Chapter 328: Powerful Thunder Flash (7k)

As the final match of the second round, and a battle between a Mist Ninja and a Konoha Ninja, the fight between Kakashi and Zabuza garnered significant attention.

If Zabuza won, the Four Finals would be evenly split between Mist Ninja and Konoha Ninja; if Kakashi won, there would only be Kisame Hoshigaki as a Mist Ninja in the Four Finals, with all others being Konoha Ninja.

Hidden Mist naturally wanted Zabuza to win, or it would be a loss of face. If Kisame were to lose in the Four Finals, and the final was an internal Konoha battle, it would look even worse. As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, they also cared about their reputation.

Of course, in the eyes of those familiar with Kakashi and Zabuza, or those with keen insight, this was a battle without suspense.

“How could he possibly win? He already lost to that guy a month ago.” In Kurosawa’s mind, Zabuza would be joining him to watch the battle in a few minutes at most.

Zabuza didn’t try to guess the audience’s thoughts; he was never the type to deliberately cater to others’ expectations.

Looking at Kakashi’s calm and composed demeanor, Zabuza’s thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to a month ago.

Facing a formidable enemy like Akami Hideyuki, Kakashi’s team truly embodied the spirit of ‘never abandon, never give up,’ with each person fighting to their limits.

Even when Kakashi had no strength left to run, he still chose to step forward to help his teammates, unleashing a sword strike that Zabuza still couldn’t comprehend.

Zabuza truly didn’t understand. Kakashi looked like he needed to exert all his strength just to walk, exuding a sense of weakness from head to toe, yet it was this weak Kakashi who instantly killed Akami Hideyuki with a single strike.

Zabuza felt that he might never be able to comprehend Kakashi’s strength, because he couldn’t imagine for whom Kakashi would fight so desperately.

“The competition between people begins even before birth, doesn’t it? If you were born in Hidden Mist, you’d probably be similar to how I am now,” Zabuza said.

He was still a bit unwilling to admit defeat, but what he was unwilling about wasn’t strength, but the Village.

Zabuza had been in Konoha for a month, and during this month, he had fully experienced the differences between Konoha and Hidden Mist.

Graduating from the Ninja Academy in Konoha didn’t require killing classmates, and the atmosphere among Ninja wasn’t as cold and bloody.

Growing up with companions in such an environment naturally fostered good relationships, leading to the desire to protect one’s comrades.

Hiruko, who was nearby, somewhat empathized with Zabuza’s words, but it wasn’t because of the Ninja Village, but rather the gap in talent between people, which is also determined at birth. For example, the Sharingan, it’s almost impossible to have it unless you are born into the Uchiha clan.

“There are no ‘ifs’ in this world. It seems that previous strike didn’t completely sever the unwillingness in your heart,” Kakashi replied calmly, his expression unchanged by Zabuza’s words.

In Kakashi’s view, such a hypothesis held little meaning, as he didn’t even know what the Hidden Mist environment was like.

Kakashi admitted that environment could influence people, but it wasn’t absolute. For example, Obito, even though he was born into the Uchiha clan, his personality and various aspects were completely different from ordinary Uchiha.

“If you think Hidden Mist is not as good as Konoha, then you should strive to change it, rather than imagining me becoming a Mist Ninja,” Kakashi said.

Learning the history of the Ninja World, Kakashi realized a truth: where one is born is predestined and unchangeable, but what they do in this life can be chosen by themselves.

For example, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, although they were born into opposing families, they ultimately chose to join forces to create Konoha.

Senju Tobirama was a member of a great Ninja clan, but to strengthen the Ninja Village, he could weaken the Ninja clan to allow more civilian Ninja to emerge.

“That kind of thing isn’t something you can do just by talking about it,” Zabuza sneered. Kakashi spoke lightly, but the Bloody Mist was a policy decided by the Mizukage.

“Then do you think killing a Jonin is easy?” Kakashi said calmly.

