Chapter 304: Wielding the Blade for Protection

"The strongest on their side should be that Shark-faced one. He uses Water Release , which will counter your Fire Release. I'll handle him. As for the other two, you should start with a few probing attacks. If it doesn't work, let Rin-chan help out. Don't try to be a hero," Kakashi quickly outlined the battle plan to Obito.

Although Ensui and the others were heavily injured, direct combat was equally important. If they couldn't win, everyone would die together.

"I understand," Obito nodded and turned his attention to Zabuza and Kurosawa.

From a brief Taijutsu exchange, he judged that Kurosawa's Taijutsu was inferior to his. Zabuza, on the other hand, seemed very skilled with a sword.

Although Kakashi intended to face Kisame in battle, it seemed that Zabuza was provoked by Kakashi's words. Ignoring Obito completely, he charged at Kakashi with his sword drawn.

Kakashi's expression remained unchanged. The battle plan was just a rough outline; actual combat required adaptability. In this situation, it was up to him and Obito to coordinate and turn the battle into the situation they desired.

Clang!

Kakashi quickly drew his White Fang short blade and clashed with the incoming Zabuza.

Kakashi, wearing a black mask, and Zabuza, with a bandage covering his lower face, each attacked with deadly precision, giving a sense of traditional Ninja combat aesthetics.

Both Kakashi and Zabuza demonstrated strong skills, skillfully neutralizing attacks and countering effectively.

Just when Zabuza thought Kakashi's strength was on par with his own, Kakashi, having completed his probing, intensified his Thunder Breathing concentration, increasing his speed and power, which instantly put more pressure on Zabuza.

Under Kakashi's sudden burst of strength, Zabuza's arm was left with a deep, blood-seeping cut.

This small achievement didn't satisfy Kakashi, as while he was having a relatively easy time, Obito was struggling because both Kisame and Kurosawa were on him.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Obito quickly formed hand seals, concentrating Chakra in his throat to release a large fireball.

Given the lack of detailed information about the opponent, using the high-damage, low-consumption Great Fireball was undoubtedly the best choice.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

Kisame leaped lightly, formed hand seals, and gathered a large amount of Chakra in his mouth before releasing a massive wave of water towards Obito.

The three-meter-high Great Fireball was instantly extinguished by the enormous amount of water from Kisame's Exploding Water Colliding Wave. The sheer volume of water even affected Rin and the others.

Fortunately, this Ninjutsu didn't have much destructive power; it simply drenched Obito and his companions' clothing.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" While Kisame was using his Ninjutsu, Kurosawa also immediately formed hand seals to perform his own Ninjutsu. Due to the numerous seals required, he used it just as the large volume of water was falling.

Taking advantage of the massive water flow from Kisame's Exploding Water Colliding Wave, Kurosawa unleashed a very large and long Water Dragon Bullet. The water dragon roared and charged towards Obito.

Obito saw that Kakashi's previously used Earth-Style Wall was still up and immediately hid behind it. Although he could use Flame Breathing to vaporize the Water Dragon Bullet with Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, it would consume a lot of his Chakra.

Hiding behind the Earth-Style Wall made a difference. Water is stronger against fire, but earth is stronger against water.

Boom!

The massive water dragon crashed into the Earth-Style Wall, only causing it to crack but not breaking through its defense.

Bang!

Kisame used Water Body Flicker Jutsu to immediately appear in front of the Earth-Style Wall, shattering the cracked wall, while Kurosawa used ninja tools to block Obito's position.

Even though Obito had prepared for this, he found it very challenging to handle the combined attack from both of them.

"This Shark-faced guy really has tremendous strength. Only Guy might surpass him in terms of power," Obito thought, somewhat surprised.

Due to the Breathing Technique, Obito's strength was significantly greater than that of an average Ninja. Initially, he didn't pay much attention to Kisame's immense strength, but after actually fighting, Obito realized that this Shark-faced guy was truly abnormal in power.

His Fire Release was countered by their Water Release, and he couldn't gain an advantage in Taijutsu. Moreover, Kisame and Kurosawa were attacking with the intent to kill, which put immense pressure on Obito.

In such a dangerous situation, Obito could no longer hide his abilities and activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan by concentrating his Chakra.

He had been able to defeat Kakashi thanks to the Sharingan; without it, he might not have been able to win.

Once his eyes turned blood-red, the world through Obito's eyes became clearer, revealing many things that ordinary eyes couldn't see. The movements of Kisame and Kurosawa appeared slower to him.

With the Sharingan activated, Obito's pressure was significantly reduced. Although Kisame's attacks were powerful, they were useless if they couldn't hit him.

Of course, Obito could only focus on protecting himself and maintaining his invincibility. He couldn't organize an effective counterattack. Being both countered and surrounded made his situation extremely difficult.

"So he has already activated the Sharingan," Hiruzen remarked with some surprise as he watched Obito use the Sharingan on the surveillance screen. If he remembered correctly, Obito was only nine years old this year, which made activating the Sharingan at such an age quite remarkable.

Hiruzen praised his own foresight, thinking that having such an exceptional Uchiha taught by Minato, a successor of the Will of Fire, was ideal.

