An Unfair Rematch (2)

"Senior Shiraha."

Seventeen-year-old Kakashi was tall and slender. Although his signature dead fish eyes looked lifeless and he seemed a bit lazy, the aura of a strong person emanating from him was impossible to ignore.

"What brings you here, Kakashi?" Shiraha, somewhat puzzled. Kakashi was now under the direct Anbu of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, and contacting him at this time was not a good idea.

Kakashi's deadpan eyes regained their sparkle, his gaze suddenly hardening as he solemnly declared, "I want to become stronger!"

"Come back to the room with me and we'll talk." Shiraha glanced at the building at the end of the street and noticed someone spying from the shadows on the roof. It was clearly not an Anbu member, but Root ninja.

However, since Kakashi chose to come directly to him, it means he doesn't really care about what the Third Hokage and Danzo think of him, so Shiraha naturally cares even less.

"Okay." Kakashi nodded and followed Shiraha into the hotel.

After arriving in the room, Shiraha sat on the sofa, activated his "Sixth Sense" to enhance his perception, and then spoke:

"Your Chakra is several times stronger than when we met a few years ago. Rumors even compare you to the former Sakumo, which means your swordsmanship has reached Sakumo's level."

The fact that I can't feel the Sharingan's influence on you now means that your Sealing Jutsu have reached a very high level.

You've also perfected your Breathing Technique, and your physique is much stronger than before. You should be able to make good use of Obito's Sharingan.

In that case, even a typical Kage Level powerhouse wouldn't be a match for you.

"That's not enough." Kakashi shook his head slightly. "I used to think that strong people should be like my father, like the Third Hokage. But the stronger I become, the more I feel my own weakness. I want to keep getting stronger!"

"Continue to get stronger?" Shiraha was taken aback by Kakashi's intense emotional fluctuations. Compared to the Kakashi who had already 'laid down' in the story, the Kakashi in front of him was extremely obsessed with getting stronger.

Seeing that Shiraha did not refuse directly, Kakashi asked, "Senior Shiraha, you should have a way, right?"

Kakashi couldn't help but feel nervous, because he felt that he had hit a bottleneck in all aspects of his development. In terms of swordsmanship, he had already mastered the Hatake Style Swordsmanship, and even if his father Sakumo were to be resurrected, he might not be stronger than him in swordsmanship.

In terms of Taijutsu, Kakashi's physique has been greatly enhanced due to his training in Breathing Technique. With the combination of Taijutsu and swordsmanship, his explosive speed has completely surpassed the Jōnin, enabling him to Jōnin with a single blow.

Furthermore, as his physique improved, his Chakra reserves also increased significantly.

His training in Sealing Jutsu also eliminated the Sharingan's continuous drain on his physical energy.

However, Kakashi sensed that this might be his limit.

In the years that followed, he was unable to develop in all aspects as he had before, and could only increase his strength slowly as he grew older.

Kakashi wants revenge on Konoha, not just against the higher-ups, so he feels his current strength is simply insufficient.

"Of course I have methods, and quite a few, but none of them are simple." Shiraha said confidently, "You can continue to study Sealing Jutsu, that's one path; as for your body, I can provide you with a stronger Breathing Technique, and you can also try Cell Transplantation to directly enhance cell activity, which will greatly increase your Chakra reserves, but this process is somewhat risky, that's another path; also, you can try to completely master this Sharingan."

As he spoke, Bai Yu pointed to Kakashi's left eye, which was covered by his headband, and said bluntly, "I have experimented with the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. Your Sharingan's power has completely surpassed that of the ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan."

"You mean..." Kakashi's expression changed in surprise. He had already realized what was happening, but he still found it hard to believe.

"That's right, you have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but because you don't have the physique and bloodline of the Uchiha Clan, you can't unleash the full power of the Sharingan. So after your Sharingan awakened into the Mangekyō Sharingan, it degenerated back into the Three-Tomoe." Shiraha explained, "The best solution is to transplant Uchiha bloodline into you, so you should be able to control the Sharingan better."

Kakashi fell silent.

"Even if you have transplanted Uchiha blood, you are still Hatake Kakashi, the son of Konoha's son of White Fang. You haven't changed in essence." Shiraha said, "You haven't been to the Uzumaki Clan for a long time. Rin's control over the Three-Tails Chakra has entered a new stage. If you continue to stagnate, it may not be long before Rin's strength surpasses yours. What will you use to protect her then?"

