Chapter 529 Kakashi’s Ultimate Sword

Might Guy concentrated all his strength in his arms, veins bulging on them, as if his entire being had transformed into a fierce tiger poised to strike.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Might Guy clenched his fists and continuously punched a single point in front of him at an incredibly high speed that was difficult for ordinary people to observe, his rapid punches stirring up a strong wind.

Morning Tiger was not only wide-ranging but also powerful; Might Guy felt that even Kakashi would not be able to easily block this move.

And after blocking Morning Tiger, Kakashi might not have enough Chakra to release One Thought Cut.

“As expected, Chakra capacity is a major weakness,” Kakashi instantly understood Might Guy’s intention upon seeing this and sighed slightly.

Might Guy’s strategy was simple yet effective.

Chakra forced Kakashi to make choices in most battles, rather than having everything.

“However, they say a person’s potential is forced out, and since any choice leads to failure, I might as well go all out,” Kakashi silently entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

A simple Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall couldn’t block Might Guy’s Morning Tiger; whether he used an offensive move to counteract it or a defensive Ninjutsu to block it, Kakashi would lose the ability to unleash One Thought Cut after dealing with Morning Tiger.

So, Kakashi prepared to use all his Chakra to unleash the most peak No Thought Strike he had ever performed, betting that this single strike would destroy Morning Tiger while catching Might Guy off guard.

If he won the bet, Kakashi would win; if he lost, Kakashi would lose.

If this were a real battle, Kakashi might hesitate, as losing combat ability on the battlefield was a terrifying prospect.

But this was just a match, and his opponent was a friend, so Kakashi felt he could take this gamble.

After all, not gambling meant certain defeat and accepting the punishment for losing an internal battle, while gambling offered a chance to advance.

Fizz, fizz!

The sound of lightning crackled, and dazzling purple lightning bloomed on Kakashi’s arm, eventually flowing continuously from his palm into the White Fang Short Blade he had just drawn.

“Morning Tiger!”

Under Might Guy’s rapid strikes, the air in front of him was continuously compressed, and at the moment the air was compressed to its limit, Might Guy roared, changed his fists to palms, and slammed his hands together.

Roar!

The air, compressed to its extreme, erupted like a volcanic explosion at this moment, a powerful wave of air instantly bursting forth, the roaring airflow as soul-stirring as a tiger’s roar.

Immediately after, the expelled air condensed into the shape of a fierce tiger, roaring and pouncing towards Kakashi like a real beast.

At this moment, no excellent perception was needed; Kakashi could tell the terrifying power of Morning Tiger, this advanced Taijutsu, simply by the stinging strong wind hitting his face.

“Hmph,” Kakashi slowly exhaled, his right hand gripping the hilt of the White Fang Short Blade, pouring all his strength into it.

At this moment, the entire White Fang Short Blade was enveloped in purple electric light; even standing near Kakashi, one couldn’t clearly see its exact form, and spectators watching from afar felt as if Kakashi was holding a ball of lightning.

Under the boost of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, all of Kakashi’s Chakra rapidly transformed into Lightning Release Chakra, with most of it applied to his right arm and the White Fang, and a small portion used to strengthen his entire body.

“One Thought Cut!”

As the airwave tiger was about to approach, Kakashi swung his blade.

The moment the White Fang Short Blade was drawn, a brilliant and dazzling flash of purple electric light appeared on the field.

Even though the range of that purple light was not as vast as the sea of fire created by Nagato’s Fire Release, nor the waves created by Kisame’s Water Release, all the contestants and spectators were drawn to this purple light at this moment.

Boom!

The purple lightning blade was unleashed with a sudden swing, thunder rumbling, and a narrow streak of lightning instantly tore through the air, swiftly colliding with the white tiger formed by the airwave.

The moment of impact, a dazzling light erupted from their point of convergence, rapidly spreading and enveloping the entire battlefield, making it impossible to look directly at.

Rumble!!!

Immediately after, a deafening explosion erupted, mixed with the roar of a tiger and the rumble of thunder, echoing throughout the entire venue.

The shockwave generated by the explosion spread outwards, and the ground violently shook under the impact of this force, as if about to crack open.

Even the spectators in the stands felt a fierce gust of wind, forcing many to squint their eyes.

This startled many eliminated contestants, making them wonder if all the Ninja in the Four Finals were monsters.

