Chapter 58
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Battles between ninjas always involve many unexpected elements. Apart from overwhelming strength, the handling of details, whether rough or delicate, can create opportunities for weaker individuals to counterattack and make the strong even stronger.
Details are especially important. This is why Sakumo, like a tyrant from the start, relentlessly sparred with the two, feeding them moves like crazy.
Strength determines the lower limit, but the upper limit is always decided by the finer details of combat and combat intelligence.
So, battles with those wandering samurai are just appetizers, allowing both to recognize the taste of blood, forgetting their past hesitations and mercy.
Good people don't live long in this world.
With Kakashi by his side, the two wielded their blades through the woods, cutting their way to the foot of the mountain and into the bandit camp, leaving a river of blood along the way!
Kyomu had become numb, but the souls he devoured around him still gave him some comfort.
His mental strength had more than doubled!
This passive skill had to be fed with lives to unleash its maximum potential.
Rustle~
A slight noise caught the attention of both, and in the blink of an eye, a dozen people surrounded them.
Ninja knives, ninja tool pouches, and attire distinct from wandering samurai undoubtedly proved their identities.
There was no need for introductions, no excessive words, and certainly no concern for one-on-one fights. Surviving, killing enemies, and completing missions, that's the essence of a ninja.
Mechanical and ruthless!
Swish, swish, swish~
As soon as they revealed themselves, a barrage of shuriken and kunai filled the air, followed by hanging exploding tags sizzling.
The firepower coverage was flawless.
Dodging was not enough; it wasn't time to rely on ninjutsu defense yet, Kyomu knew at a glance.
The enemy outnumbered them, knew the terrain, and their leader, the strongest, hadn't even made a move yet. Everything had to be cautious, so conserving energy was crucial.
With a glance at Kakashi, the two nodded to each other tacitly, their battle strategy already set.
Close-quarters combat, avoiding revealing more about themselves, leaving the leader watching silently behind, confused.
Neither knew each other's details because your trump card is only useful if it remains unknown.
Kyomu and Kakashi also didn't fighted together.
Ding, ding, ding~
While evading, both counterattacked swiftly, remembering that the best defense was a good offense, as taught by Sakumo.
In an instant, shuriken and kunai flew through the air, Kyomu and Kakashi pushed their hand speed to the limit, and their throwing techniques were also used to the fullest.
Two against a dozen... no, two against eleven. Although they hadn't gained the upper hand, they held their own against them.
In the fundamental skills, Kyomu and Kakashi were obviously superior.
And by such probing, they also learned some of each other's secrets, especially the bandit leader observing from the sidelines, whose expression grew more serious.
"These are no ordinary Leaf Genin," his gaze wandered between Kyomu and Kakashi, "Makes sense, they've been indulged by Konoha for so many years, treating us whetstones for their new generation of ninjas."
Then, a cruel smile, "But I haven't resigned myself to fate. If you want to take me down, you must be prepared to die!"
His expression turned cold, and with a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Attack, force out all their secrets!"
"Yes, boss!"
The eleven split into two groups, with one extra on Kakashi's side.
They believed Kakashi, with his mask, must be more professional and stronger, so naturally, they targeted him more.
Kyomu didn't worried about Kakashi; he trusted him, and this was Kyomu's first real combat, which required his full attention.
With one hand on the hilt of his blade, Kyomu took the initiative to advance.
Like a tiger among sheep, Kyomu moved quickly and fiercely, remembering the key points of combat, using seven-tenths of his strength to kill enemies and leaving three-tenths to defend.
Iai, Crimson Moon Slash!
But even with seven-tenths of his strength, the sudden draw of the blade was still outrageously strong, especially with the first strike.
Unprepared, one enemy was taken out instantly.
Fire Release, Fireball Jutsu!
A D-rank Fire Release ninjutsu, slow trajectory, narrow coverage, moderate flame temperature, but decent explosive force.
As he glimpse the movement beside him, Kyomu processed the information swiftly, making the most effective and concise response.
Yōei, cut it down!
