Chapter 21: It's too fast to dodge
Swish! Swish!
Hearing the voice, Kakashi and Shenran looked up in terror. Twenty meters ahead stood Kamikazutani.
However, Kamikazutani no longer had his previous elegance. His clothes were stained with blood, and a wound on his right shoulder was bleeding profusely. He looked somewhat dishevelled.
Despite his injuries, Kamikazutani's aura remained fierce and bloodthirsty. The intense killing intent was so overwhelming that Kakashi felt suffocated as if the very air around them had solidified.
"The captain and the others..."
Seeing Kamikazutani, Kakashi murmured, understanding that 'Ryuu' and the others had failed to stop him. Just as he had anticipated, they had likely sacrificed themselves on the battlefield or were incapacitated.
Not seeing the other three Sand ninjas meant they were probably in a similar state, either dead or unable to fight.
"You can't escape. Just accept your fate and die."
Kamikazutani sneered at their terrified expressions and immediately attacked, knowing that dragging out the fight could lead to complications. It was best to resolve it quickly.
"If I kill these two, I won't have to bear the label of a rogue ninja anymore."
Kamikazutani thought, his killing intent for Kakashi and Shenran skyrocketing. Not having to bear the label of a rogue ninja was reason enough to want them dead.
Zzzzt!
With a series of hand seals, Kamikazutani conjured several wind blades, sending them slicing towards Kakashi and Shenran. As the invisible blades approached, trees and rocks were cut like tofu.
"Dodge quickly!"
Ignoring his fatigue, Kakashi leapt aside, shouting a warning to Shenran.
Swish, swish!
Sheeran needed no reminder, dodging just like Kakashi. Knowing the cutting power would still injure him; he wouldn't dare try to withstand Kamikazutani's wind jutsu with his stone-hardening technique.
Zzzzt!
As the wind blades missed them, the ground was gouged with deep trenches. The blades continued to twist and turn under Kamikazutani's control, making them difficult to avoid.
Swish, swish!
Kakashi relied on his Sharingan's enhanced vision to evade the attacks.
"Earth Style: Stone Hardening Jutsu!"
Without a Sharingan, Shenran resorted to his stone-hardening technique when he couldn't dodge. However, the weakened wind blades left shallow cuts, causing blood to spurt.
"Hmph!"
Shenran grunted in pain.
Their fatigue from running, along with their depleted chakra, left them struggling against Kamikazutani's attack.
Although Kakashi managed to dodge, he was in a dire state. Having used Chidori twice and fled rapidly, his chakra was nearly exhausted. His unique Hatake clan constitution couldn't replenish his chakra fast enough, especially while using the Sharingan.
"What do I do?"
Kakashi was frantic. Protecting Sheeran seemed impossible when he couldn't safeguard himself against such a formidable opponent.
"'Wolf', right? His chakra is low, too. If we handle this carefully, we might have a chance to defeat him!"
Shenran's voice interrupted Kakashi's thoughts. Looking closely at Kamikazutani, Kakashi noticed he was indeed exhausted, just as Sheeran had said. Kakashi felt a cold sweat, realising he hadn't seen this detail earlier. His original body's memories were still merging with his new soul, and he needed to reabsorb his combat experience through battles.
Luckily, his original body's memories made it easier to adapt.
"Hmph, even with low chakra, I'm not someone you can match!"
"Just die!"
"Wind Style: Violent Wind Tornado!"
Ignoring Shenran's comment, Kamikazutani sneered, forming hand seals for another wind jutsu. He attacked with a high-level wind technique that even Kakashi couldn't replicate with his Sharingan.
Zzzzt!
A terrifying tornado shot from Kamikazutani's mouth, growing to a ten-meter radius and spiralling towards Kakashi and Shenran. The surrounding debris was instantly shredded, displaying its immense power. The tornado quickly closed in on them.
A high-level jutsu like this, executed despite his low chakra and injuries, showed why Kamikazutani was a top Sand Village warrior, almost on par with the Fourth Kazekage.
To Kakashi, the technique's power was comparable to the future Rasengan.
"Damn it!"
"It's too fast to dodge. What do we do?"
Kakashi's pupils contracted in panic.
"I'll put everything into this strike!"
With resolve, Kakashi channelled all his remaining chakra into one final attack.