Ch.142 Finish It Quick!

For Shinnō, the current situation was rapidly slipping out of control. If he could quickly get rid of the troublesome Uchiha Sasuke, he would be more than happy to do so.

Moreover, the person in front of him was a member of the Akatsuki, wearing the signature red cloud cloak. Handing Sasuke over to them might have been the leader's plan all along.

So, he followed the orders given to him, turning around to block Shinji's squad.

Sasuke wasn't a fool.

Hearing the conversation between the Akatsuki member carrying the Executioner's Blade and Shinnō, he immediately realized that Shinnō had some connection with the Akatsuki.

Even if Shinnō wasn't an official member, he was likely serving the Akatsuki in some capacity.

This whole situation was probably a setup!

But at this point, even if the path ahead was a trap laid by Uchiha Itachi, he couldn't back down now.

With a cold expression, Sasuke urged, "Take me to him!"

"Tch, what an impatient brat!" The Akatsuki member carrying the Executioner's Blade grinned, then his figure blurred as he sped off into the distance.

Sasuke immediately followed, his bloodlust evident.

At this moment, Shinji's squad arrived.

Shinnō blocked their path, sighing, "As expected of the Hidden Leaf. Even a group of kids can see through my plans and catch up to me!"

Shinji glanced at Sasuke, who was moving further away, and instead felt a sense of relief.

Undoubtedly.

The Akatsuki member with the Executioner's Blade was none other than Uchiha Itachi's current partner, Biwa Jūzō, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

His appearance meant that Uchiha Itachi had also joined this chaotic situation.

And his involvement at least guaranteed Sasuke's safety, so Shinji's current priority was to ensure the safety of his comrades.

Staring at Shinnō, who was dressed as a physician, Neji warned the team, "Everyone, be careful. The amount of chakra in this man is astonishing!"

**Swish, swish, swish.**

With the sound of wind cutting through the air, Kakashi led a squad onto the battlefield's edge.

"What's going on here!?"

"Why are Akatsuki fighting the Mist shinobi?"

"Is that the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha clan?"

Seeing the intense battle unfolding, the Leaf shinobi exclaimed in surprise, even Kakashi wearing a serious expression.

In the battlefield.

Within a thin mist, the Mist shinobi, who were skilled in silent assassination, moved stealthily.

Despite their incredible speed, they left no sound as they dashed through the mist, making it seem as if the entire misty area was empty.

At the center of the mist, an Akatsuki member wearing the hooded red cloud cloak and a mask stood silently beneath a red "Susanoo Tomoshibi."

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The previously quiet battlefield was occasionally punctuated by the sharp sounds of clashing metal, revealing the dangerous tension present!

Kurenai Yuhi approached Kakashi. "These Mist shinobi are no ordinary group. They might be the Mist's assassination squad!"

Kakashi nodded lightly. "Yes."

Even among the Mist shinobi, who specialized in assassination, those who had mastered the Silent Killing Technique to this degree were rare and elite.

So, Kakashi had long recognized that these Mist shinobi were not to be underestimated.

Asuma asked with some confusion, "This is within the borders of the Land of Fire. The Mist shinobi shouldn't be fighting the Akatsuki here without reason, right?"

Staring at the battlefield, Kakashi said, "Did you notice?"

"Notice what?"

Kakashi pointed at the battlefield. "The Akatsuki member seems to be holding back. He doesn't seem intent on slaughtering everyone."

With Kakashi's reminder, the others quickly noticed that the Akatsuki member, who had activated his Susanoo, seemed to be on the defensive, as if merely trying to keep the Mist shinobi at bay.

Realizing this, Asuma and Kurenai said in unison, "Damn, the Mist is targeting Uchiha Sasuke!"

Kakashi responded, "We need to keep moving!"

Saying this, Kakashi led his squad to bypass the battlefield, following the traces left by Shinji and the others, rushing toward the nearby small forest.

The Mist's involvement meant that news of Sasuke leaving the village had leaked, making their mission more complicated. They needed to find Sasuke as quickly as possible.

Swish!

Just then, a Mist shinobi blocked Kakashi and his team, smirking. "What's the rush? Now that you're here, you shouldn't leave without saying hello!"