They had thought the battle between Sasori and Nagato was the insurmountable peak of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, but they didn’t expect the next match between Kakashi and Might Guy to be equally formidable.

The dust and mist dissipated.

Hiss!

As if to tear everything apart, the lightning, with an aura of cutting through all, split open the giant air tiger in front of it, reducing the giant tiger to nothingness, and then swiftly slashed directly towards Might Guy, the air along its path seemingly torn apart by this lightning, emitting a piercing roar.

“He can even cut through that technique! Kakashi Hatake, isn’t your blade meant to protect your comrades? It looks like it’s going to leave them without a trace!” Zabuza couldn’t help but complain.

The power of One Thought Cut was truly terrifying; previously, Morning Tiger had cleared out all of Kisame Hoshigaki’s sharks and severely wounded Kisame Hoshigaki, yet it was still cut down by this terrifying lightning.

“As expected of my best friend, the flames of youth are burning!” Facing the incoming lightning, Might Guy was not surprised but delighted, laughing loudly.

Although the battle with Kisame Hoshigaki was exhilarating, most of the time Kisame was just getting beaten, and that wasn’t the kind of battle Might Guy most desired.

The battle Might Guy hoped for should be a back-and-forth exchange, not him overwhelming his enemy.

Therefore, Kakashi’s lightning blade destroying Morning Tiger was exactly what Might Guy had been looking forward to; how could he possibly fear something he had anticipated?

“Golden Skyline!”

As the lightning was rapidly approaching, Might Guy didn’t have time to perform the most perfect Golden Skyline; he merely injected as much strength as possible into his fingers, then brought his index and middle fingers together, and swung them like a sword.

A fine golden line, like the dawn breaking through darkness, appeared, blocking the dazzling purple lightning.

Boom, boom!

Another incredibly violent explosion occurred, the ground shattered, rocks and sand flew, and for a moment, a fierce wind rose and dust swirled, the arena once again enveloped in a gray mist.

“Both of them are top-tier geniuses, but unfortunately, they are both Konoha Ninja,” Kitsuchi shook his head regretfully.

This generation of young Iwagakure geniuses was clearly far inferior to Konoha’s; both Might Guy and Kakashi could easily overpower any Iwagakure Ninja under eighteen, and the result would be the same even if the age limit was raised to twenty.

“Konoha is truly producing a wealth of geniuses now.” Thinking that five of the Four Finals participants were Konoha Ninja, Kitsuchi felt that Ōnoki’s actions against Konoha were absolutely correct.

If they did nothing, after twenty years of waxing and waning, Iwagakure would certainly not be as strong as Konoha.

“Guy, come on!” Obito stared intently at the battle arena, cheering for Might Guy in his heart.

At this moment, his heart was filled with personal emotions, without a trace of grand ideals.

Kakashi losing held great significance for him, because the punishment for Kakashi losing this internal battle was a week of not refuting anything Obito said.

Although the current Kakashi could threaten Obito even without speaking, Obito could also use Kakashi’s inability to refute him to threaten Kakashi, creating a mutual deterrence.

“To have such strength at this age, if I didn’t have the Rinnegan, I wouldn’t be their match,” Nagato exclaimed in his heart.

Nagato felt that Muzuki’s other disciples were more outstanding than him, because he merely relied on being born with a pair of good eyes, while Might Guy and the others had mastered such powerful techniques at a younger age through their own efforts.

“What will the outcome be?” Hanzō focused his gaze on the center of the mist, as the dust was now about to dissipate completely.

Although Kakashi’s One Thought Cut performed impressively, Hanzō still hoped Might Guy would win and then fight Nagato, as that would offer a greater chance of victory.

Because Hanzō could tell that Kakashi’s One Thought Cut was used with great difficulty, and it might not be usable a second time in a single battle, making it very difficult to defeat Nagato.

The dust completely dissipated, revealing two standing figures.

“My best friend, that strike was truly powerful!” Might Guy laughed heartily, but his right hand involuntarily trembled.

Kakashi looked and saw that Might Guy’s middle and index fingers were already covered in wounds; one could even easily see the white bones encased in flesh.

Although he had used Golden Skyline, it was not easy for Might Guy to withstand that attack.

“It’s a good thing Muzuki-sensei is here; we can ask Muzuki-sensei to treat you, it shouldn’t delay the afternoon match,” Kakashi said.

