Chiba crouched on the ground, half a log buried before him. Behind him stood Kakashi, leaning on one hand for support.
Homura sighed, turning to Minato Namikaze. "It's over, Minato. Your disciple has won."
Minato smiled. "Chiba is impressive as well. Kushina put a lot of thought into his training. I'm surprised she taught him ninjutsu in addition to taijutsu."
"Indeed," Homura nodded. "Kushina has nurtured quite a talent. A B-rank Water Release technique, producing water without a source; Chiba must have at least High-Chunin chakra reserves."
Minato continued, "His hand seal speed is remarkable too. Before the Water Wall dissipated, he'd already formed the seal for the Decapitation Technique in his mind, executed it flawlessly, and launched a surprise attack under cover of the water. Despite his youth, Chiba possesses a sharp tactical mind."
A twinge of regret flashed through Minato; he couldn't help but wish he'd been Chiba's sensei.
"However," Homura interjected, "Kakashi saw through it all. That's his style, he's an analytical genius."
"True," Minato agreed. "Kakashi is an exceptional shinobi, always maintaining his composure."
Hirohiko spoke up, his face betraying an unusual expression. "I can't shake the feeling that Chiba won't lose."
"I agree," Yukina nodded. "Chiba won't go down so easily!"
Kushina Uzumaki smiled at her other two disciples' words. 'They've come to trust Chiba so much,' she thought. "I feel the same way. How could my best student lose so easily? But Chiba, why are you moving so slowly? Kakashi is formidable, but you shouldn't be this outmatched against him!"
"Kakashi-san," Chiba said, slowly rising to his feet, "it's premature to declare my defeat." Behind him, Kakashi's eyes widened, pain surging through his hands.
Homura opened his mouth to announce Chiba's loss, but before he could speak, Chiba burst into a cloud of white mist.
A side kick, whistling through the air, suddenly materialized behind Kakashi, aimed at his face. Despite the kick's whirlwind speed, Kakashi reacted swiftly, raising his right hand to block.
"Boom!" The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed across the training ground.
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. The force of the kick overwhelmed him, driving his own hand into his face. With a resounding thud, Kakashi was sent flying, crashing into a tree. The impact shook the tree, scattering stone leaves.
Chiba landed softly, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. 'Konoha Whirlwind, enhanced with chakra,' he thought. "Thanks for giving me time to refine my foot chakra control. It's much harder than hands, but it worked."
Observing Kakashi's indent in the ground, Chiba didn't pursue. Instead, he mimicked Kakashi's earlier move, extending his right arm behind him.
Another muffled impact sounded as Chiba caught Kakashi's surprise attack from behind. In one fluid motion, Chiba turned, his fist connecting squarely with Kakashi's masked face.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed with a hint of a smile visible despite his mask. 'This guy isn't someone to be underestimated,' he thought.
With a sharp crack, Kakashi placed one hand on his cheek, using the other to grasp Chiba's fist. In that instant, the Kakashi by the tree exploded into white mist.
The spectators watched in astonishment as the two young shinobi traded blows, each countering the other's attacks with uncanny precision.
Minato Namikaze found himself puzzled. 'When did Chiba manage to create a clone? And Kakashi; was I watching a Shadow Clone from the start?' he wondered. 'These two... they're cut from the same cloth. Both are combat geniuses.'
"Chiba's taijutsu is outstanding," Minato mused. "He might even surpass Might Guy."
Minato glanced at Kushina, noting her proud smile that seemed to say, "This is just the beginning."
"I knew it!" Yukina exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face.
Hirohiko nodded in agreement.
On the field, Kakashi attempted to throw Chiba over his shoulder, but Chiba countered, using Kakashi's momentum to throw him instead.
Mid-flight, Kakashi twisted, launching several shuriken to halt Chiba's pursuit. The clever throw forced Chiba to step back, the shuriken embedding themselves in the ground with sharp thuds.
*Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!* Kakashi formed a seal, spitting a crackling spear of lightning from his mouth.
Chiba, anticipating the attack, executed a small backward jump. The lightning struck where he'd stood, leaving a smoking hole in the ground.
*Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!* Chiba countered, his hands already forming seals. As he landed, he pressed down, launching a cone of earth at Kakashi.
Kakashi leaned to avoid the attack, but Chiba was already upon him, using the earth cone as a springboard.
"Boom!"
Kakashi crossed his arms to block, but the force sent him flying like a cannonball. He crashed into the ground, creating a large crater and sending a plume of dust into the air.
Chiba landed, eyeing the crater's center where Kakashi lay, coughing blood. However, Chiba's expression remained one of surprise rather than triumph.
Suddenly, Chiba spun, throwing a punch behind him.
"Boom!"
His fist collided with Kakashi's incoming attack.
'When did he create another clone?' Chiba frowned.
With a clatter, a log fell beside the Kakashi in the crater. The prone figure dissolved into white mist, leaving Chiba face-to-face with the real Kakashi.
The battle was far from over.