A violent gale rose, and the entire arena was once again swallowed by a gray cloud of dust.
"Konoha's geniuses are truly on another level," Kitsuchi said with a regretful shake of his head. "They are both top tier talents, yet they both belong to Konoha."
This generation of young Iwagakure prodigies was clearly inferior to Konoha's. Both Might Guy and Kakashi could effortlessly overpower any Iwagakure ninja under eighteen. Even if the age limit were raised to twenty, the result would not change.
"Konoha really is overflowing with geniuses now."
When he thought about how five of the top four candidates were Konoha ninja, Kitsuchi felt more certain than ever that Ōnoki's hostility toward Konoha had been the correct choice.
If they did nothing, then after twenty years of growth and decline, Iwagakure would absolutely not be able to rival Konoha.
"Guy, come on!" Obito stared fixedly at the arena and cheered for Might Guy in his heart.
At that moment, his heart held no grand ideals, only personal feelings.
Kakashi losing meant a great deal to him.
Because the punishment for Kakashi losing this internal battle was that for one whole week, Kakashi would not be allowed to refute anything Obito said.
Even though the current Kakashi could still threaten him without speaking, Obito could at least use Kakashi's inability to argue back as a countermeasure. It would become a form of mutual restraint.
"To have this kind of strength at their age… if I did not have the Rinnegan, I would not be their match," Nagato admitted inwardly.
Nagato felt that Mugetsu's other disciples were even more outstanding than he was. After all, he had been born with a pair of extraordinary eyes, while Might Guy and the others had obtained such strength through pure effort at an even younger age.
"What will the outcome be?" Hanzo stared intently at the center of the arena as the dust began to clear.
Although Kakashi's One Thought Strike had been astonishing, Hanzo still hoped Might Guy would win and go on to face Nagato. In Hanzo's eyes, that match offered the better chance of stopping him.
Because Hanzo could tell that Kakashi had used One Thought Strike with extreme difficulty. It was unlikely he could unleash it a second time in the same battle, which would make it very hard for him to defeat Nagato.
When the dust finally dispersed, two figures were still standing.
"My eternal rival, that strike really was incredible!" Might Guy laughed loudly, though his right hand was trembling uncontrollably.
Kakashi looked over and saw that Guy's index and middle fingers were already torn open, blood soaking them so badly that bone could be seen beneath the flesh.
Even though he had countered with Golden Skyline, taking that blow had not been easy.
"It's a good thing Teacher Mugetsu is here. We can ask him to treat you, so it shouldn't affect your match this afternoon," Kakashi said.
Compared with the Shinobi Sect's medics, Kakashi naturally trusted Mugetsu more.
The quarterfinals were held on the morning of the second day, while the top four matches would not start until three thirty in the afternoon. With Mugetsu's medical skill, plus the enhanced recovery given by Breathing Techniques, a few hours should be enough for Guy to recover completely.
"Announce his victory. I've lost," Kakashi said calmly to the referee.
He had truly gambled everything on that final One Thought Strike. At this point, he was only still standing through sheer willpower.
The referee heard Kakashi's concession, acknowledged it, and declared, "Might Guy wins!"
The arena immediately erupted into loud discussion.
This had been one of the faster matches of the elimination rounds, but its intensity was beyond question.
The two of them had skipped almost all probing and gone straight to their powerful techniques, and the visual impact had been overwhelming.
"That was a battle I'll never forget. I probably won't forget it for a year," Might Guy declared as he turned to head back toward the lounge.
When he noticed Kakashi still standing there motionless, he asked in confusion, "Kakashi, why aren't you moving? The next battle is about to start."
"Because I was waiting for you to come over and help me get to the stands to find Teacher Mugetsu," Kakashi answered calmly, still standing stiffly in place.
Might Guy suddenly understood.
He exchanged a few words with the Shinobi Sect staff who had approached them, telling them he did not need treatment from the Shinobi Sect and would not return to the competitor's lounge for the time being. Then he started toward the stands.
"I meant come carry me," Kakashi said directly when he realized Guy still had not fully understood.
Only then did Might Guy help Kakashi all the way up to the stands.
"Number nineteen, Uchiha Shisui, versus number twenty four, Asuma Sarutobi!" the referee quickly announced.
Shisui and Asuma immediately walked onto the battlefield.
"I can't believe Asuma actually made it into the quarterfinals," Raido could not help blurting out from the audience as he recalled the previous two battles.
Although Asuma was not weak, compared to the four fighters from the first two matches, he was clearly the one who dragged down the average strength of the quarterfinals.
"That's a little too harsh. Later, we should sincerely congratulate Asuma for making the quarterfinals," Kurenai said.
"The battle hasn't even started yet, and you've already decided he's going to lose?" Raido shot back. Kurenai's words were not much kinder.
"After all, his opponent is Shisui. If we're being realistic, it's very difficult for Asuma to win," Kurenai answered honestly.
The first time Kurenai met Shisui, he had only just entered his first year. At the time, Shisui had joined special training as an outstanding first year student, while Kurenai participated as a graduated ninja.