It’s difficult to achieve change, but if you don’t try, there’s no possibility of success. If Kakashi had given up due to injury or lack of stamina back then, he wouldn’t have entered the Transparent World and delivered that strike that killed Akami Hideyuki.

Zabuza was speechless. The one who was killed was his guiding teacher, so he naturally knew how incredibly difficult it was.

“Battle start!” Hiruko adjusted his inner emotions slightly, then quickly shouted.

“Hidden Mist Technique!”

To prevent being instantly killed by Kakashi’s extreme speed, Zabuza immediately retreated, formed hand seals, and created a dense mist in the arena, simultaneously using Body Flicker Technique to rapidly change positions.

But to Zabuza’s surprise, Kakashi made no move, making his series of evasive maneuvers a battle of wits with thin air.

“What is that guy trying to do?” Zabuza frowned, guessing Kakashi’s strategy.

This was completely different from what he had imagined. He had envisioned Kakashi charging directly with extreme speed, but in reality, Kakashi hadn’t even drawn his sword and was walking slowly.

In fact, Zabuza’s initial guess was not wrong; Kakashi had originally intended to instantly kill Zabuza with a single Flash.

But after a conversation, Kakashi abandoned that idea. He wanted to completely subdue Zabuza using his newly developed Thunderclap Flash.

Kakashi circulated his Thunder Breathing to its limit, greatly increasing his physical strength and speed, while simultaneously gathering a large amount of Chakra in his legs and right hand, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Kakashi diligently tried to enter that clear and Transparent World. He had made many attempts over the past month, but all had failed.

This time, it failed as he expected, but Kakashi keenly noticed that although it failed this time, it was different from before; he could vaguely sense something.

Kakashi felt some relief. After a month of arduous training, he finally made some progress. It truly had to be in combat.

Unable to figure out Kakashi’s intentions, Zabuza created a Water Clone, sending the Water Clone to attack Kakashi, while his true body waited for Kakashi to make a move and expose a weakness.

To enhance that sensation, Kakashi tried closing his eyes.

Seeing this, the Water Clone charged straight forward.

Swish!

Kakashi drew his sword and unleashed a slash with extreme speed, instantly splitting the Water Clone into two, which then collapsed into water.

Zabuza, who was about to charge, felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead. He truly couldn’t understand Kakashi’s move; he had his eyes closed and was still so fast, instantly killing it.

Just as Zabuza was contemplating a new strategy, Kakashi moved again. This time, he was advancing in Zabuza’s direction.

Kakashi converted all the gathered Chakra into Lightning Release Chakra, and dazzling yellow flashes enveloped Kakashi’s legs and right hand.

Yellow lightning flowed from Kakashi’s arm to the White Fang Short Blade in his hand. Under the effect of Chakra, the short sword extended a blade of lightning, transforming into the style of a long sword.

“Thunderclap Flash!”

Buzz!

Boom!

At this moment, the lightning on Kakashi’s body became even more dazzling. Even the dense white mist could not obscure its light. The audience could clearly see the explosive yellow light erupting from within the white mist, accompanied by the roaring sound of heavenly thunder.

Zabuza didn’t know how Kakashi found him. The moment lightning erupted from Kakashi’s body, he wanted to dodge, but just as the thought appeared in his mind, before his body could act, his eyes were suddenly filled with yellow lightning.

Kakashi had already arrived in front of him and unleashed his lightning-infused blade.

“So beautiful.” Gazing at the dazzling and brilliant lightning slash, this thought suddenly appeared in Zabuza’s mind.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the white mist on the field rapidly thinned and then dissipated, and the audience could finally see the scene inside.

Kakashi stood in front of Zabuza, holding a blade wreathed in Lightning Chakra, with a calm expression, as if he had done something very ordinary.

Zabuza faced Kakashi, gripping his sword hilt, with dozens of shattered iron sword fragments beneath him, and a large stain of blood and scorch marks on his chest.

