Chapter 120: Counting Begins
Both C-rank ninjutsu, the Dragon Fire Technique isn't necessarily more powerful than the Great Fireball Technique, but its speed is significantly faster.
It uses wire as a medium to link to the enemy, and the linear flame only resembles a dragon; it doesn't actually possess the complete form of a fire dragon.
The difficulty of this jutsu lies in the precision of throwing the shuriken and the unexpectedness of the wire. For anyone who has seen or understands this
technique, its effectiveness is greatly diminished.
Kakashi simply used a kunai imbued with lightning-style chakra to cut the wire before the Dragon Fire Technique could reach him; the
flames thus only traveled halfway before being forced to stop, leaving only a few stray sparks to reach him.
[As expected of the Uchiha clan's genius.]
This was inherently an unequal battle. Uchiha Itachi was only five years old; his body hadn't even fully developed, his Sharingan wasn't activated, and he hadn't undergone systematic combat training. All he had was the occasional guidance from his father and Uchiha Shisui.
Other five-year-olds were still playing in the mud, yet this little guy already knew several ninjutsu that even some genin couldn't master.
Still, after those two ninjutsu, his chakra must be almost depleted.
Itachi emerged from the afterglow of the flames, breathing slightly, his face still calm. Kakashi not being injured was within his expectations.
In his mind, this 'non-battle' battle was meant to test his aptitude, the limits of his abilities, and his chakra reserves.
The idea of making Kakashi-sensei step outside the white line was simply unrealistic.
Unfortunately, Itachi was wrong.
He didn't understand Kakashi's nature, applying the standards his father set for him to the present situation.
'Using two ninjutsu right off the bat that drain most of your chakra, Itachi, that's a bit naive. Just now, you could have completely tied two explosive tags to your shuriken. The wire could also be used as a killing move, instead of revealing your intentions so simply. Most importantly, I don't feel any killing intent from you.'
'Listen, your attacks like that won't have any effect. Try again, but this time with your killing intent. This time I will retaliate.'
'Sensei, what is killing intent?'
Kakashi suddenly remembered that this little guy had never actually killed anyone yet, and he paused for a few seconds.
'Your father took you to the battlefield, didn't he?'
'Mhm. Is killing intent a kind of aura?'
'No, it's completely different.'
This is something you can only grasp yourself; explaining it with words is meaningless.
Just like in the original work, when Sasuke and Naruto first encountered their enemy, the rogue Hidden Mist ninja Zabuza Momochi, they were paralyzed by his killing intent as if caught in a genjutsu.
Many ninja who went to battle for the first time died precisely because of this hesitation.
'Use your body to truly experience it. Attack me.'
'Yes, Kakashi-sensei.'
Adjusting his breathing, Itachi pulled out a kunai, silently attached an explosive tag, and prepared to perform the Dragon Fire Technique again, following the method his sensei had just taught him. This was the only method he could currently think of that might force his sensei to evade.
Only this time, things were different. As he finished tying the explosive tag and met his sensei's gaze, a sensation like being targeted by a natural predator, by a high-level hunter, made his throat clench. The training ground was so vast, yet he felt as if no matter where he ran, he would be caught and killed in the very next second. Cold sweat gradually soaked his back.
This... is killing intent?
Experiencing this unprecedented sense of threat, Itachi's hands felt as if they were filled with dozens of pounds of stone, unable to exert force. The hand holding the kunai, feeling the cold metal, seemed to freeze along with his blood, submerged in this powerful sense of dread.
He cut his own palm with the kunai, the pain helping him regain a bit of clarity. The young boy understood he couldn't wait any longer; if he didn't attack now, he might never again have the courage to look his sensei in the eye.
Whoosh. The kunai, with an explosive tag attached, arced through the air, aimed at the ground behind his sensei.
Sighing softly, Kakashi hadn't expected the little guy to break free from his killing intent so quickly; even if it was the faintest killing intent, it was enough to terrify any ninja academy student who had never seen battle.
What was that kunai for?
The explosive tag fizzed in the air. As the kunai flew past, the silver-haired young man swiftly ripped the explosive tag from the kunai, and with a squeeze of his fingers, the small bomb became a dud.
An explosive tag connected to a wire?
His fingers felt the metallic texture, and the wire immediately went taut. From the other side, another kunai flew in; this kunai was aimed at the ground on the opposite side behind him.
Three more explosive tags were tied to the wire trailing the kunai, all fizzing as they burned.
Three... no way to tear them off so easily, huh?
Quite innovative.
Boom, boom, boom! Three explosions. Smoke enveloped Kakashi's figure. These three explosive tags, however, couldn't break through his defenses; at most, they were mere toys.
The power of these standard-issue explosive tags was vastly different from the homemade ones crafted by experts in the shinobi world. That's why there's a clear distinction between a genin using explosive tags and someone like Hanzō the Salamander using them as ninjutsu.
Powerful ninja could even add their own specialized modifications to explosive tags.
Before the smoke could fully clear, Itachi, using his perception, sent a non-corporeal clone charging forward. His real body hid in the smoke's blind spot, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
What threat did a non-corporeal clone pose?
For ninja who couldn't use sensory perception, it might still serve to distract or confuse. But for sensory ninja, it was merely a waste of chakra.
The kid didn't know his sensei could use sensory perception.
Nor did the Uchiha clan.
The clone burst through the smoke, feigning an attack on Kakashi. To see what other tricks Itachi had, Kakashi pretended to block, and the non-corporeal clone dissipated into nothingness. Behind the clone, a shuriken and the previous kunai formed a crisscrossing web of wires, blocking two directions. The distance also made him abandon the idea of cutting the wires.
[Indeed, Dragon Fire Technique.]
Having used up his last bit of chakra, Itachi nearly collapsed to the ground. Flames shot forth, only to be mercilessly swatted away by his sensei.
'I thought you had some new ideas, but in the end, it was just another Dragon Fire. You still haven't controlled your distance well. At this range, even a normal ninja without defending would at most get a burn; it's nowhere near enough to incapacitate them.'
This was already him pushing himself beyond his limits.
Izumi was the same age as him, and she couldn't even perform the Great Fireball.
'Chakra depleted?'
'Mhm.'
'Does your body hurt?'
'It hurts.'
'Good. Now, the training count begins. That last bit was just a warm-up. Come on, keep attacking me.'
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