Chapter 217 Cutting off the Lightning of the Past

The appearance of the Sharingan provided Obito with a significant amount of Chakra, but since Might Guy and Berkeley were entangled in a fight, Obito did not use Fire Release for an attack. Instead, he concentrated his Breathing Technique, pulled out a Kunai, and charged forward.

Although Berkeley intended to deal with the strongest Might Guy first, he had also placed some attention on Obito to prevent a sneak attack, especially since his own strength far surpassed Might Guy’s, allowing him to suppress Might Guy even while being cautious.

“Sharingan, so you aren’t Sunagakure Ninja, but Konoha Ninja,” Berkeley exclaimed in surprise after kicking Might Guy back.

Berkeley then sighed with regret, “What a pity, if only it were a Byakugan.”

Kumogakure was not covetous of the Sharingan; it was only powerful when wielded by the Uchiha Clan. The Byakugan, however, was different. While its combat strength might not surpass its strategic importance, it was invaluable.

Perception Ninja were highly sought after in any Village, as having perception abilities was necessary to learn perception Ninjutsu. The Byakugan wasn’t just perception; it provided wide-range x-ray vision, essentially like having wallhacks in a battle.

If he could bring a Byakugan back to the Village, even just one, Berkeley would be set for the rest of his life. This was a far greater achievement than killing an enemy Jonin.

“If you’re capable, come and try,” Obito provoked.

“As you wish.”

Lightning burst from Berkeley’s legs as he rapidly charged towards Obito.

Before activating his Sharingan, Obito couldn’t even see Berkeley using Lightning Flash; he could only vaguely discern a figure within the lightning. However, once he activated his two-tomoe Sharingan, Obito could clearly see Berkeley rushing towards him, even the dust clinging to Berkeley’s body was visible.

“Is this the power of the Sharingan? No wonder Shisui defeated Kakashi so easily after using his Sharingan. If it were now, I could definitely defeat Kakashi one hundred percent,” Obito couldn’t help but think.

However, Obito didn’t become careless just because he activated his Sharingan, as he had previously defeated Hyuga Homura, who possessed a Byakugan, even without his Sharingan activated.

Sometimes, just because you can see it doesn’t mean you can block or dodge it.

“Kakashi, today I’ll show you what a true Breathing Technique is!”

The moment Kakashi got injured blocking the sword for him, Obito felt his breathing concentrate like never before. His heart ignited; he wanted to avenge Kakashi, to defeat the enemy before him with flames.

“Flame Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!”

Obito’s two-tomoe Sharingan stared intently as he inhaled a large amount of oxygen, strengthening his physical abilities and accelerating his Nature Transformation.

Swish!

Berkeley appeared before Obito and swiftly swung his sharp sword towards Obito’s chest.

But what Berkeley didn’t expect was that Obito easily dodged by sidestepping and counterattacked with a Kunai.

Clang!

Berkeley swiftly changed his move to block the incoming Kunai.

Clang! Clang!!

The two engaged in a rapid exchange of blows. Although Obito’s Kunai skills weren’t particularly outstanding, under the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, he successfully withstood Berkeley’s attacks.

“As expected of the Uchiha Clan’s Sharingan, his strength increased so much in an instant,” Berkeley was somewhat shocked by Obito’s rapid increase in strength.

“Leaf Strong Whirlwind!”

Since he was already exposed, Might Guy decided to let loose and delivered a heavy kick towards Berkeley.

Now Berkeley was in a bit of a predicament. He could easily handle Might Guy or Obito individually, but facing both simultaneously was difficult.

Might Guy was fast, strong, and agile, while Obito had strong perception and could see through his movements, and he also mastered a Fire Release that could be cast without hand signs.

Most importantly, his condition was slowly deteriorating. Berkeley’s Chakra wasn’t abundant; in fact, it was somewhat lacking compared to his combat ability.

