Too Cowardly to Face His Doubts

"Hey, Kakashi. You're back. Heard you've been pretty active lately."

Kazan spotted him and stepped straight into his path.

Kakashi looked up, saw who it was, and silently went around him, intending to head home.

He looked just as Kazan remembered, with a short blade on his back. The Sharingan was still in Obito's eye socket, though, so he wasn't quite as stylish as in the original story.

Kazan sidestepped and blocked his path again.

"What do you want?" Kakashi finally asked, frowning at him.

At this point, Kakashi treated all his companions the same.

Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi—it made no difference.

They were just a bunch of kids who hadn't grown up yet.

They didn't understand the cruelty of the Shinobi World. Under their parents' protection, they enjoyed peaceful lives.

"Find somewhere to fight me, Genius."

"I'm not interested in fighting you. Move. I'm going home."

Of course Kakashi wouldn't fight Kazan.

They hadn't known each other long, but he knew Kazan trained only in Taijutsu, just like Might Guy.

And...

His father had thought very highly of Kazan.

Father.

The word brought back that night: his beloved father, the White Fang of Konoha, had taken his own life at home.

A Ninja's duty was to complete missions, not squabble like a child.

"Oh, so we don't need to find somewhere else?"

"Then let's fight right here!"

Kazan tossed aside the bear pelt and pushed off the ground. He shot forward like a cannonball, driving a fist straight at Kakashi's face.

"You bastard! Didn't I say I wouldn't fight you?" Kakashi crossed his arms before his chest and hurried to block.

Bang!

Kazan's punch sent him flying. That monstrous strength reminded Kakashi of Tsunade, one of the Sannin, who possessed the same kind of inhuman power.

"When a man faces a challenge, backing down isn't an option." Kazan kept advancing.

He had made up an excuse on the spot. One way or another, Kakashi wasn't getting out of this fight.

A Genius, Kakashi had graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, become a Chunin a year later, and would reach Jonin at twelve.

He hadn't become a Jonin yet, but Genin, Chunin, and Jonin were only titles. Strength was what mattered.

Hadn't a Konoha Genin fought his way to the moon?

Even if Kakashi wasn't at Jonin level yet, he couldn't be far off.

So fast!

While speaking, Kazan had already closed in again. Kakashi felt a chill run through him.

They both specialized in Taijutsu, and Kakashi could fight Might Guy to a draw. Yet Kazan put him under enormous pressure.

Bang!

Another punch came with a fierce rush of air. This time Kakashi stood his ground, caught it on his forearm, then spun and swept Kazan several meters away with a whipping kick.

Kazan was unharmed. He rolled his neck out of habit. "Not bad. You're much stronger than you were at the Ninja Academy. Looks like the world outside the village really does teach you more."

"The Ninja world isn't as wonderful as you imagine, Kazan." Kakashi's eyes turned cold. "I'll say this one last time. I'm going home. If you don't want to get hurt, get out of my way."

His voice was quiet and almost devoid of emotion. He spoke to his old classmate like a stranger.

"You've gotten stronger, but you've gotten even better at talking big."

Kazan grinned and pressed on. He bent his knees, launched himself forward, and appeared behind Kakashi in a burst of speed.

"I'll see for myself what the Ninja world is like! And you—your father died unjustly, but that doesn't make you better than everyone else, Kakashi."

Fist Bone!

Impact!

Kazan roared inwardly as his fist tore through the air. Unlike his earlier probing blows, this punch carried his full strength.

A chill ran down Kakashi's back, but it was Kazan's words that truly enraged him.

"They're tearing the street apart! Somebody get over here!"

The fight immediately drew the attention of nearby residents.

They cried out and scrambled away, then watched Kazan and Kakashi battle from a safe distance.

That was Kakashi the Genius and Kazan, the little terror who ran wild through the village!

"You don't understand anything!"

Kakashi was furious. Kazan hadn't even seen him form Hand Seals.

With a pop, Kazan's punch blew through the Kakashi before him, which dissolved into a cloud of smoke.

The next instant, Kakashi appeared behind Kazan, his fingers flying like a virtuoso pianist from Zu'an.

In the blink of an eye, he spat out a flaming projectile that surged forward on a wave of heat.

Ordinarily, he would never use Ninjutsu inside the village. It was against the rules.

But tonight, Kazan had pushed him too far.

"A Ninja's duty is to complete the mission. Anyone who can't is worse than trash!"

Fire Release: Flame Bullet!

Kazan wanted to smash the Flame Bullet apart with a punch, but without awakening Armament Haki, he couldn't.

He twisted aside at speed. The Flame Bullet blasted a hole in the ground behind him and scorched the earth without touching his clothes.

"Is that really what you think?"

Kazan sprang forward at full speed and reached Kakashi's side.

"Because your eyes tell me otherwise!"

Too fast!

Once again, Kakashi marveled at Kazan's lightning speed. He hadn't even been going all out before.

Kakashi tried to dodge, but it was too late. He could only watch as Kazan's hand closed around his throat like an iron vise, choking him.

Then Kazan's voice thundered in his ear.

"You're lost, and you're too cowardly to admit it!"

Kazan grabbed Kakashi and leaped into the air with a shout.

"Undersea Drop!"

The muscles in Kazan's right arm bulged as he hurled Kakashi into the ground with all his might.

Boom!

Kakashi's small body struck the street like a meteor, blasting out a crater twice the size of the one left by the Flame Bullet.

"Urgh—"

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

There had been no way to escape. In midair, he couldn't even twist away. The immense force of the throw had pinned his body in place, leaving him no chance to form Hand Seals. All he could do was gather Chakra in his back to cushion the impact.

And just like that, Kakashi Hatake, one of Konoha's greatest Geniuses, was knocked unconscious.

Yet until the final second before he blacked out, Kazan's words echoed through his mind.

I'm... lost?

Tap.

Kazan landed at the edge of the crater and looked at the unconscious Kakashi, a faint worry that he had gotten himself into trouble creeping over him.

"Seriously, everyone in the Naruto World is a glass cannon!"

"I haven't even mastered Haki yet. If I had, would one move have killed him?"

"Wait. Kakashi isn't dead, is he?"

Kazan approached cautiously and gave Kakashi a few light kicks.

"Hey. Hey, if you're alive, say something!"

Kakashi gave no response.

Growing more nervous, Kazan checked his breathing.

Good news: he was still breathing!

Bad news: the Uchiha from the Military Police Force had arrived!

Kazan had started the fight, and he was the one who had wrecked the street!

There were plenty of witnesses, too.

"Tch. I told you we should fight somewhere else. Why wouldn't you move?"