"Sasuke."
"Indeed, genjutsu can be used in battle."
Hatake Kakashi looked at Uchiha Sasuke, then at Zabuza Momochi, who was being controlled by Sasuke's genjutsu, fighting a graceful figure. Kakashi couldn't help but sigh softly, "But using genjutsu to manipulate someone else's will is not a good thing..."
"Oh?"
Uchiha Sasuke raised his eyebrows.
The handsome black-haired boy calmly watched Zabuza fight under his control and began to explain indifferently.
"Kakashi-sensei..."
"This is not manipulating his will but showing him mercy."
"The courage of a weakling to wield a blade against the strong is something to be encouraged. So, I merely trapped him in a genjutsu instead of letting him fully experience the gap between us. At least he doesn't have to personally endure true despair."
"..."
The corners of Hatake Kakashi's eyes twitched slightly.
So, Zabuza should be grateful for being trapped in your genjutsu?
Meanwhile.
The battle continued.
Zabuza's strength was formidable, and he immediately gained the upper hand, forcing the graceful masked person to constantly dodge left and right!
"This..."
"What is going on!"
The masked person was caught off guard by Zabuza's attack.
This behavior...
It didn't match their planned strategy at all.
However, seeing Zabuza's cold and ruthless eyes, the masked person could only frown and softly remind him,
"Zabuza-sama?"
"What is happening?"
Zabuza completely ignored the masked person's whispers and continued to slash at him with his large sword, exuding a murderous intent!
The masked person and Zabuza were clearly acquainted. Realizing Zabuza's abnormal behavior, the masked person had no choice but to remove his mask, revealing a delicate face, hoping his appearance would wake Zabuza up.
"Such a beautiful face..."
Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura were stunned at the same time.
However...
The delicate face had no effect.
Zabuza only hesitated for a moment before charging again, his will unable to resist Sasuke's genjutsu suggestion!
The demon of the Mist was devoid of any rationality, not caring about the opponent's beauty, and swung his Kubikiribōchō down, aiming to cut the opponent in half with a single strike!
An ice wall barely blocked Zabuza's advance!
But Zabuza instantly cleaved the ice wall in two, slashing at the opponent's head. The Kubikiribōchō was even wider than the enemy's slender figure, and a single strike would decapitate the graceful ninja!
Slash!
The sharp blade grazed the shoulder of the delicate ninja, a streak of blood instantly seeping out, staining the blue robe, and furrowing the beautiful face in pain.
But...
This gave the delicate ninja an opportunity!
Two ice needles appeared between the delicate ninja's fingers, and taking advantage of the close distance, he pierced Zabuza's neck with them!
This was their usual trick!
Whenever Zabuza faced an unbeatable enemy, the delicate ninja would disguise himself as a member of the Mist's tracking unit, claiming to hunt the rogue ninja Zabuza. He would then use ice needles to put Zabuza into a state of suspended animation and take him away!
Generally speaking...
Most people would give face to the Mist Village.
After all, the Mist was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Years of dependency had made the delicate ninja very familiar with Zabuza's body, knowing exactly how to immobilize him quickly!
When the delicate ninja's ice needles pierced Zabuza's neck, the tall and thin body of the Mist demon finally fell!
"Finally..."
The delicate ninja's breath was heavy, tightly covering the wound on his shoulder, frowning slightly from the pain.
"Hello everyone."
"I am a ninja from the Mist's tracking unit."
The delicate ninja, holding his shoulder, looked at Hatake Kakashi and Team 7, resuming his performance: "I have been hunting the demon Zabuza, I have no intention of opposing Konoha, but I need to take his body..."
"Such a despicable act is too low-level..."
Uchiha Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword, his mouth sneering coldly, "Do you really think you can hide the truth under the Sharingan's gaze? Is it because a certain blonde in our team is so stupid that you think we all can't see you know Zabuza?"
"!!!"
The delicate ninja's heart tightened!
"Sasuke, who are you calling stupid!"
Uzumaki Naruto angrily waved his fist.
"..."
Hatake Kakashi could only rub his forehead helplessly, pressing his brow: "As expected of the Uchiha, even a single sentence can offend so many people..."
The Uchiha clan in Konoha had always offended people, and even the last Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke, didn't seem to have changed much...
However...
Speaking of which...
This subordinate's observation and perception were truly sharp, even detecting another enemy when Zabuza appeared!
In fact...
Uchiha Sasuke was very familiar with Zabuza and the delicate ninja. The delicate ninja's name was Haku, Zabuza's follower.
Ninjas usually kept mission records, and in the real world, Root ninjas were the most elite. They kept detailed mission records, including information about Zabuza and Haku.
According to mission records, the second leader of Root, Akihara Kagura, had accepted a commission from the Mist to Konoha. Akihara Kagura used a very despicable and cunning plan to have Zabuza and Haku secretly eliminate a group of Land of Water nobles...
Among them...