Swinging the blade for a sweeping strike, amidst the surprised faces of the besieging ninja, the fireball coming towards him was split in half smoothly, without any hindrance.
But Kyomu's performance wasn't over yet.
Reserving three-tenths of his strength allowed him to organize the next attack even faster before the first one landed.
With a light tap of his toes, his heart pumping like a high-pressure pump, sending blood to his leg muscles, Kyomu's powerful burst of force propelled him forward, crashing into another Genin.
Simultaneously, his wrist twisted, changing to a reverse grip on Yōei, his body spun violently, and with even greater force and speed, his right hand swiftly slashed upwards.
Whoosh.
A crimson blade flashed, and a hot, sharp gust of wind swept through as another person fell to the ground.
But just as he landed, Kyomu's gaze sharpened, his wrist turning back to grip Yōei's handle properly, his left hand pressing against the blade, holding Yōei horizontally in front of his chest.
Ding!~
An ambush from the observing leader was blocked, and a shuriken dropped to the ground.
His timing for the ambush was excellent, precisely during Kyomu's attack gap. Without the experience of Sakumo's previous guidance, Kyomu could have been in danger.
His pupils contracted again, Kyomu exerted force with his feet, swiftly retreating backward, while his hand quickly formed seals.
Five seals in one second, excellence within excellence.
Earth Release, Earth Style Wall!
Boom!~
The exploding tag tied to the end of the shuriken exploded, sending shockwaves and flames soaring, but a thick stone slab raised just in time perfectly blocked it.
"Single-handed seals, instant casting!" The bandit leader gritted his teeth, "Is this guy truly a Genin?!"
But Kyomu didn't care about the bandit leader's thoughts.
After landing, taking advantage of the still lingering flames and the obstruction of the stone slab in front of him, he reached into his ninja tool pouch and swiftly threw the last few shuriken, aiming forward.
With another burst of speed, his body chased after the shuriken at a breakneck pace.
The remaining three Genin saw Kyomu charging again and despair flashed in their eyes.
From the start of the fight, they knew this person's strength far exceeded theirs; they could only fight desperately for a glimmer of hope.
Two of them simultaneously formed hand seals.
Fire Release, Fireball Jutsu!
Wind Release, Wind Scattering Technique!
And the last one charged towards Kyomu, attempting to hinder his progress and evade left and right.
Wind aided the fire, and the relatively small fireball suddenly expanded, turning a D-rank Fire Release jutsu into something resembling the power and speed of a C-rank Great Fireball Technique.
But Kyomu had his own plans and didn't care much about such teamwork.
His sparring partner was an elite, after all!
Ding, ding, ding~
The shuriken flying ahead of Kyomu suddenly collided, sparking as they hit each other. They veered off course, changing trajectories, and Kyomu surged forward just as the sparks were about to dissipate.
Ignoring the Genin attempting to intervene, Kyomu raised Yōei again, ready to strike downward. The incoming fireball was once again sliced in two.
Twice in a row, he shattered everyone's understanding, including the secretly observing Sakumo.
But opportunities wait for no one. Kyomu quickly organized another attack, cutting horizontally towards one of the three Genin.
As the blade fell, the shuriken that changed course to attack from behind also reached their intended targets.
Blood sprayed, Kyomu's blade cut down one, but three people fell. One person had their throat cut by Yōei, while the other two were unexpectedly hit from the smoke of the ninjutsu, pierced in the back of their head.
"Exquisite!" Sakumo almost couldn't help but applaud, "Battle is art, and you are the artist!
Of course, my son is not bad either, finally understanding the essence of the Hatake Swordsmanship!"
On the battlefield, Kyomu sheathed his blade, standing tall. On the other side, Kakashi had already retracted his sudden thrust that pierced two opponents. The battle was over.
In the next moment, the two approached each other, standing side by side, glaring at the bandit leader.
There was no escaping this disaster...
The bandit leader felt desolate, but his ferocity surged even higher. Since survival seemed bleak, there was no other choice but to go all out.
Kill!
(End of Chapter)