Chapter 69: The Strongest Form, Kill One Person First!
In just a few minutes, Guy and Lin couldn't have gotten very far.
If I leave now, I can retreat safely. But if I abandon them, Kelin and the others will be caught within moments!
It seems I have no choice but to give it my all.
Kakashi sighed quietly, his gaze firm.
The Thunder Slash he had just executed was the result of combining the Chidori Electric Current with his family's signature Hatake swordsmanship. Once it hit the opponent, the lightning-natured chakra would surge through their meridians, paralyzing the body and exposing fatal openings.
But such power came at a steep cost. That one strike had already consumed a third of Kakashi's total chakra reserves.
The plan had been simple—use the element of surprise and superior intelligence to take out one of the enemies quickly.
But clearly, I underestimated them...
Suddenly—
"Oink! Ooink!"
Dozens of Flying Thunder God kunai scattered in all directions, embedding themselves in trees, rocks, and earth!
"Eight Inner Gates: Third Gate – Life Gate, open!"
A surge of emerald steam burst from Kakashi's body. His chakra reserves increased severalfold, filling every corner of his body with violent, unchecked energy.
But he wasn't done yet.
"Hundred Healings Mark, release."
"Forbidden Technique – Hundred Healings Technique!"
The blue-purple diamond seal on his forehead dissolved into a series of ancient runes that rapidly spread across his entire body. The injuries he had just sustained from the explosion blades rapidly closed, skin and muscle reknitting in seconds.
Still not enough!
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were elite warriors, infamous for being able to slay even ordinary Kage-level shinobi. A single Kage facing them alone might not even survive!
Kakashi gritted his teeth.
Time to unleash everything!
"Sage Mode—activate!"
"Lightning Style Armor—on!"
Electricity danced across his body, forming a crackling armor of lightning chakra. Black runes etched across his skin, and his eyes glowed with the power of Sage Mode. His forehead and eye sockets now bore the distinct markings of an immortal warrior.
When he reappeared before the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he looked like a god of thunder wrapped in divine wrath.
"What the…?"
The seven swordsmen, who had been grinning like predators toying with their prey, now stood frozen. Their mocking expressions turned serious, and unease flickered in their eyes.
The power radiating from this lone figure... was stronger than anything they had expected.
So this… this is my true strength?
For the first time in his life, Kakashi felt what it meant to have no limits—no chains holding him back.
Bang!
He slapped himself across the face, hard.
Focus!
This is a life-or-death battle. One mistake… and I die.
"Brat, I didn't expect you to be—"
Before the leader, Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost, could finish his sentence, the air cracked with thunder. Kakashi vanished.
"Hatake Sword Style—Thunderbolt Flash: Six-Fold Slash!"
Lightning streaked across the battlefield. Kakashi became a living bolt, zigzagging through six of the seven swordsmen. The sound of clashing steel echoed through the forest like a hundred chimes struck at once.
No talking, just fighting!
Didn't anyone tell them the universal law? Villains always die because they talk too much!
Despite his flawless technique and blinding speed, Kakashi's attacks failed to land a fatal blow. These seven weren't ordinary shinobi—they were battle-hardened killers with instincts sharpened on a thousand battlefields. Even though they couldn't follow his speed with their eyes, their muscle memory and intuition allowed them to block his deadly strikes.
"Damn brat!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Muri Jinpachi, filled with rage, slammed his Exploding Sword—Feimō—into the ground. The sword, covered in Explosive Talismans, released a massive shockwave of fire and force!
Kakashi's skin began to blister even before the blast wave hit him. He retreated instantly, but as he stepped back—
Sssht!
Agonizing pain shot through his leg.
He glanced down. His calf had been sliced open by steel wires laid invisibly along his escape route, cutting through muscle and tendon.
Damn it! That's the Long Blade – Stitching Needle!
Kurishan Kushimaru had laid a trap using ultra-thin steel threads. Kakashi tried to jump to safety, but that was exactly what the enemy wanted.
In mid-air, the glint of dozens of wires surrounded him like a spiderweb.
Kushimaru pulled tight. The wires constricted, binding Kakashi's arms and legs, locking even his fingers in place.
"Got him!"
Li Xianchuanmaru's face lit up in triumph. He prepared to tear Kakashi limb from limb with his stitches—
But in the next instant, Kakashi exploded into crackling lightning and vanished!
What?!
Electricity surged through the wires and zapped Kurishan Kushimaru directly in the chest.
His dyed pompadour hairstyle frizzled under the current and transformed into a puffed black afro!
"Bye-bye!"
Kakashi darted from the shadows, intending to take advantage of the paralysis to finish Kushimaru.
But another swordsman—Kizuna Chiba—raised his fingers in the shape of a gun.
"Water Style Secret Technique—Water Cannon!"
A high-pressure bullet of water blasted from his fingers and struck Kakashi squarely in the chest.
The projectile tore through Kakashi's left chest and didn't stop. It continued to shred through multiple thick trees before finally embedding itself deep in a stone wall far away.
"Gaaahh…"
Kakashi dropped to one knee, clutching the left side of his chest, blood gushing between his fingers. He gasped for air, cold sweat soaking his clothes.
Perfect opening!
Tongcao Yebai, who had been biding his time, charged forward. He swung his massive dull-edged blade down with both hands, aiming to crush Kakashi's skull!
But just before the blow landed—
Swish!
Kakashi vanished again, a flash of lightning left behind!
The next second, a Rasengan roared to life behind the unsuspecting Tongcao Yebai.
"Rasengan!"
Boom!
The Rasengan struck his back like a battering ram. The impact sent him spinning through the air, limbs flailing.
As he flew, his clothes tore apart and scattered, leaving him completely naked before crashing into the sea with a splash.
There was no sign of him surfacing again.
"Yebai!"
The Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost was stunned. He had led his team to ambush Konoha's defenses, yet they hadn't even seen the actual stronghold before losing a man!
"You brat… you're dead!"
The furious Pufferfish Ghost appeared in front of Kakashi in an instant.
Samehada roared, its jagged teeth gnashing as it lunged for Kakashi.
With a single swing, the chakra-eating sword devoured most of Kakashi's Lightning Style armor!
No!
Kakashi's face paled as he leapt back to escape.
Right now, he was dancing on a razor's edge, surviving only thanks to his insane regeneration, clone trickery, and high-speed reflexes. Every move was a calculated gamble.
Truth was… the earlier scene—when he appeared to be pierced through the heart—was an act!
That was a Lightning Style Clone. The real Kakashi had long since hidden underground using Earth Style.
He used the clone to bait out their techniques and search for weaknesses.
And all of it was only possible because of his temporarily massive chakra reserves.
But even now, Samehada was his natural enemy. It could drain chakra with every hit.
That last strike from Samehada had already consumed enough chakra to perform another Chidori!
If this continued, even without making a mistake, he would lose through sheer exhaustion.
Kakashi's heart sank.
But no matter what, he couldn't back down.
For Guy.
For Lin.
He had to endure.
He didn't know how far the Uchiha defensive post was from here.
All he could do was pray that reinforcements arrived soon…
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