As soon as Natsuhiko's words fell, the ground beneath Kakashi's feet sank slightly, and he rushed toward Obito at high speed.
As expected of Kakashi, he's even mastered the Body Flicker Technique to this extent.
Natsuhiko secretly praised.
However, Kakashi's intention to end the battle quickly was also within Natsuhiko's calculations...
Even the old lady Obito encountered earlier had been arranged by Natsuhiko...
All to limit Kakashi's tactical options and make the situation unfold according to his script.
As expected, unlike the straightforward Kakashi, Obito, the moment Natsuhiko announced the start, followed the plan, gathering chakra in his feet and quickly retreating.
Seeing Kakashi approaching at a speed not typical of a ninja school student, Obito also thought to himself, "Just as Sensei predicted."
Then he continued to retreat while quickly forming hand signs...
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The next moment, a burning fireball with a diameter of two meters was spat from Obito's mouth, flying toward Kakashi at high speed.
This guy has already mastered Fire Release!?
Kakashi was slightly shocked.
After all, he had only mastered four nature transformations himself, and Obito had actually mastered one!?
More importantly...
That fireball is fast!
Although it was partly because he was rushing forward, Kakashi keenly noticed that this fireball was faster than usual!
He had initially thought that the fireball's small size was due to Obito's lack of training.
But now, it seemed that the size was reduced to increase the fireball's speed!
However, that speed is still not enough!
Even while charging forward at high speed, Kakashi had left himself enough room to change direction at any time.
And that's precisely what he did.
Kakashi's figure blurred, and with a quick movement, he dodged the fireball.
The fireball's smaller size actually made it easier for him to dodge, allowing him to continue charging at Obito without losing speed.
But just as he dodged the fireball, he felt something was off.
It was the sound!
He only now realised that the fireball hadn't made a single sound.
With his sharp combat instincts, he immediately thought of a possibility...
And the several shurikens flying toward him, followed closely by Obito, confirmed this possibility.
An actual Great Fireball Technique wouldn't allow the caster to recover from the aftereffects so quickly.
So this wasn't a Great Fireball Technique; it was a Projection Technique!
Thanks to Obito's endless chatter about exciting things he'd learned in the Sealing Techniques
Class, Kakashi had some understanding of the Projection Technique, which is why he quickly realised the possibility.
Moreover, the fireball's increased speed was meant to make it harder for the enemy to judge.
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi had thought all this.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it, as the shuriken were already in front of him!
With the precision that the Uchiha clan is known for in shuriken throwing, these shuriken were aimed at all the vital points on his body.
And Kakashi, still in the momentum of dodging the fireball, found it tricky to deal with this shuriken.
He even instinctively reached for the short sword on his back in the next moment!
But in the end, he let go of it, relying on his agility to dodge the shuriken.
However, this choice left him unable to fully recover his stance when Obito, covered by the shuriken, charged at him, forcing Kakashi into a defensive position in the ensuing taijutsu clash.
What was more alarming was that Obito seemed to have undergone targeted training.
The taijutsu he was using wasn't anything special, but it was continuous and unrelenting, giving Kakashi no chance to recover.
And so, with the combination of delayed tactics, fireball projection, shuriken, and targeted taijutsu, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
The unbeatable Kakashi from the ninja academy was actually being overwhelmed by Obito, who used to be at the bottom of the class!
As expected, Natsuhiko-Sensei was right!
Seeing that he was able to press Kakashi in the fight, Obito felt a surge of confidence as he continued his relentless attacks. A thought flashed through his mind—no matter how much of a genius Kakashi might be, he could not defy the laws of nature.
Even though Kakashi could defeat upperclassmen and graduate early thanks to his superior skills, he hadn't achieved a qualitative difference in physical prowess compared to his peers. Therefore, once Kakashi was put on the defensive, and Obito kept up his close-quarters assaults, even a genius like Kakashi would be no different from an ordinary ninja school student!
And battles between ninja students are all about speed and strength.
These just happen to be Obito's strengths.
After all, he had the largest chakra network capacity among the research group members. For more than half the semester, he had been expanding his chakra network through daily radio callisthenics.
As a result, Obito's chakra network capacity now far exceeded that of an average ninja school student, even surpassing some genin.
An increased chakra network capacity also meant more chakra in his body, which enhanced his physical vitality and ultimately boosted his strength and speed.
The chakra system that once made it difficult for Obito to learn ninjutsu and led to him being seen as the underdog was now, under Natsuhiko's guidance, beginning to shine with its true potential.
So, in this contest of physical prowess, Obito was actually the more talented one!
Just as Obito had anticipated, Kakashi was feeling an unprecedented sense of frustration. He had experienced a similar feeling before, but that was when sparring with adults who overpowered him with brute strength.
But he never imagined that he would feel this way while sparring with a fellow ninja school student—and that his opponent would be Obito!
Kakashi kept dodging left and right, trying to create some distance to regroup. However, Obito stuck to him like glue, clearly determined to engage him in close combat.
