In less than three seconds—
Orion had already sunk until only his head remained above the swamp.
Then—
Poof!
A burst of white smoke.
The "Orion" in the swamp turned into a piece of wood.
"Substitution Technique, huh…"
"Impressive. You've mastered the basics to perfection."
Substitution Technique
The real Orion had already reappeared more than ten meters away.
But he wasn't relieved.
His expression remained serious.
Too strong…
I'm not his opponent at all.
Who is this guy?
He had no enemies.
No conflicts.
Barely even knew people in the village.
Yet—
Every attack so far had been lethal.
Just as Orion was analyzing—
A figure slowly stepped out from the dark forest.
"Not bad," the man said calmly.
"You already have the strength of a chūnin."
Orion's eyes narrowed.
He still couldn't see clearly—
The night was too dark.
The man wore a mask.
But one thing was certain—
This person was far stronger than his teacher.
If he wanted me dead… I'd already be gone.
So what's his goal?
The man walked closer.
Closer—
Until he stood right in front of Orion.
"I don't think I've offended you," Orion said calmly.
The man glanced at him.
"Come with me."
Then turned—
And walked away.
For a moment—
Orion wanted to run.
But he suppressed the thought.
Running is useless.
He can kill me instantly.
After a brief hesitation—
He followed.
Into the Back Mountain
Under the cover of night—
They moved through the village—
Then toward the back mountain.
When they reached the lake—
Moonlight illuminated the man's hair.
White.
Orion's eyes sharpened.
White hair…
Don't tell me…
Kakashi Hatake
The more he looked—
The more certain he became.
Wait… did my teacher offend him in the Anbu?
Is he taking it out on me?
But strangely—
Once he realized who it was—
Orion relaxed.
Kakashi wouldn't kill me.
At the lakeside—
The man removed his mask.
It was indeed Kakashi.
Orion let out a silent breath.
Now—
He was more curious than afraid.
Silence
For a long moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Just moonlight.
And water.
Finally—
Kakashi broke the silence.
"Jingwen Orion."
"Your performance just now… wasn't bad."
Orion didn't respond.
He just looked at him.
Calm.
Almost too calm.
Kakashi felt slightly awkward.
This reaction—
Was not what he expected.
"You're wondering why I attacked you, right?"
Orion nodded.
Then said calmly:
"I assume you weren't just bored, Kakashi-sensei."
That answer surprised him.
No panic.
No anger.
Just… composure.
Even Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't be this calm.
Sasuke's coldness came from pride.
But Orion's calmness—
Came from certainty.
In reality—
Orion simply knew one thing:
Kakashi wouldn't harm him.
Kakashi's Evaluation
Kakashi turned slightly.
Moonlight reflected off his silver hair.
"My earlier attacks—"
"Even most chūnin couldn't handle them."
"That means your strength is already above average chūnin."
He paused.
"But that's your limit."
"If I increased the intensity… you would lose."
Orion nodded without hesitation.
"That's true."
"You're a jōnin."
"I can feel it clearly."
"In front of you—"
"I have no chance of winning."
No denial.
No ego.
Just clear judgment.
That answer made Kakashi's eyes narrow slightly.
Most people—
After being praised—
Would try to prove themselves.
Or challenge.
Or show ambition.
But Orion?
He understood the gap perfectly.
The difference between chūnin and jōnin—
Wasn't just one rank.
It was an entire world.
Even multiple chūnin—
Were nothing in front of someone like Kakashi.
And Orion—
Understood that completely.
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