"Finally, it's time to strike back. Kakashi, don't lag behind," Obito said with a sense of relief, unable to hold back.
He was already prepared to use Ninjutsu at any moment.
"That should be my line. Use all your Chakra wisely and don't waste it on ineffective Ninjutsu," Kakashi tightened his grip on the White Fang Short Blade in his hand, eyes fixed on Bakuri not far away.
"It seems like our springtime of youth is burning brightly today," Guy thumbs-upped himself, Kakashi, and Obito.
Then the three nodded at each other.
Guy prepared to charge, shouting, "Alright, let's go!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito swiftly formed hand seals and expelled a large amount of flames, forming a gigantic fireball towering four meters high that smashed towards Bakuri.
Although Guy's earlier kick showed impressive strength, Obito still didn't believe that Guy could confront Bakuri head-on. Therefore, Obito wanted to create a suitable opportunity for Guy to attack.
The Great Fireball, reaching up to four meters high, looked imposing. While Bakuri could have blocked it, he didn't want to directly face such Fire Release Ninjutsu that could be evaded, so he immediately dodged to the right.
Kakashi naturally wouldn't allow Bakuri to evade so easily. He immediately threw out a large number of shuriken and leaped onto a tree, continuously closing in on Bakuri through each successive tree.
Facing the incoming shuriken, Bakuri raised the sword in his hand. He gathered Chakra in his palm for Nature Transformation, and the silver blade was immediately enveloped in blue lightning.
Swish!
Bakuri swung the sword carrying lightning, instantly resolving the incoming shuriken.
"If this is all they have, the battle will end soon," Bakuri grinned.
Three kids of such age possessing this kind of strength... they're all geniuses. Achieving credit for killing geniuses in war is more significant than killing ordinary ninjas.
Swish!
At that moment, Kakashi, holding a kunai, surged forward at incredible speed, thrusting towards Bakuri from the side.
Clang!
Bakuri remained calm and swiftly turned around, using his sword to block Kakashi's sudden stab.
Just as Bakuri was preparing to kick Kakashi away, a strong gust of wind suddenly came from the side. Seizing the opportunity, Guy launched his attack.
"Sand Great Whirlwind!"
Guy erupted with chakra, channeling power into his legs and unleashing a lightning-fast Whirlwind Kick.
Sizzle!
Bakuri's expression remained unchanged as he quickly gathered chakra. Suddenly, lightning sparked around his feet. He sent Kakashi flying five meters away and then, using Lightning Body Flicker, appeared behind Guy, evading his kick and delivering an elbow strike that knocked Guy forward.
Just as Bakuri prepared to press his advantage and attack Guy with a lightning sword, Kakashi burst forth.
"Purple Electricity!"
Kakashi swiftly gathered a large amount of chakra in his palm, rapidly transforming it into Lightning Release chakra nature transformation. A dazzling purple lightning appeared in Kakashi's hand, taking on the shape of a sharp blade.
Taking advantage of the acceleration from Purple Electricity, Kakashi dashed towards Bakuri at extreme speed.
Purple Electricity wasn't as fast as Chidori, but that didn't mean it didn't enhance Kakashi's speed at all. It just didn't provide as significant a boost as Chidori, making it more suitable for ordinary people without Sharingan.
Bakuri didn't change direction but rotated his body, causing the lightning sword to slash towards Kakashi's incoming direction.
However, to Bakuri's surprise, Kakashi changed tactics mid-air. The dazzling purple lightning blade transformed into several lightning bolts and surged towards him.
Although Kakashi's Purple Electricity caught Bakuri off guard with its flexibility, he had encountered similar situations in his ninja career. He instantly surged a large amount of chakra, intensifying the lightning on his sword with a dense blue electric glow. This emitted a powerful lightning surge that blocked most of the Purple Electricity. Bakuri then swiftly adjusted his body to evade the remaining lightning.
Guy quickly got up and charged towards Bakuri again, with the previously repelled Kakashi Shadow Clone following suit.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Obito was also ready with the next Fire Release ninjutsu.
Obito gathered a large amount of chakra in his throat, compressing it through chakra nature transformation to form the shape of a dragon, then expelled a fierce dragon with sharp teeth.
After releasing the Great Dragon Fire Jutsu, Obito felt a wave of emptiness in his body. Unlike the Great Fireball, the Great Dragon Fire consumed much more chakra.
Facing the intense and coordinated attacks from the three, Bakuri wore a serious expression. He swung his sword to deter Guy's charge, then swiftly grabbed the incoming Shadow Clone Kakashi and hurled him towards the Great Dragon Fire.
Boom! The Great Dragon Fire exploded directly, engulfing the Shadow Clone Kakashi.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's main body drew his White Fang and swung fiercely at Bakuri's vital spots.
"Lightning Quake Sword!"
Dazzling yellow lightning appeared on Bakuri's sword, causing it to vibrate at an extremely fast frequency.
As Bakuri parried Kakashi's attack, he sidestepped to evade the incoming assault from Guy.
Bakuri's sword emitted tremendous force, causing Kakashi to furrow his brow in concern as he glanced at the dangerous Lightning Quake Sword, prompting him to quickly retreat.
"This guy probably isn't considered weak among Jonin," Kakashi pondered his strategy.
Bakuri perfectly matched Kakashi's impression of a Jonin—strong in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, with no apparent weaknesses, rich combat experience, and the ability to convert everything he mastered into combat prowess. He was incredibly difficult to deal with.
Even their strongest member, Guy, could only barely protect himself from injury in a direct clash with Bakuri.