Moreover, Obito was using the Konoha Taijutsu style, which he had only been learning for half a semester. Somehow, he had copied entirely Guy's moves, with no apparent flaws, and was using the simplicity and directness of this taijutsu style to attack continuously, leaving Kakashi no room to breathe!
Kakashi felt like he was playing a game of shogi, trapped in a losing position. Even though he had many tactics at his disposal, in the situation that Obito had set up, he could only take one step at a time, with no opportunity to fully utilise his techniques.
At the same time, the pain from continuously blocking Obito's attacks weighed heavily on Kakashi's mind.
Such strength! Is he really from the Uchiha clan and not the Akimichi clan?
Despite his internal complaints, Kakashi had now recognised Obito as a severe threat, and his attitude became more severe than ever.
If he didn't break free soon, he might actually be ground down by Obito...
Could he, Kakashi, who everyone hailed as a true genius, actually lose to this underdog, this fool, this annoying Uchiha Obito?
The thought made Kakashi feel a bit dizzy. If someone had said this to him half an hour ago, he would have scoffed. But now, he couldn't deny the reality in front of him.
If Obito really won, he'd probably brag about it for the rest of his life...
This thought gave Kakashi a chill and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
It looks like I'll have to use that move.
Kakashi, having made up his mind, deflected Obito's left-hand strike, only to see Obito's right fist coming straight at him.
This time, however, Kakashi didn't dodge or block; instead, he quickly formed hand seals while shifting his body, taking Obito's powerful punch directly on his left shoulder!
He had clearly underestimated Obito's strength; the intense pain in his left shoulder nearly disrupted his jutsu.
But thinking of the terrifying consequences of losing to Obito, Kakashi gritted his teeth and completed the final hand seal...
In the next moment, Obito, who had been thrilled to land a hit on Kakashi, suddenly lost the light in his eyes.
As Kakashi's figure slowly faded away, Obito remained unaware. His dazed eyes were filled only with the image of countless leaves swirling in the wind and flying all around.
In reality, Kakashi, still maintaining the hand seal, finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Obito standing still with vacant eyes.
The amount of chakra in this guy's body is unexpectedly enormous. The jutsu I recently learned, Narakumi no Jutsu, nearly failed to disrupt his chakra flow!
Kakashi finally understood why Obito, despite being the same age as him, was able to overpower him in terms of strength and speed.
Unaware of the secret behind the chakra training method, Kakashi couldn't help but marvel at how Obito, as a member of the Uchiha clan, had inherited the clan's powerful chakra abilities.
But it's all over now. This ninja sparring match is mine!
Although Kakashi believed the outcome was decided, he maintained his hand seal, refraining from ending the match.
This was, in fact, the greatest weakness of genjutsu. Once the jutsu was released, the enemy would instantly regain consciousness.
Without the help of a teammate, it was quite possible that even if the enemy seemed under control, the user might not be able to deliver the final blow.
For this reason, most genjutsu that have survived to the present day emphasise psychological damage through the illusions they create. By releasing the genjutsu at the moment the enemy is most shaken, the user can slow down the enemy's reaction, creating an opportunity to strike.
Despite being a D-rank jutsu, the Narakumi no Jutsu Kakashi used was a genjutsu of this type. It led the opponent to see the scene they feared most, inflicting significant psychological damage.
However, the drawback was that the user could not control what the opponent saw, so they had to wait for the opponent to scare themselves before launching the next attack.
This was why Kakashi continued to stand still, maintaining the jutsu and unable to end the battle directly.
He was confident that even if he released the genjutsu and the battle returned to an even state, now that he had figured out Obito's tactics, he could easily defeat him.
However, with the exam time running short, Kakashi didn't want to take any chances and decided to follow through with the entire process to ensure Obito's defeat.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Kakashi to see Obito's expression become increasingly complex, clearly shaken by the terrifying scene in his mind.
But what exactly is he seeing now...
Just as Kakashi was about to strike, something unexpected happened!
Something went wrong somewhere, and Kakashi suddenly sensed several bursts of chakra from Obito's chakra network, disrupting the flow he had painstakingly disturbed!
Damn it!
Seeing Obito's eyes suddenly regain their clarity, Kakashi knew something was wrong.
Bang!
Still holding his hand seal, Kakashi took a fierce kick to the stomach from Obito, sending him staggering backwards while clutching his stomach, feeling his internal organs churn.
That was close!
Obito, who had just kicked Kakashi away, felt both shocked and angry, wiping a cold sweat from his brow.
He had almost fallen into Kakashi's genjutsu!
Who would have thought this guy would be so decisive, using that genjutsu even at the risk of injury?
Obito couldn't help but once again praise Natsuhiko-Sensei's wisdom.
During his final sprint training, Obito had sparred several times with Kurenai, who was skilled in genjutsu. However, he couldn't break Kurenai's genjutsu each time, ending in defeat.
