https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-328-The-Astonishing-Power-of-Thunder-Flash-7k-/12558432/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-330-Transparent-World-vs-Konoha-s-Dragon-God/12558437/
Chapter 329: A Battle of Fire and Lightning
Chapter 329: A Battle of Fire and Lightning
As the last participant from Kirigakure, Kisame Hoshigaki, was eliminated, the leader of Kumogakure, Yuan Shi, wore a displeased expression.
Having to wait for the conclusion of the Konoha ninjas' battles and then witness the outcome of the intra-village competition for the top spot was a bitter pill to swallow for Yuan Shi.
After all, Kumogakure was one of the five great ninja villages, and they had a favorable draw. Yet, they could only manage a single semi-finalist.
"It's a shame. That ninja from your village had water release skills far beyond his peers. He was just a hair's breadth away from victory." Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a talent-appreciating demeanor, remarked.
Even Danzo, who usually wore a grim expression, nodded in agreement as he witnessed the overwhelming dominance of the Konoha ninjas. Thanks to his and Sarutobi Hiruzen's efforts, Konoha had been thriving and growing more prosperous.
Despite his discomfort, Yuan Shi forced a smile and echoed Sarutobi Hiruzen's sentiments.
Might Dai, witnessing Might Guy's triumph, burst into laughter and gave his comrade a thumbs-up.
Although Might Dai didn't fully understand the Chunin Exams, Might Guy's outstanding performance assured him that Might Guy would undoubtedly secure a Chunin position.
"Akai never fails to deliver." Genma Shiranui and Ebisu heaved a sigh of relief.
The battle between Might Guy and Kisame indeed gave the audience their money's worth. It was a relentless display of high-intensity combat with no respite, and the scale of their techniques was awe-inspiring.
Numerous Konoha ninjas etched the name 'Might Guy' into their memories. Even some Jonin of Konoha felt they would struggle to fight within that water sphere, yet Might Guy had decisively defeated Kisame within it.
"But why didn't he use any ninjutsu?" A ninja recalled all of Might Guy's matches and realized he hadn't employed a single ninjutsu.
"Perhaps his ninjutsu skills are lacking, but it doesn't matter when his taijutsu is this exceptional." The ninja beside him replied.
While ninjas strive for a balanced development of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, exceptional prowess in one area can offset deficiencies in others.
After all, most ninjas peak at the level of Chunin in their lifetime, but Might Guy's taijutsu could instantly defeat average Chunin. With such prowess, who cares about ninjutsu?
Those who had mocked Might Dai during his entrance were now drenched in cold sweat. Might Dai's son was outrageously strong.
"Uchiha Obito versus Hatake Kakashi!"
As the announcer, Piruhi, introduced the next match, Obito and Kakashi exchanged a glance before walking towards the combat zone.
"Enough talk. I want to see what excuse you'll come up with after I beat you this time," Obito challenged.
He was highly dissatisfied with Kakashi's usual condescending behavior, especially since he considered himself the superior ninja. He couldn't fathom why Kakashi, the loser in their previous encounters, kept lecturing him.
Obito intended to use this battle to prove to Rin that he, Uchiha Obito, was more brilliant and dependable than Kakashi.
"You might want to save those words for yourself and start thinking of an excuse in case you lose. It wouldn't do to be too flustered afterward," Kakashi retorted calmly.
The current Kakashi was brimming with confidence in his abilities. After all, he was the genius, Hatake Kakashi. How could a genius lack self-assurance?
Not only did he intend to defeat Obito, but he also aimed to beat Might Guy and eventually conquer Genma. This would be his grand announcement of a brilliant comeback. He would become Mu Yue's strongest disciple.
"Hmph, you'll soon witness the might of my fire style." Obito decided to forgo further arguments and let his strength do the talking.
Kakashi offered a faint smile, as this was precisely what he wanted.
With Kakashi and Obito's battle about to commence, the audience perked up, eager to witness the contest.
While some spectators felt indifferent about who won or lost, as long as a Konoha ninja ultimately claimed the top spot, those personally acquainted with the participants favored their friends' victory.
"Obito has activated his Sharingan, and while Hatake Kakashi is incredibly fast, Obito should still handle him without issue," Uchiha Hachidai analyzed the impending battle.
Although Kakashi boasted a record of defeating Byakugan users, Hachidai didn't consider the Byakugan to be on par with the Sharingan in combat. Moreover, beyond bloodline limits, Obito's overall abilities far surpassed those of Hyuga Gotei.
Now that Obito had reached the semi-finals, Hachidai naturally hoped he would advance to the finals and secure the top spot, showcasing the might of the Uchiha clan.
"Hatake Kakashi's speed isn't merely about being fast. It's challenging to predict the outcome between them," the more formidable Uchiha Fuyake shook his head in disagreement.
Reducing Kakashi to a mere speedster would be a grave mistake. Although the mist obscured their vision, the depth of the cuts on the ground indicated the sheer power of Kakashi's blade.