What most shocked the audience was the long, charred slash mark that appeared next to Zabuza. Some estimated it to be at least six meters long.

The next moment, Zabuza uncontrollably coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

“What kind of Ninjutsu did Kakashi learn? I remember he didn’t fight like this before, did he?” Asuma stared wide-eyed at the mark left by Kakashi’s single sword strike.

He mused that Kakashi’s sword skills used to be good, but only on par with excellent Taijutsu, completely different from how they were now.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his goatee and nodded. The Kakashi before him was even more dazzling than the White Fang at the same age, and although their styles were somewhat similar, Kakashi had found a path more suited to himself.

In the waiting room, Kisame Hoshigaki wore a grave expression. This Kakashi made him feel a tremendous threat.

Kisame Hoshigaki composed himself and glanced at Might Guy. The Four Finals were next, and he first had to defeat Might Guy to face Kakashi in the final.

“As expected of my best friend! This incredibly passionate youth, I feel it!” Might Guy clenched his fists, tears of emotion streaming from his eyes, and his desire to fight Kakashi grew even stronger.

“Kakashi, that guy is such a show-off!” Obito felt that Kakashi was doing it on purpose, deliberately using his strongest move when a more effortless one would suffice, needlessly expending stamina and Chakra.

The thought that Rin Nohara might still be watching such a Kakashi with sparkling eyes in the audience made Obito even more upset, and he vowed to give Kakashi a good beating in the Four Finals.

“Are you looking down on me? You held back again,” Zabuza said, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he lay on the ground.

Although severely injured, Zabuza knew that he had only been affected by the periphery of Kakashi’s slash. Kakashi had slightly deflected the direction of his attack, not aiming it directly at him.

It was precisely because he hadn’t taken the full brunt of the slash that Zabuza understood Kakashi’s power even more profoundly. Just a portion of his strength could shatter his new weapon and injure him.

If that power had been unleashed entirely upon him, even Tsunade, known as the Medical Saint, probably wouldn’t have been able to save him.

“I just think that the way you are now, you’ll never be able to defeat me,” Kakashi replied, sheathing his White Fang Short Blade.

“You still haven’t understood what true strength is.”

Zabuza fell silent. He looked up at the azure sky. The current Kakashi certainly had the right to say that, because Kakashi indeed used only a portion of his slashing power to render him unable to fight and unable to counterattack.

“One day, I will stand before you again and defeat you,” Zabuza suddenly said.

He was a person who wouldn’t admit defeat. If Kakashi said he couldn’t do it, he would prove him wrong. Whether it was changing Hidden Mist or finding true strength, he would do it. Life was nothing more than death. Because of Hidden Mist’s missions, he had passed through the Gate of Death twice, so there was nothing left to fear.

“If you can do it, then come,” Kakashi said indifferently.

“Kakashi Hatake wins!”

Hiruko quickly announced the end of the battle after seeing Zabuza only speaking and not moving.

Soon, medical Ninja rushed down to carry the injured Zabuza away.

Lying on the stretcher, Zabuza’s mind was filled with thoughts. This trip to Konoha had given him many shocks, but what he regretted most at the moment was the battle with Kakashi just now.

He was defeated without even making much of a move, and he felt that Kakashi probably wouldn’t like this kind of battle, which was why he felt regret.

The last match of the second round ended, and the venue entered its halftime break.

Although contestants could rest while other contestants fought, the pace of Ninja battles was too fast. The first round was fine with many participants, but the second round only had four matches in total, so there wasn’t much time to rest.

“Kakashi, what kind of battle wisdom do you have? You could have resolved it with less effort, and yet…” As soon as Kakashi entered the waiting room, Obito began to complain about Kakashi’s recent battle.

“To get revenge for what happened in the Death Forest, is that not allowed?” Kakashi interrupted.

Obito was speechless. If there was a personal grudge, being a bit ruthless seemed to be no problem.