Natsuhiko-Sensei had also remarked that Obito's willpower was too weak, making him too easily absorbed into the illusions. This meant that despite his strong chakra, he couldn't break free from genjutsu on his own.
Clearly, this was a problem that couldn't be solved overnight, so Natsuhiko-Sensei provided Obito with an alternative solution for his upcoming battle with Kakashi.
That solution was the Dark Calisthenics, which had left him limping for quite a while...
This technique was actually a method of guiding chakra flow, originally part of the chakra network training, but applied in battle.
The move he used before, "Soaring Young Hawk," guided chakra to accelerate its flow, gathering it in his right foot, unleashing power beyond his physical limits.
But this time, Natsuhiko-Sensei had taught him a method that seemed contrary to his usual approach.
Natsuhiko-Sensei had given him a set of movements to guide his chakra flow, allowing him to store concentrated chakra in specific rarely-used chakra points.
Achieving this wasn't particularly difficult; the real challenge was that chakra would naturally flow from areas of high pressure to low pressure until it reached equilibrium.
This meant Obito had to constantly focus on controlling these clusters of chakra, keeping them in those points.
Though challenging, this technique suited Obito's personality more than learning to break genjutsu on his own through willpower.
His hard work paid off, as this technique proved to be incredibly effective.
Because once he falls under a genjutsu and gets deeper into the illusion, it's natural for him to forget about suppressing his chakra.
So the chakra stored in his acupuncture points will burst forth like sunlight piercing through clouds, dispelling the haze caused by the genjutsu in his meridian system!
And this is precisely why Natsuhiko-Sensei named this movie "Rainbow Sunshine."
After kicking Kakashi back a few steps, Obito, who was deeply impressed by Natsuhiko-Sensei's flawless strategy, charged forward without stopping, pressing his advantage and not giving Kakashi a chance to use genjutsu again.
After all, this technique requires him to guide the chakra into specific acupuncture points through a set of pre-movement actions, making it challenging to execute in the midst of combat.
If Kakashi were to use genjutsu again, he'd really be done for.
Moreover, what he saw in the illusion earlier left him deeply unsettled, and he had no desire to experience it again.
Because in the illusion, he saw a scene of Rin and Kakashi holding hands while walking a dog!
For five-year-old Obito, this was already the most terrifying thing he could imagine…
In the blink of an eye, Obito had rushed up to Kakashi, only to see that the latter was still clutching his stomach, bent over, looking as though Obito's earlier kick had seriously hurt him.
Could it be that I'm really going to win?
Just as this thought crossed Obito's mind, he noticed Kakashi's upper body slightly lifting, revealing his hands making a hand seal…
No good!
This guy wasn't clutching his stomach; he was using the cover of bending over to perform a ninjutsu hand sign!
The moment Obito realised this, lightning flashed around Kakashi!
A burst of blue-white electricity shot out from his feet, surging along the ground towards Obito!
Lightning Style: Ground Walk!
Damn it, I was a step too slow!
Obito cursed inwardly as he swiftly dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the lightning attack.
Indeed, my initial attack right after waking up was too rash, and I didn't follow through with the close-combat approach.
But there wasn't much I could do.
Not knowing the principles behind the Naraku Seeing Technique, Obito thought Kakashi was aware of his feelings for Rin and had deliberately shown him that scene.
So, in a fit of anger, Obito launched that attack out of rage.
But he hadn't expected that even a small opening like that would be seized by Kakashi, allowing him to turn the tables.
Seeing that Kakashi ultimately broke the advantageous position he painstakingly built with Natsuhiko-Sensei's help, Obito felt a wave of helplessness.
As expected, Kakashi is too unfair!
Why are we both first-year students, yet you're so outstanding?
No matter what kind of predicament he faces, he can always pull out a new trick to solve it.
Even though I had the advantage of time, place, and support, in the end, Kakashi still managed to land a punch and a kick on me!
Although these hits should have some effect on Kakashi, without the advantageous position I had created earlier, the upcoming battle is sure to be tough…
What Obito didn't know as he agonised over this was that Kakashi, who was staring back at him, though having escaped the dilemma, wasn't strictly at peace either.
Taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu.
These three are considered the core skills of a ninja.
For a long time, Kakashi, who found no equal in the ninja academy, never imagined he would one day be pushed to use all his skills by someone his age…
And still fail to take him down!
Thinking of this, Kakashi couldn't help but look Obito up and down as if seeing him for the first time.
Because he finally realised a simple truth:
Uchiha Obito… is strong!
Then, Kakashi's gaze at Obito became tinged with complex emotions.
This guy, who was just a bottom-tier student last semester…
How much effort has he put in for this battle?
Why…
Kakashi's lips moved slightly under his mask. Even though he knew time was running out, and it wasn't the moment to speak, he couldn't help but ask in a dry voice:
"Why… why go to such lengths?"
"Why are you so obsessed with me…"
(End of chapter)
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