Naruto evolution system

Chapter 146: First Encounter

Tap, tap, tap.

The soft sound of footsteps echoed through the forest.

Emerging from behind a tree, a figure in a cat-faced mask revealed himself—it was Kakashi.

"Hm?"

Through the mask's slits, Baishi noticed Kakashi's eyes and couldn't help but frown.

"I don't recall provoking him. So why do I sense this hatred?"

Indeed, Baishi could clearly feel the intense hatred radiating from Kakashi's gaze. This left him puzzled.

After confirming he wasn't mistaken, Baishi asked directly, "Kakashi, you seem to hate me quite a bit. Care to explain why?"

Kakashi, usually calm and composed, appeared unusually agitated at the question. Gritting his teeth, he spat, "You killed Obito!"

"Obito?"

Baishi immediately understood.

He had been viewing Kakashi through the lens of his knowledge of future events, forgetting that this Kakashi had not yet experienced the death of Minato Namikaze.

During the year he had spent protecting Kushina Uzumaki, Kakashi's heart had begun to heal. Obito's return had further lifted his spirits, bringing joy back into his life.

But the greatest despair isn't born from hopelessness—it's born from hope, cruelly given, then ripped away.

Baishi was the one who shattered Kakashi's newfound hope.

Understanding this, it became clear why Kakashi harbored such a deep-seated hatred for him—perhaps even greater than he had anticipated.

"In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless."

With that thought, Baishi resolved to eliminate Kakashi. Their conflict was irreconcilable, and Kakashi had proven himself a potential threat.

With a sharp burst of movement, Baishi propelled himself forward like a cannonball. He crossed more than ten meters in an instant, closing the distance between them.

Lashing out with a whip-like kick, he aimed directly for Kakashi's head.

Crack!

Kakashi's head exploded, but instead of blood and gore, sparks of electricity crackled and danced across the air.

Lightning shot out from Kakashi's body, forming a web that enveloped Baishi.

For most shinobi, such an attack would have been debilitating, leaving them paralyzed and vulnerable.

But Baishi was no ordinary shinobi. Protected by his Chakra Cloak, the electricity couldn't penetrate his defenses. Even without the cloak, his physical resilience would have been enough to withstand the attack.

Walking calmly out of the lightning trap, Baishi turned his gaze to Kakashi, who stood not far away.

"Not bad, quick reflexes," Baishi remarked.

Indeed, Kakashi's reaction speed was impressive. Baishi's burst of speed would have been fatal to most jonin, yet Kakashi not only evaded but also countered with a Lightning Clone Jutsu to ensnare him.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

Kakashi showed no reaction to the praise, his mind singularly focused on the battle. He was like a machine, calculating his next move with cold precision.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several shuriken flew toward Baishi, aiming for his vital points.

Baishi didn't bother dodging. The shuriken struck his Chakra Cloak harmlessly, deflected without causing any damage.

"Physical attacks don't work either…"

Kakashi stared at the shimmering green cloak surrounding Baishi, his frustration mounting. His ninjutsu had failed, and now his physical attacks were useless.

"No… Every defense has its limits."

His mind raced. Determination flashed in his eyes as he resolved to use a more desperate measure.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

More kunai were launched at Baishi.

Baishi furrowed his brow. He didn't understand why Kakashi persisted with such ineffective attacks.

Just then, the sharp crackle of electricity reached his ears.

Baishi turned to see Kakashi gathering a mass of lightning in his right hand, forming a glowing sphere surrounded by tendrils of raw electricity.

"Chidori?"

Baishi instantly recognized the jutsu.

It was Chidori, an A-rank Lightning Style technique Kakashi had developed in his youth.

"But without the Sharingan, it's hard to use Chidori effectively in combat, isn't it?"

While pondering this, Baishi casually sidestepped the incoming kunai, unwilling to risk underestimating Kakashi's intentions.

Suddenly, Kakashi disappeared.

"What?"

Baishi's eyes widened slightly. He quickly sensed someone behind him—it was Kakashi.

"Flying Thunder God Technique…"

Baishi's familiarity with the jutsu allowed him to immediately deduce what had happened.

This realization shocked him.

He hadn't expected Kakashi to have mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. More impressively, Kakashi had combined it with Chidori, eliminating the need for the usual charge distance.

Without the charging drawback, the technique no longer required the Sharingan to predict enemy movements.

"Truly a genius."

Baishi couldn't help but admire Kakashi's ingenuity.

Reacting swiftly, he shifted slightly, avoiding a fatal blow to his back.

Shlunk!

The sound of lightning tearing through flesh echoed as Kakashi's electrified hand pierced Baishi's torso.

Baishi glanced down at the lightning protruding from his chest before turning his head slightly to meet Kakashi's gaze.

"Impressive."

Then, without warning, Baishi activated Energy Absorption.

Kakashi's expression shifted dramatically. He immediately pulled his hand back, retreating to a kunai embedded in a nearby tree with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Baishi turned slowly to face Kakashi, his expression unreadable. Activating his Regeneration, he began to heal.

The wound in his chest closed rapidly, flesh knitting together as if the injury had never existed.

Kakashi stared in disbelief.

He knew the battle was already lost.

The only reason he had managed to injure Baishi was the element of surprise—Baishi hadn't expected him to use the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Now that his advantage was gone, Kakashi saw no viable path to victory.

Unbeknownst to him, Baishi had never truly been at risk. For Baishi, the injury had been little more than a scratch—hardly a cause for concern.

Baishi glanced at Kakashi, slightly annoyed that his opponent had escaped his grasp. He had absorbed only a quarter of Kakashi's chakra before the latter retreated.

With enough chakra left to continue using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Kakashi's chances of escaping were high.

Baishi sighed. "It seems I'll have to deal with you another day."

(End of Chapter)

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