87: Chapter 87 Interrogation! The Ninja's ExperienceAnother ninja who had just retrieved his chains and was preparing to join the attack was also caught in the crossfire of the massive attack, and was hit hard in the chest and face by several heavy punches!
"Ugh!"
He screamed in agony as he was also sent flying by the immense force!
Even more dramatically, the sharp chain connecting the two of them snapped taut and slammed into a large tree as they were thrown back by the immense force of the impact.
The chains snapped back, pulling the two people who had been flying backwards back towards each other like spinning tops!
Thump!
A muffled thud!The two heads collided violently through their masks!
The powerful impact, combined with the previous heavy punches, left the two without even a groan.They saw stars, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
They were bound together by chains tightly wrapped around the tree trunk.
As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, Kakashi's severed limbs were revealed on the ground—they were actually several neatly cut pieces of a substitute wooden stake!
Naruto maintained his punching stance, his chest heaving violently, his golden hair swaying slightly as his chakra surged.
He looked at the unconscious enemy on the ground, then at the broken wooden stakes, his eyes filled with lingering fear, anger, and a hint of.disbelief at the initial victory.
Sasuke had already drawn his kunai and stood protectively in front of the still-shaken Sakura, scanning his surroundings warily with cold eyes.
Dazner slumped to the ground, his face ashen, a bottle rolled to the side, spilling its contents everywhere.
Kakashi's figure appeared silently, like a ghost, on the branch of a large tree nearby.
He squatted there, still holding the book "Make-Out Paradise" in his hands, as if he wasn't the one who had just been "dismembered."
His one exposed dead fish eye was observing Naruto, who was still furious, with great interest.
"Yare yare."
Kakashi's slow voice rang out, tinged with a hint of teasing, "It seems our mission level.needs to be reassessed."
As Naruto stared in disbelief at his clenched fist, Sasuke silently withdrew his almost-taken step and the kunai he had already gripped tightly in his hand.
'This guy.actually did it at a time like this.'
Beneath Sasuke's cold exterior, for the first time, he felt a genuine surprise and admiration for Naruto's quick thinking and explosive power.
"Well done, Naruto."
Kakashi's voice carried a hint of genuine approval as he gracefully landed on the branch and stood beside Naruto.
"Only when you can unleash the power you've learned and applied in a truly deadly real battle can you truly possess your own strength."
He patted Naruto's still trembling shoulder.
Kakashi then walked toward Sasuke and Sakura, who had been vigilantly guarding Tazuna.
"You did a good job too, remaining calm in the emergency and protecting your client."
At this moment, Tazner had already gotten up from the ground, but the fear on his face had not completely faded.Instead, a complex expression mixed with shock and lingering fear appeared on his face.
He looked at Naruto, then at the unconscious ninja on the ground, as if he were truly getting to know this blond boy whom he had previously belittled as a "brat" for the first time.
Kakashi turned his gaze to Tazuna, a hint of scrutiny appearing in his lazy, dead-fish eyes: "Mr.Tazuna, come with me for a moment, I have some questions for you."
His tone was calm, yet carried an air of undeniable authority.
Kakashi swiftly dragged the two unconscious Kirigakure ninja together and bound them tightly with a specially made chakra rope.
Then, he pinched their philtrum to wake them up.
The two Hidden Mist ninjas slowly awoke, their eyes initially filled with confusion, which was quickly replaced by coldness and ferocity.They struggled fiercely, only to find that the ropes were unusually strong.
Kakashi squatted down in front of them, his gaze sweeping over their unique attire and the clearly visible headband patterns beneath their messy hair—ripples that twisted like flowing water.
He calmly began, "You are Chunin from Kirigakure, right?You are known throughout the ninja world for completing missions at any cost."
One of the ninjas' eyes flickered slightly, but instead of answering directly, he stared intently at Kakashi and asked:
"Why.why were you able to see through our actions and even prepare countermeasures in advance?"
If the other party hadn't been prepared, how could the battle-hardened "Ghost Brothers" have been completely oblivious to the signs of being tricked?
Kakashi pointed to the almost dried-up puddle of water in the middle of the road, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather:
"It's very simple.These past few days have been sunny and the roads have been dry.Suddenly, such an obvious puddle of water appears.Doesn't it seem a bit too deliberate?It's like someone deliberately dumped it there."
"So.so that's how it is."
Tazuna then realized what had happened, patted his chest with lingering fear, and then looked at Kakashi with dissatisfaction and questioning:
"Since you saw through their ambush all along, why did you still let the children take action?It was so dangerous!"
Kakashi didn't answer Tazuna immediately, but instead turned back to the two Kirigakure ninjas who looked unwilling, and continued to ask:
"You really went to great lengths to assassinate Uncle Tazuna.Staying submerged underwater for so long, relying on water-style ninjutsu to breathe and remain hidden, must have been tough.Did you have enough oxygen?"
"Hmph!What do you know!"
Another Kirigakure ninja couldn't help but chuckle, with the unique pride of a Kirigakure ninja, "This is the basic skill of us Kirigakure ninjas!Staying underwater for a day and a night is as easy as eating and breathing for us!"
"This little trick."
His words came to an abrupt halt, because he and his companions all saw the knowing smile that curled at the corner of Kakashi's mouth.
They realized instantly—they'd fallen for a trap!The other side wasn't concerned about their hard work at all; they were trying to extract information!
"I see," Kakashi stood up, looking down at them.With a sharp look in his eyes, he said, "Your target is indeed Uncle Tazuna himself, isn't it?"
How could an ordinary bridge-building expert attract the attention of elite Kirigakure ninja for an assassination attempt?
"Damn it!Those cunning Konoha ninjas!"
The demon brothers, filled with shame and anger, realized they had inadvertently revealed crucial information."Kill us!Don't expect to get anything else out of us!"
Kakashi ignored their shouts and turned to face Tazuna, whose face had become extremely pale.
"Mr.Tazuna," Kakashi's voice turned cold, carrying an invisible sense of pressure, "that's why I didn't take action against them from the beginning."
He pointed to the demon brothers, who were bound like rice dumplings: "If it were me, I could subdue them the moment they peeked out."
But in that case, how can I be sure that their target is you, or one of our Konoha ninjas?
After all, Konoha has its share of enemies.
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