"Begin!"
As Piruhi's voice rang out again, the audience members ceased their discussions and focused on the center of the arena.
"Breath of Flames, Full Concentration!"
"Breath of Lightning, Full Concentration!"
Both Obito and Kakashi heightened their physical capabilities by intensely focusing their breathing.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito swiftly formed the necessary hand seals and unleashed a massive fireball toward Kakashi.
While running, Kakashi countered the incoming fiery shuriken by throwing lightning shuriken of his own.
Boom!
The two sets of shuriken, imbued with different chakra natures, collided and immediately exploded, causing both sets of projectiles to vanish.
Whoosh!
Taking advantage of the smoke from the explosion, Kakashi burst forth, channeling his chakra and displaying his Lightning Breath, charging at Obito with incredible speed.
Knowing Kakashi's speed, Obito did not hold back on his chakra. As he threw the shuriken, he activated his Sharingan, immediately detecting Kakashi's movement.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Obito quickly gathered chakra in his mouth, performing a nature transformation, and spat out several small fireballs at Kakashi to prevent him from getting close.
To avoid being hit by the high-temperature fireballs, Kakashi had to maneuver, which slowed him down.
Obito was indeed a troublesome opponent for Kakashi. The Sharingan's powerful insight made Kakashi hesitant to use his Raikiri.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall Technique!" Kakashi ultimately decided to use ninjutsu for defense as well. A thick earthen wall with a dog's head appeared between him and Obito, blocking all the fireballs and causing Obito to temporarily lose sight of Kakashi.
"You're using that again? Do you still think I'm the same as before?" Obito smiled triumphantly.
During their battles, Kakashi often used various objects to conceal himself, creating shadow clones to draw attention while the real Kakashi infiltrated underground for a sneak attack.
Having been fooled numerous times, Obito wouldn't fall for it again.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Obito gathered a large amount of chakra in his throat, quickly performed a nature transformation, and spat out a massive blaze of orange-red flames that engulfed the surrounding area.
Although Earth Style allowed one to burrow underground, it couldn't go very deep. With the intensity of Obito's flames, Kakashi would surely be affected.
Enhanced by the highly concentrated Flame Breath, Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet was formidable, even causing Kakashi's Earth Flow Wall to crumble under the spreading flames, revealing Kakashi's body.
"Hmm? A shadow clone?" Obito examined Kakashi, who was hiding behind the wall, with his Sharingan.
Shadow clones had physical forms, so even with his Sharingan, Obito couldn't distinguish which Kakashi was the original and which was the clone.
But when he saw the Kakashi clone quickly move aside and no other Kakashi emerged from the ground, Obito realized he had been tricked. The real Kakashi hadn't moved at all; he had been standing behind the Earth Flow Wall the whole time, and Obito had wasted a Fire Dragon Flame Bullet's worth of chakra.
Obito was relieved that he hadn't activated the Flame Breath mode and used the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, as that would have been a much bigger waste of chakra.
His natural chakra reserves were higher than Kakashi's, so as long as he didn't waste too much, he would be fine.
Obito didn't let his Fire Dragon Flame Bullet go to waste. He took advantage of the flames covering most of the arena to continuously compress the space Kakashi could use to dodge.
"Lightning Flash!"
Just as Kakashi reached the edge of the arena, he suddenly unleashed the chakra that had been gathering in his legs. He drew out the White Fang, and his entire body transformed into a bolt of yellow lightning, slicing towards Obito.
"Flame Breath Chakra Mode!"
The instant Obito's Sharingan detected Kakashi's movement, he immediately enhanced his breathing, consuming chakra to enter the Flame Breath Chakra Mode and further strengthen his body.
Otherwise, Obito worried that he might see Kakashi's movement but not be able to react in time.
With the boost from the Flame Breath Chakra Mode and his Sharingan, Obito evaded Kakashi's slash and countered with a powerful palm strike, erupting with flames that surged towards Kakashi.
The speed of Lightning Flash was within the range Kakashi could handle. Upon sensing Obito's counterattack, he swiftly used the Lightning Body Flicker to dodge.
"If Raikiri doesn't finish Obito off, then I will be the one to lose." Kakashi frowned slightly. This Sharingan was indeed troublesome.
Just as Kakashi found Obito difficult to deal with, Obito also felt the same about Kakashi.
Kakashi's speed was too fast, and his fire style jutsu couldn't cover the entire arena like Kisame's water style jutsu.
Initially, it wasn't too bad because there were trees in the arena that could expand the coverage of his fire style jutsu.
But after fighting for so long, not only were there no more trees, but the ground was also barren, devoid of even a blade of grass. They had turned the arena into a wasteland.
Obito didn't care about the surroundings. Relying on the convenience of the Flame Breath Chakra Mode, he relentlessly bombarded Kakashi with the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, forcing Kakashi into close-quarters combat.
