The Assessment × Continued

In the Training Ground, Kakashi's body became a small black blur.

A streak of white flashed through the lightning as Kakashi swung his short blade in an arc, using textbook form.

"But it's still no use."

The speed would have seemed fast even to an ordinary Chunin, but to Nara Dan, it was no different from a snail's pace.

"Thud!"

Kakashi was sent flying backward even faster than before. He used his short blade to reduce friction, dragging it across the ground and sending sparks bouncing in every direction.

Nara Dan had struck first despite Kakashi's head start, kicking the blade as it came slashing toward him. To anyone watching, it looked almost as if Kakashi had delivered the blade right to Dan's foot.

"Hm?"

Amid the scattering sparks, Nara Dan spotted several Shuriken flying toward him in a winding trajectory.

"Quite good battle awareness."

Nara Dan nodded approvingly. It was rare to see a six-year-old react so nimbly. Even when immediately put at a disadvantage, Kakashi had responded at once and disrupted his opponent's attack.

With Nara Dan's attention drawn to Kakashi, the other two finally realized the fight had begun.

"I know there's no chance of winning..."

"But I'll just have to grit my teeth and go for it."

Hyuga Nana wore a faint, wry smile. Even the clan head didn't have this kind of presence—or rather, the two presences were entirely different.

The clan head's presence came from years spent in a position of power, looking down on others from above. Nara Dan's presence was much simpler and more brutal.

It was like being stared down by some extremely dangerous, enormous beast. The moment you caught its eye, whether you lived or died no longer seemed to be in your hands.

"Rinya, let's go together—"

"Rinya?!"

Hyuga Nana looked in surprise at the spot beside her. At some point, Ino Rinya had disappeared, reacting even faster than she had.

"Damn it, I'll have to go alone."

Hyuga Nana did her best to maintain the composure expected of a member of a great clan, though cold sweat had already soaked her back.

Of course, Hyuga Nana wasn't stupid enough to charge straight in. She knew all too well how skilled their Jonin instructor was at close-quarters combat. Even the Gentle Fist, renowned for its close-combat prowess, was child's play to him.

Meanwhile, the fight between Nara Dan and Kakashi had grown increasingly intense.

Faced with the incoming Shuriken, Nara Dan's expression didn't change. He casually swung his right hand as if swatting away a pesky fly. His skin clashed against the iron, ringing out with a metallic clang, and the Shuriken dropped one after another like flies he'd slapped dead.

Kakashi didn't change expression, either. Instead, he formed Hand Seals.

"Earth Style: Stealth Technique!"

As his Chakra surged, Kakashi quickly sank into the earth.

He knew perfectly well that when facing an opponent he couldn't defeat, charging in head-on was no way to act as a ninja. Ninjas weren't soldiers, after all. Using every means at their disposal was a basic skill.

"Not bad. You know when to advance and when to retreat."

Nara Dan watched Kakashi use an Earth Style technique without trying to stop him, remaining right where he was.

"But you seem to have forgotten..."

Hyuga Nana, who had been watching and looking for a chance to strike, felt her heart lurch.

"No way..."

Nara Dan gave the girl a teasing smile.

"You forgot you still have teammates."

Sure enough, the next instant, Nara Dan appeared in front of Hyuga Nana. His iron-hard fist shot toward her without the slightest regard for her being a girl.

But Hyuga Nana did something completely unexpected. As a ninja of the Hyuga Clan, she retreated instead of trying to engage Nara Dan at close range.

Hyuga Nana was cursing like mad in her head. The clan had given her a briefing beforehand, so she knew all too well how absurdly good Nara Dan was at close-quarters combat.

"Even the clan head can't beat him. And this guy won't hold back just because I'm a girl."

Hyuga Nana seemed to understand Nara Dan's personality quite well. He didn't pay much attention to the distinction between men and women, especially in a fight.

"Knowing your limits isn't something you can just decide to have."

Nara Dan raised an eyebrow, then pushed off the ground and followed Hyuga Nana like a shadow.

With no other choice, Hyuga Nana resorted to the Hyuga Gentle Fist, which Nara Dan considered second-rate.

"Is this guy made of iron?!"

Hyuga Nana felt as if her bones were aching from the blows.

Nara Dan wasn't even using his full strength. He had simply adjusted his strength and speed to roughly match Hyuga Nana's.

Even so, his body was as hard as steel, giving the girl a nasty shock.

The exchange didn't last long. Nara Dan had often sought out Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga for Taijutsu matches, making him a Taijutsu fanatic.

His understanding of the Hyuga Gentle Fist was no worse than that of any Hyuga Jonin.

Hyuga Nana, on the other hand, was far too inexperienced.

With a single finger, he struck a gap in her defense. He hadn't used Chakra, but his deft application of force still left one side of her body numb.

"Now!"

Suddenly, the earth beside Nara Dan's foot split apart inch by inch, and a small figure emerged once more.

"Thunder Slash!"

The shoe print on the white blade revealed who its owner was.

There was no doubt that Kakashi had chosen a very clever moment to strike.

Nara Dan had just knocked Hyuga Nana to the ground and was caught between the end of one movement and the beginning of the next.

Ordinarily, no matter how experienced or strong an opponent was, they couldn't defy the laws of bodily momentum. That was why, once an attack was launched, there was no taking it back.

But that only applied to ordinary ninjas. Nara Dan, who had something of a cheat on his side, didn't have that weakness.

Or rather, he could already compensate for it with his other advantages.

Seeing the area Kakashi was targeting, Nara Dan frowned and slightly raised his heel, using his shin to block the full force of Kakashi's blade.

Kakashi's attack was no threat to him, but because Kakashi was short, he mostly targeted the lower body.

If he accidentally struck something he shouldn't, Nara Dan would be grossed out even if he wasn't hurt.

"Clang!"

The blade struck his flesh with a crisp sound, accompanied by the crackle and hum of electricity.

"It's no use."

Nara Dan once again planted a heavy, forceful kick on Kakashi.

"Let me tell you straight: any technique below A-rank is basically just a tickle to me."

Kakashi's future Lightning Blade might have had some chance of injuring Nara Dan, but the Kakashi of today was still far too green.

"Hm?"

The small figure Nara Dan had kicked turned into a cloud of smoke.

"A Shadow Clone? Then the real one is—"

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

Kakashi was in another direction, crouching halfway down and forming Hand Seals with sweat on his brow.

A B-rank technique was still far too taxing for a six-year-old's body.

For most Chunin, a B-rank technique was already a trump card or a finishing move.

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