"Come on!"
Asuma roared at Kakashi.
The next instant, both charged at each other.
Their Kunai flashed past one another. Within mere seconds of making contact, they had exchanged eighteen or nineteen blows.
But Asuma clearly felt the pressure of facing Kakashi, and his grip on his Kunai gradually began to fail.
The instant he felt it about to slip free, Asuma exerted a sudden burst of force, knocking Kakashi's Kunai away as his own left his hand.
Then, not daring to give Kakashi another chance to draw a Kunai, he immediately closed in for hand-to-hand combat.
But Asuma had still been a little naive. Kakashi, who sparred hand-to-hand with Xue Ge every day, was even stronger at close quarters.
Blocking Asuma's straight punches with several alternating movements of his hands, Kakashi flipped into the air, passed over Asuma's head, and caught his neck between his feet from behind.
Then, bending backward toward the ground in a scissor-leg maneuver, he slammed Asuma heavily into the ground.
Asuma grunted as he struck the ground. Without pausing, he used the momentum to break free of Kakashi, retreated a few steps, drew a Kunai, and began running rapidly around him.
Kakashi slowly climbed to his feet, drew a Kunai, and stood in place, watching Asuma's movements.
You really are calm, Kakashi.
Asuma narrowed his eyes.
Kakashi Hatake. Waterbird River Xue Ge.
Back in their student days, Asuma had been something of a prodigy in his class when he first joined. Initially, he had thought only the Uchiha and Hyuga children would be somewhat difficult to deal with.
At first, he had thought little of being unable to beat Lan, Wenyi, Kakashi, or Xue Ge, believing he would surpass them sooner or later.
Later, he had surpassed Wenyi Hyuga and Uchiha Lan. But he