Hearing Ameyuri's scorn, Sasuke let out a defiant roar as his eyes snapped into a one-tomoe Sharingan (Sharingan).
But with a surge of current from the thunder blades, his whole body jerked and went limp.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto bellowed and charged.
Seeing him move, Haku stepped forward from Yuto's side, forming a single seal.
"Suiton: Sensatsu Suishō (Water Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Moisture in the air compressed into senbon, screaming through the air to pepper the ground in front of Naruto and halt his advance.
"I don't like to fight, so don't come any closer. Also—I'm a boy."
Haku's tone was cool as he looked at Naruto.
Naruto didn't care if Haku was a boy or a girl. He drew back a fist and roared, "Out of my way!"
Haku sighed, his footwork blurring; in the span of a blink he was at Naruto's side.
Thud!
Before Naruto could even register the motion, a kick sent him flying.
"They're… really strong!"
Sakura trembled as Naruto and Sasuke fell one after another.
Seeing Sasuke's head pinned under Ameyuri's boot, Sakura bit her lip, drew a kunai from her pouch, and started forward—
A furious voice cut in.
"There's no way I'm letting a girl rush the front! Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)!!"
Naruto pushed himself up and shouted at Haku again.
Pop! Pop!
White smoke burst, and more than twenty Narutos sprang up and swarmed Haku.
"I said—don't come closer."
Haku sighed once more and flickered into their midst.
He was too fast. Even without ninjutsu, Naruto couldn't keep up. In moments, every clone had been dispelled.
Now Naruto looked much like Sasuke—except Haku's touch was gentler than Ameyuri's; at least he wasn't stepping on Naruto's head.
"Damn it!!"
Both Naruto and Sasuke burned with anger and frustration, but no matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free of Ameyuri and Haku.
Sakura tightened her grip on the kunai and was about to rush in—
A hand barred her path.
"What do you mean by this? Or is the Mist planning to make an enemy of the Leaf?"
Kakashi stepped forward, anger running under the even tone as he met Yuto's indifferent gaze.
"The Mist is a village that loves peace. Kinoshita Jiro was an important figure to us."
"But now, the clan head of the Kinoshita Clan has died without a clear cause. The Mist requires an explanation."
Yuto's answer rang with righteous certainty.
"And what 'explanation' does you, sir, have in mind?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. His body went taut, ready to fight.
Yuto smiled, an easy, charming curve to his lips. "Some things demand an accounting. So we intend to invite a member of the Leaf to visit the Mist as our guest. How about it? And as for the candidate—I'll nominate Jōnin Kakashi."
What!
Sasuke and the others all flinched.
Kakashi's pupil contracted. His mind spun.
So that was the Mist's aim?
No—exchanging a clan head's life for a hostage wasn't necessary.
Or was this just a move by this Mist shinobi to calm the shock Jiro's death would cause back home…?
A dozen possibilities flashed through him. He held his outward calm.
"Me? Then I refuse."
Kakashi's voice was firm. In the same beat, he snapped his hitai-ate down. His left eye's tomoe spun wildly as he lunged for Yuto.
Boom!
A crushing pressure burst from Yuto.
"It's been a while since I did serious hand seals."
His tone held a faint nostalgia. Back in the day, he'd been plenty lethal with ninjutsu—that's how he became Mizukage.
He hadn't used much ninjutsu against Hashiboy and Lil' Mad because those two could clap their hands and drop techniques like nothing. Up against them, taijutsu was more practical.
Yuto raised both hands, and—before Kakashi's widening eye—each hand formed different one-handed seals simultaneously.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu — Goryū (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet — Five Dragons Unleashed)!"
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
Five vast torrents twisted up and congealed midair, becoming five water dragons ten meters long, rearing behind Yuto with fangs bared.
"He's using one-handed seals!"
Sakura dropped to the ground in fright.
Yuto curled his lip—like she'd never seen anyone use eye seals before.
Kakashi froze mid-rush.
If that came down, even he'd struggle to evade—and Sakura standing behind him would never make it.
"So, Kakashi-dono, make your choice. Holding this technique is exhausting."
Yuto wiped at sweat that wasn't there and spoke earnestly.
"My choice is—"
Kakashi began, but halfway through he burst into a gush of water and splashed to the ground.
A Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone)!
Pop! Pop!
The instant the clone shattered, a muffled thump sounded beneath Ameyuri and Haku's feet.
Lightning-wrapped hands burst from below.
Two Kakashis tore up from underground, striking at Ameyuri and Haku.
Both of them startled and moved to counter, but Kakashi had planned this—he didn't linger to trade blows.
He disrupted them, then snatched Sasuke and Naruto, retreating in a blur to Sakura's side.
His fingers flashed through seals as he shouted:
"Doton: Tajū Doryūheki (Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Wall)!!"
Thick earthen bulwarks surged from the ground, four half-meter walls snapping up to enclose the team—four layers of defense in all.
Each wall was etched with dog heads, which made Yuto lift a brow.
Boom!
Yuto hadn't planned to stop while Kakashi rescued his students; the five dragons crashed down.
Low dragon calls mixed with thunder as the first wall shattered like paper.
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