143 Freedom Fighter, Valley Battle

"Got you."

Four masked figures appeared around Kakuzu, forming a perfect square.

They moved in sync, weaving hand seals as a dense network of seals connected them.

"Four Realms Formation!"

A bright blue chakra surged between them, forming a solid quadrangular barrier that enclosed Kakuzu.

"Root operatives… a trap, huh?"

Kakuzu barely reacted as his black tendrils absorbed Kazuma's heart. Then, he turned his gaze to the masked ninjas surrounding him.

Without a doubt, they were from Root.

His fire-attributed mask unleashed a wave of orange-red flames, but the barrier held firm.

Though the formation lacked offensive power, it was extremely strong.

For now, Kakuzu was trapped.

And that was exactly what Root wanted. They weren't here to kill him

By restricting Kakuzu's movements, the Guardian Ninja troops could seize the upper hand in battle.

Because this time… there was more than one member of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas.

"Wind Style: Wind Sickle Array!"

A violent gust erupted in the center of the battlefield, forming countless razor-sharp wind blades.

In an instant, over a dozen revolutionary soldiers were cut down.

"This guy…"

Not far away, Kakashi's expression grew serious.

A woman with long, light blue hair stood at the battlefield's center. She held a sickle in one hand and idly toyed with a nail between her bright red lips.

Beside her, a man with a mohawk leaned lazily against his weapon, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Kakashi instantly recognized them from Konoha's intelligence reports.

They were Kitane and Nauma—two elite members of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas.

Masters of Wind Style and Fire Style.

"That guy Kazuma... didn't think he'd be killed so quickly," Nauma said casually.

But there was no hint of sorrow on his face.

Despite being fellow members of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, their bond was nothing more than that of colleagues.

A bit unfortunate, perhaps.

But not enough to feel sad about.

"With Kakuzu restrained by the Root operatives, it's our turn to take the stage."

Mikami flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it under his leather shoe.

Then, forming a hand seal, he unleashed his jutsu.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

A massive torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, lighting up the night sky.

Against an opponent of this caliber, someone had to step up and hold the line.

Kakashi didn't hesitate.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

From the ground, water surged and formed into a massive dragon, roaring forward to counter the raging flames.

The battlefield was once again engulfed in scorching steam, causing many Guardian Ninja Troop members to cry out in agony.

In such an environment, the human body was as vulnerable as a newborn.

Without hesitation, Kitane used Wind Style Ninjutsu to blow the thick steam into the ranks of the Freedom Fighter.

A dark figure emerged from the mist—it was Kitane, wielding a gleaming sickle.

The blade flashed dangerously in the night as it arced down toward its target.

Kakashi reacted instantly, his kunai crackling with lightning as he blocked the strike.

Meanwhile, Nauma spotted a key figure among the Freedom Fighter and swiftly used the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance.

"Fire Style: Burning Ash!"

Thick black smoke erupted from his mouth, shrouding Kakashi's surroundings in a choking haze.

Kakashi's expression shifted.

This technique was recorded in Konoha's scrolls—the black smoke was actually fine gunpowder particles.

With just a spark, the caster could ignite the smoke, triggering a devastating explosion!

"Nauma, are you trying to kill me too?" Kitane asked, swinging her sickle.

A gust of wind surged beneath her feet, lifting her into the air.

Nauma smirked. "Didn't you say you could fly?"

He exhaled a small flame.

In an instant, the black smoke ignited, and a violent explosion tore through the night!

Kitane clapped her hands. "That should take care of him."

Nauma shifted his focus to another target.

But before he could react, a bright streak of lightning cut through the smoke—a figure emerged right in front of him.

"Turns out, I can fly too."

For once, Kakashi had something to say.

Kakashi's Raikiri pierced through the air, crackling with lightning as it struck toward Kitane.

Suspended in mid-air, Kitane had no way to reposition herself in time.

She could only swing her sickle in desperation, aiming to counterattack.

The two clashed.

Lightning surged from Kakashi's hand, slithering up the metal weapon like electric snakes, crawling onto Kitane's body.

A sharp numbness shot through her limbs.

Kakashi stomped on the air, moving effortlessly as if walking on solid ground.

With a swift adjustment, he lashed out with a powerful kick.

"Tempest Kick!"

A light blue vacuum slash streaked toward the falling Kitane.

At that moment, she was completely paralyzed—unable to dodge.

But just before the attack could land, a flash of fire intercepted the blow, blocking the fatal strike.

It was Nauma.