Kakashi originally came to ask Shiraha to teach him how to become stronger, but Kakashi hesitated about the method Shiraha proposed. Shiraha naturally wouldn't allow this to happen. To become stronger, one always has to make some sacrifices, let alone just changing one's bloodline.

"Thank you, Senior Shiraha." Kakashi made his choice. "I..."

"No need for thanks." Shiraha waved his hand. "I've said it before, I only helped you to see how far you could go. Just consider it a spur-of-the-moment thing."

It seems that Shiraha is helping Kakashi without expecting anything in return, but in fact he has already received a reward in the process, which is Kakashi's Emotional Power.

Kakashi's eyes shifted, realizing that no matter how many words of thanks he uttered, they would be pale and powerless; yet, his gratitude only grew stronger.

As the saying goes, "When people leave, tea cools." Those villagers who once took pride in his father, Sakumo, now only lament his fragile mental fortitude when they mention Sakumo. While praising Kakashi, they also offer seemingly kind reminders not to follow in Sakumo's footsteps, which are disgusting.

"Go back first, and find an opportunity to visit the Uzumaki Clan. I'll make preparations in advance." Shiraha gestured to Kakashi that he could leave.

Kakashi didn't say much, but stood up, bowed deeply to Shiraha, and then turned and left.

Shiraha watched Kakashi's departing figure with a faint smile on his face. The "Chain of Emotions" had collected a good amount of Emotional Power again.

"Perhaps after improving his physique, Kakashi will also have the opportunity to learn Senjutsu, and he might even be able to obtain the cells of the giant toad through him."

Shiraha thought to himself.

Transplanting Uchiha bloodline into Kakashi is a highly probable event.

According to the abilities of the Chimera Technique, the success rate of transplanting a single bloodline increases if the recipient is already powerful. In particular, Kakashi's Sharingan has been with him for over five years, so he should be more adapted to the Uchiha bloodline.

Afterwards, Kakashi's Chakra can be further enhanced to meet the basic Chakra requirements for training in Sage Mode.

Kakashi is Minato Namikaze's student. Although he is not as close as a disciple, he is still considered half a grand-disciple of Jiraiya. If he were to ask to learn Senjutsu Mode, Jiraiya would probably not refuse.

Katsuyu and toads are both relatively docile. Back then, thanks to Tsunade's connections, when "Kodama" was practicing Senjutsu, she received a lot of care from the Katsuyu clone, making it much easier than practicing Senjutsu in Ryūchi Cave.

Therefore, with Jiraiya's connection to Mount Myōboku, Kakashi's success rate in training Senjutsu will definitely increase significantly. During his training at Mount Myōboku, it will also be easier for him to come into contact with the Great Toad Sage, and it certainly won't be difficult for him to collect some cells along the way.

"This trip to Konoha has been worthwhile." Shiraha's lips unconsciously curled up.

The fifth day of the Second Exam Chunin Selection Exam has finally arrived.

At the Central Tower of the Death Forest, in Konoha's Training Ground 44.

All the candidates who passed the exam gathered here.

166 Genin participated, forming a total of 56 teams. This exam eliminated more than half of the teams, with only 76 people passing. Among them, Meteor was in a team by himself, Itachi was in a team by himself, Kimimaro and Haku were in a team of two, and the rest were standard three-person teams that passed the exam.

Shiraha and the others arrived at the Central Tower.

Just as all the examinees were exclaiming that they had finally passed the Second Exam, the examiners from Konoha called out all the examinees who had passed the exam and were resting in the room in the Central Tower.

The 76 people stood in neat rows in the middle of the tower's lobby.

However, these people clearly exhibited two different states: one group looked relaxed, as if passing the exam hadn't been too difficult, while the other group appeared disheveled, listless, and many even had injuries.

Especially for those who passed the exam in the last two days, there was hardly any time to rest.

In the queue, Kimimaro, Haku, Meteor, Hyuga Takashi, Aburame Ryoma, Inuzuka Hana, Uchiha Itachi, and other examinees stood at the front. The entire queue was basically arranged according to the time they passed the exam.

Most test takers will consciously stay away from those who appear unharmed and relaxed.

"Oh?" Shiraha stood on the second-floor corridor and was taken aback when he saw that the examiner for the Second Exam was actually Oshima Shuichi.

It seems that because Oshima Shuichi has been frequently carrying out missions to the Uzumaki Clan in recent years, he has been kicked out of the political center. Otherwise, an Elite Jonin would not have become an examiner for the Chunin Selection Exam.

