Chapter 310: The Power of Interconnected Worlds
Chapter 310: The Power of Interconnected Worlds
Inuzuka Midori crawled on the ground, carrying a wounded Nara Saline on her back. To prevent them from falling, they were also secured by a rope made of Parasect.
In this state, Inuzuka Midori scurried towards Akemi Shuichi, using both her hands and feet.
Shuu! Shuu! Shuu!!!
Nara Saline threw shuriken at Akemi Shuichi.
However, due to her awkward posture and inability to exert much strength, the shuriken flew off-target, and Akemi Shuichi easily dodged them all from his standing position.
"Water Clone Jutsu!"
Akemi Shuichi created a water clone, intending to send it to deal with Nara Saline, as the Shadow Imitation Technique could be troublesome if it landed.
"I must ask Teacher Mu Yue to teach me a Water Style counter!" Obito shouted in frustration within his heart as he felt suffocated by the battle.
He had indeed been tormented by Water Style jutsu. When Akemi Shuichi unleashed a large-scale water attack, Obito had no effective way to counter with fire jutsu.
Initially, he felt that he was in a good state, and his fire jutsu was smooth and effortless. But now, due to Akemi Shuichi's water attacks, he wanted to rely solely on taijutsu, yet he couldn't overcome Akemi Shuichi in that regard either.
Obito didn't know how to turn the battle around. Might Guy and Kakashi were already exhausted, and the last of Ino's chakra had been used to heal him, leaving her unable to fight. Shino and Konoha Genma had also sustained serious injuries.
The only glimmer of hope seemed to lie in the group of severely wounded Konoha ninjas they had rescued earlier.
A water clone only had one-tenth of the strength of the original, although its power increased in water. But even with just a tenth of Akemi Shuichi's strength, the water clone had Inuzuka Midori running for her life.
Normally, Inuzuka Midori would have tried to engage the water clone, but she was currently injured and burdened with carrying Nara Saline. She had no choice but to flee clumsily, seeking an opportunity to turn the tables.
When the distance was close enough, the Parasect rope binding Nara Saline dissolved, and they rushed towards the water clone.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Inuzuka Midori threw the Nara Saline off her back towards Akemi Shuichi.
In mid-air, Nara Saline quickly formed hand seals, preparing to use a jutsu.
The water clone attempted to attack Nara Saline, but Inuzuka Midori pounced on it, knocking it down.
The real Akemi Shuichi immediately noticed this and forced Obito back with an assault before turning to strike Nara Saline with a thick column of water, fearing that he would be controlled by the Shadow Imitation Technique.
However, what Akemi Shuichi didn't expect was that after his Water Style jutsu hit, Nara Saline first transformed into Inuzuka Midori's appearance and then turned into white smoke and disappeared.
"Haha, good acting, Midori. Even the hand seals I used were identical to yours," Nara Saline said proudly.
The water clone angrily slammed Inuzuka Midori to the ground.
The real Akemi Shuichi's face also changed drastically as he attempted to use a Water Body Technique to leave his current position. But even before he turned to attack Inuzuka Midori's shadow clone, Nara Saline had already transformed back into his human form from a shuriken and was swiftly forming hand seals to perform a jutsu.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Since the two of them were very close, Nara Saline's shadow quickly connected with Akemi Shuichi's, and soon, Akemi Shuichi was also lying on the ground, controlled by the jutsu.
The water clone wanted to help its original, but Inuzuka Midori held onto its leg tightly, refusing to let it move. The water clone struggled and kicked Inuzuka Midori hard, causing her to spit blood, but she still didn't let go. With a second kick, the water clone finally freed itself, only to find that Inuzuka Midori had fainted. The clone then swiftly moved towards its original body.
"Use your fastest jutsu now! I can't hold on for long!" Nara Saline shouted. The Shadow Imitation Technique consumed a lot of chakra, and with his limited reserves, coupled with Akemi Shuichi's superior strength, he could only maintain control for a short time.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!" Obito had originally planned to use the powerful but chakra-efficient Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, but upon hearing Nara Saline's words, he immediately changed to the Phoenix Fire Jutsu, forming a single hand seal before spitting out more than ten small fireballs at Akemi Shuichi.
When the fireballs were just five meters away from Akemi Shuichi, Nara Saline's chakra was exhausted, and Akemi Shuichi broke free from his control.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dazzling fire illuminated the area around Akemi Shuichi. Nara Saline, who was close by, subconsciously narrowed his eyes, but even then, he couldn't see through the fire to determine if Akemi Shuichi had been killed.
Obito, with his Sharingan, could see more. He immediately pulled Saline back as they quickly retreated.
The dazzling fire faded as quickly as it had come, and soon, a scorched Akemi Shuichi stood before them.
A moment ago, he didn't even have time to get up and could only crawl away at top speed, sending the water clone to take some of the hits for him. That was how he had survived.
"Damn it! If only I had a little more chakra," Nara Saline clenched his fists. Even he, usually calm and collected, couldn't maintain his composure. They had come so close. If he could have held on for just two more seconds, Akemi Shuichi might not have made it.
