Chapter 191 – Kakashi vs. The Akatsuki
After mastering the Iron-Cutting Sword Technique, Kakashi Hatake had grown… undeniably prideful.
And how could he not?
His journey had been remarkably smooth—far smoother than most shinobi, even prodigies. Despite living in the long shadow cast by the brilliant and monstrous Kazane, Kakashi had never once tasted defeat at the hands of anyone from his generation. Except Kazane.
In the original timeline, that arrogance had already begun to surface during the fateful Kannabi Bridge mission. Reckless and hot-blooded, Kakashi had fought with abandon, stabbing foes left and right using his self-created jutsu—Chidori.
But it was Obito's death, and the trauma of having his eye crushed by an Iwa-nin's boulder, that tempered that arrogance and forged a more reflective Kakashi.
But now…?
Because of the butterfly effect triggered by Kazane's existence, that tragic chapter never occurred.
In this altered reality, Kakashi still wore the badge of invincibility—at least among his peers. Save for Kazane, no one had ever bested him.
At just thirteen years old, Kakashi Hatake stood as one of Konoha's elite Jōnin, a rising legend already whispered about beyond the village borders.
With his devastating swordsmanship, his name had become synonymous with dread: The New White Fang of Konoha.
Villages across the Five Nations had taken notice.
And Kazane… well, Kazane could only gaze solemnly in the direction of Amegakure, quietly placing his hopes in the unseen hands of fate.
"Your move, Nagato," Kazane murmured, eyes sharp and distant. "Let Kakashi taste defeat—for once."
---
Land of Rain – Outskirts of Amegakure
"Morning Peacock!"
Explosions of fiery light surged through the rain-soaked sky. Blazing fists descended in a barrage of incandescent strikes, each like a meteor crashing from heaven. The battlefield lit up in a blaze of orange and crimson, clearing out a wide radius of enemy shinobi.
And then—
White Fang Secret Technique: Twenty-Four Bridges in the Moonlit Night!!!
Twenty-four arcs of silver light swept through the air, swift and ethereal as moonlight. Each blade stroke danced like a ghost, severing limbs and piercing hearts. In a matter of seconds, the battlefield turned to chaos—bodies strewn, groans of agony lost under the roar of battle.
It was a scene of pure devastation. And it had all begun three hours ago…
---
Three Hours Earlier – Forest Bordering Amegakure
The early mist clung low to the ground, mingling with the light drizzle that never seemed to leave the Land of Rain.
Kakashi stood beneath the swaying canopy, flanked by Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu.
"Kakashi, just ahead is Amegakure," Ebisu said, gesturing to the faint silhouettes of distant walls. "Since Hanzo's death, the Akatsuki have taken over. That's where Obito must be."
Obito…
That name hit like a kunai to the chest.
"I'll bring him home," Kakashi said quietly, his tone resolute. His eyes, partially obscured by his silver fringe, gleamed with conviction.
His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his blade—the instrument that had brought him clarity.
Since mastering the Iron-Cutting Sword Technique, Kakashi had begun to perceive the world in an entirely new way—through Kazane's eyes.
Every structure, every jutsu, every opponent—each had a flaw.
To Kakashi, even chakra itself could be cut. Human bodies, once formidable, now felt like parchment against his blade.
Once, Might Guy in his Fifth Gate state had pushed Kakashi to his limits.
But now?
Even the Sixth Gate—Gate of View—had failed to impress him during their last sparring match.
When Guy and Jiriku teamed up, Kakashi didn't even break a sweat. He overwhelmed them with such ease that it felt like slicing through mist.
So-called "strongest bodies"? Just paper now.
Speed? Untouchable.
In hindsight, Kakashi felt a strange embarrassment over how he used to fight. To someone like Kazane, that version of him must have looked like a child swinging wildly in the dark.
But now… now he understood.
He could hear it—the breath of all things.
Even the chakra flow inside his enemies.
During ANBU black ops missions, he'd cut through forbidden jutsu like ribbons and felled numerous elite shinobi.
What could he say?
Talent.
Graduated from the Academy at age five.
Promoted to Chūnin at six.
