studiobondurri Chapter 540 You call this Hatake Kakashi?!
Chapter 540 You call this Hatake Kakashi?!
It’s over.
When those two words struck deep into Sasori's consciousness like a tombstone, his heart stopped for a moment.
The blood seemed to have congealed in the veins, and a cold stiffness spread through the limbs and bones.
The wind and sand continued to howl, but to his ears, the world fell into an eerie silence.
Previously, due to the distance and the sandstorm, he could only vaguely make out a blurry white outline.
The allure of military achievements and the ecstasy of revenge had already clouded his mind, which should have been calm as a Jonin. He had preconceived notions and mistook the lone figure walking towards him for the young genius Hatake Kakashi, who had also risen to fame on the battlefield of the Land of Lightning and possessed a distinctive head of white hair.
But now...
Now, after the other party calmly and deliberately completed that elegant yet deadly solo dance—a dance seemingly otherworldly—within that web of death woven from ninjutsu, poison needles, and sharp blades, they finally stopped in front of them.
Scorpion Sand finally got a clear look at that face.
It was a rather mature face, with distinct features and strong lines, yet it appeared exceptionally calm due to a certain maturity.
Time has left some faint marks on his face, but instead of diminishing his sharpness, it has added a touch of restraint and profundity, much like the texture left after tempering a legendary sword.
Especially those black eyes.
You can't see any intense emotions, no murderous intent, or contempt in it; you can only feel a silence that is more vast and profound than the desert night.
hiss……
Sasori gasped for air, but felt a burning pain in her lungs.
This...this is not Kakashi Hatake at all!
Suddenly, the image of the boy he had glimpsed from afar on the battlefield of the Land of Lightning flashed through his mind.
Although both have white hair and carry short swords, the man before me possesses a different kind of presence. His steadfast, mountain-like physique, the aura of a master blending seamlessly with the wind and sand, and the calm demeanor that makes him seem like he's taking a stroll in the courtyard when facing a combined attack from a dozen ninjas...
They are completely different from that still somewhat immature and sharp-witted boy!
He finally realized that he had made a fatal and incredibly stupid mistake.
The man before him was definitely not the young Kakashi he could boast about and show off his achievements at the post-battle banquet.
That composure etched into one's bones, that power that permeates every breath, is a unique mark that only legendary figures who have experienced countless life-or-death battles, personally buried one strong person after another, and emerged step by step from mountains of corpses and seas of blood can possess.
A name that had been buried for a long time, yet still made the older generation of ninjas in Sunagakure tremble with fear, exploded in his mind like a thunderclap from the heavens.
Konoha White Fang!
Sakumo Hatake!
The color drained from Scorpion Sand's face in that instant, turning it as pale as the skeleton of a dead man in the desert.
However, what made him even more desperate was the fact that his teammates still knew nothing about it.
They were still shouting wildly, and those words of praise that easily suppressed Kakashi's ignorance no longer sounded like flattery to him, but rather like a death knell tolled by his own comrades, each note more urgent than the last.
Sasori stood there stiffly, beads of cold sweat slowly sliding down his forehead.
His teammates behind him finally noticed something was wrong.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
Several Sand Ninjas hesitantly echoed, trying to rekindle their fighting spirit and place their hopes on their captain once again.
Little did they know that Captain Sasori, whom they regarded as their pillar of support, was experiencing a cataclysmic upheaval within his heart.
Don't panic!
Absolutely do not panic!
Scorpion Sand desperately warned himself, his brain, which was almost frozen by fear, spinning rapidly as he frantically searched for that one in ten thousand chance of survival for himself and his team.
Konoha's White Fang... This name hasn't stirred up any waves in the ninja world for who knows how many years! Rumor has it that he retired from the military long ago and went to farm some farm in Konoha, didn't he?
Yes! That must be it!
A glimmer of hope flashed in Scorpion Sand's eyes.
A farmer who has been away from the battlefield for many years, whose hands are covered in mud, must have lost a lot of strength! His knife is long since dull!
Moreover, and most importantly, he was all alone!
With my strength, even if... even if I can't beat him, I can definitely put up a fight. As long as I can hold him off for a moment, I can cover my teammates...
Thinking of this, a faint glimmer of hope was forcibly rekindled in Sasori's heart.
He took a deep breath, suppressing all his fear and trembling, and assumed a standard fighting stance.
And just then...
The man who had remained silent, like a white sculpture, finally made a move.
He simply raised his hand slowly and dusted off his sleeves.
That spot had just been grazed by a poisoned senbon needle, leaving a barely perceptible, minute scratch.
Hatake Sakumo calmly surveyed the area. His gaze didn't seem to be directed at a group of murderous enemies, but rather like that of an experienced old farmer inspecting a field overgrown with weeds, identifying the area that needed clearing.
Then he spoke.
"Is the warm-up over?"