Is a technique like Raikiri fast? It is far too fast, and therein lies its flaw.
For a Kakashi without the Sharingan, such a high-speed linear thrust is incredibly difficult to control safely.
Hagoromo, currently utilizing his Chidori Current, appeared slower in terms of absolute velocity, trailing behind Kakashi. However, this wasn't because he couldn't go faster; rather, he prioritized combat flexibility. He rarely pushed his speed to the absolute limit unless the situation demanded it.
He preferred to control his rhythm—shifting between fast and slow to disrupt the opponent's momentum before delivering a fatal blow.
Since this was a temporary duo, any talk of perfect synergy was nonsense. They weren't lifelong best friends who could read each other's minds through a single glance.
In terms of rank, Biwa Juzo was a Jonin—an elite Jonin, and a famous member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at that.
Hagoromo was just a Chunin. Kakashi was just a Chunin.
But did they fear Biwa Juzo?
Of course not. Because... they had the numbers!
Kakashi and Biwa Juzo charged toward each other at high speed!
Almost simultaneously, both launched their attacks.
Kakashi was faster! His movements were sharper! But the path of his strike was far too straightforward.
His small frame practically lunged into Juzo's chest, his lightning-clad palm aiming straight for the heart.
But at that moment, Biwa Juzo shifted his stance. With a slight sidestep to the left, he evaded Kakashi's thrust. The Kubikiribocho was too heavy and long to swing back for a slash in time, but he attacked anyway.
Using the pommel at the end of the hilt held in both hands, he rammed it toward Kakashi's throat.
It was the principle of a blunt heavy sword; even that cylindrical pommel couldn't be ignored. If it hit, it would punch a hole right through a man's neck.
Yet Kakashi actually managed to react. He brought his arms together, blocking Juzo's strike!
He was geared up, after all—two steel bracers were strapped to his forearms.
Thanks to a conversation with a certain someone two years ago, Kakashi had clearly modified his style. He restricted his absolute speed to leave room for maneuverability!
Still, hit by such immense force, Kakashi lost his balance and went rolling away, unable to stop his momentum.
A ninja like Biwa Juzo wouldn't waste such an opportunity. He twisted his body toward the fallen Kakashi, the Kubikiribocho beginning to whistle through the air.
A horizontal waist-level slash!
If that hit, whether it was a clean cut or a jagged tear, Kakashi would be split in two.
This was the curse of the Seven Swordsmen's weapons. A blade of that size required massive physical movements to swing, making it loud and flashy—essentially the opposite of what a ninja should use.
The weapons of the Seven Swordsmen required specialized training; ordinary people couldn't handle them.
But don't forget, this was a two-on-one team battle. The Konoha team had two people, while Biwa Juzo was alone.
Just as Juzo turned his head toward Kakashi, Hagoromo accelerated. He went into a bloody sprint.
Moving even faster than Kakashi had, he appeared instantly beside Biwa Juzo. Consequently, the Kubikiribocho never finished its swing.
A pair of hands crackling with lightning slammed onto the back of the great blade.
The intense Lightning Style turned the surface of the blade white.
In that instant, the hand Juzo used to grip the hilt went numb. A second later, his entire body was paralyzed!
Biwa Juzo gripped the sword with both hands, trying desperately to pull it back!
Hagoromo, of course, wouldn't let him. He used all his strength to press the blade downward, then used his shoulder to pivot and twisted his waist. With a spinning motion, his left leg whipped toward Juzo's head like a lightning-charged iron flail!
Would it land?
The physical reaction speed of a ninja like Biwa Juzo was top-tier. Even while paralyzed, he managed to forcefully contort his torso to evade the strike.
Juzo tried to pull the Kubikiribocho back again to retreat, but Hagoromo kept the pressure on the blade. Alternating his hands forward and using his arms as an axis, he continued his rotation.
After the left leg came the right.
As the two struggled over the Kubikiribocho, Hagoromo's legs lashed out in a continuous flurry!
Even with his reflexes, Juzo couldn't dodge every single strike while trapped within the range of the Chidori Current.
He was hit repeatedly.
If one were to explain the sport of killing from a professional athletic perspective, Hagoromo was graceful in form and skilled in execution.
The process looked like this: Contestant Kakashi went for a direct linear strike but failed, forced into a three-and-a-half-turn tumble.
Then, Contestant Hagoromo took the stage, using the Kubikiribocho as a pommel horse to perform a Thomas Flare.
When Hagoromo closed in, Juzo could have escaped if he had the resolve. He just needed to let go of the sword to get out of the Chidori Current's range.
But he stubbornly refused.
There was a reason these people were called the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Their attachment to their weapons was strong. The sword was a symbol of their identity; they wouldn't let go easily.
Hagoromo had benefited from the fact that the opponent wouldn't drop the sword during the first contact. Since the enemy wouldn't let go, Hagoromo certainly wouldn't either—it wasn't him getting electrocuted, after all.
In an instant, the lightning on Hagoromo seemed to die down. Before Juzo could feel relieved, the lightning flared up again with massive intensity! The scale was on a completely different level than before.
The iron gourd on Hagoromo's back—split into two sections, upper and lower—suddenly deployed sixteen spider legs like a pair of black mechanical spiders!
It was like a black flower blooming in a split second!
But it was a man-eating flower with a gaping maw.
Like sixteen arrows, the lightning-charged iron sand hummed with vibration and pierced Juzo's body from multiple angles in an instant!
At this moment, Kakashi, whose Raikiri had not yet dissipated, spun back. The final, fatal blow was his to deliver.
The target was pinned firmly in place; it was impossible for Kakashi's jutsu to miss.
Returning in a flash, his lightning-clad palm grew larger in Hagoromo's vision!
Kakashi's hand tore straight through Biwa Juzo's chest.
Like a red paint bucket riddled with dozens of holes, blood sprayed endlessly into the seawater.
From the moment they encountered each other to the end of the fight, less than two minutes had passed.
Including Hagoromo's useless banter, the actual combat time was less than thirty seconds.
And thus, a famous member of the Seven Swordsmen perished.
It goes back to the same point: this was two against one.
No matter how great your reputation, you don't get an extra life on the battlefield.
That is how ninja battles work. A single error in judgment leads to death. Had they started over in a different setting, perhaps they could have fought for an hour. But now, the battle was over.
The "Did it start? It's already over" series had a new entry.
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