When Kakashi struggled to get up, only to collapse heavily back onto the ground and stare blankly at the white clouds in the sky, the brutal Taijutsu demonstration finally came to an end.
No one noticed the crystal-clear droplet that slid from the corner of Kakashi's eye. Perhaps it was about to rain.
Not far away, Shinji was still putting the finishing touches on his performance.
He panted, swayed on his feet, and looked deathly pale... like some poor bastard who had indulged himself for three days and nights, only to have his kidneys cut out afterward.
Yet he simply refused to fall, his face full of resolve!
"It's been a long time since anyone pushed me this far. Kakashi Hatate, you're the first."
"You only lost to me by half a move this time. I look forward to our next match."
What the hell?
Once wasn't enough? There's going to be a next time?
Oh, screw you!
Kakashi thought, If I ever do this again, I'm a dog!
In any case, he never wanted to see this bastard again.
There wasn't a single part of his body that didn't hurt.
At first, he had been able to rely on his ample stamina to make the "fight" look evenly matched. Later, it had simply become a one-sided beating.
Infuriatingly, this bastard had insisted on pretending they were evenly matched, deliberately acting as though he had taken plenty of hits himself.
He gave Kakashi no chance to call a halt, nor did he let Sasuke notice anything amiss.
To preserve the last of his dignity, Kakashi had been forced to grit his teeth and endure it to the end.
Seemingly in recognition of his cooperation, Shinji hadn't exposed him even when the beating was over.
"That was an excellent instructional demonstration."