Chapter 181. Taking Turn

Chapter 181 - 181. Taking Turn"So... so powerful!" Rin Nohara's mouth fell open as she subconsciously exclaimed. Although she knew that Hanekawa practiced various ninjutsu techniques regularly, she hadn't expected him to use them in such a terrifying combination. Not only was the power immense, but his speed in forming hand seals was incredible, and his timing was flawless. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No wonder Hanekawa was able to kill Kuriarare Kushimaru, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. What a pity she hadn't been qualified to participate in the Kirigakure main camp raid back then—she could only imagine how impressive it must have been to witness it firsthand. Kakashi Hatake nodded solemnly, his face serious. His impression of Hanekawa had been stuck on his genjutsu, kenjutsu, and water-style techniques. But now, there was no doubt Hanekawa had become even stronger, without any apparent weaknesses. Kakashi could already predict how utterly defeated he would be in a sparring match with Hanekawa. As an assassin-type ninja, his swordsmanship would be meaningless if he couldn't get close to his opponent. But getting close seemed nearly impossible. Hanekawa's speed in releasing ninjutsu left no openings, making it overwhelming to face. Could he rely on lightning-style techniques? Kakashi frowned in thought, his mind racing. "As expected of Hanekawa! That was an easy win!" Kurenai Yuhi stood with her hands on her hips, a bright smile on her face, her tone full of pride. "So this is my lifelong rival? Too strong!" Might Guy was filled with awe and excitement. He only specialized in taijutsu. But Hanekawa could use every type of ninjutsu—and use them all to perfection. It was simply incredible. As for his excitement, it stemmed from the thought of fighting such a powerful opponent, which made his blood boil with anticipation. [C-Rank Talent Trait 'Firestarter' has upgraded.] [Fire-style talent has increased by 150%.] Hanekawa looked at the two lines of text floating before him and nodded in satisfaction. Considering Obito Uchiha's age, his fire-style skills were indeed decent, far surpassing most chunin. However, against Hanekawa—who held the 'Elite Jonin' traits for lightning, earth, fire, and water styles—Obito's abilities clearly fell short. Hanekawa was now even more certain that Obito Uchiha had encountered Madara Uchiha earlier than expected. Otherwise, his fire-style skills wouldn't have advanced so rapidly. Upgrading the C-Rank trait 'Firestarter' to a B-Rank trait put it on par with the B-Rank 'Lots of Water' trait, both granting a 150% boost. While the fire-style talent didn't directly increase the power of fire-style ninjutsu, it made learning and mastering such techniques significantly easier. Most importantly, it would greatly shorten the time needed to unlock the A-Rank 'Fire-Style Jonin' trait. Coming back to his senses, Hanekawa noticed Obito Uchiha still lying on the ground. Why wasn't anyone helping him? Hanekawa instinctively glanced around. Kakashi was deep in thought, Kurenai was delighted, Might Guy was eager, and Rin Nohara was still in shock—each caught up in their own emotions. Hanekawa sighed, shaking his head, and walked toward Obito Uchiha. Reaching out his hands, a soft green chakra enveloped Obito. Obito had only been knocked unconscious by an electric shock and suffered minor injuries. Moments later, he regained consciousness. Obito stared at Hanekawa for a moment, recalling the devastating defeat he had just endured. He had thought his fire-style ninjutsu would allow for an even match, but instead, he was forced to flee in desperation. Remembering that Rin had witnessed his performance, Obito's face flushed red with embarrassment, and he wished he could pass out again. "I don't need your help!" Obito got up angrily and stormed off toward his tent, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. "Obito!" Rin instinctively called out to him. But Obito, still overwhelmed with humiliation, pretended not to hear her. "It's my turn now, Hanekawa!" A green blur appeared in front of Hanekawa. Might Guy had taken Obito's spot without hesitation. "Bring it on." Hanekawa didn't refuse. This would be a good chance to see if the C-Rank trait 'No Regrets of Youth' could be upgraded. "Excellent!" Might Guy's eyes lit up as he spoke with excitement. Hanekawa, used to Guy's emotional outbursts, remained calm as he formed the seal of confrontation. "Leaf Hurricane!" With a roar, Might Guy launched himself at Hanekawa, stepping forward with a powerful kick. Chidori Current! Hanekawa quickly formed hand seals, and lightning chakra surged across his body. Might Guy recognized the lightning-style technique—one of Kakashi Hatake's specialties. Since they sparred often, he was familiar with it and knew how to counter it. Chakra surged from Might Guy, covering his right leg. The lightning struck his leg but left only faint scorch marks. Leaf Hurricane! Hanekawa responded with a kick of his own. Boom! Their legs collided, creating a shockwave that spread