What Kind of Title Should I Use?

To spar with a genius like Hatake Kakashi, one must go all out, especially since his teacher is Namikaze Minato.

Kakashi crossed his hands, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

"Shadow Clone Technique."

Two shadow clones appeared instantly, flanking him from the left and right.

Kakashi's original body gripped the White Fang, tapped his feet lightly, and charged from the center.

Byakuya tilted his Ninja Sword, the moonlight spilling over his Shuten-doji mask, making it look even more eerie: "Too slow."

Having witnessed the speed of Pakura of Sunagakure, Hatake Kakashi was indeed much slower.

He leaped down from the tree trunk.

Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique.

A faint, pale blue ripple remained in his place, like the rings formed by a breeze blowing across a lake.

In an instant, he bypassed the pincer attack of the clones and appeared directly beside the original body, pressing his waist as if standing in a stable stance. Without needing to adjust his balance, he exerted force to swing his blade, the edge coated in Storm Release chakra, appearing as if wrapped in a layer of lightning.

Kakashi couldn't even dodge; he couldn't even muster a look of shock.

Too fast! It was simply too fast.

He knew in his heart that this was a Body Flicker Technique, but that technique relied on a burst of chakra for acceleration; no matter how fast, it shouldn't reach the level of teleportation.

Was this person using a Body Flicker Technique?

Or was it like the Flying Thunder God technique that Minato excelled at, a space-time ninjutsu for short-range teleportation?

Kakashi knew he had no time to dodge or counterattack, so he could only let the Ninja Sword whistle through the air toward his shoulder.

Byakuya did not hold back his strength. The blade struck Kakashi's body, but there was no spray of flesh or blood; this was also a shadow clone of Kakashi, intended as a trap to lure him into revealing a flaw.

At that very moment, the other two shadow clones had already reached Byakuya's sides, the short blades known as White Fang thrusting toward his vitals.

"Got you."

Two hands suddenly shot out from the ground beneath Byakuya, gripping his ankles tightly.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as a head poked out from the ground: "After losing to you last time, I kept thinking about how to defeat you. After much thought, perhaps only this method would work."

Byakuya remained expressionless as he performed hand seals—only two were needed.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."

He spat out a massive volume of water, which immediately swirled in a circle, protecting him without any blind spots.

The turbulent water, crackling with lightning, not only dispersed and pierced through the two shadow clones but also frightened Kakashi into quickly releasing Byakuya's ankles and retreating using Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage.

Because a stream of water filled with lightning had condensed into a water arrow, aiming directly at the head Kakashi had exposed above ground.

Hatake Kakashi emerged from behind a large tree, gasping for air.

The mysterious person wearing the Shuten-doji mask had grown stronger again.

When did such a ninja appear in Konoha?

He waited until his breathing steadied.

He poked his head out and scanned the direction of the masked man.

The figure was long gone, leaving behind only the cold, lonely moonlight.

The wind blowing through the forest brushed against Kakashi's face.

Suddenly, he felt something land lightly on his shoulder.

It couldn't be a bug from the trees, could it?

When he turned his head to look at his shoulder.

The edge of a Ninja Sword was less than ten centimeters from his neck.

"Don't move," Byakuya said, his voice still hoarse.

"I lost. How did you know all three were my shadow clones?" Hatake Kakashi sighed with dejection; losing to the same person repeatedly would make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Byakuya replied calmly: "Perception."

"It's that simple?"

"The flaws in how you use the Shadow Clone Technique are a bit too large."

Kakashi, the genius boy in the eyes of others, immediately wore an expression of someone seeking guidance: "May I ask, senior, what the problem is?"

"How do you understand the Shadow Clone Technique?"

Kakashi replied as if it were obvious: "A means to confuse the enemy, keeping the original body hidden in the shadows to find the enemy's opening!"

"Right, and yet wrong."

"Huh? Where is it wrong?! Minato-sensei taught it to me, Obito, and Rin exactly like that."

"A ninja as powerful as Lord Minato can naturally use the Shadow Clone Technique as a way to confuse the enemy; the philosophy he taught you is correct.

But in my view, before one has sufficient strength, the Shadow Clone Technique shouldn't just have the option of confusing the enemy; there is also..."

Hatake Kakashi asked excitedly, "What else is there?"

Byakuya looked into his eyes. At this point in time, Uchiha Obito had not yet given his Sharingan to Kakashi, and Kakashi had not yet been promoted to Jonin.

"The true purpose of the Shadow Clone Technique."

"The... true purpose?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.

"The Second Hokage invented the Shadow Clone Technique for gathering intelligence. This technique can not only confuse the enemy but also replace the original body to familiarize itself with the enemy's ninjutsu, taijutsu, ninja tools, and other information.

For instance, ever since you lost to me last time, you haven't dared to face me head-on with sword skills. Instead, you chose to set a trap for me using the Shadow Clone Technique, hoping that I would be foolish enough to fall for it.

But tell me, how do you know that the one standing before you is my original body, and not a shadow clone?"

Byakuya sheathed his Ninja Sword and dispelled the Shadow Clone Technique.

A look of disbelief gradually appeared in Hatake Kakashi's eyes.

Byakuya stepped out from behind a tree not far away and walked slowly up to Kakashi. "Do you understand now? Your name is Hatake Kakashi, right? To have such strength at your age is impressive. You will become a Jonin of Konoha sooner or later, and perhaps one day, you might even become Hokage."

Kakashi felt a complex mix of emotions and didn't know what to say. After racking his brain, he took a step back and bowed respectfully to Byakuya. "Thank you for your guidance, senior. Uh, I haven't asked for your name yet."

He pointed to his mask. "Just call me Shuten-doji."

"You..."

"I don't like to be in the spotlight, even though fate always pushes me into it."

Hatake Kakashi thought it over, but he couldn't grasp the meaning of Byakuya's words. Wasn't the biggest news in the village recently the battle between Namikaze Minato and the jinchuriki of Kumogakure?

"Yes, I understand, senior. I hope I can train with you."

"That won't be necessary. Given the intensity of the war, you will be sent to the battlefield soon. Oh, that's right, didn't you leave the village with Lord Minato? Why have you returned?"

Kakashi answered honestly, "Teacher Minato is worried about our safety. He believes we lack the experience to deal with war, so he ordered us to return to the village temporarily. Once he finishes his urgent business, he will teach us and help us gain war experience."

"Namikaze Minato is truly a good teacher."

Kakashi, who was considered quite cold by others, seemed to have opened up in front of Byakuya. "Teacher is great at everything, except he's afraid of his wife, and he's always one step late."

Namikaze Minato, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God, was clearly the fastest in the ninja world, yet he was always a step late at critical moments.

How ironic.

Byakuya nodded. "It's getting late. We shall meet again if fate allows."

"Hey, senior, your age..."

Kakashi's question remained unasked.

He saw Byakuya cross his hands into a cross shape, with his index and middle fingers pressed together.

"That's the hand seal for the Shadow Clone Technique," Kakashi muttered to himself.

The Byakuya standing right in front of him suddenly vanished.

It was still the Shadow Clone Technique! It was still not Byakuya's original body.

Kakashi shouted in a sudden burst of agitation, "Senior, you're too sneaky!! Can't you talk to me with your real body?!"

Unfortunately, Byakuya could no longer hear him.

His original body had reached the edge of the forest, only to be blocked by Orochimaru.