Why?
Why does that guy have a Sharingan?
Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit!
Uchiha Sasuke stood there stunned. He looked at Hatake Kakashi in disbelief, or more precisely, at his Sharingan.
He was certain that, apart from himself, the only one left in the entire Uchiha clan was Uchiha Itachi, the man he had sworn to kill!
So, where did Kakashi's Sharingan come from?!
The scene before him completely shocked Uchiha Sasuke.
"What's wrong?"
Uzumaki Naruto turned his head and looked at Sasuke, not understanding what was happening. He could see something was bothering Uchiha Sasuke.
Hatake Kakashi's eyes were indeed a bit strange, but why was everyone reacting this way?
Even though Uzumaki Naruto had been rude to Might Guy earlier, Rock Lee kindly explained, "Kakashi-sensei's eye is the Sharingan, and the Sharingan is the bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan. They are the only ones in the entire shinobi world who can awaken such an eye."
"Oh~"
Uzumaki Naruto understood now—somehow, Sasuke's clan's eyes had gone to Kakashi-sensei.
However, he had many more questions in his mind, but he kept them to himself for the time being.
"It's about to begin!!!" Might Guy suddenly announced with excitement.
...
Meanwhile, at the Root headquarters.
"You mean Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi went to Training Ground 19?"
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
Shimura Danzo, hidden in the shadows, tightened his grip on his cane. A smile finally appeared on his typically expressionless face. His plan had succeeded.
The fight had finally begun!
He had revealed information about the Hokage candidates to Shihouin Naraku, hoping it would turn him against Hatake Kakashi and lead to a secret confrontation.
Yet months had passed without any good news that would please Danzo.
Instead, the news that Shihouin Naraku had become the head of the medical department had confused him even more.
Doesn't Shihouin Naraku want to be Hokage?
Shimura Danzo was utterly bewildered. He believed this was Shihouin Naraku's strategy of retreating to advance later and that his true intentions would eventually be revealed.
All Danzo had to do was wait for the two to fall out and then present evidence of their fight to everyone in Konohagakure, destroying their chances of becoming Hokage.
After all, few people would accept a Hokage who brutally fought with friends for the position.
And now, he had finally found what he was waiting for!
"Move out!"
"Go to Training Ground 19!"
"Yes, sir!"
Shimura Danzo, accompanied by his two loyal subordinates, quickly headed toward Training Ground 19.
At the same time, in the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the crystal ball on his desk, frowning at the two figures displayed in it: Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi.
"Naraku voluntarily stepped aside, and I informed Kakashi just yesterday. Logically, there's no reason for them to fight..."
But then he considered that it might be Hatake Kakashi's idea and that Kakashi intended to use this battle to resolve something within himself!
"That's good. If a battle can help Hatake Kakashi finally let go of his past burdens, then Konoha will have one more Elite Jōnin!"
"Puff, puff..."
The office filled with smoke from his pipe...
For a moment, it seemed as if many eyes from across the village were watching the two figures in the centre of the training ground!
...
A light leaf floated in the air and slowly drifted downward.
Shihouin Naraku was visibly excited when he saw Hatake Kakashi lifting his forehead protector. This meant he was going all out!
The tension between the two shinobi intensified!
The fallen leaf drifted between them and finally touched the ground.
"Boom!"
"Bang!"
The ground beneath Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi's feet exploded simultaneously. Gravel and sand flew everywhere as the ground cracked into spider web-like patterns.
The two men rushed toward each other at a speed difficult to track with the naked eye, then collided violently. A terrifying force exploded at that moment.
"Crack!"
The instant Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi's fists collided, the ground beneath them suddenly collapsed. Dense cracks spread outward, and a circular shock wave expanded, knocking over Uzumaki Naruto and the others who were watching from outside the field.
"All of you—step back!" Might Guy commanded without turning his head, his eyes still fixed on the two combatants.
Uzumaki Naruto and the others tried to stand their ground stubbornly, but the violent shaking and continuous explosive shock waves made it impossible for them to stay in place.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
After the initial collision, Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks. Their bodies leapt and changed positions rapidly, becoming so entangled that it was difficult to tell them apart.
"BOOM!!!"
Shihouin Naraku suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, releasing a terrifying force like that of a giant. In an instant, the ground collapsed into a huge crater, and smoke and dust rose into the air, covering the surroundings.
A powerful gust of wind blew toward Kakashi, making his hair stand on end. He dodged by jumping back several times in rapid succession.
However, the storm created by Naraku's strange power still swept Hatake Kakashi into the air. His hands quickly formed seals...
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Chakra surged in his throat, and a moment later, a massive fireball erupted from Hatake Kakashi's mouth, blasting down toward Shihouin Naraku's position.
A wave of heat swept upward, but Hatake Kakashi didn't stop there. He knew clearly that he couldn't defeat Naraku with just that.
S,o after releasing the Great Fireball, he quickly formed another set of hand seals.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind burst from Hatake Kakashi's mouth, quickly growing into a raging storm in the air!
Fire feeds on wind, and wind strengthens fire!
The Great Fireball, which had already been falling with tremendous force, grew wildly with the help of the wind.
The fiercely burning fireball expanded to several times its original size. Waves of heat intense enough to scorch the earth radiated outward, and the smell of burning filled the air.
The spectators couldn't help but swallow nervously as if the blazing flames were already upon them.
"Boom..."
Seemingly without time to react, the massive fireball crashed to the ground and exploded, releasing powerful flames that burned everything around it.
"Did he escape?"
"He couldn't dodge?!"
"Is Brother Naraku dead?!"
Most of the people watching the fight looked on in horror as the powerful fireball engulfed Shihouin Naraku.
Only a few observers frowned as they stared at the still-burning flames, saying nothing!
"Huff... Huff..."
Hatake Kakashi landed on the ground, breathing heavily. Although the two ninjutsu he had just used were both C-rank, their power could be increased based on the amount of Chakra used, and Kakashi had indeed consumed a significant amount.
"Tap... tap... thud... thud..."
From within the burning flames, a figure emerged surrounded by dancing fire. His footsteps sounded like drumbeats, each step firm and powerful, resonating with strength.
Hatake Kakashi's pupils shook wildly. Naraku had clearly been hit by the ninjutsu, so why hadn't the Fire Style caused any damage at all?
There were still flickering flames on the edges of his clothes, but as Shihouin Naraku walked slowly forward, they extinguished one by one. His clothes didn't even have the slightest wrinkle.
"Here it comes!!!"
"Bang!"
Moving as if teleporting, Shihouin Naraku stepped forward, and the moment his foot touched the ground, he had already reached Hatake Kakashi's side. With one powerful kick, he sent Kakashi flying!
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