Reversal After Reversal

Inside an office in the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe. On the desk before him sat a crystal ball, clearly showing the battle between Asuma and Tsukimi.

Nara Shikaku stood quietly at his side. When he saw how Tsukimi had positioned his shadows, approval flashed in his eyes.

As the crystal ball showed Asuma admitting defeat without complaint, Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled.

"Asuma used to be so busy fighting with me that he could never settle down and train properly. But thanks to Tsukimi, he's faced the gap between them and prepared seriously for the past two weeks. Even if he lost, he's gained a great deal."

"Asuma was never short on talent. Competition between young people helps them improve," Nara Shikaku replied softly.

"You're right. They're all Konoha's future." Hiruzen took another drag from his pipe, his gaze still fixed on Tsukimi's relaxed figure in the crystal ball. "Now that only four remain, the final will most likely be Nara Tsukimi against Kakashi Hatake. Shikaku, who do you think has the better chance?"

Nara Shikaku considered for a moment before slowly laying out his thoughts.

"Kakashi has been exceptionally gifted since childhood. His reputation as a genius has spread throughout Konoha. He can use elemental Ninjutsu and has inherited Sakumo's Swordsmanship. There's no doubt he's already as strong as a Genin."

He paused, then continued, "Tsukimi's shadow techniques aren't particularly strong individually, but their strength lies in numbers. Combined with our clan's traditional techniques to restrict Kakashi, they should secure a win if Tsukimi can surround him."

The Third Hokage chuckled and turned his pipe in his hand. The crystal ball was still showing the training ground in real time.

"Interesting. Both geniuses have their strengths. Let's see who makes better use of them."

On the training ground, Might Guy faced Kakashi. Two weeks of daily Taijutsu sparring with Tsukimi had pushed Guy beyond where he had been at this age in the original story.

"Kakashi, let's settle this! Youth never backs down!"

Compared with Guy's fiery enthusiasm, Kakashi was utterly calm. One hand in his pocket, he watched Guy through half-lidded eyes.

"Begin!"

The instant the command came, Guy charged. His fists and feet swept toward Kakashi in an unbroken storm.

Straight punches, roundhouse kicks, elbow strikes—one attack flowed into the next. Their force put even Kakashi under pressure, and Guy pursued him too quickly for him to create distance.

Little White Hair, consider this a surprise from me. No need to thank me. There's a bigger one coming.

At the edge of the field, Tsukimi watched the fight with a grin. Those two weeks of sparring had paid off. Kakashi had to take Guy seriously now.

Kakashi dropped his lazy manner and began to counterattack. After several exchanges, he caught the tiny opening when Guy landed from a side kick. He slipped behind him and pressed an elbow against the back of Guy's neck, ending the fight.

"Kakashi wins!"

Despite losing, Guy looked anything but dejected. "I'll challenge you again next time, Kakashi!" he called.

Guy's Taijutsu had earned Kakashi's respect. Kakashi nodded, then returned to the crowd to recover. His gaze shifted to Tsukimi nearby, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

Tsukimi, meanwhile, dispatched his opponent as quickly as possible.

The final match: Nara Tsukimi versus Kakashi Hatake! Every student in the class fixed their eyes on the center of the training ground.

Takashi Murakami stood between them and motioned them into position. "Form the Seal of Confrontation. Final match—begin!"

Before his words had faded, Kakashi moved. His father's advice had opened his eyes. He had played out a fight against Tsukimi countless times in his head and concluded that close combat was the best answer to both the shadow techniques and the traditional Nara techniques. His original approach had not been wrong.

He simply had not accounted for Tsukimi's close-combat ability, so he had not planned to use White Fang Swordsmanship. Now that he had decided to give it his all, he would hold nothing back. With the Swordsmanship his father had taught him, he was confident he would not lose up close.

Kakashi burst forward like a streak of silver light. Wielding a Ninja Academy training blade, he unleashed White Fang Swordsmanship, simple and razor-sharp.

There was nothing flashy about it. He slashed straight at Tsukimi's torso, the blade whistling through the air. At the last instant, Tsukimi shifted his feet and slipped aside. At the same time, he drove his right fist toward Kakashi's sword wrist.

Kakashi turned his wrist to avoid the punch, then swept his blade toward Tsukimi's neck. Every strike pressed the attack. Tsukimi ducked beneath the edge and lowered his center of gravity, driving a knee toward Kakashi's stomach.

Caught off guard, Kakashi could only pull in his abdomen and retreat half a step to steady himself. He turned his wrist and brought the blade down toward Tsukimi's shoulder.

Tsukimi drew a Kunai from his Ninja Tool Pouch and raised it to catch the blade. Their strength crashed together, locking them in place.

Kakashi twisted his arm, drew back his blade, and cut upward before following with a horizontal slash. Two strikes came in a heartbeat, one after the other, meant to seal off every route of escape.

