https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-303-Team-Minato-vs-Kirigakure-s-Strongest-Squad/12558374/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-305-No-Time-to-Mourn-Zabuza-the-Future-Mizukage-Mei-Terumi-Arrives-at-the-Battlefield/12558376/
Chapter 304: A Sword Drawn for Protection
Chapter 304: A Sword Drawn for Protection
"The strongest one on their side is probably that shark-faced guy. He uses Water Style in close combat, which counters your Fire Style, so I'll take him on. You deal with the other two first and try out some probing attacks. If it doesn't work, get Lin to help; don't be stubborn," Kakashi quickly instructed Obito on their battle strategy.
Although Nara Shimosui and the others were badly injured, the frontal battle was equally important. If they couldn't win, everyone would die together.
"I understand," Obito nodded, shifting his gaze to Momochi Zabuza and Kurotsuchi.
After a brief exchange of taijutsu, Kurotsuchi judged that his opponent's skill was inferior to his. As for Zabuza, he seemed to be skilled in swordsmanship.
While Kakashi intended to face Kisame, Zabuza seemed infuriated by Kakashi's words and ignored Obito, charging at Kakashi with his sword.
Kakashi's expression remained unchanged. The battle plan was only a rough outline, and actual combat required adaptability. In this situation, it depended on the coordination between him and Obito to turn the tide in their favor.
Clang!
Kakashi swiftly drew his White Fang and parried Zabuza's incoming strike.
Kakashi, with his black mask, and Zabuza, with his lower face wrapped in bandages, exchanged blows, always aiming for each other's vital points. Their battle exuded a sense of traditional ninja aesthetics.
Both Kakashi and Zabuza displayed exceptional skill, deftly countering each other's attacks and retaliating.
Just as Zabuza thought Kakashi's strength was on par with his, Kakashi, having finished assessing his opponent, intensified his Lightning Style and enhanced his speed and strength. This sudden boost immediately put Zabuza at a disadvantage.
A gash appeared on Zabuza's arm, bleeding profusely.
However, Kakashi was not satisfied with this minor achievement. While he had the upper hand, Obito was struggling against Kisame and Kurotsuchi.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito quickly formed the necessary hand seals, channeled chakra in his throat, and unleashed a massive fireball.
Without clear intelligence on the opponents, the Fireball Jutsu, which consumed little chakra but packed a punch, was the best option.
"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
Kisame lightly leaped, performed a series of hand seals to gather a substantial amount of chakra in his mouth, and then expelled a gigantic wave of water toward Obito.
Obito's fireball, towering at over three meters, was instantly extinguished by the sheer volume of water from Kisame's jutsu. The deluge even affected Yahiko and the others nearby.
Fortunately, the jutsu wasn't particularly powerful; it was just a lot of water that soaked their clothes.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" As Kisame performed his jutsu, Kurotsuchi also quickly formed the intricate hand seals and unleashed his own technique. Due to the lengthy sequence, he only managed to complete it after Kisame's wave of water had already landed.
Riding on the momentum of Kisame's attack, Kurotsuchi created an extremely thick Water Dragon Bullet. The dragon roared and charged toward Obito.
Having witnessed Kakashi's previous use of the Earth Style wall, Obito took cover behind it. Although he could have evaporated the water dragon with his Fire Dragon Flame Bullet empowered by the Flame Style, doing so would consume a significant amount of his chakra.
Hiding behind the earthen wall was a different story. In a direct clash of chakra, water prevailed over fire, but earth triumphed over water.
Rumble, rumble!
The thick water dragon slammed into the earthen wall, causing it to crack all over, but it failed to breach the defense.
Bang!
Kisame, using the Water Body Technique, instantly appeared in front of the earthen wall and shattered it with his sword, now covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Kurotsuchi followed up with ninja tools to restrict Obito's movements.
Even with Obito's prior preparation, dealing with the coordinated assault of the two opponents was extremely challenging.
"This shark-faced guy's power is truly formidable. I'm afraid only Might Guy can surpass him in strength," Obito thought with a sense of astonishment.
Due to the enhancement of the breathing technique, Obito possessed significantly more strength than an ordinary ninja. Hence, he hadn't paid much attention to the intelligence about Kisame's immense power. However, after their actual clash, Obito realized that this shark-faced opponent was genuinely abnormal.
With his Fire Style countered by their Water Style, and his taijutsu at a disadvantage, Obito faced immense pressure, especially since both Kisame and Kurotsuchi aimed to kill.
In this perilous situation, Obito could no longer hold back. He gathered his chakra and activated his two-tomoe Sharingan.
It was the Sharingan that had enabled him to defeat Kakashi previously. Without it, he might not have been a match for Kakashi.
As his eyes turned crimson, Obito's perception of the world changed. His vision became clearer, allowing him to discern details that ordinary eyes couldn't capture. The movements of Kisame and Kurotsuchi appeared slower in his eyes.
With the activation of the Sharingan, Obito immediately felt a reduction in pressure. Kisame's attacks, though powerful, couldn't hit him.
Of course, Obito could only ensure his safety and maintain a stalemate. He couldn't launch effective counterattacks. Being countered and outnumbered, his situation was dire.
