The Third Hokage nodded too, one hand behind his back as he extended the other.
Kakashi took a deep breath.
The next second, his Wooden Sword cut through the air with a sharp whoosh, and he flashed in front of the Third Hokage, bringing his blade down in a diagonal slash.
The Third Hokage sidestepped and watched without making a move.
Kakashi's strike missed, but he didn't stop. He pivoted smoothly and swept his second slash across.
The Third Hokage took a step back.
Kakashi followed up with a third strike, then a fourth, then a fifth.
One slash flowed into the next, a sequence he had clearly practiced countless times. Yet he adjusted the angle and force of every strike to match the Third Hokage's position.
The children below stared, wide-eyed.
"So fast!"
"Is that the Hatake Style Blade Techniques?"
"This is the first time I've seen Kakashi fight so seriously."
Obito crouched among the crowd, his eyes fixed on the Silver Figure onstage.
Rin sat beside him, watching just as entranced.
Kakashi's blade grew faster and faster, his footwork increasingly nimble.
The Wooden Sword seemed to come alive in his hands. He slashed, chopped, swept, and thrust, every movement clean and precise, without a single wasted motion.
The Third Hokage still kept one hand behind his back, dodging with tiny shifts of his body and feet, but his gaze grew more and more focused.
After finishing the sequence, Kakashi lowered his sword and stepped back, breathing slightly hard.
The Third Hokage looked at him with undisguised admiration.
"Very good. You've mastered about seventy percent of the Hatake Style Blade Techniques. More importantly, you haven't just followed the forms rigidly. You adjusted every strike to your opponent's movements."
Kakashi looked up at him.
The Third Hokage smiled. "There are a few things I'd like to give you some pointers on."
He demonstrated a few movements, and Kakashi listened intently, nodding now and then.
Below the stage, Rin's eyes sparkled as she whispered, "The Third Hokage is giving Kakashi personal instruction."
Obito pressed his lips together and said nothing.
But he didn't look away from Kakashi either.
The Third Hokage spent about five or six minutes explaining things to Kakashi before finally stopping.
"That's enough for today."
Kakashi nodded and bowed earnestly. "Thank you for your guidance, Third Hokage."
The Third Hokage waved a hand, then looked toward Uchiha Toru.
"Next, Uchiha Toru."
Uchiha Toru stepped forward and bowed.
The Third Hokage looked at him, his expression a little more neutral than before. "Go ahead."
Uchiha Toru took a deep breath. Instead of rushing forward, he quickly jumped back and formed Hand Seals with both hands.
A small fireball burst from his mouth and flew toward the Third Hokage.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"He really can use Fire Style!"
"Uchiha really are something else."
The Third Hokage stood still. Only when the fireball reached him did he raise a hand and form a single seal.
A stream of water appeared out of nowhere, meeting the fireball precisely. With a hiss, the flames were extinguished, leaving only a wisp of white smoke.
Uchiha Toru froze.
"Your Fire Style is decent," the Third Hokage said, lowering his hand. "But your Hand Seals are too slow, and that jump before you cast was unnecessary."
Uchiha Toru opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he only lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
"Go practice." The Third Hokage waved him away.
Uchiha Toru silently stepped aside.
That was it?
Someone in the crowd murmured under their breath.
"That was all he said to the Uchiha?"
"He spent so much longer talking to Kakashi."
Uchiha Toru stood off to the side, his face expressionless, but his fist tightened slightly.
At last, the Third Hokage turned to Shin-chan.
Shin-chan was on tiptoe, trying to see what was happening. When he met the Third Hokage's gaze, he blinked.
"Is it my turn?"
The Third Hokage looked at him, his expression turning amused again. "Come on. Let's see what you can do."
Shin-chan blinked.
"Grandpa Hokage, you just fought two people. Aren't you tired?"
The Third Hokage paused, then laughed.
"What, are you worried I'll be too tired to beat you?"
Shin-chan thought about it and nodded seriously.
"A little."
Someone in the crowd couldn't help laughing.
The Third Hokage laughed too, his mustache quivering.
"Don't worry. I've still got enough in me to take you on."
Shin-chan raised his Wooden Sword. "Then here I come."
A Red Shadow flashed, and his Wooden Sword was already swinging toward the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage dodged as he watched the child's movements.
There were traces of the Hatake Style Blade Techniques.
But there was no real form to it.
And yet, the angle of every strike was unbelievably tricky, as though he didn't even have to think—his body simply knew where to swing.
Most frightening of all, he was getting faster.
At first, the Third Hokage could dodge with ease. But after a dozen or so exchanges, he realized he had to start taking things a little more seriously.
After twenty exchanges, he had to step back a little farther than before.
After thirty, Shin-chan's sword nearly clipped his sleeve.
The Third Hokage's eyes grew brighter.
Interesting.
He stopped merely dodging and began trying to block the strikes with his hand.
The crowd watched, stunned.
"Is the Third Hokage really sparring seriously with him?"
"How long have they been at it?"
"Longer than he went with Kakashi, right?"
Two more minutes passed before the Third Hokage finally jumped back and waved his hand with a smile.
"That's enough, that's enough."
Shin-chan stopped, panting. "Grandpa Hokage, you're amazing."
The Third Hokage walked over and ruffled Shin-chan's hair. "No family legacy, no formal training, and you've still made it this far. You're a natural-born Ninja."
Shin-chan's head bobbed back and forth as the Third Hokage ruffled his hair, but he didn't pull away.
The Third Hokage withdrew his hand and looked at the three children before him.
"All right, what would you like as a reward?"
Kakashi thought for a moment. "I'd like to borrow some Ninjutsu scrolls."
"Sure. I'll have someone deliver them to your house later."
Uchiha Toru hesitated. "I'd like to borrow some Ninjutsu scrolls too."
The Third Hokage nodded again. "I'll have someone send a set to your house as well."
Finally, he turned to Shin-chan.
Shin-chan blinked, looking hopeful. "Grandpa Hokage, can you get rid of green peppers for me?"
The Third Hokage froze. "What green peppers?"
"The green ones that taste awful. Mom makes me eat them every time. I don't want to, so can you order the village to stop growing them?"
The stage fell silent for two seconds.
Teacher Ibuki put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes in despair.
But the Third Hokage burst out laughing again.
He laughed even harder than before, his mustache quivering and tears nearly running from his eyes.
"Sorry, kid. I can't help you with that."
Shin-chan's face fell. "Why not?"
"Because green peppers are good for you. They're healthy."
"But they taste bad."
The Third Hokage laughed and shook his head. "You still have to eat them, even if they taste bad."
Shin-chan sighed, looking utterly defeated.
The Third Hokage saw his expression and laughed again. "How about this? I'll give you a different reward instead. You can look forward to it."
Before you continue