Fierce Battle!

Minato's smile froze. Seeing that Jiraiya didn't look like he was putting on an act, he turned to look at the two people facing each other in the middle of the field.

But even as he looked at Uchiha Shingen's unusually young face, he still found it hard to believe.

"Shingen, he can really do that much..."

Kakashi had been trained by Minato himself, so he naturally knew how capable Kakashi was.

Even at that age, Minato himself had only been about as strong as Kakashi was now.

The only ones who could have been stronger were probably those few from before Konoha was founded.

Uchiha Shingen... could already be compared to them?!

No.

That probably wasn't possible.

Even though Konoha had no clear records, it wasn't hard to infer that those few had reached a level no ordinary ninja could attain.

They were monsters forged by their era!

"Who knows?!"

Jiraiya folded his arms. Seeing Minato still looking doubtful, he jerked his chin toward the two facing off on the battlefield.

"Just keep watching."

"The last time I saw Shingen fight with all his strength was over a month ago. Even then, he was already as strong as an average Jonin."

"After shoring up his weaknesses over the past month, his strength..."

"I can't even tell anymore."

Minato fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at the distant battlefield.

If Jiraiya was right, then the Uchiha had produced an extraordinary monster in this era!

No one could say how powerful Uchiha Shingen would become in ten or twenty years!

"Go, Kakashi!"

"Beat that arrogant jerk!"

Having recovered from the genjutsu, Obito stood on the sidelines, waving his arms and cheering Kakashi on.

Rin saw this and chimed in with a smile.

"Do your best, Kakashi!"

Their cheers tore through the battlefield's grim atmosphere for a brief moment, only for it to grow tense again in the next instant!

Clang!

The sound of clashing blades burst through the air.

At the heart of the battlefield, sparks flew where a kunai and a short sword crossed.

The fight had begun!

Uchiha Shingen held firm against the blade Kakashi had brought down.

A shockwave spread outward, ruffling the hair over his forehead. His already crimson Sharingan seemed almost blinding in that moment!

"You're in a hurry, aren't you?"

"Kakashi!"

"Maybe~"

Kakashi raised his eyes to meet Uchiha Shingen's gaze. An intensity of fighting spirit rarely seen in him flared in his eyes!

Watching Obito fight Uchiha Shingen had only made him feel that the man before him wasn't as simple as he seemed.

But the astonishing force he felt through his blade now made him realize that Uchiha Shingen was absolutely the strongest peer he'd ever fought.

The loneliness of having no equal among his generation eased a little in that moment.

But more than that, he felt a... savage fighting spirit, desperate to be unleashed!

"Again!"

"All right!"

Uchiha Shingen replied calmly, stepping back to evade Kakashi's short sword. He spun the kunai around his index finger, reversed his grip, and thrust forward.

Kakashi didn't back down. The short sword he'd inherited from his father, the White Fang, seemed to shine in the moonlight as he slashed at Uchiha Shingen!

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

A rapid succession of clashes rang through the air!

Sparks flew in a dense shower, like countless fireflies dancing in the night sky, only to vanish in an instant.

The two had fallen into a Taijutsu exchange, almost in perfect sync.

Obito, standing at the edge of the field, was already dumbfounded.

He'd thought the fight that had ended in an instant was over because Uchiha Shingen had used his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to overpower his opponent.

But what he was seeing now felt like a slap in the face.

"Obito..."

"It's okay. You'll catch up to them too, I'm sure!"

Noticing the disappointment on Obito's face, Rin couldn't help comforting him.

She was naturally sensitive to the feelings of those around her, and after spending so much time with Obito, she could spot his change in mood at a glance.

But there was little else she could do for him right now.

This time, however, Obito didn't answer right away. He was silent for a few seconds before raising his head to look at Rin, his gaze resolute.

"I will!"

"If even that guy Shingen can become this strong, then I can too!"

"Mm-hmm~"

Jiraiya noticed the exchange and couldn't help smiling warmly.

"It's nice to be young~"

"It makes me miss the days when we were under the old man's tutelage."

"Orochimaru was a bit of a show-off, but now that I think about it, he was pretty cute. It's just that now..."

"Never mind that."

"Let's see what these two brats can do."

Beside Jiraiya,

Minato watched the two move swiftly against each other on the battlefield. The anticipation in his eyes gradually gave way to astonishment.

This close-range Taijutsu exchange wasn't fair in the first place.

Kakashi was using the short sword he'd inherited from the White Fang, a weapon made of Chakra Metal, while Uchiha Shingen was wielding nothing more than an ordinary kunai.

The two weapons weren't even in the same league.

Yet even with the advantage of a better weapon, Kakashi couldn't gain the upper hand in Taijutsu. Instead, Uchiha Shingen was forcing him back step by step?!

"Is Shingen good at Taijutsu?!"

"Nope!"

Jiraiya shook his head, a rare hint of pride on his face.

"That kid may be a maverick among the Uchiha Clan, but when it comes to fighting, he's inherited the Uchiha's usual all-around ability."

"With the Three-Tomoe Sharingan enhancing him, Taijutsu is actually his weakest skill."

Minato froze, then abruptly turned toward the center of the battlefield, as if in response to the unease stirring in his heart.

As Minato and Jiraiya's conversation ended, the Taijutsu exchange on the battlefield was nearing its conclusion.

Clang—!

After another clash, the kunai in Uchiha Shingen's hand snapped.

Kakashi naturally wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass. His attack grew even more ferocious, and he slashed straight at Uchiha Shingen's chest.

But just as he was about to strike, he suddenly felt a wave of heat wash over him, as if it would burn everything to ashes!

"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!"

The broken kunai in Uchiha Shingen's hand surged with crimson flames. He swung it forward, sending a blazing arc of fire slashing through the air!

After obtaining Sword Leap Flame, Uchiha Shingen had planned to build his fighting style around it.

During a month of hard training, in addition to common ninjutsu like Shadow Clone, Uchiha Shingen had also mastered Sword Leap Flame completely.

He'd been wondering where he could find a suitable sparring partner. Now that Kakashi had practically delivered himself to him, he was spared the trouble!

Whoosh—!

The scorching wave seared Kakashi's face. In almost the same instant, he bent backward, dodging a move that could very well have ended the fight.

Kakashi straightened, ready to counterattack, but Uchiha Shingen's ferocious kick had already landed on his chest.