"He's already awakened the Sharingan." As he watched the surveillance footage of Obito activating the Sharingan, Sarutobi Hiruzen was impressed. If he recalled correctly, Obito was only nine years old this year, and to awaken the Sharingan at such a young age indicated remarkable talent.
Sarutobi Hiruzen praised himself for his foresight. It was most fortunate that such a brilliant Uchiha would be guided by Namikaze Minato, a bearer of the Will of Fire.
"They should be fine," Mu Yue replied thoughtfully.
The ongoing battle was quite telling—with just Obito and Kakashi, they were able to hold off the offensive of the three Kirigakure ninjas. Once Nohara Lin joined the fray, their victory over Kisame and his team would be assured.
"I agree with Mu Yue. I think they can do it," Minato said with a smile.
A thoughtful expression crossed Sarutobi's face as he continued to watch the surveillance screen.
At that moment, Lin could no longer focus solely on healing and had to join the battle. Kisame had realized that Obito was merely stalling them, so he changed his strategy and began to target the injured Lin.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion occurred when Kisame's powerful punch collided with Lin's mighty fist, and the force of the impact sent their hair flying backward.
Kisame stumbled back three steps, a look of utter astonishment on his face. He didn't consider his strength to be unparalleled, but he was surprised that the seemingly frail Lin could unleash a force greater than his own.
"Is this some kind of ninjutsu?" Kisame questioned, unable to believe that Lin possessed such raw power.
Sensing Obito approaching, Kisame swiftly used Water Instantaneous Body Technique to retreat.
"Lin, are you alright?" Obito asked as he swiftly disengaged from his battle with Haku to check on her.
"I'm fine. I'll help take some pressure off you so you can focus on that shark-faced guy," Lin replied, shaking her head.
"Sorry, I have to join the fight now. I'll continue treating your injuries later," Lin said before turning to Nara Shimosui and the others.
Shimosui, who had recovered somewhat, nodded and said, "We should be the ones thanking you. Go ahead and focus on the battle."
With Lin's assistance, Obito's burden was significantly lightened. Although he couldn't defeat Kisame, Kisame found himself unable to gain the upper hand against Obito as well.
"Basic Breathing, Full Concentration!"
Lin altered her breathing rhythm to enhance her physical abilities and engaged Haku in a taijutsu battle.
Despite her inferior combat experience and raw power compared to Haku, Lin was at a slight advantage due to Haku's prior engagements, which had left him somewhat depleted. Thus, although Lin was still at a disadvantage, the situation wasn't as dire as it could have been.
However, Lin had no intention of defeating Haku single-handedly. She refrained from using her Mighty Strength Fist, which consumed a significant amount of chakra. Having already expended some of her limited chakra on her previous punch against Kisame, she needed to conserve enough for her medical ninjutsu.
All she needed to do was stall Haku until Kakashi or Obito could provide support.
"Why did you suddenly get so much faster?" Momochi Zabuza's expression grew increasingly gloomy as he felt the cuts on his body.
After Kakashi intensified his Lightning Style, Zabuza found himself at a disadvantage. Despite using all his strength to defend, he continued to sustain injuries.
"You wouldn't understand this power. It represents my determination to protect my comrades," Kakashi said coldly.
Seeing Zabuza's condition deteriorate, Kakashi further increased the output of his Lightning Style, pushing it to its limit.
The reason he hadn't unleashed his full power from the start was that he wanted to conserve some energy. He was concerned that other teams might show up, and while he wouldn't mind if they were from Konoha, encountering Kirigakure ninjas would be problematic.
The commotion they were causing was too noticeable, with billowing black smoke and the clashing of their ninjutsu.
As Kakashi pushed his Lightning Style to its current limit, yellow electric arcs began to form around his legs.
Sizzle!
The yellow electric arcs intensified as Kakashi gathered more chakra, coursing and activating the cells in the lower half of his body.
Kakashi took a deep breath, exhaling a puff of white air, and even his wrists, which gripped the White Fang, began to spark with electricity.
"Half Flash!"
Kakashi unleashed the full power of his Lightning Style, his body becoming a yellow lightning bolt as he charged at Zabuza.
This attack exceeded Zabuza's expectations. He hadn't anticipated that Kakashi could get any faster, and as he tried to raise his sword to block, Kakashi had already appeared behind him.
Pata!
A flash of yellow lightning sliced through the air, cleaving Zabuza's long sword in two and causing blood to burst from his chest.
Thud!
Zabuza fell to the muddy ground, soaked from the violent waves of water.
"Why don't you kill me? You can do it," Zabuza said, gazing up at the sky.
Though he was severely wounded, he knew he wasn't fatally injured. He was certain that Kakashi's previous strike had been strong enough to end his life.
"Because we're different," Kakashi replied calmly. "My sword is not meant for killing, but for protection. I could kill you, but I choose not to."
Kakashi wasn't being sentimental. On the contrary, he was usually decisive and ruthless in battle.
Zabuza believed that they were sheltered flowers who had never weathered the storms of life, but Kakashi wanted to show Zabuza that it wasn't because they were ignorant of the world's dangers; it was a choice they had made.
Rather than killing Zabuza, Kakashi preferred to shatter his beliefs.
Without further delay, Kakashi rushed off to support Lin.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