Berkeley wanted to deal with Might Guy first, but Obito could see through his movements, constantly warning Might Guy and harassing Berkeley with attacks, preventing his strikes from being effective.

Trying to deal with Obito first was even harder. The powerful perception of the Sharingan made it difficult to succeed with a surprise attack, and Might Guy’s support was swift.

Berkeley would rather face two Obitos or two Might Guys than one Might Guy and one Obito. These two, one with strong perception and the other strong in direct combat, combined to create a qualitative change.

Kakashi, who was observing from the side, was also surprised by the combined strength of the two. These were not just any random Ninja; they were Jonin capable of leading teams on important missions!

And what were Obito and Might Guy? They weren’t even official Ninja yet, just mere Intern Ninja, not even graduated.

“I’ve been completely surpassed. They are the true geniuses…” Kakashi thought to himself.

Compared to him, who graduated early, the current Might Guy and Obito better fit the definition of a genius.

He and Obito had once been beaten by Berkeley with almost no ability to retaliate, but now, Might Guy and an awakened Obito could suppress Berkeley.

“Shocking Thunder Sword!”

Feeling a bad premonition, Berkeley decided to fight with all his might. He unreservedly poured Chakra into various Ninjutsu and frantically counterattacked.

A desperate Jonin’s strength was terrifying. Obito and Might Guy both sustained minor injuries, but they were insignificant and didn’t affect their performance.

“Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!”

Taking advantage of Berkeley’s intense counterattack, Obito swiftly threw four flaming Shuriken towards Berkeley.

The flaming Shuriken were incredibly fast, forcing Berkeley to use Lightning Flash to dodge.

“Right!”

Might Guy, who had been waiting for the opportune moment, instantly charged forward.

“Noon Leopard!”

Might Guy used all the absorbed power to strengthen his body, and the Eight Gates Chakra was entirely poured into his legs. He used all his remaining strength to deliver this ultimate, final kick.

Total Concentration Breathing was inherently an explosive technique, and forcefully opening the Second Gate made it even more so. After fighting for so long, Might Guy had almost reached his limit.

Roar!

The rapidly advancing Might Guy truly seemed to transform into a powerful, erupting leopard. After reaching the appropriate distance, he lunged forward fiercely. His leg became the leopard’s sharp fangs, tearing apart anyone it touched.

Facing the synchronized attack of the two, Berkeley had no time to dodge. He could only expend a large amount of Chakra to strengthen his body, hoping to withstand the blow.

Bang!!

A huge collision sound echoed, and Berkeley was sent flying backward at extreme speed. The ground where he stood cracked due to Might Guy’s immense power.

Rumble!!

Berkeley, like a cannonball, crashed through more than ten large trees before finally stopping.

After delivering that kick, Might Guy could no longer stand. Supporting himself with his hands on the ground to prevent himself from falling was already his limit, and hot sweat dripped continuously from his forehead onto the ground.

“Guy, are you alright?” Obito quickly helped Might Guy sit against a tree and asked with concern.

Might Guy suppressed the pain in his body, revealing a brilliant smile, and gave a thumbs-up:

“A beast that successfully hunted is, of course, fine. Just pay attention to the enemy.”

Might Guy knew the importance of finishing off the enemy. At this moment, he was no longer capable of fighting.

Obito nodded. While helping Might Guy, he also kept an eye on Berkeley with his peripheral vision.

“Damn it… Am I going to be defeated by a few brats?” Berkeley’s body trembled, filled with extreme unwillingness.

He had been a Ninja for twenty-four years, becoming a Ninja at nine and serving Hidden Cloud Village. He became a Jonin at twenty-three, and by today, he had completed countless A-Rank Missions and even some S-rank Missions.

He had considered that one day he might die at the hands of some strong individual, which was normal for a Ninja, as war was cruel, and even Kage weren’t 100% safe.

But he never expected to fall to three brats under ten years old. Their combined age wasn’t even as old as him.

