"Naruto, calm down!" Kakashi's face turned grim as he looked at Naruto, who was hunched over, panting heavily. His face had contorted into a feral snarl, his nails had extended into claws, and his body was surrounded by a malevolent red chakra. Two red tails swayed ominously behind him.
No matter the circumstances, Kakashi couldn't allow Naruto to continue losing control. For one, if Naruto's rampage continued and the Nine-Tails fully emerged, the Leaf Village would lose this powerful Tailed Beast. On a personal level, as the child of his teacher, the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi couldn't allow Naruto to die here due to the Nine-Tails' berserk state.
After placing Sakura at a safe distance and instructing her to protect herself, Kakashi moved toward Naruto.
Naruto, who had been crouching motionless on the ground, immediately turned his blood-red eyes toward Kakashi as soon as he heard his voice. His gaze locked onto Kakashi, and with a sudden explosion of force, the ground beneath Naruto collapsed. In an instant, Naruto became a red blur, lunging at Kakashi with his claws extended.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!" Just as Naruto was about to reach him, Kakashi's Sharingan whirled into action. He swiftly performed a series of hand seals, slamming his hands onto the ground. A massive stone wall, about three meters high and one meter thick, shot up in front of him.
Boom!
Naruto's claws tore through the wall in an instant, but Kakashi had already dodged to the side, moving several meters away to avoid the attack.
Kakashi could have attacked while Naruto was breaking through the wall, but he hesitated. After all, it was Naruto—he didn't want to hurt him, so he held back.
"Earth Style: Four-Sided Earth-Style Wall!" Without missing a beat, Kakashi quickly formed more hand seals. Four stone walls erupted from the ground, surrounding Naruto on all sides and trapping him.
"Earth Style: Heavenly Cover Technique!" Just as Naruto, confused by the sudden walls, looked around, a massive slab of earth descended from above, slamming down onto the walls and sealing Naruto inside.
"Earth Style: Four-Sided Earth-Style Wall!" Kakashi wasn't done yet. He created another layer of stone walls around the first, reinforcing the prison.
"Impressive. The way Kakashi uses Earth-Style to trap Naruto instead of harming him is quite clever," Daniel commented with mild admiration.
Knowing many jutsu comes in handy. While he may not specialize in any single technique to the level Naruto does with his Rasengan, Kakashi's versatility allowed him to adapt his strategy based on his opponent's strengths and weaknesses. In battles where the fighters are evenly matched, tactics can be the deciding factor.
Ninja battles are as much about strategy, intelligence, and information as they are about raw power. The terrain, jutsu compatibility, and even the psychological state of the combatants can determine the outcome, as was the case when Kakashi outmaneuvered Zabuza during their previous battle.
"This method is pretty good, but isn't Kakashi underestimating Naruto's power?" Daniel mused. The Nine-Tails, the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, had chakra so powerful that even a small amount of it could overwhelm most ninja.
As if on cue, the earth prison began to shake violently with loud crashes echoing from within. The walls trembled under the force of Naruto's strikes, and it was clear they wouldn't hold for much longer.
"Earth Style!" Seeing that the walls were about to collapse, Kakashi quickly formed more hand seals. This time, the four stone walls he summoned were larger, both in height and width, covering a wider area around Naruto.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!" Standing atop the stone walls, Kakashi unleashed a massive torrent of water into the enclosed area. It seemed as though his mouth was connected to the ocean, as the water level quickly rose to match the height of the walls.
Just as Naruto shattered the inner walls and leaped forward, his body lost balance, and he splashed into the water.
Naruto, who hadn't yet learned the chakra control technique to walk on water, struggled helplessly in the water. In his berserk state, with his intelligence dulled, he was unable to compensate for the water's resistance. Though he was still incredibly powerful, the water weakened his movements, making it impossible for him to break through the reinforced stone walls.
Breathing heavily from the strain of using so many jutsu, Kakashi crouched on the stone wall, his chakra reserves significantly depleted.
"That was quite the display. If you added Lava Release, it'd be like a miniature version of the fight against the Ten-Tails," Daniel remarked, somewhat impressed by Kakashi's tactical use of ninjutsu.
