Faced with the signature technique of his former comrade, against whom he had always fought to a draw, Kakashi's expression turned uncharacteristically serious.
He lifted his forehead protector, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan hidden beneath his left eye.
'Is he finally getting serious?' Sasuke thought inwardly as Kakashi activated his Sharingan.
Though Kakashi had already activated his Sharingan, Sasuke's eyes remained pitch-black. This wasn't arrogance; he simply didn't want to use his Sharingan yet.
Once a standard Sharingan awakens, the number of tomoe can only increase, never decrease. Sasuke's Sharingan had awakened with three tomoe. If he used it now, it would inevitably display that same three-tomoe state.
It was widely known that the Second Hokage was the foremost authority on the Uchiha clan, possessing deeper knowledge of the Sharingan than many Uchiha themselves.
Sharingan awakening typically occurred when an Uchiha experienced intense emotional stimulation, with little connection to their inherent strength.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had personally witnessed this phenomenon countless times.
As such, Tobirama Senju inevitably left behind records on the Uchiha clan for future Hokage.
To date, Sasuke had only experienced one such stimulus: the night of his clan's massacre. Beyond that, nothing else.
Sasuke needed the Third Hokage's admiration, not his suspicion.
If the Hokage discovered that Sasuke had awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan upon awakening, it would inevitably arouse his wariness—and perhaps even Danzo's attention.
Therefore, over the past few years, Sasuke had never revealed the fact that he had awakened his Sharingan.
Even Kurama Yakumo only vaguely knew that he had awakened the Sharingan, but she didn't know exactly how many tomoe his Sharingan possessed.
Perhaps Kurama Yakumo had guessed the truth during her time within Sasuke's inner world, but she had never mentioned it.
"Teacher Kakashi, watch out!"
The moment the words left his lips, Sasuke and his clones exploded into action. With a surge of wind, they instantly appeared before Kakashi.
They surrounded him in unison, their speed and numbers creating a dense, oppressive shadow—a dark, overwhelming mass.
'As expected of the Body Flicker Technique left by Shisui. Even my Sharingan can't immediately distinguish the afterimages from the real bodies.'
Kakashi inwardly sighed, retreating rapidly while his White Fang Short Sword danced in a flurry of motion.
The clashes of metal rang out repeatedly as his blade met Sasuke's attacks.
'If I can't tell them apart, then...'
With a forceful slash of his short sword, Kakashi unleashed a lightning-fast bolt of electricity, barely forcing Sasuke back before rapidly forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A torrential waterfall erupted before Kakashi, surging upward to form a towering wall of water that blocked Sasuke and his shadow clones. The crimson blade hissed violently as it met the rushing water.
"Lightning Release: Earth Run!"
The moment Kakashi deployed the Water Formation Wall, he immediately followed with a Lightning Release technique as Sasuke charged forward. In an instant, lightning surged through the water, shattering all of Sasuke's shadow clones.
The lightning continued its relentless assault toward Sasuke's real body.
But Sasuke merely stepped back half a meter, twisted the hilt of his Chakra Metal Katana, and watched as the blade instantly transformed from crimson to pure white, crackling with lightning.
Kakashi's ferocious Lightning Release: Earth Run, like lightning striking a lightning rod, involuntarily surged into the sword, causing the blade to glow with intense light and crackling electricity.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Reversal!"
Sasuke leaped into the air, gripping the katana with both hands. Channeling ferocious lightning and accompanied by a raging wind, he slashed down with savage force, the blade cleaving through the air with terrifying power.
'Lightning Reversal? What kind of Ninjutsu is that?'
'It's just diverting my Lightning Release into the blade!'
Kakashi mentally scoffed, but his actions were anything but slow.
Faced with Sasuke's outlandish "Lightning Reversal," Kakashi neither dodged nor yielded. Instead, he swiftly formed several hand seals.
"Lightning Blade (Raikiri)!"
A brilliant blue lightning blade materialized in Kakashi's hand, its overwhelming electrical power crackling with a piercing screech that echoed like the cries of a thousand birds.
Bang!
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!
An eerie sound erupted as the lightning blade sliced through Sasuke's lightning-infused katana, leaving a small but distinct notch in its blade.
'Finally, I've witnessed this technique!'
Seeing the move he had long dreamed of, Sasuke didn't even have time to lament his damaged weapon. He simply flipped backward to retreat.
Before he could land, Kakashi's figure blurred into motion, whipping up gusts of wind as he relentlessly pursued Sasuke like a bone-burrowing worm.
Forced to counterattack, Sasuke abandoned the Uchiha-style swordplay and Fire Release Blade Technique.
Instead, he drew upon a style that shared its origins with Kakashi's own—
The White Fang Blade Technique!
Perhaps it was the profound impact of their first encounter that lingered in Kakashi's mind.
Perhaps it was the favor Sasuke had subtly extended earlier, combined with his status as a member of Obito's clan and the Uchiha's sole remaining heir.
Or perhaps Kakashi simply took a liking to Sasuke.
In the original timeline, while Uzumaki Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi had always shown far more attention to Sasuke's training, even secretly tutoring him in private.
A year ago, through Sasuke's deliberate efforts to build rapport, he had become Kakashi's disciple and begun receiving his guidance.
Recognizing Sasuke's aptitude for swordsmanship, Kakashi taught him not only Ninjutsu but also the White Fang Blade Technique, a martial art passed down through his family.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clash of blades rang incessantly, sparks of lightning and flashes of white light erupting from their edges. Both moved with blinding speed, leaving afterimages that blurred the eye.
"Alright, that's enough!" Kakashi called out, stepping back and catching his breath.
"Yes, Teacher Kakashi," Sasuke nodded, panting heavily as he sheathed his katana.
Observing Sasuke's calm demeanor, Kakashi fell silent for a moment before sighing, "Sasuke, your current strength already surpasses mine at your age."
At just twelve years old, Kakashi had completed the Jonin Exam and become a Jonin, setting the record for the youngest to achieve this rank.
Though wartime circumstances and the village's considerations regarding his father contributed to his rapid advancement, his own abilities were already approaching Jonin-level, or at least Special Jonin-level.
The reason he was considered only near Jonin-level at the time was that shortly after becoming a Jonin, he faced Hikari, an elite Jonin from Iwagakure, and suffered a crushing defeat.
His left eye was pierced blind, and his White Fang Short Sword was shattered.
It was only after the death of his closest friend and with the aid of his Sharingan, that Kakashi managed to unleash his full potential in the heat of battle, slay the Iwagakure ninja, and finally attain true Jonin-level strength.
Now, at the same age of twelve, Sasuke had already demonstrated the ability to fight Jonin-level opponents head-on.
This meant Kakashi believed Sasuke possessed the power to directly engage and defeat Jonin-ranked ninjas.
This evaluation underscores Kakashi's exceptionally high regard for Sasuke's capabilities.
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