The initial shock that had momentarily paralyzed Kakashi vanished in an instant. His instincts kicked in, and he went on the offensive.
Up until now, Kakashi had relied on a simple calculation - he believed Kaoru would burn through his chakra long before he did. And under normal circumstances, that would've been true. But the moment Kaoru removed the seal, that equation collapsed.
Even when Kaoru's chakra had been suppressed, it had slipped occasionally. Or rather Kakashi's Sharingan had picked up on subtle leaks which would be impossible to detect for ordinary humans. What he saw hadn't alarmed him at the time, Kaoru had roughly half his own reserves.
But now, after unleashing the seal, Kaoru's chakra had multiplied four times.
Kakashi adjusted immediately.
He pivoted sharply, avoiding a direct clash with Kaoru. A head-on fight would be suicidal. If Kaoru managed to trap him in one of those water spheres, as he had done to the cat-masked ANBU, then the fight would be over.
He needed to stay mobile.
Two shuriken crackling with lightning chakra left his hands, spinning toward Kaoru's position. But they never reached their mark.
Thin, disc-like shields of water shimmered to life mid-air, intercepting the projectiles effortlessly. The shuriken clattered to the ground, their charge sputtering out.
Then, the droplets that had remained hovering, motionless until now, began to move in circle. One by one, they responded to Kaoru's chakra as a larger, darker sphere took shape above him.
'Kakashi's the perfect target to test my domain,' he thought, watching the formation complete with a satisfied smile.
Then he moved.
He disappeared from the place where he stood, appearing right next to Kakashi. The Copy Ninja's eyes widened as he realized that it was not Body Flicker, but Kaoru's actual raw speed.
Nagizume's glaive-like tip whistled through the air, aiming to carve straight across Kakashi's chest. The moonlight caught on its edge, painting a silver arc through the night. But even this close, even this fast, a jonin with a three tomoe Sharingan was no easy target.
Kakashi halted mid-step and sprang back, narrowly evading the slash.
But his retreat wasn't clean.
His body passed through a cluster of suspended spheres, each one charged and waiting.
As soon as he touched them, the trap was triggered.
Dozens of dark blue spheres shimmered and reshaped, forming sleek, razor-sharp needles that exploded toward him from all directions.
Kakashi twisted, deflecting with fluid motions but two got through. One struck his glove, glancing off the protective plate on his wrist. The second buried itself deep into his thigh.
The impact tore into muscle, narrowly missing the bone. Pain shot up his leg, and he stumbled, crashing to the ground, momentarily disoriented. The blood stained his pants, but he didn't have time to check his condition thoroughly as Kaoru was already moving again, blade poised for the finish.
'If he didn't have the Sharingan,I would've ended this a long time ago.'
He knew that this version of Kakashi was not on the master Jonin level yet. Even though his chakra was definitely more than average jonin was supposed to have, Kaoru knew that Kakashi was still young and had a big room for improvement. The gap between current Kakashi and what he would become in the future was simply gigantic. Still, thanks to this fight Kaoru had finally confirmed his strength and gained even more confidence.
He was now certain that he could face almost anyone below S-rank.
Mid-air, Kaoru formed a hand sign. A new shadow clone materialized beside him in a burst of smoke. But as he saw this other Kaoru's appearance he noticed that the clone's body lacked the markings - the obsidian wave tattoos that coated Kaoru's own arms.
'Strange… Isn't senjutsu supposed to transfer to shadow clones?'
Kaoru's brow furrowed in confusion, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Kakashi was already back on his feet, fingers moving in a blur.
A shadow clone burst into existence beside him and immediately charged. At the same time, lightning crackled around Kakashi's hand, energy coiling before surging forward in a violent arc.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!"
Mid-air, the lightning reshaped, stretching, growing, forming the unmistakable silhouette of a snarling hound. It remained tethered to Kakashi's arm by a thick stream of lightning, pulsing intensely.
'So… he's trying to maintain distance while keeping me pressured.'
Kaoru understood the plan instantly. Kakashi wasn't aiming for victory anymore. He had already assessed the flow of battle. He knew that, at this rate, Kaoru would inevitably triumph.
