Shining in Konoha in the Name of Genius! (Part 2)

Kakashi's first probing attack came!

He cut in from Shinichi's blind spot, the short blade silent as a viper, aimed at the elbow joint of Shinichi's sword hand—an angle of exquisite malice.

Shinichi didn't try to parry that swift strike with his long blade; that might have missed.

He made the most direct response—a sharp half-step backward, twisting his waist, and using the retreat's momentum to sweep the long blade in a heavy, fast horizontal arc, offense as defense, the blade's path covering every route Kakashi might advance!

This strike was heavy with power, yet also blisteringly fast, carrying a howling wind pressure!

Kakashi's pupils contracted. He aborted the thrust instantly, leaning back and spinning without hesitation, like a willow leaf blown by the wind, letting the blade graze past the tip of his nose by a hair's breadth.

He didn't engage, nor did he give Shinichi a chance to press the advantage. With a light push of his foot, he slid to another direction.

After the crushing defeat in their first taijutsu exchange, Kakashi had long since realized Shinichi's inhuman strength.

Thus, as this second sword duel began, his strategy was crystal clear from the start:

Stalk, find an opening, kill in one blow—never give the opponent a chance to leverage his power advantage.

And so, the first exchange passed in a hair's breadth, with no actual contact.

But soon, Kakashi's assault surged like a relentless tide.

His figure darted left and right, the short blade sometimes stabbing like lightning, sometimes brushing like a gentle breeze toward knees, wrists, ribs—any weak point in defense.

His swordsmanship was nimble and deceptive, his footwork exquisite, fully exploiting the short blade's flexibility and his own speed, bringing out the speed and adaptability of the White Fang Sword Style to the fullest.

Shinichi was like a reef in a raging current. His movement range was small, but every step was solid and steady. He gave up chasing Kakashi's phantom-like figure, focusing instead on defense and counterattack.

His long blade swung, no longer pursuing perfect sword forms, but becoming the most efficient tool for blocking and driving back.

Every swing was heavy and powerful, the blade wind roaring. He didn't aim to hit, only to force Kakashi to stay at a distance, unable to complete his intricate combos.

"Tch!"

The short blade grazed Shinichi's arm, cutting his clothes, but his tensed muscles and slight twist deflected most of the force, leaving only a shallow scratch.

"Whoosh!"

The long blade swept back, but Kakashi had already leaped away, the blade cutting only a lingering afterimage.

"Swoosh!"

Kakashi rolled low, the short blade slashing upward. Shinichi jerked his knee up, using his iron-hard knee to deflect the blade, while slamming the sword hilt down to drive him back.

After several exchanges, a strange balance emerged: Kakashi's offense was a storm, but every time he was about to land a hit, Shinichi's overwhelming strength and near-instinctive defensive instincts either neutralized it or forced him away.

Outside the arena, all the students held their breath, eyes locked on the fight.

And the two homeroom teachers—Teacher Matsumoto and Inoue-sensei—were tense, bodies leaning forward slightly, gazes sharp as hawks, tracking every move of the two in the ring.

Chakra had already begun to flow quietly within them, ready to intervene the moment a student might suffer serious injury or worse.

His speed is fast, but!

Not faster than me! And not agile enough!

Maybe like this...

A sharp glint flashed in Kakashi's eyes. He settled on a plan. No longer content with probing and stalking, he paused his figure, then burst forward with even greater speed than before, turning into a straight silver flash of extreme thrust!

Finally took the bait!

A smirk tugged at Shinichi's lips. The moment Kakashi pushed his speed to its peak, with his old force spent and new force not yet born, his trajectory hardest to change—

Shinichi moved too!

[Agile (White): Your movements are nimbler than the average person. Body coordination and action speed receive a minor boost.]

He only had that [Agile] trait, which gave a minor boost to his flexibility and speed—so speed wasn't his strong suit on paper.

But a trait was just equipment; the Personal Panel wouldn't show the stats he'd honed through training.

Besides, backed by his powerful physique and Chakra enhancement, Shinichi could brute-force miracles in speed too!

Boom!

The gravel beneath his feet exploded!

No retreat, no block—he charged straight at that silver flash, matching Kakashi's thrust speed without a hint of inferiority.

His long blade became a precise, swift diagonal slash, channeling all his strength and speed!

This strike, though launched later, seemed to predict everything. The blade aimed at the space ahead of Kakashi's thrust path and the joint of his sword arm!

A perfectly calculated intercept!

If Kakashi's speed was like a ghost, flickering and unpredictable, Then Shinichi was like a steady yet violent gale—calm at the eye, but once it erupted, it swept all before it.

And now was the moment of eruption!

Kakashi's pupils shrank sharply. Facing this oncoming slash, faster than he could imagine, He wanted to change his move, to dodge—

But his body could no longer be controlled at this extreme speed—all momentum and force had been poured into this single thrust.

Retreat?

Too late.

Dodge?

The blade had already sealed off every angle.

Abort the strike?

His center of gravity was lost.

He had no choice but to meet it head-on.

Clang!!!

The short blade and the long blade, with no room to avoid it, collided solidly together.

The sound was piercing, deafening, far louder than any previous clash.

Sparks burst from the point where the two blades struck.

Kakashi felt an irresistible torrent of immense force slam brutally into his blade. His arm went numb and sore, the short knife in his hand shuddering violently, nearly slipping from his grip. His center was wide open, his defenses exposed.

Now!

Shinichi's eyes flashed with a cold gleam. The raging gale finally broke free of all restraint, transforming into a devastating tsunami.

He stepped forward, his entire presence surging to its peak. The long blade held nothing back, slashing down simply and savagely from above.

No tricks—only pure power and speed.

And Kakashi, once again, felt it with stark clarity: that relentless, storm-like assault from their first battle, suffocating him, giving him no chance to breathe.

Clang!

The first strike sent Kakashi's barely raised short blade flying.

Thud!

The second strike—the flat of the blade slammed into Kakashi's hastily raised arm, forcing a pained grunt from him as his defenses completely collapsed.

Shing!

The third strike—the icy edge of the blade pressed steadily against the skin of Kakashi's neck, bringing a bone-chilling cold.

The storm had risen in an instant, and stopped just as abruptly.

Shinichi's weapon once again came to a steady halt before Kakashi's throat.

On the field, an absolute silence fell, as if all sound had been drained away.

Only the long blade, symbol of total victory, reflected a merciless gleam in the sunlight.

Victory and defeat—at this moment, there was no longer any dispute.