Hatake Kakashi

Before the battle began, Uchiha Lihuo had already analyzed his own strengths and weaknesses; this was his consistent way of thinking.

After all, only by knowing oneself and the enemy could one find a way to overcome them and claim victory.

Others might not know their opponent's abilities or ninjutsu, but for Lihuo, who was well-versed in the Naruto plot, the characteristics and techniques of any named character were already etched into his mind.

This was the power of intelligence, Lihuo's strength!

Facing Kakashi during this period, his exceptional taijutsu and ninjutsu were the key obstacles to Lihuo's victory.

Conversely, although Lihuo possessed many powerful ninjutsu, his chakra reserves were limited; trying to win with only two techniques was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Moreover, Lihuo had only trained for ten days, so it was impossible to have significantly improved his physical body, making it very difficult to defeat Kakashi in taijutsu.

Lihuo understood that there was only one way to win this duel: a mid-battle "head-pat."

As long as he could touch Kakashi's head during the duel, he could gain another enhancement. Given Kakashi's strength, the rewards were highly likely to be substantial, and as long as he received a reward capable of securing victory, he could turn the tide.

Therefore, the most critical step in this duel was to touch Kakashi's head.

It seemed like a long time had passed, but in reality, this was just the result of Lihuo's split-second thinking.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out.

Kakashi held nothing back, attacking Lihuo with extreme speed.

Lihuo, however, did not want to enter the rhythm of close-quarters combat so quickly. Watching Kakashi charge toward him, his eyes shifted slightly, and a plan formed in his mind.

His hands moved like phantoms, weaving seals at a speed that left everyone present unable to perceive them.

Immediately after, Lihuo reached into his ninja tool pouch, firing kunai and shuriken at Kakashi one after another.

Thanks to his diligent training, Lihuo had greatly improved his kunai throwing, and the projectiles subtly sealed off Kakashi's movement routes.

Kakashi did not show weakness either, drawing a kunai to precisely deflect all the shuriken to the ground, though this caused his forward momentum to stutter slightly.

This was the opportunity Lihuo had been waiting for. He surged forward, but he did not go straight for the head, knowing full well that his previous attacks had not caused Kakashi much trouble.

Lihuo attacked Kakashi rapidly, using his Kage-level chakra control to condense chakra at the soles of his feet and release it in a burst, arriving before Kakashi in an instant.

The sudden appearance of Lihuo made Kakashi's eyes sharpen; he had not expected Lihuo to be this fast.

Lihuo exerted force through his feet, spinning his body. He began with a low kick, transitioned into a high kick during the high-speed rotation, and finished with a heel strike.

"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"

Thanks to his mastery of the Konoha Strong Fist, Lihuo's taijutsu had improved significantly, and he had integrated the force-generating method of the Strength of a Hundred into the Leaf Great Whirlwind, giving this move extraordinary power.

Clearly, Kakashi felt the pressure. After neutralizing the first part of the attack, he realized this move could not be blocked head-on. He dodged and weaved, evading Lihuo's strike, but the kunai in his hand was kicked away.

Kakashi rubbed his aching wrist.

"You're strong, but no matter how strong a technique is, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit the target."

This brief exchange drew gasps from the surrounding students.

"That's Kakashi! To think this Uchiha Lihuo can hold his own against him."

"Wow, this Uchiha boy is so handsome. I wonder what his personality is like."

"They're both so handsome, how is one supposed to choose?"

Lihuo ignored the voices around him; at this moment, he only wanted to defeat Kakashi.

The duration of this technique won't last long; I must end this quickly, Lihuo thought to himself, casting a subtle glance at the kunai closest to Kakashi.

But no matter how subtle the look, it could not escape Kakashi, who was watching Lihuo at every moment.

Why did he glance at the kunai on the ground? I don't know why yet, but I just need to make sure he doesn't succeed.

At this moment, Kakashi shed his usual laziness, his eyes filled with seriousness and gravity.

This boy named Lihuo is not simple. It seems I need to take this seriously.

Kakashi drew a kunai and flew forward. His pace and speed were now completely different from before.

If Lihuo had been able to roughly judge Kakashi's movement and block him earlier, he now found it impossible to determine where to intercept Kakashi's assault.

Watching the rapidly approaching Kakashi, Lihuo actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He really did notice. I should say, it's fortunate that he did.

Seeing that he could not stop the charging Kakashi, Lihuo did not want to sit and wait for death, so he drew his own kunai and stood ready.

However, this close-quarters battle became completely one-sided. No matter how Lihuo defended, Kakashi always managed to attack from his blind spots.

But whenever Lihuo prepared to counterattack, Kakashi would dodge away like a startled rabbit.

Hatake Sword Technique! Lihuo was shocked. To think that even without a short blade, one could unleash such power with just a kunai—it truly could not be underestimated.

"Lihuo, although I don't know why you were looking at that kunai, I'm sorry, but I won't let you succeed."

Kakashi gripped his kunai with both hands and slashed down diagonally with force.

Lihuo raised his kunai to parry, but the clash produced a crisp metallic ring, and his kunai was knocked to the ground.

Yet, Lihuo smiled.

"You really did see it. It's fortunate that you did."

Suddenly, the kunai that had just been knocked to Lihuo's feet went poof and transformed into Lihuo himself.

"What! How did he do that?" The students present let out a chorus of gasps.

"Even the Clone Technique shouldn't be able to achieve something like this!"

Only students with more experience, like Hatake Kakashi and Asuma, as well as the Chunin instructors, remained silent.

They understood that this was not an effect achievable by a simple Clone Technique, but a much higher-level jutsu—the Shadow Clone Technique.

By utilizing a combination of the Shadow Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique, he had turned the shadow clone into a kunai, only to launch a surprise attack at the critical moment.

However, what puzzled those who had been closely following the battle was exactly when Lihuo had performed the hand seals.

Lihuo would not give them so much time to ponder. The shadow clone launched an attack instantly, executing a roundhouse kick against Hatake Kakashi with astonishing speed and power.

"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"

The heavy, forceful kick made it impossible for Hatake Kakashi to continue his assault on Lihuo's original body. He dodged to the side, clearing the range of the Konoha Strong Whirlwind, and with a swift flick of the kunai in his hand, the shadow clone was instantly dispelled.

But what about Lihuo's original body?

A voice appeared behind Hatake Kakashi: "Look, you've left yourself wide open."

A hand touched Hatake Kakashi's head. Immediately after, Hatake Kakashi grabbed Lihuo's arm, attempting to throw him over his shoulder.

Yet, Lihuo suddenly exerted force, broke free from Hatake Kakashi's grip, and retreated like an arrow released from a bow, putting distance between them.

Ding! Head-pat C-rank ninja: Hatake Kakashi. Please choose one of the following rewards:

"Hatake Sword Technique"

"Hidden Leaf Secret Taijutsu Ultimate Technique: One Thousand Years of Death"

"Moderate enhancement of physical fitness"

Looking at the rewards before him, Lihuo did not hesitate for a second and chose "Moderate enhancement of physical fitness."

In truth, Lihuo was conflicted; "One Thousand Years of Death" was useless given his current lack of finishing moves.

While the "Hatake Sword Technique" was powerful, he could not use it in Konoha. After all, it was the ancestral sword technique of the Hatake clan, and he would have no way to explain its origin.

After all, who would believe that a child with no relation to the Hatake family and who hadn't even awakened the Sharingan could rapidly master the Hatake Sword Technique?

Therefore, this seemingly plain and unremarkable "Moderate enhancement of physical fitness" became the best choice.

"Reward has been issued."

As the cold system voice rang out, Lihuo knew that this battle could now be brought to an end.