https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-523-Malicious-Intent-Towards-Kakashi/12558782/
Chapter 522: Intelligence on Kakashi
Chapter 522: Intelligence on Kakashi
The room was filled with silence as everyone processed the display of might they had just witnessed.
Aside from Kakashi and Obito, who were well aware of Might Guy's strength, only Nagato and Sasori maintained their composure due to their own formidable abilities. The rest of the participants were stunned by Guy's power.
"Such strength and speed! He's become even stronger!" Kisame Hoshigaki murmured, his pupils narrowing in surprise.
"And how did he manage to withstand that explosion just now?" Kisame's confusion only grew as he witnessed Guy's current state.
The victorious Might Guy stood there, his clothes slightly torn but his body bearing no apparent injuries. It was as if he hadn't just withstood the full force of Deidara's explosion head-on.
"He's even more monstrous than before," thought Terumi Mei with a sense of relief. "It's a good thing I won't have to face him before the finals."
She had drawn number twenty-five, which placed her toward the back of the pack. This meant she wouldn't encounter Guy until the finals, if at all.
To be honest, Terumi didn't mind who she faced if she made it that far. Just reaching the finals would mean she had already exceeded her goal.
Terumi's goal was to be among the top four and secure a ranked position, whether it be third or fourth. That would make her participation in the tournament well worth it.
"I'll admit, he's got quite the brute strength," acknowledged Onibi Mangetsu, conceding that Guy's taijutsu was indeed formidable.
"But with me here, you won't make it past the top eight," Mangetsu added confidently.
The secret technique of the Onibi clan, the Water Transformation Technique, was specifically designed to counter all sorts of physical attacks. Even the strongest taijutsu would be rendered ineffective against it. So, despite Guy's impressive display, Mangetsu remained confident in his ability to win.
Mangetsu Onibi was number sixteen, and he had advanced to the top eight alongside Guy. This meant they would face each other in the quarterfinals.
With this in mind, Mangetsu turned his gaze to Kakashi, who was number fifteen and his first-round opponent.
Sensing Mangetsu's gaze, Kakashi returned a nonchalant glance.
Muyue had already proven with her track record that Lightning Release Sword Technique was an effective counter to the Onibi clan's Water Transformation Technique. Knowing that he had the advantage against a ninja he could counter, Kakashi was determined to make the most of it.
"Match 13: Yahiko Nara versus Match 14: Ryugan!"
As Might Guy entered the resting room, the referee's voice once again echoed through the chamber, announcing the next match.
"Good luck, Rin. Believe in yourself; you're stronger than you think!" Obito offered words of encouragement to Nohara Rin.
Rin's opponent wasn't one of the powerful ninjas they had gathered intelligence on; he was simply an ordinary Iwagakure ninja who had made it through the preliminaries. Obito believed in Rin's abilities.
"Thank you, Obito," Nohara Rin replied with a gentle smile as she stood up and prepared to make her way to the battle arena.
In reality, Rin wasn't as lacking in confidence as Obito thought. The four matches she had fought in the preliminaries had given her a good understanding of the overall level of skill in the tournament.
While she might not be among the very best, she considered herself to be in the upper-middle tier.
"Just remember to stay calm during the fight, and you'll be fine," Kakashi reminded her.
"Thanks, Kakashi," Rin said with a smile, waving to her teammates before stepping into the battle arena and taking her fighting stance.
"Begin!"
As soon as the referee gave the signal, Ryugan instantly retreated with a swift body flicker, immediately throwing several shuriken at Nohara Rin.
Ryugan wasn't fooled by Rin's delicate appearance; thanks to the intelligence he possessed, he knew that she possessed formidable taijutsu that belied her petite frame and gentle looks.
Clang!
Rin quickly drew kunai from her ninja tool pouch, deflecting the incoming shuriken.
Aside from her specialty in medical ninjutsu, her fundamentals were also solid.
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar!"
As Ryugan performed hand seals at incredible speed, the ground beneath Nohara Rin began to tremble.
Sensing the danger, Rin immediately focused her breathing to enhance her physical strength and leaped into the air.
In the next moment, rock pillars shot out from the ground one after the other.
"Earth Release: Rock Cannon!"
Seizing the opportunity presented by Rin's airborne position, which left her unable to dodge, Ryugan spat out a small stone.
As the stone flew through the air, it rapidly enlarged, becoming a boulder the size of a cannonball.
"Super Strength Punch!"
Rin unleashed a punch infused with chakra, sending the boulder-like stone flying into pieces. Her fist, however, bore a few bloody scratches.
Standing atop one of the rock pillars, Rin performed a medical ninjutsu on herself, instantly healing the wounded hand.
Ryugan furrowed his brow. This wasn't going to be an easy fight. His opponent wasn't just a taijutsu expert; she also possessed medical ninjutsu, allowing her to heal herself during the battle.
As Ryugan frantically tried to come up with a strategy to counter Nohara Rin, she took the initiative and launched her own offense.
Channeling a large amount of chakra into her feet, Rin delivered a powerful kick that shattered the rock pillars, sending the fragments flying toward Ryugan. Without pausing, she continued with a swift combination of running and hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Blast Wave!"
Rin expelled a massive torrent of water from her mouth, measuring nearly a meter in thickness. The surge of water advanced alongside the rock fragments.