Achieved Jōnin at nine.
In another life, he might've been the main character of this world.
And despite all that, Kakashi had trained relentlessly alongside Kazane, constantly pushing the limits of his own talent.
Now, with his foundation solidified and the shackles of his previous ignorance cast off, Kakashi's strength was climbing at breakneck pace.
He believed, with utter certainty: No one besides Kazane could defeat him.
Not even Obito—Mangekyō Sharingan or not.
"Genma, Guy and I will infiltrate the base," Kakashi ordered. "You and Ebisu provide rear support."
Though he felt unshakable confidence in himself and Guy, he didn't feel the same assurance about Genma and Ebisu.
Intelligence from the ANBU confirmed what many feared: the Akatsuki were no longer a small group of rogue shinobi.
They were a full-fledged organization—home to multiple A-rank and S-rank defectors. Each one a walking catastrophe.
Nagato, their leader, was said to possess the Rinnegan—the eyes of a sage. A Kage-level threat, if not more.
Compared to that, Genma and Ebisu's Chūnin-level abilities were… insufficient.
If a full-scale battle erupted, Kakashi and Guy might survive. But dragging the other two into the fray? That was suicide.
"What's that supposed to mean, huh? You think we're scared to die?" Genma snapped, grabbing Kakashi by the collar.
Kakashi didn't flinch.
Genma's eyes burned. "Obito isn't just your teammate. He was our comrade, too. We fought together—we bled together. If this is a death mission, I'll gladly sign the damn form."
Even the usually composed Ebisu stepped forward, fists clenched. "I've been sidelined long enough. I won't sit this one out."
Kakashi let out a quiet sigh, his hand covering the lower half of his face.
"…Fine."
The breeze shifted. The rain chilled. And in that moment—Killing intent exploded from Kakashi like a blizzard tearing through the soul.
Crack… crack…
Genma and Ebisu froze.
The world seemed to slow, the air itself turning dense and oppressive.
Their hands trembled. Genma's grip on Kakashi's collar loosened. Their legs buckled under pressure.
Their minds screamed: So this is Kakashi's true power…?
They had always known he was a genius.
But this?
This was something else.
Not just a prodigy. A monster.
How could one generation produce two like this?
Once Kazane was enough to shake the shinobi world.
Now Kakashi stood on the same summit.
"…Feel better?" Kakashi's voice was ice and thunder. "You'll only slow us down. Stay here. We'll bring Obito back."
Though stung, Genma and Ebisu nodded.
They understood.
This wasn't arrogance—it was pragmatism.
Kakashi's strength had outgrown them.
"Wait—what about Guy?" Genma barked. "You gonna say he's elite too? Don't joke. That guy used to be dead last in our class!"
Ah, Guy…
Kakashi allowed himself a brief smile.
Once, he too couldn't imagine Guy surpassing him.
But Guy was a storm. Tireless. Relentless.
His determination was unmatched.
"Honestly?" Kakashi murmured as he turned to leave. "Guy might be stronger than me now."
"…What?"
"No way."
Genma and Ebisu stared in disbelief.
But Guy just rubbed his head sheepishly.
"Yosh… I still lost in our last spar," he said with a grin. "But I hadn't opened the Seventh Gate… or the final one."
Indeed.
If he ever released the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—even Kakashi might not survive the aftermath.
With silent agreement, the two comrades stepped into the falling rain, moving toward the heart of Amegakure.
Rain continued to fall in a ceaseless curtain, washing over the rust-colored steel and damp stone of Amegakure. The scent of wet iron clung to the air, thick with the foreboding silence of a village that had been hollowed out.
Two Ame-nin patrolmen, hoods drawn low, stepped forward as Kakashi and Guy approached the front gate.
"You two—what are you doing here?" one of them called out, hand already hovering near a kunai pouch.
Shing!
A clean arc of silver split the air.
In a blur of motion, Kakashi's short blade flashed from its sheath. The Ame-nin froze, expressions still caught between suspicion and confusion.
And then—
Thud… thud.
Two lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground. Their heads rolled a few feet farther, severed in the same instant.
There was no hesitation. No remorse.
