Chapter 94: Acquiring a New Material

"Tch, are kids these days really this arrogant? Just leave him to me," Blaze sneered, flicking his wrist to reveal two short steel blades.

"No, let me handle him. I prefer speedy opponents. Blaze, you and Stone take one captive and interrogate them—find out how they discovered our intel and how many came this time," Leech habitually issued orders, already beginning to form hand seals in preparation for battle.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Bang bang bang bang... smoke exploded into the air, and twenty clones surrounded them, poised to attack Kakashi—when suddenly, Shiraki grabbed him by the arm.

"Wait! Where did you learn this Multiple Shadow Clone?" Shiraki tilted his head, looking at Leech in confusion. Could he actually be the true traitor to the Leaf?

"What's so strange about it? The Second Hokage's jutsu from the Leaf is simple and effective. It's been spread throughout the ninja world already; anyone in the village can learn it for a bit of contribution," Leech answered, baffled.

"Alright! New material here. Go ahead." Shiraki waved him off, hurriedly pulling out a small notebook and jotting down his inspiration.

#Shimura Danzo Sold Second Hokage's Jutsu to Iwagakure for Brothel Money#

...

"Little brat from the Leaf, if you want to get past, you'll have to face me first." One shadow clone deliberately exposed itself to lure the enemy.

Shiraki envied how obedient Leech's clones were, willing to die as ordered. His own illusion clones always had minds of their own and acted out. Tell them to do something, and they'd retort, "Why don't you do it yourself?"

"They've appeared? So slow," Kakashi muttered, watching the Iwagakure ninja descend from above. He bent his knees, using the powerful speed of Chidori to charge forward...

Heart strike!

Bang... That despairing sound, always accompanied by the shadow of death—it was a clone...

Now!

A swarm of Leech clones, wielding longswords, leapt out from every concealed corner. This attack was ten times faster than the bait!

"...So it was a shadow clone? I let my guard down," Kakashi murmured, unfazed. After all, using clones to mislead opponents was something he often did himself; he was well-versed and naturally left a backup plan.

Shadow clones were originally developed for reconnaissance. As offensive jutsu, the side effects were too severe—few used them that way, let alone a dozen attacking together. This Iwagakure ninja... was strong, and reckless.

Crackle...

Chidori in Kakashi's hand began to morph, condensing into a five-segment lightning whip. With a fierce swing, it refracted five times in midair, instantly blasting five clones.

Lightning Style: Five-Strike Lightning Whip!

"To think he could improve a C-rank jutsu to this level? Never underestimate a Leaf brat," Leech felt a sting of pain from his clones' deaths, his eye twitching involuntarily.

"The real one is there!" Kakashi had already caught the flaw. The unbearable backlash of Multiple Shadow Clone was the very reason it was classified as Forbidden Jutsu.

Now that he's exposed... it's time to die!

Chidori!

The piercing chirping of birds echoed through the forest again, powerful currents stimulating every cell in Kakashi's body. At a speed far beyond sound, he darted past the remaining clones, straight for Leech's heart.

"Too fast!" Leech's pupils widened. He hadn't expected his real body to be spotted so quickly. But as a veteran jonin of Iwagakure, with rich battle experience, he knew it's too late to fully dodge. He twisted his torso to avoid a fatal blow, rotating his wrist to aim his blade at Kakashi.

The scene flashed by. Azure light swept past Leech's side, a sharp pain in his ribs, and the bird's chirping finally reached his ears.

Kakashi, too, clutched his right armpit, blood seeping through his fingers. His speed was so great that even his own vision couldn't keep up, leaving him unable to adjust his attack posture—he crashed right into the blade. Not being skewered through the heart was practically a gift from the Reaper.

"Kid, your talent is impressive, but you're still too young," Leech pressed his bleeding side, badly wounded but with a dozen clones still intact.

Kakashi, surrounded by Leech's clones, showed no arrogance or regret—only perfect calm. "Perhaps dying on a mission is the ninja's destiny."

"Kakashi!!" Obito's furious roar came from behind, followed by the buzzing of countless shuriken whirling through the air.

The three-tomoe Sharingan spun frantically, freezing the scene in Obito's eyes—so clear he could even see the wings of flying insects vibrating in midair. No matter how fast the movement, everything became a stationary target.

Even if he couldn't master the Uchiha clan's famed shuriken techniques, ordinary target shooting was more than enough.

Bang bang bang bang...

Leech's clones burst one after another into clouds of smoke.

"Fool... don't think I'll thank you for this. The jonin's gift still stands," Kakashi finally got a breather, stabbing at Leech with a backhanded strike.

The air was thick with a proud, sour stench.

"Hey, Leech, how did you get bested by a little brat? Let me show him what I've got." Blaze leapt from the treetop, forming hand seals mid-air, timing it perfectly so he completed the jutsu just as he landed.

Earth Style: Earth Spikes!

The ground trembled slightly, as if countless soldiers wielding spears were hiding below, thrusting up at Kakashi.

Kakashi had no choice but to abandon his attack on Leech, flipping away to dodge, his left hand constantly forming seals together with his wounded right.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

A stone wall carved with three dog heads rose from the earth. Kakashi jumped atop it, avoiding the pursuing earth spikes.

"Oh~! That feels good today—almost lost my life, but still remembered to carve dog heads," Shiraki breathed a sigh of relief.

"When you got beaten like a dog in mid-lane as Yasuo, didn't you still show off your dog tag?" a voice echoed from the void.

"Damn! Who! Who's touching me?!" Shiraki cursed loudly.

The battle raged on.

"Kakashi, leave this guy to me. Feel the power of the Sharingan!" Obito charged at Blaze with a kunai.

"Idiot, weren't you supposed to protect Rin?" Kakashi, wielding a short blade, joined Obito in flanking Blaze.

"Rin asked me to help you, dummy!" Obito shot back without mercy.

"Such leisurely little brats—better look after yourselves. You're facing the mighty Blaze, the Fang of the Earth!" Blaze grinned wickedly, the twin blades on his wrists easily keeping pace with both their attacks.

"Blaze?" Obito paused. "Is he one of ours, from the Leaf?"

"Fire never ceases, light never ends," Kakashi even tried to use a passphrase.

"Shut up... Nonsense! I'm pure Iwagakure! Prepare to die!" Blaze's face flushed red with rage, nearly losing his mind. The name his parents gave him—what did it have to do with the Leaf?