Having expended much of his chakra, Obito also pulled out a Kunai and joined the battlefield.
Despite facing three opponents, Bakuri showed no signs of weakness. His speed was extraordinary, his Lightning Body Flicker so swift that Kakashi found it difficult to track his movements.
Just as Bakuri and Guy clashed, Obito thought he had seized an opportunity. He immediately pulled out two more Kunai, hid his left hand behind his back to secretly form a single-handed seal.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
Obito gathered chakra once again and used Fire Release Ninjutsu, sending three Kunai carrying flames towards Bakuri.
Just as Obito thought victory was within reach, he didn't realize that Bakuri had been paying attention to his side, waiting for an opportunity.
Bakuri's feet were covered in abundant lightning, instantly disappearing from Obito's sight, causing the three flaming Kunai to miss their mark.
"So fast!"
Obito's pupils contracted sharply. The next moment, Bakuri appeared directly beside him, swinging his sword.
Clang!
Kakashi appeared just in time, using the White Fang Short Blade to block Bakuri's sword strike.
However, Bakuri's planned ambush wasn't going to end there. He erupted with pre-concentrated chakra on his sword, which immediately sparked with lightning. Kakashi couldn't directly withstand Bakuri's terrifying Lightning Release Kenjutsu, and a bloody gash appeared on his left leg.
"Kakashi!" Obito couldn't help but shout in worry, starting to blame himself. If only he had been more cautious, this situation wouldn't have arisen.
"Sand Strong Whirlwind!"
Guy, seeing the situation, immediately burst forth towards Bakuri to prevent him from further harming Kakashi, while Obito retreated to the rear with Kakashi in his arms.
Feeling the numbness in his left leg, Kakashi knew things were dire. Being cut by a sword wasn't a big deal, but if paralyzed by Lightning Release, it would mean temporarily losing combat effectiveness.
All three of them were struggling so much. If it came down to just Obito and Guy, there would surely be no hope of victory.
"Obito, put me down and go with Guy. If you use up all your chakra, I should still be able to hold out for a while. If you both use the Breathing Technique and retreat separately, you might be able to get away," Kakashi suggested after some thought.
With chakra, even with one leg temporarily disabled, he could still move and form hand seals.
At this moment, Kakashi could no longer see any hope of victory. If all three were in their prime condition, there might have been a chance to win, but in their current state, he found it difficult to participate effectively in the battle.
Rather than being picked off one by one, it's better for him to make a desperate attempt to let Obito and Guy survive. After all, with his paralyzed leg, he definitely couldn't escape.
After saying this, Kakashi broke free from Obito's arms and stood on the ground with just one foot.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think Uchiha Obito and Mighy Guy are the kind of people who would abandon a teammate and leave?" Obito couldn't help but shout, his eyes gradually turning crimson.
"Have you forgotten Yumi-sensei's mission? It's about staying alive. This isn't abandoning a teammate; it's making the right choice," Kakashi shook his head and said.
"I'm already finding it difficult to fight alongside you like this. Instead of all of us dying here, it's better for me to sacrifice myself so that you two can live."
Kakashi spoke calmly as he said this. He had prepared himself beforehand to prioritize completing the mission over teammates getting hurt.
If sacrificing a teammate was necessary to complete the mission, then sacrificing himself was certainly within the realm of possibility.
Kakashi did not fear death. Before the age of seven, he did not understand death, and after the age of seven, he did not fear it.
'If there is an afterlife, I'll ask Father if he regrets making that choice' Kakashi thought to himself.
"Kakashi, who do you think you are?" Obito lowered his head, tightly clenching his fists.
When Mutsuki ordered them to leave, Obito agreed. The battlefield there was too advanced, and their presence would only be a vulnerability for Mutsuki, affecting his combat.
And this time, the enemies were merely Jonin who Yumi-sensei could kill with a single Ninjutsu. Faced with such enemies, would they abandon their teammates?
"No!" Obito roared in his heart. If he abandoned his companion in this situation, it would be no different from death. Because someone who would do that wouldn't be Uchiha Obito anymore.
The emotions that Obito had suppressed due to Mutsuki's sacrifice now erupted completely. He was unwilling to be so weak, unable to help Mutsuki in battle. He was unwilling to be underestimated by Kakashi, who actually suggested abandoning his comrades and fleeing. He was unwilling. He truly couldn't accept it!
Extreme emotions caused a special Chakra to surge in Obito's mind. Under the influence of this special Chakra, Obito's eyes completely turned blood-red, with two Tomoe patterns appearing in them.
The moment the Sharingan manifested, the world in Obito's eyes changed. It became clearer and easier to observe.
"This is..." Obito paused for a moment, instantly recalling the sensation Shisui described when activating his eyes. It felt exactly the same now, even more effective.
"Kakashi, you narcissistic guy. Do you think we can't manage without you? It's just the two of us. Even without you, Guy and I can defeat the enemy. Just watch!" Obito lifted his head and stared at Kakashi with his blood-red eyes.
"Obito, you actually..." Kakashi looked at Obito's blood-red eyes in shock. Obito had activated the Uchiha Sharingan at this critical moment.
Kakashi knew the reputation of the Uchiha Sharingan. Any Uchiha who activated the Sharingan would normally grow into a Jonin-level ninja, experiencing a significant boost in their ninja abilities.
Obito immediately turned and rushed towards Bakuri. Without Kakashi and Obito's assistance, Guy quickly fell into a disadvantageous position facing Bakuri alone.
"So this is the power of perseverance in one's beliefs," Kakashi remembered Mutsuki's words, murmuring to himself.
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