In terms of physical skills, the two were quite evenly matched.
Naruto's body had not yet matured; in terms of height, arm span, strength, and base speed, he was overshadowed by Kakashi. However, he had a blade. Unlike the short blades favored for stealth and mobility, this was a longer katana. An inch longer, an inch stronger. It compensated for every disadvantage his body presented.
Kakashi realized this. Naruto's physical abilities were impressive! No wonder Mizuki was no match for him. If Naruto could grow for a few more years, attaining the strength of an adult, he could potentially become a special Jonin, even resembling that guy, Might Guy, albeit without ninjutsu.
Simply relying on physical skills wouldn't suffice to take him down. This wouldn't do. The shuriken and blade clashed with a sharp screech. Snap—! The shuriken, already overburdened from several strikes, broke under Naruto's relentless assault. Kakashi seemed taken aback by the "quality of the shuriken" and braced himself for the hit.
In the forest, Sakura could not help but gasp. Sasuke widened his eyes. Was Naruto actually overpowering a Jonin?
Furrowing his brow, Naruto reflected on his experiences battling various enemies and training. The feel wasn't right; it was too dull.
It was a combination of the Shadow Clone Technique and the Substitution Technique!
Ki emanated before him, representing Kakashi's presence in four distinct forms: one in front, one underground, one to the left, and one to the right. Unlike the clones Sasuke had used before, these four shared identical ki, intertwined with the same spiritual threads. This was the Shadow Clone Technique, with each clone behaving as if it were the original.
Realizing this, Naruto leaped, forming seals and summoning two Shadow Clones—one to the left and one to the right—to confront Kakashi's duplicates. His real body gripped the knife tightly, the blade pointed downward, leveraging gravity to aim a decisive strike.
The underground clone, sensing danger, had to dig backward, struggling from the dirt. Before Naruto could fully unleash his next attack, his two clones dissipated without wasting chakra.
The moment Kakashi emerged, shaking off the dust, he gazed at Naruto in astonishment. Was this the sensory talent of the Uzumaki clan?
Instantly perceiving the situation, his own attempt to create Shadow Clones had effectively failed to disrupt Naruto's strategy. Moreover, those two clones Naruto had just summoned were not ordinary clones; they were the high-level A-rank technique—Multiple Shadow Clones.
The ranking of ninjutsu does not merely refer to "power" but rather to the conditions and difficulty of mastering it. The higher the rank, the more challenging the technique generally is—although, typically, the higher the difficulty, the greater the power as well.
When had Naruto acquired that technique? Just two nights prior. Yesterday, he was still in ninja school, meaning he had learned this A-rank ninjutsu within a mere two nights.
Kakashi observed Naruto closely for the first time in all these years. The hair and eye color inherited from his teacher, the facial features and eye shape passed down from his teacher's wife; had Naruto greedily absorbed all the advantages of both?
"You don't seem like someone who just graduated from ninja school, Naruto," Kakashi remarked softly.
Naruto raised his knife, grinning widely. "Kakashi-sensei, I told you I'd surprise you."
Kakashi raised his hands and clasped them at his chest. "But a ninja's battle is not solely about physical skills."
He lightly leaped, standing on the water's surface without sinking, indicating he had no intention of attacking. He remembered his mission objective: "guard the bell," not to actively engage.
Naruto glanced at Kakashi's feet and surged forward. So, chakra had such techniques?
A splashing sound echoed as Naruto pushed off, creating splashes up to his knees. But soon, the splashes grew smaller; within four or five steps, he could move as quietly as Kakashi, standing effortlessly on the water's surface.
His two clones followed suit.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Had he really learned that? Was his control over chakra so strong?
After all, it wasn't much different from the "Body Flicker Technique" he had used before.
The blade swung down. Kakashi, caught off guard, twisted his wrist to form a simple hand seal. Suddenly, his body numbed. A long, golden electric current danced along the blade.
"Breaking Way Number Eleven: Thunder Roar."
The injury was minor, and the paralysis passed almost instantly, yet in that fleeting moment...
One of the shadow clones snatched the bell hanging from Kakashi's waist. With a ringing sound, the bell flew, arcing through the air and landing in Naruto's hand.
"Lightning Release?" Kakashi flicked his wrist, "The academy doesn't teach that kind of ninjutsu."
The power wasn't great, and he hadn't noticed any hand seals.
Channeling chakra through a weapon. "That doesn't mean I can't use it," Naruto chuckled, shaking the bell, unwilling to explain further.
Kakashi lowered his gaze, not pressing the matter: "I thought you might take all of them."
"Just one bell is enough for a person," Naruto replied.
With a flourish, he dismissed his clones, stomped on the water, and jumped back to shore, clearly not intending to continue the fight.
Kakashi shook his head as he walked back to shore, gazing at Naruto with a mix of emotions.
His back strongly resembled his twelve-year-old self, confident and stubborn.
Naruto felt a joyful satisfaction. He had shown off his best side to "Father's disciple"; surely, this "brother" would be pleased.
Neither of them posed a real threat to Kakashi. Sasuke, one of the most exceptional graduates, managed to execute a Fire Release technique and nearly touched the bell, but still found himself buried in the dirt due to Kakashi's playful antics.
Sakura hung from a tree.
As the alarm rang, they gathered by a wooden stump. Except for Naruto, who had already secured a bell, the remaining two felt a bit anxious.
Kakashi was silent.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke, observing Sakura and Sasuke's increasingly uneasy expressions. "Naruto, I must admit your performance today was outstanding. Both your abilities and tactics were above standard."
Naruto was taken aback. His tone didn't sound pleased. Would there be a twist?
And indeed, the "but" soon followed.
"But why did you stop participating in the task?" Kakashi asked, his tone carrying a hint of challenge.
Naruto raised the bell. "I've already achieved the mission objective."
"But your teammates haven't completed the task," Kakashi stated bluntly. "With your help, they would have had a chance to get a bell."
The exhilaration that had been ignited in Naruto since morning was doused with cold water. "Why should I help them?"
"And help who?"
"There are three of us but only two bells."
Kakashi shook his head, his tone chilling. "I designed it that way intentionally. I wanted to evaluate who could prioritize teamwork over personal gain, even in this situation."
He paused. "Sakura and Sasuke are each fighting solo.
"You, Naruto Uzumaki, have the capabilities but choose to turn a blind eye."
"Individual strength is indeed crucial for a ninja, but 'teamwork' surpasses that."
"Especially you, Naruto Uzumaki; you could have made this team better."
"My assessment is, disqualified."
Naruto's expression turned ice-cold. "Kakashi-sensei, you set up a challenge based on individual competition while expecting those involved to think about cooperation. Don't you find that absurd?"
"In your assigned task, if I help one person, the other will be eliminated. You blame me for not doing better without considering the validity of your task?"
"Moreover, there's something I need to correct."
He tossed the bell down, letting it roll to Kakashi's feet with a clang.
"Sakura, Sasuke, and I are not a team yet."
"We've merely been grouped together by Iruka-sensei after graduation."
"In fact, Sakura doesn't want me as a teammate."
The pink-haired girl's heart sank, lowering her head yet not denying it.
"Sasuke doesn't see me as a teammate either."
Sasuke's expression remained as cold as ever.
Naruto stood up, locking eyes with Kakashi, his words firm and resonant. "They don't accept me, yet they expect me to accept them?"
(End of Chapter)