Arc XII Chapter 21

Arc XII Chapter 21

XII

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Arc XII Chapter 21

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“...” Kakashi’s left eye widened. His sharingan saw what could not be concealed. He was the first to notice the extent of her weakness, the first to grasp the opportunity.

Kakashi’s voice hardened, his senses sharpened, his fatigue all but gone. “Temari, Naruto, prepare yourself. I don’t know why, but her chakra ..., her aura ... are wavering.”

“... ... ... What?” Temari looked up, staring at Kakashi in disbelief, her arm still leaning on her war fan. “Her chakra is what?”

“...” Naruto shared Temari’s doubts, his scepticism written all over his face. “What are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?”

“No time to explain.” Kakashi cut them short, his voice cold. “We must strike now. We must strike as long as the iron is hot.”

Kakashi reached for the holster strapped to his leg. A kunai was his response, reverse grip. Chirping lightning coated his blade, the steel of his kunai vibrating. “Temari, Naruto, listen, I will engage her in melee. I will keep her busy. You, Termari, ... throw everything at her, you have. You must cover me. I will need it.”

“Understood.” Temari complied, nodding firmly.

Kakashi glanced sidewards, his gaze wandering to his student. “Naruto, ... you know what you have to do. We are counting on you. Strike when the moment comes. Use it well. Strike hard. Strike fast. Put everything in it that you have. You will need nothing less than all your strength to defeat Asami.”

“...” Kakashi glared, the feeling of frustration, of annoyance palpable in his eyes. His thoughts lay open like a book. He knew ... that he had failed.

Yet he attacked again. And again. And again. His kunai struck the same point over and over again with increasing vigour in an attempt to tire her chakra through sheer fatigue. Obviously, he knew what he was doing. As expected of him, the old sly fox.

Fortunately for her, Kakashi was running on his last reserves as well, his chakra having long since lost its former sharpness. No matter how well he was trying to hide it, he was at the end of his rope.

“...” Asami giggled, her lustrous lips forming a smile. Her parasol shifted ever so slightly, allowing their eyes to meet. His vivid red met her imperial purple. His mangekyou and her purple eyes, both of them staring at each other, gazing deep down into each other’s souls. They were born unequal. He, a mere pretender to a power not his own. She, the true heiress to an ancient legacy. Yet, they met as equals at this very moment, the moment his kunai and her umbrella crossed. “Kakashi~, enlighten me, how long are you willing to continue this charade?”

“...” Kakashi maintained his stoic facade, unwavering, his stare defiant, “As long as necessary.”

Asami chuckled, mildly amused. “As long as necessary~. Yet we both know how this will end, Kakashi~, don’t we?”

“...” Kakashi glared, his eyes narrowed. “We will see, Asami. Naruto! NOW!!!”

It was his sign. The sign he has been waiting for. Naruto circled her, rushing in from behind with two of his shadow clones at his side, accompanying him on the move. The two clones were weaving their chakra, channelling all of their power and, perhaps unconsciously, the last vestiges of the aura of the Kyuubi into his attack. His rasengan grew in size and strength, his blue sphere ever bulging.

His clones dissolved into a white cloud, and Naruto charged, immediately going on the attack. He charged with his rasengan in his arm and a single goal, a sole purpose in mind, to defeat her.

Naruto gritted his teeth, his blue eyes filled with both fury and determination in equal parts. “Aaargggggghhhhhhhh!”

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