Kakashi...
Save me...
No matter how unwilling she was, the body Rin Nohara inhabited—currently under Orochimaru's absolute command—forced her to aim a Tailed Beast Bomb directly at the white-haired man. He was about to be struck by two converging flashes of blade light, the Deep Forest Emergence, and the Adamantine Attacking Chains.
Years had passed. The once-naive white-haired boy had grown into the revered Lord Hokage.
Save me. Rin had no time to marvel at how much he had changed; she could only plead with Kakashi in agony.
Kill me once more, Kakashi!
"As you wish..."
"Rin."
As the Tailed Beast Bomb was unleashed, Kakashi, facing five simultaneous high-level attacks, seemed to respond to the girl's prayer.
A sudden brilliance erupted!
It was...
Blade light!
A blinding, razor-sharp flash of steel!
The peerless golden light of the blade swirled with the twist of Kakashi's body, cleaving through the Water Style: Hard Vortex Water and the White Fang Kenjutsu lunging from above, while simultaneously tearing apart the Deep Forest Emergence and the Adamantine Attacking Chains beneath him!
The water blade shattered, the white blades were severed, the giant trees disintegrated, and the chains collapsed!
Hard Vortex Water, White Fang Kenjutsu, Deep Forest Emergence, and the Adamantine Attacking Chains—four top-tier techniques attacking from all directions were dismantled by a single strike!
"Good lad!"
"Beautifully done!"
A familiar, excited female voice rang out from a corner not far away. It was Kushina Uzumaki.
Only now did everyone see clearly what Kakashi had used to unleash that peerless blade light, considering he had already given his personal sword to Baiyun Zaojian.
It was...
Chakra!
Chakra so dense it had taken physical form!
A golden chakra shadow, flowing irregularly, was held firmly in Kakashi's hand.
Rising Tiger · Wind · Void Break!
Kakashi did not respond to his master's wife's praise. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Tailed Beast Bomb hurtling toward him.
Unlike the other jutsu, if this Tailed Beast Bomb were simply slashed apart, the entire Chunin Exam stadium would be leveled!
Kakashi's eyes sharpened.
A small kunai appeared in his palm, which he threw unhesitatingly into the sky. Just as the kunai was about to vanish from sight, the Tailed Beast Bomb arrived right in front of him!
Tangible chakra flames ignited at his fingertips. The moment the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to hit him, his flaming finger tapped the sphere!
In a split second, the terrifying Tailed Beast Bomb vanished abruptly!
Flying Raijin Jutsu!
While the crowd wondered where the bomb had gone, a deafening explosion thundered from the sky!
Violent flames and shockwaves instantly swept through the heavens above the stadium!
Everyone looked up instinctively. Destructive flames scorched the sky, and amidst a scene comparable to a nuclear explosion, there was a haunting beauty representing total annihilation!
"Kakashi!"
"Orochimaru's order is for us to give our all to defeat you!"
"You know how it is!"
Tobirama Senju's voice drifted over, and Kakashi understood immediately.
Hashirama Senju, who had also revealed himself, couldn't help but clap for Kakashi!
He pressed his hands together and chanted:
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
Nice clapping, Lord First. Don't do it again.
A wooden dragon nearly two hundred meters long rose from the ground. Just the movement of it standing up caused the stadium to begin collapsing. Seeing countless boulders about to crush the hundreds of Leaf villagers still trapped in genjutsu, a violent hurricane suddenly appeared, blowing the debris away instantly!
Having used a Wind Style jutsu to prevent innocent casualties, Kakashi's figure vanished!
When he reappeared, he was standing atop the head of the hideous wooden dragon, facing Hashirama Senju directly!
"Young man, well done!"
Hashirama wanted to clap again for Kakashi's act of saving the innocents.
But Kakashi moved like a bolt of lightning, grabbing him by the throat!
At the same time, lightning erupted from Kakashi's body as his speed soared to its limit, racing toward the distant forest!
The commotion of fighting these people was too great. To solve this while avoiding casualties was a hassle, even if Kakashi was confident he could do it.
Kakashi restrained Hashirama and sped toward the distant woods. Meanwhile, Tobirama Senju, Sakumo Hatake, Kushina Uzumaki, and Rin Nohara—all under Orochimaru's orders—uncontrollably pursued him.
"Zaojian, force Orochimaru over here."
Kakashi's calm voice came through the radio hanging from Baiyun Zaojian's collar.
"Understood."
Baiyun Zaojian looked coldly at the grim-faced man before him.
"Orochimaru..."
The swordsman spoke calmly.
"I never thought a mere commoner like you could possess such power. Is it because of Kakashi?"
Orochimaru sneered, looking at Baiyun Zaojian and Shizune. Both of them bore identical black markings on their skin.