Water Blast Wave was a basic Water Release technique, but with a solid foundation in water-style ninjutsu, it could still pack a considerable punch.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Rather than recklessly attempting to dodge, Ryugan opted to use a defensive ninjutsu, creating a thick earthen wall on the ground.
Boom!
The rock fragments slammed into the earthen wall with tremendous force but failed to breach its defense.
Then, something unexpected happened. The surge of water that had accompanied the rock fragments suddenly changed form once again under Nohara Rin's control, transforming into a water dragon that leaped over the earthen wall and crashed into Ryugan.
Seizing the opportunity, Rin Nohara used Water Instant Body Technique to get close to Gray Rock and ended the fight with a Super Strength Punch.
"Rin Nohara wins!"
Before Rin could even return to the resting room to share her victory with her teammates, the referee quickly announced the next pair.
"Match 15: Kakashi Hatake versus Match 16: Mangetsu Onibi!"
Hearing his name, Mangetsu stood up immediately, chest puffed out, and strode toward the battle arena.
Terumi's mouth twitched as she felt that Konoha's child prodigy was a bit too arrogant. How could he act like he had already won even before the fight began? That was a big no-no.
"Good luck, Kakashi," Rin said with a smile, having calmed down.
Kakashi nodded in response and then made his way to the battle arena.
"My dear friend, I look forward to facing you in the top eight!" Might Guy used his words to encourage Kakashi.
Although Guy's statement sounded arrogant, as he was already predicting his entry into the top eight even before the first round was halfway through, everyone in the resting room felt that it was well within his capabilities.
There was no doubt that Guy had the credentials to be this confident.
So far, seven matches had taken place, and Guy had been the fastest to end his fight. Even Nagato, who was also exceptionally talented, took slightly longer than Guy, and that was against a strong opponent.
Kakashi paused in his stride for a moment before continuing forward.
Obito couldn't help but chuckle, guessing Kakashi's current thoughts and feeling delighted.
"Oh, Kakashi, just you wait and see what punishment awaits you," Obito said, his mood greatly improved.
Due to the proximity of the Young Ninja Competition to the originally scheduled civil war, the civil war had been canceled, and instead, the two disciples with the poorest performance in the competition would receive punishment.
Since Rin hadn't participated in the civil war up to this point, she had set her own goal for this competition.
Rin's goal was to make it to the knockout rounds and not be eliminated in the first round.
Obito was relieved that Rin hadn't set a more ambitious goal for herself. If she had added something like reaching the top eight, she would have had to undergo punishment.
Terumi focused her attention on the battle arena, ignoring Mangetsu's eccentric personality. He was indeed a true genius, and his strength was reliable.
Standing in the center of the arena, Kakashi looked up at the host of the Ninja Competition, Sou Yuuke, who was seated higher up.
"Sou Yuuke, what is your true purpose for holding this competition?" Kakashi wondered about Sou Yuuke's intentions.
Was it because he had exceptional students like Nagato that he felt confident that his ninjutsu would never be surpassed by others?
But wouldn't his reputation as a ninja instructor be damaged if he failed to develop the second custom ninjutsu?
Thinking of the connection between Nagato and Sou Yuuke made Kakashi think of the evil organization, Akatsuki, that would bring chaos to the ninja world in the future, giving him a headache. There were too many problems to solve, and he knew too little.
Kakashi pushed down his chaotic thoughts and focused on Mangetsu.
Currently, his strength was still insufficient to interfere with a ninja instructor of Sou Yuuke's level. He should first take care of what was in front of him.
"Begin!" The referee shouted as soon as both participants were ready.
Swish!
Mangetsu swiftly drew his blade and channeled his chakra, slashing at Kakashi.
Clang!
Kakashi calmly drew his White Fang and blocked the incoming blade, the short sword and long sword clashing and creating a crisp metallic sound.
"Water Release: Powerful Water Arm Technique!"
Mangetsu concentrated his body's water content into his right arm, the one holding the blade. The muscles in his right arm swelled, and his strength explosively increased.
Kakashi, sensing the pressure, focused his breathing to enhance his strength and then swiftly withdrew, moving backward.
"Water Release: Water Cannon Technique!"
Mangetsu raised his left hand, forming it into the shape of a gun. A droplet of liquid flew from the tip of Mangetsu's left index finger, speeding toward Kakashi's chest like a bullet.
But Kakashi was extremely cautious. In the instant he retreated, he entered the Transparent World State, predicting all of Mangetsu's actions. He slightly sidestepped, dodging the droplet, which was like a bullet.
"Hmm? You dodged that?" Mangetsu was surprised by Kakashi's reaction speed.
Swish, swish!
While dodging, Kakashi threw several shuriken at Mangetsu.
Mangetsu saw that they were ordinary shuriken without any nature transformation or explosive tags attached. He chose to stand his ground, not dodging or evading, intending to lure Kakashi into a further offense.
However, Kakashi, knowing a bit about Water Transformation Techniques, naturally didn't fall for it. He secretly gathered his chakra and watched as the shuriken passed through Mangetsu's body and hit the ground.
"Tsk, how boring."
Seeing Kakashi's caution, Mangetsu took the initiative to attack again.
"I've gathered enough intelligence. It's my turn to attack now."
Kakashi had already gauged Mangetsu's approximate strength and devised a battle plan.
PS: I wanted to write Kakashi's entire battle in one go, but it's too late, and I can't stay awake any longer. Sorry.
(End of Chapter)
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