A Strong and Powerful Karot

"Show me what you can really do. Don't embarrass yourself with little tricks like that."

"Fine. Then I'll show you the true power of the Uchiha Clan."

As he spoke, the corners of his eyes and his pupils turned bloodred, and two comma-shaped marks spun in his eyes.

"Sharingan."

Karot stared at his opponent's eyes with some curiosity. This was his first time seeing the Sharingan in person.

"As expected, the Sharingan is an ill omen."

The aura coming from it made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Kakashi, did you see that? This is the Sharingan of the Uchiha. Once I awaken mine, I'll definitely be able to beat you."

"Hmph. You? Let's see you awaken it first."

Kakashi, however, kept his attention on Karot. Even though his opponent had the Sharingan, Kakashi never doubted that Karot could beat him.

"Come on, attack! I'll show you the power of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!"

"Heh."

Hearing his opponent's boast, Karot couldn't help grinning.

"You really don't learn, do you? You forgot your lesson that quickly. Is the Sharingan what gives you the courage to talk to me like that?"

With that, Karot charged forward and punched his opponent in the face. This time, however, his opponent dodged to the side. The Sharingan had made his reactions faster.

"Your attacks are useless. Nothing you do can escape my eyes."

His opponent spoke with confidence.

"Yeah, you're a little faster. That's a bit of a problem."

Karot seemed to agree, nodding.

"But if I attack faster than you can react, then it won't matter if you see it coming, right?"

Karot rolled his shoulders, as though warming up.

"Now, I'm going to get serious."

In an instant, his opponent's Sharingan pupils contracted. Karot had vanished from his field of vision, and he searched frantically for him.

"I'm right here."

Suddenly, Karot's voice sounded from behind him. His opponent instinctively turned around and saw Karot standing there. Before he could react, a sharp pain twisted through his stomach as Karot's fist slammed into it.

He had seen the line of Karot's attack, but his body couldn't keep up. Even though his eyes had caught it, he couldn't dodge.

"If I'd wanted to kill you just now, you'd already be dead. Is this the 'powerful Uchiha' you were talking about?"

The words made his opponent's face darken. Just moments after he'd said those things, Karot had thoroughly humiliated him.

Rage surged through him. How could he swallow this insult?

"You won't get another chance."

His opponent spoke furiously.

"I've heard that so many times, my ears are practically growing calluses."

Karot pretended to pick at his ear.

"Damn you."

Karot's words made his face twist with anger.

This time, his opponent no longer underestimated Karot. He treated him as a worthy opponent.

His opponent took the initiative and rushed at Karot, throwing a punch.

Karot didn't just stand there and take it. He dodged to the side, grabbed his opponent's arm, then turned, ready to throw him over his shoulder.

But his opponent seemed to understand what Karot was planning. He pulled a kunai out with his left hand and slashed toward Karot. Seeing this, Karot had no choice but to release his arm and jump backward, putting some distance between them.

"The Sharingan really is a pain."

"Kid, let's see what you can do now."

As he spoke, his hands moved swiftly through a sequence of hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Technique."

"Poof! Poof! Poof!"

Three shadow clones appeared, and the four of them surrounded Karot.

"Now there are this many of you."

With that, all four attacked at once. Shuriken flew through the air, drawing Karot's attention, while the other two clones attacked with their fists and feet.

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

The sounds of fists and feet colliding rang out repeatedly. The spectators watched in astonishment.

"Kakashi, is this how strong Karot is? He's incredible!"

Asuma asked, his face full of shock. His eyes couldn't keep up with the movements of the two fighters, and they were the same age as him.

"Big Brother Karot is so strong! I want to be just as strong as him!"

Might Guy said excitedly.

"Why is he so strong?"

Obito knew Karot would be strong, but he hadn't realized he would be this strong.

Karot grabbed one clone by the arm and hurled him at another, disrupting their attack. Taking advantage of the opening, he quickly rushed up to another clone and kicked him.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, the clone vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Now facing three opponents at once, Karot remained calm.

The three opponents attacked again. Karot knocked one down with a punch, then struck another in the chest. But that one caught his hand and held it fast, preventing him from pulling it back. The clone lying on the ground used the Substitution Technique to switch places with the real one, then vanished as the real one thrust the kunai in his hand upward.

In the blink of an eye, a powerful force erupted from Karot. It crushed the opponent's clone and blew the real one away.

"Is this my brother's power?"

Kakashi had always known that Karot possessed a powerful force, but this was the first time he'd seen it. In their usual sparring matches, Kakashi always lost before Karot needed to use it.

Standing in place, Karot looked at the hole his opponent had cut in his clothes and sighed.

"As expected of the Uchiha. You've got all kinds of tricks up your sleeve."

"That power again. What are you hiding, Karot?"

His opponent wondered to himself. Someone with power like that, yet he'd stayed completely under the radar.

What an incredible match. Asakawa hadn't expected the "unremarkable" Karot to be so strong. He was delighted to have the chance to teach such a genius during his career.

Karot's talent far surpassed that of his younger brother, Kakashi. Asakawa had never expected that.

The two sides returned to their earlier standoff.

"I can hardly believe you're only five years old."

His opponent said what everyone present was thinking. Karot's skill was far beyond what anyone would expect of a five-year-old.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Karot said with a smile, as though it were only natural.

"You're strong too, Uchiha."

"Hmph. You still won't pass this test. Shadow Clone Technique."

With that, his opponent formed the hand seals.

"Poof!"

The shadow clone charged at Karot, while the other two blocked the real one from view, hiding him as he rapidly formed more hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."

The Uchiha Clan's signature ninjutsu.

Everyone there stared in disbelief at what they were seeing.

"Watch out! Get out of the way!"

Asakawa shouted anxiously.

Karot and his opponent's shadow clone were both swallowed by the massive fireball.

No one had expected his opponent to be so ruthless that he would destroy his own shadow clone along with Karot.