"Copy Ninja Kakashi, huh? I can see why he's famous," an unexpected voice rang out through the forest, followed by the sound of slow clapping.
"What's your goal here?" Kakashi, still panting, stared intently at Daniel. Having used up most of his chakra to subdue Naruto, he was on high alert.
As a jinchuriki, Naruto wasn't supposed to be sent out on missions casually. The fact that Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails' host was kept secret meant that very few outside the village knew about it. Now that Daniel seemed to know, Kakashi couldn't afford to be careless.
"I've told you the truth, but you refuse to believe me. Let me repeat: I have no ulterior motives. I've simply shared the truth," Daniel said with a wry smile as he shook his head.
He understood why Kakashi didn't trust him. After all, Daniel had revealed secrets the Leaf Village had hidden for years, secrets even Kakashi wasn't privy to. In the ninja world, where paranoia ran deep, no one would believe a stranger who claimed to have no agenda.
Many people in the ninja world suffered from a form of paranoia.
"Alright, I've seen enough. It's time for us to go." Daniel turned to leave but stopped after a few steps, turning back to face Kakashi with a calm expression. "I know the Leaf won't let this go. They'll probably send the ANBU after us. Pass along this message to your Third Hokage: I hate trouble. If they come after me, they'd better be prepared for retaliation."
"Is that a flag you're raising? What a bother," Daniel muttered as he was about to leave. However, he paused again, seeing several figures appear in front of him, forcing him to sigh in exasperation.
"Kakashi, what happened?" A voice called out. The speaker was a man with a bowl-cut hairstyle, wearing a distinctive green jumpsuit and flashing a bright smile with gleaming white teeth. It was none other than Might Guy, the "Blue Beast of the Leaf" who would later be known as the "Emperor Guy." Behind him were his students, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten.
"What's going on here?" Guy asked, noticing Naruto struggling in the water prison, and Sasuke standing with Daniel, wearing a defaced forehead protector. Though Guy wasn't particularly close to Sasuke, he recognized Kakashi's student. He also spotted Zabuza and Haku, both wearing the forehead protectors of rogue ninja from the Mist Village.
Though Daniel didn't agree with the practice of openly displaying rogue ninja status, he didn't stop them either. Even the Six Paths of Pain had proudly worn their rogue Rain Village forehead protectors.
"Looks like you're in a bit of trouble," Guy said as he started walking toward Daniel and his group. His students followed quietly behind him.
"Be careful, they're not ordinary opponents," Kakashi warned, though he didn't stop Guy from engaging. After all, Daniel possessed too much critical information, making him a serious threat.
"Don't worry," Guy said, giving Kakashi a thumbs-up and flashing his signature toothy grin.
"Alright, I'll handle this." Daniel stopped Zabuza and Haku from stepping forward, gesturing for them to stand back. "It's not every day you run into Might Guy. I'll use this chance to test the Eight Gates."
"You three, stay back," Daniel ordered Zabuza, Haku, and Sasuke, before stepping forward to face Guy.
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!" Guy sized up Daniel for a moment before suddenly appearing to Daniel's left, his right leg arcing through the air in a powerful roundhouse kick. The sound of the wind whistling from the force of the kick, along with the chakra Guy had infused into his leg, was a testament to the attack's power.
Smack!
To Guy's shock, his kick was caught mid-air by Daniel, who had grabbed his right calf with ease. Despite the immense force behind Guy's kick, Daniel hadn't budged an inch. Worse still, the grip on Guy's leg was so strong that he couldn't break free.
Boom!
Just as Guy tried to free himself by kicking with his left leg, his balance was suddenly disrupted. A sharp pain shot through his back as Daniel slammed him into the ground with tremendous force.
"Kai-sensei!" Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, and even Kakashi were stunned. They stared in disbelief as Guy was embedded into the ground with just one strike. They all knew how strong Guy was, yet here he had been taken down by a single move.
"Kai-sensei!" Rock Lee, always quick to act, prepared to rush to his teacher's aid, but Neji held him back.
