Chapter 219 Water Clone

The place where the pursuer and the pursued first met, an open space in the sparse forest.

Three figures were locked in battle, with the ground littered with hastily thrown shuriken that hadn't been retrieved in time. The trees, standing sparsely around, had large patches of bark missing, revealing the soft inner layers. Some of the thinner ones had been completely cut down by external forces, showing just how dangerous it would be to get caught in the fight.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

The occasional sound of fierce winds howling could be heard, the terrifying sound of a blunt weapon being swung with great force. Kakashi took a moment amidst the battle to check on Sakura, who was half-kneeling nearby.

Sakura's face was covered in sweat. She hadn't been able to mount any effective attacks, but just being involved in a fight of this level, far beyond her rank, was rapidly draining her stamina, "I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei!"

Sweat that she hadn't wiped away stung her eyes. Sakura struggled to keep her eyes open as she looked at the tall enemy not far away, insisting that she was okay. That towering opponent, Kisame. Over the past moments, it had become clear that her limited skills were not effective against him. But if she couldn't hurt the opponent, she was determined at least not to be a burden to Kakashi.

Kakashi glanced briefly at Sakura's condition, not saying much before turning his focus back to the menacing opponent in front of him.

They were on an S-Rank mission to pursue Logan, but two figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds pattern had appeared to help him escape. One of them stayed behind to delay the Konoha's Ninjas, a solid plan to hinder their pursuit.

Kakashi steadied his breathing, knowing that another member of Akatsuki would likely appear later to further obstruct their chase. And their current opponent… 'Hoshigaki Kisame. It was no wonder he had evaded capture despite being a wanted man in Kirigakure for years, his strength was formidable.'

Kakashi and the forced left-behind Sakura engaged Kisame in battle. However, despite being outnumbered, Kisame didn't appear to be at a disadvantage. Of course, the fact that Sakura was a typical 'Genin' and not much help might have something to do with that...

'I wonder how Naruto and the others are doing.' Kakashi thought, gripping his kunai in reverse, 'With Jiraiya-sama by their side, they should be fine...'

His concern for his students was interrupted when Kisame charged forward, swinging his massive blade.

Kakashi calmly evaded. In their earlier exchanges, he had already felt the immense strength behind Kisame's attacks. While Kakashi could counter with his kunai, using Lightning Release to stimulate his cells, doing so was extremely Chakra-intensive. If he couldn't end the fight quickly, he'd have to find the right opportunity to strike.

With a loud crash, Kisame's sword, Samehada, one of the Seven Ninja Swords, smashed a small tree, reducing it from a proud stance to a crumpled mess.

Kakashi allowed Kisame to continue his wild swings, hoping to tire him out. But up to this point, the other party still seemed to be full of energy.

'This won't work. I have to find a way to take this guy down.' Kakashi thought as Kisame, missing another strike, pulled back and prepared for another wild swing. The thought flashed through Kakashi's mind, 'This guy had not yet used any of his real abilities. Clearly, he wasn't in much of a hurry, but our mission had a deadline.'

'If Hattori crossed the border...' Kakashi suddenly sped up, swinging his kunai directly at Kisame's shark-like face.

Sparks of electricity crackled around his body again, and Kisame smirked, "That's right, Copy Ninja Kakashi. You need to use more of your strength."

As the kunai was about to enter Samehada's range, Kakashi halted abruptly, then forcibly changed direction, leaving a trail of blue light in his swift movement.

From the side, there was a whistling sound as something sliced through the air. Kisame's fighting spirit didn't waver. He tilted his head slightly to dodge the kunai by a hair's breadth, then swung Samehada violently.

Clang!

Kakashi's cold eyes remained unflinching as his kunai collided with the massive sword, sparks flying instantly from the impact. He then landed a punch squarely on Kisame's face.

Kisame rolled across the ground but quickly scrambled back up, only to hear the hum of electricity.

"Raikiri!"

A high-powered lightning ball with immense destructive force flew towards Kisame at high speed, and before he could react, the sharp, swift charge pierced through his chest.

"..."

'The sensation didn't feel right.' Kakashi's eyes narrowed, and he abruptly withdrew the Chakra from his Raikiri, ducking low.

Whoosh!

Just above his head, a large sword swung heavily.

"Water Clone?" From the corner of his eyes, Kakashi saw the figure struck by his Raikiri dissolving into water droplets. Surprised, he muttered, "When?"

"When you're about to die!" Kisame, who appeared behind Kakashi, laughed ferociously. It wasn't surprising that Kakashi had dodged his slash, but the attack wasn't over.

As Kakashi resolved to use Lightning Release to stimulate his cells, the battle intensity escalated, and Kisame no longer held back.

The bandages around Samehada burst off with a loud snap. The original blade swelled significantly in size, revealing its true form, a deep blue sword with protruding barbs, aggressively jutting out.

Kakashi stared in shock as one end of Samehada opened its massive maw, filled with sharp, tiny teeth. The sudden transformation occurred just above him, the barbs sinking into his body before he could evade. The gaping mouth extended its tongue, swallowing half of his body in an instant.

"This sword is alive..."

The remaining half of Kakashi's words were swallowed into Samehada's mouth, and Sakura's disbelieving cry came from the side.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura's eyes were red with tears as she threw all her weapons at Kisame from her Ninja Pouch. She then grabbed a kunai off the ground and charged at Kisame with a desperate scream.

Because Kisame was busy controlling Samehada, one of his hands couldn't move. Although he tried to dodge, a shuriken managed to pierce his flesh, blood seeping through his clothes. The pain twisted Kisame's expression into something terrifying, "Get lost!"

Sakura lunged forward but was kicked aside. Yet, she clung to Kisame's leg with all her strength, raising the kunai in her right hand…

Kisame increased his force, causing Sakura to cough up blood. Her determination crumbled and the strength in her hands faded. She tumbled several times across the ground before stopping.

"Don't overestimate your capabilities." Kisame muttered as he collected himself, preparing to deal with Kakashi again. Samehada's barbs pulsated like living entities, and the sword's Chakra-absorbing ability activated. But Kisame's expression suddenly changed.

Instead of the expected influx of Chakra, what he felt was insubstantial and fleeting.

'This is…' Kakashi within Samehada's grasp slowly transformed into a puddle of water.

A sharp object pressed against Kisame's throat.

"How could it be?" Kisame's body stiffened.

In an instant, the tables had turned. Kakashi stood coldly, his Sharingan's three tomoe spinning as he looked coldly at Kisame who dared not move, "Didn't you call me 'Copy Ninja'? So, of course, I had to show you what that means."

Kisame immediately realized that Kakashi had copied his Water Clone Technique and managed to get behind him at a remarkable speed...

"Well done, Sakura." Kakashi turned and praised Sakura. Blood stained the corner of her mouth, and although the situation had reversed, she still found it hard to believe. Now, after witnessing the true face of the battle between the two Ninjas, her body finally relaxed.

The kunai pressed against Kisame's vulnerable neck, and just a little more pressure would cut through the skin. Kakashi strained to keep his Sharingan open, as the continuous, complex Chakra manipulation was taking its toll.

He was in a dilemma now… Whether to kill Kisame outright or interrogate him for information... …