Kakashi was surrounded by three Iwagakure shinobi.
The three Kumogakure shinobi looked at the weakened Kakashi, wondering.
'What is he doing?'
'Could this kid from Konoha have been injured somewhere else and just happened to run into us?'
One of the Iwagakure shinobi pulled out a kunai and said, "Then I'll just kill this brat."
In the ninja world, mercy wasn't shown just because the other person was a child.
Anyone wearing a forehead protector was an enemy.
Kakashi's scalp tingled.
When had he ever been this humiliated?
Since his debut as a shinobi, he had never been so embarrassed.
And the battle hadn't even begun yet.
One of the Iwagakure shinobi was already walking toward Kakashi, kunai in hand.
Kakashi felt dizzy and out of breath.
But the looming threat of death forced him to move.
He pulled three kunai from his ninja pouch and hurled them at the three Iwagakure shinobi.
They easily dodged.
Kakashi drew his short blade and used the Body Flicker Technique, attempting to get behind one of them for an attack.
However, the technique required the chakra to be concentrated in his feet so that he could move at high speed.
Right now, even moving felt unbearable.
As soon as he executed the Body Flicker Technique, the suffocating sensation grew stronger. At the same time, the technique's effectiveness was poor—his speed was far too slow.
One of the Iwagakure shinobi kicked Kakashi away. He slammed into a tree and collapsed to the ground.
The three Iwagakure shinobi burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Is this kid trying to make us laugh?"
"Was that supposed to be the Body Flicker Technique? My grandma could do it faster than that!"
"It looks like Konoha really is finished if they're sending brats like this to the battlefield."
…
Kakashi could barely hear their voices now.
After that kick, he wanted to take a deep breath, but his thickened mask was restricting his airflow.
Instinctively, he reached for his mask, ready to pull it off.
But just as he lifted it slightly, he froze.
Sora must be nearby, watching his fight. Sora had told him before—except for eating and drinking, the mask was never to be removed, not even in battle.
If he had taken it off now, Sora would have been deeply disappointed in his new disciple.
Kakashi gritted his teeth and let go of his mask.
It was humiliating. He had only just become Sora's disciple, and yet he was already on the verge of disappointing his master.
Since he couldn't move vigorously, wouldn't it be better to minimize his movements instead?
Kakashi raised his short blade, aiming at the nearest Iwagakure shinobi.
"Breath of Thunder: Shape of Heat World Thunder!"
He unleashed a lightning-like slash toward his opponent.
However, Kakashi's technique was nothing compared to Sora's.
The thermal thunder Sora released carried an extreme temperature and incredible speed.
In contrast, Kakashi's attack had the same heat and velocity as an ordinary Lightning Release jutsu.
The Iwagakure shinobi reacted immediately.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Channelling earth-nature chakra into the ground, he raised an earthen wall to block Kakashi's Heat World Thunder.
Kakashi didn't hesitate—he threw a kunai wrapped with two explosive tags.
The kunai embedded itself into the earth wall. A moment later, the tags detonated, reducing the barrier to rubble.
Debris scattered everywhere.
Kakashi intended to use the cover of smoke to slip into the nearby bushes.
But his movements were sluggish. Before he could take more than two steps, the Iwagakure shinobi had already closed the distance.
One of them swung a kunai at him. Kakashi raised his short blade to block.
The other two attacked from the left and right.
Kakashi rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding their strikes.
But the three shinobi gave him no time to breathe. They lunged at him again.
Perched on a tree branch, Sora observed the struggling Kakashi with a calm expression.
He immediately understood Kakashi's strategy.
But the initiative didn't belong to Kakashi.
A battle wasn't something he could control with careful, small movements alone.
The enemy dictated the flow of combat. How could they possibly fight according to Kakashi's plan?
Sora stood up. If necessary, he was ready to intervene at any moment.
For an ordinary Kakashi, these three Iwagakure shinobi wouldn't pose a threat.
Now, it was just a matter of seeing how much Kakashi could manage in his current state.
The three Iwagakure shinobi attacked Kakashi simultaneously.
His mind couldn't keep up anymore—his body moved on instinct.
He parried one shinobi's attack and dodged another's.
Then, the third shinobi's strike came.
Kakashi, unable to evade, chose to counter instead.
Rather than retreating, he stepped forward, aiming to stab the third shinobi in the abdomen—a direct trade of injuries.
The Iwagakure shinobi flinched, fear flashing in his eyes. He abandoned his attack and leapt back to dodge.
Kakashi's mind was blank now.
He had even forgotten to breathe.
He fought purely on instinct, his short blade flowing with precision.
Gradually, his movements became sharper, his reactions quicker.
The three Iwagakure shinobi, who had initially thought him weak, grew more and more frustrated.
They had expected an easy kill.
Yet, somehow, this so-called weakling was getting stronger as the fight dragged on.
The battle reached a deadlock.
But Kakashi's state wouldn't last long.
After dodging several shurikens, he suddenly snapped back to awareness.
And at that moment—
A powerful wave of suffocation overwhelmed him.
Kakashi's body collapsed. His vision blurred, and his eyes rolled back as he teetered on the verge of unconsciousness.
The three Iwagakure shinobi saw their chance. They rushed in to finish him.
Sora moved.
In an instant, he appeared before Kakashi, using the Body Flicker Technique.
The sudden appearance of a new enemy made the Iwagakure shinobi hesitate, their movements cautious.
Without hesitation, Sora reached down and pulled off Kakashi's mask.
Just as Kakashi was about to inhale deeply, Sora pinched his chin, preventing him.
"Don't breathe too deeply, or you'll pass out immediately," Sora instructed. "Breathe slowly. Feel the oxygen entering your lungs and heart."
After giving his warning, he released Kakashi's jaw.
Kakashi kept his mouth shut, choosing to breathe through his nose, terrified of inhaling too quickly.
Sora then turned his gaze to the three Iwagakure shinobi.
In one swift motion, he unsheathed his ninja sword.
Using only the Body Flicker Technique, he slit all three of their throats before they could even react.
If they had been too strong, Sora wouldn't have let Kakashi fight alone.
After all, if Kakashi couldn't even resist, there would be no value in the exercise.
With the battle over, Sora sheathed his sword and crouched beside Kakashi.
Kakashi's breathing gradually stabilized.
After enduring that suffocating feeling for so long, he could finally breathe properly again.
He had never felt such relief.
"Well?" Sora asked. "Did you experience that feeling?"
Kakashi opened his mouth to reply—
But suddenly, nausea hit him.
He jerked upright, propping himself on his hands, and vomited violently.
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