Naturally, Zabuza and Haku's relationship was mentioned.
"Did you notice?"
Haku took a deep breath, picking up a kunai, and looked at Uchiha Sasuke and others, shouting softly, "Let me take Zabuza-sama away, I will fight with my life..."
"Willing to risk your life for him..."
"You must have a close relationship with Zabuza?"
Uchiha Sasuke spoke, his figure instantly moving past Haku.
"How can he be so fast!"
A look of astonishment flashed in Haku's eyes. The speed of this teleportation technique was so great that he couldn't see it clearly, not even catching a glimpse of this black-haired boy's shadow!
However...
The black-haired boy's sudden appearance next to him provided an opportunity to capture a hostage first.
"Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
Haku quickly clasped his hands together to form seals!
Ice scattered from Haku's hands, quickly forming mirrors around him and Uchiha Sasuke, encapsulating their figures within!
"Indeed... It's the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai..."
Hatake Kakashi's eyes showed a hint of surprise, yet he didn't believe that the opponent could be a match for Uchiha Sasuke. He was very aware that the outcome of this battle had already been determined before it began: "It's just an ordinary Ice Release Kekkei Genkai... The top-tier Kekkei Genkai of the ninja world, the Sharingan... The last genius of the Uchiha clan... It's not even a contest..."
At the very least...
Haku and Zabuza Momochi had been fighting for a while, and Hatake Kakashi could clearly see the difference...
The gap in combat skills between Haku and Uchiha Sasuke was even greater than the gap between himself and his ninja dog, Pakkun!
However...
Haku's figure leaped and slowly merged into the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, his body rapidly moving back and forth between the mirrors, his speed dizzying, making it impossible to tell where his true body was hiding!
Even if Haku's body occasionally appeared in a mirror, he would instantly fly out and reappear at the speed of light in another mirror. Haku's figure darted around as if he were present in every mirror at all times!
"This technique!"
Hatake Kakashi watched the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals with some surprise.
"It's quite impressive..."
Uchiha Sasuke watched Haku darting back and forth in the mirrors, coldly smirking as he praised, "Your Kekkei Genkai is just the lowest grade of Ice Release, yet you have developed it to this extent, creating an environment that allows you to perform high-speed teleportation in battle, making it seem as if you're everywhere at once..."
"..."
Haku's figure appeared in a mirror, silently watching Uchiha Sasuke, not refuting because Uchiha Sasuke was accurate in his assessment.
However...
Haku's temperament was quite good...
At least he wasn't angered by Uchiha Sasuke's disdain for Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.
However, Uchiha Sasuke's teammates found the situation a bit perplexing. Uzumaki Naruto scratched his head and bluntly asked, "What is Ice Release Kekkei Genkai? Why does Sasuke's speech sound like he's praising someone, but also like he's insulting them?"
"How should I put it?"
Hatake Kakashi sighed and said softly, "It's like saying you're a very excellent ninja..."
"Hmm..."
Uzumaki Naruto nodded slightly.
"And then..."
"He tells you..."
Hatake Kakashi paused, his expression turning a bit helpless, "That for a ninja as excellent as you, he only needs one finger to defeat you..."
As the Jonin leader of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi's cultural literacy was quite high, and he explained Sasuke's verbal trap in a casual manner.
"Ah! Ah!"
Uzumaki Naruto grabbed his face, his emotions instantly becoming agitated, almost driven mad by Hatake Kakashi's analogy: "So, Sasuke always talks to me like this! No wonder I always felt something was off!"
"No..."
"When he talks to you..."
Hatake Kakashi glanced at the blond boy and sighed, "He doesn't need to use such high-level taunts..."
Indeed.
He doesn't need to at all.
No...
It's not because he doesn't need to.
It's a deeper issue.
Uchiha Sasuke only taunts these people's low levels because he looks down on them; however, he directly calls Uzumaki Naruto an idiot without ever taunting him, because he has never looked down on his teammate Uzumaki Naruto!
"This guy..."
Hatake Kakashi watched the black-haired boy standing in the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, unsure whether to praise his new subordinate's outwardly cold but inwardly warm attitude towards his teammates, or to marvel at his mature mind.
"Ahhhhh..."
Uzumaki Naruto grabbed his head, feeling like he was going to lose his mind.
"Alright."
Hatake Kakashi patted Uzumaki Naruto's head gently and said softly, "Naruto, watch Sasuke's battle carefully, and see how he breaks the opponent's technique..."
On the battlefield.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't seem to care about the threat of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals at all.
Just as he said, the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai was merely a low-level Kekkei Genkai in the ninja world, unable to compete with him.
"In front of the Sharingan, all your efforts are in vain..."
"However..."
"As a reward for your courage in challenging a stronger opponent..."
"If you want to use teleportation and ice images to confuse your opponent and determine the outcome, then I'll use a similar technique to decide the winner. Let's see who gets confused first..."
