'They didn't rush in immediately. They're all surprisingly calm, even Naruto, who usually acts so impulsively.'
Kakashi inwardly praised their composure.
He was already familiar with Sasuke's strength, but regardless of Sakura and Naruto's combat prowess, as ninjas, concealing their presence and observing the enemy were fundamental skills.
The duo had chosen to hide in the dense forest, and this cautious demeanor and ninja-like composure earned them a point in Kakashi's estimation.
Kakashi casually scanned the surrounding forest, about to retrieve Make-Out Paradise from his waist pouch to feign an opening and lure them out.
But then he remembered Sasuke was also hiding nearby.
His hand, which had already reached for the pouch, silently withdrew. If he actually went through with that, it wouldn't be a feigned weakness; it would become a genuine vulnerability.
'I need to focus primarily on Sasuke. Otherwise, things could easily spiral out of control.'
Kakashi stood openly in the center of the clearing, his posture relaxed but his entire body as taut as a drawn bow.
Sasuke's strength couldn't be underestimated, especially his speed.
Since mastering Chidori a month ago, Sasuke had been channeling Lightning Release Chakra to enhance his physical abilities, pushing his speed to a new level.
If Kakashi let his guard down for even a moment, he could easily lose all three bells.
"Sasuke, what do you mean?" Sakura asked in a hushed voice from the dense canopy of a large tree, where they were secretly observing Kakashi.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto, whose face showed faint impatience, and said gravely, "Teacher Kakashi is very strong. Let's execute combat plan B."
Having sparred with Kakashi countless times, Sasuke saw no harm in cooperating with his teammates this time. Besides, he was curious to see how Sakura and Naruto would perform in this trial.
Before the words had even left his mouth, Sasuke had already drawn a handful of kunai and shuriken with one hand while simultaneously forming a hand seal with the other!
Normally, ninjas use both hands to form hand seals, but some exceptionally gifted individuals can perform them with just one hand after rigorous training.
In the original timeline, the future Sasuke would eventually master single-handed seals.
Now, after four years of intensive carving training and yoga practice, the current Sasuke had mastered this technique as well.
In truth, single-handed seals were hardly extraordinary. Later, even Jiraiya would learn to perform hand seals with his feet!
Seeing Sasuke spring into action, Sakura and Naruto exchanged swift glances and simultaneously began forming hand seals in perfect synchronization.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!"
Sasuke's chest swelled as he exhaled over a dozen fist-sized fireballs, their trajectories mimicking the seed pods of a phoenix sage flower. Simultaneously, he hurled a handful of kunai shuriken toward Kakashi with his right hand.
Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson was a derivative technique of the Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
By infusing the flames of the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique into the airborne shuriken, Sasuke transformed them into fiery projectiles that scattered across the sky like crimson petals, each strike carrying scorching heat.
This technique combined the scorching heat and destructive power of Fire Release with the cutting ability of shuriken. Even after the flames extinguished, the shuriken would still inflict grievous wounds.
Moreover, it surpassed the original Phoenix Sage Fire Technique in both sheer volume and raw power.
Sasuke had discovered this Fire Release ninjutsu in Uchiha Shisui's notes.
Later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Reanimated Itachi had also employed it against Killer Bee.
Mastering Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson required a particularly demanding condition: executing the hand seals with only one hand.
One hand had to form the necessary seals while the other simultaneously launched shuriken in coordinated synergy, making the technique incredibly difficult to execute.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
At the same moment, Naruto completed his own ninjutsu.
A powerful gust of wind erupted from his mouth, following closely on the heels of Sasuke's Fire Release technique.
The Wind Release: Great Breakthrough technique itself lacked significant destructive power, serving primarily to disperse enemies and create a diversion.
But fire fed by wind, and wind amplifying fire!
The fist-sized fireball instantly more than doubled in size and accelerated significantly, surging toward Kakashi with the ferocity of a wildfire consuming a field.
"Here it comes!"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he swiftly formed hand seals.
A massive torrent of water erupted around him, its unstoppable momentum surging to meet the fireball head-on.
"Water Release: Raging Torrent!"
Boom!
The clash of ninjutsu unleashed a deafening roar.
The flames vaporized the water, transforming it into a surging stream of scorching steam that instantly enveloped the battlefield in a dense, blinding fog.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
A barrage of kunai and shuriken erupted from the thick mist, piercing the air. Kakashi's Water Release had extinguished the flames, but it failed to halt the hidden projectiles concealed within them!
'This isn't ordinary Fire Release... It's a composite wind-fire ninjutsu!'
Kakashi was momentarily taken aback.
Had it been a simple Fire Release technique—even one with shuriken embedded within—his Water Release, while unable to obliterate the projectiles like flames, could have scattered them with its sheer force.
Despite his momentary shock, Kakashi remained composed. He prepared to calmly leap away, evading the kunai and shuriken barrage.
"Trying to run? Not so fast, Teacher Kakashi!"
Sakura, who had been focused on the battlefield while silently forming hand seals, grinned and chanted, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
'This is the Third Hokage's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?!'
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he prepared to dodge.
The original dozen shuriken suddenly multiplied into hundreds, even thousands, of kunai and shuriken, filling the sky in a dense, dark swarm that completely sealed off his escape routes.
Realizing evasion was impossible, Kakashi abandoned the effort. With his limited chakra reserves, he usually prioritized conserving energy in combat, rarely engaging in direct ninjutsu clashes.
But this situation forced him to unleash another technique!
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
The ground before Kakashi violently trembled as a massive earthen wall materialized instantly.
Five meters tall and three meters wide, the wall was adorned with three dog heads carved into its center, forming a sturdy barrier against the incoming shuriken barrage.
Evidently, despite his intention to conserve chakra, Kakashi's instincts remained steadfast—he never forgot to add dog heads to his Earth Wall!
'Good thing Sakura's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique only produces a few hundred shuriken. If it were like the Third Hokage's version, I'd have a much harder time blocking this attack.'
After executing the ninjutsu, Kakashi thought to himself,
'The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique is an A-rank ninjutsu. Inspired by the Shadow Clone Technique developed by the Second Hokage, the Third Hokage created this technique, allowing him to multiply a single shuriken into tens of thousands, launching a relentless barrage from all directions!'
'Sakura's version, however, splitting a dozen shuriken into only a few hundred with a strictly linear attack pattern, was worlds apart from the Third Hokage's technique, which could generate tens of thousands of projectiles with multidirectional strikes.'
'For instance, if I gonna block the Third Hokage's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, he would need to erect four Earth Walls to completely defend against the assault, rather than the single Earth Flow Wall that sufficed in this case.'
'Still, despite the vast difference in power, Sakura's proficiency with this A-rank ninjutsu at her age is remarkable. She's undoubtedly an exceptional prodigy!'
'It seems Sasuke's teammates have some skill after all.'
Just as Kakashi thought he had blocked the trio's attacks and was idly musing to himself, a dozen real shuriken hidden among hundreds of shadow clones suddenly shifted direction, as if guided by an unseen hand.
With piercing whistles, they bypassed the Earth Wall and struck directly at Kakashi behind it!
"What?!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Kakashi's face.
Just as he tried to dodge, his body tensed, suddenly bound tightly by invisible restraints. He was pinned beneath the three dog-headed Earth Wall, unable to move.
'The Uchiha's Manipulated Shuriken Technique?'
Kakashi tilted his head back, following the transparent steel wire with his gaze until Sasuke's figure came into view.