Kakashi exhaled deeply.
Prolonged combat not only drained his chakra but also left his body feeling weak.
But Hiraoka Masahiko wasn't in much better condition than him.
One was too young, the other too old.
Their stamina was no match for a twenty-year-old.
Kakashi's breathing gradually steadied. He held two wooden swords, one in each hand.
He said nothing.
But Hiraoka Masahiko already understood that this was the final move.
He quickly assumed a defensive posture.
Kakashi squinted his eyes, and his whole body rushed forward.
Sparks of lightning flickered around him.
His right hand's long sword slashed out first.
Sensing danger, Hiraoka Masahiko jumped back, trying to evade the sword, but he was a fraction too slow.
His kendo uniform split open.
He gritted his teeth, his sword meeting Kakashi's.
But Kakashi didn't give him a chance. Moving with high agility in the confined space, he alternated slashes with his short and long swords, hitting Hiraoka multiple times in an instant.
The two separated.
Kakashi glanced at him, tossed aside the wooden swords, and returned to Haruki's side without a word.
As the crowd wondered what had happened, Hiraoka Masahiko let out a painful groan.
His shirt was in tatters, revealing swollen muscles beneath, battered by the wooden swords.
The outcome was clear.
The crowd looked at Haruki and Kakashi with awe.
Beating Hiraoka Masahiko wasn't just talent—it was monstrous.
Haruki placed a hand on Kakashi's head, healing his body.
Though it was just wooden swords, his skin was covered in red marks under his clothes.
"Let's go," Haruki said, without any victorious boasting, and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Hiraoka Masahiko called after them, taking a deep breath. "I'm not much of an expert in the metropolis of the Iron Country. If you want more challenges, you can go to the samurai dojo."
"Thank you."
Haruki waved and left the dojo.
He didn't seek more challenges primarily because of Kakashi's chakra issues.
After some inquiries, Haruki bought a special chakra gem, made it into a necklace, and infused it chakra, equivalent to seven or eight jonin.
The next day, Haruki took Kakashi to the samurai dojo.
This dojo was associated with Mifune's samurai forces, similar to a ninja academy, specifically for training samurai in the Iron Country.
Of course, Haruki wasn't as arrogant this time.
Under the guise of friendly exchange, he had Kakashi challenge others.
Each time, Kakashi fought slightly stronger opponents.
After a week, almost all dojos in the metropolis knew about the four-year-old prodigy using a new dual-wielding style to challenge the samurai dojo.
The Iron Country took great pride in its samurai.
Their emphasis on kendo far surpassed other nations.
And Kakashi had too many eye-catching attributes.
Young age, strong ability, high swordsmanship.
So much so that Kakashi's daily matches at the dojo became a major event in the Iron Country.
There were even betting pools.
For example, how long Kakashi could last.
Meanwhile, others weren't idle.
Kakuzu taught Obito privately.
Tsunade taught Rin medical ninjutsu and took her shopping.
One morning, as Haruki and Kakashi left as usual, six jonin broke into their rented house.
Tsunade and Kakuzu immediately sensed it.
But Tsunade didn't move, continuing to rest in bed.
So the task fell to Kakuzu.
At first, he thought it was Hidden Waterfall Village, but soon realized it was different.
Six jonin.
Hidden Waterfall could muster them but wouldn't bother hiding their identities.
So it must be the client who had previously placed a bounty on Haruki.
Kakuzu couldn't help but curse. What's this about? How did I become Haruki's bodyguard?
Originally, I came to kill him.
"Kakuzu, are you really going to protect him?"
The speaker was the person who had called him out at night last time.
"I don't understand how much Haruki paid you to make you so willing to risk your life for him."
"I told you, it's not about the money!"
Kakuzu angrily spewed flames.
The sound of wind whistled, and the scorching breath filled the entire house.
He didn't care anymore and attacked in anger.
When Haruki returned, he almost thought he was at the wrong place.
The originally three-story building was now in ruins.
"Sensei, what happened?"
Kakashi, exhausted from the duel, was stunned, looking around without seeing Obito and others.
"Don't worry."
Haruki expanded his perception and soon found them in the neighboring house.
With Tsunade and Kakuzu, there were few who could pose a threat.
Besides, if there were any life-threatening danger, his diamond kunai would have activated.
"Follow me."
Haruki walked straight into the next house.
But he was surprised to see an unexpected person.
Very familiar.
"I am Mifune."
The small middle-aged man introduced himself first.
"So, you're the head, Mifune."
Haruki finally realized why he seemed familiar, having seen his image in the anime before.
"I didn't expect the princess of Konoha, Tsunade, and Haruki to stay quietly in our Iron Country for half a month."
Mifune's second sentence had an undertone.
"We're not here for other purposes, but to train Kakashi in swordsmanship," Haruki pointed at Kakashi, telling the truth.
He didn't fear Mifune but saw no need to make enemies.
"Kakashi?"
Mifune was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly realized, "So, it's you two. I was just about to find you."
He had heard about Kakashi's reputation since last week but was busy with Iron Country affairs and hadn't had time to meet.
As a master of Iaido, Mifune had a passion for kendo beyond imagination, even if Iaido differed somewhat from kendo.
Haruki smiled slightly at his words.
He let Kakashi use Niten Ichi-ryū not just for training but also to fish out this master.
And, with Tsunade's explanation, he finally understood why Mifune was here.
Six jonin causing trouble in the metropolis was too blatant.
And based on Kakuzu's description, Haruki immediately knew their identities.
Root ninjas.
Appearances and genders can be changed, but abilities are hard to alter.
Fortunately, Haruki had a spy in Root and had investigated them.
---
At the Root underground base in Konoha.
A stern face.
"You mean my six elite Root members didn't even see Haruki, and were all killed by Kakuzu?"
"Yes…yes."
"Useless! A bunch of useless people!"
The furious Danzo slammed his desk into pieces again.