However, it's also possible that Konoha simply has no one else left, so they're using him to fill a quota.

When Oshima Shuichi arrived in front of the examinees and cleared his throat, everyone immediately fell silent.

Since most of the candidates who passed the exam were Konoha ninjas, they were quite familiar with this Elite Jonin.

"Everyone, first of all, I want to congratulate you on passing the Second Exam. However, there is a new rule that I need to inform you of. Given that there are too many candidates who passed the Second Exam, a Preliminary Selection will be held before the Third Exam begins," said Oshima Shuichi voice.

"Preliminary Selection?"

"New regulations?"

How could this happen?

"That's unfair! How can rules be added on the spot!"

Upon hearing Oshima Shuichi's explanation, some of the test takers immediately started making a fuss. After all, there was no such thing as adding rules at the last minute. Many of them had risked their lives to pass the Second Exam, and some of their teammates had even died during the exam.

Although they were mentally prepared to die as ninjas, the addition of Preliminary Selection just before the Third Exam would eliminate many of them, which was unfair!

Entering the Third Exam means being able to appear in front of everyone, attracting the attention of villagers, village leaders, and high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire. This greatly helps to enhance the prestige of one's family and oneself.

Which boy doesn't want to become famous at a young age like Kakashi?

Unfortunately, it's no longer wartime, so we can't use battle merits to get promoted. The record of becoming a Jōnin at the age of 12 is probably hard for anyone to break.

Looking at the noisy test takers, Oshima Shuichi's expression darkened slightly.

Noticing the examiner's anger, the noise from the crowd quickly subsided, but their dissatisfaction was still written on their faces.

Unfortunately, from Shiraha's perspective, the combined Emotional Power of dozens of ninjas was very weak. It was clear that the Emotional Power of ordinary people required the accumulation of thousands of people to be noticeable.

Oshima Shuichi explained, "Because the audience watching the Chunin Selection Exam this time includes not only villagers and ninjas from Konoha, but also ninjas and dignitaries from other countries."

In order to present a high-level competition, it is necessary to start reducing the number of participants now.

If all 76 players make it to the Third Exam, they would need to play 38 matches in the first round alone, which is unrealistic.

Therefore, this Preliminary Selection will eliminate more than half of the candidates in order to reduce the number of matches in the Third Exam.

The rules of the Preliminary Selection are simple: no rules, First Shinobi World War until one side concedes defeat, loses the ability to fight back, or even dies.

Of course, the proctor will stop the exam when they determine that one of the candidates is unable to resist.

However, this does not mean that the participants are absolutely safe.

After all, among the candidates participating this time, a very small number possess strength comparable to that of Jōnin.

"How could this be?" The examinees' expressions changed drastically. Genin actually possessed strength comparable to Jōnin? How could they possibly compete? Not only would they lose if they encountered such a person, but they might even be in mortal danger.

At this moment, Kimimaro, Haku, and Meteor, who were standing at the front of the candidates, immediately became the focus of everyone's attention, because they were the only three from the outer village who had passed the exam.

In battles between people from Konoha, they certainly won't go all out. If we're talking about those who show no mercy, these three are definitely the ones.

Hyuga Takashi, Inuzuka Hana, and Aburame Ryoma, who were also standing in the first row, couldn't help but glance at each other. Among the candidates taking the exam this time, the three of them were definitely among the top in terms of strength. All three of them had strength close to that of an ordinary Chunin, and together they could easily fight against a Special Jonin. However, the upcoming Preliminary Selection were one-on-one, and they could only pray that they would not encounter any of Kimimaro, Haku, or Meteor.

"Anyone who feels unwell, or who feels they may not be able to fight at their best in the upcoming exams, may choose to withdraw from the exams now. Chunin instructors will escort you out at the main gate," Oshima Shuichi continued, looking at the candidates whose expressions were uncertain.

Silence fell over the room once again.

About a minute later, someone finally chose to withdraw from the exam.

"I'm quitting."

"Me too."

"And me too."

Many ninjas who looked somewhat disheveled gave up. If they had gone directly to the Third Exam, they would have had almost a month to prepare. Unless they suffered fatal injuries, they could have recovered. Unfortunately, Preliminary Selection was added at the last minute. Even if they didn't give up, they would still be eliminated in the battle, so there was no point.

One after another, candidates withdrew.

Soon, only 41 of the 76 candidates who passed the Second Exam remained.

In a one-on-one situation, one person will receive a bye, and it's unknown who will be the lucky one who gets a bye and goes directly into the third round.