Tsukimi turned slightly and caught the first strike with a downward sweep of his Kunai. Kakashi rotated his blade into the horizontal slash. A Kunai was no sword, so Tsukimi leaned back, kicked at Kakashi's right hand, and hurled his Kunai at Kakashi's face. Kakashi slipped aside from the Kunai and raised an arm to block the kick. A dull thud rang out as arm met foot. The force numbed Kakashi's entire arm and drove him back three steps, clear of close-combat range. The two faced each other from opposite sides once more.

Nothing fancy. Tsukimi was just that strong!

The brief, furious exchange left everyone at the edge of the field holding their breath. Kakashi was Konoha's White Fang's son, so his Swordsmanship came as no surprise. What no one could understand was why Tsukimi, a member of the Nara clan, was so good at Taijutsu too.

Only Might Guy knew that Tsukimi's Taijutsu was even better than his own. Asuma, meanwhile, gritted his teeth.

"Damn it! He didn't even go all out against me!"

Even the habitually arrogant Obito stared in a daze. "They're so strong... Just wait. Once I awaken my Sharingan, I'll surpass them both."

"Not bad. White Fang Swordsmanship really does live up to its name. I won't hold back now, Kakashi."

Tsukimi hesitated no longer. It was time to give them a shock. He formed a single hand sign, and shadow suddenly covered the entire training ground. As it surged, countless Shadowkhan took shape.

Thirteen members of the Ninja Tribe spread out to every blind spot. Twelve from the Samurai Tribe surrounded Kakashi, while twelve Trolls formed the outer ring and closed the gaps.

Ninja Tribe (27%)

Samurai Tribe (25%)

Troll Tribe (25%)

Beating Asuma again had earned Tsukimi three percent. It was less than the first time, but Asuma was a good guy. Across their two matches, Tsukimi had wrung a combined twenty-seven percent of progress for the three tribes out of him. There was hardly anything left; next time, he would probably get only one percent.

Winning the semifinal had also given each tribe one percent, bringing the number Tsukimi could summon to thirty-seven.

The students below the field stood frozen. Even the Third Hokage and Shikaku in the Hokage Office looked surprised. They exchanged a glance before turning back to the crystal ball.

On the field, Kakashi's expression grew grave. He had already experienced Tsukimi's Taijutsu. Tsukimi matched him, perhaps even surpassed him—and Kakashi was the one holding a blade.

Now Kakashi saw the sheer number of Shadowkhan and realized Tsukimi had summoned them with a single hand sign. Tsukimi had been hiding his strength all along. This was his real trump card. He had probably exposed those weaknesses on purpose.

Kakashi undoubtedly had the strength of a Genin. Their exchange had also given Tsukimi a rough measure of his own ability. On his own, he was about as strong as an elite Genin. With the Shadowkhan, he could fight a Chunin.

Now that he knew where he stood, Tsukimi saw no reason to drag things out. He snapped his fingers, and the Shadowkhan surged forward to surround Kakashi.

Kakashi retreated from their advance, but he did not panic. Since deciding to prepare with everything he had, he had imagined all sorts of scenarios. Their numbers exceeded his expectations, but he had come prepared.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A long, narrow earthen wall rose in front of Kakashi, leaving more than twenty Shadowkhan on his side.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

At the second call, Kakashi's main body leaped onto the wall, leaving his Shadow Clone behind to deal with most of the Shadowkhan.

This was the answer Kakashi had devised. If the Shadowkhan re-formed after being destroyed, he would stop trying to destroy them. His clone could hold them behind the wall, greatly reducing the number he had to face head-on.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Kakashi released three techniques in quick succession. As a child, he was not burdened by the Sharingan or worn down from reading his little orange books. He had plenty of Chakra. In the original story, he could create more than a dozen Shadow Clones at once.

The fireball melted through the Shadowkhan in its path, clearing a route. Kakashi drew his short blade again and unleashed White Fang Swordsmanship at full force.

A cold gleam flashed across the field. His sharp, efficient blade cut down one Shadowkhan after another as he drove toward Tsukimi himself.

"Smart tactics, but it's over, Kakashi. Sayonara!"

Tsukimi brought his hands together and formed the sign for the Nara clan's secret technique.

Shadow Imitation Technique!

The shadow beneath his feet stretched wildly. Kakashi, who had been charging forward with his blade, froze mid-stride, unable to move.

The students below the field finally let out a long breath. The fight had gone far beyond anything they had imagined, and now it was finally over.

"Looks like Tsukimi's stronger after all!"

The same thought crossed everyone's mind. Even Takashi Murakami was about to step forward and announce the result.

But the immobilized Kakashi gave a soft laugh. "You're right. It's over!"

With that, he vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"What? That was a Shadow Clone? Since when?"

The crowd erupted again, and Takashi Murakami stopped in his tracks. The outcome was still uncertain.