Kakashi gripped a kunai in his hand. "Is the Hidden Mist Village trying to start a war?"

The Mist shinobi laughed. "It was your Hidden Leaf that invited us Mist shinobi to deal with the Akatsuki. Now that an Akatsuki member is right here, what, are you going to pretend you don't see it?"

Kakashi said, "Sorry, but we have other missions to carry out!"

"Hmph, as expected of the deceitful Hidden Leaf shinobi! Your actions make it hard for us not to suspect that there might be some secret dealings between the Hidden Leaf and the Akatsuki!"

The Mist shinobi continued to press.

For them, capturing Uchiha Sasuke would be the best outcome. But if they couldn't take Sasuke, probing the Hidden Leaf's intentions and possible connections with the Akatsuki was still valuable.

Asuma whispered, "Kakashi, what should we do?"

Kakashi glanced at the battlefield not far away.

Although there was only one Akatsuki member, Kakashi had witnessed his strength before. In the past, during the battle on the main street, it was this Akatsuki member with the red Susanoo who had decisively defeated another Akatsuki member skilled in Ice Release.

He knew that this Akatsuki member wasn't even taking the battle seriously yet.

If he did get serious, even if these Mist shinobi were all elites, they would likely meet a grim fate.

So, he said to the Mist shinobi blocking their way, "Please step aside. We really do have other missions and can't assist you in dealing with that Akatsuki member. Also, a personal word of advice: don't underestimate him—he's incredibly strong."

"Incredibly strong!?" The Mist shinobi laughed. "Kakashi Hatake, who would've thought you'd say something like that! The famous Copy Ninja of the Hidden Leaf, turns out to be a coward who doesn't even have the courage to face the Akatsuki!"

Asuma angrily shouted, "What did you say!?"

Kakashi quickly restrained Asuma and then said to the Mist shinobi, "Excuse us."

With that, Kakashi once again bypassed the Mist shinobi, heading into the small forest.

This time, the Mist shinobi didn't stop Kakashi. He watched as Kakashi and his team disappeared into the forest, then flashed back to the battlefield.

After encountering the Akatsuki member with the Mangekyō Sharingan, the Mist assassination squad had changed their target.

The value of Uchiha Sasuke was evidently less than that of this Akatsuki member with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Rather than expending effort to chase after Sasuke, it was more worthwhile to capture this Mangekyō Sharingan user who had delivered himself to their doorstep.

Thus, when he had blocked Kakashi earlier, it was mostly to probe the Hidden Leaf's relationship with the Akatsuki. If Kakashi and his team had actually joined the battle, the Mist shinobi would have been more cautious.

Now that Kakashi and his team had left, they could focus entirely on the Mangekyō Sharingan user on the battlefield!

...

In the forest.

Seeing that no one was pursuing them, Kurenai Yuhi said, "The Mist shinobi didn't follow."

Asuma thought for a moment and quickly understood the Mist shinobi's intentions, clicking his tongue. "Tch, so they just wanted to test our intentions!"

"I see, that explains why they didn't chase us." After a pause, Kurenai asked Kakashi, "Kakashi, you figured this out early on, didn't you?"

Kakashi nodded.

Despite their numerical advantage, the Mist shinobi were taking their time using the Silent Killing Technique to encircle the Akatsuki member. This indicated that even if their original target was Sasuke, they had now changed their focus to the Akatsuki member.

This was why Kakashi had warned them not to be careless.

The Mist shinobi hadn't experienced the terror of this Akatsuki member, but he had, so he gave them a warning to avoid a disastrous outcome.

However, from the current situation, it was clear that the Mist shinobi hadn't taken his warning seriously.

Just then, while moving swiftly through the forest, Kakashi's expression suddenly tightened.

He had clearly noticed that the temperature in the forest was much lower than outside, and he even saw ice crystals floating in the air.

"Everyone, be careful!"

Kakashi shouted a warning as he lifted his headband, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan beneath it.

Swish, swish, swish.

Immediately, the squad slowed down and took a defensive stance.

