Chapter 157: What's the Point of Hand Seals, Anyway?

Habara had encountered Kirigakure ninja once before, and that encounter had ended with the Konoha team wiped out, Daigo dead, and Habara escaping.

The elite Kirigakure team at that time had only four members, and after the battle, they had also lost an unnamed ninja. Hozuki Mangetsu, who now stood before them, had been a member of that very squad.

But to be honest, despite Habara's past experience, he didn't harbor any particular hatred for Kirigakure ninja. This was because, both then and now, his anger was primarily directed at the idiotic Konoha teammates… Habara felt that the brain-dead team leader at the time bore the most responsibility; the Kirigakure ninja seemed hardly worth his attention.

Of course, this might just be Habara's personal bias, and it's hard to say if this view was correct. In fact, considering the strength disparity between the two sides, no matter how they interacted, the outcome would have been bleak for Konoha.

In any case, when Hozuki Mangetsu reappeared before Habara, Habara felt no particular emotion, instead remaining remarkably calm.

"We've been spotted. Should we give it a try?" Hozuki Mangetsu's gaze lingered on Habara for a moment, then he whispered to Hoshigaki Kisame.

Kisame didn't respond; he simply reached for the hilt of the sword on his back… Before defecting from Kirigakure, Kisame's duty was to execute teammates when necessary to protect the village's secret information. Therefore, during this period, Kisame was a gloomy character, burying all his emotions deep within, his face showing practically no expression.

If Kisame had a handsome face, this gloomy, melancholic temperament would have made him more attractive. Unfortunately, he had a shark-like face and small, round eyes, so this gloominess only made him more unapproachable.

In an instant, two rapidly moving bodies stirred the thick surrounding fog. Hozuki Mangetsu and Hoshigaki Kisame attacked Habara's team from the left and right.

After the war ended, although Konoha experienced some minor setbacks, it had largely returned to normal order. Kirigakure, however, was different… Currently, Kirigakure was under the cruel rule of the "Bloody Mist."

Long-term oppressive rule tended to make ninja neurotic.

Facing the enemy's attack, the Konoha team quickly formed up. Kakashi engaged Hozuki Mangetsu, Habara moved to intercept Hoshigaki Kisame, and Tenzo… well, Tenzo guarded the Three-Tails and quickly retreated.

Hoshigaki Kisame's attacks were wide and sweeping. He swung his long sword at Habara, the force of the blow so fierce that it seemed he intended to cleave Habara in two from top to bottom.

Compared to attacks that focused on agility and small, precise movements, Habara naturally preferred Kisame's attack style. So, facing this slash, he unhesitatingly took a step forward, steadily extending his right hand, seemingly about to demonstrate his "100% Empty-Handed Sword Catch" technique again.

However, just as Habara stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and Kisame, Kisame suddenly flicked his wrist, changing from an overhand grip to an underhand grip. The attack also changed from a horizontal slash across Habara's upper body to a vertical thrust!

Such a feint was incredibly treacherous, virtually impossible to defend against… Kisame was a Kirigakure Jonin; it would be a grave mistake to think of him as a muscle-bound idiot who only knew how to slash wildly.

The sharp point of the blade, on a downward trajectory, was aimed directly at Habara's back. With Kisame's strength, he could easily pierce Habara's back and instantly kill him. However…

Clang!

Sparks flew. Kisame's blade didn't pierce flesh and blood; instead, it felt like he had stabbed a steel plate.

Kisame's move was underhanded, yes, but Habara remained unmoving, no matter the direction of the attack… Regardless of whether Kisame thrust or slashed, or how he thrust or slashed, he could only strike Habara's defense.

In Kisame's surprised gaze, Habara instantly straightened his body. His left shoulder blocked Kisame's right arm, while his hands wrapped around Kisame's right arm, pressing down, and then began to form hand seals.

Of course, forming hand seals in combat couldn't be as slow as usual. Although Habara's hand seal speed wasn't particularly fast, it was steady and standard:

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

Intense heat, billowing steam, and orange flames instantly engulfed Hoshigaki Kisame.

Clearly, Habara was just practicing forming hand seals during combat, and this unusual combat rhythm was proving difficult for him to adapt to – hand seals required empty hands, and having both hands together meant a ninja lacked the ability to respond during the sealing process.

Therefore, one had to maintain a certain distance from the enemy when forming hand seals.

And ninja battles generally took place within five meters. At that range, in theory, a blade was faster than seals… Habara now understood why many ninja were killed by his surprise attacks; the advantage of seal-less ninjutsu was a bit too great.

Hoshigaki Kisame was completely engulfed in a fireball six or seven meters in diameter, simultaneously knocked back by the impact of the Great Fireball. The power of Fire Style depended largely on the amount of chakra output. Even the same ninjutsu could have different power levels when used by different people… The current Habara no longer needed to be stingy with his chakra when casting techniques.