Even back then, Shisui had already left a deep impression on her. He had been utterly untouchable.
Neither graduated ninja like Asuma and Kurenai nor upperclassmen like Obito and Might Guy had been able to shake Shisui's position as number one.
And since then, Shisui had only grown more frightening, earning the title Shisui of the Body Flicker and even becoming a jonin.
"True enough," Raido said with a nod.
Asuma was his good friend and teammate, but reality was reality. If he could not beat Shisui, then he simply could not beat him.
"Begin!"
"Wind Breathing, Full Concentration!"
Asuma immediately focused his Wind Breathing, reinforcing his Wind Release nature transformation as he gathered a large amount of chakra in his throat.
"Vacuum Sphere!"
He took a deep breath and fired several Vacuum Sphere bullets toward Shisui.
He knew Shisui possessed the Sharingan and had keen perception, so he deliberately chose a move that allowed for continuous attacks.
It was not guaranteed to hit, but it was harder to evade than an ordinary Wind Release jutsu.
Bang! Bang!
The light bullets Asuma fired left crater after crater across the ground, yet they could not even graze the hem of Shisui's clothes.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
While dodging, Shisui rapidly formed hand signs and spat out a giant fireball toward Asuma.
Even against a former subordinate, Shisui remained cautious. He planned to first test Asuma's full capabilities before using his own true strength.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Asuma breathed out a stream of flames, intending to use fire against fire and cancel Shisui's attack head on.
In theory, Asuma's idea was not wrong. Jutsu of the same chakra nature could cancel each other one for one.
But that only worked if the two jutsu were on the same level.
Asuma had clearly underestimated Shisui's Fire Release. The Great Fireball devoured Asuma's Flame Bullet and continued rushing straight at him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shisui did not believe a single Great Fireball would be enough to hit Asuma, so he followed it up with several flaming shuriken to further restrict his movement.
As expected of Shisui, he's really cautious.
Seeing Shisui refuse to take the bait, Asuma had no choice but to point the fingers that had been gathering Wind Release chakra since he used Fire Release and release Wind Blades at the shuriken.
His original plan had been to let his weaker Fire Release fail on purpose, lure Shisui in, and then ambush him with a hand sign less Wind Blade.
After all, Asuma now specialized in Wind Release. There was no way he would be foolish enough to think his Fire Release could match Shisui's.
But Shisui had already anticipated that and had not acted rashly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Barrage!"
Shisui gathered chakra and exhaled three slightly smaller Great Fireballs in succession.
Asuma had no intention of clashing with Shisui in Fire Release any further. He used Wind Release chakra to accelerate himself and escaped the range of the fireballs.
Boom!
The three Great Fireballs exploded together, unleashing fierce flames that temporarily blocked Shisui from Asuma's sight.
When the flames and smoke faded, Asuma saw two Shisuis standing there.
"Did he use Shadow Clone Technique?" Asuma thought.
Now that there were higher grade physical clones, no one would use the ordinary Clone Technique unless there were some special combat plan behind it.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
One of the Shisuis rapidly formed hand signs and exhaled a vast sea of fire. The flames spread and split into four separate currents that surged toward Asuma.
Asuma's expression tightened.
So Shisui really hadn't been going all out earlier.
Still, he was not too surprised.
Compared to Obito, who liked overwhelming opponents with flashy openings, Shisui was much more restrained. He usually used ordinary Fire Release, taijutsu, and genjutsu to deal with people.
Although Asuma felt his chances of winning were slim, he had no intention of giving up. While dodging with all his strength, he secretly continued gathering chakra, preparing to use Wind Blade.
Why does Shisui look like he's holding back a smile?
That strange thought flashed through his head.
But Asuma had no time to dwell on it, because the other Shisui clone had already moved in to cut off his retreat.
Just as one of the flame streams was about to hit him, Asuma had no choice but to release Wind Blades at the clone. He could not possibly take a Fire Release attack head on.
And then something unexpected happened.
A black substance suddenly spread across the body of the clone Shisui. It blocked the Wind Blades Asuma had released.
The flames closed in.
Asuma instinctively raised one hand to shield his face and the other to protect his groin.
Yet when the flames washed over him, he felt no pain at all.
His clothes did not ignite.
His hair did not burn.
"Am I immune to fire now?" Asuma thought in disbelief, then immediately rejected the idea. "No. No way. I have to be under genjutsu."
His mind remained clear. If he could truly ignore fire, he would not have spent so long losing to Shisui and Obito.
Along with the flames came Shisui's kunai.
The moment Asuma hesitated, Shisui used Body Flicker and appeared at his side, pressing the kunai against his throat.
At the same time, the so called Shisui clone in Asuma's sight transformed into a gray black fox that stood with its head high, chest out, and tail curled proudly.
"Uchiha Shisui wins!"
At the referee's announcement, Shisui lowered his kunai.
If he had only wanted victory, he could have won with genjutsu alone.
But under cover of the flames, Shisui had not used Shadow Clone Technique. He had used Summoning Technique instead.
He wanted to use a controllable battle like this to train Zorua.
.....
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