After Shukaku used sand to conceal Roshi's position, Hayashi began walking forward at a steady pace.
The open battlefield that had been cleared by the previous clash was already filling up again. Iwagakure ninja surged back into formation, and even more of them were rushing in from the distance after disengaging from their own battles.
Hayashi calmly brushed dust off his body and removed his jōnin vest, now heavy and soaked with blood. Underneath, he wore a simple black Uchiha clan outfit.
He looked toward the incoming Iwagakure forces and rested his left hand lightly on the hilt of Samehada. The blade responded with a subtle, almost excited vibration, clearly reacting favorably to his chakra.
A pale-faced Iwagakure jōnin stepped forward several paces and shouted loudly, "Hand over Lord Roshi!"
In the next instant, his body was launched into the air with terrifying force. He crashed back down into the crowd of Iwagakure ninja like a broken kite, unable to resist at all.
Hayashi stood exactly where the man had been moments before. No one even saw him move.
For a brief moment, the Iwagakure forces hesitated.
It seemed they had forgotten what Konoha once represented during the era of Hashirama and Madara. Since they had forgotten, Hayashi had no intention of letting them remain ignorant.
Hundreds of Iwagakure ninja drew their weapons at once.
Yet none of them advanced.
It was not because they lacked courage. Against any ordinary opponent, they would have already swarmed forward without hesitation. But the man standing before them was different.
Konoha's Lightning Flash.
His name alone carried weight across the entire ninja world. His performance in the Third Great Ninja War had already placed him among the most feared shinobi alive.
In terms of reputation alone, he was already on par with, if not beyond, the Five Kage.
The logic in their minds was simple. The first to move would be the first to die.
The jōnin who had spoken earlier was proof enough of that.
They stood their ground only because Roshi was still in Hayashi's possession. Their duty was not to engage recklessly, but to ensure the Four-Tails jinchūriki was not taken.
After a brief silence, a commanding roar came from the front line.
The Iwagakure forces surged forward all at once.
At a separate point on the battlefield, Nawaki and Kari had just separated after another exchange.
Nawaki glanced at Kari with a faint grin. "Roshi is your teacher, right?"
Kari, still catching his breath, narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Nawaki continued casually, "Roshi has been captured by Hayashi. As his student, aren't you going to try and save him?"
A faint smile formed on Nawaki's face.
"If I remember correctly, during the Second Great Ninja War, it was Roshi who saved you at the last moment."
Kari's expression shifted slightly. "How do you know that..."
Then realization hit him.
"You were there. One of the people who attacked my squad alongside Konoha's Lightning Flash was you, and the other was Uchiha Mikoto."
"Not bad," Nawaki replied flatly. "Figured it out before you die."
Kari's expression darkened.
He was a genius of Iwagakure, known for his Explosion Release. Despite being older, he was gradually being pushed back in this fight.
His stamina was dropping quickly, while Nawaki showed no visible fatigue at all.
It was not just endurance. What disturbed him most was Nawaki's seemingly endless chakra reserves.
What kind of monster was this kid?
Nawaki continued speaking as if this were a casual conversation. "Hayashi captured your teacher. You could always try retaliating by going after my teacher, Orochimaru."
Kari rolled his eyes immediately. That was not a suggestion, it was suicide.
However, the thought lingered in his mind.
With Roshi captured, Iwagakure was already at a disadvantage. Losing their commander would only worsen the situation. Even if Roshi managed to return, he would likely be held responsible for the defeat.
Kari exhaled slowly.
He had never felt fully comfortable within Iwagakure to begin with. Now, with this situation collapsing around him, a different thought surfaced.
Leaving.
Becoming a rogue shinobi.
The ninja world was vast. Surely there was a place where Explosion Release Kari could survive without being dragged into endless wars.
But before that thought could fully settle, Nawaki moved.
The earlier conversation had never been idle chatter. It was a deliberate distraction.
Nawaki intended to end this fight here.
Both released chakra at the same time and collided violently.
A shockwave spread through the ground as cracks formed instantly beneath their feet.
Nawaki swung his fist forward, condensing water chakra into it.
Water Release, Great Water Arm Technique.
Kari met it head-on with his Explosion Release enhanced strike.
The impact triggered a violent blast.
Kari used the explosion to propel himself upward, forming a blade-like flame in his hand as he descended.
Nawaki reacted instantly, forming seals without even looking up.
Water Release, Water Encampment Wall.
A massive barrier of water rose to block the strike.
Without pause, the water transformed into compressed streams and fired back like bullets.
Kari responded with Explosion Release, scattering flames that intercepted the incoming barrage mid-air.
In the next moment, Nawaki vanished.
A body flicker placed him directly behind Kari, kunai already aimed.
Clang.
Kari blocked it, but Nawaki immediately followed with a spinning kick.
The impact sent Kari flying back over ten meters. He used the force intentionally to create distance.
Escape was his only option now.
Nawaki's voice came immediately behind him.
"Trying to run?"
Water Release, Exploding Water Colliding Wave.
A massive surge of water erupted from Nawaki's mouth, rushing forward like a tidal wave. Another wave formed behind it, stacking pressure as he advanced across the surface without hesitation.
Kari turned sharply.
Explosion Release, Crossfire.
Flames burst outward in all directions, colliding with the advancing water.
But Nawaki had already closed in again.
Kari felt a sudden shift in danger.
Nawaki did not dodge the incoming counterattack. Instead, he rushed straight through and grabbed him.
For a brief moment, Kari thought he had succeeded.
Then his vision blurred.
Nawaki's body dissolved into water.
Water Release, Water Prison Technique.
Kari found himself completely trapped inside a dense sphere of water. He struck outward immediately, but Nawaki was already in position.
Water Release, Heavenly Weeping.
High speed water needles erupted from Nawaki's mouth and pierced through the water prison with pinpoint accuracy.
Dozens of impacts landed in an instant.
Kari's movements slowed, then stopped completely.
The water prison gradually turned red.
The fight was over.
Nawaki stood still for a moment, watching the result.
Kari's body slowly sank within the water.
There was no celebration.
No relief.
Only silence.
===
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