Duel Before the Waterfall

The next day.

Deep in the mountains beyond the banks of the Naka River, a waterfall thundered, its white ribbon plunging into a deep pool. Mist lingered year-round, leaving the entire foot of the cliff cold and damp.

Today, the waterfall Uchiha Gen had personally named Death of Shisui was especially quiet.

Two eight-year-old boys, their figures still youthful, stood on opposite sides of the pool.

"You certainly found yourselves quite a spot. There's plenty of room here, just right for you two. And the scenery's pretty nice, too. How did I never notice it before?"

Hatake Sakumo stood in a clearing nearby and spoke with a smile.

Standing beneath the waterfall and looking up at the crashing water, Hatake Sakumo felt for the first time that taking a proper break now and then was actually rather nice.

At least, he had always been so busy with missions before that he had rarely noticed beautiful scenery like this.

Even as he admired the waterfall, Hatake Sakumo did not forget his role as referee.

"Ahem. Feel free to let loose a little. I'll step in and stop you if necessary."

Withdrawing his gaze, Hatake Sakumo looked at the two boys, his calm voice carrying through the roar of the falls as he gave the signal.

The moment his words fell...

Kakashi moved first.

With no sign of a windup, his Hatake Style Swordsmanship erupted into action!

"Hatake Style: Instant Slash!"

With that murmur, Kakashi's figure suddenly blurred into an afterimage born of sheer speed. His short blade tore through the mist with a piercing whistle, a straight, chilling streak of white slashing diagonally upward at Uchiha Gen's waist!

Facing that lethally fast blade, Uchiha Gen neither dodged nor retreated.

A faint scarlet glimmer flashed in his eyes. Beneath his black cosmetic contacts, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated instantly. The tomoe turned gently, revealing the entire trajectory of Kakashi's strike in an instant and allowing him to anticipate it and move into position.

"I've wanted to try this for a while."

Watching Kakashi Hatake move at what seemed an infinitely slower speed in his vision, Uchiha Gen's lips curved slightly. The next moment, he tensed his right arm, his ocular power flowing as pitch-black Susanoo Chakra Armor instantly formed a bracer.

Susanoo: Armored Might!

Clang!!!!

An explosive clash of metal shattered the mist!

The chilling blade slammed into the pitch-black Susanoo bracer. In an instant, the tremendous impact whipped up a ring of wild air currents, and the river water erupted into a skyful of spray beneath the sudden burst of force.

The Susanoo armoring technique unique to Uchiha who have awakened the Sharingan. Has this child already awakened his Sharingan? Is that... cosmetic contacts? What a secretive boy.

At the sidelines, a trace of surprise flashed in Hatake Sakumo's eyes as he watched the pitch-black armor on Uchiha Gen's arm.

On the battlefield.

Kakashi Hatake's all-out Hatake Style slash struck the surface of the Susanoo armor, leaving only a shallow scratch and failing to advance even a fraction farther.

Beneath the armor, layers of Armament Haki dispersed the force, completely absorbing the shock generated by the powerful slash.

Uchiha Gen stood as steady as a rock on the water. Only faint ripples stirred the pool beneath his feet; he had not retreated even half a step.

The defense produced by combining armored Susanoo with Armament Haki is much stronger than I expected. But this color... was it influenced by Armament Haki?

After easily blocking Kakashi Hatake's attack, Uchiha Gen glanced at the bracer on his arm with interest, looking thoughtful.

A black Susanoo was decent enough, so long as it was not some garish green or pink.

With his first strike blocked, Kakashi's expression remained unchanged, showing no surprise. Having trained with a blade since childhood, he had long since developed absolute composure in battle.

Besides, as far as Kakashi was concerned, it would have been a problem if Uchiha Gen could not block his slash.

Ripples stirred the water again as he used the Body Flicker Technique once more!

"Hatake Style: Ninefold Heaven!"

With a burst of strength from his wrist, a chain of successive Hatake Style slashes poured forth in an instant!

Horizontal cuts, vertical cleaves, rising blades, wrist-severing strikes, waist-cleaving blows—the swift Hatake Style cuts layered over one another, their light as dense as a downpour, covering every blind spot across Uchiha Gen's body. Each strike was precise and cunning, every move locking onto a weakness in the human body.

Hatake Style Swordsmanship was truly a top-tier system of blade techniques.

Blade light filled the air, cold steel pressing toward his eyes.

Facing Kakashi's flurry of attacks, as dense as pear blossoms in a storm, Uchiha Gen remained composed.

Beneath his cosmetic contacts, his Sharingan anticipated and perceived every movement of the blade throughout. He raised a hand, a thread of electricity dancing at his fingertips. The next instant, violent lightning exploded outward! Like a net, it instantly caught Kakashi's storm of slashes.

Lightning Release without Hand Seals, or... something like Minato-sensei's...

Seeing the lightning Uchiha Gen released with a raised hand, Kakashi Hatake briefly froze. But his training as a ninja made him instantly discard those distracting thoughts. As he swung his blade and saw that his rapid strikes were ineffective, he turned his wrist and changed his move at once.

His toes tapped the water, his body abruptly withdrawing half an inch. He drew his blade back to gather power, and the next instant, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity.

"Hatake Style: Lightning Flash: Breaking Face!"

Lightning burst forth. Deep-blue arcs, in contrast to Uchiha Gen's azure lightning, instantly crawled across the Ninja Blade in Kakashi's hand.

The next instant, the lightning propelled Kakashi's body forward, delivering a powerful thrusting slash in a flash, straight toward a part of Uchiha Gen's body left uncovered by the Susanoo armor!

This strike reached the utmost speed Kakashi Hatake could currently control, and its target was what he believed to be the only opening he could presently catch.

The two differently colored bolts of lightning collided instantly, and the blade of Kakashi's Ninja Blade pierced the electrical net before Uchiha Gen in an instant.

This strike was fast! So fast that ordinary eyes could not track it. Yet, just as the short blade slashed toward Uchiha Gen...

Uchiha Gen's lips could not help curling upward.

Bzzzt!

In an instant, violent high-voltage electricity exploded outward.

A ring-shaped electromagnetic storm suddenly swirled around Uchiha Gen, fine blue arcs weaving into an invisible barrier that instantly enveloped his entire body.

Kakashi Hatake's rapidly thrusting short blade was also within the lightning's range, and the electromagnetic force instantly disrupted it, making it tremble. The blade began shaking violently, and Kakashi's sword hand immediately went numb. For a moment, his strike slowed sharply, and even its trajectory began to veer off course!

Seizing the instant Kakashi's blade faltered, Uchiha Gen raised his left arm slightly. The pitch-black Susanoo bracer on his body instantly changed form, and a sharp black blade extended from it.

Turning sideways, he slashed his blade precisely against the flat of Kakashi's already-deflected blade.

Clang!!!

With a clear ring, the Ninja Blade in Kakashi's hand snapped apart.

One strike broke the blade-a perfect killing counter.

Amid the scattering mist, the battle between the two prodigies seemed to have already been decided.

Looking at Uchiha Gen, Kakashi's fingertips whitened slightly around the hilt, all that remained of his Ninja Blade.

Uchiha Gen, meanwhile, stood quietly, the Susanoo armor on his arm remaining solid and intact. His long blade dipped into the water, stirring little ripples, while he continued to stand steadily before the waterfall.