"You're quite capable. You almost killed me," Akemi Shuichi said with a sinister smile as he gripped his short blade and charged at Nara Saline.
Obito set Saline aside and rushed forward to engage Akemi Shuichi in combat.
Obito's chakra had barely recovered, and at this point in the fight, he dared not use any jutsu to maintain his Sharingan and breathing technique. The most he could do was add a bit of flame to his fists.
Even with Akemi Shuichi injured and weakened, Obito still found himself at a clear disadvantage.
"Have we failed even now?
Watching Obito fight alone, Kakashi felt a mix of emotions.
It had been similar during their mission in the River Country. Might Guy's sudden burst of power had swiftly dealt with the Chunin, after which Obito's awakened Sharingan and Guy's combined efforts took down the Jonin. In the end, Kakashi had only managed to land a finishing blow.
Kakashi felt a sense of discontent. He was known as a genius, considered by many as an unparalleled talent, yet now he could only rely on his companions to turn the tide of battle.
Kakashi didn't want to be that kind of person; he wanted to be the one who changed the course of events, for he was, after all, the acknowledged genius.
The wounds on Obito's body continued to mount, and the excessive blood loss further weakened him, causing the scales of victory to tilt decisively toward Akemi Shuichi.
Kakashi took a step toward Akemi, his body sending waves of pain with each movement.
Ignoring the pain, Kakashi took another step, this time attempting to enter the Thunderclap Respiratory State. Perhaps due to the few minutes of rest that restored a bit of his stamina, he succeeded.
With the breathing technique's boost, Kakashi's steps quickened slightly.
Kakashi focused intently on his breathing, as normal respiration would provide little aid in the midst of such an intense battle.
Whether it was the severity of his injuries or some other factor, Kakashi felt as if his breathing had become even more concentrated than before.
He didn't dwell on this thought but instead pushed his breathing to its limits, reaching a state of utmost concentration.
As his breathing became increasingly focused, Kakashi's steps grew faster.
Kakashi's unconcealed actions naturally didn't escape Akemi's notice, but he paid it no mind. Even a regular nine-year-old child could outrun Kakashi's current sluggish speed, so what was there to fear?
When Kakashi closed in to within fifty meters of Akemi, he tightened his grip on the White Fang, suddenly feeling a surge of strength.
At forty meters, Kakashi's breathing continued to evolve, and his perception of the world before him sharpened significantly.
At thirty meters, this heightened clarity became even more pronounced, allowing Kakashi to vaguely discern the muscles of Akemi's body.
This reminded Kakashi of his past training experiences.
He had been plagued by the issue of his reactions not keeping up with his speed, and even up till now, he had yet to find a solution.
Mu Yue had offered two possible cures: attaining enlightenment in the breathing technique, or enhancing his reaction speed through a Lightning Release chakra nature transformation.
"If one day you find your mind becoming transparent, able to see and control every muscle and blood vessel in your body, then you will have entered the Enlightened State," Kakashi recalled Mu Yue's description of the breathing technique's pinnacle. Accompanied by a sense of clarity, Kakashi saw.
He saw his muscles, his bones, his blood vessels, and every part of his body.
Not only could he see, but he could also control them, instantly realizing how much strength he had been wasting with every move he made.
"So, this is the Enlightened State," Kakashi murmured as he continued to close in on Akemi.
When he was just ten meters away, Kakashi could perceive everything about Akemi's body.
Only now did Kakashi truly understand the power of the breathing technique Mu Yue had taught them—it was an indescribably wondrous ability.
"Remember two key points when practicing with your sword: speed and power. Gather all your strength and focus it into a single point for your attacks."
Kakashi's thoughts then turned to his father, Sakumo Hatake, and the lessons he had imparted on sword techniques.
At this moment, Kakashi was a mere six meters away from Akemi.
Though he didn't seem to pose much of a threat in his current state, he was still a ninja, and Akemi remained cautious. He temporarily abandoned the badly wounded Obito and slashed at the approaching Kakashi with his short blade.
"Kakashi, get back! Just stay down!" Obito shouted anxiously.
As Kakashi drew near, Obito had been urging him to stay back, but Kakashi, ignoring his pleas, continued to walk forward as if under the influence of an illusion.
"Father, Mu Yue-sensei, thank you," Kakashi whispered, his thoughts turning to Mu Yue and Sakumo in gratitude, unconcerned by Akemi's approaching attack.
For they had given him the power to change everything.
"Die!" Akemi exclaimed, employing the Body Flicker Technique to appear before Kakashi, his short blade aimed at Kakashi's chest.
A flash of white light.
The sound of shattering bone.
Akemi's short blade, along with his arm, snapped in two. Akemi's face contorted in terror and confusion as he failed to comprehend how Kakashi had managed to strike so swiftly.
The next moment, excruciating pain racked Akemi's body, and before he could utter a single word, his body fell, cleaved in two.
"Kakashi, you..." Obito stared at the scene in shock. The formidable Jonin who had pushed them all to their limits had been felled by Kakashi in an instant. Had Kakashi been possessed by the immortal Mu Yue?
"I am Kakashi, the genius," Kakashi uttered before collapsing.
(End of Chapter)
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