"Before the body has fully matured, it will always have all sorts of shortcomings."
"The gap in physical ability, the speed at which your cells extract chakra, and, most importantly, the amount of chakra you have."
Even with a small tanto extending his reach, Kakashi's body was still far too short.
As everyone knew, the only tricks short people had were stepping on feet and chopping at knees. Any short person who tried jumping up to chop someone's head had probably already been knocked flat.
Hatake Kakashi wasn't even tall enough to perform a proper throat-cutting motion.
He had tried to cut Uchiha Yuji's throat several times, only for Yuji to dodge each attempt with casual ease. That was the advantage of being taller.
Hatake Kakashi had been swinging for ages and still hadn't been taken down by Uchiha Yuji. Anyone could see by now that this wasn't an examination or a trial. It was a lesson.
"Talent that hasn't yet been turned into strength won't help you at all on the battlefield. If anything, it'll hold you back."
"On the battlefield, there are shinobi whose job is to hunt down geniuses like you."
"People who resent your dazzling talent will hunt you down so their juniors don't have to face a formidable opponent."
Yuji's nonchalant attitude and constant blathering made Hatake Kakashi more and more irritated.
Lightning Release chakra coursed through Hatake Kakashi's body, making him faster and the White Fang's tanto more lethal, brimming with killing intent.
Chakra burst from the soles of his feet. Sand and dust billowed from the ground as his body became a blur, leaving behind only a flash of cold light!
At some point, the tanto in Hatake Kakashi's hand had appeared right in front of Uchiha Yuji's chest.
A clear ringing note followed as the blade tore through the air.
But the keen blade stopped in front of Uchiha Yuji, unable to advance even a millimeter.
Solid chakra enveloped Uchiha Yuji's index finger, and that finger alone had stopped Hatake Kakashi's tanto.
His small body strained to muster all its strength.
The blade trembled slightly, but the fingertip remained firmly in place, utterly motionless.
Hatake Kakashi wasn't the only one stunned by the sight. Everyone was.
Their jaws seemed to drop of their own accord, their eyes widened and stared at the unbelievable scene, and their minds went completely blank.
"To put it bluntly, a Genin is just dust on the battlefield."
"Whether there's one speck of dust to sweep away or two, a strong person won't see any difference."
As Uchiha Yuji spoke, he coated his middle finger in solid chakra and slowly tapped the trembling blade with the pad of his finger.
To the eye, Uchiha Yuji's middle finger seemed to move without exerting any force. Yet Hatake Kakashi felt an immense impact through the handle of the tanto.
The powerful jolt made his hand go numb for a moment. Then he felt the weapon grow light in his grasp, and a streak of white suddenly appeared before him. The blade rang softly as it came to rest on Hatake Kakashi's shoulder.
Hatake Kakashi stopped gathering chakra and looked up at Uchiha Yuji.
The Uchiha Clan's most famous Kekkei Genkai was nowhere to be seen in his eyes as he fought. They were still black. He had let Hatake Kakashi attack him for several minutes, yet there wasn't a single wrinkle in his clothes.
The gap was enormous!
Hatake Kakashi couldn't even figure out how he might hurt him. The pressure was greater than when he practiced swordsmanship against his father. The difference felt like an ignorant ant trying to match an elephant's strength.
"You can't even keep a firm grip on the weapon your life depends on. Kakashi, you've failed my assessment." Uchiha Yuji casually tossed the tanto back to Hatake Kakashi.
Hatake Kakashi caught the spinning tanto in a tight grip. His knuckles had gone white, making it clear that he was using every ounce of strength he had.
He clearly didn't accept the result.
"Grow for a few more years, then become a proper shinobi. You're still too green." Uchiha Yuji spoke gently again. "You're too weak, Kakashi."
Some of the civilian Chunin present looked ready to cry at Uchiha Yuji's words.
If they fought Kakashi for their lives right now, they really couldn't be certain they would beat this little White Fang.
A good number of them figured they'd be done for the moment Hatake Kakashi got close.
If someone like Hatake Kakashi was still being kept at the Ninja Academy, did that mean they'd have to go back and study there again, too?
If they really had to return to the Ninja Academy, they might even laugh in their sleep.
With the assessment over and no more spectacle to watch, everyone left in a hurry. Uchiha Yuji was about to leave as well when a white-haired man in a flak jacket blocked his way.
"Um... Yuji, could we talk?" Hatake Sakumo scratched the back of his head.
The Hatake White Fang, a terror on the battlefield, was just a clueless dad at that moment.
"Go ahead."
Hatake Sakumo spoke without hesitation. "I know Kakashi's abilities best. He's easily on par with an average Chunin. There's no reason he shouldn't be able to pass the Ninja Academy's graduation exam."
He had seen the look on Hatake Kakashi's face. He felt for his son, and he was also rather puzzled by Uchiha Yuji's decision.
Uchiha Yuji raised his head and gazed at Konoha's most iconic landmark, Kage Rock, clearly visible from every corner of the village.
The lifelike carving of Senju Hashirama looked down on the village he had loved.
"Konoha was founded jointly by the Uchiha and Senju clans. People today may have forgotten the shared vision the Senju and Uchiha held when they first established this village."
"But records of it still remain within the Uchiha Clan."
"Children shouldn't be sent to the battlefield. They should be allowed to grow up safe and sound, laughing as they grow. That's the most fundamental principle, because children represent the future."
"By the time of the Third, that foundation seems to have been broken. The Will of Fire itself seems to have been twisted, reshaped to fit the Third's ideals."
"Fallen leaves burn to ash, allowing new buds to grow stronger. That was the original Will of Fire."
When Konoha was short on manpower, Sarutobi Hiruzen had drafted the sixth-year students of the Ninja Academy. As a frontline commander, Hatake Sakumo knew this all too well.
He gave a wry smile. "I see."
"So that was the vision behind Konoha's founding."
His smile abruptly vanished. Hatake Sakumo put on a serious expression and bowed to Uchiha Yuji.
"Please look after Kakashi."
Before you continue