Sparring (Part Two)

For Kakashi to copy Xia Yan's movements at this stage was truly wishful thinking.

And Xia Yan's guess had been incredibly accurate. Kakashi really had not adapted well to the Sharingan yet.

Even if he could see Xia Yan's movements, his body simply could not keep up.

Xia Yan gripped his kunai in his right hand and slashed fiercely, moving as fast as lightning, while Kakashi utterly failed to match that speed.

Unable to block, Kakashi's combat experience nevertheless played a crucial role.

Relying on the Sharingan's perceptiveness, he judged the angle of the kunai's attack, then shifted his body slightly to evade it completely.

But Kakashi was still Kakashi. Even as he dodged the attack, he attempted to counter.

Passively taking hits would never end well. Only by attempting to counterattack and regain the initiative could he find a way to defeat his enemy.

The instant Kakashi dodged the attack, he lowered his body slightly. While maintaining his guard against Xia Yan's next attack, he suddenly kicked at Xia Yan's groin.

This guy...

Xia Yan's expression darkened slightly. If that kick landed squarely, he would probably have to visit the Medical Department.

Still, he did not think Kakashi was doing anything wrong. Ninja used every means at their disposal in combat. Even in a spar, such tactics were acceptable as long as they were not lethal.

Xia Yan swiftly raised his leg. His reaction speed and physical coordination fully allowed him to make the right choice even in extreme situations.

Bang!

Xia Yan's leg blocked Kakashi's kick perfectly, and he immediately pressed down, planting his leg on the ground.

Using that planted leg as his support, Xia Yan swept his other leg fiercely at Kakashi.

Kakashi immediately flipped backward to evade Xia Yan's kick, also hoping to put some distance between them. As he retreated, he did not forget to swiftly throw the kunai in his hand at Xia Yan.

Unfortunately, this did absolutely nothing against Xia Yan. With just a slight turn, he dodged the incoming kunai.

In fact, Kakashi had never expected that throw to pose any threat. Once he had opened up enough distance, he immediately began forming hand seals with both hands.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"

As he formed his hand seals, chakra rapidly surged underground. The next moment, dozens of sharp earthen spikes erupted beneath Xia Yan's feet.

These large, spindle-shaped spikes were extremely sharp. Xia Yan was certain that being impaled by them would not end well.

Faced with the earthen spikes, Xia Yan leaped lightly into the air. Kakashi seized the instant he hung airborne to charge at him.

Was that deliberate?

Xia Yan wondered inwardly. Just as Kakashi was about to strike him, Xia Yan suddenly vanished from midair.

The next second, Kakashi sensed a sharp kunai stabbing toward his flank.

What a fast Body Flicker Technique!

There was simply no trace to follow in Xia Yan's movements, especially when he had been suspended in midair.

But Kakashi did not dwell on it. After all, he had seen Xia Yan unleash his full strength before. Though startled by this speed, he did not lose his composure.

At the critical moment, he completed his hand seals with one hand, and Xia Yan's kunai stabbed into his body without any surprises.

Yet amid a puff of thick smoke, accompanied by a sensation distinctly different from a kunai piercing flesh, a block of wood appeared before Xia Yan.

The Substitution Technique, huh.

Xia Yan was not particularly surprised, because his sensory abilities had already alerted him to Kakashi's actions.

In fact, he had already located Kakashi.

Landing lightly on the ground, Xia Yan suddenly turned sideways as Kakashi charged out. Kakashi had no intention of hiding at all.

He knew very well that no matter how he hid, he could not escape Xia Yan's senses.

Kakashi had already witnessed Xia Yan's sensory abilities during their previous mission, so he held out no hope of getting lucky.

"Want to compete in taijutsu and make use of the Sharingan's advantages? Come on, then!"

Xia Yan showed no fear in the face of Kakashi's attack. Although the Sharingan was frightening, it also depended on who was using it.

In an instant, Xia Yan and Kakashi were locked in combat, the sounds of clashing metal ringing out incessantly.

Xia Yan moved as fast as lightning, every motion simple and direct. Though not particularly elegant, his movements had a distinct appeal.

Although Kakashi struggled somewhat to respond, his solid fundamentals and the speed enhancement from Lightning Release still allowed him to barely keep pace with Xia Yan, without becoming flustered.

Moreover, amid combat of this intensity, Kakashi seemed to find that his Sharingan was seeing more and more clearly, and his judgments of Xia Yan's attack paths were growing increasingly accurate.

It's just that the chakra consumption seems to be getting higher and higher, too.

Kakashi thought silently, while his taijutsu exchange with Xia Yan grew ever more heated.

The two moved so fast that all the naked eye could make out were two figures constantly crossing, with sparks flying every time they passed each other.

Their speed now was far greater than when they had first begun. Watching from the sidelines, Uchiha Sora could no longer make out what was happening at all.

Just then, however, Xia Yan suddenly leaped backward and hurled his kunai at Kakashi, then rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.

"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!"

As he formed his hand seals, earth and stone rapidly coalesced into a huge dragon with an imposing presence, which then lunged ferociously at Kakashi.

Earth Release?

Kakashi froze for a moment. He had not expected Xia Yan, who specialized in Water Release, to know Earth Release as well.

But Kakashi did not remain frozen. He immediately began rapidly forming hand seals with both hands, completing his technique in an instant.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall."

Kakashi's hand seal speed was truly absurd. There were probably only a handful of people who could surpass him in hand seals alone.

The enormous earthen dragon did not hesitate before the wall. It slammed straight into it, and a deafening crash instantly rang through the training ground as a huge cloud of dust rose.

Many of the ninja training there that morning turned to look. Although they had not seen the earlier fight, the intensity of that chakra collision alone had already surpassed their own!

"Are jonin sparring?"

"Jonin really are amazing. Even a spar can produce that kind of power?"

The spectating ninja could not help exchanging quiet comments, while Kakashi watched his surroundings with extreme vigilance.

After the earthen wall collapsed with a crash, he suddenly realized he had lost sight of Xia Yan. How could that not put him on his guard?

Has he hidden himself, or... Kakashi's gaze swept his surroundings warily. Is he underground?

Soon, Kakashi had his answer, because his Sharingan clearly saw chakra fluctuations coming from underground.

That chakra erupted extremely quickly, but Kakashi was not slow either.

Holding his kunai, he stabbed fiercely down at the spot where the chakra had erupted.

But the moment his kunai pierced the ground, his expression changed.

Because he sensed distinct chakra fluctuations erupting from the other side...