You've Walked Into a Dead End!

In the afternoon, at Konoha Training Ground No. 16.

Hatake Kakashi and Hyuga Bin stood facing each other, while Hyuga Masayuki, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin watched from the side.

Before the battle began, Hyuga Masayuki had said eight words to Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin:

"Watch carefully, learn well!"

Hatake Kakashi was undoubtedly a genius. As the son of Konoha's White Fang, Kakashi's performance on the battlefield in recent years had even surpassed that of a significant portion of Jonin.

As for Hyuga Bin, his strength as a supervising teacher was unknown, as he had never gone all out. His strength might not be weaker than Hatake Kakashi's.

Therefore, Hyuga Masayuki believed this battle would be very exciting and worth learning from for Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.

As the duel was about to begin, Kakashi's eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

Hyuga Bin, on the other hand, was a bit lazy, merely wanting to spar with Kakashi.

Three years by the river, three years by the road.

After three years, Hatake Kakashi believed that tempered by the Third Shinobi World War, he was no longer the same as before. A dragon would not stay in a pond forever.

This time, he was convinced he could defeat Hyuga Bin.

After forming the hand seals, Hyuga Bin and Hatake Kakashi created some distance between them.

Half an hour later.

Hatake Kakashi, having exhausted his chakra, was caught in a momentary lapse by Hyuga Bin, who then used [Eight Trigrams: Five Hundred and Twenty Palms] to beat him into a pulp.

After finishing this set of "Military Fist," Hyuga Bin also collapsed onto the ground, "exhausted" and "panting," feigning extreme fatigue to give Kakashi face.

"Bin, I lost this time. I couldn't take that move of yours," Hatake Kakashi admitted his defeat, enduring the pain in his body.

He had just used his full strength, and he could tell Hyuga Bin had also gone all out. However, after defeating him, Bin's chakra was almost depleted, and he could barely stand.

But Kakashi wouldn't be happy about this.

Because it meant that the gap between him and Hyuga Bin had widened further over these three years.

Three years ago, he was only 3cm short of reaching Hyuga Bin's level.

Three years later, Hyuga Bin had defeated him with a complete move.

Facing the "miserable" Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin quickly came over to heal him.

Hyuga Masayuki looked at Hyuga Bin with a question: "Huh? Doesn't our Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist only have sixty-four palms at most? How did you manage over five hundred?"

"This is a technique I created myself, the Five Hundred and Twenty Palms, based on the Sixty-Four Palms and my expectations for my future girlfriend," Hyuga Bin casually lied.

However, this single sentence dealt an even greater blow to Hatake Kakashi.

"I didn't expect Bin to be able to create his own ninjutsu..."

Kakashi, with his swollen face, looked at Hyuga Bin, feeling both angry and impressed.

This meant he had not only lost to Hyuga Bin in combat but also in creating ninjutsu.

He hadn't fully mastered his Raikiri in a year and didn't dare to use it, as a mistake would electrocute him painfully.

"Expectations for a future girlfriend?" Hyuga Masayuki didn't understand the meaning of Hyuga Bin's words at all.

"520, in my mind, means 'I love you'."

"It means every palm strike is a shape of my love for you."

Hyuga Masayuki: "..."

This kind of homophone pun didn't exist in the world of Hokage, so Hyuga Masayuki was completely bewildered.

"Let's continue to work hard together, Kakashi," Hyuga Bin said, "effortfully" getting up and patting the shoulder of the healing Hatake Kakashi.

Rather than crushing Hatake Kakashi and completely destroying his confidence, he preferred to let Kakashi feel like he still had a chance, which would give him the motivation to keep moving forward.

"Only an opponent like Bin is worth my constant effort to surpass!"

After hearing Hyuga Bin's words, Kakashi's fighting spirit reignited.

Moreover, he suddenly began to understand Might Guy's youth!

However, the naive Kakashi didn't know that Hyuga Bin was... a cheater!

After healing Kakashi's swelling, the four of them walked out of the training ground when an Anbu member wearing a dog-faced mask appeared:

"Hatake Kakashi, Hyuga Bin, the Third Hokage wishes to see you."

"Understood."

Hyuga Bin and Hatake Kakashi nodded.

Then, Hyuga Bin turned to Hyuga Masayuki and the other two and made arrangements:

"Teacher Masayuki, Obito, Rin, I'm treating tonight. We'll have barbecue and sake."

After saying that, without waiting for Hyuga Masayuki to object that minors weren't allowed to drink, he grabbed Kakashi and headed towards the Hokage Building.

He walked all the way to the Hokage building, to the door of the Hokage's office.

Hyuga Bin raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

"Come in," came the reply from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, his voice raspy from years of smoking.

Hyuga Bin and Hatake Kakashi entered the Hokage's office, closing the door behind them, and bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Lord Third Hokage."

"Lord Hokage, do you have a mission for us?" Hatake Kakashi still loved Konoha dearly and was willing to burn himself out for it, so his first thought was to ask about missions.

"No. I've called you here today for two appointments. I had originally planned to announce this at the Jonin meeting, but considering the current wartime situation, I'll keep it brief."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his cigarette and spoke to Hatake Kakashi on his right. "Kakashi, I, on behalf of Konoha, officially appoint you as a Jonin."

After he finished speaking, Saimei Shunkoka, a temporary assistant behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, approached Hatake Kakashi with a standard Jonin vest and an appointment letter, formally bestowing the title of Jonin upon him.

"Lord Third Hokage, I believe Bin deserves to be promoted to Jonin more than I do." Upon hearing about the promotion to Jonin, Hatake Kakashi's first thought was of Hyuga Bin, as he had just lost to him.

If someone weaker than Hyuga Bin was being promoted to Jonin, it would make Hyuga Bin, still a Chunin, seem ridiculously out of place.

"Kakashi, there's no need to rush." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled as he looked at the young Kakashi, who was concerned for his friend, and then turned to Hyuga Bin on his left. "Bin, I, on behalf of Konoha, promote you to Special Jonin."

While admiring him, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes also held a hint of regret.

Hyuga Bin was a member of a branch family of the Hyuga Clan, bearing the Caged Bird seal. Sarutobi Hiruzen could not control him.

After speaking, Uehara Yui, another long-term secretary behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, also approached Hyuga Bin with a standard Jonin vest and an appointment letter.

When there's work, the secretary does it; when there's no work... Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly understood this principle.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Hyuga Bin said, feigning a surprised expression.

He naturally had to accept Sarutobi Hiruzen's promotion.

Refusing in this situation would be going against the Will of Fire. Doing so would only narrow his path.