NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Chapter 20: First Battle
Chapter 20: First Battle
The violent clash of ninjutsu reverberated with deep, thunderous echoes.
It was clear—they were surrounded.
Even though the Hōzuki Clan was infamous for its bloodthirst and lust for battle, they were far from the unhinged, mindless berserkers of the Kaguya Clan. No, Hōzuki shinobi were calculated and deadly.
And as a battle-hardened veteran of over a decade, Hōzuki Genren was no fool.
He'd already sent out a signal to alert nearby forces.
There was no need to clash head-on with a fully equipped and elite Konoha ANBU squad. His task was simple: delay them.
That alone would be enough.
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
Genren quickly formed hand seals.
A staple of Kirigakure, the Jutsu was executed instantly.
Thick white mist surged forth from nowhere, infused with chakra to make it denser and more suffocating. This wasn't some beginner's trick; the ability to cast the Hidden Mist Technique effectively was proof of a shinobi's skill. The broader and thicker the mist, the more powerful its caster.
Within moments, Kakashi and his team's vision was engulfed by a wall of white. At best, they could make out what was directly around them.
"!?"
A chilling pressure swept in.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat.
He instinctively twisted to the side.
"Whoosh!"
A black shadow lunged at him—the cold, sharp aura unmistakable.
It was Genren.
He'd picked Kakashi out as the weakest among the four, clearly intending to break through from that angle.
Big mistake.
Kakashi's muscles tightened, his expression sharp and focused.
He was only eight years old.
But he was no novice.
From rogue bandits to enemy shinobi, the Kakashi of this timeline had already fought and bled for three years.
Dozens of battles.
But for this Kakashi—one whose soul had lived two lives—this was his true first battle.
His heart raced. Not from fear, but anticipation.
It wasn't anxiety he felt.
It was excitement.
A primal yearning for combat.
A blood-deep instinct.
"Clang!"
His chakra-infused short blade flashed out from its sheath.
Blade met blade. Sparks erupted.
Genren's cruel grin met Kakashi's sharp glare.
There was no retreat.
"Hmm!?"
Kakashi's strength wasn't enough to overpower Genren, but he didn't crumble.
He held his ground.
"Heh... not bad," Genren sneered.
He pressed down hard with both arms, trying to crush Kakashi under brute force.
But Kakashi pivoted, letting the blade slide to the side, angling his body to deflect the pressure.
In a sudden twist, he yanked the short blade around.
"Swish!"
"What!?"
Instead of being overwhelmed, Kakashi launched a counterattack—his blade slicing upward toward Genren's face.
Four versus one.
They had the advantage.
Even just wounding the enemy could seal his fate.
Genren's pupils contracted.
"Tch!"
He hadn't expected such decisiveness from this 'weak link'.
But Genren was no rookie either.
His head tilted aside with practiced ease.
"Swish!"
The blade narrowly missed.
"Thud!"
Sensing another presence approaching from the side, Genren spun and slammed a kick into Kakashi's ribs.
Kakashi barely managed to block.
But—
"Bang!"
He was still sent flying, crashing to the ground several meters away.
"Ugh!"
Pain exploded in his side. The kick had rattled him—blood surging up his throat.
That was raw power.
No trickery.
Just speed and strength.
Which made sense.
His opponent was a full-grown jōnin of the Hōzuki Clan—near his physical prime.
Kakashi, still a child, simply couldn't match him head-on.
But…
Despite the pain, Genren had failed to seriously injure him.
This… is what it means to be a shinobi.
The weight of real combat.
The rush.
The instinctual awareness of power and technique.
Kakashi felt it all.
His eyes locked on the Hōzuki jōnin now sparring with Black Hawk nearby.
And instead of fear, he felt an overwhelming urge to jump back in.
He flipped to his feet.
Chakra exploded from his soles.
"Whoosh!"
Like an arrow, Kakashi shot back into the fray.
Persistent little brat…
Genren, already clashing with Black Hawk and feeling the pressure of two more allies—Foxhound and Phosphor—rushing in, narrowed his eyes.
He knew ANBU were no joke.
But he'd underestimated them.
Even the 'easy target' was proving to be a real threat.
If he got bogged down—
He'd die here.
"Water Style: Water Wave Technique!"
With a flicker of movement, Genren retreated several steps, forming new seals mid-motion.
Ripples of water surged outward from his feet.
"Ha!"
He exhaled sharply.
"Buzz!"
The waves exploded outward in a sweeping arc, aiming to push his enemies back and disappear onc
e more into the mist.
But—
"Earth Style: Piercing Earth Thrust!"
Foxhound and Phosphor weren't about to let that happen.