This Is Youth!

Kakashi no longer held back. As he dodged, his fingers nimbly pushed aside his forehead protector, revealing a Sharingan. Its tomoe flickered and spun as he used the powerful dynamic vision granted by the Sharingan to analyze the barrage-like attacks before him.

He couldn't evade them directly.

"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

Just before the Gentle Fist chakra struck him, Kakashi rapidly formed hand seals.

In the next instant, his entire body sank into the ground. In the blink of an eye, a hand emerged from another location.

Yet the moment he appeared, he saw Yuzuru Hyuga's irritating smile right in front of him. At the same time, Yuzuru Hyuga's hands flashed with Gentle Fist chakra as he punched downward, like he was playing whack-a-mole.

"As expected of Kakashi. You managed to come up with a countermeasure on the spot using a low-level Earth Release technique. But before my Byakugan—"

Before he could finish, silver-haired Kakashi suddenly appeared behind Yuzuru Hyuga.

"Lightning Blade!"

The Kakashi with only his head exposed above the ground had actually been a tangible Shadow Clone!

In an instant, he had devised a plan to use a Shadow Clone to draw the Byakugan's attention and seize the chance to launch a lethal counterattack!

But even as Might Guy marveled at the astonishing move, Yuzuru Hyuga, who seemed to have just been caught off guard, showed no change in his smile.

He had no time to turn around, yet his eyes seemed to have seen everything. As he slightly turned his head, his pupils locked onto Kakashi, and he slowly finished his sentence. "Everything is visible down to the finest detail."

"Rotation!"

A pale blue chakra vortex abruptly erupted. After Lightning Blade's explosive lightning clashed with Rotation for a second, Kakashi's ever-effective Lightning Blade failed to break cleanly through the vortex the Hyuga Clan called absolute defense. As Rotation steadily wore down the Lightning Blade, its high-speed spinning chakra generated an immense pulling force. Unless Kakashi wanted his arm twisted off, he could only abandon Lightning Blade.

But at the instant he let go—

"Rotation: Flash Chain!"

Yuzuru Hyuga's flashing figure became a streak of white light. Though he moved later, he arrived first, appearing at Kakashi's side as a blue chakra vortex suddenly burst forth.

The tomoe in Kakashi's Sharingan slowly spun, catching Yuzuru Hyuga's figure, but his flying body was utterly unable to keep up with his own reaction speed.

Deep-blue Rotation vortices continuously bloomed in the air, like a grand festival of blue fireworks.

Kakashi was sent crashing miserably into the ground by the final Rotation strike. He landed on his back, seemingly unable even to turn himself to lessen the impact, yet he still formed hand seals.

Facing Yuzuru Hyuga, who had nowhere to brace himself in midair, his cold gaze remained as unwavering as a machine's. "Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique."

"Sharingan!"

Two ninjutsu in succession—one blanketed the area, sealing off Yuzuru Hyuga's possible paths of escape, while the other was a genjutsu instantly cast through the Sharingan, clearly intended to pin him in place.

Genjutsu: Unaffected.

Yet unexpectedly, Yuzuru Hyuga did not pause for even a moment because of the genjutsu. Genjutsu: Unaffected, which automatically dispelled genjutsu, played a crucial role at this moment.

"Gentle Fist!"

Faced with the overwhelming Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Yuzuru Hyuga merely swung his hands. Gentle Fist chakra shattered the fireballs and shot straight toward Kakashi.

Kakashi's Three Tomoe Sharingan slowly turned as he fell into thought.

This guy... was far stronger than I'd expected, wasn't he?

Supporting himself with one hand on the ground, Kakashi looked expressionlessly up at the Gentle Fist chakra before him and spoke softly. "Let's stop here."

A wall of earth carved with dog heads rose before him. It blocked the Gentle Fist chakra as Yuzuru Hyuga drifted gracefully to the ground.

Looking at the dog-headed Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, Yuzuru Hyuga smiled. "As expected of Senior Kakashi. I've used every means at my disposal, yet I still couldn't make you fight with your full strength."

Kakashi canceled the ninjutsu, and the Earth-Style Wall vanished. He slowly lowered his forehead protector to cover his Sharingan. "No."

"I'm already fighting at full strength. You already possess all the strength an outstanding Jonin should have. It's hard to imagine that you're only five years old this year."

"Even if we keep fighting, there's no point. So let's stop here."

There was not the slightest hint of falsehood in the way he spoke.

But then, how should one put it?

Anyone who believed that was an idiot.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled faintly but did not expose him.

Yuzuru Hyuga firmly believed that Kakashi's Sharingan had awakened into a Mangekyo Sharingan alongside Obito's after Rin's death. It was simply that Kakashi did not yet know what power this eye, which came from Obito, truly possessed.

Setting aside that cheat-like ability that could activate at any moment, Kakashi's greater strength undoubtedly lay in his deadlier tactical choices and ninjutsu combinations. He was a ninja who fought with his mind, and in close combat, he also possessed an assassination sword style inherited from his father. The Konoha White Fang's swordsmanship was no empty reputation.

In ANBU Kakashi's current combat abilities, swordsmanship accounted for at least half. It was completely different from the combat system of the future adult "Copy Ninja Kakashi."

He simply had not used those methods on one of his own. In a true fight to the death, Yuzuru Hyuga's odds of winning would be extremely low.

Kakashi the Fifty-Fifty Ninja truly lived up to his name!

Meanwhile, Might Guy could finally no longer restrain his burning passion. "Yuzuru Hyuga!"

"Please have a passionate battle with me as well!"

He grinned, his white teeth shining brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

Kakashi sighed and patted the dust from his body. "So, can I go home now?"

Like a heartless scumbag who had turned on him the moment he was done, Yuzuru Hyuga merely adjusted his glasses. "Would you like me to see you off, Senior?"

"No. At five in the morning three days from now, I'll come to your doorstep." Kakashi fled with both style and speed, looking as though he feared that if he ran even slightly slower, he would be dragged into another battle.

Only then did Yuzuru Hyuga turn to Might Guy with an admiring expression. "Rather than fighting... may I learn taijutsu from you, Senior Might Guy?"

Might Guy froze. Beyond his surprise, he even seemed a little shy. "M-Me?"

"Yes! Aren't you Konoha's finest taijutsu ninja?" Yuzuru Hyuga's praise left Might Guy so choked up that his eyes actually reddened.

He clenched his fists tightly. After a long while, he let out a howl. "Even a genius capable of matching Kakashi blow for blow is so diligent and eager to learn! This is simply too passionate!"

"Come! I'll do everything in my power to teach you all that I know!"

"After that, let us sweat together and train until we collapse from paralysis!"

"This! Is youth!"

Wasn't paralysis a bit excessive?