Now his goal was simple - stall for time.
He was gambling on his comrade to turn the tide. But Kaoru had yet to receive his clone's memories. Which meant it was still active, still aiding Misa. Because of that, he decided that the fight was likely going in their way, otherwise his clone would've sacrificed himself.
Still, Kaoru had no interest in letting this drag out. He didn't want a narrow victory. He wanted dominance - an overwhelming end that left no doubt in anyone's mind. For his plan to succeed, he needed everyone to be certain that he could've killed all four ANBU if he wished.
A water clone materialized at Kaoru's side and rushed to intercept Kakashi's shadow clone. Unlike their original bodies, they didn't dance around each other. Kaoru's clone stepped in clean, its fist connecting with the clone's jaw - without Sharingan's help, Kakashi's clone was unable to keep up with its opponent's insane speed and strength.
But instead of bursting into mist, lightning surged across Kakashi's clone, arcing violently.
Kaoru's clone exploded on contact, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
'He's the craftiest opponent I've ever faced, Kaoru mused, preparing countermeasures as the hound closed in. 'Let's see if my wind release can cut through.'
His Suijingan flared, casting a brighter glow as a swirling water beast began forming beside him. Its outline was rough, shark-like, its presence already rippling with chakra.
Meanwhile, Kaoru's hands moved.
"Wind Release: Breakthrough."
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a powerful gust - an immense, focused blast of air that tore forward with enough force to rattle the terrain.
The lightning hound was driven back, its form flickering and distorting. But the tether connecting it to Kakashi pulsed brighter, the Copy Ninja forcing more chakra through the connection, holding the jutsu intact.
'I didn't know he could do that…'
Kaoru didn't hesitate. His water beast surged forward, crashing toward the lightning hound like a predatory wave, its shape coalescing into a sleek, dark shark, cutting through the air with unnatural speed.
Kaoru also moved. Unlike Kakashi, he didn't need to remain stationary to control it.
Kicking off the ground, Kaoru weaved between the hovering water spheres, the battlefield bending to his rhythm. His goal was clear now - end the fight as quickly as possible.
There was no reason to drag this out any longer. Kakashi was running low on chakra, and while the Sharingan gave him a tactical edge in certain moments, it came with a heavy cost - one his body was clearly struggling to keep paying.
The water beast and the lightning hound collided mid-air in a violent burst of raw chakra. Sparks flew. The air roared. But the sheer pressure behind Kaoru's technique, combined with the earlier damage inflicted by his wind release, tipped the balance.
Kakashi's jutsu faltered. The hound scattered.
But it didn't matter to Kakashi anymore as Kaoru was already upon him.
Nagizume tore through the space between them, this time with a blunt tip, arcing low toward Kakashi's waist. Not to kill. To break.
'That ANBU said the Hokage himself was informed about this mission…If I kill them all now, it'll trigger problems I don't want. I don't want another war, especially not with Konoha. Letting them live will serve as both a warning and a statement that we're stronger than they think.'
Kakashi, sensing the shift, had already begun preparing to retreat. But it was too late.
The dark blue spheres that had hovered silently began to close in, circling tighter. The large, central water sphere that Kaoru used as his domain's anchor pulsed, shifting shape.
A dome started to form.
Kakashi's eyes flicked across the field, tracking escape paths, but there were none. Every route was choked off by Kaoru's hovering droplets.
Nagizume came in fast.
But Kakashi blocked it, just barely, parrying with a kunai.
His right hand formed a seal, and a moment later he inhaled deeply.
Kaoru instantly stepped back.
A jet of flame erupted from Kakashi's mouth, but it didn't get far. A thick wall of water surged upward between them, erupting from the ground. The two elements met in a hissing explosion of steam, but the water held strong, quenching the fire completely.
Kaoru's eyes narrowed as he noticed the change. Kakashi's chakra, previously surging toward his Sharingan, began to spread evenly through his body.
'He deactivated it? He already hit his limit… Isn't it too soon?'
Kaoru watched closely. Something wasn't right.
Then he felt it.
Kakashi's chakra flared violently. It surged through his muscles, sharp and erratic.
'This flow… it looks familiar.'
