Kakashi Hatake did not turn to look.
His eyes remained fixed on the man before him.
Tall and thin, with an ordinary face and eyes that narrowed to slits when he smiled.
Though his appearance was the same, his bearing was utterly different from that of the medicinal herb merchant who had bowed and scraped before Konoha Gate three days earlier.
Fujiwara stood on a branch, still wearing those coarse civilian clothes, but his entire bearing had changed completely.
His gaze was utterly calm, like a pool of stagnant water, without a trace of unnecessary emotion.
Kakashi gripped his kunai tightly in his right hand, staring fixedly at Fujiwara.
"Who are you?" Kakashi asked.
Fujiwara did not answer.
He pushed off the trunk and shot forward again, heading straight for Kakashi's face.
So fast!
Kakashi caught his movements, but his body actually struggled to keep up.
He barely twisted aside to avoid a head-on punch, sweeping his right-hand kunai back toward his opponent's vitals.
Fujiwara twisted at the waist to evade, seized Kakashi's wrist with his left hand, and wrenched it sharply.
Kakashi felt tremendous force surge through his wrist, nearly twisting his entire right arm apart.
Gritting his teeth, he endured it and thrust his left-hand kunai at Fujiwara's throat, forcing him to let go and retreat.
The two put some distance between them on the branches, facing off for less than a second.
Kakashi's right arm trembled slightly, his wrist burning with pain.
Not only did this enemy possess an exceptionally vast amount of chakra, but his mastery of taijutsu was also extremely high.
There was no unnecessary flourish to his movements. Every punch and kick was simple and efficient, his strength astonishing and his speed downright outrageous.
In those brief exchanges, Kakashi might already have been injured