Lion Combo!

Unlike the pain that came with previous rewards, this time, "physical enhancement" brought a tingling sensation throughout his body.

At first, it was just a slight numbness. A second later, it suddenly spread through his whole body.

The numbness made Lihuo's body stiffen slightly.

"This is way too intense! I can't move at all!"

Kakashi noticed that Lihuo's movements were off and seized the chance to charge at him. He flicked his hand, and a kunai appeared in it like magic.

Using the unpredictable footwork unique to the Hatake Sword Technique, he rapidly closed the distance between them.

In an instant, Kakashi was right in front of Lihuo. He slashed with the kunai, aiming straight for Lihuo's throat.

Since it was a specially made kunai, the attack wouldn't seriously injure Lihuo. That was why Kakashi dared to use a killing move.

But to Lihuo, Kakashi's movements seemed to have slowed. His normally hard-to-follow actions were now crystal clear.

Had his eyes awakened? No! The physical enhancement had greatly improved his reflexes and dynamic vision.

"Looks like I made the right choice."

Lihuo dropped into a sudden crouch, dodging what should have been a lethal strike.

He looked up, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit as they met Kakashi's startled expression.

"Surprised? The best part is still to come!"

Lihuo spun and kicked straight at Kakashi's abdomen, sending him flying!

Teacher Oshima was startled. "Is that Shadow Leaf Dance?"

The pain from the sudden impact briefly left Kakashi dazed.

"It's over." Lihuo grinned.

"Not even close!" Kakashi came to his senses and quickly formed Hand Seals.

Lihuo stomped hard, appearing beneath Kakashi.

The two of them flew through the air. Unhurried, Lihuo formed the Seal of the Rat with his left hand and pressed it against Kakashi's waist.

"Try this!"

Lihuo twisted in midair. The sky, where there was nothing to push off from, seemed to become his home ground. He swung a fast, powerful kick at Kakashi.

Bang!

Kakashi raised his arm to block, but the impact made his movements stiffen.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for—Lion Combo!"

Lihuo spun and drove his elbow straight into Kakashi's face. Then he braced himself with one hand, positioning Kakashi beneath him, and punched down with his right arm, slamming Kakashi into the ground.

Lihuo flipped over and landed heavily, rolling several times to bleed off the force.

Not daring to let his guard down, Lihuo quickly drew a kunai and stood ready. Suddenly, he sensed a faint trace of chakra from above.

The way this chakra was being used felt familiar to him.

A moment's thought brought a turning point in the fight. Suddenly, with a puff of smoke, Kakashi, who had been knocked to the ground, disappeared.

Kakashi sprang silently from Lihuo's shadow.

"Did he hide his real body inside the shadow?"

Fortunately, Lihuo's senses and reflexes had been enhanced. He blocked Kakashi's attack at once, then put some distance between them.

"Uchiha Lihuo, you're strong."

"Hatake Kakashi, I hope you get even stronger." Lihuo silently added, That way, I can keep milking you for rewards.

Teacher Oshima stepped in just in time to stop the training. Lihuo and Kakashi exchanged the Seal of Reconciliation. Kakashi promised they would fight again next time, and Lihuo readily agreed.

Lihuo had realized that fighting strong opponents could both improve his strength and hone his combat skills. What was there not to like?

The practical training finally drew to a close, and Teacher Oshima gave his summary.

"Asuma's Taijutsu is lacking. He needs to train harder."

"Ebisu has a good foundation, but his fighting style is too rigid."

Suddenly, the shadows of the trees in the distance shifted slightly. No one noticed except Oshima, who paused for a moment before quickly composing himself.

"Lihuo is excellent in both ninjutsu and Taijutsu. His self-created Lion Combo, based on Shadow Leaf Dance, is especially inventive..."

At that, Lihuo felt a flush of embarrassment. Sorry, Sasuke. Whoever uses this move gets to claim it.

Teacher Oshima looked at Lihuo, his appreciation for the boy plain to see.

"If you want to keep improving, you need to work harder on your Taijutsu. Your Taijutsu was ineffective at the start of the match. You only beat Kakashi in the end because of your physical enhancement."

Lihuo nodded humbly and agreed, inwardly marveling at Ryunosuke Oshima's keen eye. If Hatake Kakashi, who had just fought him, had said that, Lihuo wouldn't have been surprised. Kakashi could assess his opponent's condition in real time through battle. But Teacher Oshima had spotted such fine details just by watching the match. There was no denying his skill.

By the time Teacher Oshima had finished commenting on all the students, "Jetstream Warrior" Obito finally arrived. Teacher Oshima didn't say much, only telling him to train hard and catch up with the others.

Soon it was time to leave. The students filed out of the classroom in groups. Obito looked over at Lihuo. "Are you training again today?"

Lihuo nodded. "I'm meeting Guy to train." Obito looked a little disappointed, but when he saw Rin packing her bag, he hurried over to her. In the end, he left the classroom with her, chatting and laughing.

Kakashi came to Lihuo's desk and asked quietly, "Are you going to train after class?"

"That's right. I'm meeting a good friend."

"Can I come along?"

Lihuo looked a little taken aback, then understood. After all, Kakashi had just met someone his equal among his peers for the first time. It was only natural that he'd want to see how the other person trained.

Lihuo looked up and saw Kakashi's face reddening. Only then did he realize he'd hesitated too long, making Kakashi feel awkward.

He quickly replied, "Sure. I've been wanting to introduce my friend to you, too. I'm sure you'll become good friends."

Just as the two were getting into their conversation, Aotian, who hadn't left yet, suddenly stood up and dashed out of the classroom. It looked like he was going to lead his underlings in another round of training.

Lihuo and Kakashi walked side by side through the school gate. Suddenly, Lihuo sensed that same strange chakra from above.

Lihuo didn't act rashly. The enemy was in the shadows, while he was out in the open. Now that he'd detected this chakra without the other side knowing, he could turn the situation around, making the enemy the one in the open and himself the one in the shadows.

If he carelessly revealed that he could sense this chakra, he would alert the other side and ruin everything. So Lihuo held back and carefully studied the chakra.

It was an extremely unusual kind of chakra. It spread over the land like light, yet was incredibly soft and subtle. Even a well-trained Jonin couldn't detect it without a special technique.

Lihuo found the way it worked strangely familiar. He'd had no time to think during his fight with Kakashi, but now, with a little recollection, the answer came to him.

"Telescope Technique"—the Third Hokage was spying on them!

When he'd patted the Third Hokage on the head, Lihuo had drawn the Telescope Technique. He was extremely familiar with the chakra it released.

He just didn't know whether the Third Hokage was watching him or Kakashi. Realizing that the Third Hokage had spied on them twice already, Lihuo suddenly saw how many suspicious things about himself he couldn't explain.

The biggest problem was where his ninjutsu had come from!

"I need to start dealing with this right away."

But Kakashi had no idea what Lihuo was thinking. He only thought Lihuo had spaced out and spoke up to get his attention. "Lihuo? You okay?"

"Huh? Sorry, I spaced out. Come on, I'll treat you to a meal before we train. What do you like?"

"Fish."

"You like Three-Color Dango, right? Come on, I know a place that makes amazing dango." ♪(´ε｀)

"Sounds like you're the one who wants dango." (･_･;