A blinding flash of light, accompanied by a thunderous roar, swept across the battlefield, the buzzing in his ears sharp enough to rupture his eardrums.
After the Morning Peacock, followed by a direct hit from Kirin, even a perfect jinchuriki of the Two-Tails couldn't walk away unscathed.
When the lightning finally faded, a ragged figure lay sprawled on the scorched earth blasted open by Kirin, his life hanging by a thread.
The storm clouds in the sky had begun to recede, and a single raindrop landed on Kakashi's hand.
It was starting to rain.
At the sight, Kakashi leaped down from the trembling core of the explosion, gripping the White Fang of the Leaf, and approached the fallen man.
The figure wore tattered Kumogakure ninja garb, smoke rising from his body, vast patches of skin charred black—but even so, Kakashi could still detect the faint rise and fall of his chest.
As expected from a jinchuriki.
Morning Peacock and Kirin hadn't been enough to finish him off completely.
Gazing at the man's pitiful, electrocuted form, Kakashi planted his foot on the jinchuriki's chest, raised the White Fang of the Leaf high, and spoke without a hint of emotion:
"Heh, another dark-skinned fellow."
As if hearing Kakashi's words, the Two-Tails jinchuriki forced his eyes open to glare at him, his lips twitching as though trying to form words... But.
A merciless glint of cold steel flashed in an instant, slicing clean across his throat!
One strike, and head separated from body!
The Kumogakure Two-Tails jinchuriki—dead!
Not just the jinchuriki; that single blow had also felled Matatabi, the Two-Tails sealed within him!
Kakashi stared indifferently at the corpse beneath his foot, feeling no remorse for the tailed beast's demise.
It was just a cat, after all.
"Mojieyi!"
A furious bellow echoed from afar as a muscular figure cloaked in Lightning Release chakra barreled through Jiraiya's sea of flames, charging straight at Kakashi!
From a distance, he looked like a monstrous beast wreathed in lightning and fire, hurtling forward with unstoppable fury!
The Fourth Raikage.
Kakashi regarded him coolly, the White Fang of the Leaf in his grip erupting into fierce flames as he swung it toward the jinchuriki's severed head, which had rolled aside.
Flames splattered everywhere, and the head was instantly reduced to charred ash!
"Waaahhhhh!"
"You deserve to die!"
Witnessing his subordinate's brutal slaughter, followed by the desecration of his head into charcoal, the Raikage lost all reason, descending into pure rage!
How dare he!
How dare he!
He wouldn't even spare Mojieyi's corpse!
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
With the Raikage's thunderous roar, his form blurred into extreme speed, charging wildly at Kakashi!
Kakashi stood unmoving against the onslaught, as if he hadn't reacted at all—and everyone watched in horror as the Raikage's fist obliterated the white-haired youth's head!
"Kakashi!"
Might Guy tried to lunge forward at the sight, but ten minutes had already passed since opening the gates, and even a single step sent agonizing pain ripping through his body!
In that moment, an anomaly struck: the Kakashi whose head had been punched clean off suddenly dissolved into countless arcs of electricity, coiling around the Raikage!
Lightning Release: Lightning Clone!
Unbeknownst to anyone, Kakashi had covertly swapped places with a Lightning Release clone!
"Nani!"
The Raikage's heart clenched at the revelation.
He'd already unleashed several high-powered techniques in his clash with Mojieyi—yet this kid could still pull off a chakra-intensive Lightning Release clone.
Just how much chakra did this brat have left!
In that split-second distraction, the Two-Tails jinchuriki's corpse suddenly shifted; a razor-sharp blade of light erupted from the ground, ripping through the body as it slashed toward the Raikage's throat!
"What!"
Shock and fury boiled within the Raikage.
This despicable, shameless, utterly honorless Konoha brat!
"You damn bastard!"
The Raikage blocked with one arm, using the metal gauntlet on his wrist to deflect the lethal strike, while his other fist slammed down toward Kakashi!
With a explosive roar, the Raikage was hurled backward, tumbling more than ten meters across the ground!
"I told you, you're underestimating me a bit too much."
Jiraiya, Rasengan still spinning in his palm, eyed the disheveled Raikage as he staggered to his feet and spoke with calm composure.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"Damn Konoha!"
The Raikage hauled himself upright, glaring at Jiraiya and Kakashi before him, his expression twisted into something utterly grim.
Damn Konoha!
Damn Kakashi!
Damn Jiraiya!
Damn it all!
He'd only wanted the Byakugan—why did they have to push things this far!
Couldn't they just hand over the Byakugan without a fight!
As the Raikage braced for a desperate final stand, a signal flare arced slowly into the sky.
It was a Kumogakure retreat signal.
The Raikage's face darkened at the sight.
Dodai... Scanning the battlefield, he saw his forces' morale shattered with the Two-Tails jinchuriki slain. Under the command of Konoha's "Shisui the Teleporter," the enemy was cutting through them like an uninhabited realm—not to mention Jiraiya and Kakashi standing right in front of him... After one last venomous glance at Kakashi beside Jiraiya, the Raikage issued the order he dreaded most.
"Everyone... retreat!"
His icy words carried weight and barely contained fury. He shot a final glare at the two men across from him and turned to withdraw.
Jiraiya watched the Raikage depart without another word, simply waving a hand to signal his forces back to camp.
Do not pursue a cornered enemy.
Kumogakure hadn't committed their full strength to this assault.
Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, remained in reserve, and many ninja were still holding the camp against potential counterattacks.
Push the Raikage too far, and who knew what desperation might unleash.
They already held the upper hand in the broader strategy; there was no need to tangle further with the Raikage here.
"Kakashi..."
Jiraiya turned to praise the young man at his side, reaching out to sling an arm around his shoulder—something like, As expected of Minato's student.
But his hand closed on empty air, nearly sending him stumbling.
Turning back, he saw the white-haired youth hoisting Might Guy to his feet, the latter slumped against a boulder from the backlash of the Eight Gates Released Formation.
"Well, not bad..."
Watching the exhausted youth still ranting about the power of youth, supported by Kakashi, Jiraiya stroked his chin and chuckled... One battle had etched their names into legend.
Kakashi and Might Guy, fighting side by side—at just seventeen years old—had slain the Two-Tails jinchuriki, a deed that echoed through the entire camp.
Cheers erupted for Kakashi and Might Guy's names.
When word reached Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi seized the opportunity to rally morale, broadcasting the triumph far and wide.
The White Fang of the Leaf, Kakashi Hatake.
The Mighty Blue Beast, Might Guy.
The most brilliant twin stars of Konoha—and indeed, the entire ninja world.
After losing Minato Namikaze, Konoha had welcomed its next generation of radiance.
Beyond the Land of Fire, countless souls fell silent, sighing in awe.
From Konoha's founding to the present day, the village's parade of world-shaking geniuses had never truly stopped.
Even in what history would call Konoha's darkest hour, talents like Kakashi and Might Guy could still rise.
And in that moment, Kakashi stared at the notification flickering in his mind.
Ignoring the scattered names like Ōnoki, Hiruko, Uchiha Obito, Shinno, and Mei Terumī, his eyes locked onto the final line.
[Current Chakra: 3210%]
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