"Hmph, this kid's got some skill," he muttered.

Suddenly, Lindy burst out from the woods.

"Eight Trigrams: Power Palm!"

With a light step, she vanished in an instant, using Shave to close the distance between her and Nauma.

Nauma turned sharply, hastily swinging a kunai to intercept her.

"Little girl...?"

But Lindy showed no fear.

Her palm was fully coated in Armament Haki as she struck.

A powerful force surged through the kunai, traveling straight into Nauma's hand.

Crack!

Thin fractures spread across the kunai, before it shattered into countless pieces.

Without hesitation, Lindy stepped forward and threw another punch.

Nauma was stunned.

He quickly raised his arms, channeling chakra to reinforce them.

But as Lindy's palm struck, the force was overwhelming.

A massive shockwave sent Nauma flying.

He tumbled five or six times before finally stabilizing himself, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

His left arm, the one Lindy had hit, hung limply at his side.

Nauma stared at Lindy, confusion in his eyes.

Her technique resembled Konoha's Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist…

But the Hyuga were known for targeting pressure points, not raw destructive power.

That palm strike, the one that shattered his kunai, wasn't like the Hyuga at all.

Either way…

With his left arm out of commission, he was now at a serious disadvantage.

In the distant valley, Shikaku observed the battlefield carefully.

"It looks like it was set up by someone." I

He had expected only one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas.

But there were three.

And to make matters worse, Kakuzu, their strongest fighter, was trapped by the Root operatives.

No… not three.

Shikaku's lips curled into a small smile.

"It's four."

A sudden stream of water surged at his feet.

In an instant, it took human form, lunging forward with a kunai aimed at his throat.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be the leader of the Freedom Fighter."

The attacker's voice was cold.

The kunai shot toward Shikaku's throat—

But just before impact… it stopped.

Shikaku had already formed hand seals.

Somehow, the shadow at his feet had wrapped around the enemy's body.

"Shadow Binding? So, you're from the Nara Clan!"

The intruder's eyes narrowed in realization.

"That means the so-called Freedom Fighter really is connected to Konoha."

His voice turned cold.

The implication was clear.

Shikaku tightened his seal, struggling to maintain control.

After all, this wasn't just any enemy—he was one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas.

Even for Shikaku, restraining him was no easy task.

"Sorry, but I'm not the leader of the Freedom Fighter ," Shikaku said, his voice strained.

"At best, I'm just a worker."

His fingers trembled from the effort of holding the seal.

"This is troublesome… Ms. Katsuyu, if you would?"

A soft voice responded gently.

"No problem."

Katsuyu, resting on Shikaku's shoulder, consumed Chakra and activated the Reverse Summoning Technique.

"What? You're making me work overtime again?"

A lazy voice rang out.

The word "Justice" on his back fluttered in the wind, stunning the nearby Guardian Ninja.

Shikaku sighed. "Are you the real boss of this organization?"

"Heh." 

Simu scratched his head, grinning.

"Gold Flash… Hanyu Simu?!"

The Guardian Ninja immediately recognized him.

After all, in the entire ninja world, only one man wore the coat of justice.

"So, you're the one making me work overtime?" Simu asked, casually resting his mace on his shoulder.

An overwhelming aura surged from him, as vast as the ocean.

Shikaku instantly released his Shadow Binding Technique.

For a brief moment—even the mighty Twelve Guardian stood frozen in place.

Simu raised his mace.

Dark red Conqueror's Haki surged violently, wrapping around the weapon, dyeing it a deep crimson.

Since mastering Conqueror's Infusion, he hadn't had a real chance to test its power—until now.

"Raimei Hakke!"

The mace, infused with Conqueror's Haki, swung down with devastating force.

Even though the enemy had activated the Hydration Technique to nullify physical attacks, it was useless—Conqueror's Haki bypassed all immunity!

Red and black lightning tore through the valley.

The Guardian Ninja was launched like a cannonball, smashing deep into the rock face.

A massive trench carved its way through the woods and valley.

The entire battlefield shuddered under the sheer force of the impact.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

It looked like something had happened to Shikaku, forcing their teacher to step in.

The Root Ninjas trembled—this aura was overwhelming, far beyond even a Tailed Beast!

In the next instant, Simu appeared above the barrier.

One punch.

Dark red lightning erupted, roaring like the Nine-Tails itself!

Boom!

With a single strike, the entire barrier shattered into pieces!

Simu landed smoothly, glancing at Kakuzu.

"Kakuzu, you will be deducted from commission if you slow down."

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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