"Hatake Kakashi."
Kakashi calmly introduced himself.
At that moment, everyone in the arena fixed their eyes on Akiyama Shun and Kakashi. After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Here they come!"
"I told you Kakashi was too strong to run away! He really did show up!"
"Now this is going to be a real fight!"
"..."
On the high platform, Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled and took a puff from his pipe. "Those two sure know how to make a dramatic entrance."
Then Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to the Third Kazekage, looking somewhat apologetic. "It seems those two were late because they were training. Sorry to have kept you waiting, Third Kazekage."
The Third Kazekage felt conflicted, but kept his expression neutral and waved a hand.
"If they were training to face a powerful opponent, that's understandable. Besides, they arrived within the allotted time, so it's no trouble."
The two old men exchanged a glance.
They both knew exactly what the other was thinking, but kept up a friendly front.
In the arena,
Akiyama Shun looked at the referee. "There are still ten seconds left on the countdown. We're not late, so Kakashi hasn't been disqualified, right?"
The referee glanced at his watch and nodded. "You arrived within the allotted time. You're not late, and the match can go on!"
Once he confirmed there was no problem with the match, Akiyama Shun left the arena and went to the stands, where he found an empty seat and sat down.
Kakashi turned to face Karura, his expression solemn as he drew the White Fang Blade. He remembered all too well how terrifying her sand-controlling techniques were—and her "Absolute Defense"!
"Would you like to rest first?"
To Kakashi's surprise, Karura didn't seem bothered by how late he was. She was even concerned about his condition.
"I'm fine... thanks for asking."
Kakashi paused before answering.
Hearing his reply, Karura nodded and prepared for battle as well.
Once the referee saw that they were ready, he immediately announced, "Begin!"
The instant the referee's words fell, Kakashi tried to do what he had in the previous matches: draw his blade and close the distance. But this time, it didn't work. Karura was faster!
It began to rain from the sky.
No, more accurately, it was raining pellets—pellets made of sand, pouring toward the ground like rain!
"Sand Hail!"
Karura had watched Kakashi fight, just as he had watched her. She knew his first move would be to find a way to get close, and she had already prepared a counter.
Seeing that he couldn't close in, Kakashi didn't lose heart. He sheathed the White Fang Blade and quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Flames like phoenix flower seeds burst from Kakashi's mouth and scattered in every direction across the sky. When the flames struck the sand pellets, they sizzled as if scorching them, and the two attacks canceled each other out, clearing a safe area above Kakashi.
But Karura's second wave of attacks followed immediately!
Shuriken made of sand shot from Karura's direction toward Kakashi!
Kakashi hurriedly dodged. As he evaded the first shuriken, he drew the White Fang Blade again. Chakra quickly coated the blade, and he slashed apart several more sand shuriken flying at him.
Seizing the opening, he immediately used the Body Flicker Technique and charged toward Karura!
Karura had too many long-range attacks. He couldn't let the fight drag on. He had to get close!
Kakashi was incredibly fast. He closed the distance during a lull in Karura's attacks, and the White Fang Blade in his hand came slashing down!
Against any other Chunin Ninja Exams participant, that strike would have killed or maimed them. But Karura didn't even glance at Kakashi as he attacked.
Just before the White Fang Blade could hit, the sand beneath Karura's feet reacted at once. Like loyal guards surrounding their king, it formed a shield and perfectly blocked Kakashi's attack.
But Kakashi had anticipated this. The moment his attack was blocked, he used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat!
When Kakashi reappeared, he was at Karura's flank, and his blade came down again!
"Bang!"
A new sand shield appeared, blocking Kakashi's attack.
Kakashi kept changing positions and attacking, but a sand shield always appeared in just the right place, making his attacks seem utterly futile.
By the end, the sand shields had nearly enclosed Karura. Kakashi's attacks had not only failed to hurt her—they had made her defense even more formidable!
At last, when Kakashi tried to use the Body Flicker Technique to attack again, a mass of sand surged out from Karura and rapidly spread toward him. A sense of danger instantly engulfed Kakashi.
"Sand Binding Coffin!"
Kakashi decisively abandoned his attack and sprang backward. To get away from the sand, he even used chakra to stand on the wall.
He recognized this attack. During the preliminaries, Karura had ended the fight with this very technique.
Karura watched Kakashi. The sand shields still surrounded her, protecting her and making her defense seem hopeless to overcome.
In the stands, some of the spectators rooting for Kakashi couldn't even imagine him winning.
Only Akiyama Shun still wore a smile, completely unconcerned that Kakashi might lose.
On the high platform,
The Third Kazekage chuckled. "It seems that even the White Fang of Konoha's son can't break through Karura's Absolute Defense."
The Third Kazekage's reasoning was simple: if even the White Fang of Konoha's son couldn't overcome Absolute Defense, that boy called Akiyama Shun probably couldn't either.
That meant Karura was sure to become champion!
Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to say something, but when he saw Kakashi's movements, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
He stopped himself and changed what he was about to say. "Those two have trained for so long. I believe in him."
The Third Kazekage didn't respond, assuming Sarutobi Hiruzen was just bluffing.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth. No wonder those two had spent the last seven days together. It seemed that boy Akiyama Shun had a real talent for teaching.
He saw Kakashi forming Hand Seals, and he recognized them. Kakashi had formed the same seals during his battle with Akiyama Shun in the park on that rainy day.
Ox–Rabbit–Monkey.
"Chidori!"
At Kakashi's low cry, a dense crackling filled his palm.
The piercing cry of a thousand birds ripped through the air. Beneath Kakashi's palm, dazzling blue electricity surged like an invisible plow, carving a charred, broken furrow into the ground.
As he raced forward, the furrow expanded wildly beneath the lightning. Clods of earth flew everywhere, and the sight was terrifying.
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