Naruto was safe for now, but Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno were still in danger.
Sasuke fared slightly better, his crimson eyes constantly tracking Yasu's movements.
Sakura, however, was completely exposed.
"Naruto! Quickly surround us with your clones!" Sakura called anxiously.
Hearing her plea, Naruto immediately dashed back.
Protecting Sakura was one thing—he'd do it happily—but shielding Sasuke at the same time was a bit less appealing.
Still, it was Sakura's order, and Naruto dared not argue. Otherwise, he'd be in for a serious beating later.
"Finally… teamwork! Though there's still some friction, the three of them are starting to cooperate. Maybe that's why Yasu hasn't moved yet. But now, how will he handle this?"
[Ding! Kakashi Hatake affection +1! Current: 76 points!]
Yasu blinked, surprised that Kakashi's affection had increased again.
But he had no time to think about that.
With the recent upgrade to his body flicker technique, both speed and distance had improved dramatically.
Even after several consecutive uses, he hadn't fully adapted to the upgraded technique.
Seeing the three of them clustered together, however, left him no choice—he had to act seriously, or he'd regret it later.
"All right… time to move!"
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, meticulously scanning for even the slightest movement. Though he hated to admit it, Yasu's speed was nothing short of exceptional.
"Naruto! Watch your back!"
Sasuke shouted, and Naruto instinctively turned.
Yasu was already crouched behind him, hands clasped in a gun-like shape at his waist.
"Thousand Years of Death!"
Yasu thrust with all his strength toward Naruto's most vulnerable spot.
Naruto hadn't anticipated this move—he didn't even have time to defend before being struck.
Bang!
Naruto's body erupted into smoke.
"Still resorting to the most basic method, huh?" Kakashi shook his head in exasperation.
Yasu had tremendous potential, but his lack of combat experience made him panic in even minor complications.
Kakashi reached for a small stone, intending to give Yasu a subtle hint.
But his hand froze midair.
"How… how did he see it? Was it just luck?"
Yasu crouched behind Naruto again, hands forming the deadly pose.
This time, his target was Naruto himself.
"I see… now I understand!" Kakashi's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't classified as forbidden due to its power—but because of its side effect.
Every clone experiences attacks individually, and the pain or trauma is sent back to the original.
If too much feedback arrived at once, the person could collapse into a vegetative state.
Yasu exploited this perfectly.
He attacked any clone casually, but when he struck the weak spot, the feedback to the original was unbearable.
No matter how strong the person, their expression would betray the pain.
By targeting that critical spot, Yasu instantly located the real Naruto.
He struck with full force, sending Naruto hurtling into the sky before crashing down, screaming.
At the same moment, all of Naruto's clones shattered.
"Brilliant! So this is how to counter clones… I'll have to try this next time!" Kakashi exclaimed, mimicking Yasu's deadly stance.
"Uh-oh! The Uchiha boy's found an opening!"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke clasped his hands, inhaled deeply, and expelled a torrent of scorching fire, instantly engulfing Yasu.
"Impossible… he didn't dodge!"
Kakashi's eyes widened. Sasuke's Sharingan made him no ordinary opponent—he could seize even a fleeting opportunity.
Yasu could slice through the flames and defeat Sasuke, but his chakra was limited.
Unexpectedly, the seemingly insignificant Sakura became the key to the battle.
Team 7 had won, but Kakashi was not pleased with Sasuke.
During the fight, he had clearly used Naruto as bait.
Abandoning a teammate was unforgivable to Kakashi.
"I need to train Yasu properly," he muttered, shaking his head.
As he prepared to intervene, Kakashi noticed something odd in the fireball.
"Wait… that's the Clone Technique!"
Kakashi stared in disbelief.
Although simple, performing Clone Technique without being noticed under his gaze was no small feat.
"Yasu keeps surprising me… tonight, I'll have to make him show his full potential," Kakashi thought.
Sasuke also noticed the anomaly in the fireball. Normally, someone hit by fire would struggle and cry out. The stability now felt… unnatural, like burning dry wood.
"Impossible! Clone Technique!"
A chill ran up Sasuke's spine. His head turned slowly, like a rusty machine.
There crouched Yasu, hands poised in that terrifying pose.
Recalling Naruto's agony, Sasuke broke out in cold sweat and stammered, "I think… maybe we should… talk this out."
"Sorry, but you're not sitting this one out today!"
Yasu smirked and unleashed the Thousand Years of Death.
Sasuke flew through the air, crashing to the ground, groaning, with only tears in his eyes proving he was still alive.
With Sasuke handled, Yasu slowly turned toward Sakura.
Sakura gasped and braced herself. "I'm a girl! You can't do this to me!"
Yasu's lips curved into a small smile. "On the battlefield, being a girl doesn't spare you."
Before she could react, Yasu appeared behind her.
"Thousand Years of Death!"