The Powerful Team 7

Kakashi formed the Tiger hand seal.

"Secret Konoha Ninjutsu, Taijutsu Ultimate Technique—Thousand Years of Death!"

With a scream, Naruto fell into the river.

Afterward, although he used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Kakashi still handled him with ease.

A crushing defeat. Tears streamed down his face.

"Next!"

Kakashi pulled out Make-Out Paradise and spoke lazily.

Sasuke stepped up.

During the bell-grabbing battle, he used the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

But he still lost to Kakashi.

Sakura was even less worth mentioning.

What was the point of being good at theory? Her combat ability was practically nonexistent.

"Chiye Jun, you're up!"

Kakashi had always wanted to spar with Chiye Jun, but he had never had the chance.

Chiye Jun gathered his three teammates and whispered something to them.

"Is he laying out tactics? He does have a sense of teamwork..." Kakashi nodded.

Then...

The four who had been gathered together suddenly scattered.

The other three quickly found places to hide.

With two steps, Chiye Jun arrived in front of Kakashi.

A punch, carrying a howling gust of wind, shot straight at his face!

Fast, precise, ruthless!

With just one punch!

Chiye Jun displayed the essence of taijutsu to perfection!

Smack!

Kakashi raised his right arm and blocked the punch.

But the force that came through made his expression change.

His right hand, which held a kunai, immediately recoiled, barely avoiding a broken bone.

His strike had been deflected.

Chiye Jun suddenly turned his fist into a claw and grabbed Kakashi's retreating right hand.

Using the leverage from his elbow, he raised it and struck diagonally toward Kakashi's face.

With his right arm restrained, Kakashi had no time to block with his left hand. He could only jerk his head back and avoid the elbow strike.

Suddenly!

Chiye Jun yanked hard on Kakashi's arm.

Kakashi lost his balance.

Both of them staggered backward.

Then came the heavy sound of metal striking metal!

Bang!

The kunai sliced open Chiye Jun's elbow, revealing a lead weight.

"Weighted training... Isn't that Might Guy's training method?!"

Of course, he had no idea that Lee had actually been Chiye Jun's first friend...

"No wonder his taijutsu is so formidable!"

A chill ran down Kakashi's spine.

Although they had only exchanged blows for a few short seconds.

He had clearly felt a surging flow of chakra transmit through him!

"Chiye Jun, your taijutsu is pretty good! I'd originally planned to hold back, but now it seems I'll have to get serious."

Kakashi put away his kunai and stared intently at his opponent.

"Hehe, Kakashi-sensei, that was just a warm-up." Chiye Jun grinned.

"You might not be my match in close combat."

"Next, I'll show you Tsunade's Monster Strength!"

As soon as he finished speaking, billowing dust erupted beneath Chiye Jun's feet.

A force released through chakra lashed toward Kakashi's abdomen.

"So fast! I couldn't even see it clearly!"

Kakashi was startled, astonished by Chiye Jun's explosive speed.

But his strength was not to be underestimated. Just because his eyes could not keep up did not mean his senses could not.

With a swift, windlike turn, he dodged by a hair's breadth.

Then the two engaged in fierce close-quarters combat.

Kakashi remained on the defensive the entire time.

Chiye Jun's punches grew faster and fiercer with every strike, and he clung to Kakashi like glue.

The moment Kakashi retreated, he immediately followed.

No matter what Kakashi did, he could not escape Chiye Jun's punching range!

An elite jonin... getting beaten back by a child who just graduated... What terrifying taijutsu!

Kakashi gave up trying to block futilely and switched to rapid evasions.

With his formidable strength, he gradually adapted to Chiye Jun's rhythm, and his movements became much smoother.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're starting to run out of steam, aren't you?" Chiye Jun did not rush to grab the bells and instead teased him.

"I admit that your taijutsu is powerful, but as a ninja, taijutsu alone is far from enough!"

As he spoke, Kakashi exchanged a heavy punch with Chiye Jun!

Using the recoil, he broke free from Chiye Jun's entanglement.

At the same time!

His hands rapidly formed seals in front of his chest.

Just then!

Sasuke's voice came from behind him.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique!"

Kakashi froze!

A C-rank chunin-level ninjutsu—Sasuke could actually use it?

Chiye Jun was a little surprised as well.

Because in the original story, there had been no mention of Sasuke being able to use it at this point.

Though it had not said he could not use it either.

Forget it, no need to nitpick. If he can use it, he can use it...

An immense wave of scorching heat rushed over.

Before his eyes, several fireballs, accompanied by heat waves, slammed furiously toward Kakashi.

Boom!

Kakashi seemed unable to react in time. Unable to evade such a dense barrage of fireballs, he was struck directly by two of them.

At once!

Dust and smoke billowed everywhere!

Explosions rang out as the impacts struck the ground, and flying dust filled the air above the grassy field.

Sasuke appeared!

He and Chiye Jun guarded opposite sides, staring fixedly at the dust cloud before them.

"Kakashi-sensei is a jonin. He won't lose that easily!" Naruto appeared as well and shouted.

Afterward, he used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to surround the dust cloud, preventing Kakashi from taking the chance to escape.

"Idiot! You don't need to tell me that!" Sasuke frowned.

As the dust slowly dispersed, Kakashi's figure emerged.

"Hehe, I really underestimated you."

Though he looked somewhat disheveled, the Fire Style had not caused him any real harm.

"Your coordination is excellent. For genin, you're already among the best."

Hearing the praise, Naruto beamed.

"Then, Kakashi-sensei, does that mean you can give us the bells? Sakura! Come quickly..."

But Kakashi's next words poured cold water over them.

"But if you want to defeat me and take the bells, you're still far from it!"

"Not necessarily!"

Chiye Jun and Sasuke charged forward at the same time.

Just then!

A cloud of black smoke appeared, and Kakashi vanished.

"Where did he go?!" Sasuke looked around.

"This is bad!"

Chiye Jun's expression changed drastically!

Of course he knew what this was!

He instinctively wanted to grab Sasuke and pull away, but it was too late.

A pair of large hands suddenly burst from the ground and grabbed both of their ankles.

Kakashi's calm voice came from underground.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

Unable to resist at all, the two were dragged directly underground, with only their heads left exposed.

"Hehe, can't move now, can you?"

Kakashi smiled, pulled out his manga, and left with a grin.

Sakura and Naruto ran over.

When they saw the two heads, they were so frightened they nearly fainted.

After coming to their senses, they both dropped to their knees and began digging furiously.

Kakashi turned back and glanced at them.

"Not bad. You know to rescue your teammates, but at your speed, hehe..."

He checked the alarm clock. There was only half an hour left until noon.

"Move aside!" Chiye Jun shouted.

Then he poured chakra into his shoulders.

Layer upon layer, he exerted force.

He burst the chakra out from his shoulders in an explosive release.

His entire body shot out of the soil like a rocket with a whoosh.

Then he summoned the invisible Blackie to help them dig Sasuke out...

Suddenly!

Inspiration struck!

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

They could help dig...

[ Ding! Congratulations, host, for discovering the third use of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—human excavators. ]

However, the system immediately added a reminder.

[ Reminder to host: You must independently complete the challenge of defeating Kakashi. You may not rely on outside assistance, including teammates and summoned beasts. ]

Fine...

"Kakashi-sensei! Wait!"

Chiye Jun ran forward.

Kakashi looked back and immediately froze.

This little guy actually escaped from the ground so easily...

But what did he want from me?