Kakashi's Challenge

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

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

Grimacing faintly, Hyuga Satoru braced one hand against the bedframe while continuously rubbing his side with the other. If anyone saw him now, they'd definitely suspect he'd gone through an intense "battle" last night and thoroughly drained himself.

After a simple breakfast, Hyuga Satoru finally felt a little better. He sighed. "I'll slow down my training for the next few days. It won't be too late to continue once I've recovered."

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

The Hidden Leaf Village was still thriving. Children could be seen laughing, playing, and chasing one another through the streets. Hyuga Satoru gazed at the sky beyond the village, his eyes clouded with melancholy.

How much longer could such peaceful days last? The Third Shinobi World War probably wasn't far off.

Before this, Hyuga Satoru wouldn't have allowed himself even the slightest slack. War had hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles, constantly weighing on him.

But the Tyrant Mode he'd accidentally developed yesterday gave him a measure of confidence in the face of the unknown future.

"I haven't had Ichiraku Ramen in ages."

Taking a break amid all the busyness was a pretty nice pleasure too. Hyuga Satoru smiled.

Just then, he spotted Anko running toward him from a distance, panting heavily.

"Something's wrong, Satoru! Rin and Kakashi are fighting!"

The smile on Hyuga Satoru's face instantly froze.

"That white-haired brat is White Fang's son, right?"

"Must be. I heard he's the most outstanding genius of the village's new generation. That Uchiha brat has held out this long, though, so she doesn't seem like a pushover either."

"Heh, an Uchiha brat against White Fang's son. This is getting good..."

A crowd of ninja had gathered outside the Task Management Office at some point, clicking their tongues as they discussed the fight.

A short blade carved white arcs through the air, repeatedly colliding with a kunai at speeds too fast for the naked eye. Sparks flew amid the clanging of metal.

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

Kakashi's swordsmanship was incredibly sharp. Every strike targeted her weak points. Without the Sharingan's assistance, she probably would've lost long ago.

"This guy's gotten stronger so quickly."

Uchiha Rin gritted her teeth slightly. She'd always competed with Kakashi back at the Ninja Academy, but she hadn't expected the gap between them to widen so much after graduation.

"What's gotten into Kakashi? Even if Rin mentioned his father, he shouldn't be attacking so ruthlessly."

Might Guy stood among the crowd with a worried expression. They were both his classmates, and now that they were suddenly fighting, he had no idea what to do.

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

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

"In terms of strength, I greatly respect Lord White Fang. I just never expected his son to be nothing more than a loudmouth."

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

Uchiha Rin's single remark instantly enraged Kakashi. He leaped back to create distance and formed hand seals at tremendous speed.

A piercing shriek like thousands of birds crying out rang through the air. One hand gripped his wrist while lightning flickered around the other.

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

Uchiha Rin narrowed her eyes and formed seals just as quickly. Phoenix Sage Talon! A B-rank Fire Release technique, it was the strongest Fire Release she could currently use.

"That technique... Has Kakashi gone crazy?"

"This is too reckless. That technique isn't mature yet, is it? Is he trying to kill her?"

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

A shrill thunderclap rang out as Kakashi's body shot toward Uchiha Rin in a straight line at blinding speed.

Uchiha Rin completed her final hand seal. There wasn't a trace of fear on her face, only intense fighting spirit. Chakra surged up her throat, transforming into scorching breath.

Suddenly.

A dull impact of flesh striking flesh sounded. Kakashi's lightning-wreathed palm stopped just one meter in front of Uchiha Rin, whose lips had just parted to release her blazing Fire Release.

"That was close. I made it."

Hyuga Satoru secretly sighed in relief, then grimaced as the sudden exertion tugged at his still-unhealed muscles, sending a sharp pain through his body.

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

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

Then, as though recalling something, a hint of annoyance appeared on her face.

"Hey, do you know how dangerous that was? My Fire Release would've come out a second later."

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

His gaze discreetly flicked toward Kakashi's right palm, and a trace of shock remained in 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 hadn't blocked that move, Uchiha Rin really would've been in 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 wore a thoughtful expression.

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

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

Even now, she still hadn't figured out how she and Kakashi had ended up fighting in the first place.

So that was it?

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

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

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

"See?" Uchiha Rin shrugged helplessly.

Hyuga Satoru couldn't help sighing. It seemed Kakashi still hadn't emerged from the pain of that incident.

That made sense. He often heard that Kakashi clashed with his teammates in the village and even came to blows with them. Only after he started hanging around Obito did he gradually pull through, probably.

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

"You're the first Dual Bloodline Limit in Hyuga history, aren't you? I don't think we've ever fought before."

In an instant, the atmosphere that had just begun to ease became tense again. Everyone's attention focused on Hyuga Satoru.

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

"That bastard Kakashi, does he even see his comrades as comrades?" Might Guy spat angrily. If he didn't know he couldn't beat Kakashi, he probably would've already rushed in to punch him.

Hyuga Satoru looked helpless. It seemed he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The pain in his body hadn't faded, and he was currently far from his peak.

But if he refused, Kakashi probably wouldn't let the matter rest so easily. Besides, he had also sensed a faint, watchful gaze that had been firmly fixed on this place all along.

In that case...

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

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