Berkeley unwillingly tried to stand up. He still had a little Chakra left; he could still fight, at least enough to kill one person on the other side.

The first time he tried to stand, he failed. The second time, he almost stood up but fell again. It wasn’t until the third time that Berkeley managed to shakily stand.

Obito silently pulled out several Shuriken.

Just as Obito was about to finish off Berkeley with Ninja tools, Kakashi moved. Kakashi also stood up, tightly gripping his White Fang Short Blade, his eyes free of any confusion.

“Uphold your Ninja Way, solidify your beliefs…” Muzuki’s words echoed continuously in Kakashi’s ears.

Kakashi still didn’t understand what kind of Ninja consistently received everyone’s praise, nor did he know whether missions or comrades were more important to the Village.

But now, Kakashi understood one thing: for him, Kakashi, comrades were more important.

If Kakashi had to sacrifice Might Guy and Obito for a mission, Kakashi would rather not do the mission, let them criticize him all they want.

Even in such a critical moment, Obito and Might Guy never thought of abandoning him. Even when he was injured and couldn’t move, they fought with all their might to kill the enemy and protect his safety. Even when Kakashi actively asked them to, they never abandoned him.

They never gave up, neither on themselves nor on him.

Watching Might Guy almost fall after delivering the final kick, Kakashi’s eyes couldn’t help but well up slightly.

His teammates were fighting with all their might, while he could only be a burden.

“Kakashi Hatake, what are you doing? What have you done these past two years!” Kakashi constantly questioned himself.

He had once been the most talented, graduating at five and becoming a Chunin at six, yet now he could only watch Obito and Might Guy fight.

He had been too decadent these past two years, so decadent that Kakashi now recalled it with immense regret.

Thinking of Might Guy’s expectations for him, Kakashi felt he was somewhat unworthy. The current Might Guy was so radiant.

“Am I really going to continue like this?” Kakashi asked himself internally.

Kakashi answered his inner question with his body. His breathing was concentrated like never before, and his paralyzed leg seemed to regain sensation. He slowly stood up, gripping his White Fang Short Blade tightly.

He didn’t want to be the Kakashi Hatake who spent his days in a daze, doing nothing, immersed in the past. He wanted to become the Kakashi Hatake who cherished his comrades and bore the title of a genius.

Kakashi’s eyes were slightly closed, his mind filled with memories of Muzuki teaching him Thunder Breathing. At this moment, all those scattered memories connected together.

Not only Muzuki, but also memories of his father teaching him swordsmanship before his death constantly appeared, and ultimately, the two combined.

“Thunder Breathing, Thunderclap Flash!”

Under rapid concentrated breathing, Kakashi felt a power he had never experienced before. Then, Chakra burst from Kakashi’s hands and feet, and dazzling electric light appeared on his feet and hands.

Kakashi poured most of his strength into his uninjured right leg, instantly transforming into a flash of electricity and disappearing from his original spot.

“I want to…” Berkeley had just stabilized himself when he immediately saw a dazzling flash of electricity rushing towards him.

He wanted to resist, but his current condition was worse than ever. His chest was already caved in, and he didn’t have much Chakra left.

The next moment, Berkeley permanently lost consciousness.

The electric flash disappeared, and Kakashi appeared behind Berkeley, his White Fang Short Blade glinting in the sunlight.

Thud!

Berkeley’s body split into two, falling to the ground, blood gushing out.

Kakashi exhaled. He had cut not only the enemy’s body but also the nightmare that had plagued him for the past two years.

“Kakashi, did you learn Thunder Breathing?” Obito asked, somewhat surprised by Kakashi’s sudden increase in speed.

“Haha, as expected of my rival! I look forward to our next fight!” Might Guy congratulated Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded calmly, then said, “Then you’d better be careful. A genius like me improves very quickly.”

Genius Kakashi, returned.

This chapter is 3.6, and the three chapters combined are exactly 10k.