out as a fierce wind. Hanekawa stood his ground, while Might Guy staggered back two steps. "You're still as powerful as ever!" Might Guy steadied himself and charged forward again. "Leaf Great Whirlwind!" He pushed off the ground with one hand, spinning into a ferocious kick aimed at Hanekawa. Lightning Body! Hanekawa had already gauged Might Guy's strength from their previous exchange. Compared to the Chunin Exams, Might Guy had clearly made progress. Even without using the Eight Gates, his base strength was nearing the level of a Jonin—though only in taijutsu. Hanekawa felt confident that he could completely wear Might Guy down with his mastery of the five elemental ninjutsu. But doing so would feel disrespectful to Guy, so instead, he decided to use Lightning Body Technique. The lightning from his Chidori Current intensified, and Hanekawa's speed, defense, and attack power instantly increased by 100%. Clenching his fist, he struck out. Another resounding crash echoed. Might Guy's expression shifted slightly. The overwhelming power struck his right leg, leaving it momentarily numb, and sent him flying backward like a cannonball. Hanekawa stood his ground, making no move to pursue. Kakashi Hatake's pupils contracted as he observed. He knew just how strong Might Guy was—slightly stronger than himself in pure physical power. But what about Hanekawa? His strength seemed to have reached an entirely new level. Although Hanekawa had used Lightning Body Technique during the Chunin Exams nearly two years ago, it was clear that his skill had drastically improved since then. The Lightning Body Technique amplified one's physical abilities based on their baseline strength. Over the past two years, Hanekawa had been rigorously training his body and practicing the Lightning Chakra Mode, significantly improving his foundation. As a result, the enhancement from the Lightning Body Technique was now even more pronounced. Additionally, Hanekawa had mastered the Yin Seal, keeping his physical condition at its peak at all times. The subsequent fight confirmed Kakashi's thoughts. Might Guy unleashed a series of taijutsu techniques, including Leaf Strong Whirlwind, Leaf Rock Ascension, and Dynamic Leaf Adamantine Whirlwind, but the results were the same. Each attack was countered, and Guy was sent flying time after time. Kakashi realized that during Hanekawa's earlier fight with Obito Uchiha, he had been holding back. Judging by how Guy was repeatedly sent flying, Obito likely wouldn't have survived even a single punch. After all, aside from his Sharingan and fire-style ninjutsu, Obito's taijutsu was woefully inadequate—a common weakness among many Uchiha, who relied too heavily on their Sharingan. That said, the Sharingan was undeniably a taijutsu user's natural enemy, able to perfectly predict their movements. However, neither Hanekawa nor Guy were ordinary taijutsu users. Rin Nohara watched in awe, her expectations for both fighters far surpassed. Yet it was Hanekawa who left her utterly stunned. After all, during his fight with Obito, he hadn't even used taijutsu, instead demonstrating exceptional mastery of the five elemental ninjutsu. For a moment, Rin felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, Obito had already left—otherwise, witnessing this would have made things even harder for him. As his friend, Rin understood Obito's desire not to lose to Hanekawa. But the stark reality was that the gap between them was insurmountable. "I concede!" Guy, sent flying yet again, grimaced as he admitted defeat. After such an intense battle, his entire body was sore and fatigued. "You're not using the Eight Gates?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "If I wanted to beat you, I'd have to open at least the Sixth Gate, and that would take a serious toll on my body," Guy explained, shaking his head. "This is just a sparring match, and we have a mission tomorrow." "Fair enough," Hanekawa said with a smile. As expected, Guy could be level-headed when it mattered, not letting his fiery spirit cloud his judgment. At that moment, two lines of text appeared before Hanekawa: [C-Rank Talent Trait 'No Regrets of Youth' has upgraded.] [Taijutsu talent has increased by 150%.] Not bad—the trait system had delivered. Hanekawa exhaled in satisfaction. The fight had been worth it. Although he didn't train taijutsu much, his combined ninjutsu-taijutsu techniques benefited from the upgrade, providing a significant bonus. In other words, his training in the Lightning Chakra Mode would now progress much faster—an unexpected boon. "Kakashi, want to spar?" Hanekawa looked over at Kakashi with a smile. A fight's a fight—whether it's one opponent or three, it made no difference to him. Besides, Kakashi was an Elite Jonin now, meaning he'd likely meet the requirements to upgrade Hanekawa's C-Rank Trait: Lightning Blade. "Sure." Kakashi paused briefly, then asked, "Do you need to rest first?" He was mindful of the fact that Hanekawa had just sparred with both Obito and Guy while using so many techniques. If it were him, his chakra would've been almost entirely depleted by now. "No need," Hanekawa replied, pulling down his Konoha forehead protector to reveal the diamond-shaped mark of the Yin Seal. "I've got this." Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. Hanekawa had successfully mastered the Yin Seal before the battle at the Kirigakure frontlines. Since they hadn't seen each other since then, Kakashi had no idea he had already achieved this feat. Now, seeing it firsthand, Kakashi could only curse under his breath: What a monster! This was an S-rank jutsu! As the student of Minato Namikaze and someone familiar with Tsunade's legendary reputation, Kakashi knew about the Yin Seal. With it, Hanekawa would never run out of chakra. Just imagining it sent shivers down Kakashi's spine. A ninja proficient in the Five Elemental Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and kenjutsu, with incredible hand-seal speed and an endless supply of chakra—how could anyone possibly fight that? It was no surprise that Kuriarare Kushimaru had died by his hands. Thankfully, they weren't enemies. Kakashi stepped forward, facing Hanekawa, and together they formed the Seal of Reconciliation. "Be careful," Hanekawa warned, before forming hand seals with both hands. Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he watched the ground ahead turn to mud, revealing a massive dragon head. It was Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet. Being skilled in Earth Release himself, Kakashi recognized it immediately. His response was quick—a Mud Wall rose in front of him in the next second. The Earth Dragon opened its mouth, launching a mud bullet. But then, Hanekawa leaned back, chakra gathering in his throat, and unleashed a torrent of flames. The flames mixed with the mud bullet, forming a flaming mud projectile. This was Earth-Style Flame Flow, a composite jutsu Sarutobi Hiruzen was famous for. "...What?" It was Kakashi's first time seeing a composite jutsu, and he was stunned. Boom! The mud wall collapsed. The searing heat, combined with the weight of the mud projectile, made Kakashi feel an intense sense of danger. Chidori Current! Forced to use his full strength, Kakashi activated Chidori Current, covering his body in lightning to shield himself from the flames' heat. Body Flicker Technique! In a flash, Kakashi barely dodged the flaming projectile, which crashed to the ground, sending a shockwave several meters high. The impact left a deep crater in the ground. Kakashi instinctively swallowed hard. How is he starting with such a powerful jutsu? No, wait—Kakashi recalled that Hanekawa had used two jutsu: one Earth Release and one Fire Release. A composite jutsu? Seriously? Kakashi prided himself on his speed with hand seals. He had used Earth-Style: Mud Wall in less than a second. Yet Hanekawa had used two jutsu in the same time frame. Doesn't this mean Hanekawa's hand-seal speed is twice as fast as mine? Just then, Kakashi's face changed. Hanekawa was no longer in his original spot. In the next moment, Kakashi felt his legs being grabbed. Looking down instinctively, he saw Hanekawa's hands emerging from the ground. Hanekawa leapt up, while Kakashi's body was pulled down, leaving only his head above ground. Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide! At the critical moment, Kakashi slapped the ground, splitting it in two and freeing himself. He quickly retreated but noticed Hanekawa didn't take the opportunity to attack further. A faint sense of frustration arose in Kakashi's heart, but he pressed on. Chidori Senbon! The sharp chirping of birds echoed as Kakashi condensed a surge of lightning in his right hand, flinging it forward. The lightning split into countless needles. Earth Release: Mud Wall! Hanekawa formed seals, summoning another mud wall in front of him. It only held for a moment before being pierced by the lightning needles. Water Release: Water Formation Wall! A water wall rose just in time, blocking the remaining needles. But then, the sound of slicing wind filled the air. Hanekawa turned to see Kakashi charging at him with a blade in hand. Clang! The Thunder-Fire Sword intercepted Kakashi's short blade. The immense force made Kakashi stagger back half a step. Leaf-Style: Willow! Hanekawa's body shifted, and countless sword lights appeared. Genjutsu: Release! Kakashi, having seen this technique before, quickly dispelled the genjutsu and regained control of his body. He crossed his short blade in front of him, blocking most of the attacks. But he couldn't stop the hidden strike. A flash of cold light appeared before him—the Thunder-Fire Sword, wreathed in lightning, was at his throat. "I guess I really can't beat you," Kakashi sighed. --- [C-Rank Talent Trait: Lightning Blade has upgraded.] [Lightning Release and Kenjutsu talent increased by 150%.] [D-Rank Talent Trait: True Earth has upgraded.] [Earth Release talent increased by 100%.] Hanekawa was momentarily stunned. Two upgrades? That was an unexpected bonus. _ Patreon.com/rashta 1. 330 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete) 5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird