Swish!
As Kakashi and the others sprinted northward, a figure with lightning flashing on his feet chased after them.
Berkeley's speed was extremely fast, and every time Obito looked back, he could see him getting closer.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!
Obito and Kakashi simultaneously pulled shurikens from their ninja pouches and hurled them at Berkeley.
Berkeley swiftly drew the sharp sword strapped to his back, slashing all the incoming shurikens aside, then used a Lightning Instant Body to leap over Kakashi and the others, appearing in front of them.
"Be careful with this guy; he might be a Jonin," Kakashi said gravely, drawing his White Fang Short Blade.
Even though the assessment of ninja levels isn't based solely on strength, higher-level ninjas generally have the power to crush those below them.
Of course, under normal circumstances, special cases like Obito and Might Guy, who are merely intern ninjas and not even Genin, have strength surpassing many Chunin.
If it were seven or eight Chunin approaching, Kakashi wouldn't be overly concerned, but a Jonin is different. Each ninja who ascends to Jonin rank is one in a hundred, forming the backbone in any Ninja Village. It's no exaggeration to say that a normal Jonin can slaughter regular Chunin like chickens, leaving them with practically no resistance.
Jonin are proficient in Nin-Taijutsu and illusions, without obvious weaknesses, rich in task and combat experience; every Jonin is a true elite.
"Heh, I am indeed a Hidden Cloud Jonin. If you know what's good for you, surrender immediately, or it'll be painful if you're cut by my Thunder Sword," Berkeley laughed, not considering Kakashi and the others a threat.
Even though Kakashi and the group used the Transformation Jutsu, they only changed their appearance and attire, not their height, still looking like nine-year-old children.
Obito and Might Guy silently entered a breathing technique state. Surrendering was out of the question. If they couldn't escape, they'd fight!
Due to Berkeley's roadblock, the Hidden Cloud Chunin quickly caught up, surrounding Kakashi and the others from both sides.
Kakashi's mind raced, and he quickly whispered:
"Guy, you handle the Hidden Cloud behind us; Obito and I will take on this stronger one. Do your best to swiftly solve your opponent and come assist us."
Though they hadn't engaged yet, judging by the speed of pursuit, Kakashi guessed the one behind was slightly weaker.
Kakashi's plan was to have the strongest among them, Might Guy, quickly finish one enemy and then the three of them could jointly attack the suspected Hidden Cloud Jonin.
"Conserve your chakra and strength as much as possible, just maneuver and wait for Guy to defeat his enemy so we can all give it our all," Kakashi quickly whispered to Obito as well.
Even though Kakashi gave orders in a captain-like manner, even Obito had no objections, since Kakashi was indeed more experienced as a ninja than they were.
"Seems like you've chosen a painful death. Attack!" Berkeley shouted, raising his sharp sword as his subordinates arrived, then charged forward.
Hearing Berkeley's orders, the Hidden Cloud Chunin immediately rushed at Kakashi and the others, despite just catching up.
Might Guy, Obito, and Kakashi exchanged a glance and nodded in understanding; Might Guy charged at the Hidden Cloud Chunin, while Kakashi and Obito tackled Berkeley.
"Breath of Rock, Full Concentration Breathing!" Might Guy swiftly entered Full Concentration Breathing state, inhaling a large amount of air, with chakra flowing through his body, strengthening it.
"Eight Gates, First Gate, Opening Gate, open!" Might Guy immediately initiated the Eight Gates, opening the body's gates, greatly surging his chakra, and using more chakra to fortify his body with the breathing technique, enhancing his physical strength further.
In just a single breath, Might Guy's aura intensified dramatically, even causing the charging Hidden Cloud Chunin to take notice.
"Sand Hidden Great Tornado!"
Might Guy ferociously unleashed a swift Tornado Kick, the gusts generated by the kick causing leaves to rustle.
The Hidden Cloud Chunin exploded with chakra, throwing a punch to meet Might Guy's Tornado Kick.
Bam!
A muffled sound of bodies colliding resounded, and the Hidden Cloud Chunin stepped back two and a half steps, while Might Guy retreated two steps.
"To possess such strength at this age, a true prodigy," the Hidden Cloud Chunin said with excitement, for beating a prodigy held greater value.
"Damn, the enemy is stronger than expected," Might Guy's expression grew serious.
Although that kick wasn't his full strength, the opposing Hidden Cloud ninja hadn't used any special technique either.
Might Guy was confident in himself, believing he could still defeat his opponent, but Kakashi needed him to swiftly defeat and then provide backup.
Might Guy glanced at Obito and Kakashi out of the corner of his eye; despite being two against one, they were being suppressed by Berkeley and losing ground.
Might Guy felt the heavy burden on his shoulders; if he didn't quickly resolve his opponent, Obito and Kakashi would soon get hurt, as their opponent's strength was overwhelming.
Might Guy focused and refocused his breathing, his gaze firm, sprinting at full speed, channeling all his strength into his legs.
At this moment, his mission far exceeded anything before, and he had to demonstrate the corresponding strength.
"Super·Sand Hidden Strong Force Tornado!"
Might Guy roared, eyes glaring at the Hidden Cloud Chunin, concentrating every ounce of his power into a single point; this strike was even stronger than when he defeated Kakashi before!
"Thunderstorm Leg!"
The Hidden Cloud Chunin gathered a large amount of chakra in his foot for a Lightning Attribute transformation to enhance kicking power, then threw a vicious kick.
Boom!!
The clash of their powerful kicks generated a violent storm, bending the nearby trees from the pressure.
This strike forced both back four steps.
Might Guy clenched his fists; the worst-case scenario had occurred, his opponent wasn't weak at all, and there was no way to resolve it quickly.
The situation with Obito and Kakashi was dire; Might Guy and the Hidden Cloud Chunin were evenly matched, but they were being overwhelmingly defeated.
Kakashi's swordsmanship couldn't gain any advantage against Berkeley because Berkeley's movements were too fast. Without Obito, who was in Full Concentration Breathing state, supporting him, he couldn't confront Berkeley directly.
Even though Kakashi and Obito wanted to maneuver, Berkeley's Nin-Taijutsu was too swift, forcing them to withstand it head-on.
Struggling through another round of Berkeley's attacks, Kakashi quickly checked Might Guy's situation in the corner of his eye. This glance left him in despair; Might Guy's opponent was just as strong, and Might Guy couldn't swiftly finish his opponent.
"Just how can we win?" Kakashi couldn't help but think.
But as soon as this thought appeared, he didn't have any energy left to think, as Berkeley's sword thrust forward again.
"Is this what a Jonin really is?" Obito felt the immense pressure from Berkeley, gaining a deeper appreciation for Mokgetsu's strength.
He and Kakashi combined could only manage to flee in defeat, while Mokgetsu had previously taken out an enemy with a single Ninjutsu.
Then Obito worried for Mokgetsu again, wondering just how strong the opponent that Teacher Mokgetsu faced must be to make him look so solemn.
The oppressive force from Berkeley snapped Obito back to reality; only after directly facing a Jonin did he understand the extent of their outrageous power.