Kakashi didn't come to sneak in.
Today, he would walk through the front gate with his blade drawn and his purpose clear.
Obito… I'm here to bring you home.
---
Meanwhile – Forest on the Village Outskirts
Back where Genma and Ebisu stood guard, tension thickened with the rain. The trees around them, silent just moments ago, now whispered with movement.
Shapes emerged from the shadows, stepping out one by one.
Cloaks of black embroidered with red clouds.
Akatsuki.
The mere sight of them drained the color from Ebisu's face. Genma narrowed his eyes and counted three.
All wore rogue headbands—symbols of broken ties.
Iwamine Jūtarō of Iwagakure.
Kazehaya Shōta from Kirigakure.
Ijūin Kumi of Sunagakure.
Each one an A-class missing-nin. Each one powerful enough to be considered elite among their former comrades.
The air became heavy with killing intent.
Unbeknownst to Genma or Ebisu, they had been marked from the moment they crossed the border. Every raindrop falling on their bodies was no ordinary rainfall—it was infused with chakra.
Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique had activated the moment the squad entered the Land of Rain.
Unlike Jiraiya, who once instantly unraveled the technique with his vast experience, Kakashi hadn't noticed. Not because he lacked ability—but because he had never faced Nagato before.
Every step they took, every breath—they were being watched.
Nagato, ever cautious, had no desire to spark a full-scale war with Konoha just yet.
Kakashi and Guy was dangerous and risky.
But the two who stayed behind are manageable. He had sent three Jōnin-level subordinates to intercept and capture them swiftly. Exactly the restraint Kazane had hoped for. Nagato didn't want to overplay his hand.
Not yet.
---
Amegakure – Village Interior
Kakashi expected resistance after breaching the gates.
But to his surprise… nothing.
No shinobi. No traps. No reinforcements.
Only silence.
Aside from the two guards he'd just killed, the entire village seemed utterly deserted.
Even the ever-present civilians of Amegakure—none dared show their faces.
"This place is… too quiet," Kakashi muttered.
Guy nodded. "A ghost town. They're watching us."
Kakashi quickly understood.
They were expected.
Akatsuki wasn't scrambling. They had been waiting.
He was thankful now that he hadn't brought Genma and Ebisu deeper into the village. If a battle broke out—and it surely would—they would've become liabilities.
Yet Kakashi pressed forward with Guy, unflinching.
A master fears no ambush.
Amegakure was not large. Within minutes, they arrived at the heart of the city—a plaza surrounded by towering pipes and rusted scaffolding.
There, waiting in formation beneath the pouring sky, stood nearly a dozen shinobi.
Each wore a black cloak with red clouds. Their headbands bore the markings of the Five Great Nations—Rock, Cloud, Sand, Mist, Waterfall—and a few even bore the symbol of Konoha.
But all had the same slash across the middle.
Traitors. Rogues.
Each one, Kakashi recognized from ANBU kill lists and mission debriefs. These weren't random fodder. They were all Jōnin-level or higher. Dangerous. Experienced. Deadly.
A kunai would do nothing here.
Only blood would be accepted as proof of resolve.
So this is the gathering storm, Kakashi thought.
A gentle breeze stirred the air. From the rooftop of a derelict building behind them, a paper flower floated down.
Then came her voice.
"You've caused quite the stir, Kakashi Hatake."
Konan stood atop the rooftop, her cloak fluttering in the wind, blue fringe dampened by the rain.
Kakashi didn't even look up at first.
"I'm here for Obito," he said calmly. "Return him, and we'll leave peacefully."
His voice was steady, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed his readiness to strike.
Konan's reply was measured. Cold.
"Obito is not here," she said. "You killed our people. You now stand in our territory, blades drawn. You have two choices—leave, or die."
Her pale eyes held no hatred, only a haunting stillness. Like a pond undisturbed by time.
Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "Then I'm not leaving."
His hand closed around the hilt of his short blade, the legacy of his father—the White Fang.
A subtle signal passed through Konan's fingers.
She raised her hand—and let it fall.
The trap had been sprung.
The rogue shinobi charged as one.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!!"
Chakra ignited across the plaza.