At that moment, a hand shot out of the earth beneath Tsukimi and seized his ankle. "Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"

The hand dragged Tsukimi underground, leaving only his head exposed. Kakashi burst out of the ground beside him and held his short blade against Tsukimi's neck.

Exhaustion showed in Kakashi's face as his body slowly relaxed. Using four or five techniques in succession had nearly pushed him to his limit. But in the end, he had won.

A breeze swept across the training ground. Takashi Murakami snapped out of his daze, looked at the two students, and prepared once more to announce the result. Surely there would be no more reversals this time?

Kakashi looked down at the Tsukimi he had pulled underground and breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for the teacher's announcement.

"That's your real body this time, right?"

The voice behind him made Kakashi go rigid. His pupils contracted, and he slowly turned his head. Tsukimi stood there smiling, his right hand holding a Kunai against Kakashi's neck.

With a poof, the Tsukimi buried in the ground turned to smoke.

Kakashi stared at Tsukimi for a long moment, then gave a rueful smile. "I lost."

"When did you figure it out?"

"The one who jumped forward at the start was your Shadow Clone. Behind the wall, your real body created another clone. You left it to hold off the Shadowkhan, then used Earth Release to go underground. It was a good plan."

Tsukimi lowered his Kunai and offered Kakashi his right hand. The two formed the Seal of Reconciliation.

"But you overlooked one thing. When you used the Earth-Style Wall to block my view, you blocked your own too."

Besides, Little White Hair, you've always liked that move. If I hadn't known your habits and kept my guard up, you might really have caught me.

Takashi Murakami waited at the edge of the field until they formed the Seal of Reconciliation. Only then was he certain the fight was over. He hurried to the center and announced the result.

"The winner of the class combat exercise: Nara Tsukimi!"

Only then did the students finally react. Voices burst out across the field.

No one had expected such a thrilling match. One reversal followed another, too fast to keep up with.

First the Shadowkhan closed in like a tide. Then Kakashi used Earth Release to split the battlefield, a Shadow Clone to stall them, and Fire Release to force a path through. Next came the Headhunter Jutsu, which seemed to finish Tsukimi—only for its target to be a Shadow Clone. Finally, the real Tsukimi slipped behind Kakashi and won!

Each move had answered another, each step calculated. This was a battle far beyond their peers.

"I can't believe there was another reversal at the end! I really thought Kakashi had won!"

"This is ridiculous... Are those two really first-year Ninja Academy students? I don't think even a Genin could beat them!"

"Kakashi's already that strong. His Ninjutsu, Swordsmanship, tactics—everything's top-notch. And he still lost?!"

"Tsukimi's terrifying. He was calculating the whole time. When did he make that Shadow Clone, anyway?"

"When Kakashi raised the Earth-Style Wall, Tsukimi was surrounded by Shadowkhan. Nobody could see him. He must have done it then."

"That's scary!"

Obito stood in the crowd with his mouth hanging open, utterly stunned. He had always thought Kakashi was the only person he needed to catch up to. However strong Tsukimi was, Obito had believed he was no match for Kakashi.

But today's fight had shown him that Nara Tsukimi's tactics and strength had long since reached another level.

"Are those two... even human?"

Rin Nohara and Kurenai stood together, completely won over by the fight. They watched the two boys on the field with wonder in their eyes.

Not far away, Asuma's face shifted between pale and flushed.

No wonder he had lost. Compared with those two, his earlier matches had been child's play.

"That guy... He really was holding back the whole time he fought me!"

Might Guy clenched his fists. His eyes blazed, and his blood raced.

"So this is a battle between top geniuses! This is true youth!

"Kakashi! Tsukimi! Just wait! I'll catch up to you both!"

Hokage Office, Hokage Building.

The final scene was clearly reflected in the crystal ball. Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were full of admiration. He had thought Kakashi would pull off a comeback at the end.

He had split the battlefield with an Earth-Style Wall, used a Shadow Clone to delay the Shadowkhan, cleared a path with a fireball, and launched a surprise attack with the Headhunter Jutsu.

The entire plan had flowed seamlessly. It was the height of tactical thinking for a Ninja his age. Even Genin who had graduated years ago might not have devised it.

Yet Tsukimi's thinking had been just as impressive. He had exploited the blocked sightlines, used a clone as bait, and hidden his real body. What Hiruzen valued most was Tsukimi's caution and composure even when victory seemed certain. Those were what kept a Ninja alive.

The Third Hokage slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and smiled from the heart.

"Shikaku, the Nara clan has produced a true genius! With him and Kakashi, the village's future is secure for the next twenty years!"

"The boy's always been secretive back at the Clan Grounds. I had no idea he was this strong!"

Remembering Tsukimi's usual antics, Shikaku shook his head with a laugh.

Hiruzen watched the two boys form the Seal of Reconciliation in the crystal ball, feeling more reassured than ever before.

"Konoha's future rests with them!"