At this moment, there were only four people in the lounge: Kakashi, Obito, and Might Guy were resting and chatting, while Kisame sat in a corner, closing his eyes to rest and wait for the Chunin Exams to begin.

The audience, meanwhile, munched on snacks and discussed the strength of the remaining four contestants.

Up to this point, none of the four Chunin Exams candidates could be considered weak; each had displayed extremely strong performances.

Kisame Hoshigaki could transform the battleground into a Water Release arena, and Might Guy exhibited exaggerated Taijutsu.

It’s just that Ninja World technology hadn’t advanced yet; if there were live online broadcasts, within a short break, hundreds or thousands of posts debating combat power would surely appear online.

“Kisame Hoshigaki versus Might Guy! Contestants, please enter the arena quickly.” Hiruko shouted after the rest period ended.

Might Guy flashed a brilliant smile and was the first to walk into the battleground, while Kisame also opened his eyes and followed him.

All the spectators seriously watched the center of the arena; this battle was very important for this joint Chunin Exams.

If Might Guy won, it would mean a complete victory for Konoha, with the final being an internal Konoha Ninja battle.

If Kisame Hoshigaki won, then even if Hidden Mist lost the final, they would have at least saved face, as reaching the final together implied they were on the same level.

Konoha’s spectators cheered for Might Guy, while the Mist Ninja silently prayed for Kisame, hoping he would win the battle.

“You remember me, right? This time, I’m at full strength, and I won’t lose again,” Kisame said with a smile, revealing his shark-like teeth.

Might Guy looked at Kisame’s face and scratched his head, vaguely recalling hearing Hiruko call out the name ‘Kisame’.

Combined with a similar conversation he remembered from before, Might Guy figured out his opponent’s name.

“Kisame Hoshigaki, this time, I’ll still win!” Might Guy said with a confident expression.

Kisame looked at Might Guy with a puzzled expression. Who was Kisame Hoshigaki? He didn’t know.

Kisame was utterly defeated by Might Guy. It was bad enough that he didn’t remember his name when he introduced himself in the Death Forest, but today, the referee had called his name three times, one of which was just now, and he still got it wrong.

“Is he deliberately doing this to provoke me, to make me lose my cool and make a mistake?” Kisame felt he had figured out Might Guy’s reason for doing this.

He hadn’t expected that the broad-faced, muscular Might Guy would use psychological warfare before the battle, which changed Might Guy’s image in Kisame’s mind.

“The battle begins!” Hiruko announced on time.

“Eight Gates: Gate of Opening, Open! Gate of Healing, Open! Gate of Life, Open!” Might Guy instantly opened three Gates, and the Chakra within his body surged.

“Rock Breathing, Full Concentration!” At the same time, Might Guy changed his Breathing Technique, greatly enhancing his physical abilities by concentrating his breath.

Having fought Kisame once before, he understood Kisame’s general strength, so he didn’t probe and went all out immediately.

“Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!”

Knowing Might Guy’s formidable Taijutsu, Kisame dared not hesitate for a moment. The instant Hiruko’s words fell, he rapidly retreated, formed hand signs, and spewed a massive torrent of water towards Might Guy.

Might Guy leapt up to avoid the massive water flow, and then the entire arena transformed into a large pond, forcing Might Guy to fight while standing on the water.

“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”

After using Exploding Water Colliding Wave, Kisame immediately formed hand signs to use an offensive Water Release, conjuring a thick Water Dragon that surged towards Might Guy.

“Leaf Strong Whirlwind!”

Might Guy concentrated his strength in his leg and unleashed a whirlwind kick carrying immense force. With just one kick, he directly shattered the Water Dragon Bullet, sending water splashing in all directions.

The mere 1.3-meter-tall Might Guy appeared tiny before the massive Water Dragon Bullet, yet despite such a vast size disparity, Might Guy shattered the Water Dragon with a single kick.

At this moment, the immense power of the Eight Gates combined with Rock Breathing was fully displayed. Many watching Ninja gasped in awe at this sight; this was truly a direct clash of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu.