However, Kisame didn't even utter a sound after being hit by the Great Fireball at close range. This made Habara wonder if Fire Style was truly a merciful technique?

No, Kisame was a tough guy; he could chop himself up to feed to fish without a whimper, let alone be scorched by a mere fireball.

After being blown back more than ten meters, large amounts of water began to surge from within the fireball. In an instant, Habara's fireball was extinguished.

When Kisame's figure reappeared, he reeked of burnt flesh, and most of his skin was charred black, especially his face, where some areas exposed bone… The Great Fireball, it seemed, couldn't kill a Jonin.

Then, Kisame's chakra intensity began to decrease, and his injuries started to heal. After about ten seconds, he had returned to his previous appearance.

This method of drastically consuming chakra to heal injuries certainly came at a great cost, but fortunately, most ninja didn't particularly value their lives.

Habara looked at Kisame and couldn't help but shake his head. So, what was the point of hand seals? He flicked his right hand, and the slender, sharp, chillingly cold Mercury Longsword appeared, an extension of his arm.

At the same time, he quietly glanced at the situation on the other side.

Kakashi, wielding his chakra-infused short sword, was engaged in a lively back-and-forth battle with Hozuki Mangetsu. As the son of the White Fang, Kakashi's taijutsu talent was undeniable, having become a Jonin at 12, and Hozuki Mangetsu, who could skillfully use the Seven Ninja Swords at a young age, clearly possessed taijutsu talent no less than Kakashi's.

Watching Kakashi's agile and fierce movements, Habara couldn't help but praise, "Kakashi's taijutsu has truly surpassed mine."

His words carried a sense of gratification, and his sentiment made Tenzo, who was standing behind him, speechless… Six-year-old Kakashi was probably stronger than Habara in taijutsu, let alone sixteen-year-old Kakashi.

If Habara didn't have absurdly strong defenses, who could he possibly fight in close combat?

Habara's attempt to perform his special technique, "100% Empty-Handed Sword Catch," had failed, but he had gained a slight advantage in the exchange. But what about Kakashi? Kakashi had successfully demonstrated his talent… for going fifty-fifty.

Unless he used the Sharingan, Kakashi couldn't defeat Hozuki Mangetsu in a short time, because Kakashi hadn't yet discovered Hozuki Mangetsu's weakness.

So, Habara couldn't help but offer a reminder, "Senior Kakashi, haven't you figured it out yet? That guy is weak to Lightning."

Kakashi paused for a moment, and then a strong Lightning Release chakra coated the short sword in his hand.

After giving the reminder, Habara paid no further attention to Kakashi. He walked step by step towards Hoshigaki Kisame, but he didn't attack. Instead, he said, "That's enough. We're here to return the Tailed Beast. If you continue to play these games… we don't need this kind of welcoming party."

Hoshigaki Kisame's strength relied heavily on the power of the Samehada. With the Samehada, he was the true "Tailed Beast without a Tail". And even "Tailed Beast without a Tail" was just an exaggeration; even if Kisame possessed Samehada, his total chakra couldn't compare to a Tailed Beast. His greatest strength was his ability to absorb his opponent's chakra during battle, which is why he could even defeat jinchuriki.

Unfortunately, Kisame didn't have the Samehada right now.

Habara considered whether to take advantage of Kisame's current weakness and eliminate him, to avoid future trouble. After all, Kirigakure was the one instigating this; self-defense shouldn't be a problem, right?

Then he thought about the "Hyuga Affair" and the Hyuga clan's self-defense… Uh, self-defense might not be so straightforward.

But Habara didn't have to dwell on this any longer, because after hearing his words, Hoshigaki Kisame suddenly relaxed. The Kirigakure Jonin stood down.

"It seems you're not just speaking empty words. I feel that a ninja like you could indeed do such a thing."

Kisame could sense Habara's strength. He wasn't confident that he could kill Habara; on the contrary, he felt he was at a disadvantage, so he ceased any further ill-advised actions.

Habara nodded and then called out, "Senior Kakashi, you can stop."

Hearing Habara's call, Kakashi quickly glanced over. Seeing Habara and the Kirigakure ninja standing together, he knew he didn't need to continue fighting, so he followed the instructions and disengaged.

"I was already gaining the upper hand," Kakashi said casually after retreating, seemingly expressing that victory was within his grasp… But this wasn't bragging; after using Lightning Release, he had indeed begun to suppress Hozuki Mangetsu.

Habara patted Kakashi on the shoulder and said, "It's okay, Senior Kakashi. You've maintained your reputation."

Yeah, his reputation for going fifty-fifty.

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