Mid-air, Ryoto positioned himself, his body coiling for a move.
"What is this move?"
Beneath the blood-red sunset, the White Fang of Konoha tensed, straining to discern Ryoto's movements.
"Fang Over Fang? Is it truly possible to execute it in the air, with no foothold? What a free and versatile secret technique. However, without the propulsive force from the ground, the speed and power of the strike will surely be lacking."
The White Fang did not retreat; on the contrary, he surged forward. Pushing off with his foot, he shot towards the airborne Ryoto.
"I must reach him before he begins..."
As he twisted, Ryoto kicked out his leg, and a slipper flew from his foot, spinning directly toward the small bottle that was falling to the ground.
"He's full of ideas..."
The corner of the White Fang's mouth twitched. He reached out, seized Ryoto's leg, and with a firm grip, yanked sharply, sending him spinning. In that instant, their eyes met, and Ryoto grinned.
Beast Mimicry...
Spinning in an uncontrolled flight, Ryoto, in a single moment before the White Fang's eyes, transformed into a silver puppy. Deftly flipping in mid-air, he landed softly on the White Fang's hand, pushed off from it, leaped, and twisted once more...
« What?!"
The White Fang's hand was empty. At the same time, on the ground, the flying slipper collided with the small bottle, altering its trajectory, and together they soared high into the air.
In the air, thanks to the most delicate control over his body, all the chakra points on his form opened, and chakra surged forth in a maddening torrent. A soft howl of wind was heard, and in the next moment, a small, spinning vortex shot from minimal range directly at the White Fang's face. At arm's length, it, like a rotating divine spear, filled the White Fang's entire field of vision, and the shockwave sent his white hair flying upwards.
Fang Over Fang!
"My, my... What a spectacle..."
Sharply raising his right hand, he placed his palm before his face. Under the onslaught of the furious rotation, his palm held fast against the tip of the 'drill'. After a brief, deafening crack, the White Fang grabbed the 'drill' and, with a sharp motion, flung it aside.
The whistling 'drill' flew away, spinning, and in the blink of an eye, crashed into the wall. The courtyard fence exploded with a deafening roar, leaving a huge hole. An entire section collapsed, and fragments of brick and dust rained down with a crash.
In the courtyard pond, frightened koi carp scattered in every direction. With a loud 'splash,' the bottle and the slipper fell into the water.
Standing still and gazing at the destroyed wall, the White Fang clasped his hands behind his back. The chakra that had gathered in his palm quickly dissipated.
After a moment, all fell silent.
Pushing aside the brick fragments, a small, bare-chested figure emerged from beneath the rubble. Dusting himself off, Ryoto shifted his golden eyes from Kakashi to the White Fang.
« Sensei, may I go home now?"
"This..."
« Sensei, you have blood on your face," Ryoto said.
The White Fang raised his hand, wiped his face, and looked at the crimson droplet on his fingertips.
So that the man would have no doubt of his victory, Ryoto explained, "Among all the points on the human body, the facial ones are the most difficult from which to release chakra, so the defense there is weaker. Just enough force to graze it lightly, like a sheet of paper, is sufficient to leave a wound."
"Simply astonishing..."
« Of course, you may..." The White Fang clapped his hands and said with a smile, "You've passed today's test. Don't forget to be on time tomorrow, Ryoto."
« I know, Sensei."
« Ryoto, your Fang Over Fang is vastly different from the techniques of your clansmen," the White Fang observed. "Both the unusual activation speed and other details. Can you tell me the reason?"
"Fang Over Fang is a perfect technique," Ryoto replied. "It combines both offense and defense. If you master it, there is no need to learn other deadly ninjutsu. In the end, they are only for killing, and a common knife can do that. It makes no sense to waste a huge amount of chakra on the same outcome. It's not cost-effective. In terms of killing, the power of Fang Over Fang is excessive. Therefore, perfect control over its size, rotation speed, and force is necessary. One only needs to control the number of open chakra points on the body and the amount of chakra poured in, and then the entire power of the technique will be under complete control. Those fools who cannot find their target, unable to control the technique's power, who rush forward like a loosed arrow with no way to turn back, in a suicidal charge, senselessly wasting a ton of chakra, and on top of that, crashing headfirst into a wall—they, of course, are no match for me."
Ryoto glanced at Kakashi.
"Why is he looking at me?"
Beneath his bloodstained mask, Kakashi pressed his lips tightly together.
« Now I understand why Inuzuka Rin said she had nothing more to teach you."
"How pleasant it is to have a genius as a student. So much doesn't even need to be explained."
The White Fang's eyes shone with pleasure.
« Does the technique you just used have a name?"
« Just a regular Fang Over Fang," Ryoto replied with a bow. "Sensei, with your permission, I will take my leave."
Ryoto turned to leave, glanced at the slipper floating in the pond, but did not retrieve it.
Kakashi watched as Ryoto walked past him and unconsciously took a step back. Only when Ryoto's silhouette had vanished from sight did the White Fang approach Kakashi and place a hand on his shoulder.
« Father!" Kakashi raised his head.
« Well, you've been taught a good lesson," the White Fang smiled gently, looking at his son. "You saw it, didn't you?"
"Saw what?"
Kakashi didn't understand.
« A true genius. You are still a long way from his level, Kakashi."
The father patted his son on the head and said with hope in his voice, "Keep trying."
Lowering his head, Kakashi clenched his fists. He suddenly understood why the other boy had called him an idiot during the lesson.
"Truly, what an idiot I am. Inuzuka Ryoto!"
« He will be your rival for life, Kakashi."
« I understand, Father."
…
Standing at the gate of the Hatake estate and looking out at the street, Ryoto, barefoot on one foot, clenched and unclenched his toes, scratching them against the ground.
"I lost a slipper! And in that atmosphere, it was too awkward to pick it up!"
Ryoto put on his clothes and started walking in one direction. After a short distance, he decided to kick off his remaining slipper as well, and continued down the street barefoot.
…
In one of the houses facing the street, on the second floor, in a girl's bedroom, a white puppy frolicked, rolling on the bed. By the window, hugging a large plush dog, sat a girl, leaning dejectedly on the windowsill and gazing at the street below.
Rin... she loves dogs.
"That's why, when I first saw him, I was so pleasantly surprised. How can a person be so much like a puppy? He's so cute. But..."
Rin sniffled, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Why... why did it turn out like this? I just don't understand why he doesn't like me."
Suddenly...
Rin's eyes widened. She saw Ryoto walking past on the street.
"It's Ryoto! I can't look at him!"
Instinctively, in a panic, she recoiled. Pressing herself against the wall and clutching the toy, Rin sat down, slowly lowering her head. Her heart was pounding furiously.
"Ryoto didn't see me, did he?"
A moment later, Rin rolled over, lay on the floor, and, like a spy, cautiously raised her head to peek over the windowsill. She secretly watched his retreating figure. For a very, very long time, until he had completely disappeared from view.
Leaning against the wall, Rin slid powerlessly to the floor. She squeezed the plush toy so tightly that the dog's face contorted into a pained grimace. Rin lowered her head, her face burning, her large eyes blinking constantly, her long eyelashes fluttering. Finally, Rin let out a pitiful squeak, buried her face in the fluffy toy, and, falling onto her side, began to roll around on the floor.
Who knows what she was thinking.
The puppy on the bed lifted its head and tilted it to the side in confusion, looking at its little mistress.