"That's right. I was originally just an ordinary ninja."
"It wouldn't have been surprising if I died any given day."
Baiyun Zaojian took slow, measured steps toward Orochimaru.
"It is because of Lord Hokage."
"That I possess all of this!"
His voice grew colder and colder as his aura continued to climb.
Finally, he stepped into the range Orochimaru considered dangerous!
"By making an enemy of Lord Hokage, you are destined to become a ghost under this blade!"
His voice boomed, causing Orochimaru's pupils to shrink!
Without time to think, a snake slid out of Orochimaru's mouth, and from that snake emerged a cold, glinting longsword that fell into Orochimaru's hand!
It was... the Kusanagi Sword!
Blade light flashed, followed by the explosion of clashing metal!
Looking at Zaojian, who had closed the distance in an instant, Orochimaru's face darkened.
He sensed it.
The power the man was using.
It was... Sage power!
"Orochimaru... today is the day you die!"
Cold, detached words left Zaojian's mouth as his strength suddenly exploded!
Even holding the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru was actually being forced back!
Seeing this, Orochimaru felt a surge of humiliation and resentment.
He was one of the Sannin! He was Orochimaru!
To be forced back by a nameless junior today...
It was a total disgrace!
"The Kusanagi Sword?"
"Legend says this sword can extend infinitely, much like the Adamantine Staff of the Third Hokage's summon, Enma."
"Let me see it."
Zaojian recognized the sword and spoke coldly.
His calm tone infuriated Orochimaru to no end.
This mere brat...
"Since you're looking for death, I'll grant it!"
With that, Orochimaru leaped backward, pointing the Kusanagi Sword straight at Baiyun Zaojian!
The next second!
A cold light flashed as the sharp blade lunged toward Zaojian like a snake's tongue!
Seeing this, the corner of Zaojian's mouth curled slightly. He held the White Fang blade horizontally across his chest, blocking the rapidly extending Kusanagi Sword!
As the Kusanagi Sword continued to lengthen, Zaojian stood like a boulder, immovable!
But if Zaojian didn't move... then...
Orochimaru was suddenly pushed backward by the extension of his own sword!
In that moment, Orochimaru felt something was wrong!
He realized Zaojian's intention!
However...
It was already too late!
Zaojian exerted force and took a heavy step forward, making it impossible for Orochimaru to withstand the pressure. Orochimaru stumbled back.
Zaojian took several more steps; Orochimaru was forced back several more!
Until—
The swordsman broke into a full sprint!
Orochimaru was actually being shoved backward through the air by Zaojian's sheer momentum!
He tried to retract the Kusanagi Sword to perform a jutsu, but...
The brown-haired man was already in his face!
A ruthless strike descended. Orochimaru barely managed to parry with his sword, only to be sent flying!
One strike, another, and another!
Blade against blade!
The violent flashes of the sword fell like a torrential rain, and Orochimaru was relentlessly driven back!
And the direction Orochimaru was being forced... was exactly where Kakashi had just gone!
Watching Zaojian and Orochimaru leave, Shizune turned a cold gaze toward Rasa.
Perhaps due to the shockwaves of the previous battle, her hair tie had snapped, and her dark hair fell like a silken waterfall.
"The Fourth Kazekage, right?"
Shizune slowly raised her hand, which was clad in a specialized black glove. Tangible chakra flames began to burn over her clenched fist.
"Compared to Zaojian and Itachi, who are so highly valued by Lord Hokage..."
"I am slow-witted. If it weren't for Lord Hokage, I would likely have spent my whole life just following Lady Tsunade."
"With poor talent, I could only work hard, training bit by bit."
"But even so, I only managed to master Lady Tsunade's Monstrous Strength and medical ninjutsu."
"I am just a medical ninja."
"Don't worry..."
Shizune's voice drifted over eerily, making Rasa's face pale.
"I won't kill you. After all, the intelligence in your head..."
"Is very important."
The moment she finished speaking, a deafening explosion rang out.
Nearly half the roof was shattered by Shizune's single step!
!!!
Rasa's pupils dilated!
Almost instinctively, gold dust appeared beneath his feet, lifting him high into the air!
The very moment he took flight, Shizune's fist slammed into the spot where he had just been standing!
One kick, one punch.
The entire stadium roof collapsed instantly!
Looking at Rasa in the sky, Shizune's eyes remained cold.
"Magnet Style: Gold Dust Spear."
Gazing down at the black-haired woman standing in the ruins, Rasa's expression turned fierce. Countless spears of gold dust hovered around him before raining down on Shizune!
Shizune looked at the incoming spears. Her flaming chakra fist shifted into the shape of a palm blade.
Chakra... Scalpel!
With a single downward strike, the spears exploded in mid-air before they could even touch her!
