Seeing the white-haired young man reach for his wallet, Isamu spoke up, "What is your name?"
"I am Sakumo Hatake. Why do you ask?" The youth looked puzzled.
"Your strength is quite impressive. Tell me, would you like to learn Ninjutsu from me?" Isamu extended an invitation. Looking at the young Sakumo—the man destined to take his own life in the future—Isamu felt a pang of regret. It seemed absurd that a figure whose reputation once overshadowed even the Sannin would succumb to the weight of a failed mission. He wanted to reach out to the legend standing before him.
"I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. I don't rely much on Ninjutsu; I prefer the way of the blade," Sakumo replied politely. "Here is the compensation for bumping into you. I have business to attend to, so I'll be going now." He placed the money in Isamu's hand and jogged off.
"Hey!" Isamu watched him disappear, staring at the cash. "Does he think I'm a scammer? Or is the youth of today just that confident in their own skills?"
A small smile played on Isamu's lips, as if he'd found a new source of entertainment. "Heh, you won't get away that easily, young man." He vanished, pursuing Sakumo into the distance.
It wasn't long before Isamu followed Sakumo to the secluded back mountains.
Upon reaching a clearing, Sakumo stopped abruptly. "You've followed me long enough. Show yourself."
His vigilance is sharp; he noticed me. Isamu stepped out from the shadows, no longer bothering to hide.
As the figure emerged, Sakumo recognized him immediately. Isn't this the guy from the street who seemed a bit... off in the head?
"Who exactly are you, and why are you following me?" Sakumo asked, his hand drifting toward the hilt of his blade.
"Sakumo Hatake, Konoha's renowned genius," Isamu said calmly. "Not only does your reputation rival that of the Hokage's three disciples, but your swordsmanship is said to be peerless."
Sakumo frowned. "You seem to know a great deal about me. It seems our 'accident' on the street was intentional. What do you want?"
"I want a match," Isamu said, his excitement mounting. He had long wanted to test his mettle against the White Fang of the Leaf.
"Why? Give me a reason," Sakumo countered.
"A reason? Does the strong need a reason to test themselves? Aren't you a genius? Or is that title just a hollow boast?" Isamu stepped forward, closing the distance.
"You're overthinking it. I am no genius," Sakumo said, turning to leave. "The real genius is a man named Isamu Uchiha. I have no interest in empty titles."
"You don't care about titles? What if I told you that I am Isamu Uchiha?"
Sakumo froze mid-step. He turned around slowly, his gaze sharpening. "Are you certain you want to claim that name?"
"At this moment in Konoha, I doubt anyone else would be foolish enough to impersonate me." Isamu drew his Tang sword. He could see a spark of battle intent ignite in Sakumo's eyes.
Clang!
Without warning, Sakumo lunged. His short blade clashed violently against Isamu's sword. The sound of steel on steel rang through the woods as the two moved in a blur, trading blows with blistering speed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the exchange intensified, Isamu found himself slowly being forced onto the defensive. Sakumo grew more ferocious with every strike. As expected of the White Fang, Isamu thought, struggling to keep up. His swordsmanship is so overbearing that I'm actually being suppressed.
Zzzt! Zzzt! "Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Lightning erupted from Isamu's hand, extending into a blade of pure electrical energy that forced the attacking Sakumo to leap back.
"Impressive, Sakumo. Your swordsmanship is truly formidable," Isamu said, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.
"Your skills are nothing to scoff at either," Sakumo replied, regaining his stance. "Few can trade blows with my blade for that long, especially a Ninjutsu specialist. As expected of the Uchiha genius."
"Unfortunately, I'm still coming up short in a pure sword fight," Isamu said with a wry smile. I'm supposed to be at a level beyond a Kage, yet I'm struggling against a Jonin. This won't do.
"Even if your swordsmanship isn't equal to mine, I can tell you're an opponent worth my full effort," Sakumo said, his grip tightening on his hilt. "Show me. I don't believe the great Isamu Uchiha only has this much to offer."
"Is that so? It's an honor to fight the pride of the Hatake clan," Isamu replied. "To show you the respect you deserve, I won't hold back. Kurama, give me everything you've got. I'm going into Nine-Tails Chakra Mode."
Inside the seal, the Great Fox grinned. "No problem. Get ready!" Kurama slammed his paws together, flooding Isamu's system with a massive surge of chakra.
Whoosh!
A brilliant, golden radiance erupted from Isamu. A cloak of flickering orange-gold flames draped over his shoulders, adorned with black Magatama patterns along the collar.
So this is the power of the Nine-Tails, Isamu thought, marveling at the sheer energy thrumming through his veins. No wonder Naruto could stand toe-to-toe with gods.
Sakumo's brow furrowed as he stared at the golden figure. Every instinct he possessed screamed that the man before him was now lethally dangerous.
"Come," Isamu said, pointing his blade toward Sakumo. "This is my strongest form. From here on, I'm playing for keeps."
"I won't insult you by holding back either," Sakumo declared. "I'll show you the true power of Hatake swordsmanship!"
"Then show me!"
Isamu vanished, transforming into a streak of golden light. He appeared instantly at Sakumo's right side, his sword swinging with crushing force.
So fast! His strength has increased tenfold! Sakumo couldn't even see the movement; he relied entirely on instinct to parry the blow. The impact sent a shudder through his entire body, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Oh? Is the Hatake style only at this level?" Isamu teased, seeing Sakumo struggle to maintain his defense. "Can you barely block a single strike?"
"Don't get cocky! Hatake swordsmanship is just getting started! Hah!" Sakumo roared, exerting a burst of strength to shove Isamu back.
Isamu retreated a few paces, a grin on his face. "That's the spirit! Entertain me! Give me everything you've got!"
"Take this! Explosive Flame Heaven Piercer!"
Sakumo's short sword ignited with fiery chakra. He swung with a violent horizontal arc, launching a massive, crescent-shaped wave of crimson sword energy directly at Isamu.
"Now that's a move! Let's see if I can stop it." As the blade aura roared toward him, Isamu manipulated the golden chakra of the Nine-Tails, forming two massive, ethereal palms to intercept the attack.
Bang!
The collision pushed Isamu back, his boots treading deep furrows into the earth. The flaming energy ground against the chakra palms, refusing to dissipate. What incredible power...
"You blocked one, but what about the rest? Second strike! Third! Fourth!" Sakumo didn't let up, sending three more explosive waves of energy in rapid succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The successive impacts pushed Isamu back further—one meter, two, three, four... Just as he reached the five-meter mark, Isamu dug his heels in and halted.
"Don't underestimate me! Break!"
Isamu roared, pouring his will into the Nine-Tails' chakra. The massive ethereal hands suddenly clenched shut, crushing the accumulated blade auras into nothingness with a thunderous explosion.
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