Kakashi's Shock

"Come on, Boss! Kakashi-sensei is all yours!"

Lu Yu watched Naruto run toward Asuma, speechless. He'd have to be an idiot not to realize what was happening by now.

Clearly, his little brother had planned this all out long ago. First thing in the morning, he'd had Naruto use Shadow Clones transformed into their likenesses to fool Lu Yu, Kakashi, and Asuma.

Then Naruto had handled the bluff, while Sasuke launched the real attack on Asuma.

With his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and the special training Lu Yu had given him, Sasuke was strong enough to drive Asuma back—unless Asuma used Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder.

Obviously, Asuma wouldn't go that far in a simple practical exam.

So Sasuke and Asuma's fight gradually moved away from the main battlefield, likely leading them into the ambush several of them had prepared in advance.

As for Kakashi, his little brother had clearly left him to deal with him himself...

Lu Yu smiled wryly, but inside, he was quite pleased. He'd always worried that Shikamaru had been slacking off alongside him and growing complacent.

Now it seemed his little brother still had a good head on his shoulders.

He'd used their numerical advantage to gang up on Asuma, the relatively weaker opponent, and had also made use of Lu Yu—a force who normally wouldn't get involved at all—to deal with the far more frightening Kakashi.

It was a well-planned strategy. Even Lu Yu couldn't find a single flaw in it.

Looking at Lu Yu, who was sitting on a wooden post, Kakashi said with interest:

"Looks like your teammates have abandoned you."

Lu Yu spread his hands innocently and said with a wry smile:

"Kakashi-sensei, they didn't abandon me. My own little brother assigned me this job. But I'm glad he thought things through this far, so I'll give you a suggestion."

"Oh? What's that?"

Lu Yu looked at Kakashi with complete seriousness:

"Just give me the bells. That way, we won't have to fight. Fighting is such a hassle."

Kakashi smiled at Lu Yu.

"I think you've misunderstood, Top Student. The gap between our abilities isn't as troublesome as you imagine. The fight could be over in an instant."

"Oh? So there's no room for negotiation?"

Lu Yu hopped down from the wooden post, looking helpless.

"But I really don't want to go through all that trouble..."

Kakashi had never met anyone like Lu Yu before, someone who didn't take him seriously in the slightest. He couldn't tell whether Lu Yu simply had no idea how strong a jōnin was, or whether he was confident he could beat Kakashi outright.

"Heh, what an interesting guy. Your easygoing, calm demeanor is certainly striking. I just wonder how strong you are."

"My strength? Heh. You're right, actually. If I can settle things in an instant, we won't need a drawn-out fight."

The next moment, Lu Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened, and an irresistible pressure instantly spread in every direction.

In Kakashi's eyes, Lu Yu had seemed utterly ordinary just a moment ago. But as soon as his gaze sharpened, his entire presence changed.

Lu Yu stood there casually, yet an imposing aura, like a towering green mountain, bore down on Kakashi. Kakashi felt as if he were looking up at an insurmountable peak, and was utterly insignificant by comparison.

The crushing, mountain-heavy pressure swept over him. Kakashi heard his bones creak, as if his body were about to be crushed to pieces.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and held on, but his body began to tremble against his will. Goose bumps sprang up all over him, and a sense of mortal danger rose from deep within. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, soaking his mask.

At that moment, Lu Yu seemed to fill the entire world before Kakashi. He could scarcely imagine how earth-shattering it would be if Lu Yu actually moved.

Kakashi couldn't so much as lift a finger. He couldn't even summon the slightest thought of resistance.

The next moment, Kakashi could only watch as Lu Yu casually took the bells from his waist. Then that terrifying, overwhelming aura vanished without a trace.

As the terrible pressure disappeared, Kakashi swayed violently. He managed not to fall, but his eyes were filled with shock.

In that instant, Kakashi's heart had gone cold. For the first time in his life, he had felt a kind of hysterical despair.

Lu Yu had seemed like an unrivaled powerhouse. If he had only taken things seriously, Kakashi wouldn't even have had a chance to escape.

Kakashi turned with difficulty and watched Lu Yu's retreating figure. A trace of fear flashed in his eyes.

That guy... he was so strong he hardly seemed human...