You Are Not Worthy of That Sword

"Look, a Hyuga ninja and Kakashi are about to fight."

"Another good show? First the Uchiha Clan, then the Hyuga Clan—does Kakashi plan to challenge every great clan today?"

Kakashi and Uchiha Rin's battle had drawn many ninjas. More and more gathered at the mission administration office, excitedly discussing it among themselves.

Unlike the other ninjas, who were simply enjoying the show, the nearby Hyuga ninjas could not help but worry.

"Can Hyuga Satoru beat Kakashi?"

"He's the clan's first ninja with two bloodline limits. He should be fine... right?"

There was little confidence in their voices, which were nearly drowned out by the noisy discussion.

Kakashi's reputation was simply too great. A Genin at five, a Chunin at six, the youngest Chunin in Konoha Village's history, the White Fang's son—any one of those titles alone could crush Hyuga Satoru.

The only thing Hyuga Satoru had that could compare was his dual bloodline limits.

If he lost to Kakashi head-on, the Hyuga Clan would surely lose face.

"Is Satoru really a match for Kakashi?" Guy was worried as well.

Kakashi had been the opponent he had always chased after during their academy days, but the changes in him over the past two years had been so great that Guy could barely recognize him.

"He can!" Anko declared with absolute certainty.

"Why are you so sure?" Guy looked at her. Kakashi might be a pain, but his strength was definitely among the very best of the new generation.

"He can because he can. Satoru definitely won't lose, even if his opponent is Kakashi." Anko shouted loudly, drawing quite a few sidelong glances.

In his current state, the strength his body could exert was limited. He needed to avoid taijutsu battles as much as possible. Hyuga Satoru briefly assessed his condition and settled on a rough strategy.

Kakashi gripped the White Fang's short blade. Infused with chakra, the blade gave off a faint white glow.

"I advise you not to use that sword." Hyuga Satoru raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why not?" Kakashi frowned in displeasure.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Kakashi stomped off the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The White Fang's short blade in his hand became a streak of white light as it slashed fiercely toward Hyuga Satoru.

Hyuga Satoru did not dodge. He did not even move.

It was as though an invisible hand had lightly brushed the short blade aside. Its trajectory shifted in an unbelievable manner, cutting down past his body.

Kakashi frowned. Unwilling to give up, he slashed again.

Hyuga Satoru shook his head and turned slightly to the side. The ninja blade missed once more.

He swung his blade, and it missed.

It missed, he swung again, and it missed again...

Kakashi seemed to have turned into a master at outlining human figures, wildly attacking the air around Hyuga Satoru's body. The sight was rather comical.

"Am I supposed to understand that you're trying to cut away all the air around me and suffocate me to death?" Hyuga Satoru shrugged helplessly.

Uchiha Rin burst into laughter. Satoru was too wicked. His words were too vicious.

Kakashi took a breath, and the gravity in his eyes deepened.

"Magnet Release? I didn't expect it to affect my swordsmanship this much."

He knew Hyuga Satoru's Magnet Release could interfere with shuriken. But compared to shuriken, a ninja blade controlled by its wielder was far more difficult to disrupt, and Hatake Swordsmanship was renowned for its ferocity.

Yet now, it seemed he had underestimated Hyuga Satoru's Magnet Release.

Silently sheathing the White Fang's short blade, Kakashi clenched his fists and charged at Hyuga Satoru.

Hyuga Satoru raised an arm to block Kakashi's attack. When that failed, Kakashi shifted his momentum and spun into a roundhouse kick. Hyuga Satoru leaned aside and narrowly avoided it.

A faint stabbing pain ran through his arm, making him bare his teeth slightly. His body had not fully recovered yet, and taijutsu exchanges tugged at his injuries.

He pushed Electromagnetic Sensing to its limit, evading before Kakashi's attacks could arrive. Only when an attack was impossible to avoid did he have no choice but to defend.

Yet that forced action looked entirely different in the eyes of the surrounding ninjas.

"Too... too strong. Kakashi's attacks can't touch him at all."

"He's dodging so calmly. He hasn't even counterattacked once. Is that Hyuga ninja provoking Kakashi?"

The discussion shifted from doubting Hyuga Satoru to marveling at him.

Kakashi's successive taijutsu attacks put Hyuga Satoru under enormous pressure. Catching a gap in his opponent's assault, he stepped slightly to the side, turned his fist into a palm, and slammed it fiercely into Kakashi's chest.

Bang!

Along with a dull impact of flesh striking flesh, arcs of lightning erupted where his palm landed. Kakashi's body was flung away by the pulse, crashing heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Was that... Gentle Fist?"

The watching Hyuga Clan members' eyelids twitched.

"The stance looked like Gentle Fist, but the attack was completely different."

"I heard Iroha mention it before. I think it's called Magnetic Storm Fist. The principle, uh... seemed pretty complicated."

"That guy Hyuga Satoru has never properly studied the clan's signature technique..."

Kakashi struggled to climb to his feet. Lightning arcs continued to jump across his chest, making his body convulse.

I can't fight him head-on. A strategy silently formed in his mind.

He reached for his ninja tool pouch, pulled out two small balls, and smashed them down. Thick smoke immediately swallowed his body, as well as Hyuga Satoru, who was still fighting him.

Within the dense smoke, Hyuga Satoru shook his head. "Useless."

The Hokage's office.

The scene in the crystal ball showed Hyuga Satoru sending Kakashi flying with Magnetic Storm Palm.

"A technique combining Magnet Release and Gentle Fist? This child Hyuga Satoru is remarkably proficient at combining his two bloodline abilities."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly in praise.

The mission administration office was an extremely important location in Konoha Village. As early as the beginning of Uchiha Rin and Kakashi's battle, ANBU had reported the news to him.

Then Hyuga Satoru's arrival immediately piqued his interest.

The image in the crystal ball continued to shift, showing Kakashi throwing down two small balls as thick smoke enveloped the two of them.

"Who will win this battle between the strongest of the new generation?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes gleamed.

Inside the thick smoke, Hyuga Satoru watched his surroundings warily.

Suddenly, a disturbance came from behind him. Hyuga Satoru immediately turned and drove a palm into the approaching figure.

Bang!

The figure turned into white smoke.

"A Shadow Clone? Looks like he finally couldn't hold back."

The instant he destroyed that Shadow Clone, the ground behind him suddenly shattered. A figure shot high into the air, his right palm wrapped in lightning and emitting a piercing shriek.

Chidori.

At this distance, there was no way it could miss!

Joy rose in Kakashi's heart.

Just as he was about to land the blow, Hyuga Satoru twisted his body in an unbelievable motion as though he had expected it all along, slipping sideways past Chidori's attack.

His hand suddenly seized Kakashi's wrist and gave it a slight push forward. Kakashi immediately crashed face-first onto the ground, while Chidori blasted a large hole through the earth.

At that moment, the smoke dispersed, revealing the entire battle situation to everyone.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Is it already over?"

Kakashi lay sprawled on the ground in a miserable state, his face still carrying a trace of shock at his own easy defeat. His right hand was buried deep in the ground.

Behind him, Hyuga Satoru stood impassively.

"Do you know what I meant when I told you not to use that sword earlier?"

"Because that is the White Fang's sword, and you are not worthy of using it."