The Sin of Pride: Kakashi

The practical test was still underway on the training ground, but the murmurs around it had shifted. The shock of seeing the shadow technique had given way to a different opinion.

"I think Kakashi has a point. That shadow technique looks intimidating, but its defense is weak."

"Asuma scattered one with a single punch. Against Kakashi, those shadows wouldn't even have time to surround him."

"It might throw you off the first time you face it, but Kakashi has spotted its weakness now. Tsukimi won't be a match for him."

The whispers reached Asuma's ears, and his expression eased. The sting of losing faded a little too. So he wasn't weak; the other boy's technique was just too strange.

If Tsukimi had known what Asuma was thinking, he would have told him, Dream on, kid!

Obito stood nearby, looking back and forth between Tsukimi and Kakashi with wide eyes. He muttered under his breath.

"Damn it... Kakashi's so full of himself. Tsukimi doesn't look like he can beat him either. Guess it's up to me."

"All right. After today's test, I have a rough idea of your abilities, and you should have a better sense of your weaknesses. You'll have the next two weeks to work on them. After that, we'll hold practice matches," Takashi Murakami announced loudly. "You'll draw opponents at random, and the results will determine the class rankings!"

The training ground erupted.

Practice matches!

This was no simple assessment. It would sort them by strength for real. Genius or dead last—once the matches were over, everyone would know where they stood.

Obito's blood surged. He raised a fist in the middle of the crowd and shouted, "I'm going to beat Kakashi and take first place! Rin, then you'll see how strong I am!"

"Then I'll look forward to seeing what you can do, Obito," Rin said, encouraging him as gently as ever.

Asuma's sharp gaze swept over Kakashi and Tsukimi. He had only lost because he knew nothing about that shadow technique. It wasn't a complete defeat. In two weeks, he would prove himself.

Might Guy had beaten his opponent too. Before the Chunin level, taijutsu specialists still held a considerable advantage. Now he stared at Kakashi and Tsukimi, his eyes blazing.

"Kakashi! Tsukimi! I'll give it everything I've got in two weeks! Youth never admits defeat!"

His passionate roar rang across the training ground.

Tsukimi paid no attention to the chatter. His focus was on how far he had progressed toward unlocking the Shadowkhan. Asuma had the solid foundations of an elite ninja, so fighting him had yielded far more progress than fighting those three sixth-year small fry.

A high-quality opponent meant high-quality progress.

And Kakashi was the strongest rookie in their year. To everyone else, fighting Kakashi meant pressure and a challenge. To Tsukimi, he was the perfect opponent for grinding levels.

After school, Asuma stopped Tsukimi, his tone serious.

"I underestimated you in the test. If we meet again in the practice matches, I'll win."

"I'll look forward to it." Tsukimi smiled and nodded.

Asuma gave him a long look before turning away. Being the Hokage's son brought pressure as well as prestige. He didn't want to lose to someone his own age.

He was going home to ask the old man how to beat Tsukimi.

Obito, who had been watching from the side, came over and slung an arm around Tsukimi's shoulders.

"Tsukimi! Good luck in two weeks! You can't beat Kakashi, but I hope you last a while. I'm rooting for you!"

Tsukimi nearly laughed. Sure enough, Obito before his fall was a goofball bursting with confidence.

"Then who do you think can beat Kakashi in two weeks?"

"Me, of course! The future Hokage, the great Obito Uchiha! Hahaha..."

First Asuma, and now you. I have to admire how big you two dream!

Even Rin couldn't bear to watch Obito laugh so wildly. She hurried over and pulled him back. "Obito can be a little blunt. Please don't mind him."

"It's fine. He's got plenty of spirit."

Tsukimi waved a hand, unbothered.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had returned home.

Hatake Sakumo sat beneath the eaves overlooking the back courtyard, polishing the renowned White Fang's Short Sword. Beneath his gentle manner lay an edge as sharp as the blade in his hands.

When Kakashi arrived, Sakumo stopped polishing and looked up at him.

"How was school today? Did you meet anyone interesting?"

Sakumo knew his son well. Kakashi's exceptional talent had made him somewhat proud, and Sakumo hoped he would make more friends at school.

"We had a practical test today. There's someone from the Nara clan who's pretty good."

"Oh? A Nara? Is he the boy who used that unusual shadow technique outside the school the other day?"

"That's him. He's the only one in the class with any real ability. But I've figured out his weakness. He won't beat me in the practice matches two weeks from now."

Kakashi sat down beside his father and recounted what had happened at school, his tone a little casual.

Sakumo turned the sword's hilt between his fingers. His son's observations were usually precise, but he didn't share Kakashi's certainty.

"You mean his technique relies on numbers and concealment, making it suited to surrounding and restraining opponents? I don't know how strong each shadow is, but given the boy's age, I'd guess they aren't particularly strong. Is that right?"

His father's words didn't surprise Kakashi. He had spotted the technique's weakness after seeing it twice. Of course Konoha's White Fang could do the same.

"Right. Each shadow is extremely weak. Forget powerful attacks—even ordinary taijutsu can scatter one. They don't deal much damage individually, either. He needs numbers to make them effective, so he can't balance defense and offense."

Kakashi looked at his father, bold, absolute confidence in his eyes.

"I've already worked through every possible way the fight could go. Nothing unexpected will happen!"

Sakumo frowned at his confident son.

"Your plan is to clear a path with ninjutsu, use Body Flicker to break through, and engage him up close. Right?"

Sakumo paused. When Kakashi nodded, he continued.

"Have you considered two things? First, you haven't seen him use the Nara clan's traditional techniques, have you? Second, do you know how capable he is in close combat?"

"Uh..." Kakashi faltered, unsure how to answer. He hadn't looked into either.

"Not using his clan's traditional techniques doesn't mean he can't. And not knowing how well he fights up close doesn't mean he can't fight. The Nara clan is known for careful planning. That boy used those shadows from the start, even though their weakness was easy to spot, and he never seemed worried. That tells me he isn't afraid of revealing it. Kakashi, you've grown arrogant lately!"