The stone wall surged upward once again—but this time, it wasn't Genma Shiranui who formed it. It was Hatake Kakashi!
After Akimichi Dazhi's Meat Tank had gouged a deep crater into the earthen wall, his spinning momentum gradually slowed, finally halting. Only then did Dazhi realize how close he'd come to disaster.
Hyūga Feiyu stared at the damaged wall in awe.
Blocked. It had actually been stopped!
The same Earth-Style: Wall of Earth—Genma had failed to withstand Dazhi's earlier charge, yet Kakashi had just countered an even more powerful iteration of the Human Bullet Tank!
Hyūga Tobimaru, eyes narrowed, fixated on Kakashi—still masked, as always. But to a Hyūga's Byakugan, a mask was hardly an obstacle.
Seeing through a thin cloth? That would be insulting.
Kakashi's chakra network and physical state were laid bare to Tobi's gaze. What truly startled him, however, was what he saw next.
This boy—just fourteen—but the chakra surging within him surpassed his own by far! Moreover, sealed into his left eye was something profound—Tobi couldn't identify the precise nature of the fūinjutsu, but it radiated complexity far beyond standard techniques.
Noticing the surveillance, Kakashi turned his head slightly.
Tobi instinctively deactivated his Byakugan.
Peeping into someone's chakra without consent? That wasn't something honorable shinobi did—especially when it involved one's own ally.
No one liked being scrutinized like that… unless they had some disturbing tendencies.
Kakashi's lone eye locked onto him. Even masked, the pressure behind his stare made cold sweat slide down Tobimaru's back.
What oppressive killing intent…
Feiyu's heart trembled—how could one so young possess such presence? He finally understood why the Third Hokage had entrusted such sensitive information to these four.
Kakashi broke his gaze and turned toward Dazhi.
"Senpai, allow me to experience your strength firsthand."
He canceled the Earth-Style wall and calmly walked forward, stepping protectively in front of Genma.
"Kakashi, you…"
"Genma-senpai, your leg's fractured. I'll take it from here."
Kakashi turned back slightly. His eye curved in a gentle arc, though the tone in his voice remained steady and composed.
"…Alright. I'm counting on you."
Though reluctant, Genma knew his injuries had crippled his combat effectiveness. Even at his peak, he hadn't been Dazhi's equal—much less now.
Staring at the crumbled remains of his own wall, Genma felt conflicted.
They had used the same jutsu—yet the outcome was miles apart. He'd always known Kakashi was a genius, even back when he graduated the Academy at five and made chūnin at six. But in just two years, the gap between them had grown even wider.
He smiled bitterly. Some shinobi were simply born different.
"If you hadn't stepped in, I might've caused a huge mess," Dazhi said sheepishly, scratching his head. His round, honest face gave off an air of warmth and sincerity.
Kakashi shook his head.
"There's no need to thank me. You're my comrade. Protecting you is only natural, isn't it?"
"Haha! Spoken like a true Leaf shinobi! I like your spirit!"
Dazhi laughed heartily, evidently impressed. His good-natured personality made him instantly likable.
Most Konoha shinobi cherished peace and camaraderie. This belief was the essence of the Will of Fire—passed down since the First Hokage's time. It was this sentiment that allowed the village to endure generation after generation.
And yet, figures like Danzo Shimura had twisted that ideal.
The root of many tragedies—Danzo's machinations had only deepened the fissures between clans and fueled civil unrest. From the village's golden age to its present stagnation, his actions had been instrumental in its decline.
It was no exaggeration to say that almost every major crisis in Konoha—be it the Nine-Tails' rampage, Orochimaru's invasion, or Pain's onslaught—had seen Danzo absent or, worse, complicit.
While some argued he acted in Konoha's shadowy interests, the truth was clear: he cloaked selfish ambition under the guise of righteousness. Anyone who disagreed with him became an enemy of the village.
People like that could never bring peace.
Still, most of Konoha's shinobi upheld the Will of Fire, holding firm to loyalty and friendship.
"Alright then, senpai," Kakashi said, his voice calm. "Let's begin."
Dazhi hesitated, glancing over at Feiyu.
The Hyūga prodigy gave a small nod.
Feiyu had already decided to let Kakashi's team return with the intel—they had proven themselves. But as a shinobi driven by curiosity, he wanted to see for himself the extent of Kakashi's strength.
There were no hidden motives. He simply wanted to witness greatness with his own eyes.
Dazhi, simple and straightforward, had no reason to doubt him. Nodding, he stepped forward.
"Alright, little brother. Let's spar."
Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask and glanced sideways at Tobimaru. He knew what the Hyūga was thinking.
But testing his strength? Dazhi alone wasn't enough.
Kakashi didn't draw his Chidori. Nor did he activate the Sharingan, despite its dormant presence beneath his forehead protector. He was determined to fight this battle on pure taijutsu alone.
Among Konoha's strongest close-combat users, Might Guy stood at the top—his Eight Gates unmatched. Tsunade followed close behind with her monstrous strength.
But the Akimichi clan's physical prowess was legendary in its own right—raw, brutal, and overwhelming.
Compared to the Hyūga's precision strikes targeting the chakra system, the Akimichi prioritized sheer power. This was the perfect matchup to test how far his taijutsu training had come.
"Ninja Art: Expansion Jutsu—Right Leg!"
Dazhi roared as his leg grew massive, the earth cracking beneath him.
Kakashi's right eye glinted faintly, flickering with unspoken resolve. That power… was genuinely frightening.
Even so, this wasn't a clash he could win through brute force.
Only Tsunade's monstrous strength could challenge that head-on.
He'd dodge.
As the giant leg came crashing down, Kakashi vanished in a blur.
An afterimage.
With a burst of acceleration, he closed the distance between them. Dazhi's leg, still recovering from the downward strike, was too slow to respond.
"You're too slow," Kakashi muttered, narrowing his eye.
Planting his heel into the ground, Kakashi sprang upward and delivered a pinpoint uppercut—his fist driving directly toward Dazhi's jaw.
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