Chapter 173 Killing Stone
It reminded him of the vibrating hum he had felt on the roof before descending into the tomb—an unknown, eerie force.
Kakashi's father once speculated that the Killing Stone was a deadly last resort, used to warn people not to use forbidden techniques in battle and to ensure that a powerful evil force was sealed away forever.
But it took Sakumo a long time to smooth out his rough edges and adjust to the expectations of others, and Kakashi knew that better than anyone.
The ancient Hatake clan were militants, loyal warriors, brutal war machines, and pioneers in endless wars. They would not reserve any power that would not be used.
The Killing Stone is not a warning, but a test.
The Hatake clan's most powerful weapon lay there, within easy reach, waiting for someone crazy enough or desperate enough to muster the courage to claim it.
Kakashi is neither crazy nor desperate.
He was here to inherit it all.
He stood alone before this heritage older than any village, a heritage forged in an age when war was as common as breathing.
All ninjas are born to face conflict, and the Hatake clan is born for war, the kind of war that destroys the world and razes everything to the ground.
It is his birthright.
This was what he came here to obtain, and after ignoring the truth about his bloodline for so long, he finally understood it.
He is the last Hatake, and all the power left by his ancestors belongs to him.
If he takes one more step forward, he will directly enter the attack range of the Killing Stone and enter the bottomless energy field.
A Killing Stone might require direct contact to take a person's life, but some older and more powerful Killing Stones have the power to absorb life force from meters away.
The stone was as old as the Hatake clan itself, and if the growing fear in Kakashi's heart was any evidence, the stone had been well nourished over the centuries, stained with the blood of criminals and traitors, and the long years spent in this dark place had only made it stronger.
But Kakashi was now more powerful than ever, even more powerful than he could imagine, so if the Killing Stone thought it had found an easy prey, it was very wrong.
If it wants to take away Kakashi's vitality, it must be prepared to fight to the death.
Kakashi crossed the invisible line without hesitation.
The effect is immediate.
A huge force pulled him, as if a handful of fish hooks were hooked on his ribs. Severe pain instantly spread throughout his body, almost making him kneel to the ground.
He clenched his teeth and tightened his jaw to prevent himself from shouting.
He staggered a few steps and had difficulty breathing, but he managed to keep his body steady and did not fall.
The scraping sounds in his mind turned into the scratching of claws, and the sharp growls echoed in his mind, gradually forming clear words.
[Who are you……?]
Kakashi raised his head, the severe pain made his vision blurry, just like being drunk on cheap wine.
He breathed hard, inhaling and exhaling, three beats in a cycle. This was something he learned during his training in the Anbu, a method of resisting torture.
This allowed him to barely suppress the suction and gave him time to think.
On the tenth breath, he was finally able to bear the pain.
On the fourteenth breath, he began to notice how it worked.
By the eighteenth breath, he had understood it completely.
By the twenty-first breath, he was able to control it.
Kakashi took a deep breath, and raised his willpower to the extreme, gathering all his desire to live, all the reasons why he came here, and then, he suddenly pulled that power back.
The force was caught off guard and twitched instinctively, as if it was very surprised - as if it had never expected that Kakashi's life force would dare to resist, as if it was engaged in a fierce tug-of-war game.
In those few seconds of stalemate, Kakashi gained a valuable advantage.
The severe pain gradually subsided, and Kakashi's breathing slowly became smoother.
When that force finally stabilized and began to fight back, Kakashi had already won the final victory.
The force that had been sucking Kakashi's life force disintegrated, and his strength surged back into his body like a kite with its string cut.
He gasped for air as chakra returned to his chest and to his previously numb fingertips.
"I...did it," he panted.
The scratching in my head disappeared.
Kakashi took the time to check his physical condition. Every muscle was tense because of the upcoming second torture.
But nothing happened.
After a while, the sharp roar sounded again, but the tone was much softer than before.
[Who…are…you…? ] it repeated, this time with a hint of doubt in its tone.
Kakashi thought that maybe he could be more honest.
"Hatake Kakashi."
[Scars…] The stone made a low sound, as if mumbling to itself. [You…are…the…last…one…]
"Yes," he answered, feeling that he shouldn't be surprised by a self-aware stone - a stone that could remember the name of a person it had never met.
[You…and…pain…are…old…friends…] it said, as if stating a fact.
"We are old friends," Kakashi said, coughing twice, his voice hoarse from pain and lack of oxygen, although this was not really a problem.
The stone made a low humming sound, as if it was in deep thought.
[You…have…experienced…anger…] it said again.
Kakashi closed his eyes, and memories emerged in his mind uncontrollably, as if awakened by this word.
Kakashi remembered every time he was overcome by anger, in the face of death, in war, under the burden of responsibility...
In the face of those uncontrollable sorrows, they surge into one's heart uncontrollably, just like the emotions themselves.
"Very familiar." He said softly.
[You…have…experienced…tranquility…]
Kakashi's mouth corners unconsciously raised slightly, and the memories became warm.
Peace was a new experience for him, and it came in many forms: in the long nights and early mornings, in those too-close arguments, in the company of good food and friends, in the rekindled hope.
"It is invaluable," he replied.
[Why…are…you…here?]
This time, the answer came unusually easily. He opened his eyes and his tone was calm and firm, as natural as the rotation of the earth.
"To protect them."
He didn't have to say who "they" were.
This time, the sound made by the stone was completely different, low and unfamiliar, and seemed to carry a hint of appreciation.
[Yes.]
The energy in the air suddenly changed, dark energy surged like static electricity, the scroll above the stone began to vibrate violently, and the jagged chakra light flickered, emitting scorching heat.
[They…chose…you…long…ago…,…the…sky…breaker.] The stone said in a low voice. To Kakashi’s shock, the seals that bound the stone withered and fell off one by one, floating to the ground like autumn leaves.
[You…are…just…the…last…person…to…realize…this…point.]
