Chapter 35 - I Used to Run Fast, Until I Took a Fist to the Knee

In the attic, Kakashi’s gaze was serious.

"Watch out for the Mist Village jonin!"
"Forget about the Mist ninja. Let them retreat with their men."
"What I fear is..."
Kakashi trailed off.

The enemy might not be here to rescue anyone. They could be here to kill their employer or have other motives. He’d sensed that their teacher, Jiraiya, had quietly left, and at this moment, they didn’t have the power to fight a Mist jonin on their own.

"If it’s really like that, we’ll fight to the death and let Kurenai take the others and leave."
Kakashi nodded silently, his hand clutching his White Fang sword behind him.

In the mist, Pibara Jizo sneered.
"You kids, how much are you willing to risk your lives for this mission? Drop your weapons, and maybe I’ll let you go. If not… I’ll slaughter all of you!"

Trying to capture them?

Kakashi's heart sank. This was the worst possible outcome.

At this point, the mist was so thick that they couldn’t see more than a few steps ahead.

"Stay close to me,"
Kakashi whispered.

He relied on his chakra sensing to barely keep track of his surroundings and not stumble blindly through the mist.

Kakashi silently nodded, holding his White Fang sword behind him.

The next moment, Kyōen vanished using Shunshin.

At that exact moment—

Boom!
The Decapitation Sword cleaved through a large board.

Kyōen and Kakashi instantly reappeared by Kisame, and instead of running, they rushed toward the enemy—closing the gap between them and the Mist jonin, Gōzō Man'atsu.

Zzzzt!

Raiton: Daitō (Lightning Style: Earth Walk!)

Kakashi and Kyōen were perfectly synchronized. Previously, when the mist wasn’t so thick, Kyōen had attacked for the first time, and their enemy’s body turned to water. The second time, when Kakashi used lightning in conjunction with Kyōen’s water techniques, the enemy had chosen to dodge.

It seemed the enemy feared lightning!

Gōzō Man'atsu immediately moved away, but just as he did, the water that had gathered on the ground surged up and twisted into a rotating vortex.

A special water barrier, under the user’s control, spun and contracted.

The difference was—this time, the goal wasn’t defense. They didn’t need to control its strength; they just needed to flood Gōzō Man'atsu with the water wall.

Kakashi increased his chakra output, and the lightning spread rapidly, the air crackling with the paralyzing sensation of the electricity.

The water surged and drowned Gōzō Man'atsu.

He had already used a water clone, but the spinning water and rain-like droplets surrounded him.

The strong current flowed through the droplets and into his body.

The lightning struck, and Gōzō Man'atsu’s brain went blank.

Boom!
Gōzō Man'atsu, who had just stepped away using Shunshin, fell from the sky and crashed awkwardly against the half-untied Kisame.

He never expected...
That after only two or three moves against Kyōen, the boy had seen through his weakness and used his ninjutsu so accurately and skillfully, catching him off guard with a Lightning Style jutsu.

At this moment, he couldn’t move.

As the water wall fell, Kakashi’s blade came down, but the body still managed to turn to water, avoiding the fatal blow.

The Water Clone Technique was immune to blades.

Gōzō Man'atsu regained his form.

In the next moment, a giant sword sliced through his head, rushing toward Kakashi.

In the mist, Pibara Jizo's cruel face twisted.

However—

Kyōen crouched, holding a kunai, and with one quick step, he closed in, the kunai piercing Gōzō Man'atsu’s body and heading straight for his heart.

So fast!

Pibara Jizo’s pupils contracted, and he swiftly raised his leg to kick the kunai away.

His speed was terrifying.

Based on Pibara Jizo's estimation, this kick would be impossible for Kyōen to dodge.

Smack!

Kyōen’s right hand was solidly kicked, and the kunai flew out.

However...

Kyōen immediately grabbed Pibara Jizo’s leg.

"Careful!"
The still-bound Kisame’s eyes widened.

He knew exactly what was happening.

The black-haired boy seemed ordinary but was incredibly devious. The kunai wasn’t meant to kill—its purpose was to distract Pibara Jizo.
The real deadly move came from Kyōen’s other hand!

That terrifying strength could make Pibara Jizo pay dearly for underestimating him, especially at the moment when the kick landed.

Pibara Jizo heard the warning, and his hairs stood on end.

He quickly tried to retract his foot.

But it was too late!

Kyōen’s right hand was already gripping his leg, and though he quickly pulled away, it was enough.

With his left hand accelerating, Kyōen’s kill move was delivered!

The target—his knee!

Kyōen instantly assessed the situation in his mind.

With his fist, he struck.

The chakra he’d gathered erupted, and his fist turned into a torrent of terrifying air pressure.

Crack!

Kyōen’s immense strength wasn’t on par with Tsunade’s, but it was still enough to shatter Pibara Jizo’s knee, dislocating and fracturing it. He nearly lost his balance and staggered, barely managing to catch himself with the giant sword.

"Ahhh!!!"

A single moment of underestimation had led to his downfall.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot with rage.

At this moment, Pibara Jizo wanted nothing more than to use his Decapitation Sword to cut down Kyōen, but now, he wasn’t thinking about killing—he was focused on self-preservation.

Clang!

The Decapitation Sword tilted, blocking Kakashi’s White Fang short blade.

However—

Kyōen proved even more troublesome, especially with his terrifying strength.

Pibara Jizo’s forehead veins popped out.

"Kyūgō, aren't you going to make a move? Kill this little brat!"
Outside the mist, another voice called out.

"That was your call not to let me act. Now it’s your call to make me do it."
From outside the mist, the voice of Suigetsu, the Sword of the Mist, came.

"Go!"

Kyōen glanced sideways.

Gōzō Man'atsu was almost recovering.

Kakashi quickly stabbed his sword into Gōzō Man'atsu once more.

It wasn’t much damage, but the insult was severe because the blade carried Lightning chakra, paralyzing Gōzō Man'atsu once more.

He had just recovered a bit, and now he was immobilized again. He could only watch helplessly as Kyōen and Kakashi carried Kisame away.

As for Pibara Jizo, his attack range was limited to only half a step, plus the reach of his Decapitation Sword. Any further, and he couldn’t reach.

"Truly shameful!"
Suigetsu, the Sword of the Mist, mocked.

As a jonin, someone of Pibara Jizo's caliber, to be tricked by a lowly genin, with his knee damaged to the point where he couldn’t move swiftly, was a complete joke.

If Pibara Jizo had just cooperated with Gōzō Man'atsu to rescue the hostage, they would’ve already taken the person away by now.

Pibara Jizo’s face darkened.

He thought he could win with just a couple of moves, but these kids were slippery—far from ordinary genin.

He was in a difficult spot. If he had another chance, he would never underestimate this black-haired kid again.

But for now, he had to focus on solving the immediate problem.

He coldly said, "Jiraiya could return at any time. We need to move quickly to capture them!"

"You don’t need to remind me."
Suigetsu's actions were swift. His large, seemingly clumsy body moved quickly, and with a few Shunshin, he closed the gap between him and Kyōen, Kakashi.

Then, his hair—each strand—flew forward like thousands of needles.

Kakashi’s face instantly paled.
They were trying to capture them alive!

"What now?"
"..."

Kyōen stood in front of him, lifting Kisame as a shield.

Thud thud thud!
The hair pierced through his body.

Kisame’s eyes filled with despair.