Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 154 Death in the White Cloud Mountains: Kakashi Becomes an Orphan

That night, a figure quietly crossed the edge of Konoha Village's barrier.

He used only one arm to form a hand seal, his movements simple and efficient, blending into the night at an astonishing speed, as if he himself were part of the darkness.

The ninja on duty seemed to have noticed something, but the chakra fluctuations he sensed were familiar and brief. He assumed it was just a colleague on a routine mission outside the village and didn't investigate further.

Several days later, at the border of Taki no Kuni.

Here, the mountains rise one after another, the waterfalls roar, and the mist lingers year-round.

A figure appeared amidst the white clouds and mountains, on a vast open field. At this moment, the distance had long since transformed into farmland.

He was travel-worn, his left sleeve was empty, and his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He raised his head and looked into the depths of the white mist, where the murderer who caused the tragedy two years ago, unjustly implicated Hatake Sakumo, and ultimately led to his demise, was hidden.

Yes, he blamed all the mistakes of that year on Takigakure, or rather, on the rogue ninja hiding behind Takigakure.

Now that he has no more attachments, it is time to cut off the shackles in his heart and complete his ninja way.

However, just as he stepped into a relatively open wilderness, a figure stood leaning against a tree ahead, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

That was a man dressed in simple samurai attire, with a long sword at his waist. His face was calm and his eyes were closed. It was Nan Shi.

"It really is you." Nan Shi's voice was flat, without surprise or pleasantries.

He stopped in the mountains of Baiyun, his empty right sleeve swaying slightly in the damp mountain breeze.

He looked directly at the other person and cut to the chase: "I'm here because of an old grudge. Where is Aburame Zhicheng? Are you protecting him?"

Upon hearing this, Nan Shi felt that the man in front of her was somewhat pathetic and even more overconfident.

They can't even get past their own standards, yet they dare to challenge adults?

But he didn't say it aloud. He simply straightened up slowly, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword: "If you beat me, you'll naturally know what you want to know."

"Just what I wanted." Baiyun Mountain moved his left arm, and his long sword was already half an inch out of its sheath.

Nanshi did not immediately draw his sword, but instead shook his head: "Actually, it was Konoha itself that truly drove Hatake Sakumo to a dead end."

You dare not and are unwilling to acknowledge the internal decay, so you habitually direct your hatred outwards.

In the mountains, you won't even see the root of this hatred in your heart. Can such a knife truly sever the shackles?

"Shut up!" Bai Yunshan shouted in a low voice, his eyes bloodshot. "No need for further words. If it weren't for you, Brother Hatake wouldn't have been threatened by these rumors."

He verbally denied it forcefully, but mentally he kept numbing and hypnotizing himself.

Nan Shi stopped speaking. He could tell at a glance that the other person's mind was in turmoil, so how could he possibly control the knife?

The moment the sword was drawn from its sheath, the Baiyun Mountains stirred!

His remaining left arm unleashed astonishing power as he thrust his sword straight at Nanshi's throat.

This sword strike was swift, ruthless, and precise, carrying with it all the determination and arduous training he had endured day and night for the past two years.

Nan Shi, however, seemed to have anticipated this. Without moving his feet, he merely flicked his wrist, and the longsword, which had been stationary, began to spin, striking the ridge of the sword in Baiyun Mountain with unparalleled precision.

"Ding!"

Baiyun Mountain felt a strange tremor coming from the sword, which not only deflected his force but also slightly slowed down his sword momentum.

He felt a chill run down his spine and immediately changed his move, slashing downwards with his sword and then horizontally cutting at his opponent's waist and abdomen. At the same time, he turned his body to the side, trying to use footwork to make up for any possible defensive gaps caused by his single arm.

Nan Shi shifted his foot slightly, his figure just barely dodging the horizontal slash.

At the same time, he swung his longsword upwards, a seemingly slow strike that sealed off almost all possible subsequent changes in Baiyun Mountain, forcing him to parry with his sword.

Baiyun Mountain gritted his teeth, his left wrist twisted rapidly, and his longsword danced in front of him, creating a screen of light.

"Clang clang clang!"

Several rapid clashes rang out, sparks flying through the mist.

With each collision, Baiyun Mountain felt his arm go numb. Nanshi's blade strike was fierce and unparalleled, with a long-lasting aftereffect, constantly eroding his strength and rhythm.

"Your heart is not at peace, and your knife is not pure."

Nan Shi commented, his strength increasing rapidly. Bai Yunshan struggled to turn sideways, parrying with his longsword.

"Sizzle!"

The knife tip grazed his left shoulder, spraying blood and tearing his clothes.

The excruciating pain only fueled the fierce courage and obsession within him.

He roared and, ignoring his injuries, poured all his chakra into the sword, causing the blade to burst forth with dazzling lightning.

This is a move he secretly learned from his disciple, which he then modified into his own killing move: Thunder Sword!

However, faced with this life-risking attack, Nanshi felt only pity.

A sword is a sword, and ninjutsu is ninjutsu; when the two are combined, the meaning becomes impure.

There used to be an opportunity to comprehend the way of the sword in the White Cloud Mountain, but now it's boring.

Nan Shi sheathed his sword, and before the opponent's lightning sword could reach him, he quickly drew and sheathed his sword, then turned and left.

Behind him, Baiyun Mountain's charging figure suddenly froze, the lightning sword in his hand suspended in mid-air.

The next second, a head fell to the ground, and blood gushed out.

Several days later, a cold corpse was sent back to Konoha.

Kakashi Hatake knelt before the corpse, becoming even more taciturn than before, for the last glimmer of light from his childhood had been extinguished.

After that, he refused to team up with anyone and started taking on missions like crazy. As the mission levels increased, his ninja level also kept climbing.

Until he was on a mission to hunt wild cats, three noisy voices intruded into his world...

"You despicable old pervert, and you too—Minato Namikaze, why did you have to learn from this old pervert, peeping at girls taking a bath!"

The hot-tempered little pepper was wrapped in a bath towel, her hair flying wildly, and she kicked the person away.

Not far from her, Minato Namikaze, with his blond hair, scratched his head innocently. "Little Pepper, you misunderstood me. I was just completing a task my teacher gave me, asking him to take me on as his apprentice as soon as possible. I just didn't expect his so-called 'collecting materials' to be something like this."

"Oh my, so you two know each other. Looks like you're on good terms. But little girl, you do have a great figure. However, I have no ulterior motives; I'm just admiring it."

Jiraiya spoke with righteous indignation, but his eyes kept glancing up and down.

Just then, a golden chain swung out from the sky, transforming into a long whip that lashed out at the two of them.

"Shameless! You've got a chance to argue your way out of this!"

Minato Namikaze felt helpless. He felt that he had been ruined by his teacher. How could he ever play with Chili Pepper again?

"What are you standing there for? Do you want to get beaten up? Run!"

Jiraiya pulled Minato away and fled quickly. Just then, the long whip fell hard, startling the cat that Kakashi was about to catch.

He said, "The cat ran away, and these people seem a bit noisy."