TitoVillar
patreon
JST Chapter 31: In the Shadow of the White Fang
🕑 Added 2024-08-30 14:57:00 +0000 UTC[Clang!]
Sakumo's white fang, enveloped in dense chakra, accurately stopped Muramasa's blade.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes and thought: 'My speed is obviously within the perception of Hatake Sakumo. I am generally weaker than him, so he is so calm."
"But I need to test his strength... No, I must give everything I have and cut him down with all my might..."
Kazuki pulled back his sword, his muscles tensing and chakra concentrating in his arm, increasing his power, while his Sharingan spun, releasing a genjutsu against Sakumo.
Combining Tobirama's Chakra Enhanced Strength, the power of the Sharingan, along with the kenjutsu of Uchiha Izuna and Senju Tobirama, Kazuki had managed to perfectly fuse the advantages of the two into his own style.
Senju Tobirama narrowed his eyes, feeling the power of this sword, and snorted. "There's no need to make it so complicated. With my Senju-style kenjutsu, I wouldn't lose to the Hatake clan's techniques..."
"But I have to admit, kid, you've made a good combination; it's a problematic cut."
Despite his words, Kazuki's slash evoked memories of himself and Izuna in Tobirama, and he even vaguely sensed the powerful harmony between the Senju and Uchiha techniques.
Hatake Sakumo and Kazuki looked at each other.
For some reason, Kazuki's deep eyes made Sakumo feel momentarily stunned.
And in that brief instant, Kazuki's heavy sword broke the safety distance and roared towards Sakumo's chest.
Sakumo, surprised, with his willpower and experience, managed to break free from the genjutsu in an instant, however, in a close-range sword fight, every opportunity is particularly important.
The white fang tried to keep up, but Muramasa, propelled by explosive force, overcame Sakumo's defense.
Muramasa, pushed by Kazuki's force, seemed to go wild, as if it wanted to destroy both Sakumo's short sword and himself.
Sakumo's chakra surged violently, and in an instant his speed reached its limit, using the force of Muramasa's sword on the White Fang to push himself away, dodging the attack with great difficulty.
"It can't be... My father was pushed back by Uchiha Kazuki!"
Kakashi was at a loss. This scene was beyond his cognition.
In the past training with his father, no matter how hard Kakashi tried, Hatake Sakumo always stood there with a smile, without even moving his feet, and easily resolved his attack.
For a long time, Kakashi's short-term training goal was to see Hatake Sakumo move when he practiced with him...
Blood was running down Sakumo's chest, a not very deep but clearly visible wound ran through his clothes.
Kazuki slowly exhaled a long breath. He felt respect for Hatake Sakumo's strength from the bottom of his heart.
That cut had been the best he could do with his current strength.
"Great, really great, Kazuki-kun..." Hatake Sakumo casually looked down at the wound on his chest and said with a smile: "Fortunately you are still a child, and your body has not yet matured, otherwise, I am afraid I would have to be rescued."
Kazuki shook his head. Although his youth prevented his body from unleashing its full strength, that did not concern him.
In the shinobi world, surviving to adulthood as a genius was already a considerable achievement and the greatest talent one could have.
When talent cannot be converted into strength, it is just a worthless reputation.
"Sakumo-san, please don't hold back. I want to see the true full strength of a ninja like you!"
Kazuki looked at Hatake Sakumo seriously and said clearly and forcefully: "I know a little medical ninjutsu, so don't worry about my injuries. As long as you leave me a thread of life, I'll be fine."
"Unlike Kakashi-kun, I rarely have the opportunity to fight a ninja like you, and that's why I value this encounter very much."
Hatake Sakumo looked at the serious Kazuki silently. After a long time, he whispered: "Kazuki-kun, you have a sincere heart."
"In that case, if I refuse again, it would be my arrogance."
Hatake Sakumo's aura changed subtly after he finished speaking. His entire presence became incredibly dangerous and sharp.
Suddenly, Sakumo raised his sword, and a series of cutting waves, as tall as several people, erupted from the blade, cutting through the ground at a speed barely visible, closing off all of Kazuki's escape routes.
At the same time, Sakumo himself turned into an afterimage, the edge of his sword holding back a barely perceptible danger, ready to attack Kazuki's vital point at any moment.
Sakumo had begun his attack in earnest.
...
"Father..."
After the battle, Kakashi looked at the charred training ground and asked, confused: "Did you hold back earlier?"
Hatake Sakumo shook his head. "On the contrary, I was very serious."
"The current Kazuki-kun really can't fight me head-on."
"But with his genjutsu and Water Release, if he doesn't seek a direct confrontation, controlling him would be really difficult..."
"Kakashi, keep trying. You may have met a genius in your generation."
"But Dad believes in you..."
But there was a trace of pity in Hatake Sakumo's eyes.
He didn't believe that Kakashi would surpass Kazuki one day.
In every generation of the shinobi world, there will be a gifted shinobi who makes his peers feel extremely desperate and becomes the mountain that everyone cannot climb.
And Sakumo, with his ability to discern the potential in others, had a vague feeling that Kazuki might be one of those shinobi.
...
"Kid, what are you thinking about? Why are you so silent?" Tobirama crossed his arms, watching Kazuki as he silently healed himself. He shook his head and commented: "Your talent is already quite impressive. You're not thinking of defeating Hatake Sakumo at his peak, are you?"
"A ninja of his level has abilities far beyond ordinary jonin and has reached the height of a Kage..."
After Hatake Sakumo dealt with Kazuki with all his strength.
The terrifying slashing waves continued, and Hatake Sakumo himself was as fast as lightning, making Kazuki experience unprecedented pressure.
However, relying on the high protection of the water release, the dynamic vision, and the genjutsu of the Sharingan, although Kazuki found it difficult to launch an active counterattack against Sakumo, he was able to defend himself relatively calmly and always keep himself safe.
From Tobirama's point of view, reaching this point at Kazuki's age was already a remarkable achievement.
But Kazuki remained silent after the battle, looking like he was broken, which made Tobirama a little dissatisfied.
"Tobirama, are you concerned about me?" Kazuki spoke slowly, with a hint of fatigue in his words.
"…I suppose so. You are, after all, a prodigy of Konoha, and as the Second Hokage, it is only natural that I should be concerned about you." Tobirama paused, his face doubtful, but in the end he decided to answer that way.
Kazuki's expression instantly changed from dull to funny. "Then don't worry, Tobirama, I'm just thinking about what to eat tonight."
"I don't care whether I can defeat Hatake Sakumo, I care whether he can hurt me."
"And from what I see, I'm pretty confident. As long as I have the ability to survive and grow, I don't think there will be anyone in the future of the shinobi world who can be my opponent…"
Tobirama's face darkened. He expected nothing less from the evil Uchiha brat; not only did he make him worry for nothing, but he also displayed a confidence that was typical of the Uchiha clan.
But deep down, Tobirama couldn't deny that Kazuki's words had some truth to them.
Apart from ninjas of the level of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, who else could defeat Kazuki, the combination of Uchiha Izuna and him when he grows up?
And Senju Tobirama didn't know at this moment that Uchiha Madara, whom he feared, also started to explode gold coins like him...
"Kid, you..."
Just as Tobirama was about to retort, Asuma appeared from the nearby grass, looking at Kazuki with a mix of admiration, respect, nervousness and confusion in his gaze.
"Kazuki, can you talk to me?"
While Kazuki was practicing with Kakashi and Sakumo, Asuma was training in the neighboring field, perfecting his clan's fire style to ease his inner turmoil.
But soon, he saw a huge fire appear on the training ground next door, burning all over the sky, and he was stunned for a moment.
Then, he witnessed Kazuki defeat Kakashi in an instant and then face Sakumo.
He couldn't believe that Kazuki, someone his own age, could face Sakumo's attacks so calmly and orderly.
What disturbed Asuma the most was the strong sense of the Will of Fire that Kazuki possessed.
Kazuki's fire will test paper was vigorously promoted by the ninja school.
Asuma himself had wanted to talk to Kazuki for a long time, and under the shock of today, he mustered up the courage to overcome his inner hesitation.
Although he and Kazuki had no intersection, he still boldly came over.
"Asuma-kun, do you want to talk to me? Sure..." Kazuki looked at the young rebel Asuma and smiled kindly.
