Facing the myriad reflections of Haku, Yukigetsu sighed, “There’s no way around it. As long as those two are here, I’m definitely going to get caught in this technique again…”
The same three-layered ice mirror surrounded them, and the endless cold once again enveloped them. But it wasn’t just a shadow clone this time so that it wouldn’t be as easy.
Haku’s voice echoed from all directions, “I truly regret not being able to face you head-on… but I won’t foolishly give up my greatest advantage. That’s not the way of the wise.”
“Yukigetsu… we…” Sakura’s voice trembled with worry behind him.
The boy waved his hand dismissively, interrupting her gently, “I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully!”
Tazuna and Sakura exchanged a glance and nodded solemnly. They understood the gravity of the situation. With the two of them here, Yukigetsu would be under much more pressure and have fewer chances of victory. They needed to follow his instructions to avoid being a burden.
“Both of you, stand here and don’t move. No matter what happens, unless I say otherwise, stay right here! I can’t afford to calculate your movements; I must consider you immovable objects.”
Without turning around, Yukigetsu continued seriously, “Remember, unless I’m dead, don’t move!”
Sakura wanted to say something, but Tazuna shook his head, stopping her.
“Alright, this time, I can’t hold back!” Yukigetsu spread his fingers and then clenched them into a fist, facing forward.
Haku nodded slightly, and all his reflections simultaneously raised their senbon.
Whoosh!
A senbon flew past, and Yukigetsu’s figure disappeared from where he stood. The next moment, he reappeared, having moved just half a body length, perfectly evading the attack.
Micro-Body Flicker Technique!
“His speed is almost like teleportation, but… it shouldn’t be faster than mine. So how did he dodge?” Haku frowned.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Figures danced in the air, attacking the boy from all angles, but he seemed to turn into a shadow. Only after an attack passed could it be seen that it had struck an afterimage.
Wait… an afterimage?
Haku was shocked. Had he been targeting afterimages all along? Was his opponent actually moving a moment before each strike, making it impossible to hit him?
“I never imagined someone could use such a short-distance teleportation technique. Nor did I think anyone could calculate the intervals between my attacks so accurately to dodge them… You truly are the most remarkable peer I’ve ever met!” Haku exclaimed in awe. “If it were one-on-one, I might not be able to win. But now, I’ll use every advantage, even if it’s somewhat underhanded…”
Yukigetsu sighed internally. As expected, he’s going to do that. This is going to be a big problem…
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Sure enough, Haku’s figures formed a net the next moment, attacking at high speed. But this time, they were targeting Tazuna and Sakura!
The two were instantly drenched in cold sweat, almost instinctively wanting to dodge. But remembering Yukigetsu’s stern warning, they barely held back. Tazuna even closed his eyes, entrusting his fate to the boy he once despised but now fully trusted.
A gentle breeze passed, and, as expected, there was no pain. Tazuna opened his eyes to see Yukigetsu standing before him, pierced by several senbon. Sakura clutched her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes but held back, not daring to make a sound.
“I counted thirty-six attacks. You used short-distance flickers, and deflected thirty senbon with kunai, but six hit you… Unfortunately, I can launch seventy-two attacks in one round. How many can you block?” Haku spoke calmly, though internally, he was astounded. The boy moved like a teleporting shadow, impossible to hit while protecting his companions. Even the six hits landed on non-lethal points—had he calculated that too?
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
The attacks continued, and Yukigetsu’s body was covered with more and more senbon, gradually resembling a porcupine. Blood splattered, making him look pitiful.
Sakura silently wept, feeling guilty for dragging him down…
Tazuna felt equally bad. Despite the boy’s odd behavior at the start of their mission, he had proven to be the most reliable person he’d ever met. And now, he was gravely injured protecting them, making him deeply respectful despite his youth.
Slash!
The Executioner’s Blade slashed across Kakashi’s chest, blood seeping from the wound, dripping from his tightly clenched left hand onto the ground.
“Kakashi, you’re a step too slow!” Zabuza sneered, “Is it because you’re worried about that brat and can’t focus?”
Kakashi gripped his kunai, face grim.
“And with this thick mist, even if your vision is as sharp as ever, your judgment of my movements has deteriorated.” Zabuza’s voice was sinister. “You should entertain me, Kakashi! Don’t worry about that brat—he’s probably dead by Haku’s hand with those two burdens!”
Zabuza raised his sword, his gaze sharp. “I’ll send you to join him. In the afterlife, you can regret your inadequacy and apologize to him!”
“Hmph…” Kakashi raised his drooping eyelids. “I have faith in him. As a descendant of the most illustrious clan in Konoha, possessing a unique kekkei genkai, he is a true genius ninja!”
Zabuza’s eyes widened in surprise. “Could it be…”
“Indeed!” Kakashi’s gaze pierced the mist, seemingly seeing the boy trapped in layers of ice mirrors. “If not for an accident, he should be called Senju Shingetsu!”
Zabuza’s entire body stiffened, his face darkening. “A descendant of that clan… No wonder he grew so quickly! But… Haku also has a formidable kekkei genkai, and no one has broken his secret technique before.”
Kakashi’s lips curled slightly. “Don’t forget, that clan’s greatest talent is their extraordinary vitality… When he gets serious, he won’t fall!”
Zabuza involuntarily tightened his grip on his sword. This brat is troublesome. Haku… don’t lose!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Rounds of attacks fell like cold rain, the endless killing intent permeating the air. Yukigetsu, moving at lightning speed around Tazuna and Sakura, seemed to create five or six identical defenders from a distance.
But Haku grew more and more shocked. From hitting a dozen senbon per round initially, he was now down to seven or eight. The boy seemed to have figured something out. Each time he aimed for a vital point, the boy dodged by a hair’s breadth. Truly an extraordinary flicker technique!
Most importantly, despite nearly a hundred senbon embedded in his body and blood pooling around him, the boy hadn’t fallen. Even some of his earlier wounds had almost healed… What kind of ability was this?
“So that’s it… You have a kekkei genkai too…” Haku paused his attack. “I need to end this quickly. This technique drains chakra, and maintaining speed is taxing. Dragging it out is not in my favor!”
Yukigetsu’s expression turned serious. He saw Haku’s reflections in the ice mirrors forming hand seals at a dizzying speed. The next moment, Haku shouted:
“Secret Technique: Ice Explosion!”
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