“Might Guy!” His father, Might Duy, watched Might Guy shatter the Water Dragon Bullet with a kick and loudly called out Might Guy’s name. Might Guy’s training, from early mornings to late nights, was not in vain; it was all for this moment.

Shiranui Genma and Ebisu exchanged glances, feeling that their team assignment might have used up a lot of their luck. Having such a powerhouse in their team was simply too exhilarating, providing maximum security during missions.

Even though he had fought Might Guy once before, Kisame’s eyelids twitched violently upon seeing Might Guy’s formidable Taijutsu again.

Facing Might Guy in this state, even Kisame, who was born with strength far surpassing ordinary people, did not want to engage him in a Taijutsu battle.

Getting injured was one thing, but if he entered Might Guy’s attack rhythm, he might not even be able to use Ninjutsu before losing.

After shattering the Water Dragon Bullet, Might Guy charged directly towards Kisame. Due to his extreme speed, ordinary spectators could only see a green blur constantly moving forward.

“Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!” Kisame, who had originally intended to drain more of Might Guy’s stamina, immediately channeled all his Chakra and unleashed his ultimate technique.

Last time, Might Guy had defeated him with the giant water sphere of the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave, so this time, Kisame wanted to drain more of Might Guy’s power before using this technique again, to avoid repeating the same mistake.

But Might Guy’s condition was terrifyingly good, forcing Kisame to release the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave prematurely, otherwise, the subsequent battle would be very disadvantageous for him.

The battleground was large for ordinary people, but for a Taijutsu master like Might Guy, the space was very small.

Kisame converted most of his body’s Chakra into Water Release Chakra, transforming it into a torrent of water. A volume of water several times more terrifying than before spewed from Kisame’s mouth.

Might Guy instantly recalled the giant water sphere in the Death Forest. He stopped running and rapidly retreated.

He couldn’t breathe underwater, and being unexpectedly trapped in water would put him at a great disadvantage.

However, Kisame hadn’t been idle this past month either; he had trained hard for a month. Although not exaggerated, he was still stronger than he was a month ago.

Kisame utilized the water flow from the Exploding Water Colliding Wave he had released initially, and soon the water sphere of the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave grew larger and larger, threatening to cover the entire battleground.

Although there was only a one-word difference, Exploding Water Colliding Wave and Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave were actually quite different.

Exploding Water Colliding Wave was similar to Water Formation Wall, creating a large amount of water to create a favorable environment for Water Release Ninja, while Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave could create an enormous, solid version of the Water Prison Technique.

Soon, Might Guy found himself with nowhere left to retreat, as Kisame’s Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave had too wide a range, capable of enveloping the entire battleground.

Might Guy took a deep breath. Holding his breath underwater for five minutes was not difficult for him, but if he wanted to maintain his Breathing Technique’s power, he had tried it before, and he could only sustain it for a maximum of one minute. This meant he had to defeat Kisame within that one minute, otherwise, without the Breathing Technique’s enhancement, he might not be a match for Kisame in the water.

Might Guy instantly boosted his power to its peak and then actively allowed the continuously expanding water sphere to engulf him.

Although the limited space put him at a disadvantage, the word ‘retreat’ simply wasn’t in Might Guy’s dictionary.

Kisame’s powerful Water Release caused a collective gasp from the audience.

Many ordinary spectators found it incredibly miraculous that a water sphere could form without any container and not leak.

Kakashi stared intently at the battleground. As a fellow Breathing Technique practitioner, he understood Might Guy’s predicament at this moment.

Seeing Might Guy finally enter the water sphere, Kisame’s face broke into a smile. His sharp teeth, combined with his face and his swimming posture in the water, made him truly resemble a shark.

“Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!”

As Kisame continuously channeled Chakra, five sharks with gaping, blood-red mouths appeared in the water, swimming rapidly towards Might Guy to bite him.

