Konoha Village.
Back mountain.
Kakashi was already a chuunin, and Hatake Kaede Yoru's strength was beyond that level. Naturally, if the two of them wanted to spar, a small courtyard wouldn't be enough. The space simply couldn't contain the force of their battle.
"Are you ready?"
Kakashi stood in an open area, gripping a kunai in each hand. He leaned forward slightly, his posture already in a combat-ready stance as he looked at Kaede Yoru.
Kaede Yoru stood calmly, holding the chakra dagger White Fang. He looked back with composed eyes and said, "Come on."
Whoosh!!
The moment Kaede Yoru finished speaking, Kakashi launched himself forward.
The two kunai became a blur as they sliced through the air toward Kaede Yoru from both sides. Unhurried, Kaede Yoru countered with the chakra blade, blocking each strike with precise swings.
Clang!
After a brief exchange, Kaede Yoru's eyes glinted. The chakra blade in his hand dropped sharply, bypassing Kakashi's defense, slicing toward his chest.
But Kakashi's figure vanished in a puff of smoke.
Shadow Clone!
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A voice rang out from behind Kaede Yoru. A blazing fireball surged toward him.
Without panic, Kaede Yoru stomped the ground and leapt sideways, narrowly dodging the fireball.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
From within the flames, seven or eight spinning shuriken flew out, cutting through the air and blocking Kaede Yoru's escape route.
"You've gotten very good at combining ninjutsu with shuriken."
Kaede Yoru smiled.
The White Fang dagger in his hand flickered into motion, slashing the air with uncanny speed. In an instant, all the flaming shuriken were deflected!
Swish!
At that exact moment, Kakashi emerged from the ground less than a meter behind Kaede Yoru. His kunai stabbed toward Kaede Yoru's back, the tip pressing right against him.
"I won," Kakashi said, beads of sweat on his forehead. A faint glow of triumph lit his eyes—this was the first time he'd ever bested Kaede Yoru in combat!
But the Kaede Yoru in front of him turned and smiled. "Do you really think so?"
Boom!
With those words, Kaede Yoru stepped backward into the blade deliberately—and vanished into smoke.
Kakashi stood frozen, stunned.
A clone?!
"No way..."
Before he could react, a gust of wind came from behind. Kakashi spun and tried to block—but took a hard kick to the arm, sending him stumbling backward.
He caught himself after five or six steps, his expression stunned. "That was a clone just now?!"
Kaede Yoru responded calmly, "Just a basic Clone Jutsu."
"Impossible!" Kakashi said. "Clones can't attack. How did it block my flaming shuriken?"
"When I blocked those, that was still the real me," Kaede Yoru replied with a faint smile. "It'll be easier if I show you."
In a flash, Kaede Yoru gripped the hilt of White Fang in one hand and formed the seals for two jutsu with the other—faster than the eye could follow.
Clone Technique! Substitution Technique!
Kakashi gawked. He knew both jutsu from the academy—they were basic. What shocked him was the insane speed of Kaede Yoru's hand signs.
One-handed seals.
Faster than two hands!
Kakashi's eyes widened. "Your fingers... that speed isn't human."
Kaede Yoru was unfazed. Triple speed. That was what he'd used. Double speed might have looked fast, but triple speed was borderline freakish.
"...Who knows?" Kaede Yoru said with a shrug. "Maybe my motor nerves are just wired differently."
Kakashi gave him a blank stare. "You weren't always this fast. Since two years ago, you've been getting faster and faster. That can't be natural... it's like a bloodline limit. If you get even faster—"
Bloodline Limit.
Every ninja knew what that meant. Some involved chakra fusion, like Lava Release. Others were dojutsu like the Sharingan or Byakugan.
Kaede Yoru's speed wasn't Jonin-level yet—but it was weird. It felt like he was moving in a different timeline than the rest of the world.
It could only be a bloodline ability.
The Hatake clan had no known bloodline limit—only sword technique. But there were documented cases of random awakenings.
This odd accelerated state... maybe it wasn't a full Bloodline Limit yet. But if Kaede Yoru got any faster—then yes, it would be one.
"Seems that way," Kaede Yoru replied thoughtfully. For someone with the Illusory Clock, a time-related bloodline limit was a good cover.
Naruto's world had all kinds of strange powers—why not time manipulation too?
Kakashi stared. "But I've never seen any records of this kind of ability... no similar traits..."
Kaede Yoru stroked his chin. "Then maybe I'm the first to awaken it. Let's call it... Ghost Release."
"Ghost Release?"
Kakashi blinked. "I guess your movement is inhuman enough to qualify. It fits the image."
What Kaede Yoru really thought of was "ghost animal" speed.
But whether ghost or phantom, it didn't matter. If people saw it as a Bloodline Limit...
He'd name it something simple.
Time Drift.