The shuriken engulfed in flames moved at an incredible speed, leaving Berkeley no choice but to use his Lightning Instant Body to dodge.
"To the right!"
Might Guy, who had been preparing for this, launched a charge instantly.
"Gohyo!"
Might Guy poured all the power he absorbed into strengthening his body. The Chakra of the Eight Gates also filled into his legs. He used all the remaining strength to deliver this final, extreme kick.
Full Concentration Breathing itself is a means of explosion. Forcibly breaking open the Second Gate is even more so. After fighting so long, Might Guy has nearly reached his limit.
Roar!
Speeding forward like a fiercely powerful leopard, Might Guy rushed to the appropriate distance, then pounced fiercely. His foot was like the leopard's sharp fangs, tearing apart anything it touched.
Faced with the coordinated attack of two people, Berkeley had no time to dodge; he could only consume a large amount of Chakra to strengthen his body, hoping to withstand the blow.
Bam!!
A loud collision sounded, sending Berkeley flying backward at high speed. The spot where he stood cracked due to Might Guy's immense power.
Rumble!!
Berkeley crashed through over ten large trees like a cannonball before stopping.
After delivering the kick, Might Guy could no longer hold on. He propped himself up with his hands on the ground to avoid collapsing, with hot sweat dripping onto the ground from his forehead.
"Guy, are you alright?" Obito quickly helped Might Guy to sit by a tree and asked worriedly.
Might Guy suppressed the pain, showing a bright smile, gave a thumbs up, and said:
"The fierce beast that successfully hunted is fine, but better keep an eye on the enemy."
Might Guy knows the importance of finishing the fight; for now, he lacks the ability to continue fighting.
Obito nodded, observing Berkeley with sideway glances while supporting Might Guy.
"Damn it, am I really going to lose to a bunch of kids?" Berkeley trembled with extreme unwillingness.
He had been a ninja for twenty-four years, becoming a ninja for The Hidden Cloud Village at nine, reaching Jonin at twenty-three, and completing countless A-level missions, even just a few S-level ones.
He expected that one day he might die at the hands of a strong opponent, which is common for ninjas since war is brutal, and even a shadow is not 100% safe.
But he never imagined that he would fall in the hands of three kids not even ten years old, whose combined ages weren't as many as his.
Unwilling to accept this, Berkeley tried to stand up; he still had a little Chakra left and at least wanted to kill one of those facing him.
He failed the first time he tried to stand, almost straightened the second time, but fell again. Finally, on the third try, Berkeley managed to stand up shakily.
Obito silently pulled out several shurikens.
Just when Obito was about to finish Berkeley with ninja tools, Kakashi moved, standing up as well, gripping the White Fang Short Blade tightly, with clarity in his eyes.
"Carry out your ninja path, firm your conviction..." Mokgetsu's words echoed constantly in Kakashi's ears.
Right now, Kakashi still didn't fully understand what kind of ninja would always receive everyone's praise or whether missions were more important than comrades for the village.
But now, Kakashi understood one thing: comrades were more important on his, Kakashi's, side.
If asked to sacrifice Might Guy and Obito for the mission, Kakashi would choose to not complete the mission. Let them blame him.
Even in such a critical moment, Obito and Might Guy never thought of abandoning him, sacrificing everything to eliminate the enemy and protect his safety, even if his injuries left him immobile, and never failed to abandon him despite his active requests.
They never gave up, neither on themselves nor on him.
Watching Might Guy who nearly fell after giving the last kick, tears welled in Kakashi's eyes.
His teammates were fighting with everything, yet he could only be a burden.
"Hatake Kakashi, what are you doing, what have you done in the past two years?" Kakashi constantly questioned himself.
He was once known as the most talented, graduating at five, becoming a Chunin at six, and now he could only watch Obito and Might Guy fight.
In these two years, he was too negligent; recalling the past filled him with deep regret.
Considering the expectations Might Guy had of him, Kakashi felt a bit unworthy. Might Guy was shining so brightly now.
"Is it really going to continue like this?" Kakashi questioned himself internally.
Kakashi answered his own question using his body; his breathing was more focused than ever, and the paralyzed leg seemed to have sensation again. He slowly stood, gripping the White Fang Short Blade tightly.
He didn't want to be the Hatake Kakashi who daydreams and indulges in the past, but to be the visionary, comrade-treasuring, genius Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi slightly closed his eyes, inundated with memories of Mokgetsu teaching him the Breath of Thunder, with those scattered memories entwining together now.
Not only Mokgetsu, but the scenes of his father teaching him swordsmanship also appeared, finally combining both.
"Breath of Thunder, Thunder Flash!"
Under rapid Concentrated Breathing, Kakashi felt a power he had never experienced before. Chakra burst from his hands and feet, dazzling electric light appearing on them.
Kakashi poured most of his strength into his uninjured right leg, swiftly transforming into a flash of lightning, disappearing from the spot.
"I will…" Berkeley, just stabilized, immediately saw a dazzling electro-light charging at him.
He wanted to resist, but now he was in a state worse than ever, with his chest already caved in and barely any Chakra left.
In the next moment, Berkeley permanently lost consciousness.
The electric light vanished, Kakashi appeared behind Berkeley, with the White Fang Short Blade in his hand reflecting a white glow in the sunlight.
Thud!
Berkeley's body split in two, falling to the ground, his blood gushing out.
Kakashi let out a breath; what he severed was not only the enemy's body but also the nightmare that haunted him for two years.
"Kakashi, have you learned Breath of Thunder?" Obito was somewhat surprised at Kakashi's sudden speed.
"Haha, as expected from a close friend, I look forward to the next battle with you!" Might Guy congratulated Kakashi.
Kakashi nodded calmly and said, "Better watch out, I, a genius, upgrade my abilities quickly."
The genius Kakashi, returns.