Compared to the Shinobi Sect’s medical personnel, Kakashi certainly trusted Muzuki more.

The Quarterfinals were held on the morning of the second day, while the Four Finals wouldn’t begin until 3:30 PM. With Muzuki’s medical expertise, combined with the Breathing Technique’s ability to enhance recovery, a few hours would be enough for Might Guy to fully recover.

“Declare his victory; I’ve lost,” Kakashi calmly said to the referee.

He had truly gambled all his strength on that one No Thought Strike, and now he was standing purely on willpower.

Hearing Kakashi’s words, the referee acknowledged his concession and announced, “Might Guy wins!”

The audience immediately erupted in a huge discussion.

Although this battle was one of the faster ones in the entire elimination round, its excitement was undeniable.

The two of them had almost no preamble, going straight into various powerful techniques, with special effects that were incredibly impactful.

“That was truly an unforgettable battle; I probably won’t forget it for a year,” Might Guy exclaimed, walking towards the contestant lounge.

Seeing Kakashi motionless, Might Guy asked in confusion, “Kakashi, why aren’t you leaving? The next battle will start soon.”

“Because I’m waiting for you to come with me to the audience to find Teacher Muzuki,” Kakashi replied calmly, maintaining his standing posture.

Might Guy showed a look of sudden realization and exchanged a few words with the Shinobi Sect staff who came over, stating that he didn’t need Shinobi Sect’s treatment and wouldn’t be returning to the contestant lounge for now, then walked towards the audience.

“I meant, come help me up,” Kakashi said directly, seeing that Might Guy hadn’t understood anything.

Only then did Might Guy help Kakashi all the way up to the audience.

“Number 19, Uchiha Shisui, against Number 24, Asuma Sarutobi!” the referee quickly announced the names of the next pair of fighters.

Shisui and Asuma wasted no time and quickly walked onto the combat arena.

“Unbelievable, Asuma actually made it into the Quarterfinals,” Raido Namiashi in the audience couldn’t help but exclaim, recalling the previous two battles.

Although Asuma’s strength was not weak, compared to the four fighters in the first two matches, he was undoubtedly the one who lowered the average strength of the Quarterfinals.

“That’s a bit harsh on Asuma. Later, we should sincerely congratulate him on making it to the Quarterfinals,” Kurenai Yuhi said.

“The battle hasn’t even started yet, and you’ve already decided Asuma will lose?” Raido Namiashi retorted. Kurenai Yuhi’s words were quite damaging too.

“After all, his opponent is Shisui. To be realistic, it’s very difficult for Asuma to win,” Kurenai Yuhi explained honestly.

When Kurenai Yuhi met Shisui, Shisui had only just started his first year. At that time, Shisui participated in special training as an outstanding first-year student, while Kurenai Yuhi participated as a graduated Ninja.

But even as a first-year, Shisui left a sufficiently deep impression on Kurenai Yuhi. At that time, Shisui was truly invincible.

Neither graduated Ninja like Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi, nor outstanding upperclassmen like Obito and Might Guy, could shake Shisui’s position as number one.

Although there were periods when she didn’t have much contact with Shisui, Shisui had earned the title Shisui the Body Flicker and was promoted to Jonin, undoubtedly growing even more terrifyingly strong.

“Indeed,” Raido Namiashi nodded.

Although Asuma was his good friend and teammate, if he couldn’t beat Shisui, he just couldn’t. They had to be factual and reasonable.

“Battle start!”

“Wind Breathing, Full Concentration!”

Asuma instantly concentrated his Wind Breathing to strengthen his Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation, gathering a large amount of Chakra in his throat for Nature Transformation.

“Vacuum Sphere!”

Asuma took a deep breath, then several Vacuum Sphere light waves shot towards Shisui.

He knew Shisui possessed the Sharingan and had strong perception abilities, so he used Vacuum Sphere, which allowed for continuous attacks.

Although not necessarily a guaranteed hit, it was harder to dodge than ordinary Wind Release.

Bang! Bang!!

The light waves Asuma exhaled left one pit after another on the ground, but they couldn’t even damage a corner of Shisui’s clothes.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”

While dodging, Shisui quickly formed hand signs and exhaled a giant fireball towards Asuma.

Even against a former subordinate, Shisui remained cautious, intending to first probe Asuma’s full strength before unleashing his own full power.

“Fire Release: Flame Bullet!”