"Is this the extent of a Kazekage's strength?"
"If that's all, then you can die."
As the only female among the Sage Mark holders—aside from Hikari—the usually gentle Shizune was the most competitive.
Compared to Might Guy, Baiyun Zaojian, Yamato, and Uchiha Itachi...
It was as she told Rasa.
Her talent was the worst. If not for the Sage Mark, she wouldn't have even been able to learn the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Therefore, after receiving the Sage Mark, she cherished the opportunity above all else.
For this, she would give everything.
She worked, and worked, and worked!
The result was the power she held now.
And now—
The wind howled, and the air seemed to compress...
Looking at the woman with disheveled hair and a face like frost in the ruins below, Rasa instinctively flew higher. The gold dust around him grew denser as he prepared to end her with one move.
But—
Suddenly, the sound of a beast reached his ears.
That faint, echoing sound made Rasa think of something...
It was...
A tiger.
A fierce tiger!
"Daytime Tiger!" [Hirudora]
The chakra flames on Shizune's right fist exploded!
From a distance of nearly a hundred meters, she threw a punch!
The violent chakra flames were held firmly in her fist, turning into the most primitive physical force!
Monstrous Strength is pure power, a form of taijutsu.
When power reaches a certain level, even a single punch can produce a terrifying effect!
And Daytime Tiger was that effect!
Monstrous Strength requires exquisite control of internal chakra, and the Sage Mode granted by the Sage Mark is the same.
One could say that Monstrous Strength was the perfect companion for Sage Mode!
The punch was thrown, and the tiger roared!
The terrifying force turned into an air cannon, roaring and sprinting toward Rasa in the sky!
Rasa's face changed dramatically. Without time to think, he formed a shield of gold dust in front of him!
The tiger was too fast and too sudden; he had no chance to dodge!
He had to tank it!
But Rasa's strength wasn't even in the top fifteen of historical Kage. How could he block a Daytime Tiger?
In a single encounter, the gold dust shield was shredded!
The violent pressure of the punch tore at his body, and his Kazekage robes were ripped to pieces!
Under the force of that one punch, his internal organs were rocked, and blood sprayed from his mouth!
He fell straight from the sky!
Down and out!
Seeing this, the coldness on Shizune's face faded. The black markings receded into her Sage Mark, and she let out a muffled groan.
Her right arm hung limply at her side. Looking at it, a bitter smile appeared on her lips.
As a medical ninja, she knew exactly what happened.
Muscle tear.
Just as she said, her talent was the lowest.
Launching a Daytime Tiger had taken everything she had.
This was her chance to prove herself—to prove that Kakashi had not been wrong to choose her—so she hadn't wanted to give up.
She reached out with her left hand to heal herself, but a pair of hands with red nail polish appeared in her line of sight.
Those familiar hands glowed with a soft green light. Shizune looked up.
"Lady Tsunade..."
Tsunade looked at Shizune with motherly affection, as if seeing her as a child again.
"Have you grown up...?"
Tsunade laughed softly, her thoughts unreadable.
"Well done!"
Seeing himself being led away from the stadium by the young Hokage, Hashirama Senju clapped his hands once more.
"Wood Style: Adamantine Flying Log!"
As he spoke, a log shimmering with a metallic luster flew out of nowhere toward Kakashi!
Kakashi's eyes flickered with electricity. He delivered a lightning-fast whip kick to Hashirama's body. Paper debris scattered as Hashirama was kicked right off the wooden dragon's head, plummeting toward the forest below!
As the log smashed toward him, Kakashi drew his blade and sliced it in two in an instant!
But at that same moment, Tobirama Senju and Sakumo Hatake, who were close behind, attacked simultaneously!
"Kakashi!"
"These are the signs for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, I—"
Tobirama shouted anxiously, but before he could finish, a purple flash appeared before his eyes. Kakashi was already in front of him!
A blade formed from Fire Style chakra slashed down. However...
With a low roar of wind and thunder, a short blade parried Kakashi's fire blade!
But Kakashi ignored it. His irregularly flowing fire chakra blade descended anyway!
The short blade actually passed right through the fire blade, hitting nothing!
Kakashi's chakra blade had no physical form; it was pure chakra. How could a physical blade stop it for Tobirama?
Discarding defense for total offense!
That was Kakashi's blade!
With one strike, Tobirama's hands—still mid-sign—were severed!
At the same time, fierce flames ignited at the stumps, instantly engulfing his body!
Normally, Tobirama wouldn't have been caught so easily, but a person's combat style is limited by their knowledge.
Even if Orochimaru's order was to attack.
This limitation was etched into his instincts. With powerful allies nearby, Tobirama's body chose to trust them.
Simply put, it was an information gap.
"Well done, Kakashi!"
