Fast.
Six afterimages.
Six streaks of white blade light cut through the air.
When the blade lights flashed and the ringing of the sword echoed,
Whoosh.
A violent gust of wind swept outward.
Yagyu's figure had already passed through the blockade of Sasori's puppet attacks.
His Chakra Blade had returned to its sheath.
Standing in the stance of an iaijutsu draw, Yagyu was surrounded by tangible Wind Release chakra that swirled around him, spreading a sharp tearing sensation through the air.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
A series of cracking sounds rang out.
The five human puppets Sasori had just summoned were already shattered across the ground.
Without giving Sasori time to breathe,
The moment Yagyu lifted his gaze,
"Yagyu Style Swordsmanship, Draw Slash."
Boom.
The terrifying Wind Release chakra surged violently again.
In less than half a breath,
Yagyu drew his blade.
Clang.
A dazzling blade flash.
A sharp sword cry.
Immediately afterward, between Yagyu and Sasori, a massive green blade aura nearly five meters tall erupted.
With lightning speed it slashed toward Sasori.
Boom.
The ground, already ravaged repeatedly, was destroyed once more by the green blade aura.
A deep trench split across the land.
Seeing this, Sasori relied on his vast combat experience to react instantly.
Whoosh.
His body flashed aside.
Sasori left his position and directly avoided the slash.
Boom.
The green blade aura struck the nearby mountainside, carving a huge gash into the rock.
After unleashing that strike,
Yagyu suppressed the urge to pursue.
"This can't continue. If this goes on it will turn into a real battle. One opponent might still be manageable, but if Kisame Hoshigaki and Uchiha Itachi join in, then it's over."
Yagyu did not chase.
The fight halted once again.
Standing behind Yagyu and supporting him, Anko did not understand why he did not continue the attack.
But she was smart enough not to ask.
From the moment Yagyu began fighting earlier, the authority in their team had already shifted to him.
Anko had no problem with that.
After sparring with Yagyu twice,
She clearly understood something.
Yagyu's strength far surpassed her own.
During their earlier team test, Yagyu had held back far too much.
After witnessing this battle, Anko was certain of that.
Meanwhile,
The two observers, Kisame Hoshigaki and Uchiha Itachi, had completely different reactions.
And expressions.
"I didn't expect that brat to become even faster."
After watching the second exchange, even Kisame, who was normally extremely confident, showed surprise.
"And that swordsmanship reminds me of someone. There once was an unbelievably powerful swordsman ninja from Konoha."
When Kisame said that, everyone present immediately thought of a legend.
White hair.
A short blade.
A man active during the Second Shinobi World War.
A man whose mere presence on the battlefield could cause enemies to retreat in fear.
The legendary swordsman.
The White Fang of Konoha.
A man who stood at the top of the ninja world with nothing but his blade.
At this moment, Yagyu faintly resembled the White Fang.
Watching Yagyu silently,
A trace of confusion flashed through the eyes beneath Itachi's hat.
There was also a hint of speculation.
After a moment, Itachi made a decision.
Meanwhile,
Sasori, who had avoided Yagyu's attack while controlling Hiruko,
Originally prepared for another strike.
But when he realized Yagyu was not pursuing him, he froze briefly.
Then his voice became extremely cold.
"You didn't take the chance to attack me… brat, are you looking down on me?"
Buzz.
Yagyu lowered his Chakra Blade slightly.
He glanced at Sasori and spoke calmly.
"No. I never underestimate any opponent. But compared to you, there is someone here who is clearly more dangerous."
As he spoke,
Yagyu shifted his gaze.
His eyes landed directly on Uchiha Itachi.
"Compared to him, you… are just a little lacking."
Hearing this,
Sasori's tone grew darker and colder.
"So what you're saying is that compared to Uchiha Itachi, I'm just a minor nuisance in your eyes?"
Yagyu shrugged.
He did not respond.
But the vigilance and seriousness in his gaze did not fade.
At that moment, everyone felt the same thing.
Yagyu's attention had always been on Itachi.
Never on Sasori.
"Hehehe."
Kisame laughed darkly.
While watching the scene, he placed one hand on the hilt of Samehada.
"I can't pretend I didn't hear that. Brat, although I agree with you that Sasori is a small fry, the small fry you mentioned probably doesn't include me, right?"
Yagyu's gaze shifted toward Kisame.
His Chakra Blade lowered slightly further.
His tone remained casual.
"If you want to think that way… then yes, that's exactly what I mean."
Crunch. Boom.
With a single motion, Kisame pulled Samehada from his back and slammed it into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"To be honest, I like geniuses."
His voice turned icy as killing intent surged.
Powerful chakra fluctuations spread from Kisame.
"Because geniuses, even young ones, are worth cutting down. And now, you've gained that value."
As he finished speaking,
Kisame stepped forward.
He was about to attack Yagyu.
Seeing this, Anko's expression changed drastically.
She gripped her kunai and prepared to fight.
The battle was about to escalate from a duel into a full group fight.
Not only did Anko become tense.
Even Yagyu did as well.
Whether his plan would succeed depended entirely on what happened next.
As Kisame prepared to strike, Yagyu tightened his grip on his Chakra Blade.
Then loosened it again.
Just as the battle was about to erupt,
Tap.
A hand suddenly rose and stopped Kisame.
Everyone's gaze shifted.
Anko.
Sasori.
Kisame.
They all looked at the owner of that hand.
It was Uchiha Itachi.
The man who had barely spoken or moved until now.
"Itachi-san…"
Kisame narrowed his eyes, slightly puzzled.
Slowly raising his head,
Itachi removed the hat from his head.
His calm eyes looked directly at Yagyu.
"Enough."
His voice was so calm it seemed as though nothing in the world could affect him.
Stepping forward, he said,
"I'll handle this."
Buzz.
His eyes closed briefly.
Then opened.
A pair of scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan appeared before everyone.
His expression remained unbelievably calm.
Every movement released pressure.
It perfectly embodied the aura of absolute confidence.
When Uchiha Itachi stepped forward,
Sasori stopped speaking.
Kisame abandoned the idea of attacking.
Anko could no longer remain still.
And Yagyu's expression became extremely serious.
But inside, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.
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