With Sage Mode activated, Natsuhiko's strength had completely reached the level of an elite jōnin.
Not only that—his sensory perception and physical capabilities had undergone a tremendous boost.
He hadn't yet reached the semi-Kage level.
But he felt he wasn't far off.
Reaching that level would still be extremely difficult for him at present.
However, he wasn't overly concerned.
After all—
He had his "cheat."
With its assistance, the time required to master and develop his power had been drastically shortened.
All he needed to do was become proficient in using it—so that his combat awareness could match his strength.
Though Natsuhiko often felt that ANBU was no place for a human being, he had to admit—
Without ANBU's brutal training, he would never have reached this point.
Facing this Suna ANBU, Natsuhiko was already operating at nearly his current limit.
Even so, this opponent made him raise an eyebrow slightly.
"Fast reactions. Sharp technique execution. As expected of a jōnin. Especially…"
Looking at the sand before him, Natsuhiko's expression grew more intrigued.
He had already recognized the technique.
If he wasn't mistaken—
This was Magnet Release: Gold Dust.
In his memory, very few people could use this technique.
It was a kekkei genkai.
The one who brought it to its peak was the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure—the very man later killed by Sasori.
After him, only the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and his wife Karura could use it.
Even Gaara's abilities ultimately stemmed from Karura.
So who was this man?
Why did he possess this bloodline?
And as Natsuhiko looked at the ANBU whose mask he had sliced open—
He suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
The man was young.
Blond-haired.
Handsome.
His expression seemed gentle, yet faintly melancholic.
For some reason, Natsuhiko felt like he had seen him before.
Suddenly—
He recalled intelligence reports from ANBU.
He realized who it was.
"Magnet Release?" Natsuhiko said calmly. "You're Yashamaru of Sunagakure's special pursuit unit."
"…"
Yashamaru did not respond.
Instead, taking advantage of the moment Natsuhiko spoke, he suddenly drew several kunai.
In the next instant—
The kunai began to float in midair, as if alive.
Seeing that, Natsuhiko was almost completely certain.
The man before him was indeed Yashamaru—
Gaara's uncle.
"Not going to talk?"
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly as he looked at the silent Yashamaru.
His voice remained gentle, almost as if speaking to an old friend.
But his words were anything but gentle.
"Then take your silence with you… to hell."
The moment his words fell—
Natsuhiko's figure flickered.
Like teleportation, he appeared at Yashamaru's side.
His ninja blade stabbed eerily toward Yashamaru's neck.
The motion was so fast it was nearly impossible to react to—
Yet it flowed as smoothly as running water.
Yashamaru clearly couldn't keep up with Natsuhiko's speed.
But he had no intention of surrendering.
Yashamaru reacted extremely quickly.
His body swayed lightly to the left like a willow in the wind, barely avoiding Natsuhiko's blade.
At the same time, the floating kunai shot out like lightning, stabbing fiercely toward Natsuhiko!
But there was no way they could hit him.
With a few simple evasive movements, Natsuhiko avoided them all.
The remaining clashes rang out in sharp metallic bursts—
His ninja blade and the kunai crossed repeatedly, scattering small yet brilliant sparks.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Natsuhiko's brow furrowed slightly.
In Sage Mode, his perception was extraordinarily sharp.
He immediately sensed something abnormal with his ninja blade.
Though the anomaly was slight—
Under such heightened perception, nothing could escape his notice.
"Interesting…" Natsuhiko thought silently.
But he pretended not to notice and continued pressing his attack against Yashamaru.
Yashamaru was completely overwhelmed by Natsuhiko's speed.
He could only draw a kunai and desperately block the relentless strikes of Natsuhiko's blade.
At that moment, Kakashi arrived at the battlefield.
Before coming, he had knocked out the two captured Suna ninja to prevent them from escaping.
But he stayed hidden and did not intervene.
He was curious about Natsuhiko's current state.
Through the Sharingan, he could clearly see that Natsuhiko's chakra had reached a terrifying level.
The quality of that chakra was beyond imagination.
And beyond that—
His speed was nearly impossible to track.
To be honest, Kakashi felt that even with the Sharingan, he would not be able to withstand such speed.
Natsuhiko was simply too strong.
Why had he never noticed him back at the academy?
But then—
Why was his chakra reserves so low?
Kakashi found it strange.
Perhaps it was simply due to his age?
Watching the two flickering figures on the battlefield, Kakashi could see that although Natsuhiko's chakra reserves were limited, his advantage lay in its quality—and in his overwhelming speed.
That man called Yashamaru was clearly not Natsuhiko's match.
His defeat was only a matter of time.
However—
Had his captain noticed that his ninja blade had been tampered with?
Just as Kakashi was thinking this, Yashamaru suddenly used the Body Flicker Technique to disengage from the fight.
Without waiting for Natsuhiko to close in again, he formed a hand seal.
"You've lost," Yashamaru said calmly. "You're strong—but this is where you fall."
"Is that so?"
Natsuhiko smiled faintly.
"I'm curious where your confidence comes from."
"You'll find out."
With that, Yashamaru completed his hand seal, and chakra surged from his body.
Natsuhiko's expression suddenly changed.
The ninja blade in his hand stopped obeying him.
It twisted in midair—
And reversed direction, stabbing straight toward his own body!
With no resistance—
As if he hadn't reacted in time—
The blade plunged deeply into Natsuhiko's abdomen.
A smile curved at the corner of Yashamaru's lips.
Kakashi's expression, however, was strange.
In Yashamaru's eyes, the Konoha ANBU before him was finished.
But through the Sharingan, Kakashi could clearly see the truth.
Natsuhiko had already noticed the anomaly.
He had used a Shadow Clone and Substitution Technique in advance—
And hidden himself away!
It was obvious.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"I told you," Yashamaru said, lowering his hand slowly. He sighed softly. "Forgive me. We serve different masters. Rest in peace."
"Thank you."
Just as Yashamaru finished speaking, a gentle voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"But don't you think you said that… a little too early?"
Yashamaru's pupils constricted violently.
He instantly raised his kunai to defend—
But another kunai struck like a phantom—
Driving straight toward his chest.