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Uchiha Sasuke quickly formed seals, his eyes becoming sharp, and numerous ordinary clones emerged from him, standing within the range of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals in groups!
"What..."
"Just the most ordinary Clone Technique..."
Uzumaki Naruto immediately saw through Uchiha Sasuke's technique, noticing that Sasuke formed seals to release a group of ordinary clones, and couldn't help but scratch his nose: "I can use the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, all of which are high-level shadow clones that can fight..."
About that...
Uzumaki Naruto could indeed be proud.
Now, throughout the entire Konoha Village and even the entire ninja world, there isn't a single ninja who can instantly release thousands of shadow clones like he can!
"That's not an ordinary cloning technique..."
Hatake Kakashi raised his hand to adjust his ninja headband, staring intently at the numerous clones of Uchiha Sasuke within the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. He said in a low voice, "It's a medium used to perform a very fast body flicker technique. I didn't expect Sasuke to know this body flicker technique as well..."
"Hmm..."
"This isn't surprising..."
"After all, Sasuke has always been very fast..."
"Moreover, the developer of this body flicker technique was also from Sasuke's clan. That man once held the title of the strongest Uchiha..."
Kakashi's voice became more serious and heavy, as he felt he was recounting a historical fact: "That man had extremely terrifying eyes. Just one look could instantly trap someone in his illusion. His ocular power surpassed that of any other Uchiha, even far beyond Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi..."
"!!!"
"Stronger than Sasuke's brother?"
Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura couldn't help but be amazed!
Because in their eyes, their companion Uchiha Sasuke was already very powerful, yet he was helpless against his brother, who had annihilated the entire Uchiha clan. How powerful could a ninja even stronger than Sasuke's brother be?
"However..."
Kakashi shifted the topic to their main discussion: "Although that man had extremely powerful Sharingan eyes, he wasn't famous in the ninja world for his Sharingan and genjutsu. Instead, he was renowned for his unique body flicker technique, which no one could counter. This technique earned him his ultimate title..."
"Shisui of the Body Flicker!"
When Kakashi recalled this name, he couldn't help but sigh: "I never expected Sasuke to have mastered Uchiha Shisui's technique..."
"Huh?"
Naruto scratched his head, looking at the ordinary clones of Sasuke within the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, unable to understand how formidable this technique was.
The next moment!
Haku's attack appeared!
Haku's figure instantly flew out from a mirror, rushing towards one of Sasuke's ordinary clones, intending to shatter it in an instant!
However...
A sharp ninja sword blocked Haku's attack!
The ordinary clone turned out to be solid!
"How is that possible!"
A look of surprise flashed in Haku's eyes, and his figure instantly retreated back into the ice mirror: "I clearly saw that it was just an ordinary clone..."
"It is indeed a clone..."
"But it's also my real body..."
One of Sasuke's clones held his ninja sword horizontally, and all the Sasukes simultaneously raised their swords, making it impossible to distinguish between the clones and the real body!
"My real body and clones can switch freely. My real body can be any clone, and any of my clones can instantly become the real body..."
"This is the body flicker technique that Shisui taught me!"
One of the clones charged towards the mirror where Haku was hiding!
Haku's body instinctively raised his hand to fight, intending to instantly break this clone!
However...
The clone instantly became the real body!
Sasuke raised his sword and struck Haku, forcing him to retreat!
Haku had no choice but to retreat back into a mirror!
A group of clones surrounded Haku, who quickly flew out of the mirror, attacking another clone!
"This is a clone!"
Haku's hand raised a senbon to strike the clone!
But the clone instantly became the real body, slashing the senbon apart and even leaving a wound on Haku!
Haku's heart tightened, and he quickly retreated into a mirror.
"No, that was the real body, so the others must be clones!"
Haku saw a clone appearing in front of the mirror, raised his hand with a kunai, and slashed at it!
However...
The attack was blocked again!
Sasuke's clone instantly became the real body again!
Every time Haku flew out of the mirror to attack, he was always facing Sasuke's real body, making it impossible to tell if he was attacking a clone or the real body!
"No..."
"No..."
"Is the enemy a clone or the real body..."
"Sorry..."
"Zabuza-sama..."
"I really can't tell..."
The body flicker technique's ability to switch between clones and the real body left Haku utterly confused, making him feel that every Sasuke was real. He could only watch in despair as countless Sasukes swung their ninja swords at him!
"Hmph..."
"How pathetic..."
Sasuke scoffed, seemingly losing interest in Haku!
The next moment!
All the clones moved simultaneously, instantly shattering the mirrors!
All of Sasuke's clones raised their ninja swords, placing them at Haku's neck. Each sword felt fake to Haku, yet at the same time, they all felt real!
"In the face of the Uchiha's body flicker technique, your technique is full of flaws..."
"However..."
"You don't need to feel despair..."
Sasuke's real body continuously switched among the clones, his voice fluctuating with the alternation: "Because the gap between you and me is no different from the gap between the rest of the ninja world and me…"