Lion Combo!

Unlike the pain that accompanied previous rewards, this "Physical Enhancement" felt like a tingling numbness spreading throughout Lihuo's entire body.

At first, it was only a slight prickle, but after a second, it instantly transformed into a wave of paralysis that swept across his frame.

This numbness caused Lihuo's posture to stiffen for a split second.

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

Hatake Kakashi caught the lack of coordination in Lihuo's movements and seized the opportunity to dash forward, a kunai appearing in his hand as if by magic.

Moving with the unpredictable footwork characteristic of the Hatake Sword Technique, he rapidly closed the distance to Lihuo.

In a mere instant, Kakashi was right in front of him, his kunai slashing horizontally toward Lihuo's throat.

Because it was a training kunai, this strike wouldn't cause serious injury, which was why Kakashi felt comfortable unleashing such a lethal move.

Yet, in Lihuo's eyes, Kakashi's movements seemed to have slowed down; actions that were previously difficult to track now appeared incredibly clear.

Had he awakened his eyes? No! It was the physical enhancement significantly boosting his reaction speed and dynamic vision.

It seems my choice was the right one.

Lihuo ducked abruptly, dodging what should have been a fatal blow.

Lifting his head, Lihuo met Kakashi's stunned expression with eyes full of fighting spirit.

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

Lihuo flipped and kicked out, striking Kakashi squarely in the abdomen and sending him flying into the air!

Ryunosuke Oshima was shocked. "This is! Shadow Leaf Dance?"

The pain from the sudden impact left Kakashi momentarily dazed.

"It's over," Lihuo grinned.

"Not by a long shot!" Regaining his focus, Kakashi quickly formed hand seals.

Lihuo stomped his foot hard, his figure appearing directly beneath Kakashi.

The two were suspended in mid-air; Lihuo remained calm, pressing his left hand—fingers curled into a seal—against Kakashi's waist.

"Taste this!"

Lihuo twisted his body. The high altitude, where one would normally have no leverage, seemed to become his home turf as he whipped a fast, powerful leg toward Kakashi.

Bang!

Kakashi raised his arms to block, but the force of the blow left him momentarily rigid.

"I've been waiting for this moment. Lion Combo!"

Lihuo spun and delivered an elbow strike that landed squarely on Kakashi's face. Then, using his hand to push off, he maneuvered Kakashi beneath him and threw a straight right punch, slamming him hard into the ground.

Lihuo flipped and landed heavily, rolling a few times to dissipate the momentum.

Not daring to be careless, Lihuo quickly drew his kunai and stood ready. Suddenly, he sensed a faint, flickering chakra fluctuation from above.

The way this chakra was being utilized gave Lihuo a sense of familiarity.

He hadn't expected a moment of contemplation to turn the tide of battle. Suddenly, with a poof, the Kakashi who had been slammed to the ground transformed into a cloud of white smoke.

From within Lihuo's own shadow, Kakashi emerged silently to strike.

"So you hid your real body in the shadow?"

Fortunately, Lihuo's senses and reflexes had been enhanced; he parried instantly and put some distance between himself and Kakashi.

"Uchiha Lihuo, you are strong."

"Hatake Kakashi, I hope you become even stronger," Lihuo added silently to himself. That way, I can keep farming you for experience.

Ryunosuke Oshima appeared in time to stop the training. Lihuo and Kakashi performed the Seal of Reconciliation, and after Kakashi agreed to a rematch, Lihuo gladly accepted.

Lihuo realized that constantly sparring with strong opponents could both improve his strength and hone his combat techniques—why wouldn't he want that?

The practical training finally drew to a close, and Ryunosuke Oshima began his summary.

"Asuma, your taijutsu is insufficient; you need to train harder."

"Ebisu, your foundations are good, but your combat style is too rigid."

Suddenly, the shadows of the trees in the distance swayed slightly. No one else noticed, but Ryunosuke Oshima paused for a moment before immediately regaining his composure.