"Alright, if no one withdraws, then the Preliminary Selection will begin now." With Oshima Shuichi's command, the electronic screen hanging high above the wall began to scroll rapidly.

—Haku VS Uchiha Itachi—

Looking at the name displayed on the electronic screen, Shiraha was slightly taken aback. Was it going to be this exciting right from the start?

"Uchiha Itachi?!"

The Konoha Ninja watching also became interested. They naturally had no interest in the duel between the Genin, but Uchiha Itachi was the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku, a genius boy of the Uchiha Clan, whose feat of awakening the Double Tomoe at the age of 8 had already spread throughout the Land of Fire.

Another boy named Shiro may seem ordinary, but his identity is one that no one can underestimate—he is a disciple of Yagami Shiraha.

This is going to be interesting.

"The other candidates should go to the second floor to watch the match and give the two sides some space," Oshima Shuichi reminded them.

Everyone headed towards the stairwell.

"Good luck, Shiro!" Kimimaro whispered as he left.

"Mm." Bai smiled slightly and nodded, then walked towards the center of the hall.

On the other side, a handsome young man wearing a black short-sleeved suit also walked towards the center of the hall.

Haku's expression immediately turned serious. Uchiha Itachi was a formidable enemy.

Especially considering that Itachi forfeited when facing him, Kimimaro, Meteor, it shows that he is a very rational person, powerful, calm, and difficult to deal with.

"The first match of the Preliminary Selection begins."

At Oshima Shuichi's command, he flashed to the corner of the wall, his eyes fixed on the two people in the arena. One was the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Leader, and the other was Shiraha's disciple. Neither of them could be harmed, so he would stop the match when one of them was in danger.

Of course, he would do the same if other candidates were in danger. He only said that at the beginning to put psychological pressure on the candidates and test their mental fortitude.

"Please take good care of me." Itachi nodded politely.

Seeing this, Bai smiled and nodded. The two of them walked backward, creating some distance between them, and neither of them made the first move.

Once the two had stopped, Itachi reached into the ninja Ninja Tool Pouch strapped to his legs, holding three shuriken in each hand. All six shuriken shot out at Haku simultaneously.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Three shurikens flew from the left and right towards the white figure in the center.

Haku's expression turned serious. He then took out six Senbon and flew towards Itachi's shuriken.

"Senbon? What a strange weapon?"

The ninjas watching the battle were all stunned. Very few ninjas used Senbon in battle because the weapon was too weak and difficult to control. Even the Hidden Mist Technique Kirigakure Anbu, who were good at using the Silent Killing, rarely used Senbon.

I never expected Shiraha's fighting style to be so open, powerful and domineering. I never expected that his disciple would be so delicate-looking and use such a small weapon.

As expected, when the shuriken collided with the Senbon, although the shuriken's flight direction was changed, the force was obviously insufficient. Four of the shuriken, after being deflected by the Senbon, still shot towards Shiro, but judging from the trajectory, they could not hit Shiro.

Ding ding ding ding!

Just as the four shuriken flew to the position behind Shiro, the shuriken collided in pairs and then changed their trajectory, flying towards Shiro's back.

At close range, Bai seemed completely oblivious.

To be precise, it was too late to react.

Pfft!

Two shuriken struck Bai in the back.

"What?!"

"How is this possible?!"

"Is this the Uchiha Clan's shurikenjutsu?"

"It's over?!"

The examinees were incredulous. They had expected a fierce battle, but Uchiha Itachi had ended the fight with a single move.

"Wrong!"

The Jōnin were the first to react.

Click!

Bai's body suddenly turned into ice, then quickly shattered into tiny icicles that fell to the ground.

"Water Clone Technique?"

"This is Ice Style?!"

"Isn't this the Yuki Clan's Kekkei Genkai? Could it be..."

At this moment, Bai's figure emerged from the broken ice.

Whoosh whoosh!

Immediately afterwards, all the ice shards on the ground floated up and shot towards Itachi, creating a sharp whooshing sound.

Since Shiraha also learned the Uchiha Clan's special Ninja Tool Throwing technique from Chiho, he naturally taught it to Bai and Kimimaro as well. Whether the two of them mastered it or not was secondary; what mattered was that they needed to understand this unexpected attack method.

Itachi's pupils contracted, and he retreated rapidly. At the same time, he finally stopped his probing attacks and activated his Double Tomoe Sharingan. He quickly Hand Seals, puffed out his cheeks, and spewed out a large ball of scorching flames.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Great Fireball, over six meters in diameter, hurtled towards the oncoming ice shards with a violent, scorching current.