"Let me go, Neji
! Kai-sensei needs help!" Lee shouted.
"Calm down, Lee. Charging in won't help. You'd just be in the way," Neji said, his calm voice contrasting with Lee's impulsive nature.
Boom!
Suddenly, an enormous surge of chakra erupted from the crater where Guy lay. The immense energy radiated through the air, causing the ground around them to quake. Within a ten-meter radius, the earth caved in.
"Blue steam, huh? Good thing it's not red steam, or I might have to run," Daniel observed from a safe distance, watching as Guy, covered in blue steam, rose from the debris.
Daniel had already sensed the incoming quake and used Shave to dodge out of the danger zone.
"Eight Gates: Seventh Gate of Shock, Open!" Guy roared as his body released a terrifying amount of chakra, enveloped in blue steam.
"Daytime Tiger!" With his eyes glowing red, Guy moved at a speed that was almost impossible for the naked eye to follow, throwing out a hundred punches in a split second. The air around him compressed from the sheer speed and force, forming a massive, tiger-shaped shockwave.
"Compressed air, huh? That's similar to the Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities," Daniel noted as he observed the white tiger-shaped projectile hurtling toward him. The air compressed from the rapid punches had formed a devastating air cannon—this was the Seventh Gate's signature move, Daytime Tiger.
The same move had once overwhelmed Kisame Hoshigaki's Great Shark Bullet technique, as Daytime Tiger wasn't made of chakra, which rendered Kisame's absorption jutsu useless.
Roar!
With a deafening roar, the white tiger charged toward Daniel with overwhelming speed. Daniel, however, simply smiled as he prepared his counterattack. His right fist, already primed, swung forward to meet the tiger.
Boom!
The impact of Daniel's punch colliding with the white tiger resounded like thunder. A shockwave of unimaginable power rippled through the area, causing the ground around them to collapse even further.
At the epicenter of the clash, Daniel's fist and the tiger's head were locked in a stalemate. As the two forces struggled, the air in the immediate vicinity was sucked dry.
"So this is Daytime Tiger, huh? Impressive, but this is as far as it goes." Daniel smirked, his right fist pushing forward with more force. The giant white tiger crumbled under the pressure, disintegrating into nothingness. A fraction of a second later, the shockwave from Daniel's punch surged toward Guy.
Daniel didn't hold back against the Daytime Tiger. He wasn't concerned about whether Guy would survive. After all, in a life-or-death battle, holding back would be foolish. If Guy died, it would simply be bad luck. After all, Guy hadn't held back with Daytime Tiger either, so fair was fair.
The terrifying shockwave tore a deep trench into the ground as it barreled toward Guy. Having just unleashed the Daytime Tiger, Guy was in no condition to dodge.
"Guy!" Seeing the incoming shockwave, Kakashi's left eye spun rapidly, his Mangekyo Sharingan activating. The space in front of Guy began to warp and distort, and as the shockwave hit the warped space, most of its force vanished into thin air. Only a small fraction of the shockwave reached Guy, sending him and his students flying.
Kakashi had used Kamui to warp away the bulk of the attack's force, saving Guy in the process.
"Kamui, huh? That Kakashi sure knows how to play possum. No wonder they call him the man who's always evenly matched," Daniel remarked, clearly impressed. For someone who was supposedly low on chakra, Kakashi had still managed to pull off Kamui, an extremely chakra-draining technique.
In his earlier years, Kakashi could barely use the Sharingan without needing a week to recover. Now it seemed more likely that he had been faking exhaustion so he could spend more time reading his beloved books.
"Neji, Tenten, are you alright?" Lee asked, rushing to check on his teammates. Although they had been caught in the shockwave, they only had a few minor injuries. The real damage had been done to the surrounding forest, with trees shattered and rocks scattered everywhere.
"We're fine. How's Kai-sensei?" Neji asked as they gathered around their teacher.
"Cough... cough..." Despite Kamui saving him from the brunt of the attack, Guy was still in bad shape, covered in numerous injuries.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry," Guy reassured his students with a familiar, toothy grin. Despite the pain, he maintained his upbeat attitude.
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