After taking that terrifying blow, Kakashi felt rather drained.
Meihui and Naruto might not have had much else, but they had plenty of chakra. Was that a problem? Not at all.
Kakashi successfully blocking the strike came as no surprise to Meihui. His reputation as the man who could fight anyone to a draw hadn't come out of nowhere.
What came next was a simple contest of taijutsu, backed by sheer numbers.
With so many clones, they could drown Kakashi if each of them spat once.
The horde of clones charged. Though Kakashi was running low on chakra, his taijutsu was still up to scratch.
His fists whipped through the air, making every Shadow Clone they struck vanish on the spot.
As Kakashi fought on, the real Meihui watched from a tree, with Naruto and Sasuke beside him.
While watching, Meihui explained what was happening to the other two.
"Look, you two. Kakashi really lives up to his reputation as an elite jonin of Konoha. They call him the man who can fight anyone to a draw. Just look at him holding his own against hundreds of clones. And that's only his taijutsu. Kakashi-sensei is also the Copy Ninja, who has copied hundreds, even thousands, of ninjutsu."
Looking at Sasuke beside him, Meihui continued his explanation at a leisurely pace.
"Yes, you're right. Kakashi copies ninjutsu using the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan."
"The Sharingan? He's not a member of the Uchiha Clan. How could he have a Sharingan?"
"All right, Sasuke, relax. Kakashi's Sharingan was given to him by an old friend from the Uchiha Clan before that friend died."
Sasuke froze for a moment at that and said nothing more.
Seeing that Kakashi had taken out most of the Shadow Clones, Meihui patted Naruto.
"Little bro, send Kakashi-sensei another batch. These weren't even enough for his warm-up."
"Okay, Onii-chan. Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Another huge crowd of Narutos rushed out. Kakashi had been fighting for ages, and just when he thought it was almost over, another mass of Shadow Clones sprang out of nowhere. He was utterly dumbfounded.
Kakashi didn't need to think twice to know this had to be Meihui's idea. The brat clearly couldn't play fair.
But as far as Meihui was concerned, So what if I don't play fair? With this much chakra, I can do whatever I want.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was practically dead on his feet.
Finally, after another Shadow Clone was smashed apart, Meihui and the other two emerged.
Meihui shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Charge, brothers! Kakashi-sensei is on his last legs! Let's go claim our victory!"
Watching the three charge toward him, Kakashi easily blocked their punches and kicks.
Just as he was about to mock their lack of skill,
he heard Meihui's voice.
"All right, Kakashi-sensei. We've already won. Look what I've got."
He opened his hand, revealing two bells.
Kakashi felt around his waist and sighed.
"Fine, you win. But you only have two bells, so one of you still has to go back to the Ninja Academy. Who will you choose?"
"What's there to choose? All three of us will just go back. We're brothers. There's no reason to let this drive a wedge between us."
With that, he turned to leave without looking back.
"Do you two feel the same way?"
Naruto and Sasuke said nothing and simply followed Meihui.
Beneath his mask, Kakashi smiled.
"All right, none of you have to go back. You passed."
Hearing that, Meihui brought the other two back.
Seeing that Meihui wasn't nearly as excited as he had expected, Kakashi felt a little put out. Did this brat already know I was going to do that?
"Remember this: shinobi are born to obey orders, and they must remain calm at all times. That's why we have so many rules. Shinobi who break the rules are scum. But those who don't cherish their comrades are worse than scum."
"You did well today. From now on, you're members of Team 7. Oh, and Meihui, was using those Shadow Clones your idea?"
"Of course it was. What did you think, Kakashi-sensei?"
"It was good, but don't use it on me next time." Having experienced that kind of battle once, Kakashi never wanted to go through it again. Even a work donkey couldn't be driven that hard.
"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I know you're short on mana and your kidneys are weak. I won't use it on you again."
A vein bulged on Kakashi's forehead when he heard that.
If you can't say anything decent, keep your mouth shut.
After glaring at Meihui, Kakashi left to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Before you continue