Sakumo Hatake looked pleased, but at the same time, he reversed his short blade and flicked it upward toward Kakashi's face!
Kakashi's chakra blade dispersed. He tilted his body to dodge his father's strike. As a master of the White Fang Kenjutsu himself, he was too familiar with the style.
He could see through every one of Sakumo's movements with a single glance.
As Kakashi dodged, the golden chains lunged at him again. He leaped backward.
But the golden chains were like a shadow, pursuing him relentlessly!
Meanwhile, Sakumo used the Adamantine Attacking Chains as a foothold, sprinting along the links with his blade drawn toward Kakashi!
Not only that, but a dragon's roar echoed from the forest. Another wooden dragon rose from the earth, and two dragons attacked Kakashi from behind!
"Brat, hurry up and stop us!"
Only Kushina Uzumaki would call Kakashi "brat" in this situation.
Kakashi's eyes lowered as he watched them. Seeing they were far enough from the stadium, he stopped holding back!
"In that case..."
"This might be a bit rough."
"Bear with it."
Cold words left Kakashi's mouth.
The white-haired man with dark eyes pressed his hands together to perform a jutsu, but a sharp cry interrupted him!
"Kakashi, why are you wasting words with these dead guys?!"
"Just take them down!"
As the voice rang out, black flames fell like rain, sweeping toward Sakumo, Kushina, and Rin!
It was...
Hikari!
Sensing the danger of the black flames, Sakumo retreated immediately. The flames touched the Adamantine Attacking Chains, and in an instant, they melted!
A beautiful figure dressed in an apricot-yellow housecoat, holding a ninja blade, landed beside Kakashi.
Hikari.
"Why are you here?"
"Where are Ichigo and the others?"
Kakashi frowned slightly at the arrival of his wife.
"I left them with Itachi. Don't worry."
Hikari looked at Kakashi, patted her chest, and winked.
"That's..."
Sakumo looked at the woman beside Kakashi, slightly stunned.
As Hikari arrived, the black flames formed a protective arc around the two, spreading outward.
"Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi?"
"An exceptionally aggressive Mangekyō Sharingan ability."
Tobirama, who had already regenerated, muttered as he watched.
He knew Hikari was Kakashi's Uchiha wife.
But it was the first time he realized she had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Watching the black flames protect them, Sakumo called out:
"Kakashi, who is that girl?"
A father's intuition told him the relationship between Hikari and Kakashi was special.
"She's your daughter-in-law."
"By the way, you have a grandson and a granddaughter too."
Kakashi replied to his father.
"You brat, not bad at all!"
Sakumo felt a deep sense of relief.
He suddenly felt that being reanimated this time wasn't without its rewards.
Meanwhile, Rin stared at Hikari beside Kakashi, her expression complicated.
Of course...
Kakashi is so wonderful, girls would surely love him...
Even though...
Even though I'm already dead...
Why...
She felt a profound sense of loss.
"Stop... stop the reminiscing..."
"I'm about to lose control again..."
Kushina Uzumaki spoke with difficulty, holding a leaf. She tried to stop her own movements, but her speed didn't falter.
"Fire Sealing Method!"
Black ink markings spread across the leaf she had plucked. In an instant, acting like a vortex, the Amaterasu flames protecting Kakashi and Hikari were sucked into the leaf!
In a matter of moments, the "inextinguishable" flames were cleared away by Kushina!
"Tch, Uzumaki Clan!"
Hikari narrowed her eyes. She recognized Kushina's methods instantly.
"Who are you calling 'Tch,' little girl?!" Kushina retorted.
"Who are you calling a little girl?! I could be your great-great-great-great-grandmother!" Hikari snapped back.
"Adamantine Attacking Chains!"
More than a dozen golden chains erupted from Kushina's back, spreading across the battlefield!
"Wait, stop arguing! This is the Adamantine Seal extension!"
"Even the Nine-Tails can't escape this. You two, think of something!"
Kushina said anxiously.
"I'll handle it."
Kakashi held back Hikari, who was about to move. Her arrival had changed his plan.
Although Reanimated shinobi are controlled by the caster, there are ways to break it.
Beyond performing the signs for the Reanimation Jutsu in reverse at the moment of release, there are ways to change the will of the reanimated person.
Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, who died by Kakashi's hand, could do it.
And the Yachihoko, which possessed even greater power, was the same.
A touch of gold colored Kakashi's eyes. Since he had a plan, he would no longer hesitate.
"Sage Art..."
Kakashi formed a seal with one hand in front of his chest.
If he could use this chance to let Sakumo see Ichigo and the future, let Kushina see Naruto, and give Rin her redemption, then it would all be worth it.
"Yang Release: White Thunder."
Pure white lightning flashed through Kakashi's eyes...
————
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