Who Still Honestly Forms Hand Seals? Right, Kisame?

Yet even someone as powerful as Hatake Kakashi had struggled when facing either Uchiha Itachi or the Orochimaru from the earlier video. Clearly, those two stood at a much higher level than Hatake Kakashi, and not by just a little.

Since Hatake Kakashi himself was no match for Uchiha Itachi, could he still obtain power that surpassed Uchiha Itachi after becoming Hatake Kakashi's student in the future?

At that moment, he was incomparably pessimistic.

Perhaps there was a reason why the future Orochimaru had been so certain that he would seek him out for power.

Although he was an avenger who would even give up his soul for revenge, as long as there was the slightest other way, he would never abandon himself—unless he had fallen into complete despair.

Just as Hatake Kakashi analyzed Uchiha Itachi's series of moves, Uchiha Itachi merely said lightly, "As expected of Hatake Kakashi. Your insight is truly extraordinary."

The moment he finished speaking, Uchiha Itachi's Shadow Clone had already appeared behind Hatake Kakashi and pierced him through with a shuriken.

"A Shadow Clone? His hand seal speed is way too fast!" Yuuhi Kurenai said in shock.

Fortunately, the Hatake Kakashi before them had also turned into a pool of water and vanished from where he stood.

"A Water Clone Technique? Hmph, the Copy Ninja really did learn every last one of our village's ninjutsu."

Kisame Hoshigaki was likewise stunned by Hatake Kakashi's variety of ninjutsu and speed in forming hand seals.

Onscreen, Hatake Kakashi had hidden beneath the surface of the water and handed a shuriken to Yuuhi Kurenai. But before Yuuhi Kurenai could launch an attack, Hatake Kakashi suddenly pounced on her and knocked her far away.

"It's a Shadow Clone." Hatake Kakashi immediately saw through it. Even the Uchiha Itachi before them was merely a Shadow Clone.

The instant he spoke, Uchiha Itachi's Shadow Clone exploded, raising monstrous waves.

This series of battles of wits and skill shocked the Second Pillar outside the screen, making him feel even more clearly just what exactly he had been learning at the Ninja Academy.

Compared to these real ninjas—no, the very best among ninjas—his strength was not worth mentioning at all.

Any one of them possessed the power to kill him instantly.

"Damn it, was my strength really this fragile?" Second Pillar clenched his fists. Was the strength of him, the last remnant of the Uchiha Clan, really so insignificant?

At this rate, when would he ever avenge his clan? When would he be able to restore the Uchiha Clan's former glory?

At that moment, one of Kitahara Kaede's barrage comments drifted across the top of the video.

[It had to be said that the early battle between Itachi and Hatake the 50/50 was still incredibly exciting. There was all kinds of mind games, and they at least still knew to honestly form hand seals instead of making the great villain Kisame Hoshigaki look like some honest fellow.

Who still honestly forms hand seals? Right, Kisame!

Unlike later on, when everyone started Piloting Gundam one after another and nobody formed hand seals anymore. Was this still a battle between ninjas? Were they about to start cultivating immortality?]

Seeing the mockery in those words, Hatake Kakashi was somewhat speechless. Kitahara Kaede's twisted sense of humor was a little too much. What did he mean by "honestly forming hand seals"? Wasn't forming hand seals to use ninjutsu basic common sense?

Had the teachers at the Ninja Academy not taught him that when he attended?

And what did he mean by saying Kisame was an honest person?

This was a terrifying criminal rumored to have assassinated the Mizukage of Kirigakure and the Daimyo of the Land of Water. Hm? Why did that sound a little familiar? Wasn't there someone else who had done the same thing?

That was right. That person was Zabuza, one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the wielder of the Kubikiribōchō.

It was said that he had also committed the unforgivable crime of attempting to assassinate Kirigakure's Mizukage before fleeing Kirigakure.

Thinking of Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policy, who knew how many terrifying Killing Machines it had produced? If they treated ninjas as anything but people, then it was only a matter of time before those Killing Machines turned on them.

There were only seven members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in total, each one an outstanding figure in Kirigakure. Yet two of them had attempted to assassinate the Mizukage. It was easy to imagine just how unpopular the Mizukage had been.

His gaze returned to the screen, where he saw himself standing with his back to Uchiha Itachi while droplets from the Shadow Clone's explosion filled the sky.

"Don't let your guard down. He became a squad captain in the Anbu at thirteen," Hatake Kakashi said cautiously as he turned around.

"I didn't expect him to be this strong," Sarutobi Asuma said in shock.

"No, this was only the tip of the iceberg," Hatake Kakashi said calmly.

He recalled the days when he had worked alongside Uchiha Itachi.

Hearing those words, Second Pillar outside the screen clenched his fists even tighter.

He had attended the Ninja Academy too, so of course he knew that the Anbu was a gathering place for the elites of a ninja village. At the very least, one needed the strength of an Elite Chunin to qualify for entry.

And those were only ordinary Anbu members. Those who could become squad captains were said to possess strength comparable to, or even exceeding, that of Tokubetsu Jonin and Jonin.

In other words, Uchiha Itachi had possessed combat strength on par with Jonin Level at the age of thirteen. And what about him?

He probably could not even defeat the Chunin instructors at the academy right now.

Onscreen, Uchiha Itachi said, "You are not a member of the Uchiha Clan, yet you can still use the Sharingan to such an extent. However, your body is not one uniquely suited to the Uchiha Clan, so it cannot adapt to the Sharingan."

"Just as he said, I become exhausted after using it for even a short while," Hatake Kakashi said. Naturally, he understood that.

Even when he did not use the Sharingan, simply keeping it open consumed a great deal of his chakra. Using it in battle was even worse; after only a short time, his chakra reserves had already reached the danger line.

That was why he had completely become a high-damage, high-speed assassin ninja.

If he could not finish off his opponent quickly, his opponent might finish him off instead.

"Do you know why the Uchiha Clan is called the strongest and feared by all?" Uchiha Itachi closed his eyes. "Let me show you the true power of the Sharingan's Kekkei Genkai."

When he opened his eyes again, they had completely transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Among the three facing him, only Hatake Kakashi realized what was happening and hurriedly shouted, "Could it be—this is bad! You two, don't look into his eyes!"

Hearing him, Sarutobi Asuma and Yuuhi Kurenai obediently closed their eyes. They trusted Hatake Kakashi. If even he said there was a problem, then there truly was one.