Assessment × Continuation

In the training ground, the body of Kakashi transformed into a small, dark shadow.

A thin line of white light flashed amidst the crackle of electricity, and Kakashi swung his short blade in an arc with a textbook-perfect exertion of force.

"But it's still useless."

To an average chunin, this speed would be considered fast, but to Nara Dan, it was no different from a snail.

"Bang!"

Instantly, Kakashi retreated at a speed even faster than his approach, using his short blade to reduce friction as it dragged along the ground, kicking up sparks.

It turned out that Nara Dan had moved after him but arrived first, landing a direct kick on the blade Kakashi had swung. To any onlooker, it almost looked like Kakashi had offered his blade up to be kicked.

"Hmm?"

Amidst the jumping sparks, Nara Dan spotted several shuriken flying toward him in a winding trajectory.

"Your combat awareness is quite good."

Nara Dan nodded in approval; for a six-year-old to show such agility and adaptability was truly rare. Even when caught on the back foot, he could react instantly to disrupt the enemy's offensive rhythm.

Because Nara Dan's attention had been drawn by Kakashi, the other two realized that the battle had already begun.

"Even though I know there's absolutely no chance,"

"I have no choice but to bite the bullet and go."

A wry smile hung on the face of Hyuga Nana. Even the clan head didn't possess this kind of presence—or rather, it wasn't the same type of presence at all.

If the clan head's aura was that of someone accustomed to holding a high position, looking down from above, then Nara Dan's aura was far more simple and brutal.

It was like being targeted by some extremely dangerous large predator; the moment you were locked onto, your survival was no longer in your own hands.

"Ino Rinya, let's go together."

"Ino Rinya?!"

Hyuga Nana looked to her side in surprise. Without her noticing, Ino Rinya had already vanished, moving even faster than her own reaction.

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

Hyuga Nana barely maintained the composure of a great clan, even though her back was already soaked in cold sweat.

Of course, Hyuga Nana wasn't stupid enough to charge in head-on. She was well aware of the close-quarters combat ability of this instructor jonin; even the Gentle Fist, famous for its melee prowess, was no different from a child's play in front of him.

On the other side, the battle between Nara Dan and Kakashi had reached a fever pitch.

Facing the incoming shuriken, Nara Dan's expression remained unchanged. He waved his right hand lightly, as if swatting away an annoying fly. His skin collided with the refined iron, producing a clanging sound of metal on metal, and the shuriken fell to the ground like dead flies.

Seeing this, Kakashi's expression didn't falter. Instead, he formed hand seals.

"Earth Style, Stealth Technique!"

With a surge of chakra, Kakashi quickly sank into the ground.

He knew very well that when facing an unbeatable opponent, brute force was definitely not the way of a ninja. A ninja was not a warrior, after all; using every means necessary was a basic requirement.

"Not bad, knowing when to advance and when to retreat."

Nara Dan watched Kakashi perform the earth-style jutsu without stopping him, remaining exactly where he stood.

"But you seem to have forgotten something."

Hyuga Nana, who was watching from the sidelines and looking for an opening, felt her heart tremble at the sight.

"No way."

Nara Dan gave the young girl a playful smile.

"You forgot that you still have a teammate."

Sure enough, the next instant, Nara Dan appeared in front of Hyuga Nana. His iron-like fist struck out fiercely, showing no mercy for her gender.

However, Hyuga Nana made a very unexpected move. As a ninja of the Hyuga clan, she actually retreated, unwilling to engage in close-quarters combat with Nara Dan.

Hyuga Nana was cursing internally. As someone who had been briefed by her clan beforehand, she knew all too well how absurd Nara Dan's close-quarters combat ability was.

"Even the clan head is no match for 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, knowing that he didn't have much concept of gender, especially in the heat of battle.

"Self-awareness? That's not something you can just have whenever you want."

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

With no other choice, Hyuga Nana had to employ the Hyuga Gentle Fist, which looked like a half-baked attempt in Nara Dan's eyes.

"Is this guy made of solid iron?!"

Hyuga Nana only felt the pain in her bones from the impact.

Even though Nara Dan wasn't using his full strength and had controlled his power and speed to be roughly on par with Hyuga Nana, the steel-like hardness of his body still made the girl suffer greatly.

This scene didn't last long. As a taijutsu fanatic who often sparred with Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, Nara Dan's understanding of the Hyuga Gentle Fist was second to none among any Hyuga jonin.

As for Hyuga Nana, she was far too green.

With a single finger, Nara Dan pierced through a flaw in Hyuga Nana's defense; although he used no chakra, the clever application of force left half of her body numb.

"Now!"

Suddenly, the earth beside Nara Dan's feet cracked inch by inch, and a short figure appeared once more.

"Thunder Slash!"

A footprint on the white blade revealed the identity of its owner.

Undoubtedly, Kakashi had chosen an incredibly clever moment to strike.

Nara Dan was in the middle of pinning Hyuga Nana to the ground, caught in that critical threshold where his previous momentum was spent and his new strength had yet to arise.

Generally speaking, no matter how experienced or powerful an opponent might be, they could not violate the laws of human inertia; the principle that one cannot take back a strike once launched held true for everyone.

But that applied to ordinary ninjas; Nara Dan, a cheater, did not suffer from such flaws.

Or rather, he could already compensate for them through other advantages.

Watching the target of Kakashi's attack, Nara Dan frowned and slightly lifted his heel, using his lower leg to block the entire momentum of Kakashi's blade.

Although Kakashi's attack posed no real threat, because of his limited height, he was mostly aiming for the lower body.

If he happened to poke somewhere he shouldn't, even if it didn't cause any damage, Nara Dan would still find it repulsive.

"Clang!"

The blade collided with flesh, producing a crisp sound accompanied by the buzzing hum of electricity.

"Useless."

Nara Dan once again planted a heavy, powerful kick onto Kakashi.

"I might as well tell you directly: ninjutsu below A-rank is basically the same as a tickle to me."

If it were the future Chidori, there might be a chance of injuring Nara Dan, but the current Kakashi was still too green.

"Hm?"

The short figure Nara Dan had kicked transformed into a puff of smoke.

A Shadow Clone. Then the real body is...

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

In another direction, Kakashi was half-crouched, sweat beading on his forehead as he formed the hand seals.

For a six-year-old body, a B-rank ninjutsu was still far too taxing.

Generally, B-rank ninjutsu were considered trump cards or finishing moves even at the Chunin level.

The contract is signed, brothers! Thank you, please keep reading and provide recommendations. I'm a newcomer, please help me out!

Please, please, please!