The Flame Breath Chakra Mode consumed chakra too quickly, and he had to end the battle soon.
Using the Flame Breath Chakra Mode with the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique was not only faster but also more powerful. Even with Kakashi's speed, dodging was challenging, especially since Obito could clearly see his movements.
A massive amount of yellow lightning engulfed Kakashi's right arm, and with the channeling of his chakra, his White Fang extended into a lightning blade. With the combined might of his breathing technique and nature transformation, Kakashi unleashed a powerful slash.
ROAR! !
The dazzling yellow lightning formed a devastating strike that rushed towards Obito, leaving a long, charred gash in its wake.
Chidori was a variation of the Raikiri, a technique Kakashi devised after his battle with Momochi Zabuza. While slightly less powerful than the Raikiri, Chidori was safer to use.
"Fire Style: Blazing Fire Fist!"
Obito immediately combined the Blazing Collision with the Fire Fist, igniting his body with flames before delivering a fiery punch. A tidal wave of flames surged towards Kakashi's strike.
Although Obito reacted swiftly, Kakashi's attack proved to be the stronger of the two.
Even with Obito's Fire Fist explosion and the enhancement of his fire-attribute chakra, along with the additional layer of protection from the Blazing Collision, he still couldn't avoid a new wound appearing on his body.
Kakashi, seizing the opportunity, showed no mercy and rushed forward, fueled by his chakra.
"Lightning Flash!"
The Chidori and Raikiri consumed similar amounts of chakra, and with Kakashi's prior use of ninjutsu and the Lightning Flash, he didn't have enough left for another Raikiri.
However, the speed of the Lightning Flash was still more than enough. Obito's injured body was a split second too slow, resulting in yet another wound.
"Damn it! It shouldn't be like this!" Obito shouted inwardly as he suffered consecutive injuries.
Rin was watching from above, as were Mu Yue and many other Konoha ninjas and villagers. Could he really lose to Kakashi in front of all these people?
No, that was unacceptable. He had to win. He was no longer the weak link of the Uchiha clan!
Obito's flames burned even brighter, and his aura grew more powerful as he ignited the chakra within him at an accelerated rate. Glaring at Kakashi, he clapped his hands together and unleashed a sea of flames.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Witnessing Obito's ferocious fire technique, Kakashi's first instinct was to dodge. However, he found himself unable to escape as the flames danced wildly like a raging dinosaur, engulfing most of the arena. From the front and both sides, the flames simultaneously assaulted him, leaving only the wall at the edge of the arena behind him.
"Did he hold back earlier? His fire technique is even stronger than I thought!" Uchiha Hachidai exclaimed in shock. He couldn't believe that Obito, at only nine years old, possessed such power.
Even the usually calm Uchiha Fugaku displayed a look of surprise. Obito's talent for fire techniques was outrageous. Even without the Sharingan, Obito could become an exceptionally powerful fire-style ninja.
Asuma Sarutobi was stunned. "He must have been practicing fire techniques since he was in the womb," he thought. In his opinion, Obito's fire technique was more impressive than some jonin-level ninjas.
"Minato, get ready to intervene," Hiruzen Sarutobi instructed Minato Namikaze.
Hiruzen was all too familiar with the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet and knew that if Kakashi failed to counter it properly, the consequences could be fatal.
He never expected Obito, at such a young age, to have mastered this advanced fire technique to such a high degree.
"Could this be something Mu Yue taught him?" Hiruzen wondered. He knew that Minato didn't know the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
Minato, focused on the battle, nodded slightly, ready to spring into action if needed.
"Haa." Kakashi exhaled, his expression shifting from surprise to calm.
Obito had improved from being the weakest in the clan to defeating him. Even if Obito grew stronger, Kakashi wouldn't lose.
"You are strong, but I won't lose!" Kakashi's eyes sharpened as he intensified his breathing, focusing his mind.
He had promised Might Guy that they would fight during the Chunin Exams, and he didn't intend to break that promise. As a genius, he refused to accept defeat at the hands of Obito twice.
Kakashi pushed his body to the limit, determined to attempt the Raikiri once more.
ZZZZ! !
Shimmering yellow lightning crackled across Kakashi's body, growing increasingly brighter with each moment until it enveloped him entirely. Kakashi's expression weakened, but his eyes remained steadfast.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar signaled the appearance of a bolt of yellow lightning within the sea of flames, surging towards Obito.
PCHI! A spray of blood blossomed.
ROAR!
A long, charred gash appeared beside Obito, and the confining flames that had trapped Kakashi vanished.
"I will win next time!" Obito uttered his final words before collapsing.
"That will be difficult because I am a genius!" Kakashi replied calmly, standing in the same spot.
"Hatake Kakashi wins!"
Realizing that Obito had truly fainted, Kakashi, after declaring his victory, also succumbed to exhaustion and fell to the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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