Pop! Pop!
The mass of water beside Ren split apart.
Two streams rose from the ground and rapidly condensed into identical Water Clones. In the space of a heartbeat, Kakashi went from facing one Ren to confronting three.
The real Ren and his two clones immediately separated. They positioned themselves several meters apart in a triangular formation, each facing a different direction.
Their eyes swept across the smoke-covered clearing while their feet remained firmly planted against the ground. Rather than relying solely on sight, they focused on every faint tremor passing through the soil beneath them.
Kakashi was somewhere below.
The smoke from Great Fireball continued rolling across the battlefield, concealing the damaged earth wall and the charred grass around it. Other than the crackle of several lingering flames, the clearing had fallen unnaturally quiet.
Then the ground shifted.
"Over there!" one Water Clone shouted.
A slight bulge appeared beneath the soil to its left.
Almost simultaneously, Kakashi erupted from the ground behind that same clone.
He moved like a hunting beast bursting from cover. Dirt scattered from his shoulders as he lunged forward, his kunai driving toward the Water Clone's back.
Swish!
Before Kakashi's weapon could strike, Ren's main body flicked his wrist.
Three kunai screamed through the air.
They had been thrown with terrifying precision, each following a slightly different trajectory. One targeted Kakashi's throat, another his shoulder, and the third his right wrist.
Kakashi frowned beneath his mask.
He had not known which Ren was real.
Without the Byakugan or Sharingan, there was no reliable way to distinguish the original from a Water Clone through sight alone. His attack had been intended as a quick probe—choose one target, destroy it, and observe how the others reacted.
He had simply selected one of the three Rens at random.
Unfortunately, the real Ren reacted much faster than expected.
The incoming kunai were not training weapons. Kakashi could not ignore them, and even a shallow injury to his sword arm would severely reduce his combat effectiveness.
He abandoned the Water Clone within reach and twisted his kunai into a defensive position.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sparks flashed in rapid succession.
Kakashi deflected the projectiles, but that brief hesitation was exactly what Ren had wanted.
Both Water Clones attacked.
The one Kakashi had targeted spun around and wrapped both arms around his right wrist. The second clone lunged from behind, dropped low, and locked itself around Kakashi's legs.
For a fraction of a second, his movement was completely restricted.
Ren's hands were already forming seals.
Rat. Tiger. Dog. Ox. Hare. Tiger.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
A cluster of orange-red fireballs burst from Ren's mouth.
"Got him!" Obito yelled.
Still buried up to his neck, he watched the battle with such excitement that anyone hearing him might have assumed he was the one executing the plan.
Kakashi was truly cornered this time.
The two Water Clones could not injure him seriously, but they had immobilized his sword arm and restricted his legs. Meanwhile, the approaching flames covered several different angles, leaving almost no safe direction for escape.
Chakra erupted from Kakashi's body.
Pop! Pop!
Both Water Clones burst apart under the violent surge, drenching Kakashi and the surrounding ground. Before the falling water could touch the earth, his freed hand reached over his shoulder.
A silver flash split the smoke.
Kakashi drew the White Light Chakra Sabre inherited from the White Fang.
The short blade released a pale glow as he slashed horizontally.
Under ordinary circumstances, the strike would have scattered the approaching flames before they could reach him.
But Phoenix Sage Fire was not behaving like an ordinary technique.
The fireballs curved.
One climbed over the blade. Two dipped beneath it, almost brushing the ground, while the remaining flames scattered to either side before circling back.
They moved like mischievous birds evading a hunter.
Kakashi's visible eye widened.
Inside Ren's mind, Phoenix Sage Fire laughed delightedly.
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: Hehe! Too slow! You'll have to move faster if you want to catch us!]
The fireballs accelerated.
Kakashi was forced to abandon his stance and throw himself sideways. He struck the ground shoulder-first, rolled across the grass, and formed three rapid hand seals before regaining his footing.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A powerful stream of water erupted from his mouth.
Whoosh!
The wave swept across the incoming fireballs. Steam exploded through the clearing as water and flame collided, swallowing Kakashi's figure in a hot white cloud.
But Ren was already moving.
The moment Kakashi was forced to roll, Ren activated Partial Transformation: Might Guy's Physique.
Power surged through his muscles.
His speed increased sharply, and the ground cracked beneath his first step. Ren crossed the distance before Kakashi could completely recover from releasing Wild Water Wave.
A kunai thrust toward Kakashi's exposed side.
Kakashi raised the White Light Chakra Sabre.
Clang!
Steel collided with steel.
Sparks scattered between their faces.
Ren immediately transitioned into a reverse slash. Kakashi tilted his sword, redirected the kunai, and countered with a strike aimed at Ren's shoulder.
Ren twisted aside, feeling the glowing blade pass close enough to cut several strands of silver hair.
He stepped inside Kakashi's reach and drove his elbow forward.
Kakashi blocked with his forearm, pivoted around Ren, and swept the short sword toward the back of his knee.
Ren jumped over the blade and kicked toward Kakashi's chest.
Kakashi retreated half a step.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A storm of metallic impacts erupted across the clearing.
The two figures collided, separated, and collided again with increasing speed. Kunai and short sword flashed through the drifting steam, throwing sparks across the scorched grass.
A longer weapon naturally possessed greater reach.
More importantly, Kakashi's swordsmanship followed a complete and refined system. Every movement flowed naturally into the next. His attacks were sharp, economical, and supported by years of disciplined training.
Ren possessed neither the same experience nor a formal sword style.
What he had was momentum.
He had forced Kakashi into an awkward roll, closed the distance before the Chūnin could recover, and launched a relentless offensive with Guy's physical abilities supporting every strike.
Ren gave Kakashi no time to settle into his preferred rhythm.
A kunai slashed toward Kakashi's mask.
Kakashi leaned back.
Ren stepped forward, reversed his grip, and attacked his ribs.
Kakashi caught the kunai against the flat of his short sword and redirected it downward. Ren immediately followed with a knee strike, forcing him to twist aside again.
For several exchanges, they appeared evenly matched.
Obito stared with his mouth open.
Even Rin forgot to blink.
Minato's expression became more focused as he tracked every movement.
Kakashi possessed the superior technique, but Ren's adaptability was extraordinary. He changed his attack whenever Kakashi adjusted, using speed and pressure to prevent the battle from becoming a pure contest of swordsmanship.
Then a familiar chime sounded inside Ren's mind.
[Ding! High-quality potential conquest target detected: Hatake Swordsmanship!]
Ren's eyelid twitched.
The distraction lasted for less than a second.
Against Kakashi, that was enough.
Kakashi's entire presence changed.
He caught Ren's kunai against the guard of his short sword, twisted his wrist, and forced Ren's arm outward. The blade immediately reversed direction and swept toward Ren's throat.
Ren ducked.
Kakashi stepped forward and drove a knee toward his chest.
Ren blocked it with his forearm, but the impact disrupted his balance. Kakashi seized the opening and unleashed a continuous series of sword strikes.
The White Light Chakra Sabre became a silver blur.
Ren retreated under the assault.
One slash cut through the front of his shirt. Another passed close to his cheek, leaving a thin line of cold air across his skin.
Kakashi had recovered the initiative.
Once his swordsmanship began flowing properly, the difference in their experience became obvious. Every defensive movement Ren made was anticipated and exploited by the next strike.
The pressure intensified.
Ren's eyes sharpened.
Continuing the exchange would only allow Kakashi to trap him completely.
"Substitution Technique!"
The short sword cut through Ren's body.
Poof!
A wooden log appeared in his place and split beneath Kakashi's blade.
Ren reappeared dozens of meters away, back near his original position at the start of the exercise. His sandals scraped across the ground as he landed, and he immediately raised his kunai while adjusting his breathing.
His transformed muscles throbbed from the rapid exchange.
Kakashi recovered even faster.
He flicked the bloodless short sword once and returned it to the sheath across his back. Before the blade had fully settled, his fingers were already forming hand seals.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
The movements became so fast that Kakashi's hands blurred.
Ren's expression changed.
Kakashi passed twenty seals and continued without hesitation.
What is he preparing?
Any technique requiring that many hand seals could not be simple. Ren immediately thought of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, infamous for demanding forty-four seals when performed through the traditional sequence.
Kakashi's chakra began rising.
Moisture trembled in the surrounding air.
Ren brought his own hands together, preparing to counter whatever came next.
"That's enough."
A yellow blur appeared between them.
Minato stood at the center of the battlefield with one hand raised. He was still smiling, but his tone carried an authority that ended the fight instantly.
"The objective of the exercise has been achieved. There is no need to continue."
Kakashi stopped halfway through the next seal.
The sharpness in his visible eye receded. In seconds, he returned to his usual indifferent appearance and slipped both hands into his pockets.
Ren released the chakra he had gathered and deactivated Partial Transformation.
The additional power drained from his muscles, leaving a heavy ache behind. He slowly exhaled, relieved that Minato had intervened before Kakashi released whatever technique he had been preparing.
There would be other opportunities to fight.
Continuing now would only risk unnecessary injury.
"Ren!"
Rin hurried toward him.
Obito followed several steps behind, now covered in dirt from head to toe. Someone—most likely Minato—had finally pulled him out of the ground.
Rin's worried gaze moved across Ren's body.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Ren assured her. "Kakashi only cut my shirt."
Rin examined the torn fabric near his chest before finally relaxing. Then she turned toward Kakashi, her expression carrying a mixture of caution and concern.
Kakashi pretended not to notice.
Minato gathered all four students near the center of the clearing.
"The exercise is over," he announced. "Now we'll discuss your performance."
Obito straightened as much as possible while still scraping mud from his hair.
Minato looked at the three Genin.
"Ren's battle plan was fundamentally sound. The division of roles suited your current abilities, and the strategy you used against Kakashi created several genuine openings."
Ren listened without showing satisfaction. The word but was clearly coming.
"However," Minato continued, "a plan is only valuable when every member can execute it. Reliable teamwork requires more than assigning roles."
His gaze shifted toward Obito.
"Obito, your Great Fireball was reckless and obvious. You attacked without accounting for Kakashi's possible responses or considering how your position would affect your teammates."
Obito lowered his head.
"You also assumed the first successful hit meant victory. That carelessness allowed Kakashi to incapacitate you immediately."
"I understand," Obito muttered.
His fingers continued picking clumps of soil from his hair with unusual intensity.
Minato turned toward Rin.
"Your shuriken attack was well timed, but the coverage was too narrow. Kakashi deflected every projectile without being forced to change position."
Rin nodded seriously.
"Once Kakashi attacked you, your lack of close-range combat experience became a serious weakness. More importantly, after Ren intervened and forced Kakashi away, you did not regroup or return to a supporting position."
"Yes, Minato-sensei," Rin answered. "I'll work on it."
Finally, Minato looked at Ren.
"Your individual ability is exceptional for a new Genin. Although your collection of ninjutsu is still limited, you understand how to use each technique effectively."
His eyes briefly moved toward the scorched remains of Kakashi's earth wall.
"Your timing, adaptability, and tactical judgment allowed you to pressure Kakashi far more than I expected. In short exchanges, you can already compete with him."
Obito looked dissatisfied by that statement but did not interrupt.
"However, you lack genuine battlefield experience," Minato continued. "Your close-quarters combat also depends too heavily on physical ability and improvisation. Against someone with a complete fighting system, such as Kakashi's swordsmanship, that weakness will become increasingly dangerous as the battle continues."
Ren nodded.
He had felt the difference personally.
While he controlled the pace, his speed and unpredictability allowed him to compete. The moment Kakashi regained his rhythm, the White Light Chakra Sabre had nearly overwhelmed him.
"A shinobi rarely fights alone," Minato added. "The weakness of one person becomes a weakness for the entire squad. As the one coordinating today's strategy, you must learn not only to use your teammates' strengths but also to compensate for their shortcomings."
His warm expression became serious.
"Against a real enemy, a single overlooked flaw can kill all three of you."
"I understand," Ren replied.
Minato was right.
Ren had previously considered keeping his distance from Obito. He knew what Obito might eventually become and wanted no part in the future chain of tragedies surrounding him.
But circumstances had changed.
They were teammates now.
On a genuine mission, Obito's mistake could place Ren and Rin in danger. Rin's weakness in close combat could force them to abandon an objective to protect her. Ren's own shortcomings could be exploited just as easily.
Whether he liked it or not, their survival had become interconnected.
Obito's fall would not occur until the Kannabi Bridge mission several years later. Until then, Ren needed to treat him as a real teammate.
When the time came, Ren could search for a way to avoid that mission—or change what happened there entirely.
For now, Team Minato needed to become strong enough to survive.
Minato allowed the seriousness of his warning to settle before his familiar warm smile returned.
"Those are matters we'll address through future training. For today, the exercise accomplished everything I wanted."
He looked across the newly formed team.
"Starting tomorrow, your squad will officially begin accepting missions. The training will be difficult, and I won't always be available to guide you personally."
Obito straightened, Rin listened attentively, and even Kakashi's gaze shifted toward him.
"So," Minato continued, "we'll take the rest of today off."
Everyone blinked.
"Later, we'll go to Yakiniku Q together. My treat. You may eat as much as you want."
Obito thrust both fists into the air.
"Yeah!"
Rin laughed, and Minato's smile widened.
Kakashi remained expressionless, but the slight pause before he looked away suggested that even he had not expected the invitation.
Ren, however, was still thinking about the silver blade that had nearly reached his throat.
The System's notification remained in the corner of his vision.
[High-quality potential conquest target: Hatake Swordsmanship.]
Flying Thunder God was still beyond his reach.
Hatake Swordsmanship was not.
As the newly formed team prepared to leave the training ground, Ren's next objective had already become clear.
He would learn the swordsmanship of the White Fang.