Yuki Yuichi wore an innocent expression. He felt that a pair of glasses would make it even better.
Kakashi's strength honestly wasn't enough to put up a fight against him. The time he'd pinned Kakashi to the ground and beaten him hadn't been a joke.
That was without using swordsmanship, though.
Yuki Yuichi was actually curious: if Kakashi used his family's Hatake Style Sword Technique this time, could he beat him without resorting to tricks?
Even with the Seventh and Sakura Haruno templates boosting him, templates didn't pass down physical strength.
The templates only gave him those three skills. If he had a bloodline, he'd get an additional Kekkei Genkai.
In other words, what made Yuki Yuichi powerful right now was the Uzumaki Clan bloodline, along with the twenty percent damage reduction granted by Nintaijutsu: Guard.
And there was also the ten percent boost to ninjutsu from his Ninja Student status.
As Yuki Yuichi weighed it all up, the people around them heard there was going to be a show and immediately got excited.
They didn't know Kakashi or Yuki Yuichi.
Neither boy's clothes bore a family crest.
"Awesome!"
"Fight! Fight!"
Two students who loved watching a spectacle shouted for them to get started.
Yuhi Kurenai, standing beside Yuki Yuichi, tugged worriedly at his sleeve. "A fight on the first day of school? Isn't that a bad idea?"
"Dad told us not to cause trouble..."
At her words, Yuki Yuichi grinned. "Don't worry. It's just a spar!"
"Uncle Shinku will understand if he finds out!"
Hearing that, Yuhi Kurenai realized she couldn't stop him, so she fell silent.
But the worry in her eyes didn't fade at all.
"All right," Yuhi Kurenai said, then pulled a bandage from her pocket.
"Good thing I brought this, hehe."
"If either of you gets hurt, you can use it!"
Yuhi Kurenai waved the bandage in front of Kakashi and Yuki Yuichi.
"Aw, Kurenai's so sweet!"
"I like her so much!"
"Damn it! How could someone steal such a sweet girl away from us? Kishiii!"
Yuhi Kurenai's gesture made quite a few boys in the classroom glare at Yuki Yuichi.
Hearing them, Yuki Yuichi narrowed his eyes and looked at the two boys who'd said they liked her and that she'd been stolen away. He silently committed their faces to memory.
You little punks. Once I'm done beating Copy Ninja, you're next!
"Let's head to the training ground now." Kakashi clenched his fists as he looked at Yuki Yuichi, the flames of revenge burning in his eyes.
"This time, I'll show you what the Hatake Style Sword Technique can do!"
After delivering his threat, Kakashi headed out of the classroom.
Yuki Yuichi followed right behind him.
And when the two boys set off, almost everyone in the classroom trailed after them.
Uchiha Obito walked beside Nohara Rin. "What's so interesting about this?"
"Rin, let's go get lunch."
Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin had known each other for a while.
One of Konoha's few paragons of virtue, Uchiha Obito had met Nohara Rin while helping an old lady cross the street. She'd been doing a good deed too.
He'd fallen head over heels the moment he saw her.
He just never dared to tell her how he felt.
At his words, Nohara Rin looked worried. "Obito, they're classmates. It'd be bad if one of them got hurt."
"I learned how to bandage wounds from my big sister Tamako at the hospital."
"If they get hurt, I can help."
"Ah... haha, I see." Uchiha Obito laughed awkwardly, then scratched his head. "I can help too!"
"I'm from the Uchiha Clan. If they lose control, I'll step in and stop them!"
Uchiha Obito's words only made Nohara Rin more worried.
They'd known each other for over half a year, so she knew what he was like...
Although Uchiha Obito was from the Uchiha Clan, he wasn't like the others. He was kind, helpful, sunny, and cheerful—but also a little unreliable...
As they talked, the crowd reached their destination.
Kakashi stood in the training area, pulled out his practice wooden sword, and looked at Yuki Yuichi.
Yuki Yuichi didn't back down. He leaped to face him and wrapped his hands in bandages.
The two faced each other, about ten meters apart, and formed the Seal of Confrontation at the same time.
"Coppy-shee, you can't beat me."
"I'm going to win!" Kakashi replied seriously. He drew his wooden sword and held it in both hands. "And my name is Kakashi Hatake!"
"Bastard!"
With a bark of "idiot," Kakashi charged straight at Yuki Yuichi.
"Those I've defeated have never been my rivals. I'll give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even see me!"
"Bastard!" Yuki Yuichi's words turned Kakashi's little face bright red with anger.
"So cool." Kakashi was furious, but the girls watching nearby had stars in their eyes.
Yuhi Kurenai glanced down at herself, then clenched her little fists. "Yuichi is mine!"
"He won't like anyone else!"
The boys' reaction was the complete opposite.
"Damn, he totally showed off!"
"What a jerk! He already has a girlfriend, and he's still flirting with other girls!"
"Let's beat him up after school!"
"Yeah!"
Although Yuki Yuichi had managed to show off, he was still very wary of Kakashi.
This was a guy who graduated at six, became a Chunin at seven, and made Jonin at twelve.
Setting aside Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the two cheat-code-level shinobi, maybe only Minato Namikaze had more talent than Kakashi in all of Konoha.
By the time the original story began, Kakashi had been depressed for a long time.
Even Uchiha Obito's eye had been a burden to him.
A thousand thoughts flashed through Yuki Yuichi's mind, but in reality, only an instant passed.
Kakashi had already closed in on him, swinging the wooden sword straight at his neck.
Kakashi was fast. The students watching let out startled cries.
But to Yuki Yuichi, he was still a little slow. He shifted to the side and dodged Kakashi's downward strike.
Kakashi seemed to have anticipated that move. He turned his wooden sword mid-swing, redirecting it into a horizontal slash at Yuki Yuichi's waist.
If it had been a real sword, one hit from that strike would have cut Yuki Yuichi in half at the waist.
Kakashi's two simple moves looked straightforward, but every strike was aimed at killing his opponent in one blow.
Kakashi moved quickly, both in his footwork and in the way he swung his sword.
But when he changed his downward strike into a horizontal slash, he paused for an instant.
That brief pause was enough for Yuki Yuichi to react.
To the astonishment of the crowd, he leaned backward, braced himself with both hands, and flipped back, carrying Kakashi's slash with him as he went.
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