So... What About the Second One?!

Boom!

A dull thud exploded through the air, and Kakashi was sent flying more than ten meters like a cannonball before finally hitting the ground.

Kakashi pushed himself to his feet and looked at Uchiha Shingen with undisguised shock.

It was the first time he had ever felt what it was like to be utterly outmatched in a head-on fight against someone his own age.

Even harder to understand was how this man, who had never stood out at the Konoha Ninja Academy, had managed to surpass every one of their classmates in just a few short years after graduation.

Seeing Kakashi looking a little dazed, Uchiha Shingen didn't pursue him right away. Instead, he lowered his head and examined the kunai in his hand.

The broken blade still glowed red from the intense heat, a sign that it was on the verge of melting.

Clearly, even if Kakashi's short sword hadn't snapped it, the kunai wouldn't have survived the toll of Sword Leap Flame. It would be ruined after two or three more uses at most.

If he wanted to make Sword Leap Flame a regular part of his fighting style, Uchiha Shingen needed a better sword.

At that thought,

Uchiha Shingen decided to stop testing Sword Leap Flame for now.

He took stock of the Chakra inside him.

After more than a month of daily check-ins, Uchiha Shingen had accumulated another five attribute points.

When he raised his Chakra capacity to level five, his total reserves had more than doubled. His ability to control Chakra had improved beyond comparison, too.

Even when using the same jutsu at the same output, he needed thirty percent less Chakra.

His stamina in battle had undergone a complete transformation.

Most of the fight just now had been a Taijutsu clash, so it hadn't cost much Chakra. Uchiha Shingen still had plenty left.

"If I can't keep testing Sword Leap Flame, I'll try something else."

With that, Uchiha Shingen formed Hand Seals and summoned two Shadow Clones, who took their places beside him.

Kakashi, watching from a distance, grew wary. He tightened his grip on his short sword but didn't attack, preparing to respond to whatever came.

"This is..."

Jiraiya, who had been watching the whole fight, saw this and suddenly recalled the tactic Uchiha Shingen had mentioned to him in passing. His expression turned grave.

"Was that kid serious back then?!"

"Serious about what?"

Minato asked, confused.

"When Shingen-kun and I were discussing the fundamentals of combat, he mentioned a special tactic."

"He called it Saturation Fire Strike Tactics."

"By saturating a wide area with high-damage jutsu, you destroy your opponent and everything in sight in a short time."

"That leaves them with no room to maneuver."

"That's way too reckless!"

Minato couldn't help raising his voice.

In truth, this kind of tactic wasn't uncommon in the Shinobi World.

But those capable of taking it to this extreme were either freaks born with absurd amounts of Chakra or Jinchūriki who could draw on Tailed Beast Chakra.

Even with their Kekkei Genkai, Uchiha had a significant advantage over ordinary ninja in terms of Chakra reserves.

But not enough to squander it so recklessly.

How could he...

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Multi-Barrage Technique!"

A low shout rang out across the battlefield. Three fireballs of such absurd size that they seemed almost unreal surged through the air, swelling at tremendous speed.

One meter, five meters, ten...

As Uchiha Shingen continued pouring in Chakra, the three fireballs ballooned to nearly twenty meters across in an instant, bearing down on everything in sight.

Kakashi, who had been ready to respond to whatever came, stared at the sight in disbelief.

Wait!

Wasn't Chakra something you were supposed to conserve?!

Why were you just throwing it at people?!

There was no time to think. The wave of heat from the fireballs was already rushing toward him. Kakashi reacted and slammed both hands onto the ground.

"Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"

Crack, crack, crack!

Three stone walls burst from the ground one after another, lining up in front of Kakashi like a trio of city walls.

But faced with Uchiha Shingen's three Great Fireballs, which he hurled without a thought for the cost, the first wall crumbled instantly. The second didn't last much longer before it melted.

Only the third wall managed to stop Uchiha Shingen's enormous Great Fireball.

Even so, the scorching heat rolling over it singed the silver hair above Kakashi's forehead, curling it slightly and filling the air with the smell of burning hair.

"Finally stopped it."

Kakashi let out a long breath.

The Hatake clan's bloodline wasn't all that remarkable in the Shinobi World.

Though every generation had produced renowned strong fighters, they were mostly crafty duelists who relied on clever tactics and precise control.

This was Kakashi's first time facing someone like Uchiha Shingen, who relied on overwhelming firepower. He couldn't make sense of it, but he was thoroughly shaken.

Still,

having blocked that attack gave Kakashi a little confidence that he could win.

"Your performance is over. Now it's my turn..."

"So one round really wasn't enough?"

Uchiha Shingen's faintly disappointed voice rang out, changing everyone's expression. Kakashi's face froze on the spot.

No way!

"You blocked one round, so... what about the second one?!"

Boom, boom!

After a cloud of white smoke, two more Shadow Clones appeared beside Uchiha Shingen. Now five of them formed the seals for the Great Fireball together.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Multi-Barrage Technique!"

The next instant,

the same scene played out again, but this time there weren't any giant fireballs. Instead, fireballs several meters in diameter came raining down in a dense, unbroken barrage!

With two additional Shadow Clones, the attack was far more terrifying than the last one!

The countless fireballs filled everyone's field of vision!

This attack nearly drained Uchiha Shingen of all his Chakra!

"Holy hell!"

Kakashi had planned to use a jutsu to burrow underground, but when he saw the soil and rock in front of him nearly melting from the heat, he immediately abandoned the idea.

"Is this guy actually trying to kill me?!"

A chill ran through Kakashi.

As he stood there, horrified, Minato, who had been watching the fight, could no longer hold back. He used Flying Thunder God to teleport beside Kakashi and forcibly whisk him away.

The next instant, the barrage of fireballs struck the ground!

The flames spread across the clearing and ignited the distant woods. In a matter of moments, thick smoke billowed through the Forest of Death.

Having narrowly escaped, Kakashi sat beside Minato and gulped down fresh air. For one brief moment, he had truly thought he was going to die.

Minato, who had rushed in to save him, was still shaken. He looked at Uchiha Shingen as though he were some kind of monster!

The sea of fire rolled, sending waves of heat across everyone's faces!

"So this is..."

"Saturation Fire Strike Tactics?!"

Minato's mouth twitched violently. He couldn't help turning to Jiraiya beside him.

He remembered clearly.

Back in the war, Jiraiya's go-to jutsu had included Swamp of the Underworld and Toad Oil Flame Bullet. Every single one was known for its high cost, wide area, and devastating power.

Looking at it that way, wasn't Uchiha Shingen's approach exactly the same as Jiraiya's?!

"Sensei, be honest. Did Shingen-kun get this idea from you?!"

"What?!"

Jiraiya pointed at himself, his face blank with confusion.

"What are you talking about? Do I look like the kind of person who'd do that?!"

Minato thought for a few seconds, then nodded seriously.

"You do."

"You ungrateful student!"