Ninja Bear? Kicked Over in One Kick!

Dusk had just fallen.

At the entrance to the mountain behind the village, six figures gathered together.

Guy swept his gaze across them.

Kakashi, Obito, Kurenai, Rin, and also...

"Ebisu?" Guy blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I ran into classmate Ebisu on my way here," Kurenai said in a low voice.

Ebisu let out a cold snort. "I am merely here to supervise you lot and ensure you don't commit any acts that would bring shame upon the Ninja Academy!"

Obito curled his lip. "Just admit it if you're scared."

"Who's scared!"

"Then why are your legs shaking?"

"This is... this is a warm-up exercise for elite ninjas!"

Guy couldn't be bothered to listen to their bickering and turned to look at Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded and headed deep into the woods.

"Let's go."

The moonlight was thin.

The six of them crept into the deep mountains under the cover of darkness, their feet crunching against fallen leaves and dry twigs.

Kurenai followed behind Guy, clutching a Kunai so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Guy looked back at her.

"Scared?"

Kurenai shook her head, then nodded.

Guy grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

"It's fine, I have youth."

Kurenai was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled up.

Up ahead, Obito turned around and saw the two of them "making eyes" at each other, his teeth aching once more.

"Hey! Are we moving or what!"

They walked for about an hour.

The forest grew increasingly dense, and the moonlight could barely penetrate the canopy.

Kakashi suddenly stopped and raised a hand.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Obito opened his mouth to ask a question, but Rin covered it with her hand.

Kakashi tilted his head to listen.

Hoo—hoo—

Heavy breathing, like someone snoring.

He pulled a Shuriken from his pocket and flicked it toward the source of the sound.

Thwack.

It embedded itself into a tree trunk.

No reaction.

The breathing continued.

Guy lowered his voice. "It's sleeping."

Kakashi nodded.

The two exchanged a glance and crept forward, hunched over.

Passing through a thicket of bushes, the view suddenly opened up.

In a clearing beside a massive boulder lay a giant, dark shadow.

It was over three meters tall.

Even while lying down, it looked like a small mountain.

Its fur shimmered with a dull light under the moon, each strand as thick as a chopstick.

The exposed claws were longer than Guy's palm.

The breathing rose and fell, stirring up gusts of wind that sent fallen leaves swirling.

Guy's eyes lit up.

Kakashi's eyes lit up.

The people following behind all stared blankly.

Obito's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"Th-this..."

Kurenai's face turned pale, her hand gripping her Kunai tightly.

Rin covered her mouth, preventing herself from screaming.

Ebisu's sunglasses slid halfway down; he pushed them back up, only for them to slide down again.

Only Guy and Kakashi had eyes that shone with a terrifying intensity.

"Found it," Guy grinned.

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded.

Obito finally found his voice, roaring in a hushed tone: "Are you guys crazy?! This thing could flatten us into meat patties with a single slap!"

Guy ignored him.

He turned his head to look at Kakashi.

"The plan?"

Kakashi thought for a moment.

"I'll use clones to harass it, you take the lead on the attack."

"Good."

Both of them turned their heads to look at Obito simultaneously.

Obito took a step back.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You're in charge," Kakashi said.

"In charge of what?"

Guy took over: "In charge of taking the three of them and staying far away once we start fighting."

Obito froze.

Then his face flushed red.

"You... are you looking down on me?!"

Guy patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm looking up to you. That's why I'm entrusting this to you."

Obito was stunned again.

Guy had already turned his head, staring at the Giant Bear alongside Kakashi.

"Ready?"

Kakashi formed hand seals with one hand.

"Yeah."

Poof.

Two clones appeared beside him, mimicking his movements exactly.

"Go."

All three Kakashis charged out at once.

The Giant Bear was still sleeping.

The first clone rushed to the front and stabbed a Kunai into its backside.

It didn't pierce through.

The Kunai bent.

The Giant Bear twitched its ears.

The second clone jumped onto its back and struck with another Kunai.

It still didn't pierce through.

The Giant Bear let out a grunt.

The third clone circled to the front and flung a Shuriken at its face.

The Shuriken bounced off.

The Giant Bear's eyes opened.

Those two eyes were larger than Guy's fists.

The pupils contracted into thin lines.

Staring at the white-haired little runt before him.

The Giant Bear braced its front paws and stood up.

Four meters.

Five meters.

It stood nearly five meters tall.

It opened its maw, revealing a mouthful of fangs.

"ROAR------"

The sound was like thunder, shaking the leaves until they rustled to the ground.

Obito's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Kurenai's face turned deathly pale, but she didn't move.

Rin pulled her backward.

Ebisu's sunglasses slid down again, but this time he didn't push them back up.

But Kakashi didn't retreat.

Three clones stood side by side, drawing the bear's full attention.

And then--

A green blur rushed out from the side.

Leaping into the air.

Spinning.

"Leaf Hurricane!!!"

Whoosh------

BANG!!!

A kick slammed fiercely into the back of the Giant Bear's neck.

The Giant Bear's massive head dipped downward, its eyes rolling back.

BOOM!

The five-meter-tall Giant Bear toppled straight forward.

It slammed into the ground, shaking the earth three times over.

It lay there, motionless.

Knocked out.

A deathly silence.

Obito's mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist.

"...Huh?"

Kurenai covered her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers.

The medicine pouch in Rin's hand dropped to the ground, and she forgot to even pick it up.

Ebisu's sunglasses slid to the tip of his nose; he looked through the lenses at the bear, then at Guy, then back at the bear, then back at Guy.

"Th-this..."

Guy landed and steadied himself.

He looked back at the prone bear and scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I think... I might have kicked a bit too hard?"

Kakashi dispelled his clones and walked over.

He glanced at the bear, then at Guy.

He rolled his eyes hard.

"..."

"Hey, hey, what's with that expression?" Guy grumbled, dissatisfied.

Kakashi was silent for two seconds.

"I'm just wondering what exactly you've been training for these past two months."

Guy grinned and gave a thumbs up.

"Youth!"

Kakashi wanted to roll his eyes again.

Obito rushed over, circled the bear three times, and gave it a couple of kicks.

"You actually knocked it out?! You really knocked it out?! You kicked a bear this big unconscious with one blow?!"

Kurenai ran over as well, grabbing Guy's sleeve and looking him up and down several times.

"Are you hurt? Is there any blood? Does it hurt?"

Guy shook his head.

"No, I'm doing great."

Kurenai let out a sigh of relief.

Then she blushed, let go of his sleeve, and took two steps back.

Rin picked up the medicine kit and walked over with a smile.

"Guy is so amazing."

Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses and gave two dry coughs.

"Ahem, well... I, this Great One, admit that you do have a bit of skill..."

Before he could finish—

BOOM!!!

The ground shook violently.

Everyone stumbled.

Guy and Kakashi looked up at the same time, staring deep into the forest.

Obito had just steadied himself, his mouth not yet open.

BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!

The ground was trembling.

Trees were toppling.

A massive black shadow charged out from the forest.

A tree three people could barely wrap their arms around was snapped in half by a single swipe of its paw, as if it were a mere chopstick.

The black shadow burst forth.

Under the moonlight, the giant beast came to a halt.

Six meters.

Seven meters.

Eight meters.

Nine meters.

A Giant Bear nearly ten meters tall.

Its fur was thicker and darker than the previous one, as if it were draped in iron armor.

Its eyes were blood-red, fixed on the group of tiny figures before it.

Drool dripped from its mouth, hitting the ground and cratering the earth with every drop.

The true Ninja Bear had appeared!