Kakashi and Uchiha Seiji stood face to face.
Kakashi wore a sleek black outfit, steel bracers strapped to his arms. A short blade rested in the sheath across his back, just like his father's. His whole presence was sharp, dangerous—like a blade drawn and ready to cut.
Hatake Sakumo folded his arms, watching the two. His eyes flickered with interest. He'd said he didn't want Kakashi under pressure, but he was still a father—of course he wanted to see how his son would perform.
"Seiji, I'm coming!" Kakashi warned.
"Bring it, Kakashi."
The words had barely left his mouth before Kakashi exploded forward. His movements blurred, a swordsman's speed pushed to its limit, short blade slicing through the air as he closed in with steps so subtle most wouldn't even catch them.
Samurai precision with shinobi speed… Seiji thought, genuinely impressed. Not bad, Kakashi.
He lifted Muramasa, his Sharingan spinning beneath the black film over his eyes. With Tobirama Senju's honed reflexes woven into his body and the visual clarity of the Sharingan, Kakashi's lightning-fast charge looked to Seiji like it was moving in slow motion.
He casually swung to the right.
Kakashi's eyes widened as if he'd run right into the strike himself. His short blade clashed against Muramasa with a shriek of steel.
What—!? Impossible! How could he predict my position that perfectly?!
Sakumo's expression hardened. He knew it wasn't luck. In close combat, every motion had to be efficient—one mistake and you'd lose the rhythm, and then the fight.
Seiji smiled, feeling Kakashi's strength push against his blade. "I've got a few years on you, Kakashi. Guess I'm cheating a little. Don't take it personally."
With that, he pressed harder, pinning Kakashi's blade. His strength rolled forward in waves, overwhelming Kakashi and locking him in a raw contest of power.
Kakashi gritted his teeth. His arms screamed in protest, the blade refusing to budge from Seiji's crushing pressure. One wrong step, and Muramasa would cut him down.
"This strength… something's off." Sakumo's sharp gaze locked on Seiji's arms. He knew Kakashi's limits. His son wasn't the strongest, but he wasn't weak either—yet Seiji's sheer force had him cornered like a child.
Sweat slid down Kakashi's temple. His arms trembled, losing strength. If this keeps up, I'll be done! Gotta flip this—now!
He suddenly relaxed his hold, letting Seiji's blade fall. At the same time, his wrist flicked—a hidden shuriken shot out from his sleeve straight toward Seiji's throat.
"Smart move."
Seiji tilted his head aside, letting the shuriken whistle past. Kakashi used the moment to spring back, opening space between them.
Seiji didn't chase. Instead, he reflected, eyes narrowing. Too fragile. Shinobi wield power that can move mountains, yet a simple weapon can force a stalemate. That weakness… if patched, it would change everything.
If I'd had something like Hydration or a Lightning Chakra Cloak, I could've ignored his trick entirely.
He sighed inwardly. Hydration's a secret technique, and I don't have lightning-natured chakra, so…
Then—
[Detected intense competitive intent from Hatake Kakashi. Binding him as your dueling target!]
Seiji's eyes lit up. Kakashi's desire to win was stronger than he'd thought. Unlike Tobirama, who had too many tricks and diluted rewards, Kakashi was simpler: a young genius with all five natures, but little else fully developed.
"Kakashi," Seiji's tone dropped, fire igniting along Muramasa's edge, "looks like I can't keep holding back."
The flames roared, blending seamlessly with the swordsmanship Seiji had stolen from Uchiha Izuna—Tobirama's dissected version, perfected through analysis.
Kakashi's instincts screamed. Danger!
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A massive barrier rose before him, giving him a breath of relief.
Seiji raised an eyebrow. "Well, well. Not bad for a seven-year-old. That chakra reserve isn't small."
But his grin sharpened. "Too bad it's useless."
He swung Muramasa. Fire burst forth, a blazing dragon that roared and devoured the wall, melting the stone with sheer heat.
"Flashy, but inefficient…" Tobirama muttered nearby, unimpressed. He remembered Izuna's old style—chakra-wasting theatrics, abandoned in later years.
But Kakashi had no such criticism. His jaw hung open at the sea of fire crashing down around him.
Then Seiji dropped from above, expression blank, flames trailing behind his strike.
"Shit!" Kakashi braced—
Only for a wave of blue chakra to slice in from the side, colliding with Seiji's blade in a thunderous crash.
BOOM. Dust swallowed the training field.
Seiji blinked, flexing numb hands as he glanced at Sakumo, who stood apologetically.
…Really? You're Sakumo the White Fang or Ichigo Kurosaki now? Wrong anime, man. Way to force a shutdown.
Still, it gave Seiji his first real glimpse at Sakumo's fighting style.
Kakashi stared, stunned. Seiji had taken his father's strike head-on. That alone made the gap between them painfully clear.
[From dueling target Hatake Kakashi: Lightning Chakra Nature acquired!][From dueling target Madara Uchiha: Fire-Natured Ninjutsu Mastery acquired!]
Seiji almost laughed. He got what he wanted—and then some.
Wait. Madara too? Don't tell me that old fossil is spying on me again. Can't a guy get some privacy?
Exhaustion washed over him. Ugh, so tired… Better get some votes from the readers to cheer me up…