This was a Water Release Ninjutsu that Kisame had developed himself over the past thirty days, which was more suitable for him than the Water Dragon Bullet.

Kisame also had ideas for further development, combining some of his body’s innate special characteristics, but due to the limited time, he hadn’t been able to develop them yet.

Facing the ferocious sharks, Might Guy showed no fear. He unleashed his full power and charged towards Kisame, his powerful Chakra forcefully pushing the water around his feet away for a brief moment.

Bang!

Might Guy directly shattered the attacking Water Shark with a single punch, and the terrifying force created waves in the water.

“He’s even stronger than back then,” Kisame’s expression subtly changed.

Might Guy took only nine seconds to dispatch all five Water Sharks. He continued to charge towards Kisame.

Kisame hurriedly consumed more Chakra to create more Water Sharks, sending them towards Might Guy.

But this still could not stop Might Guy’s advance. He was like an invincible god of war, approaching Kisame step by step.

“Forty seconds, forty-one seconds,” Might Guy silently counted the time he had been inside the water sphere.

“Ten Shark Bullets!”

Kisame unleashed all his Chakra, creating ten Water Sharks in one go.

Even with Kisame’s deep Chakra reserves, continuously using Water Release like this made him feel completely drained.

“Noon Leopard!”

When he silently counted to fifty seconds, Might Guy’s Eight Gates’ formidable Chakra completely erupted, strengthening his entire body and pushing his aura to a new peak.

The multi-burst of Shave made the power of this kick unrivaled. The impact generated by Might Guy’s kick technique alone annihilated the three Water Sharks at the very front.

The intensely turbulent water waves within the water sphere, like the leopard-headed Chakra aura around Might Guy, emitted a silent roar. The instant Might Guy’s powerful kick connected with the sharks, the seven sharks instantly disintegrated.

“Fifty-three, fifty-four.” As he silently counted, Might Guy’s flying kick drew closer and closer to Kisame.

Kisame rapidly swam backward while squeezing out his last bit of Chakra to create a Water Shark three times larger than a normal shark, sending it to bite Might Guy.

Boom!!

The collision of the leopard head and the giant shark once again caused the massive water sphere to ripple violently.

And at this moment, the number Might Guy was silently counting in his mind reached sixty.

Kisame could clearly sense Might Guy’s aura suddenly weakening; the leopard, which was about to tear the shark apart, showed signs of exhaustion.

A look of joy appeared on Kisame’s face, believing it was his time to counterattack.

“No way…” Shiranui Genma and Ebisu showed worried expressions.

“The arena is too small. Why couldn’t they make it bigger? This gives too much of an advantage to a Ninjutsu user like Kisame Hoshigaki,” Obito believed Might Guy was at a huge disadvantage due to the arena.

Kakashi’s expression remained unchanged; he would trust Might Guy until the result was out. They had, after all, agreed to fight in the final.

Before Kisame could be happy for even half a second, because he was close to the edge of the water sphere, Might Guy used all his strength to ram his head out, taking a breath. Immediately after, Might Guy unleashed this momentarily extended power, utterly defeating the giant shark and kicking Kisame away.

Without Kisame’s maintenance, the giant water sphere instantly lost its restrictive force. Kisame slammed hard against the wall at the edge of the arena, and Might Guy, landing steadily, spat out the water he had accidentally inhaled.

Might Guy then immediately checked Kisame’s condition, and only after confirming that Kisame was severely injured and unable to fight further did he relax.

“Might Guy wins!” Hiruko quickly announced Might Guy’s victory.

Might Guy flashed a brilliant smile at the audience and gave himself a thumbs-up.

Defeating Kisame meant reaching the final, bringing him a small step closer to his goal of being the strongest Taijutsu user.

“My best friend, it’s your turn next.” Might Guy looked towards the lounge.

I originally wanted to write a ten-thousand-character chapter and finish Obito’s part, but I was worried it would be too late, so I’ll post 7k first. There’s another chapter coming soon.