Their Taijutsu skills are nearly equal.
Naruto's body is not yet fully developed. In terms of height, reach, strength, and basic speed, Kakashi has the advantage.
But Naruto has a sword.
Unlike the short blades used by ninja for "stealth" and "mobility," Naruto wields a longer katana.
A longer blade offers greater strength.
This compensates for his physical disadvantages.
Kakashi realizes this.
Naruto's Taijutsu ability is very strong!
No wonder Mizuki was not his match…
If his body matures for a few more years, reaching the strength of an adult, he could become a special Jonin, even without Ninjutsu. He might even reach the level of someone like Might Guy.
Relying on Taijutsu alone will not defeat him.
This will not do…
The clash of kunai and blade produces a sharp, grating sound.
Crack—
The kunai, having borne the brunt of several strikes, shatters, and Naruto shows no mercy, swinging his blade down.
Kakashi, seemingly not expecting the kunai to break, takes the hit directly to his chest.
In the forest, Haruno Sakura cannot suppress a gasp.
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes widened.
Defeating a Jonin head-on?
Naruto frowns. He has cut down many illusions and sparred with many people.
This does not feel right—it is too dull.
It's a combination of the Clone Technique and the Substitution Technique!
The auras…
The chakra threads disperse before his eyes, representing four strands of Kakashi's presence.
In front, below, to the left, and to the right…
Unlike the clones Uchiha Sasuke used before, these four clones have identical auras, emanating the same chakra threads.
It's the Shadow Clone Technique. Each clone is like a real body.
If that's the case…
Naruto leaps up, forming hand seals to cast a technique, and two shadow clones appear.
One to the left, one to the right, to confront Kakashi's clones.
The original body grips the sword with both hands, the blade tip facing down, and drives it down with the force of his fall.
The presence below has no choice but to burrow backward, struggling out of the ground.
The left and right clones dissipate on their own before Naruto can attack, conserving chakra.
The newly emerged Kakashi shakes off the dust from his head, staring at Naruto in surprise.
Is this the sensory ability of the Uzumaki clan?
He detected the clones instantly, and even my Shadow Clones didn't distract him.
Moreover, the clones Naruto just created…
They aren't ordinary clones; they are the A-rank Ninjutsu, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
The rank of Ninjutsu indicates the conditions and difficulty of learning it. The higher the difficulty, the higher the rank—though generally, the more difficult the technique, the more powerful it is.
When did Naruto acquire this technique?
Two nights ago.
He was still at the academy yesterday.
So, he mastered an A-rank technique in at most two nights.
Kakashi looks at Naruto.
For the first time in many years, he observes him closely.
The hair and eye color inherited from his father, the facial features and eye shape from his mother, and in terms of talent, he seems to have taken all their strengths.
"Remarkable for a recent academy graduate, Naruto," Kakashi says softly.
Naruto raises his sword and grins: "I told you, Kakashi-sensei, I would surprise you."
Kakashi raises his hands, clasping them in front of his chest.
"But a ninja's battle is not just about Taijutsu."
He leaps lightly, landing on the water, standing without sinking.
He does not attack.
He remembers his mission is to "guard the bells," not to initiate an attack.
Naruto glances at his feet before stepping forward.
So, chakra can be used this way too?
With a splash, Naruto stomps heavily, sending knee-high water flying. But soon, the splashes become smaller, and after four or five steps, he, too, can stand on the water silently, as if on land.
The two clones follow him.
Kakashi's eyes narrow.
He mastered it just like that?
Such strong chakra control?
Well...
It's not much different from the Body Flicker Technique he used earlier.
The blade strikes.
Kakashi responded hastily. With a single twist of his hand, he began to form a simple seal.
His body suddenly went numb.
Thin, golden electric light flickered along the blade.
"Hadō #11. Tsuzuri Raiden (綴雷電, Bound Lightning)."
He abandoned the incantation, releasing the spell with reduced power.
The attack did not harm the body, and the paralysis was fleeting.
But it was that split second he needed—
A shadow clone took a bell hanging from Kakashi's waist.
With a jingle, it drew an arc and was thrown into Naruto's hand.
"Lightning Release?" Kakashi shook his wrist. "They don't teach that at the academy."
The power wasn't great, and he hadn't seen any hand seals.
Channeling chakra into a weapon...
"That doesn't mean I can't use it," Naruto said with a smile, shaking the bell, with no intention of explaining further.
Kakashi lowered his head, not asking further, "I thought you would take them all."
"One person only needs one," Naruto replied.
With a wave of his hand, the clone dissipated. He stomped on the water, then jumped back to the shore.
Clearly... he had no intention of continuing.
Kakashi shook his head and walked back onto the shore, looking at Naruto with a complicated expression.
His silhouette was very much like his own at twelve years old.
Confident in his strength, acting alone.
Naruto was pleased.
Showing his best side to his "father's student," his "brother" would surely be happy.
The two of them posed no real threat to Kakashi.
Sasuke was among the top graduates, capable of using a Fire Release technique and almost reaching the bell, but... he was still buried in the ground by Kakashi's mischievous humor.
Sakura was hanging from a tree.
Until the alarm rang, they sat by the wooden posts.
Except for Naruto, who had already taken a bell, the remaining two were inevitably nervous.
Hatake Kakashi was silent.
After a moment, he finally spoke, seeing the increasing unease in Sakura and Sasuke's expressions: "Naruto, I have to admit that your performance today was excellent."
"Both in terms of ability and strategy, you were above standard."
Naruto was taken aback.
From his tone... he didn't seem pleased.
Was there going to be a twist?
Sure enough, here came the "but."
"But why didn't you continue with the task?" Kakashi asked, with a hint of interrogation.
Naruto raised the bell: "I had already completed my objective."
"But your teammates hadn't finished their task." Kakashi was blunt. "With your help, your teammates could also have gotten a bell."
The "joy" Naruto had been feeling since the morning was doused with a bucket of cold water: "Why should I help them?"
"And whom should I help?"
"There are only two bells for three people."
Kakashi shook his head, his tone cold: "I designed it that way on purpose."
"It was to select those who could prioritize teamwork over their own interests in such situations."
He paused.
"Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, both fought solo."
"Uzumaki Naruto, you had enough ability, but you chose to stand by."
"A ninja's individual strength is important, but 'teamwork' is above that."
"Especially you, Uzumaki Naruto, you could have made this team better."
"My evaluation is: Unqualified."
Naruto's face completely cooled: "Kakashi-sensei, you set up a problem for individual competition, but want those within it to think about cooperation. Isn't that absurd?"
"In your setup and the stated task, if I help one person, the other would be eliminated."
"Not considering the reasonableness of your task, but blaming me for not doing better?"
"And there's something to correct."
He threw the bell down, and it rolled to Kakashi's feet with a jingle.
"Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and I are not a team yet."
"We were just assigned together by Iruka-sensei after graduation."
"In fact, Haruno Sakura doesn't want a teammate like me."
The pink-haired girl was taken aback, lowering her head but not denying it.
"Uchiha Sasuke also doesn't see me as a teammate."
Sasuke's expression was stern.
Naruto stood up, meeting Kakashi's gaze, his words powerful: "They don't accept me, yet you expect me to accept them?"
~~~
Naruto's Mental Age (Probably)
12 (normal growth like the anime) + 3 (First Transfer) + 6 (Second Transfer) (changes due to Soul Society) = 21
So 21 years old, yep old enough.
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