"What incredible Wind Release chakra… As expected of a creation from the founder of the Artisan Ninja Village!"
Chiba took a deep breath.
If it weren't for her weapon, he could've handled ten of her kind at once!
Countless flexible blades slithered after him like serpents.
Chiba and Kakashi both leapt backward to evade.
Their enemies' main target was Kakashi, but that didn't mean they had relaxed their guard —after all, this kid had personally killed a samurai whose strength was comparable to a Jōnin.
Even if samurai were generally weaker in full-scale combat and couldn't be considered true Jōnin in versatility, Chiba was undeniably troublesome.
So, he received "special treatment"—
Most attacks were focused on Kakashi, but a full third of the offensive still came for him.
Even with his Limit State activated, the barrage of attacks was overwhelming. He could barely dodge—counterattacking was out of the question for now.
"Chiba—now!"
Kakashi's voice rang out as dazzling white light flared between his hands.
The next instant, his figure vanished from sight.
Lightning Cutter!
A flash of white, as blinding and fleeting as a bolt of lightning across the night sky—
—and with that flash, a life was taken.
Kakashi's hand pierced straight through Kujaku's chest.
The Four Celestial Symbols Men had spread out to surround Kakashi and Chiba. Even the Infinite Kujaku Armor, capable of absorbing chakra, was useless at such range.
Kakashi was simply too fast.
The enemy didn't even have time to react.
"Impossible! You were—no, regroup!"
The three remaining Celestial Artisans instantly realized something was wrong.
Kakashi still had enough strength to fight! They'd been fooled by his earlier act.
As for Tenten, Tsukikage Kaza, and Yuichi rushing over from behind—they barely paid them any attention. Two young kunoichi with average strength couldn't possibly change the battle's outcome.
And the latter, a samurai who relied purely on swordsmanship, had even less of a role to play in a chaotic fight like this.
Of course—
That was if they could recover Kujaku's twin blades.
"Lord Hishin, that boy—"
"Hmph."
The leader of the Four Celestial Symbols Men, Hishin, channeled chakra, attempting to summon the remaining ninja tools. At first, he could still sense the presence of Kujaku's twin swords—but soon afterward…
The connection was severed.
Hishin's face darkened.
"Is it done?"
Kakashi tilted his head slightly.
"Yes. At first it didn't work, but when I treated them as living creatures during the sealing process, I finally succeeded."
Until the seal was lifted, those weapons would behave like ordinary steel.
Chiba's eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at the armored enemy.
"Kakashi-sensei, if all their ninja tools share that 'living' trait, then that armor with a mouth probably has the ability to absorb chakra."
"Exactly." Kakashi nodded.
"Doichō, take Kakashi."
"Understood!"
The remaining three Celestial Artisans exchanged grim looks—then all lunged toward Chiba.
They had already overestimated his strength, or so they thought. Yet they still hadn't expected this kid to be such a headache.
Not only was his swordsmanship impressive, but he also knew strange binding formations, had deciphered and sealed the twin blades in mere moments, and even deduced the Infinite Armor's ability.
This brat had to die!
Yari's dark blades lashed out wildly like vipers from their den. At the same time, beams of light fired toward Chiba.
Chiba's speed spiked instantly.
Boom!
A burst of chakra exploded beneath his feet, propelling him forward even faster—within the blink of an eye, he had shot several meters away.
But—
Shhk!
One of Yari's blades pierced through his shoulder, blood welling out.
He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
"Chiba-kun!"
Tenten's voice rang out.
From the forest, countless steel wires shot forth, tangling around the extended dark blades.
The stretching blades shrieked as the wires constricted, sparks flying from the grinding metal.
In that instant, Chiba's hands flew through seals, pressing five bursts of chakra into his sword.
Five Elements Seal!
It wouldn't hold forever—but it would disrupt them for a split second.
Then, a figure emerged from underground.
"Kakashi! I've been expecting you!"
Twin beams of light erupted from Hishin's shoulders—but in the next moment, the "Kakashi" before him crumbled into mud.
Earth Release: Earth Clone?!
He snapped his head upward—just in time to see a flash of white light streaking toward him.
"Doichō!"
"Yes!"
Doichō knew he couldn't match Kakashi's speed, so he used the simplest tactic—
Teleport directly in front of Hishin to block.
A cold gleam flashed through Kakashi's eye.
He'd tested that armor before—yes, it could absorb chakra and nullify some ninjutsu, but not everything.
At least—
It couldn't block a blade.
Kakashi drew his short sword with his left hand, channeling every ounce of remaining strength and chakra into it.
Then—he slashed.
Clang!
The sound of steel colliding rang out.
"You think you can kill me with a sword? Naive! You—what?!"
Doichō barely had time to sneer before a surge of agony shot through him.
He looked down in disbelief.
The armor's chakra barrier had been breached—and Kakashi's blade wasn't even infused with chakra. The weapon had shattered bit by bit upon impact, its fragments biting just an inch into his flesh.
Yari's dark blades faltered, their chakra flow disrupted.
Hishin moved to assist—but a sudden whoosh came from above.
Looking up, he saw another "Kakashi" descending with a sword strike.
He countered instantly—but it was only another clone.
The next instant, lightning flashed—Kakashi's real hand, wreathed in thunder, plunged into the gap in Doichō's broken armor. The armor greedily drank in the chakra, but the lightning still pierced through—straight into his heart.
From the shadows, Tsukikage Kaza had just used a clone to divert Hishin's sightlines. Seizing the moment, she burst forth, blade flashing toward the distracted enemy.
"Tsukikage Kaza, fall back!"
Chiba's pupils contracted.
"Your opponent is me!"
Yari's dark blades whirled —four or five of them striking from every direction, two aimed at Tenten.
"Infinite Armor—return!"
Hishin roared.
With a hiss, the armor flew off Doichō's dying body.
Shhk!
Kakashi's hand drove clean through Doichō's chest as the armor abandoned him. His expression darkened.
"You'd discard your comrade so easily?"
"Go."
Hishin ignored him, seizing the reclaimed armor and retreating with his last remaining ally.
Just then, Tenten whipped out two scrolls. With a flick of her wrists, they unfurled like twin dragons.
Kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags rained out in a storm, spreading across the clearing like a deadly net.
Kakashi's eyes lit up.
Through his Overlimit perception and Sharingan insight, he instantly saw her plan.
The storm of projectiles looked chaotic—but hidden among the explosive tags were several sealing talismans. Each one landed precisely in one of eight key positions.
It was perfect teamwork!
Chiba formed hand seals.
Binding Formation—Activate!
Seals and barriers spread in all directions, connecting along Tenten's steel wires. Before Hishin could absorb the chakra, the formation had already completed.
Tsukikage Kaza, knowing the armor's ability, darted aside and struck at the other surviving enemy instead.
Yari's offense was fierce—but its defense was virtually nonexistent.
Pinned by the binding formation, he couldn't move—her blade cut him down in a single stroke.
"A mere sealing technique—no, wait! Impossible!"
Hishin's expression twisted.
He realized his chakra armor was locked in a struggle with the opposing seal.
The formation hadn't broken through—yet his armor couldn't absorb it either.
What was happening?
As he struggled to comprehend, roots burst from the earth below, snaring his legs.
Chiba, maintaining the maximum output of both his Binding Formation and the absorption barrier, finally exhaled in relief.
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