Chapter 111

Chapter 111

"Uncle Sakumo," Haneda said, sensing the familiar presence. He opened his eyes, confirming it was indeed Sakumo who had come down.

Haneda unsheathed the short sword from his back and smiled, "How about a spar? It's been a while since we've fought, Uncle Sakumo."

Sakumo glanced around, noticing a group of about ten ninjas nearby, then said, "Let's go somewhere else. We'll fight where there are fewer eyes."

"Sure."

Haneda understood the need to keep his abilities hidden. He followed Sakumo toward the northern side of the tower, where they eventually reached a peaceful lakeside.

The area was quiet, with only the sound of birds and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Sakumo picked up a small stone, tossed it a few times in his hand, and smiled.

"How about we fight standing on the lake? The match will end if either of us falls into the water, and it starts when the stone touches the lake."

"Just like old times…" Haneda recalled their past duels, smiling slightly.

"But with one more condition this time," Sakumo said, stepping onto the water's surface, making his way to the center of the lake.

Haneda also drew his short sword, standing opposite Sakumo across the water. At that moment, Sakumo tossed the stone into the air, and as it followed its arc, the duel began the instant it hit the lake with a splash.

Clang!

In a flash, their blades collided with a loud clash, sending ripples across the lake. Haneda activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, channeling lightning chakra into his right hand. The familiar chirping of a thousand birds echoed from his blade. It was the *Chidori Blade*.

Sakumo, using the force of the clash, pushed off and leaped back. Haneda's *Chidori Blade* quickly extended into its long-range form, *Chidori Sharp Spear*, resembling a glowing sword.

"Your lightning chakra control has improved again, Haneda," Sakumo noted, swinging his sword and unleashing two wind blades in a cross pattern, severing Haneda's *Chidori Sharp Spear*.

"I'll be going all out next. Be careful," Sakumo warned before dashing toward Haneda at high speed.

Shing! Shing!

Several wind blades flew from Haneda's sword, each aimed precisely at Sakumo. But with the superior dynamic vision of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Haneda could see that every wind blade was effortlessly deflected by Sakumo's sword.

Each deflected blade sliced through the lake, causing the surface to part for a brief moment.

Haneda quickly formed hand seals, retreating backward to avoid Sakumo's strikes, and then released a vast wave of flames that surged like a tidal wave. Above, an airborne shadow clone formed a high-pressure wind ball— a technique once used by Kakuzu— and combined with the flames to unleash the *Gale Flame Tempest*.

"You're fighting with the intent to kill, Haneda?" Sakumo asked with a smile as he faced the enormous sea of fire.

"Uncle Sakumo, your strength forces me to give my all," Haneda replied, his Sharingan eyes gleaming as he observed the overwhelming flames, curious about how Sakumo would handle them.

In an instant, a flash of silver light from Sakumo's blade cleaved through the firestorm and the lake beneath it, splitting the flames and water apart. A cyan-colored lightning dragon roared toward Haneda from within the gap—a combination of lightning and wind, similar to *Raikiri*, but enhanced with the slicing power of wind release.

"If you dive into the water, you can avoid this," Sakumo suggested with a smile.

But to his surprise, Haneda formed four shadow clones instead. The real Haneda, along with the clones, simultaneously performed a five-element jutsu: *Great Multi-Elemental Blast*, a powerful technique once used by the Third Hokage.

"When did you master water and earth release so well? You were always more adept with lightning, followed by fire and wind," Sakumo said in astonishment. This level of mastery over all five elements was a clear indication that Haneda had advanced significantly in his chakra control.

"It's the power of my comrades, Uncle Sakumo," Haneda said, hinting at the help he'd received from his friends, teachers, and mentors. In addition to his own training with wood release, he had learned much from them, and from the jutsu in the *Scroll of Seals*.

Haneda had other ways to defend against Sakumo's lightning-wind dragon attack, including summoning the *Triple Rashomon* technique. But instead, he used the *Great Multi-Elemental Blast* to set the stage for another jutsu.

When the multi-elemental blast collided with Sakumo's dragon, the intense clash raised the temperature at the point of impact. Combined with the aftermath of the earlier *Gale Flame Tempest*, a thick mist of steam rose from the lake, obscuring the battlefield.

Haneda glanced up at the sky. The clouds had begun to gather. If he waited a little longer, the conditions for his jutsu would be perfect. He could already sense the negative electric charges stirring in the atmosphere.

From across the mist, Sakumo's voice came, "Are you continuing with your usual fighting style?"

"No, this is the preparation for a jutsu," Haneda replied, shaking his head.

"Is it the one you've been working on for the past half month? *Kirin*, right?" Sakumo asked.

"Yes," Haneda nodded slightly, raising his right hand as he gathered positively charged lightning chakra. This required a deep understanding of the nature transformation of lightning chakra, while the actual attack would involve precise control over its form.

Looking up at the dark clouds above, Haneda continued, "Let's make it a condition for victory: if I can successfully unleash *Kirin*."

"Honestly, Uncle Sakumo, at our level, the only way to determine a winner is to fight with the intent to kill."

Sakumo smiled warmly, proud of Haneda's growth. He looked up at the sky, now thick with storm clouds, and said, "If this jutsu of yours works, I probably won't be able to block it. And if that's the case, Kakashi won't stand a chance against you."

"Kakashi?" Haneda asked.

"His lightning release and swordsmanship could match up to you, but if you factor in your other skills, his chances drop to about 30%."

"I see… Well, witness it for yourself," Haneda said as he raised his right hand toward the sky.

A massive entity formed from pure lightning plummeted from the clouds—*Kirin*, moving faster than sound itself. Only Haneda's Sharingan could keep track of its trajectory as it descended. But the technique missed its intended mark, crashing into a forest to the east.

Even though it didn't land exactly where Haneda had aimed, the resulting destruction was as expected: the entire forest was obliterated, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth and blackened wood.

"Not perfect…," Haneda sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he turned to walk back toward the tower.

"At least the power is on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb," Sakumo remarked, impressed as he gazed at the devastation in the forest.

"Uncontrolled power is meaningless," Haneda said, pausing briefly before continuing toward the tower.

…

Near the center of the Forest of Death, close to the tower, Kakashi had just subdued a team of three Sand Village ninjas. Sensing something, he looked up at the northeast sky and spotted the giant entity that descended for only a second.

That was *Kirin*, the S-rank lightning jutsu Haneda had been developing for the past half month.

It seemed Haneda had succeeded...

Kakashi's gaze lingered on the sky for a moment longer before a small smile appeared on his face.

"As expected… You truly are the sun I've chased my whole life."