Kaoru's eyes widened in recognition and… respect. He'd seen this before; it was the Eight Gates.
It wasn't a full release. The chakra was heavy, but not devastating. It didn't burn through the air or crush the ground beneath him. Which meant it was likely only the second gate, maybe the third at most.
But even that was impressive. Kaoru couldn't help but feel respect.
'He really is the Copy Ninja… good at almost everything.'
Kaoru steadied his stance, feeling the air shift again as Kakashi's body adjusted to the strain.
"All right then," Kaoru muttered under his breath, his gaze locked onto Kakashi. "Let's see whose taijutsu is better."
If this had been before his training with the Leviathans, there was no way he would've risked engaging Kakashi in close-quarters combat. But after the beatings he had endured from Iseki and Ogashi… no opponent felt nearly as threatening. Even on his final day of training, Kaoru hadn't felt any closer to landing a clean blow on either of the old Leviathans.
And now, he wasn't sure Ogashi had been joking when he said it would take a lifetime to even dent him.
The water wall dissolved behind Kaoru, flowing back into the pool as the obstacle between the two fighters vanished.
Kakashi's strength, bolstered by the Eight Gates, surged with raw force. But Kaoru's inhuman physicality, honed through modified chakra pathways and the first stage of Leviathan Senjutsu, matched and exceeded it. He hadn't progressed to the second stage yet; that required full mastery of Suijingan.
Kakashi's right hook came fast, but Kaoru tilted his head just enough for it to graze past. He stepped in, closing the distance, and drove his fist into Kakashi's abdomen.
The Copy Ninja had reach advantage. That was his only edge.
In every other aspect - speed, strength, and power - Kaoru was a tier above.
Well… except experience.
Pain flared along Kaoru's wrist. He glanced down to see a kunai embedded in the side of his flesh.
'When I struck, he used the moment of contact to stab me.'
It was shallow, an opportunistic strike, but a clean one. A reminder that experience could still cut through raw power.
Kaoru crouched, sweeping his leg low. Kakashi jumped, reacting instinctively, but it was exactly what Kaoru wanted. His rising kick connected with brutal force, sending Kakashi crashing into the dome's inner wall.
There was no escape now. The dark blue dome adjusted behind him, narrowing. Kaoru's goal was to remove any space Kakashi had for maneuvering to force the brawl.
Now, the only way forward… was through Kaoru.
Kaoru closed the distance in a blink, striking without mercy. Each hit landed. Each one drew blood. A barrage of raw, precise force, all fueled by power that Kakashi could no longer match.
By the end of it, the Copy Ninja lay sprawled across the ground, body bruised and breath shallow. The Eight Gates had faded. His chakra was nearly gone.
Kaoru stood over him, staring coldly.
The dome pooled into water until the battlefield was visible once more. And standing above her own opponent was Misa.
Kakashi's eyes widened. The realization hit him hard. He had no idea just how monstrous Kaoru had become. And now that he did… it was already too late.
"I'm not going to kill you or your friends," Kaoru said calmly, crouching in front of him. His tone carried no malice. The words stunned Kakashi and even Misa, who turned sharply toward her lord.
"I know you won't believe anything I say," Kaoru continued. "So instead, ask yourself this - why would I kill the lesser Konoha shinobi… and let you, the famous Copy Ninja with a Sharingan, walk away?"
Kakashi said nothing.
He watched as Kaoru stood up and turned his back to him.
Then they vanished.
Both Kaoru and Misa disappeared in a burst of afterimages. Moments later, they landed far away from the battlefield and the village that had no head anymore. Kaoru dropped to one knee, his breathing ragged.
"Lord…" Misa's voice cracked. "Are you wounded?"
"No… no, don't worry." Kaoru held up a hand. "I'm fine. This is just backlash. First time I've used that technique in a real fight. Give me a few minutes… I'll move again."
He tried to sound composed, but his pale lips betrayed him. The way he had to sit down only worried Misa more.
But Kaoru had deeper concerns.
He could taste the iron in his mouth - internal bleeding.
'Grandpa Ogashi was right… My body still isn't strong enough for this technique. I need to finish the last step of the new chakra pathway system… before I tear myself apart.'
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