Sizzle!

The high temperature caused the ice to melt rapidly, and a large amount of mist rose up. Some large pieces of ice also turned into water, wetting the area.

"These two are terrifying!"

"They're not even in the same league."

The examinees watching from the second floor stared wide-eyed. The Great Fireball, a C-Rank Ninjutsu, is generally only usable by Chunin, and it's absolutely impossible for it to be cast almost instantly like the Uchiha. This kind of Fire Style is not something Chunin can release.

Especially after Itachi used the Great Fireball, he still acted nonchalantly, clearly indicating that he hadn't used his full strength yet.

Seeing the ice melt, Itachi did not take the initiative to attack. Instead, he observed the water marks left behind after the ice melted. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply. These seemingly random water marks completely blocked his path of attack, forming a semi-circle.

Thinking of this, Itachi observed Haku's expression but could not glean any information from it.

Whoosh whoosh!

Haku kept shooting Senbon and ice shards from afar. Itachi, relying on the Sharingan's powerful dynamic vision, seemed to be in grave danger, but he managed to dodge all the attacks unscathed.

After discovering that Haku was attacking from a distance and not engaging in close combat, Itachi had an idea and decided to take the risk.

He rushed towards Bai's direction, Kunai deflecting the incoming Kunai.

'Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!'

When Haku saw Itachi walk into the trap, he immediately stretched out his left hand to Hand Seals, while his right hand continuously threw out Senbon to block Itachi's progress.

"One-handed hand Hand Seals?!"

"That brat actually..."

"As expected, it's the Yuki Clan's Ice Style!"

The Konoha Jōnin watching the battle changed their expressions.

At this moment, the water around Itachi quickly rose up and formed smooth, mirror-like ice crystals in front of him, completely enveloping his body.

"What kind of secret technique is this?"

"It's so cold!"

The examinees were stunned by the chill emanating from the ice crystals. Was this kid, who looked to be eight or nine years old, really Genin?

They actually want to compete against such an opponent?

"As expected!" Itachi's eyes changed slightly as he looked at the ice crystals that suddenly appeared around him. The nearest ice crystal was less than a meter away from him. Thinking of this, he looked at the white figure whose body had merged into the ice crystal and quickly retreated, while using the blind spot to form Hand Seals.

Noticing Itachi's imminent escape, Haku's eyes flickered slightly. Just as he was about to Hand Seals with his right hand, he hesitated for a moment, then his figure moved through the ice crystals and attacked Itachi.

At that moment, Itachi suddenly turned around, and terrifying Fire Style Chakra spewed from his mouth.

' Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!'

A massive dragon-head-shaped flame shot out with a roar. Bai's eyes changed, and he reversed his body, returning to the ice crystal. However, the next second, the fire dragon struck the ice crystal.

Click!

With a crisp sound, the ice crystals that Bai Cangshen was covered in shattered by the high temperature and the huge impact. His body flew backward and rolled several times on the ground before coming to a stop.

Other ice crystals also disintegrated.

"This child can actually use a Rank B Fire Style?!"

The Konoha Jōnin were once again shocked. A 10-year-old Genin was able to use a Rank B Fire Release Ninjutsu that many Jōnin could not use. Is this the Uchiha?

"I lost." Bai got up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said with a smile.

Itachi nodded with difficulty, his breathing somewhat disordered. Using Rank B Fire Style was still too much for him; one Great Fireball followed by one Great Dragon Fire had almost depleted his Chakra.

"The victor Uchiha Itachi!" Oshima Shuichi arrived at the arena, his gaze sweeping over the two boys, a sense of melancholy creeping into his heart.

"Sigh," Kimimaro was watching from the second floor, sighed when he saw Haku admit defeat and pounded the railing.

"Bai is a kind child." Shiraha chuckled lightly, not angry about Bai's defeat.

It's clear that Bai subconsciously held back just now.

Of course, Itachi's strength also surprised him somewhat; he was indeed very strong.

It's just unknown what the outcome will be when they encounter Kimimaro and Meteor, who might not hold back in battle.

'This Chunin Selection Exam is getting more and more interesting.' Shiraha chuckled to himself as he looked at the Third Hokage and Uchiha Fugaku, who were both smiling.

Bai returned to the second floor, went to Shiraha's side, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Teacher Shiraha, I..."

"It's alright. The outcome of an exam isn't important. Just remember, you can't always hold back."

Shiraha said gently.