The Gap

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at these words, rolled his eyes, and retorted dismissively, "The first time was indeed my carelessness, and I nearly fell for your tricks, but you haven't gained any advantage in our subsequent exchanges, have you?"

Hozuki Mangetsu grinned and chuckled, "Your Lightning Release ninjutsu is indeed a counter to me, but I have already... Hm? What is that expression? Are you already starting to feel afraid?"

The usually listless, dead-fish eyes of the Kakashi before him suddenly widened, staring at him intently as if he had seen something terrifying, which left Hozuki Mangetsu feeling quite puzzled.

Meanwhile, the Kirigakure Ninja who were fighting Guy, Obito, and the others nearby also suddenly distanced themselves from their opponents, then stopped to look in the direction where he was standing.

"Leave this to me; you all go support the others."

A cold voice rang out from behind Hozuki Mangetsu. The Kirigakure Ninja responded in unison, cast a sympathetic glance at Kakashi and his companions, and then departed the scene.

Hearing this familiar voice, Hozuki Mangetsu turned his head to see his teacher, Uesugi Shinji. His expression turned strange, and as he stroked his chin, he asked in a puzzled tone, "I heard that some ninjas love nothing more than slaughtering fledgling geniuses, but I didn't expect you to have a taste for that too, Teacher! However, Kakashi is my opponent, so even if you are my teacher, I won't..."

Before Hozuki Mangetsu could finish his sentence, he noticed his teacher casting a cold, sidelong glance at him. A chill ran through his heart, and he immediately backed down and changed his tune.

"Uh... you are the teacher, please, go ahead."

Hozuki Mangetsu curled his lip in resignation, sheathed his wakizashi, and stepped aside, silently mourning for Kakashi and the others.

Seeing Uesugi Shinji standing before him with an expressionless face, beads of cold sweat slowly dripped down Kakashi's forehead, and the expression beneath his mask became extremely grave. Facing an enemy capable of going toe-to-toe with his own teacher, he knew he had no chance.

"All of you, move toward Nara Suzaku immediately. I will handle this guy."

While keeping a wary eye on Uesugi Shinji, Kakashi instructed his companions behind him.

By now, Obito, Guy, and the others could also tell that Uesugi Shinji was not someone to be trifled with. Just being swept by the man's gaze made them feel icy cold, as if they were prey held by the throat by a predator. Their bodies, which had finally relaxed thanks to Kakashi's guidance, tensed up once more.

Ever since Obito and the others were assigned to this unit, Terumi Mei and Namikaze Minato had been locked in a passive standoff, and the two sides had not clashed since, which was why they failed to recognize Uesugi Shinji's identity.

Even so, they all understood Kakashi's intent. It was clear that Kakashi was prepared to sacrifice himself to face the powerful enemy alone, buying time for them to catch their breath.

"What kind of joke is this? Do you think I need your protection? No matter how strong the enemy is, I won't back down!"

Obito walked up to Kakashi and roared at him. Although his tone seemed unfriendly, he was actually deeply worried about his comrade, and his true goal was to fight alongside Kakashi.

"Obito is right. The more difficult the situation, the more we must work together. Abandoning our comrades is not something we were taught at the Ninja Academy!" Guy grinned, walked up to Kakashi's side, and assumed a taijutsu combat stance.

Nohara Rin, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu also nodded with firm expressions, stepping up to Kakashi's side, insisting on standing and falling with him.

Seeing the resolve of his companions, Kakashi felt moved, but he was even more anxious.

He wanted to continue persuading his friends to join up with Nara Suzaku, but before the words could leave his mouth, his vision blurred. Uesugi Shinji, who had been nearly twenty meters away, was already right in front of him. The wind pressure from the high-speed movement hit his face, mixed with a sharp killing intent that stifled his breath.

Uesugi Shinji swung his wakizashi horizontally. Kakashi reacted with incredible speed, immediately raising his short blade to parry. With a loud clang, the wakizashi collided with the short blade, and a powerful force sent a numbing jolt through his arm.

How is this possible? In terms of raw strength, he seems even stronger than my teacher!

As shock washed over Kakashi, his body was forced backward several steps, unable to execute the counterattack he had planned after blocking the strike.

Because Uesugi Shinji's movements were too fast, only Guy, besides Kakashi, was able to react. Seeing Kakashi's stance broken and him being forced back by a single blow, Guy immediately launched an attack from the side to relieve the pressure on Kakashi.

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"

Guy's body transformed into a blur of green light, instantly executing a powerful, heavy roundhouse kick. Not far away, Hozuki Mangetsu let out a surprised "Oh?" upon seeing Guy's move. He hadn't expected one of these Konoha rookies to be so skilled in taijutsu, though the boy's appearance left him at a loss for words.

Uesugi Shinji raised his left arm to block Guy's whirlwind kick, the force behind it leaving him slightly surprised. But surprise aside, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

He swung his right hand upward, his wakizashi carving an arc as if to cut Guy in half. Guy's "Leaf Strong Whirlwind" was a high-aggression taijutsu technique intended to force the enemy back and create an opening through sheer power, allowing him to follow up with a barrage of attacks.

But now, Uesugi Shinji's strength far exceeded his own. By not retreating and instead bracing against the move, he left Guy in a suspended, mid-air state—a highly dangerous position in combat.

Seeing this, the Konoha group gasped. Guy, suspended in mid-air, looked like an immobile target, and the image of him being sliced in two, blood spraying everywhere, already flashed before their eyes.

Guy, however, did not panic. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth that even caught a glint of sunlight.

Putting more force into the leg that had struck Uesugi Shinji's left arm, Guy used the enemy's arm as a pivot to propel his entire body, performing a mid-air flip that narrowly allowed him to evade Uesugi Shinji's slash.

"A true taijutsu genius, but what a pity."

Uesugi Shinji held Guy in high regard, but the gap in their strength meant that no matter how quick Guy's reflexes or how strong his combat instincts were, he could not cope with his attacks.

After his slash was evaded, Uesugi Shinji used the momentum of the swing to turn and thrust his right leg straight toward Guy's chest. Guy tried to raise his arms to protect his chest, but the distance was too short and Uesugi Shinji's attack too fast; the kick bypassed his crossed arms and struck him square in the chest.

A sickening sound of cracking bones echoed through the air. Guy let out a miserable cry as he was kicked far away, slamming into a thick tree trunk before falling to the ground, motionless.

In just two or three exchanges, the strongest among them, Kakashi, had been easily repelled, and Guy, whose strength was only slightly inferior to Kakashi's, had been struck down, his life hanging in the balance.

Obito, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu, who had only just reacted, stood frozen in shock, while Nohara Rin ran toward Guy in a panic to provide emergency aid, her large eyes brimming with tears born of fear and anxiety.

At this moment, Kakashi and Guy were only a few years younger than Uesugi Shinji, but those few years represented the gap between "youth" and "adulthood." Whether in physical stamina or chakra reserves, Uesugi Shinji had reached a stable plateau, one that would not see significant improvement under normal circumstances.

Kakashi and Guy, however, were still in a period of rapid growth. If they were given another three years, even if they couldn't defeat Uesugi Shinji, they would have no trouble holding him off.

But unfortunately, there are no "ifs" in war, and Uesugi Shinji would not let them leave his sight alive!

Managed to update a tiny bit more than usual.

--The ashamed author.