Sakada's body slammed into a large tree, the impact shaking loose a shower of leaves.
For a moment, the forest was silent.
Cold blood splattered across Sakada's face. The world around him seemed frozen — nothing but the echo of his own breathing and the lifeless forms of his three fallen comrades.
A sharp pain twisted in his chest.
"Genjutsu?"
His eyes widened. Instantly, he disrupted his chakra flow, breaking the illusion.
The scene shattered, and reality returned. Barely a few seconds had passed — no one else had even noticed he'd been caught.
Sakada replayed the moment in his mind. There had been a faint snap of fingers. An auditory trigger — impressive precision for such a young shinobi.
"Not bad," Sakada said coolly, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. "To catch me in a genjutsu, you've earned some respect."
His tone darkened. "I was going to ask if the Hidden Leaf Village had run out of shinobi — sending four little brats out here."
He smirked. "But it seems you're skilled enough… to die by my hands."
Hayashi said nothing.
It didn't matter that the illusion was broken. He'd only been testing his opponent's reaction time — and as expected, no Jōnin survived long without sharp instincts.
Hayashi's eyes narrowed. "I'll handle Sakada. Kushina, Mikoto, Nawaki — you three take the Genin. You can handle that, right?"
The three nodded, already locking onto their respective opponents.
Hayashi gave a small tilt of his head, signaling for them to move.
Sakada understood the gesture — and decided to separate as well. The boy's genjutsu was dangerous; he could resist it, but his subordinates couldn't. If they stayed close, they'd only die faster.
Both of them vanished, flickering deeper into the forest.
As they moved, Sakada drew a short sword from his back. The moment the blade gleamed in the sunlight, his entire presence shifted — calm composure replaced by raw, killing intent.
When he charged, it was like the forest itself trembled.
Hayashi was surprised. For someone who looked so mild behind those glasses, Sakada's fighting style was feral.
Interesting, Hayashi thought, lips curving slightly. Let's see what you've got.
The two clashed.
Clang! Clang!
Hayashi's kunai met Sakada's blade, sparks bursting with each strike. The force behind the sword didn't waver. Even as Hayashi parried, the kunai cracked under the pressure.
That sword is no ordinary weapon, Hayashi realized.
Sakada lowered his stance, the tip of his sword slicing low toward Hayashi's legs. At the same time, he pivoted and launched a swift kick.
Hayashi jumped, deflecting the blow with his kunai. Their weapons collided in a blur of motion — until the kunai finally shattered.
In that instant, Hayashi's foot slammed into Sakada's chest, sending him skidding backward.
With one free hand, Hayashi formed quick seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring sphere of flame surged forward, lighting up the forest.
Sakada didn't hesitate. With a sharp swing, his sword sliced through the inferno, splitting it apart — only to reveal several shuriken hidden within.
The spinning weapons shot toward him from different angles, glinting with lethal precision.
Sakada's eyes flickered. "That throw…" he muttered. "Uchiha technique."
The shuriken struck a log with a loud thud.
Substitution Jutsu.
Hayashi's gaze sharpened. In the same instant, his body blurred into a black streak.
Body Flicker Technique!
He reappeared atop a tall tree, already in motion. Without hesitation, his kunai slashed down toward Sakada's head.
The Jōnin bent backward, narrowly dodging the fatal strike. A few strands of his hair floated away in the breeze.
Recovering instantly, Sakada countered with three lightning-fast sword strikes — each deflected by Hayashi's kunai. The fourth swing passed through empty air.
An afterimage!?
Before Sakada could react, Hayashi's kick caught him in the ribs, sending him crashing into another tree. The sword in his hand stabbed into the bark, halting his fall.
Both paused, breathing steadily, eyes locked.
Sakada pushed up his glasses. "Are you a sensory-type?" he asked.
He'd just used the Body Replacement Technique, yet the boy had tracked him perfectly. Only a sensory ninja could do that.
Hayashi didn't respond. He didn't need to know about Dabai, his contracted summon, who relayed enemy positions through heat signatures.
In battle, knowledge was power — and Hayashi wasn't about to give that away.
The tension stretched, both waiting for the other to move.
Then Sakada's voice cut through the stillness. "That Body Flicker… You—are you Uchiha Kagami's son!?"
Hayashi blinked, caught off guard. Really? My old man's name still follows me around?
Sakada's expression twisted between disbelief and mania. "It has to be. Only Uchiha Kagami's bloodline could move like that!"
Hayashi frowned. Don't tell me this guy's some fan of my father.
But before he could speak, Sakada's tone darkened.
"My teacher died in the last Shinobi World War… killed by Uchiha Kagami." His lips curled into a cold smile. "I heard Kagami died on a mission, but to think he left behind a son…"
Hayashi's expression went flat.
Of course, he thought bitterly. No inheritance, just more enemies.
Sakada's laughter turned sharp, deranged. He lunged forward, his sword gleaming with bloodlust.
The speed was incredible — far beyond his earlier pace.
Hayashi's eyes narrowed. He wasn't fighting seriously before.
With a flick of his fingers, he snapped. Click.
At once, Sakada's body stiffened, caught in the genjutsu once more.
It wasn't enough to kill — but it froze him just long enough. Hayashi's kunai thrust toward his chest.
At the last second, Sakada's blade rose, blocking the strike. His free hand moved in a blur, slashing across Hayashi's arm with a hidden kunai.
Pain flashed through Hayashi's side, but he didn't falter.
Sakada's eyes widened in shock — just before Hayashi's fist drove into his chest like a sledgehammer.
The impact sent him flying twenty meters, crashing through branches before slamming into the dirt. He coughed up blood, gasping for air.
Hayashi exhaled, his expression calm. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
As Sakada's battered form hit the ground, Hayashi's hands flashed through seals.
The faint rip of paper tags sounded.
"Boom!"
The explosion lit up the clearing, flames surg
ing into the sky as heat washed over Hayashi's face, rustling his clothes in the violent wind.
He lowered his arm, eyes cold.
"It's over."
_____
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