"Lihuo, your ninjutsu and taijutsu are both excellent, especially the Lion Combo you created based on the 'Shadow Leaf Dance'—it's quite creative..."

Hearing this, Lihuo felt his face heat up in secret. Sorry, Sasuke, whoever uses it first gets the credit.

Ryunosuke Oshima looked at Lihuo, his appreciation for talent evident.

"If you want to improve further, you must put more effort into your taijutsu. In this duel, your taijutsu was weak in the beginning, and you only overcame Kakashi later on due to your physical attributes."

Lihuo nodded humbly, inwardly marveling at Ryunosuke Oshima's sharp eye. If Hatake Kakashi, who had just fought him, had said this, Lihuo wouldn't have been surprised, as one could grasp an opponent's state in real-time through combat. But for Ryunosuke Oshima to notice such details just by watching the fight—he was truly impressive.

After Ryunosuke Oshima finished critiquing all the students, "Jet-Pack" Obito finally arrived late. Ryunosuke Oshima didn't say much, only telling him to train more to catch up with the others.

Soon, it was time for school to end. Students left the classroom in groups, and Obito looked toward Lihuo, "Are we still going to train today?"

Lihuo nodded, "I've arranged to train with Guy." Obito looked slightly disappointed, but upon seeing Rin packing her bag, he scurried over to her, eventually leaving the classroom with her while chatting and laughing.

At this moment, Kakashi walked over to Lihuo's desk and whispered, "You're going to train after class?"

"That's right, I've made plans with a good friend."

"Could you take me along?"

Hearing this, Lihuo's expression was slightly stunned. He soon regained his composure and understood Kakashi; after all, having encountered someone who could match him blow-for-blow among his peers for the first time, it was inevitable that he would want to know how the other person trained.

Looking up and seeing Kakashi's slightly flushed face, Lihuo realized he had hesitated for too long, making Kakashi feel a bit awkward.

He immediately said decisively, "No problem. I was actually planning to introduce my friend to you; I believe you two will become great friends."

Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically, Aotian, who hadn't left yet, suddenly stood up and sprinted out of the classroom. It looked like he was off to train with his lackeys again.

Lihuo and Kakashi walked out of the school gate side by side. Suddenly, Lihuo once again sensed a peculiar chakra fluctuation coming from the sky.

Lihuo did not act rashly because he knew that the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. Now that he had discovered this chakra, this hidden card could turn the situation into one where the enemy was in the light and he was in the dark.

If he easily revealed that he could perceive this chakra, it would alert the other party and ruin all his efforts. Therefore, Lihuo remained calm and carefully sensed the chakra.

This chakra was extremely unique; it spread across the earth like light, yet it was incredibly gentle and subtle. Even a well-trained Jonin, without a special technique, would be unable to see through it.

Lihuo felt that the way this chakra functioned was extremely familiar. He hadn't had time to think while dueling Kakashi earlier, but now, after a brief recollection, the answer surfaced in his mind.

"Telescope Technique!" The Third Hokage was spying on them!

Because he had drawn the "Telescope Technique" when he patted the Third Hokage's head, Lihuo was extremely familiar with the chakra fluctuations released by this jutsu.

He just didn't know if the Third Hokage was spying on him or Kakashi. Realizing that the Third Hokage had already spied on them twice, Lihuo instantly discovered that there were many suspicious points about himself that he couldn't explain clearly.

The biggest problem was the origin of his ninjutsu!

"I must get to work on handling this immediately."

However, Kakashi didn't know what Lihuo was thinking; he only felt that Lihuo had zoned out, so he spoke up to remind him, "Lihuo? How are you? Are you alright?"

"Ah? Sorry, I was just lost in thought. Let's go, I'll treat you to a meal before training. What do you like to eat?"

"Fish."

"You like three-colored dango, right? Let's go, I happen to know a shop that's delicious."

"You're clearly just the one who wants to eat dango, aren't you?"