Kakashi's Challenge

Hyuga Satoru slept fitfully through the night. When he finally crawled out of bed that morning, his whole body still ached.

"I didn't expect the aftereffects of Tyrant Mode to be this stubborn. Most of my chakra has recovered, but my muscle damage will need some time and rest to heal."

With a slight grimace, Hyuga Satoru braced one hand against the bedframe while continuously kneading his side with the other. If anyone saw him like this, they would surely suspect he had gone through some intense "battle" the previous night and been left severely drained.

After a simple breakfast, Hyuga Satoru finally felt a little better. He sighed. "I'll slow down my training for the next few days. There's no rush—I can continue once my body recovers."

There were still several days until his next mission with Aburame Shibi, so with nothing else to do, Hyuga Satoru headed out onto the streets.

The village was still thriving. Children could be seen chasing and playing with one another in the streets. Hyuga Satoru looked toward the sky beyond the village, his gaze troubled.

How much longer could such peaceful days last? The Third Shinobi World War would probably begin soon.

Before this, Hyuga Satoru would never have allowed himself even the slightest slack. War was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, constantly pressing down on him.

But Tyrant Mode, which he had developed by accident yesterday, gave him a trace of confidence in the face of the unknown future.

"I haven't had Ichiraku Ramen in a long time."

Taking a break amid all the busyness was a pleasure in itself. Hyuga Satoru smiled.

Just then, he saw Anko running toward him from not far away, panting heavily.

"This is bad, Satoru! Rin and Kakashi are fighting!"

The smile on Hyuga Satoru's face instantly froze.

"Is that white-haired brat the White Fang's son?"

"Must be. I heard he's the most outstanding genius of the village's new generation. That Uchiha brat has held out for so long, though—she's clearly no pushover either."

"Heh heh, an Uchiha brat against the White Fang's son. This is really something..."

Outside the mission management office, a group of ninja had gathered at some point, clicking their tongues as they discussed the fight.

The short blade traced pale arcs through the air, clashing repeatedly with kunai at speeds too fast for the naked eye to follow. Sparks flew alongside the sharp clang of metal.

Her scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly. After blocking another slash, Uchiha Rin's expression grew even more solemn.

Kakashi's swordsmanship was exceptionally fierce. Every strike targeted her weak points. Without the Sharingan's assistance, she might have already been defeated.

"This guy's strength has improved so quickly."

Uchiha Rin gritted her teeth slightly. Back at the Ninja Academy, she had always competed with Kakashi. She never expected the gap between them to widen so much after graduation.

"What happened to Kakashi? Even if Rin mentioned his father, he shouldn't be hitting this hard, right?"

Guy stood amid the crowd with a worried look on his face. They were both his classmates, and their sudden fight left him at a loss for what to do.

"I think I remember your name now. Uchiha Rin, right? You shouldn't have mentioned that man's name. He was just trash who couldn't even complete a mission."

"Tch!" Kakashi's words thoroughly irritated Uchiha Rin.

"In terms of strength, I deeply respect Lord White Fang. I just never expected his son to be someone who could only win with his mouth."

"Bastard! I told you not to mention that man's name."

To Uchiha Rin's surprise, that one sentence made Kakashi snap. He leaped backward to create distance and formed hand seals at incredible speed.

A piercing shriek like the cries of a thousand birds rang out. One hand gripped his wrist while lightning flickered around the other.

"A Lightning Release jutsu? I wonder how it compares to my Fire Release?"

Uchiha Rin narrowed her eyes and began forming hand seals just as quickly. Phoenix Claw Technique! A B-rank Fire Release jutsu—the strongest Fire Release technique she could currently use.

"That technique? Has Kakashi gone mad?"

"This is too reckless. That technique still isn't complete, is it? Does he want to kill her?"

The surrounding ninja recognized Kakashi's technique, and their hearts tightened.

Piercing thunder roared as Kakashi's body shot forward in a straight line toward Uchiha Rin at extreme speed.

Uchiha Rin completed her final hand seal. There was not the slightest fear on her face, only overwhelming fighting spirit. Chakra surged up to her throat, transforming into scorching breath.

Suddenly.

Smack!

A dull sound of flesh striking flesh rang out. The lightning-wreathed palm stopped a meter in front of Uchiha Rin, while her lips parted slightly, the blazing Fire Release just one second from being unleashed.

"Close one. I made it."

Hyuga Satoru quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then grimaced as the intense movement tugged at muscles that had yet to recover, sending a burst of pain through his body.

His right hand tightly gripped Kakashi's wrist, while his shoulder pressed against Kakashi's chest, forcibly stopping his attack.

"Satoru, why are you here?" Uchiha Rin looked astonished.

Then, as if she had recalled something, a hint of anger appeared on her face.

"Hey, do you know how dangerous that was? My Fire Release was one second away from going off."

Enduring the pain in his muscles, Hyuga Satoru gritted his teeth slightly and said to Uchiha Rin, "If I hadn't come, this would have been a problem."

His gaze discreetly flicked toward Kakashi's right palm, and lingering shock filled his eyes. Chidori, an A-rank Lightning Release! Had Kakashi already developed this technique? But he still couldn't fully control it, could he?

If he had not blocked that move, Uchiha Rin would have been in real danger!

At the same time, Kakashi turned his gaze toward the suddenly appearing Hyuga Satoru.

"He noticed Chidori's weakness and cleverly used his body to block my attack. The Byakugan? No wonder he could do something like that."

After seeing Hyuga Satoru's eyes, Kakashi showed a thoughtful expression.

"What happened? Why did you two suddenly start fighting?"

Uchiha Rin glanced at Kakashi. "I was just checking the mission management office for suitable missions when I happened to run into this guy. I wanted to say hello, but I accidentally mentioned his father during the conversation, and then we started fighting."

Even now, she still could not figure out how she and Kakashi had ended up fighting.

Was that so?

Hyuga Satoru nodded thoughtfully. He had assumed that, given Uchiha Rin's personality, she would be the one to provoke him first. He had not expected Kakashi to make the first move.

"I already told you not to mention that man in front of me. He was nothing but trash who couldn't even complete a mission."

Kakashi's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.

"See?" Uchiha Rin shrugged helplessly.

Hyuga Satoru could not help sighing. It seemed that Kakashi, at this point in time, had yet to emerge from the pain of that incident.

That made sense. He occasionally heard around the village that Kakashi did not get along with his teammates and had even come to blows with them. It was only after he started spending time with Obito that he gradually moved on.

Kakashi suddenly looked at Hyuga Satoru with coldness in his eyes.

"You're the first person in Hyuga history with a Dual Bloodline, right? I don't think we've ever sparred before."

In an instant, the atmosphere around them, which had just begun to ease, turned tense once more. Everyone's eyes focused on Hyuga Satoru.

"Satoru..." Anko clenched her hands worriedly.

"That bastard Kakashi—does he even see his comrades as comrades?" Guy spat furiously. If he did not know he was no match for Kakashi, he might have rushed in and punched him already.

Hyuga Satoru wore a helpless expression. It seemed he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The pain in his body had not yet faded, and his current strength was not even eighty percent of normal.

But if he refused, Kakashi probably would not let the matter rest so easily. Besides that, he had also sensed a faint, indistinct gaze watching them, firmly locked onto this place.

In that case...

Hyuga Satoru turned to face Kakashi directly, his expression becoming serious.

"Since you insist, then let's begin."