Chapter 174 - Kakashi's Struggle
Despite Kazane's nonchalant stance, Kakashi didn't take him lightly—not in the slightest. Because deep down, Kakashi understood just how terrifying the strength hidden within that lean figure truly was.
His expression stern, Kakashi focused on Kazane and slowly unsheathed the White Fang short blade from his back.
This was the battle he'd been waiting for. Today, he would prove that the Hatake clan had more than one Sword Demon—there was also Hatake Kakashi.
Whoosh!
A flash of silver!
Kakashi crossed dozens of meters in a blink, appearing right in front of Kazane. Wind-natured chakra surged through his blade, White Fang legendary sword gleaming with cold light and a murderous aura as it slashed down toward Kazane.
But Kazane, supremely confident in his strength, made no move to dodge.
Instead, he wrapped his micro-blade tightly with black Armament Haki and directly met Kakashi's strike head-on.
Yet the expected clash never came.
Kakashi had no illusions about the gap in raw strength between them.
If it came down to a head-on sword fight—even if Kazane refrained from using his "Cut Steel" secret technique to protect Kakashi's blade—Kazane's overwhelming force was not something he could endure.
(White Light Chakra sabre will be called White Fang for simplicity's sake for the original name is too long.)
So, just as their weapons were about to collide, Kakashi twisted his body and used White Fang to slide behind Kazane.
Multiple crescent-shaped blade images shimmered behind him.
White Fang Secret Technique: "Moonlit Night on the Twenty-Four Bridges"!
But no matter how fast Kakashi moved, he couldn't outrun Kazane's Observation Haki.
Sensing the sword lights behind him, Kazane didn't retreat. Instead, he calmly closed his eyes and relied entirely on his Observation Haki to track Kakashi's exact movements.
No matter how many afterimages there were, only one blade was real.
Once he locked onto the strike, Kazane spun sharply—his waist drove his body, his arm led his wrist, and his wrist guided the micro-blade in hand.
Though the blade was small, it carried the force to cut through anything.
Kakashi may have been fast, but not faster than Kazane's Haki. And while Kazane's blade hadn't been "unsealed," it still cleanly sliced through White Fang.
Clang!
White Fang shattered!?
Poof!
The broken blade and the Kakashi holding it both burst into smoke.
It had been a Shadow Clone all along!
Kakashi had long known Kazane possessed a strange ability to sense everything around him. That's why the Kakashi who attended today's barbecue had actually been a clone.
To sell the deception, Kakashi had channeled the majority of his chakra into the Shadow Clone, leaving only a sliver for himself.
The real Kakashi had already burrowed beneath Kazane's feet using Earth Release.
Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!!!
A hand shot out from the ground, grabbing Kazane's ankle and yanking him into the earth—leaving only his head exposed above ground.
Kakashi's real body then emerged from the ground right in front of him.
Without hesitation, he raised his short blade and aimed for Kazane's exposed head.
Kakashi wasn't the type to make arrogant speeches and let the protagonist recover.
He understood Kazane's strength. That he'd even lasted this long was entirely because Kazane had been holding back.
Kakashi knew this wouldn't seriously hurt Kazane—much less defeat him. But he wasn't aiming for victory.
He just wanted to force Kazane to activate the Eight Gates or his Lightning Chakra Mode.
That alone would be proof enough.
Victory? That wasn't even on the table.
Poof!
Just as the blade was about to land, Kazane grinned—and exploded into smoke.
Another Shadow Clone!
"Kakashi, were you trying to kill me? If I die, you won't have a big brother anymore, you know."
Kazane's voice came from atop the tree Itachi had been training on earlier.
These days, Kazane no longer struggled with low chakra reserves. He had learned quite a few jutsu, though he rarely used them.
This particular jutsu he'd picked up from Hiruzen during the Chūnin Exams, mostly out of boredom.
He'd hidden in the tree from the start—planning to surprise Kakashi and the others.
He just hadn't expected things to get this interesting.
Apparently, even his Shadow Clone hadn't waited for permission—it had accepted Kakashi's challenge on its own.
～
Kazane's sudden appearance brought a wave of shock (and joy) to Tsunade and the others.
But for Kakashi, it brought a flood of frustration.
I went through all that trouble... and only beat a Shadow Clone? Now I'm out of chakra. How am I supposed to keep fighting?
Am I really destined to always stand in my big brother's shadow?
"Not bad, Kakashi. You've improved a lot. But this isn't your full power, is it? Show me what you really wanted me to see."
"A true swordsman doesn't rely on flashy tricks. You have to trust in your White Fang—that it can cut through anything."
Kazane drew Wadō Ichimonji and pointed it at Kakashi, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
He had seen through every trick Kakashi pulled just now. And that's exactly why he noticed Kakashi's biggest issue—
Kakashi didn't believe in himself.
From the very start, he never intended to win.
All he thought about was clever tricks and tactical maneuvers—never once did he try to defeat Kazane head-on.
But a true swordsman must always have the courage to raise his blade against the strong.
～
Can I really do it?
A crushing sense of defeat weighed on Kakashi. He stared at the White Fang in his hand, utterly lost.
I've worked so hard... but I'm still this far behind my brother. Am I just useless?
Time passed—
Kazane said nothing more. He simply stood there, quietly holding Wadō Ichimonji aloft.
This was a wall only Kakashi could climb. No one could cross it for him.
Kakashi's greatest advantage was his natural talent—and the fact that he had been personally trained by legends like Minato, Orochimaru, and Kazane.
He had found his path early on.
But that was also his greatest weakness.
Because of his talent and the support he'd always had, he never truly faced adversity. Taking this final step had become harder and harder.
Back during the start of the Third Great Ninja War, Kakashi already had the strength of a Jōnin.
But now, even someone like Jiriku—who was once far beneath him—had surpassed him, with one foot already over the Kage-level threshold.
And Kakashi? He had only just become an elite Jōnin.
Despite Kazane's careful training plans, Kakashi still clung to the old shinobi mindset—relying on calculations, jutsu, and sneak attacks in battle.
By contrast, Jiriku was much simpler: he followed instructions, trained relentlessly, and soared in strength.
Kakashi had an incredibly solid foundation in swordsmanship—but his personality kept him from taking that final step toward becoming a true swordmaster.
And because he was always calm and rational, Kazane had never even been able to trigger his emotions, let alone push him to explode with potential.