This time, even Nohara Rin, who was taking care of Uzumaki Karei, stepped in, yet still failed to hit Yokokawa Tsutomu.
However, Yokokawa Tsutomu couldn't easily harm Kakashi and the others either, because every time he attacked, Kakashi could use Ninjutsu to support in advance.
"We need to take out that silver-haired brat first; he's really a nuisance." Yokokawa Tsutomu felt his body gradually recovering and decided to change his target to kill Kakashi first.
If it weren't for Mokgetsu's powerful punch that injured him, he could have been faster and stronger.
"Why was Ryuhi able to hit him that one time? What exactly was the reason?" Kakashi's mind raced, trying to solve the question.
Even though they were currently evenly matched, this was based on two premises: first, they were in peak condition, and second, Yokokawa Tsutomu was injured by Mokgetsu.
But Kakashi and the others, due to the excessive consumption of Secret Techniques, did not have lasting combat abilities, while Yokokawa Tsutomu was recovering to his peak, thanks to his strong regenerative abilities.
As this balance shifted, soon things would become dangerous for them.
"Summoning Technique!"
As the battle grew increasingly intense, Nohara Rin decided to let Katsuyu take care of the unconscious Uzumaki Karei so she could focus more on the battle.
Bang!
The Summoning Array appeared, white mist flashed, and a Katsuyu slightly larger than an adult appeared in front of Nohara Rin.
"Lord Katsuyu, could you please help take care of this sister, ensuring she doesn't get hurt?" Nohara Rin asked.
Unlike other Holy Lands, Shikkotsu Forest essentially only has one Katsuyu. The strength of the Katsuyu that the Shikkotsu Forest contractor can summon depends on their Chakra; the more Chakra, the larger and stronger the Katsuyu Sage can split.
Hence, every Shikkotsu Forest contractor summons a fragment of Katsuyu Sage. Facing the legendary Katsuyu Sage, who has lived for thousands of years, Nohara Rin chose to show respect as if dealing with an elder.
"Rin, no problem, leave it to me." Katsuyu Sage agreed, then noticed the giant black monster and showed a shocked expression.
"Rin, how did you come across Satoru? With your current abilities, even if it's a puppet, you probably aren't its match."
Being an ancient existence since the Six Paths Sage era, Katsuyu Sage immediately saw through Yokokawa Tsutomu's roots.
"Lord Katsuyu, do you know the details about this monster?"
Nohara Rin showed a surprised expression. In a ninja battle, information occupies a significant proportion. If they knew Yokokawa Tsutomu's details, they might uncover the secret of his bizarre dodging.
Katsuyu Sage nodded. "Satoru can see into the heart of anyone fearful; even a slight feeling of 'this guy is scary' will be sensed by Satoru. Only by fighting without any trace of fear can this scenario be avoided."
Nohara Rin was slightly stunned. This requirement was too demanding. Humans often can't control their emotions. Seeing such a terrifying monster, witnessing claws capable of easily cutting through walls, it's hard not to feel fear. Some people feel it so faintly they don't even realize.
"Thank you, Lord Katsuyu." Nohara Rin quickly thanked and then relayed the information to her team.
"What the heck, there's no way I'm afraid of this ugly beast," Obito couldn't help but complain.
In truth, he just wanted to defeat the opponent, overshadow Kakashi during the mission, and earn praise from Mokgetsu and Nohara Rin.
Obito believed that his attacks being dodged wasn't due to having his heart seen through but because, during the battle, his role was to drive the opponent with attacks.
"If even the tiniest fear can have an influence, it's possible that all our hearts are seen through," Kakashi didn't find it shameful; rather, Yokokawa Tsutomu's ability was just difficult to handle.
At this moment, Kakashi had a rough guess as to why Yokokawa Tsutomu couldn't dodge Ryuhi's Fire Release.
Ryuhi likely wouldn't fear Yokokawa Tsutomu now; at this moment, he only felt anger and regret.
