Goodbye Kakashi

"[Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu]!" At the Third Training Ground, the Third Hokage, surrounded by five hundred of Kushina's shadow clones, showed no sign of panic. Kushina had come to the Hokage's office early that morning to ask him to help test her new jutsu, and the Third Hokage had agreed with interest.

The Third Hokage knew Kushina's personality well. The fact that she had developed a new jutsu intrigued him, and he wanted to see what it was like.

"So, Kushina, your jutsu is just [Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu]?"

"Of course not. Ready, old man?"

Without using the Nine-Tails' chakra, Kushina was at best an Elite Jonin. The Third Hokage didn't think an Elite Jonin's jutsu could hurt him.

"[Shuriken Shadow Clone]!" Kushina's shadow clones threw shuriken at the Third Hokage, using [Shuriken Shadow Clone].

Facing a rain of shuriken, the Third Hokage formed hand seals. "[Earth Release: Earth Wall]!" Four earthen walls rose around him.

"Hehe, old man, you fell for it!" Kushina's real body fired shuriken infused with the Nine-Tails' chakra. The Earth Wall couldn't withstand it and crumbled instantly.

The Third Hokage was exposed to the shuriken rain again. "[Water Release: Water Formation Wall]!" He continuously released a large-scale Water Release, blocking most of the shuriken, but many still struck him.

Kushina hadn't put much force behind her throws, so even the hits didn't injure the Third Hokage. That was why his Water Formation Wall could disperse her shuriken.

"Old man, how's my jutsu?" Kushina said smugly, looking at the Third Hokage's tattered robes.

"Kushina, this jutsu of yours won't work well against true experts, especially Water or Earth Release users. If you faced the Tsuchikage, your shuriken couldn't even break his Earth Wall."

"Old man, what if the shuriken were infused with Nine-Tails chakra?" The Third Hokage's expression stiffened. He knew the Nine-Tails' power well. If all those shuriken had carried its chakra, he, the Third Hokage, would have to step down.

"But can you, Kushina, have that many shadow clones use Nine-Tails chakra at once?" The Third Hokage's question hit the mark. Tohru's design for this jutsu required the Nine-Tails' cooperation.

At present, Kushina could at most have two hundred shadow clones carry Nine-Tails chakra. By Tohru's estimate, the Four-Tails state would let all five hundred shadow clones carry it. In the original story, Naruto, with only half the Nine-Tails, could distribute its chakra to nearly ten thousand members of the Ninja Alliance at full output. With the complete Nine-Tails, Kushina's Four-Tails state would be enough to arm five hundred shadow clones.

In the Four-Tails state, Kushina's strength should be close to Hatake Sakumo's, but defeating him would still be difficult.

With this jutsu, it was different. The Four-Tails' chakra could be split among shadow clones for the first wave of attack, and given the Nine-Tails' chakra reserves, she could enter the Four-Tails state again immediately. Sakumo would constantly expend chakra defending against the shuriken rain, while Kushina could replenish hers at will. With this give-and-take, victory would naturally go to Kushina.

Moreover, for some unknown reason, Tohru noticed that when Kushina used the Nine-Tails' chakra, its consciousness and hatred never invaded her.

Tohru had specifically asked Kushina about it. She said she only felt the Nine-Tails' hatred when she used chakra beyond her limit.

Tohru believed it was due to Kushina's pure Uzumaki Clan constitution. This was a good thing—without the Nine-Tails' consciousness eroding her, there was one less concern.

In the following days, Tohru spent his time at Konoha Hospital. A batch of ninja returning from the Land of Earth needed treatment, and Tohru had been drafted to help.

With Tohru away, Kushina grew bored alone. She went to the Hokage's office and complained to the Third Hokage, "Old man, I haven't left the village for a mission in ages. Got any suitable ones?"

The Third Hokage was long immune to Kushina's antics. Without even looking up, he said, "No."

"Then give me back my student."

"Kushina! So many injured ninja have just returned from the Land of Earth. They're heroes. With so few Medical Ninja in the village right now, Konoha Hospital can't do without Tohru!"

"I don't care. Either give me a mission outside the village, or bring Tohru back."

The Third Hokage was used to this scene and let Kushina throw her tantrum.

After making a fuss for a while and seeing the Third Hokage wouldn't budge, Kushina had no choice but to leave.

At Konoha Hospital, Tohru spun like a top without stopping. There were too many injured ninja and too few Medical Ninja in Konoha.

A few days later, the wounded in the hospital were mostly handled. Tohru, like the other Medical Ninja, was physically and mentally exhausted.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage felt immensely relieved that he had kept Tohru in the village. With Tohru there, out of several hundred injured, only a few with severe wounds hadn't been saved.

Among those hundreds of ninja, there were over twenty Jonin. Jonin! For any village, they were a precious asset.

"Tell Tohru that Konoha Hospital is fine now. Have him go find Kushina tomorrow. Notify him immediately."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" The Anbu ninja received the order and went to inform Tohru at once.

The next day, Tohru, finally "seeing the light of day," arrived early at the Third Training Ground. What he didn't expect was that besides Kushina, there was another person there.

A black mask, silver-white hair, and those signature dead-fish eyes.

"Oh! If it isn't the famous genius ninja, Kakashi!"

"Smug Tohru!" After a long separation, Tohru's first words were a jab at him, and Kakashi shot back without backing down.

"Hey, hey! Are you possessed by Obito? Want to fight?"

"Bring it on!"

Two years had passed. Tohru wanted to see how strong Kakashi had become. Having learned [Chidori] early and with Hatake Sakumo's guidance, Kakashi was surely stronger than his six-year-old self in the original story.

Tohru activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode and drew his short sword, activating [Chidori Blade]. Lightning chakra swirled around his body, and gripping the short sword with [Chidori Blade] active made him look imposing.

"So this is Lightning Release Chakra Mode? Is it really as strong as my father said?"

"You'll find out if you try it." With that, Tohru struck.

Kakashi hadn't expected Tohru's Lightning Body Flicker to be so fast. In the blink of an eye, Tohru was right in front of him.

"[Earth Release: Earth Wall]!" Kakashi's Earth Wall blocked Tohru's vertical slash. Kakashi created distance—Tohru was too fast; he had to restrict his movement.

"[Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld], [Water Release: Raging Waves]!" Kakashi used ninjutsu to form a quagmire around himself.

"Restricting my movement?" Kakashi couldn't keep up with Tohru's speed. By limiting his mobility this way, Tohru's speed advantage became useless.

PS: Chapter three will be updated a bit late tonight. I have things to do this afternoon and can't sit in the office to write.