"Kairen, what do you think their chances are?"
As he spoke, the Cloud ninja from their side, who had been fidgeting earlier, now fixed his serious expression and turned his gaze toward Kakashi and Tsunade, who were facing off against the examiner, asking in a deep voice.
"Forty percent, no more. Unless they've got some hidden trump card," Kairen replied calmly. Having spent his days in battle in Iwagakure, Kairen might not be the most powerful, but he certainly had a good eye for assessing others.
"It's rumored that both of them have records of killing Special Jonin."
Kakashi's kill of a Special Jonin was confirmed by eyewitnesses and widely acknowledged by other ninja villages. However, Tsunade's supposed kill had only been speculated, as the only witnesses were Orochimaru and Jiraiya, and the others only assumed she had killed a Special Jonin who was chasing her at the time.
"Who knows?" Kairen said, an excited expression on his face as if his blood was boiling with anticipation. "But I hope they can defeat the examiner. That way, we'll get a real battle in the third exam!"
"Kairen, calm down. Girls shouldn't talk about fighting and killing all the time," Shouta said with a grin.
"Shut up. What's the point of life if you're not fighting and killing?" Kairen replied as she rested her long sword on her shoulder, her eyes never leaving Kakashi.
Like Kakashi, Kairen didn't believe Tsunade was skilled with a sword. Despite the impressive and powerful stance Tsunade displayed while holding the sword, anyone with experience could tell it was just for show. It looked good, but in a real fight, it wouldn't even be able to land a hit on the enemy. She might even end up cutting herself.
Furthermore, according to the principle of mutual repulsion, Kairen wasn't fond of Tsunade.
On the other hand, Kakashi was a different story. From the beginning, Kairen had already noticed him: he was a man worth fighting.
At this moment, Kakashi looked like a hunting leopard, his body slightly bent, muscles taut, his hawk-like eyes locked onto the examiner. It seemed like he was about to leap forward at any second and slash the enemy down with his blade.
This relentless aura even made Tsunade, standing beside him, feel her blood surge with excitement. That imposing presence made Tsunade admit that she had never possessed anything like it. Standing next to Kakashi felt like being a lone boat in a raging storm—a reflection of not just power, but also sheer will.
Maybe they could really win!
"I never thought I'd get the chance to fight side by side with you. Let me see your true strength," Kakashi said softly, never once glancing at Tsunade, his eyes always locked on the examiner.
Before the Chunin Exams began, Kakashi had heard that a proposal had been made for him to team up with Tsunade and Orochimaru, but the Third Hokage had vetoed it with some vague reasoning. Kakashi felt a little displeased, sensing that the Third Hokage had favored his apprentice.
Now, though, it was ironically Tsunade who had become his partner, and they were forced to cooperate against a powerful enemy. It was truly a twist of fate.
Kakashi felt a surge of excitement. He had never teamed up with a powerful figure before. It had always been him alone, even in dangerous missions where he found himself fighting his way out of dire situations. What was it like to fight side by side?
For the first time, Kakashi felt a bit of anticipation.
"Mmm."
Tsunade softly responded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but her focus was now entirely on the examiner. Orochimaru had long known Tsunade's weaknesses, and Tsunade herself knew them well. But this time, she truly didn't see this Uchiha examiner as a threat. She had already devised a foolproof plan to win.
One of Tsunade's shadow clones used the Earth Style: Earth Dragon Technique to tunnel underground, while the other clone positioned itself at Kakashi's side, ready for battle.
The Uchiha examiner, however, scoffed disdainfully.
Under the Sharingan, both Kakashi and Tsunade's thoughts were completely exposed.
Kakashi activated his Lightning Release to enhance his body, drastically increasing his speed for a short time. His chakra continuously flowed through his short sword, allowing it to discharge a paralyzing effect when used in close combat.
In battle, when the enemy was paralyzed, Kakashi's strategy was to quickly deliver a fatal blow.
Of course, this information was easily accessible, but as a member of the Uchiha clan, the examiner had other channels. Through these, he had learned that Kakashi's real strength didn't lie in his lightning techniques, which were just supplementary. Kakashi's true skill lay in his incredible swordsmanship.
It was rumored that Kakashi could strike twice at once!
Yes, not just with speed, technique, or feints, but by transcending time and space, creating overlapping, multi-dimensional phenomena. Kakashi's sword could strike from two directions simultaneously!
This was likely some form of Time-Space Ninjutsu.
To be honest, without knowledge of this, it would be a significant disadvantage to face Kakashi. But since they were aware of it now, the Uchiha examiner figured that maintaining distance or predicting his moves would be the way to counter. Being from the Uchiha clan, they held an advantage over such a ninja.
As for Tsunade, the Uchiha clan, as her lifelong enemy, was naturally well-informed about her. Especially after their clan leader's son had recognized Tsunade as his older sister. The entire Uchiha clan was in an uproar over that.
According to the information, Tsunade was most skilled in taijutsu, which was incredibly destructive. However, due to her lack of speed, she often struggled against well-prepared opponents. However, Tsunade also had formidable ninjutsu, often catching enemies off guard. Her most famous techniques were Water Style and Body Replacement Jutsu, but from earlier, it seemed Tsunade also had a high level of mastery in Fire Style.
At this moment, one of Tsunade's shadow clones used the Earth Style: Earth Heart Beheading Technique to tunnel underground, no doubt trying to set up an ambush, while the other clone seemed ready to assist Kakashi in close combat. Tsunade's real body was likely providing support with ninjutsu.
The examiner saw through this quickly—it wasn't a particularly thoughtful plan. Aside from Tsunade's vague intention to assist Kakashi, it was clear Kakashi was still in a solo fighting stance.
However, for a Genin, getting this far was already impressive.
Before the First Shinobi World War, the shinobi world was in a state of chaos. It wasn't until the war ended that many battle tactics emerged, and many of these tactics had yet to be widely adopted. The current "three-man team" format of the Chunin Exams was a practical application of some of these strategies.
"It's time!"
Kakashi said in a low voice.
"Mmm."
Tsunade responded, her eyes now sharp with focus. This was it—the turning point!
Kakashi leapt into action, charging forward in a flash. His speed was almost blinding, like a bolt of lightning.
In the next instant, Kakashi felt his legs grabbed by two powerful hands. Due to his high-speed movement, he couldn't control his body and tumbled forward, dazed. But his battle instincts kicked in, and he immediately tried to get back on his feet.
Seeing this, Tsunade's shadow clone rushed forward and delivered a sharp elbow strike to the back of Kakashi's head.
Kakashi's head jerked sideways, and he completely lost consciousness.
(End of Chapter)