Chapter 99: Hatake Hizashi
In the next moment, another wave of shadow clones vanished, their purpose served. They had all unleashed a synchronized Great Fireball Technique on the same concentrated area.
As the massive mushroom cloud began to dissipate, a single figure became visible within the scorched crater. He had shock-white hair and held a gleaming chakra short sword. He stood unscathed.
So it's the Hatake clan, Uchiha Raizen identified. All about the sword. But to be this skilled… he must be one of their elites. The white hair and the habit of masking the lower face were their trademarks.
As he observed the swordsman, Raizen's system automatically collected the glowing orbs of "Sword Talent" that littered the ground around the man. Like bloodlines, these talents could be permanently integrated. However, with only twenty pickups left for the day, he couldn't acquire them all, which was a frustration.
"You of the Hatake clan, with such refined skill… you must be Hatake Hizashi," Raizen called out, his voice calm. At the same time, his remaining shadow clones continued their relentless assault, holding back the five-thousand-strong army with a seemingly endless barrage of ninjutsu.
"Is this the true power of Elder Raizen?" one of the Uchiha shinobi muttered in awe. "He's stalling five thousand troops by himself. And he doesn't even seem concerned about facing Hatake Hizashi one-on-one."
"Though I hate to admit it, the man is a monster," a Senju warrior conceded. "And if the rumors are true, he's not even twenty years old."
"Second Brother is only eighteen," Uchiha Natsume ("Fatty") clarified proudly. "And before he was fifteen, he wasn't even a genin. If not for that, he'd probably have surpassed the Kage-level by now."
"What?! Not a genin at fifteen, and a patriarch-level fighter in three years? Not even Lord Hashirama improved that quickly!" the Senju exclaimed.
"Don't look so surprised. Even we, who grew up with him, can hardly believe it," Uchiha Ryoken added, shaking his head.
"Hey, listening to you talk makes my fingers itch," Natsume said, cracking his knuckles. "Don't you all want to test your skills against them?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Second Brother!" Natsume yelled over the din. "We're joining the fight!"
"Oh? Fine by me," Raizen replied without looking away from Hizashi. "One rule: don't kill them. Just beat them half to death."
Though puzzled by the order, the combined Uchiha-Senju force roared and charged into the fray. Raizen's shadow clones seamlessly shifted their role, now acting as support and guardians, intervening instantly wherever an ally was in mortal danger.
This left Raizen's true body free to focus entirely on Hatake Hizashi.
No matter how exquisite Hizashi's swordplay was, it was useless against Raizen's flawless Body Flicker and Substitution Techniques. Even when his blade was a mere centimeter from Raizen's skin, Raizen would evade with a thought and counter with a blistering combination of ninjutsu. It was like trying to strike smoke. For Hizashi, a master of direct, physical combat, it was an infuriating and exhausting style to face.
"Raizen! Hurry up and finish this!" Madara's impatient voice cut across the battlefield, audible even over the chaos. "Hashirama's almost done playing with his food. Don't tell me you're running out of chakra."
The comment broke Hizashi's concentration for a split second. His eyes flickered toward the distant battle between the patriarchs.
"Distracted during a fight with me? That's a fatal mistake," Raizen chided. "Fire Release: Eight Trigrams Sealing Wall!"
Eight of Raizen's remaining clones instantly surrounded Hatake Hizashi, their hands slamming onto the ground. A barrier of roaring flames erupted, trapping the swordsman inside.
The Hatake's power lay in their unparalleled kenjutsu and physical prowess. Their weakness was their relative lack of diversity in ninjutsu.
"Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!" Hashirama's voice rang out, adding a second layer to the prison. A dome of thick, living wood encased the fiery barrier, completely sealing Hatake Hizashi within a combined elemental prison.
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