After grabbing three gas masks, Haseo rushed back. Fortunately, the two fighting spots they'd split into earlier weren't far apart, and the sounds of combat had never ceased from the other side.
In just a short amount of time, the poisonous mist had already spread out from the forest. Even on the plains outside, the air was now filled with thick fog.
Within the increasingly suffocating poison mist, the sparks of lightning dancing across Haseo's body became even more conspicuous, making him easily identifiable — his unique way of distinguishing friend from foe… Only he would coat himself in such a dramatic effect.
"Hatake!"
Haseo shouted as he rushed to Sakumo Hatake's side from afar at full speed. At this moment, Hanzo of the Rain Village naturally noticed Haseo's arrival too. To avoid being caught in a pincer attack, he could only quickly dodge sideways and temporarily retreat from the fight.
Although the battle had been brief, Hanzo had already sensed that Hatake was an extraordinary ninja — sharp in attack, agile in movement, and rich in combat experience… In pure swordplay, he realized he simply couldn't match this young opponent.
This conclusion, however, was just common knowledge — even Haseo himself would struggle against Sakumo Hatake in blade techniques.
Even this younger version of Hatake was likely unmatched in swordsmanship by nearly anyone throughout the entire Ninjutsu World. That's just how it went when you faced someone born with real talent.
Haseo scared off Hanzo, but he didn't intend to team up — he merely flew past rapidly, tossing a blood-stained gas mask into Kakashi Sakumo's arms.
It was the last gift from an Amegakure ninja who lost his life — don't let it go to waste.
The more intense the action and the fiercer the combat became, the faster one breathed. Despite Kakashi doing his best to control his breathing, his face had already turned slightly green.
If Haseo hadn't returned in time, Kakashi might have ended up being poisoned beyond recovery.
Comparatively speaking, the two Hyuga ninjas behind them were in much better condition. When Haseo handed them the gas masks, they were still fresh-faced and unharmed — previously they had only been on alert while Kakashi engaged the enemy.
"Lord Haseo, shall we join the fight? With four against one, if Lord Haseo joins us fully, there's a chance we can instantly kill the enemy," one of the Hyuga proposed. The gas mask slightly distorted his voice, but clearly, neither of them wanted to remain idle spectators while their teammate was in the heat of battle.
However, Haseo had just previously ordered them to stand watch.
Facing such a seemingly practical suggestion, Haseo simply shook his head. "Let Hatake play around by himself. We should focus on the other enemies that'll arrive later... Also, although Hanzo is a shameless thief, circumstances require us not to just directly eliminate him. The chaotic situation in the Land of Rain can only be controlled by him alone. If his death leads to Amegakure's collapse, it might become another deep-rooted trigger for the great ninja world war."
"However..."
Sakumo Hatake had already been at a disadvantage against Hanzo to begin with, and now poisoned as well, his battle had become extremely dire. There were several moments when he nearly got sliced to death by Hanzo's blade, so it wasn't hard to understand the Hyuga's anxious feelings.
Watching a teammate struggle in deadly combat while being unable to step in was truly an agonizing feeling.
"It's fine. I believe in Hatake's abilities," Haseo said. Since this fight was Sakumo Hatake's own request, ultimately they had to see just how far he could go relying on his own strength.
"What if something goes wrong?"
In such an extreme battle, no one could guarantee immediate assistance the moment Sakumo encountered danger. Even under normal circumstances, Haseo couldn't promise one hundred percent certainty, as both fighters moved too quickly—the two Hyuga ninja hadn't even seen Haseo's [Senken Zesshou] yet.
"That's really unfortunate. Didn't expect that I could misjudge someone like this."
"..."
This sounded... somewhat inhuman.
"Can you locate Hanzo's summoned beast?" Instead of rushing to help Sakumo Hatake directly, Haseo seemed more intent on dealing with the toxin-releasing summoned beast that was still active.
After all, supposedly... the more potent the poison, the greater the value it holds when neutralized correctly.
"I can find it, but it's stationed too far behind enemy lines. It's quite impractical to try and eliminate it," the Hyuga replied.
Concealing the poison source at the backlines—a standard tactic—thoroughly extinguished Haseo's desire to destroy Rain Country's biochemical weapon.
At this moment, forest enemies finally charged out, so the two Hyuga ninjas didn't need to remain idle any longer.
Under such conditions, using Byakugan in battle provided enormous advantages.
"You two, let's eliminate the remaining enemies. Just remember… when I tell you to duck later, make sure you crouch immediately—or lie flat if needed."
Although puzzled by Haseo's warning, the two Hyugas memorized it well before charging toward enemies other than Hanzo.
As the poison took deeper hold and the battle wore on, Sakumo Hatake's movements began to slow. Wounds appeared on his body. Though he could still evade fatal strikes, the constant blood loss made his movements increasingly sluggish, pulling him into a downward spiral from which there was no escape.
Defeating Hanzo was now practically impossible; Sakumo could do little more than cling to survival.
To have lasted so long against Hanzo, this young version of the Legend of the White Fang had already proven his worth. It was just the opponent's poison that made things so difficult. Without it, Sakumo would certainly have put on a more dazzling performance.
Using poison was definitely underhanded... Unfortunately, they were all ninjas. Ninja battles employed every possible means necessary, so making such accusations wouldn't work. Even though Sakumo had fallen to Hanzo's Poison Mist, he had still been defeated.
Suddenly, Hanzo darted forward and instantly slammed his sword hilt into Sakumo Hatake's ribs. This strike sent Sakumo collapsing onto the ground. Then, with a flip of his long blade in hand, Hanzo prepared to pierce straight through his chest cavity.
The outcome... had long since been sealed.
Hatake was still a bit too young. He should've waited another five years before fighting Hanzo. Back then, the result might have been different.
Yet at this moment, including the two Hyuga ninja who were still engaged in battle with other enemies, everyone present heard Haseo's voice in their ears.
He said...
"Get down."
Other than being slightly louder than normal, there was nothing particularly emotional about the voice.
The Hyuga remembered Haseo's instruction. They were excellent executors, so the two immediately disengaged from their enemies and dropped to the ground right away.
Are you kidding me? What the hell are those Konoha ninja doing?
But just then, an abruptly appeared indigo light pillar suddenly manifested within the mist. It first stretched outward into the distance, then rotating around its origin point, forming a complete circle.
Now the enemies understood, though most of them wouldn't really need to understand anymore anyway.
Haseo had merely used an area technique...
[Lightning Release · Kurigara – Grand Heavenly Phenomenon].
It was just like when Vel'Koz used his ultimate ability. A thick column of light swept across the battlefield, and the pulse of energy claimed the life of every cell belonging to every person it passed over.
Honestly, pulling out a move like that here was overkill. It was unnecessary.
Unlike the first time Haseo used this move—instantly released and instantly ending—now he was drawing circles with it. "Grand Heavenly Phenomenon" lasted for at least 2 seconds.
How much chakra did that waste? Normally, Haseo should've already run completely out of chakra.
But things weren't actually like that. After finishing the powerful move, not only did Haseo not seem chakra-depleted, but he even looked pretty energetic.
Why?
Because Haseo didn't generate chakra himself—he was just a conduit for natural energy.
Still...
Had Haseo considered Hanzo's chances of survival while using such an attack? The promise not to kill Hanzo directly—was that all just bullshit again?
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