The Gap

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that and rolled his eyes, unconvinced. "I was careless the first time, sure. I nearly fell for your trick. But you didn't get the better of me in any of our later clashes, did you?"

Hozuki Mangetsu grinned. "Your Lightning Release Ninjutsu can counter me, sure, but I've already— Hmm? What's with that look? Are you scared already?"

Kakashi's usually listless, fish-like eyes suddenly widened as he stared at Mangetsu, as though he'd seen something horrifying. Mangetsu couldn't help feeling puzzled.

At the same time, the Kirigakure ninja fighting Guy, Obito, and the others nearby suddenly backed away from their opponents and stopped to look in the direction of Mangetsu and Kakashi.

"I'll handle things here. The rest of you, go support the others."

A cold voice rang out behind Mangetsu. The Kirigakure ninja answered in unison, cast sympathetic looks at Kakashi and the others, then left.

Hearing the familiar voice, Mangetsu turned around and saw his teacher, Uesugi Shinji. With a strange look in his eyes, he rubbed his chin and said doubtfully, "I've heard some ninja love nothing more than slaughtering prodigies fresh out of the academy. I didn't know you were into that, Sensei! But Kakashi's my opponent, so even if you're my teacher, I can't—"

Mangetsu hadn't finished speaking when he noticed his teacher coldly glance at him. A chill ran through him, and he immediately backed down.

"Uh, you're the teacher, so you go first."

Mangetsu pursed his lips helplessly, put away his sword, and stepped aside, silently mourning Kakashi and the others.

Staring at Uesugi Shinji, who stood before him with an impassive expression, Kakashi felt beads of cold sweat slowly trickle down his forehead. His expression beneath his mask grew grave. Facing an enemy who could hold his own against Kakashi's teacher, he knew he had no chance.

"You lot, get over to Senior Suzaku right now. I'll handle this guy."

Kakashi kept his eyes on Uesugi Shinji as he gave instructions to his companions behind him.

Obito, Guy, and the others could tell that Uesugi Shinji was extremely dangerous. Just one glance from him had left them feeling ice-cold, as if a hunter had seized his prey by the throat. Their bodies, which had only just relaxed under Kakashi's guidance, tensed up again.

Ever since Obito and the others had been assigned to this unit, Terumi Mei and Minato had been locked in a standoff. The two forces hadn't clashed once since then, so the young ninja hadn't recognized Uesugi Shinji.

Even so, they could all see what Kakashi was planning. He was clearly prepared to sacrifice himself and face the powerful enemy alone, buying them time to regroup.

"Don't be ridiculous! You think I need you to protect me? No matter how strong the enemy is, I won't back down!"

Obito stepped up beside Kakashi and shouted at him. His tone was unfriendly, but he was genuinely worried about Kakashi. More than anything, he wanted to fight alongside him.

"Obito's right. This is when we need to stick together more than ever. Abandoning your friends wasn't part of our lessons at the Ninja Academy!" Guy grinned and moved to Kakashi's side, taking up a Taijutsu stance.

Nohara Rin, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu all nodded firmly and stood beside Kakashi as well, determined to face the enemy with him.

Seeing his friends stand by him filled Kakashi with gratitude, but he was even more anxious.

He was about to insist that they head over to Nara Suzaku first when the figure before him blurred. Uesugi Shinji, who had been nearly twenty meters away, was suddenly right in front of him. The Wind Pressure from his high-speed movement hit Kakashi head-on. Mixed with the fierce killing intent, it left him momentarily breathless.

Uesugi Shinji slashed with the Wakizashi in his hand. Kakashi reacted swiftly, raising his short sword to block. With a clang, the blades collided, and the tremendous force sent a numb ache through his arm.

How is this possible? His strength seems even greater than Sensei's!

Kakashi reeled back several steps, unable to stop himself. He hadn't even been able to brace against Uesugi Shinji's strike, let alone launch a counterattack.

Uesugi Shinji's movements were so fast that, besides Kakashi, only Guy managed to react. Seeing Kakashi's stance broken and him driven back by a single strike, Guy attacked Uesugi Shinji from the side to take the pressure off Kakashi.

"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"

Guy's body became a streak of startling green as he instantly delivered a powerful spinning kick. Watching from nearby, Hozuki Mangetsu gave a surprised "Huh?" He hadn't expected one of Konoha's rookies to be so skilled in Taijutsu, though Guy's appearance left him at a loss for words.

Uesugi Shinji raised his left arm to block Guy's powerful spinning kick, and the force made him slightly surprised. But surprise or not, he didn't hesitate to fight back.

He swung his right hand upward, the Wakizashi tracing an arc of light as if to slice Guy in half. Konoha Strong Whirlwind was an offensive Taijutsu move meant to use overwhelming force to drive an enemy back and expose an opening, letting the user unleash a series of attacks.

But Uesugi Shinji was far stronger than Guy. He didn't give an inch as he blocked the attack, leaving Guy suspended in midair—a dangerous position in a fight.

The Konoha ninja cried out at the sight. Guy hung motionless in the air, an easy target. They could already picture him being cut in two, drenched in blood.

But Guy didn't panic. He smiled slightly, revealing two rows of bright white teeth that seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

The leg that had struck Uesugi Shinji's left arm tensed again. Using Shinji's arm as a pivot, Guy propelled his body into a flip in midair, narrowly dodging the slash.

What a Taijutsu prodigy. What a shame.

Uesugi Shinji thought highly of Guy, but the gap between their abilities meant that even Guy's quick reflexes and keen battle sense couldn't save him from Shinji's attacks.

After his slash missed, Uesugi Shinji used its momentum to turn and drive his right leg straight into Guy's chest. Guy tried to raise his arms to protect himself, but they were too close, and Uesugi Shinji's attack was too fast. Shinji's kick slipped through the gap between Guy's crossed arms and struck his chest.

A bone-chilling crack rang out. Guy cried out as the kick sent him flying. He slammed into a thick tree trunk and fell to the ground, motionless.

In just two or three exchanges, Uesugi Shinji had easily driven back Kakashi, the strongest of the group. Guy, only a little weaker than Kakashi, had been knocked down and left for dead.

Obito, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu had only just reacted. They stared wide-eyed, frozen in confusion, while Nohara Rin hurried to Guy to treat him. Fear and anxiety brought tears to her large eyes.

Kakashi and Guy weren't much younger than Uesugi Shinji, but those few years marked the difference between a "boy" and an "adult." Shinji had reached a stable level of physical strength and chakra, and under normal circumstances, he couldn't make any more major gains.

Kakashi and Guy, on the other hand, were still growing rapidly. Give them three more years, and even if they couldn't defeat Uesugi Shinji, their abilities would let them keep him occupied.

But war left no room for "what ifs," and Uesugi Shinji wasn't going to let them leave here alive!

Managed to update just a tiny bit more than usual.

—A humbled author.