The Implanted Seed, Waiting to Sprout

Gen'ichi Shiranui... won?!

He actually beat Kakashi Hatake!!

Inside the Hokage Building, several high-ranking officials watched, their faces filled with astonishment.

Especially Minato, who had been preparing to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to rush over and stop Kakashi, was stunned.

For a moment, the entire office was filled with silence.

"I knew Gen'ichi wouldn't lose to Kakashi, but I didn't expect him to have grown this much..." Minato gave a wry smile, his gaze towards the Crystal Ball filled with admiration and praise.

I miscalculated. Kakashi, whom he had observed for a long time and taken as a disciple, actually lost to Gen'ichi just like that? And in a way that left no room for doubt or comeback...

Gen'ichi truly is an amazing child. Kakashi, you've met your match.

"Minato, it looks like you don't need to intervene. This battle of the strongest of the new generation is already over." The Hokage took a puff from his pipe and smiled.

Too outstanding. A descendant of the Shiranui Family, with a pure background, parents who were Konoha heroes, incredibly diligent himself, and even awakened a new Kekkei Genkai. Most importantly, his mindset is impeccable, and now even the speed at which he converts his talent into strength is astonishing.

A child like this can absolutely be seen as a benchmark for the new generation.

"Then I'll go break them up now..." Minato was about to move but was stopped by the Third Hokage.

"No, Minato. Let's watch a bit longer."

"What? But Gen'ichi... he could kill Kakashi at any moment right now, especially after being inexplicably provoked and humiliated first. What if..."

The Third Hokage simply watched the Crystal Ball silently, a hint of hesitation appearing in his heart. After all, the life of a super genius like Kakashi was extremely precious. He stared intently at Gen'ichi's face in the Crystal Ball.

What will you do? With the power of life and death in your hands, in an unstable emotional state, Gen'ichi, what will you do?

This is the final observation. If he can pass this test...

"Gen'ichi... actually beat Kakashi?"

Outside the Training Ground.

Genma Shiranui's face was blank. Despite being bruised and swollen, he forced one eye wide open, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.

He didn't even understand how Kakashi lost. That super rookie who graduated at five years old and created a Konoha legend... did he actually lose to someone from his own clan? And the jutsu Gen'ichi used, he'd never seen it before either...

Genma watched Gen'ichi, who was holding Kakashi high up, his mind in a daze. Without realizing it, this guy had grown to this extent, directly defeating a monstrous genius like Kakashi.

"I told you! Gen'ichi-san is the strongest one in our generation! He would never lose!" Might Guy clenched his fist tightly.

He was the only one who had absolute faith in Gen'ichi. His interactions with Gen'ichi over the years had filled his mind with absolute trust and obedience towards him.

At this moment, the impact Gen'ichi had on Genma and the others was unprecedented. The legendary Kakashi had been utterly defeated in a duel by the former dead last.

In the Training Ground, Gen'ichi held Kakashi by the neck, lifting him up with a calm expression.

For a moment, Gen'ichi actually considered giving Kakashi a painful lesson he'd regret for the rest of his life.

"How... how did you do this?" Kakashi managed to say with difficulty.

The Chidori he'd gathered by using up his last Chakra, after undergoing terrifying changes internally, simply disintegrated on the spot.

At this moment, Kakashi was more vulnerable than ever before. His sense of insecurity was amplified to the extreme.

Meeting Gen'ichi's cold gaze and feeling the signs of something almost burning inside him, Kakashi felt a sense of... helplessness and despair he hadn't felt in a long time.

How long has it been since I felt like this?

"Since you lost your father, you've been venting all your resentment and bitterness on others. That's going too far. Nobody owes you anything."

Gen'ichi formed a hand sign with one hand and spoke calmly.

Kakashi lost his father and had been in a dangerous state for a long time, teetering on the edge of darkness.

"Heh, how boring. That useless man, why bring him up? He was just a pathetic failure. He could have completed the mission, but in the end, he chose to give up. Just a piece of trash..."

SMACK!

Gen'ichi slapped him.

A hard slap that made a sharp sound.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

"You've been brooding for this long, and that's all you have to say?"

"What do you know? A shinobi only needs to complete the mission. He was so powerful, yet he just abandoned me and chose suicide. What's there to admire about someone so weak and useless..."

Gen'ichi, expressionless, punched him again and again, swelling Kakashi's face and sending blood flying.

"Although I never met Lord Sakumo, I know he was a great ninja. But your attitude... what's even worse is that you hate your father, but you're subconsciously transferring that hatred onto others."

"Genma never hurt you. He just couldn't match his ambition with his strength and forced himself to do things that seemed mature but were actually childish. Yet you repaid him with coldness and heartlessness, just because that fool deceived you..."

"Kakashi, you're even more pathetic like this, your reason buried by hatred."

THUD!

Gen'ichi threw a hard punch, hitting the ground right beside Kakashi's head. With a loud impact, a fist print appeared on the ground.

Kakashi's face was blank with confusion, his disfigured face numb. His eyes stared blankly up at the sky.

White clouds drifted under the blue sky.

In this moment, his inner arrogance was torn apart by Gen'ichi in this manner; his talent and strength were simply not as great as he had imagined.

"Hatred will always be the theme of this chaotic world, and just thinking about it gives me a headache... Eliminating hatred, eliminating war, that's what I intend to do, in my own way."

Gen'ichi spoke calmly.

With his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked out of the training ground.

In that moment, Gen'ichi's retreating figure was reflected in Kakashi's hollow eyes.

A peculiar seed had been planted, quietly waiting for the moment it would take root and sprout.