Twelve-Year-Old Kakashi

The morning forest exuded a refreshing scent. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, casting a hazy glow, and with the intermittent chirping of birds, the scene felt vibrant and alive.

Kakashi hid in a tree, his body pressed tightly behind the trunk and completely enveloped by dense leaves, his breathing kept to a minimum.

The moment he heard movement, he gently parted the leaves, revealing only his eyes to peer outside, while his other hand slowly drew the short blade from behind his waist.

This was the weapon inherited from his father, known by the name "White Fang." Once, that man had held this sharp blade and nearly carved his way through the entire Sand Hidden front line, earning countless merits for Konoha.

Then, he died.

He died from rumors, from the accusations of his comrades, and from abandoning his mission to save those same comrades; even his former glory was swept into the dust, never to be mentioned again.

Ever since then, Kakashi had taken him as a warning, viewing the father he once held in such high esteem as a disgrace.

The meaning of a ninja's existence was to complete the mission, and for that, one could abandon everything.

Those who broke this rule were trash!

Footsteps drew closer, forcing Kakashi to suppress all such thoughts.

Figures flickered in the forest. Five Sand Ninja appeared from behind, one in front and two in the back, with one on each flank. Three were leaping through the treetops, while two sprinted along the ground.

The five Sand Ninja were cautious; not only did they maintain a basic formation, but they also quickly hid behind cover with every movement. They were clearly battle-hardened veterans with plenty of experience.

The Sand Ninja in the lead was powerfully built with a sharp gaze, and Kakashi could feel a faint sense of threat radiating from him.

A Jonin!

Having identified the most dangerous target, Kakashi prepared to act.

The five Sand Ninja passed beneath him, but he did not strike immediately.

The moment the Sand Ninja trailing at the very back exposed himself, Kakashi leaped down from the tree, the White Fang blade in his hand swinging with great force.

Squelch!

A flash of white light passed, and a spray of blood erupted.

The Sand Ninja only had time to look up before he was cleanly and efficiently killed by Kakashi.

"An ambush!"

The remaining four Sand Ninja reacted with lightning speed, immediately pairing up back-to-back to form a defensive formation.

Seeing this, Kakashi knew the opportunity for a chaotic assault had passed. He retreated rationally, hiding behind a tree to obscure the enemy's line of sight.

"Are there no other enemies?"

The lead Jonin observed carefully and, confirming this, his face turned livid. "So it was just one brat... what a joke!"

Konoha was looking down on them too much; even a brat was arrogant enough to dare attack them all by himself.

"Move out, kill him!"

At the command, the four scattered, surrounding him from every direction.

The lead Jonin jumped directly onto the tree where Kakashi was hiding, looking down at him from above. He drew his ninja blade, his smile turning savage. "Die, you wretched Konoha brat!"

The moment he leaped, his blade slashed downward.

Kakashi jumped backward to dodge, but the Jonin smiled, having achieved his goal.

The moment he landed, he lunged forward. Chakra erupted from his calves, doubling his explosive power and granting him incredible speed.

Oh no! Kakashi's pupils constricted. He had no time to react and could only raise his blade, gritting his teeth to parry.

But the Jonin was too fast. His blade traced a pale arc through the air, slicing diagonally from his shoulder and cutting through his entire torso.

Puff!

A massive wound tore open across Kakashi's chest.

Kakashi staggered and fell, his face filled with terror.

Before he even hit the ground...

Poof!

Kakashi burst into a cloud of smoke.

"A Shadow Clone? Watch out!" The Jonin's expression darkened. He turned to shout a warning, but it was already a step too late.

A pair of hands suddenly emerged from the ground beneath one of the Sand Ninja, grabbing his ankles and dragging him instantly into the earth, leaving only his head exposed.

Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!

Before the Sand Ninja could struggle, a bright flash of a blade swept past, taking his life instantly.

Having killed another, Kakashi did not linger. He quickly darted into the nearby woods, intending to hide and wait for an opportunity to continue his ambush.

The next second.

BOOM!

A violent gale surged, flattening the grass and trees, turning the area in front into a vacuum.

Invisible wind blades extended outward, slicing through everything they touched. Cross-hatched marks were left on the thick trees, and branches fell incessantly.

Wind Style: Wind Killing Array!

The jonin released his hand seals with a gloomy expression, his inner rage steadily rising.

"You two provide support from a distance; don't get too close. I'm going to finish that brat off myself!"

In just two short exchanges, he realized that the white-haired kid was no ordinary ninja. His subordinates were completely out of their depth, and if he wanted the boy dead, he would have to do it himself.

After giving the order, the jonin gripped his long blade and charged openly toward Kakashi's position.

The two Sand Ninjas hung back, ready to provide support at any moment.

On a tree not far away, Sen Chisato and Minato stood on the canopy, watching everything in silence.

They had arrived and taken their positions long before Kakashi, having moved even faster than him despite setting out later.

From the moment Kakashi chose his hiding spot until now, the two of them had watched his entire battle.

"Ninjutsu, swordsmanship, stealth, combat IQ... Hatake Kakashi has performed perfectly. He is already a qualified ninja," Sen Chisato commented with the air of an old man.

"I'm not worried about his strength; I'm worried about his mindset and personality," Namikaze Minato said with a helpless, bitter smile.

"Ever since Hatake Sakumo passed away, the child has closed off his heart, becoming cold, sensitive, and paranoid that missions are everything. Even after spending five years with Obito and Rin, he remains distant."

"Heart disease requires heart medicine. Let the Hokage have a good talk with him," Sen Chisato immediately offered a solution.

"Uh..." Minato was speechless.

Hatake Sakumo's death was tied to the upper echelons of Konoha, and it wasn't as if the Hokage didn't know about Kakashi's issues... Asking the Hokage to discuss this with Kakashi was truly putting him in a difficult position.

"Don't misunderstand, I meant the Hokage who is our teacher," Sen Chisato added, seeing his reaction.

Clang!

The sound of clashing blades drew their attention back to Kakashi's direction.

The jonin had found Kakashi, and the battle had resumed.

Swords collided repeatedly, sending sparks flying as the two fought at high speed, their figures darting back and forth through the forest, constantly shifting positions.

Whether it was Kakashi or the Sand Ninja, both were skilled swordsmen with no flaws in their taijutsu. Their moves were sharp and their strikes concise; every swing was either for defense or aimed at a lethal point.

Gradually, however, Kakashi began to fall behind.

There was no gap in technique, but the physical disparity was obvious.

Kakashi's age was a factor; he was far weaker than his opponent, and every strike required him to exert his full strength. Because of this, his stamina was draining far too quickly.

"Tsk, he should be creating distance to use ninjutsu right now. If he keeps trying to win with swordsmanship and taijutsu, defeat is only a matter of time," Sen Chisato said with dissatisfaction.

"Ninjutsu consumes too much chakra," Minato said, understanding Kakashi's predicament.

"That's because he has too little chakra," Sen Chisato said, his face full of disdain.

"Kakashi is only twelve. At this age, his chakra reserves are already quite substantial."

Minato couldn't help but twitch his mouth, saying helplessly, "Not everyone can be like you, Chisato, possessing such massive chakra at this age!"

"Kakashi is going to lose," Sen Chisato said, not bothering to argue and pulling the topic back to the battle nearby.

While the two were talking, Kakashi's fight had never ceased.

Just as they had expected, after pushing himself this hard, Kakashi was beginning to run out of stamina.