At present, Hatake Kakashi had not yet been promoted to jōnin, but like Shiraishi, he had been a Special Jōnin for quite some time. Both were prodigies who rose to fame at a young age. Compared to the now-taller Shiraishi, Kakashi—three years younger—was still somewhat small in stature.
Small though he was, Shiraishi did not underestimate a single shinobi of Konoha.
The silver blade in his hand turned—
and his high-speed movement burst forth.
Facing Black Mist Shiraishi, Kakashi felt immense pressure. This man was already one of Sunagakure's most famous ninjas. The bizarre genjutsu he had just displayed proved that Black Mist Shiraishi was still growing stronger.
If Kakashi had not struck in time earlier, Aburame Yamai and the others would likely have suffered heavily.
As the illusion was broken, Yamai and his teammates returned from the strange mental world, their chakra severely depleted. The torment within that abnormal spiritual realm had caused serious chakra damage.
At some point, the Bull-Head Moon Glaive spun through the air—only to be intercepted by a Konoha ninja. In that same instant, Nagase Bizen and Morimoto Ryōji charged in, weapons flashing as they struck at extreme speed!
Weapon-based combat?
Since when did Sunagakure start favoring weapons like Kirigakure?
A thunderous impact rang out. One Konoha ninja had his arm severed by Nagase Bizen in a single slash. At the same time, Aburame Yamai unleashed a swarm of insects—but Hoshino Mai fired a powerful Spiral Wind Blade, the storm-like energy shredding the insects to pieces.
As Shiraishi and Kakashi descended vertically, Kakashi hurled explosive tags and kunai in rapid succession. Shiraishi countered by repeatedly firing Spiral Wind Blades, forcibly neutralizing Kakashi's assault.
The moment they landed—
Shiraishi's high-speed movement surged. His right leg snapped upward, carrying the cutting radiance of a Spiral Wind Blade as it swept in.
Now, Shiraishi's Spiral Wind Blade activated even faster—
It could be triggered with a kick.
The ground shook violently. Cracks split open as rocks and earth were launched skyward by the hidden upward force beneath Shiraishi's foot. Large and small stones alike shot toward Kakashi like bullets.
Such tyrannical physical power!
Before the Might Guy clan's Eight Gates became famous, this kind of brutal, overwhelming taijutsu was extremely rare. Though Kakashi was also skilled with the blade, that did not make him a power-type fighter.
Using the rebound force, Shiraishi's body flashed forward like a blade of light. Closing in, he traced a shallow arc—every movement cold, ruthless, and lethal.
At the same time, Shiraishi clenched one hand—
A massive stone projectile erupted from the ground, firing straight at Kakashi's face!
Kakashi met the largest stone head-on. His long blade flashed—no flourish, just raw execution.
With a deafening crash, the rock shattered into fragments. Fiery sparks sprayed outward, while the smaller debris was pushed back by the rolling shockwave before raining down with sharp, crackling impacts.
Hatake Kakashi truly was a genius.
In pure taijutsu alone, he had already surpassed Hoshino Mai and the others—especially in the sheer resolve he had shown when interrupting Shiraishi's genjutsu.
So this is Konoha…
talent truly flourishes there.
Shiraishi ignored the fragments flying toward him. His body bent slightly, then his right arm snapped backward—drawing the silver blade from his left hip in a sweeping arc. A white slash tore through the air, unleashing countless Spiral Wind Blades and forcing the debris to fall harmlessly.
The Spiral Wind Blades ripped through the air barrier and slashed toward Kakashi. Shiraishi's left palm thrust forward immediately after—clearly a second-stage attack.
Wind Release · Super Beast Wave Palm!
Unlike before, this was a completely new version—
a Wind Release technique that reinforced taijutsu, dramatically amplifying arm strength.
Beyond modifying techniques, Shiraishi had continuously developed new jutsu on his own. The Mirage Genjutsu, Multiple Spiral Wind Blades, and now Super Beast Wave Palm all testified to his relentless discipline and cultivation.
Kakashi did not panic as he blocked the strike—but the sheer impact of the Spiral Wind Blade surged through him. Strands of hair were sheared away; had he reacted a fraction slower, his spiky head would have been shaved flat.
At that moment, Shiraishi's left hand did not strike outward. Instead, it pressed against his own right arm, transferring power into it. Super Beast Wave Palm, combined with Shiraishi's overwhelming taijutsu, unleashed ferocious force—each punch detonating with violent shockwaves.
Kakashi immediately felt crushing pressure. His blade trembled, forced inward as his defense collapsed under the strain.
A gap opened—
And suddenly, massive clouds of sand surged up around Kakashi.
Sand control?
In Sunagakure, many clans practiced sand manipulation. In truth, the Sand Release Three Lineages truly excelled when sand control evolved into Magnet Release—or into abilities like Rasa's gold dust. Ordinary sand control could be mastered through sheer diligence.
Its weakness was chakra consumption.
But for Shiraishi, that was not an issue.
With the Sand Gathering Technique combined with sand control, manipulating sand came effortlessly to him.
The sand formed giant hands that lunged forward. As Kakashi retreated, Shiraishi pressed down with his left hand and snapped it forward—counter-slashing toward Kakashi's face. A blade-like white radiance burst forth, sharp and domineering.
Kakashi misjudged the timing. His right hand could not block in time—he bent backward sharply, folding at the waist, letting the strike cleave only empty air. The white slash shot into the distance.
In barely a minute of combat, sweat slid down Kakashi's forehead.
Black Mist Shiraishi had suppressed him using only taijutsu and basic Wind Release. Kakashi tightened his grip on the blade.
"This blade… is very good."
The words were calm.
In the next instant, Shiraishi vanished in a fading afterimage and reappeared behind Kakashi. One hand pressed down on Kakashi's sword, an overwhelming pressure crashing down.
Sand surged up from the ground, wrapping around Kakashi's body.
Danger.
"Kakashi, watch out!"
Kunai flew in—but Shiraishi unleashed Spiral Wind Blades, shredding them instantly. At the same time, multiple new chakra signatures appeared from the Konoha side.
Konoha reinforcements—
earlier than expected.
Shiraishi formed seals swiftly. Roaring sand mixed with high-temperature energy, turning into scorching sandstorms that forced Konoha's forces back.
He regrouped with Hoshino Mai and the others.
"Withdraw!"
Watching the Sunagakure ninja retreat, Kakashi held his blade, his heart still pounding.
Black Mist Shiraishi truly lived up to his reputation as the strongest contender for Fifth Kazekage. Though Kakashi could not yet judge his full strength, one thing was clear—
He was a formidable enemy.
What was Konoha planning with this movement?
Meanwhile, Shiraishi marked Konoha's activity on his map, his mind already turning over the implications.
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones