Once Uchiha Obito went down, the medical ninja at the field's edge hurried in to treat him. He came around in under three minutes.
When he pieced together what had happened, his face went scarlet—he'd have gladly passed out again rather than face Nohara Rin.
Fortunately, losing to Might Guy carried no shame. Anyone else would have met the same end. If anything, awakening the single-tomoe Sharingan at his age had plenty of people marking him as a genius among geniuses.
Uchiha Fugaku most of all. In his view, the clan ought to be pouring more into the boy—ninjutsu, resources, all of it.
"Round three, second match: Hatake Kakashi versus Shizune!" Minato called out once Guy and Obito had cleared the field.
At her name, Shizune couldn't help shaking her head. Barring a miracle, this was where her run ended.
"You're a medical ninja. Not beating Kakashi is perfectly normal," Yuhi Kurenai said, consoling her. "Making Chunin is enough."
"Don't let your youth down!" Might Guy said with a flash of teeth.
The two took the field.
Kakashi thought back over her earlier fights. Beyond medical ninjutsu, Shizune's strength was taijutsu—the Konoha Six Powers, specifically. But she'd learned only three of the six. He'd learned all six, second only to Guy.
With that settled, Kakashi closed in. He left his swordsmanship sheathed and met her with taijutsu alone.
Shizune held on as long as she could, but it didn't take long before she fell.
"Once medical ninja pick up the Konoha Six Powers, it patches their last real weakness," Sarutobi Hiruzen observed.
Yuhi Shinku and the others nodded along. Medical ninja played an enormous role, but they needed shielding in a fight—sometimes they were an outright liability. Give them combat capability of their own, and the package became flawless. Even short of a frontline fighter, simply being able to protect themselves would take enormous pressure off their teammates.
"Round three, third match: Sarutobi Asuma versus Nohara Rin!" Minato announced the next pairing promptly.
The match ran much like the last, only with Asuma in Kakashi's place. Rin and Shizune were near-identical in strength—same medical ninjutsu, same Konoha Six Powers.
Asuma won.
Rin took it calmly. It was the expected result, and again—she was a medical ninja. Losing was par for the course.
"Round three, fourth match: Yuhi Kurenai versus Mitarashi Anko!" Minato announced.
"Finally, my turn!" Anko planted her hands on her hips. "I'm making the fourth round for sure!"
Her goal coming into the Exams had been first place. But watching Kakashi and Guy fight had sobered her considerably, and she'd revised it down to reaching the fourth round.
"That depends on whether you're good enough," Kurenai said, smiling.
"You may be older than me, but that doesn't make you stronger," Anko sniffed.
The two locked eyes, and the air between them turned to gunpowder.
They stepped onto the field and squared off.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Anko flew through seals, chakra surging out into a massive fireball. Like Asuma and Obito, she excelled at Fire Release. Beyond that, there was Orochimaru's snake-style ninjutsu—Nawaki didn't know any of it, but at Natsuki's suggestion, Orochimaru had made time to teach her himself. Anko had real talent for it, too. She'd taken to it well enough in the source material, after all.
From that angle, Orochimaru was quite pleased. Not one of his three students—Natsuki, Nawaki, or Yakushi Nonou—had inherited his snake-style ninjutsu.
Tempest Kick!
Kurenai kicked, and as the fireball split in two, her hands were already moving.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!
Invisible spiritual pressure rippled outward.
Shave!
Anko had come ready. She clamped her eyes shut and flashed left in the same instant. The Hell Viewing Technique found nothing to land on.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Anko threw up her right arm—and it burst apart into nine snakes, lunging for Kurenai.
Paper Art!
Kurenai had learned four of the Six Powers, skipping Finger Pistol and Iron Mass. Reading the air currents the snakes displaced, she bent and twisted her way clear.
Seeing it, Anko went back to her seals.
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
She sucked in a sharp breath, and a straight lance of flame tore out, screaming toward Kurenai like a fire dragon.
Moonwalk!
Kurenai kicked off the air and rose clear of it.
At that, Anko actually laughed.
Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hands!
A dense swarm poured out and flew up after her. Suspended in midair with snakes converging from every angle, Kurenai had nowhere to go.
Just as Anko was sure she'd won, Kurenai slipped every one of them on a trajectory that made no sense at all.
"What—?" Anko froze.
The corners of Kurenai's mouth curled. This was Observation Haki, taught to her by Natsuki.
She didn't waste the moment. Her hands moved.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
A tree materialized behind Anko, vines snaking out to bind her fast. Anko caught the danger, snapped herself out of it, and scrambled to break the genjutsu.
Too late. Kurenai appeared above her and drove a punch down, sending her sprawling. Before she could rise, a kunai settled against her throat.
"Winner: Yuhi Kurenai!" Minato called it.
Anko's mouth opened, and her face fell. She'd been so sure of herself—and she hadn't even reached the fourth round?
But she'd given it everything. It wasn't that she was weak. Kurenai and the rest of them were simply too strong.
Nawaki's words came back to her then. Maybe she really was a bit arrogant.
"Was that some kind of taijutsu Kurenai used?" Rin asked, curious.
"Not taijutsu—sensory ninjutsu," Shizune said with a smile. "Natsuki-sensei's been teaching us, though I haven't got it yet. It's called Observation Haki."
"Sounds like it's the same family as Armament Haki," Asuma said thoughtfully.
"They work together," Shizune explained. "It reads the surroundings and predicts a target's movements and attacks."
"Wait." Obito's eyes went wide. "Isn't that just the Sharingan?"
"It is... somewhat similar," Shizune allowed after a beat.
Just then Minato's voice cut across their conversation.
"Round three is over. Advancing to round four: Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, and Yuhi Kurenai." He went on, "We'll take a fifteen-minute break."
"Mikoto." Natsuki spoke up. "Who do you think takes it?"
Mikoto looked up at him on reflex. She was already thoroughly overheated, the flush spreading from her cheeks to her ears, her skin pink and tender.
"Wh—what?" She shook her head.
"I mean, who do you think takes first place?" Natsuki leaned in, catching the faint scent of her, and bit her ear.
"Guy." Mikoto scraped together just enough clarity to answer.
"Why?" Natsuki kissed her neck.
"He—he's your student." Her voice shook slightly.
"Then why not Kurenai?" Natsuki asked, smiling. "She's my student too."
"I... I think... Guy is stronger." Mikoto's eyes were wet, and the whole of her radiated an alluring pull—yet her own bearing stayed gentle, and the combination gave it a flavor all its own.
Natsuki swallowed hard. He was hoping, now, for the Chunin Exams to end sooner rather than later.
For that matter, so was Mikoto. She was fairly certain that if this went on much longer, she'd catch a chill and run a fever.
The fifteen minutes crawled by, an ordeal from start to finish.
"Round four, first match: Hatake Kakashi versus Yuhi Kurenai!" Minato stepped onto the field and read off the draw.
"Your luck's about as good as mine," Shizune said, sympathizing.
"Once you're in the fourth round, there's no such thing as an easy opponent," Kurenai said, shaking her head.
"Fair," Asuma sighed.
Kurenai had drawn Kakashi. Which left Asuma with Guy, of course—and thinking back to Guy's showing earlier, he felt a headache coming on.
"Just do your best." Kurenai took it in stride. Reaching the fourth round guaranteed her Chunin promotion anyway. If anything, getting this far had already outrun her expectations.
Only Kakashi walked out with a calm, silent expression. Seeing that, Kurenai went to meet him.
Kakashi drew the Blade of the Lightning Fang. Based on Kurenai's earlier matches, taijutsu alone would be a hard road to victory.
The match began, and Kakashi swung hard. The blade lit up, and lightning came down out of a clear sky. Because it carried Lightning Release chakra crystals—and because it was a reforging of the Lightning Swords: Kiba—it could pull lightning down at will.
Kurenai's eyes narrowed. Observation Haki flared, and she flung herself aside.
But before she'd even landed, Kakashi had crossed several meters and was on her. The Blade of the Lightning Fang came in trailing a streak of white light, fast as the lightning it summoned.
Only Observation Haki let her catch the blade's path at all—and just barely. At the last possible instant she gave ground and kicked off into Moonwalk.
Airborne, she lashed out.
Tempest Kick!
The vacuum slash flew out like a blade of light.
Tempest Kick!
Kakashi answered without a change of expression. As the two slashes met, he clamped down on the Blade of the Lightning Fang. Blinding lightning burst from the steel and spread, sweeping over Kurenai.
With no other option, she dodged again.
Shave!
Kakashi was in front of her once more.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
She gritted her teeth and started her seals.
Kakashi gave her nothing. A flick of the wrist, and the Blade of the Lightning Fang moved past the edge of sight. Kurenai's vision blurred—there was nothing left but flashing steel and blade-shadow.
At last, the blade came to rest an inch from her throat.
Kurenai let out a sigh.
Observation Haki wasn't all-powerful; its usefulness scaled with the user's own strength. Against the Hatake Sword Style, famed for its speed, Haki alone was helpless. And even where Kurenai could trace the blade's path, she simply didn't have the strength to parry it or answer back.
"Round four, second match: Sarutobi Asuma versus Might Guy!" Minato announced.
Asuma shook his head and walked out. He had no illusions about himself.
Reaching the fourth round is already respectable, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought, in perfect agreement. He wasn't about to believe his son would win simply because he was his son.
Uchiha Fugaku, Yuhi Shinku, and the others could see Guy's strength plainly enough. After Hiruzen said his piece, none of them added to it. However fair-minded the man was, Asuma was still his son—and saying too much was an easy way to give offense. Hiruzen might have retired, but his influence hadn't. And the sitting Hokage was his student.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Guy opened with a kick, no preamble.
Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!
Asuma answered instantly with a cloud of scorching ash.
Guy checked hard and dove left.
Air split with a sound. Asuma flicked his hands, and four kunai flew.
"Tempest Kick!"
Fresh out of the ash cloud, Guy sheared all four kunai apart with a kick and drove the same motion straight on toward Asuma.
Asuma drew both Chakra Blades.
Flying Swallow!
He crossed them and shattered the vacuum slash.
Tempest Kick!
Asuma fired back with a kick of his own.
"Iron Mass: Wheel!"
Guy took it head-on, riding out the Tempest Kick on Iron Mass alone—and slammed into Asuma like a mountain in motion.
Flying Swallow!
Asuma crossed his blades on instinct. The force blew him backward regardless.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
Guy pressed his advantage, flashed in, and delivered a spinning back kick.
Asuma went out cold.
"Winner: Might Guy!" Minato announced.
Nobody found that surprising. And then, quickly, anticipation began to show on every face—because next came the final match of the individual bouts. The strongest fight of the Exams.
"Round five: Might Guy versus Hatake Kakashi!" Minato called out.
He was Kakashi's teacher, and even he couldn't promise the boy would win.
"This match decides the strongest of Konoha's new generation." Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled. "I wonder which of them it'll be."
Fugaku and the rest weren't sure either.
"Kakashi!" Guy beamed at him, brilliant. "This fight is going to overflow with youth!"
"Skip the probing. It's a waste of time. Open the Eight Inner Gates now." Kakashi gripped the Blade of the Lightning Fang.
"Eight Inner Gates!" Guy froze a beat—then roared it.
Chakra erupted from his body.
"Gate of Opening—open! Gate of Healing—open! Gate of Life—open!"
Three gates in a single breath. Green chakra wrapped around him in an instant, like a cloak draped across his shoulders.
Kakashi's breath caught, pressure like nothing he'd felt bearing down on him.
"Reverse Lotus!"
Guy vanished from where he stood—or rather, moved so fast that it looked like teleportation.
Kakashi triggered Paper Art at once, reading Guy's position off the shifting air currents. The Blade of the Lightning Fang in his hand flew out so fast it seemed to disappear.
"Armament Haki!"
The moment they clashed, Guy felt the sting of it and layered on another sheet of defense without hesitation.
The two of them fell into a savage melee.
"Damn it!" Obito's eyes went wide. His Sharingan couldn't track Guy's movements—and it couldn't track Kakashi's either. The realization landed on him like a weight.
"Those two are on another level entirely!" Shizune couldn't help but marvel.
"My Observation Haki can't follow them anymore," Kurenai said, startled.
"..." Asuma's mouth twitched. He'd known there was a gap between himself and those two. He hadn't known it was this wide.
"Hahaha!" Guy laughed aloud. "This is what youth clashing looks like!"
Kakashi, meanwhile, drew a hard breath. Handling a three-gate Guy who also knew the Konoha Six Powers and Armament Haki was punishing work. Fortunately, the Hatake Sword Style was every bit as fast, and with the Six Powers backing him, he could hold Guy to a standstill.
But this wasn't the whole of his strength.
"Time to end this, Guy." Kakashi raised a hand.
Lightning saturated the air in an instant, and the ear-splitting cry of a thousand birds rang out. The next second his whole body was sheathed in lightning, like a suit of armor.
This was Chidori Current—a variant of Lightning Release: Chidori, offense and defense in one. In the source material, Uchiha Sasuke created it. Kakashi could use it because Natsuki had taught him. And with the Blade of the Lightning Fang amplifying it, his Chidori Current climbed to another tier entirely.
"As expected of my eternal rival! Then my youth must climb higher too!" Guy bellowed. "Gate of Pain—open! Gate of Limit—open!"
Five gates. Terrifying chakra erupted like a breaking sea, air pressure rolling outward from him, dust surging into the sky.
Kakashi's expression changed sharply.
"Tempest Kick!"
Guy kicked.
The vacuum slash—a slim blade of light, before—swelled outward without limit as every ounce of that chakra detonated into it. A vast vacuum dragon came roaring down on Kakashi.
Kakashi answered in the same instant. Blinding lightning burst from him, countless bolts converging into a wall in front of him, the Blade of the Lightning Fang carving out in the same breath.
Boom!
Lightning and dragon collided. Shockwaves rolled through the arena.
"Armament Haki! Iron Mass: Wheel!"
Guy roared, spinning his whole body inside a corkscrew of chakra-driven air, and arrived in front of Kakashi.
Kakashi swung on reflex—and got nothing. He couldn't crack the defense at all.
He was hurled backward. The lightning wreathing his body ate a good deal of the impact, and it made no difference in the end.
Kakashi hit the ground feeling as though every part of him was coming apart, and couldn't move.
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