Chapter 319: Ye Zi vs Sakumo Hatake

As long as Ye Zi's spirit remained outside his body, it posed a constant, lurking threat to his opponent.

After Ye Zi activated the Spirit Transformation Technique, Sakumo's attacks were noticeably less aggressive than before. He had to divide his focus, attacking while also defending against Ye Zi's spirit.

The Spirit Transformation Technique is a forbidden soul technique. In its unenhanced form, it immobilizes the user's body, which is a significant disadvantage when facing multiple enemies. However, in a one-on-one situation, the technique's advantage is clear.

Ye Zi had improved it, allowing him to move while using it, overcoming its biggest weakness. In a one-on-one setting, unless his opponent knew sealing techniques, this technique was virtually unbeatable.

Of course, there were ways to counter it.

The awkward part was that Sakumo had never lost in a one-on-one duel. With just his short sword, he always overwhelmed his opponents, but now, facing Ye Zi's modified Spirit Transformation Technique, things were not as easy.

Sakumo didn't let the Spirit Transformation Technique stop his attacks.

At close range, his bladed attacks allowed him to gain the upper hand over Ye Zi. Though the spirit's interference made his moves less fierce than before, Sakumo still held an edge in swordplay.

On the other hand, Ye Zi was frustrated because his spirit couldn't land a hit on Sakumo.

Both offense and defense required focus. While Sakumo was forced to split his focus, Ye Zi also had to divide his attention between wielding his blade and maneuvering his spirit.

Through this battle, Ye Zi had to admit that Sakumo's swordsmanship was the finest he had ever encountered—possibly unmatched in the entire ninja world. Finding another swordsman to rival White Fang seemed nearly impossible.

Sakumo's skills in swordsmanship and taijutsu forced Ye Zi into a defensive stance.

When either swordsmanship or taijutsu is honed to perfection, it rivals even the most powerful ninjutsu. When both are mastered together, it's formidable.

Caught in the back-and-forth, Ye Zi briefly thought of Guy, who trained tirelessly every day. He quickly pushed the thought aside and refocused on the fight.

As the battle dragged on, Ye Zi grew slightly frustrated. He considered creating distance and relying solely on ninjutsu, but he knew that was unwise, so he kept his composure.

Ye Zi was proficient in Lightning and Wood Release. However, for some unknown reason, his lightning paralysis didn't work on Sakumo, and he wasn't inclined to rely on Wood Release.

Using ninjutsu consumes chakra, and its value lies in hitting the target. Given that Sakumo's taijutsu was strong enough to shatter Wood Release, Ye Zi refrained from launching large-scale ninjutsu attacks. Sakumo hadn't used any high-level jutsu himself, likely preserving his chakra reserves.

If not for splitting his chakra with a Wood Clone, Ye Zi wouldn't have had to worry. But as he awaited Sasori's arrival, he kept his frustration in check, focusing on maintaining the stalemate.

Once Sasori arrived, a two-on-one advantage would break the deadlock.

With this thought, Ye Zi and Sakumo remained locked in a fierce stalemate.

Despite his own focus, Sakumo wasn't calm either. He realized he couldn't effectively harm Ye Zi, an unusual situation in his solo battles.

His high regard for Ye Zi had proven justified.

The constant clash of blades carved deep marks in the ground around them.

The two exchanged rapid strikes, moving in tandem around each other, dodging Ye Zi's spirit as Sakumo led the dance. From a distance, it looked like a coordinated, deadly performance.

Their slashing attacks collided in mid-air, sparking with every clash. Their movements were efficient and precise, void of any wasted action.

Anyone watching would be mesmerized by the pure exchange of taijutsu and swordsmanship.

Unable to gain the upper hand, the battle reached an awkward stalemate, becoming a contest of endurance and chakra.

While Sakumo appeared to be using minimal chakra, he was actually maintaining his Lightning Chakra Mode, which steadily consumed energy. Every wind blade from White Fang also drained chakra.

Likewise, Ye Zi, maintaining his Lightning Armor and Spirit Transformation, was continuously draining his chakra. The minor adjustments he made to his lightning defenses were almost negligible in terms of chakra cost.

Ye Zi's Spirit Transformation forced Sakumo to split his focus, preventing him from forming a cohesive offensive, while Sakumo's invisible wind blades required Ye Zi to strengthen his Lightning Armor in specific areas to defend against attacks.

If either of them faced a different opponent, this awkward situation wouldn't exist.

Just as Sakumo had confirmed his assessment of Ye Zi's strength, Ye Zi realized why Sakumo's reputation surpassed even the Three Sannin.

In the silence, the only sounds were clashing steel and the occasional cut through the air.

Sakumo frowned slightly. His strikes often found openings to target Ye Zi, yet each one was met with Ye Zi's unyielding defense.

In his duels, this kind of tenacious opponent was rare. He'd prefer a chakra-heavy ninjutsu user to an enemy he couldn't overcome.

Likewise, Ye Zi would rather face a ninjutsu specialist than someone like Sakumo, who had perfected both swordsmanship and taijutsu.

In the midst of their silent clash, they both found their thoughts aligned.

But in battle, there was no room for hesitation, only thoughts of how to defeat the other.

Ye Zi hadn't expected the fight to become this prolonged, but with Sasori's support soon to arrive, his focus was on sustaining this balance.

Finally, after a lengthy struggle, Sasori arrived.

Both Ye Zi and Sakumo immediately sensed Sasori's presence.

In an instant, their expressions shifted.

Ye Zi's tense face relaxed slightly, while Sakumo's gaze hardened with resolve.

Sasori, standing outside the battlefield, had no intention of watching the elegant fight. His eyes fixed on his enemy, his hatred transforming into a powerful killing intent.

"Konoha's White Fang…"

A low, cold voice echoed from within his puppet.

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Currently on Chapter 375 - Fantasies Among a Harsh Reality