Asuma said, "Did you hear that? It sounds like there's a fight up ahead!"

"Let's go check it out!"

Worried that Sasuke and the others might be involved, Kakashi led the squad toward the source of the fighting.

Soon, they reached the battlefield in the forest, and everyone was stunned.

The entire area was covered in ice crystals.

On the ground, in the grass, on the trees—everything was coated in a layer of transparent ice crystals, even the corpses.

In this world of ice and snow.

The shinobi of the Stone Decapitation Squad were scattered everywhere.

Some had half of their bodies frozen, groaning in pain and breathing heavily. Others had entire arms frozen, forcing them to cut off their own limbs to prevent the spread of necrotic tissue. Some were even completely encased in ice, with no signs of life.

At the center of the battlefield, an Akatsuki member wearing a hooded red cloud cloak and a mask stood amidst the ice, panting heavily.

Without a doubt.

The one holding off the Stone Decapitation Squad in the forest was none other than Haku.

Not wanting to face his former comrades from the Mist, Haku had sent Karin to hold off the Mist assassination squad while he blocked the Stone Decapitation Squad, who intended to kill everyone and then capture Sasuke.

However, he hadn't expected the Stone Decapitation Squad to be so formidable.

The moment the battle began, he realized he couldn't afford to hold back, as one wrong move could cost him his life.

So, both sides fought with all their might from the start.

Haku didn't hold back, and neither did the Stone Decapitation Squad. Although the battle had only lasted a short while, it had been extraordinarily brutal.

At this point, the Stone Decapitation Squad had already lost at least three members, with the rest all wounded.

Although Haku was unharmed for now, his chakra was completely exhausted. Without reinforcements, he was certain to die!

Of course.

To Kakashi and the others watching from the sidelines, the situation looked different.

Having experienced the Third Shinobi World War, they quickly recognized that the opponents facing the Akatsuki member were the infamous Stone Decapitation Squad.

This realization only deepened their shock.

A single Akatsuki member had managed to heavily injure the Stone Decapitation Squad without sustaining any injuries—this was terrifying!

After all, there were quite a few Akatsuki members out there!

In the center of the battlefield, Haku also noticed Kakashi and his team.

But he couldn't ask them for help.

"Am I going to die here?"

Panting, the thought crossed his mind.

But he wasn't afraid of death; he was only worried that if his identity were exposed, it would implicate Shinji and Karin.

At this moment, the remaining Stone Decapitation Squad members began closing in on him.

"Damn it, you've killed so many of us!"

"You bastard, I'll tear you to pieces!"

They glared at Haku with murderous intent, as if they wanted to devour him alive.

One of the Stone Decapitation Squad members shouted at the watching Kakashi and his team, "Get lost! Don't interfere with us!"

Kakashi signaled his team to back off.

At this point, both sides were fully engaged in the battle, and anyone who intervened would be at risk of getting caught in the crossfire!

After retreating, Asuma asked, "Kakashi, who do you think will win?"

Kakashi shook his head. "It's hard to say! The Stone Decapitation Squad underestimated their opponent, which cost them dearly. But the Akatsuki member is alone and seems to be running low on chakra, so both sides still have a chance!"

Kurenai said in a serious tone, "These Akatsuki members are all insane, taking on the elite squads of the five great shinobi villages alone!"

Kakashi replied, "They're not insane—they have absolute confidence in themselves! Remember, no matter which Akatsuki member you encounter, never underestimate them!"

In the battlefield.

Seeing the Stone Decapitation Squad closing in, Haku braced himself for death.

To have inflicted this much damage, he had already taken advantage of the element of surprise. Now that the Stone Decapitation Squad had figured out his Ice Release techniques and his chakra was depleted, there was no longer any suspense in the outcome of this battle.

"Finish it quick!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ears, a voice only his spirit could hear.

"Leader!?"

Haku was startled.

Though he recognized the voice as the leader's, transmitted through the Jikibi technique, he couldn't understand what the leader meant by "quick." After all, his chakra was completely drained, and he had no strength left to fight, let alone end it quickly.

But in an instant, a surge of powerful chakra flooded into his body out of nowhere, reviving his exhausted form.