The physical skills of the Hatake style were evenly matched between the two.
Naruto's body was still immature—his height, reach, strength, and basic speed were all suppressed by Kakashi.
But he had a sword.
Unlike the short-style ninja blades that compromised for "stealth" and "mobility," his was a longer katana.
An inch longer, an inch stronger.
It completely compensated for his physical disadvantages.
Kakashi realized this.
Naruto's taijutsu skills were extremely strong!
No wonder Mizuki was no match.
If Naruto's body matured for a few more years, gaining the strength of an adult, even without learning ninjutsu, he could easily become a Special Jonin—maybe even a Jonin comparable to that Might Guy fellow.
Relying on taijutsu alone, he couldn't be taken down.
This won't do.
The kunai and sword clashed with a sharp screech.
Crack—
The kunai, long weakened by repeated blows, finally broke. Naruto struck without hesitation.
Kakashi hadn't expected the kunai's poor quality to be a problem and took the blow to the chest.
From the forest, Haruno Sakura couldn't hold back a scream.
Uchiha Sasuke widened his eyes.
Defeated a Jonin head-on?
Naruto frowned. He'd cut down many Hollows, sparred against plenty of people.
Something felt off. Too dull.
It was a mix of "Clone Jutsu" and "Substitution Jutsu"!
Aura—
Spiritual threads spread out before his eyes, with four distinct traces representing Kakashi.
In front, underground, left, and right…
Unlike the basic clones Sasuke had used before, these four shared identical auras—same spiritual energy.
It was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Each clone was a true physical entity.
In that case—
Naruto leapt, formed hand signs, and summoned two shadow clones.
One to the left, one to the right, intercepting the Kakashi clones on either side.
The real body gripped the sword with both hands, blade tip down, and plunged downward with full force.
The underground aura was forced to retreat and struggled out from the dirt.
The two clones on either side dissipated naturally before Naruto could strike, conserving chakra.
Kakashi shook off the dust as he emerged, eyes wide as he stared at Naruto.
So this was the sensory talent of the Uzumaki clan?
He instantly identified the real body, unaffected by the shadow clones' deception.
And those two clones Naruto created just now…
They weren't basic clones—they were A-rank Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The rank of a ninjutsu doesn't represent "power," but the difficulty and prerequisites of learning it. The higher the requirements, the higher the rank—though usually, more difficult jutsu are also more powerful.
When did Naruto learn that technique?
Two nights ago.
He was still attending class at the ninja academy just yesterday.
Which meant he mastered an A-rank technique in just two nights.
Kakashi stared at Naruto.
For the first time in years, he observed the boy so closely.
Hair and eye color inherited from his teacher, facial features from his teacher's wife—but in terms of talent, he'd absorbed the best of both.
"So strong—it's hard to believe you just graduated, Naruto," Kakashi murmured.
Naruto raised his blade and grinned. "I told you, Kakashi-sensei. I'd surprise you."
Kakashi raised both hands to his chest.
"But a ninja's combat isn't just taijutsu."
He leapt lightly onto the water's surface, standing steadily without sinking.
He didn't attack.
He remembered his mission: to guard the bells, not to attack.
Naruto glanced at his feet, then charged forward.
So chakra had such techniques too?
Splash, splash—water flew high as Naruto stomped hard with two steps, reaching knee-height splashes. But soon, the splashes disappeared—after a few steps, he stood on the water as silently and steadily as Kakashi.
His two clones followed.
Kakashi's pupils narrowed.
Already mastered it?
Such control over chakra?
Well, it made sense.
In essence, it wasn't much different from the "Body Flicker Technique" Naruto had already used.
The blade slashed toward him.
Kakashi parried hurriedly, twisting with one hand to begin forming signs.
Suddenly, his body went numb.
Golden electric arcs flickered along the sword's blade.
"Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden."
Cast without incantation, its power wasn't great.
It didn't injure the body, and the numbness passed quickly.
But what mattered was seizing that brief instant—
A clone snatched one of the bells tied to Kakashi's waist.
Jingle— it drew an arc through the air and landed in Naruto's hand.
"Lightning Release?" Kakashi shook his wrist. "They don't teach that in school."
It wasn't very powerful, and there were no hand signs.
He channeled chakra through the weapon…
"That doesn't mean I can't use it," Naruto said, shaking the bell with a smile, offering no explanation.
Kakashi looked down, not pressing the issue. "I thought you'd take both."
"One is enough for one person," Naruto replied.
This was a perfect performance!
He waved his hand, dismissing the clones, stomped lightly, and jumped back to shore.
Clearly, he wasn't planning to continue the battle.
Kakashi shook his head and walked ashore with a complicated expression as he looked at Naruto.
His back reminded him of his twelve-year-old self.
Arrogant, headstrong.
Naruto was thrilled.
He'd shown his best self to his "father's student." His "big brother" must be pleased.
The others hadn't posed any threat to Kakashi.
Sasuke, one of the top graduates, could use a Fire Release jutsu and even nearly touched the bells—but still, Kakashi playfully buried him in the ground.
Sakura got hung in a tree.
When the bell rang, they sat beside the wooden posts.
Aside from Naruto, who already had a bell, the other two looked nervous.
Kakashi remained silent.
After a moment, he finally spoke, seeing Sakura and Sasuke growing more and more uneasy.
"Naruto, I have to admit—your performance today was excellent."
"Both in terms of ability and tactics, you were above standard."
Naruto blinked.
That tone didn't sound happy.
The twist was coming?
Sure enough, here came the "but."
"But why didn't you continue with the mission?" Kakashi asked, a tone of reproach in his voice.
Naruto held up the bell. "I already completed my mission objective."
"But your teammates didn't," Kakashi said bluntly. "If you had helped, your teammates might have gotten a bell too."
The joy that had burned in Naruto all morning was doused with cold water. "Why should I help them?"
"And who should I help?"
"There are only two bells for three people."
Kakashi shook his head, voice cold: "I designed it that way on purpose."
"To select those who, despite personal stakes, could prioritize teamwork over self-interest."
He paused.
"Sakura and Sasuke fought alone."
"Uzumaki Naruto, you had the strength but chose to stand by."
"A ninja's personal power is important, but teamwork is even more so."
"Especially you, Naruto—you could have made this team much better."
"My evaluation: disqualified."
Naruto's face went cold. "Kakashi-sensei, isn't it absurd to design a challenge based on personal competition, but expect those within it to think about cooperation?"
"You set up the mission, gave us instructions—and now blame me for not doing more?"
"And one thing must be corrected."
He tossed the bell down. Jingle— it rolled to Kakashi's feet.
"I'm not on a team with Sakura and Sasuke."
"We were simply assigned together after graduation by Iruka-sensei."
"In reality, Sakura doesn't want a teammate like me."
The pink-haired girl flinched, lowered her head, but didn't deny it.
"And Sasuke doesn't consider me a teammate either."
Sasuke remained expressionless and cold.
Naruto stood, meeting Kakashi's gaze, his voice firm and resolute: "They don't accept me—yet I'm expected to accept them?"
(End of Chapter)