The first order of business, if they were to understand White Fang's sudden appearance, was to subdue him. And the most efficient way to achieve that was through force.
Without hesitation, Sasuke drew his sword. The Kusanagi blade hissed as it left its sheath, and the action itself unleashed a gust of wind around him. The ensuing slash wasn't deafeningly loud, but its speed was breathtaking. A thin, razor-sharp wave of sword energy shot forward.
White Fang's eyelids flickered rapidly.
"So fast!"
Instinctively, White Fang leaped backward, his own blade already in his hand. The two strikes collided in mid-air, producing a deafening explosion. The sound of rushing wind followed White Fang as Sasuke's Kusanagi blade moved with elegant precision, emitting a clear, resonant hum.
The moment that sound reached him, White Fang spun around, his short sword meeting Sasuke's descending strike. Sparks showered as their blades clashed, and a sensation like countless simultaneous blows assaulted White Fang's arm. His hand went numb, forcing him to stumble back several steps, unable to regain his balance.
Before he could steady himself, White Fang's eyes narrowed. A flash of purple light erupted before him, and as it faded, he saw a blade that looked shattered into countless fragments yet remained whole. Its tip halted less than five millimeters from his throat. Even a swallow would mean a cut.
White Fang stared at Sasuke, whose expression remained calm and inscrutable.
"Incredible swordsmanship. Your blade work… it's formidable."
As a fellow swordsman, White Fang could immediately recognize Sasuke's mastery. There was no doubt in his mind. Yet, what puzzled him even more was the feeling that Sasuke had anticipated his every move.
"My sword skills? Passable, I suppose," Sasuke replied with a faint smile.
In truth, Sasuke's swordsmanship had been honed under Kakashi's tutelage. Though, it was a well-known fact that Sasuke had long since surpassed his teacher.
"Your sword technique… did you just copy mine?" White Fang demanded, his tone sharp.
Sasuke chuckled softly. "While my style might bear a resemblance to yours, I didn't copy it. I was taught by someone else."
"Taught by someone else? Who could possibly know my Hatake sword style?"
"My teacher. You know him – Hatake Kakashi."
"Kakashi? My son? But he's just a child! He hasn't even fully grasped the Hatake style himself. How could he possibly teach you?"
White Fang was bewildered. Kakashi was still so young, nowhere near the level required to instruct someone like Sasuke. And even if he had somehow mastered the style, why would he impart such knowledge to an outsider? Kakashi wasn't naive enough to carelessly reveal such a closely guarded technique.
Wait a minute…
Did this guy just call Kakashi his teacher?
A teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen, calling a child of five or six his teacher? What in the world was going on?
Before White Fang could voice his confusion, Sasuke continued, "The Kakashi I'm referring to isn't the child you're picturing. My teacher is no little kid."
As Sasuke spoke, a sudden sensation washed over him. As a user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could sense when someone teleported using it. Someone had just arrived.
In an instant, Sasuke understood. The person with the camera must have recorded everything and sent the footage back to Konoha. If that were the case, the individual most eager to see White Fang would undoubtedly be Kakashi. Therefore, the person who had just teleported must be… Kakashi himself.
With a swift application of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Sasuke brought Kakashi to his side. In the next moment, Kakashi materialized beside him. Simultaneously, Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi blade.
Kakashi, visibly older now, exchanged a brief nod with Sasuke. Sasuke could sense the weight of Kakashi's emotions; his entire focus was fixed on White Fang.
When Kakashi turned and saw the face etched so vividly in his memories, even as a grown man, he couldn't suppress the tears that welled up.
"Father… is that really you?"
Though Kakashi now appeared older than White Fang, the latter recognized his son instantly. The eyes, the gaze – it was unmistakable. This was his son, Hatake Kakashi.
"You… Kakashi?" White Fang stammered, stunned. How had his little boy suddenly become a man? No, he had suddenly appeared in this place. Was he trapped in a genjutsu? But his chakra flow was smooth, and there were no signs of illusionary techniques. What on earth was happening?
"Sasuke, did you just say this is the White Fang of Konoha? He's… Kakashi-sensei's father?" Naruto finally caught up, panting as he addressed Sasuke.
Sasuke nodded. "Yes. That's exactly who he is. He's Kakashi's father."
Naruto's confusion deepened. If this was truly Kakashi's father, then he should have been dead for a long time.
"But why would Kakashi-sensei's father suddenly appear? Could it be a transformation technique? Or some kind of genjutsu or secret jutsu?"
Sasuke turned to look at Naruto.
"Impossible. If it were something like that, wouldn't we have noticed? Besides, his sudden appearance doesn't surprise me. After all, even you've undergone changes. Don't you think there's a connection?"
"A connection?" Naruto looked down at his hands. He had indeed inexplicably become younger. And now, Kakashi's father, who should have been long dead, had suddenly appeared. There had to be a link between these events, but what could it be?
"Time," Sasuke stated simply.
"Time?" Naruto looked up sharply, his eyes wide.
Sasuke glanced at the lifeless body of Urashiki lying on the ground. If there was a thread connecting these bizarre occurrences, it had to be the elements of time and space. And coincidentally, Urashiki possessed mastery over both.
When Sasuke had extracted the Divine Tree's elixir from Urashiki, the latter's self-destruction had interfered with the process. What strange ramifications had that caused? Sasuke couldn't say for certain. But judging by the current situation, it seemed the disruption had warped time and space, creating a degree of chaos. Not only had Naruto inexplicably regressed in age, but individuals from other timelines had also been pulled into this one.
If this was indeed the cause of these anomalies, the potential consequences were… unimaginable.
Sasuke looked towards White Fang, who was now locked in an emotional reunion with Kakashi.
If it's just White Fang, this might be manageable… but if others have been affected too, this situation could quickly spiral out of control…
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