Kakashi could easily guess Ryuhi's emotions. If someday in the future Obito turned into some kind of strong monster, no matter how powerful or unique his abilities, Kakashi wouldn't feel fear; he would only think about killing Obito while feeling regret.
"Rin, Katsuyu can heal, right?" Kakashi asked.
Nohara Rin had recently contracted Katsuyu, so Kakashi was not very familiar with Katsuyu's abilities.
"Yes, Lord Katsuyu possesses some healing abilities and can transmit Chakra through itself for healing," Nohara Rin nodded in response.
Compared to the other two Holy Lands, Katsuyu excels more in support. According to Tsunade, when Nohara Rin reaches her realm, with Katsuyu's assistance, she could even heal an entire Ninja Squad alone, an impressive healing ability.
"Place a Katsuyu on me and be ready to heal at any moment," Kakashi said while using the Transparent World to observe the situation.
The current battle situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for them, so Kakashi was ready to push forward.
Even though Mokgetsu was just inside the box, theoretically quite close to them, Kakashi still wanted to try and resolve Yokokawa Tsutomu through their own power.
After all, Mokgetsu wasn't idle; based on the current intelligence, the presence inside the box would likely be even more troublesome and difficult to handle than Yokokawa Tsutomu.
Nohara Rin immediately complied, splitting a Katsuyu and placing it on Kakashi's back.
Kakashi drew the White Fang Short Blade from his back, exhaling a long breath.
Their squad was truly formidable. Even excluding Mokgetsu, the renowned strong warrior of the Ninja World, they remained strong.
Shisui, Obito, and himself, though they lacked endurance, were absolutely elite Jonin with short-term output abilities even superior to Maruboshi Kosuke and Aburame Shikuro.
Nohara Rin and Nara Suzaku, though their individual combat power was average, played a more significant role in chaotic battles than ordinary Jonin.
Ordinarily, an elite among Jonin leading two Special Jonin would be sufficient to carry out S-level missions.
Yet, their team consisted of five ninjas recognized as elite among Jonin, boasting an incredibly lavish lineup.
With such strength, how could they be defeated by the puppet of a monster?
Kakashi intentionally controlled his inner thoughts, and his attacks became increasingly aggressive.
He disrupted Yokokawa Tsutomu's attacks multiple times. If Yokokawa Tsutomu wasn't foolish, he would prioritize killing him.
Kakashi aimed to create an opportunity for Yokokawa Tsutomu to severely injure him, which would also give him a chance to launch a game-changing attack.
Noticing Kakashi's state, Yokokawa Tsutomu, who had been feigning indiscriminate attacks, felt the time was right.
He pretended to attack Obito, not far from Kakashi, then as Kakashi used Earth Flow Wall, he suddenly turned, slashing at Kakashi with his claws.
Although Kakashi couldn't see through inner thoughts, with his Transparent World, he could predict Yokokawa Tsutomu's movements ahead of time. His Earth Flow Wall was intended for himself.
A massive dog-head-carved earthen wall rose quickly.
"Die, you damn silver-haired brat." Yokokawa Tsutomu gathered Chakra at his throat, spitting out a Chakra beam, shattering the earthen wall, while rapidly slashing his claws at Kakashi.
All along, he hadn't used this ability just to surprise Kakashi fatally.
Given Kakashi's capability to defend others, there was no reason he couldn't defend himself.
Kakashi exerted the speed of the Breath of Thunder to its utmost, yet couldn't fully dodge, suffering a gaping wound in his abdomen, bleeding profusely.
Katsuyu immediately activated its healing ability, while Nohara Rin, leveraging Katsuyu, remotely applied Medical Ninjutsu on Kakashi.
Kakashi ignored the wound, not considering the injury or Nohara Rin's healing at all.
Now Kakashi pushed the Transparent World to the extreme, clearing his mind of any thoughts or emotions, be it fear or delight.
This was Kakashi's plan, to utilize the pressure from Yokokawa Tsutomu to perform that unthinking, unconscious strike.