Too Lost, Too Timid

"Hey, Kakashi. You're back. I hear you've been busy lately."

Kazan spotted him and stepped straight into his path.

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

He was dressed 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 he'd been in the original story.

Kazan sidestepped and blocked his path again.

"What do you want?" Kakashi finally asked, frowning as he shot Kazan a hostile look.

At this stage, Kakashi treated all his peers 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. Sheltered by their parents, they enjoyed a peaceful life.

"Find a place and fight me, Genius."

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

Of course Kakashi wasn't going to fight Kazan.

They hadn't spent much time together, but he knew Kazan practiced only Taijutsu, just like Might Guy.

And besides...

His father had spoken highly of Kazan...

Father.

The word brought back that night, when the father he admired most, 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 over who was stronger.

"Oh, so we don't need to find a place?"

"Then we'll 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 wasn't fighting you?" Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.

Bang!

The punch sent him flying. Its monstrous force reminded Kakashi of Tsunade, one of the Sannin, who possessed the same inhuman strength.

"A man doesn't back down from a challenge." Kazan kept advancing.

He'd picked a reason off the top of his head. Either way, Kakashi wasn't getting out of this fight tonight.

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

He hadn't made Jonin yet, but Genin, Chunin, and Jonin were only titles. What mattered was strength.

After all, a Konoha Genin had fought all the way to the moon!

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

So fast!

By the time Kazan finished speaking, he was already in Kakashi's face again. A chill ran through Kakashi's entire body.

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

Bang!

Kazan threw another punch, driving a fierce gust ahead of it. This time Kakashi stood his ground, caught the blow on his forearm, then spun and swept Kazan several meters away with a whip kick.

Kazan was unharmed. He rolled his neck out of habit and said, "Not bad. You're a lot stronger than you were at the Ninja Academy. Looks like the world outside the village really does train people better."

"The ninja world isn't as wonderful as you think, Kazan." Kakashi's gaze 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 feeling. He spoke to his former classmate like a stranger.

"Compared to your strength, what's improved most is your ability to talk big."

Kazan grinned and refused to let it go. He bent his knees, launched himself forward, and appeared behind Kakashi.

"I'll see for myself whether the ninja world is wonderful or not! And you—just because your father died unjustly, don't think it makes you better than everyone else, Kakashi."

Fist Bone!

Impact!

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

A chill raced down Kakashi's back, but Kazan's words were what truly made him angry.

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

The fight immediately drew the attention of everyone nearby.

They cried out and hurried well away, then watched Kazan and Kakashi fight.

That was Kakashi the Genius—and Kazan, the little hell-raiser!

"You don't understand anything!"

Kakashi was furious. Kazan hadn't even seen when he'd formed the Hand Seals.

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

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

In a blink, he spat out a projectile of flame that surged toward Kazan on a wave of heat.

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

But Kazan had angered him tonight.

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

Fire Release: Flame Bullet!

Kazan wanted to punch the Flame Bullet apart, but without Awakening Armament Haki, he couldn't.

He twisted aside and narrowly dodged it. It blasted a hole in the ground behind him, scorching the earth, but never touched his clothes.

"Is that what you really think?"

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

"Because your eyes tell me otherwise!"

So fast!

Once again, Kakashi marveled at Kazan's lightning-fast 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 timid!"

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

"Undersea Drop!"

The muscles in Kazan's right arm bulged as he hurled Kakashi toward 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 the Flame Bullet had left.

"Urgh!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

He couldn't escape. In midair, he hadn't even been able to dodge. The tremendous centrifugal force had pinned his body in place, leaving no chance to form Hand Seals. All he could do was barely gather Chakra along his back to cushion the Impact.

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

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

I'm... lost?

Tap.

Kazan landed at the edge of the crater. Looking at the unconscious Kakashi, he felt a little nervous that he'd gotten himself into trouble.

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

"I haven't even mastered Haki yet. If I had, would that 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 didn't respond.

Kazan grew even more nervous and checked whether Kakashi was breathing.

Good news: he was still breathing!

Bad news: the Uchiha from the Military Police Force were already on their way!

He'd started the fight, and he'd wrecked the street!

There were plenty of witnesses, too.

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