Asuma spewed a large amount of flames, intending to use fire against fire to cancel out Shisui’s attack.

According to the theory of Nature Transformation, Asuma’s idea was not wrong, because attacks of the same Nature Transformation could cancel each other out one-to-one.

However, precisely because it was one-to-one, the premise for a same-Nature Ninjutsu to defend was that its level could not be inferior to the opponent’s.

Asuma clearly underestimated Shisui’s Fire Release. The Great Fireball Technique engulfed Asuma’s Flame Bullet and continued to hurtle towards Asuma.

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Shisui didn’t believe a single Great Fireball Technique would hit the enemy, so he supplemented it with a few flaming Shuriken to restrict Asuma’s position.

“As expected of Shisui, he’s truly cautious.”

Seeing that Shisui wasn’t falling for it, Asuma had no choice but to point the finger that had been gathering Wind Release Chakra since releasing his Fire Release at some of the Shuriken, releasing Wind Blades to deflect the flaming Shuriken.

Asuma’s original plan was to lure Shisui closer by failing to counter with Fire Release, then ambush him with Wind Blade, which didn’t require hand signs.

After all, he was now primarily a Wind Release user; how could he be so foolish as to think his Fire Release could compare to Shisui’s Fire Release?

However, Shisui had clearly thought of this and didn’t act rashly.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Barrage!”

Shisui gathered Chakra and continuously exhaled three slightly smaller Great Fireball Techniques.

Asuma had no desire to clash Fire Release with Shisui. He used Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation to accelerate and escape the range of the Great Fireball Technique.

Boom!

The three Great Fireball Techniques exploded simultaneously, releasing a fierce blaze that temporarily obscured Shisui from Asuma’s vision.

When the explosive flames and smoke subsided, Asuma saw two Shisui.

“Did he use Shadow Clone Technique?” Asuma thought.

With more advanced physical clones, no one would use ordinary Clone Technique unless there was a special combat plan.

“Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!”

One of the Shisui quickly formed hand signs and exhaled a vast sea of fire. The sea of fire rapidly spread and expanded, then quickly split into four streams of flames surging towards Asuma.

“As expected, Shisui wasn’t going all out before,” Asuma thought, seeing Shisui use such an exaggerated Fire Release, though he wasn’t too surprised.

Compared to Obito, who instantly killed opponents with a powerful opening move, Shisui was much more low-key, using ordinary Fire Release, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu to deal with opponents.

Although he felt it would be difficult to win, Asuma did not give up. While dodging with all his might, he secretly gathered Chakra, preparing to use Wind Blade.

“Why does Shisui’s expression seem a bit strange?” Asuma felt that the Shisui using Fire Release seemed to be holding back a laugh.

However, Asuma didn’t think too much, because another Shadow Clone was interfering with his dodging.

Seeing that one of the flames was about to hit him, Asuma couldn’t care about anything else and could only release Wind Blades at the Shadow Clone. He certainly didn’t have the ability to withstand Fire Release with his bare body.

But something unexpected happened to Asuma: a layer of black substance appeared on the Shadow Clone Shisui’s body, blocking the Wind Blades he released.

The surging flames came, and Asuma subconsciously protected his face with one hand and his groin with the other.

Even more unexpectedly, when the flames hit him, he felt no pain, nor did they ignite his hair or clothes.

“Can I be immune to flames?” Asuma thought. “No, no, no, I must be under a Genjutsu?”

Asuma’s mind was still clear. If he could be immune to flames, he wouldn’t have kept losing to Shisui and Obito.

Along with the flames came Shisui’s Kunai. Shisui seized the moment Asuma was stunned and used Body Flicker Technique to appear beside him, placing a Kunai at Asuma’s throat.

At the same time, the Shisui Main unit in Asuma’s eyes transformed into a gray-black fox with its head held high, chest puffed out, and tail curled.

“Uchiha Shisui wins!”

Hearing the referee announce the result, Shisui put away his Kunai.

Just now, under the cover of the flames, he didn’t use Shadow Clone Technique, but Summoning Jutsu.

If it was just for the sake of winning, Shisui could have won with Genjutsu alone. Shisui wanted to train Zorua through this kind of battle that he could control.

PS: This chapter is 5k words, which is a bit short for a chapter after taking a leave. If my condition allows in the next few days, I will try to write more and finish the Martial Arts Tournament plot as soon as possible.