"Mutsuki, Minato, do you think Obito and Kakashi can win against this Mist Village team?" Hiruzen asked, turning to Minato.

As Hokage, he obviously didn't have time to focus on children under ten and was not fully aware of their specific abilities.

"There shouldn't be any problem, barring unexpected circumstances," Mutsuki replied after a moment of thought.

The ongoing battle was already quite indicative. Just Obito and Kakashi alone were able to fend off the three opponents' attacks, and with Rin joining the fight, Kisame and his team would surely lose.

"My thoughts are the same as Mutsuki's. I believe they can do it," Minato answered with a smile.

Hiruzen showed a thoughtful expression and then continued to watch the surveillance screen.

At this moment, Rin had to stop her treatment and join the battle because Kisame had shifted his attack strategy from merely holding them off to targeting the injured on Rin's side.

Bang!

When Kisame's powerful fist collided with Rin's Enhanced Strength punch, a terrifying explosion of sound erupted. Both of their hair was pushed backward by the shockwave of the collision.

Kisame was knocked back three steps, his face showing extreme surprise. He didn't consider his own strength to be the best in the world, but he was astonished that the seemingly frail Rin could unleash strength greater than his own.

"Is this some kind of Ninjutsu?" Kisame didn't believe that this was the kind of strength Rin should possess.

Noticing that Obito was closing in, Kisame quickly retreated using Water Body Flicker.

"Rin-chan, are you okay?" Obito asked as he quickly escaped from Kurosawa to return to the defense.

"I'm fine. I'll help share the burden so you can focus on dealing with that Shark-faced guy," Rin said, shaking her head.

"Sorry, I need to join the fight now. I'll treat you all later," Rin said as she turned to Ensui and the others.

At this moment, Ensui had recovered somewhat and nodded, saying, "It's us who should be thanking you. Just focus on fighting."

With Rin joining the battlefield, Obito found things much easier. Although he couldn't defeat Kisame, Kisame also couldn't do much against Obito.

"Basic Breathing, Total Concentration!"

Rin adjusted her breathing rhythm to enhance her physical abilities and engaged Kurosawa in Taijutsu.

Rin had some distance from Kurosawa in terms of combat experience and raw strength, but by now, Kurosawa had been through two battles and was quite exhausted. Thus, while Rin was still at a disadvantage, the situation wasn't too bad.

However, Rin hadn't intended to take down Kurosawa alone. She was reluctant to use her Enhanced Strength punch, as her Chakra reserves were already low. After using a punch on Kisame earlier, she needed to save Chakra for Medical Ninjutsu.

Her goal was simply to hold off Kurosawa until Kakashi or Obito could come to support.

"Why has he suddenly become so fast?" Zabuza's expression grew increasingly grim as he sensed the numerous cuts on his body.

After Kakashi increased the output of Thunder Breathing, Zabuza immediately fell into a disadvantage. Despite using all his strength to defend, his injuries continued to accumulate.

"You won't understand this power. It represents my determination to protect my comrades," Kakashi said coldly.

Seeing Zabuza's condition worsening, Kakashi further increased the output of Thunder Breathing, pushing it to its limit.

The reason Kakashi didn't unleash his full power from the start was that he wanted to conserve some stamina. He was concerned that other teams might arrive; if it was a Konoha team, it would be manageable, but if it was a Mist Village team, it would be problematic.

The commotion was intense, with towering black smoke and the collision of their Ninjutsu.

As Kakashi pushed Thunder Breathing to its current limit, yellow arcs of electricity began to appear on his legs.

Zizz!

As Kakashi gathered Chakra, the yellow arcs increased, energizing his lower body and activating the cells in his legs.

Kakashi took a deep breath, exhaling white mist, and the wrist holding the White Fang short blade also began to show electric arcs.

"Half-Slash!"

Kakashi fully unleashed the power of Thunder Breathing, charging at Zabuza like a streak of yellow lightning.

The attack was beyond Zabuza's expectations. He didn't anticipate that Kakashi could be even faster. He attempted to raise his sword to block, but found that Kakashi was already behind him the moment he lifted his blade.

Snap.

A streak of yellow lightning slashed through, splitting Zabuza's long sword in two and causing blood to burst from his chest.

Thud!

Zabuza collapsed, falling onto the muddy ground made slippery by the intense water waves.

"Why don't you kill me? You're capable of it," Zabuza asked, looking up at the sky.

Although severely wounded, Zabuza was not yet at the point of death. He was sure that Kakashi's strike had the power to kill him.

"Because we're different. My blade is not for killing but for protecting. I could kill you, but there's no need," Kakashi said calmly.

Kakashi was not naive; on the contrary, he was decisive in battle.

Zabuza thought they were sheltered flowers who hadn't experienced the harsh realities of the world, but Kakashi wanted to show Zabuza that it wasn't ignorance of human cruelty but a choice to be the kind of person they were.

Instead of killing Zabuza, Kakashi was more interested in striking at Zabuza's beliefs.

Having said that, Kakashi immediately went to support Rin.

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