I didn't know who our opponents would be — and perhaps that was exactly what made everything more interesting.
I glanced at the trio standing before us and gave a restrained smirk.
— I'll briefly explain the rules now, — the examiner began, looking at both teams.
I nudged Guy with my elbow and made the "8" sign — our prearranged strategy. While the examiner spoke, I quickly passed the plan to Guy and Genma with subtle hand gestures.
— We begin the second part of the Chūnin Exam! — the examiner declared, using a technique and vanishing.
The very next second, both teams sprang into motion.
— Mud Wave Technique! — Genma formed the seals without hesitation, sending the attack straight at Team 7.
A stream of muddy sludge surged forward, sweeping away leaves and gravel. But Kakashi and his team didn't flinch — they simply anchored themselves to the ground with chakra.
— Element: Fire — Fireball Technique! — Obito filled his lungs for a powerful breath, but he didn't get the chance — I was already in front of him.
Instantaneous movement.
A kick to the face.
The air burst from his lungs, and as Obito fell, he spat out the candy he'd been chewing since the start.
— Don't eat sweets during a fight, — I muttered, looking down at him before striking his neck and knocking him out.
Meanwhile, Guy had already rushed at Kakashi — his fists cutting through the air like gusts of wind.
I left them and moved toward Genma, who was locked in a fierce duel with Rin and clearly had the upper hand.
The main problem now was Kakashi — the strongest combatant here. I couldn't help Guy directly, which meant...
Giving a short sound signal — two quick whistles, barely audible through the clash of battle — I vanished into the shadows of the trees. A fall, a push off a branch, a spring upward — my body moved on its own, fluid and precise.
The pouch with seals chimed softly as I took out a bundle and scattered several markers across the clearing.
They're moving straight into this area, I realized, sensing the ripple of their chakra.
Perfect. Everything according to plan. Each seal held a trace of my chakra — faint, but together they formed a network sensitive to every movement.
I dropped to one knee and began forming the seals — my fingers moving automatically, with polished speed.
The air started to hum. Chakra pulsed through my veins, flowing into the seals. The forest seemed to hold its breath — even the wind fell silent.
When Guy, right on cue, drove Kakashi into the trap's center, I exhaled and raised my hands.
— String of Light Formation Technique! — I called out.
The world exploded in light.
Beams flared from each seal, and within seconds thin threads of radiance laced through the air, wrapping trees and ground alike — a vast web pulsing with my chakra.
Guy and Kakashi stood at its center — caught in the very heart of the trap. For a moment, everything froze.
Even the echoes of the battle went silent.
Kakashi frowned slightly. His eye flashed — he sensed the danger.
He began forming the familiar substitution hand signs — but it was too late.
The web of light closed in, binding him with bright threads. The light pierced through the shadows, as if stabbing directly into his chakra.
Guy lunged forward, driving a punch straight into his opponent's stomach. But... Kakashi's body suddenly crumbled into clumps of earth.
— Damn! — I swore. — A mud clone!
I spun around, scanning the branches. Somewhere above, silver hair flashed.
— Found you, — I breathed.
A flicker — and I was there, drawing my tanto. But before I could signal Guy, Kakashi struck first, appearing right in front of me.
I stepped forward, drawing the blade, and slashed horizontally from right to left.
Kakashi reacted instantly. His sword met mine with a sharp clang, the shock vibrating through my arms.
I stepped back, but he pressed on relentlessly — his rapid swings creating constant pressure.
I struck again — a straight thrust to the chest. Kakashi deftly parried, deflecting my blade aside.
— So you're the one who set the trap… — he said calmly, not slowing his pace.
I didn't answer — just ducked aside and countered with a spinning upward slash.
Kakashi stepped back, then countered immediately — a horizontal strike aimed at my torso. I deflected it, the force cutting the air with a hiss.
Our tantos clashed again, sparks scattering through the air.
I followed with a flurry of quick, rhythmic blows — one, two, three — trying to break through his guard.
Kakashi parried each one with precise, focused movements, though I could sense the tension building in him.
I shifted the rhythm — a sharp step forward, a strike toward his wrist. He barely managed to pull his blade back.
The next strike went for his legs — forcing him to retreat. He slid across the ground and countered immediately with a horizontal swing from below.
I blocked it, feeling the shock run through my arm. The air smelled of metal; the ring of steel and the crunch of branches filled the silence around us.
— Guy! Combination Eleven! — I shouted.
But before I could finish, a smoke bomb burst at my feet.
Boom.
The clearing vanished in smoke.
A calculated diversion — Kakashi disappeared, moving in the opposite direction. We reacted instantly, rushing after him, and within a minute returned to the starting point.
The sight that met us made me frown:
Genma was locked in combat with Kakashi, while Rin and Obito had vanished.
— Mudra of Double Dynamic Appearance! — Guy and I shouted in unison, diving into the fight.
Two swift strikes — and Kakashi's body crumbled into clay again.
— Genma! What happened? Where are Obito and Rin?! — Guy demanded, not slowing down.
— Kakashi distracted me with a clone and probably freed them, — I guessed.
Genma only nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow.
— So that's how it was… We'll have to track them down.
We exchanged glances.
The sun was already sinking, the air in the forest growing heavy.
— Kakashi's probably used up most of his chakra. If we find them, we can end this quickly, — I said.
— The problem is, we don't have any sensory types. They could be anywhere, — Genma replied, breathing hard.
I nodded.
— Then here's the plan: Genma, you've burned through most of your chakra — rest. Guy and I will set traps around the perimeter.
— No objections, — he said, sitting down by a tree.
Team 7's side
Team 7 took shelter among the thick roots of a huge tree.
Darkness wrapped around them, but a faint light filtered through the leaves, reflecting off the damp ground.
— You idiot… how could you at the start of the fight get knocked out… — Kakashi grumbled, holding the wound on his arm.
— Hey! I wanted to help! — Obito exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders, his eyes sparkling with excitement. — And anyway, it's just bad luck…! He fell silent, not knowing what to say.
— The guy with the sword grazed my arm! — Kakashi added, as a green energy began to spread over his arm and body, causing a dull pain.
Rin dropped to one knee and began to work carefully with her hands, concentrating chakra for a healing technique.
— Obito, quiet down! — Rin said sternly, but there was care in her voice, not irritation.
She carefully examined Kakashi, making sure his arm was fully restored.
— But at this stage it's better not to confront them, — Kakashi added quietly, sitting on a root. — Their team consists only of fighters, and we can't engage in a confrontation without risk.
Obito crossed his arms and scowled.
— Damn, I want a rematch!!!
Rin shook her head, smiling slightly:
— Obito, it's better to focus on tactics for now. We're at an exam, not fighting on the street.
Kakashi nodded, continuing to analyze:
— Most likely the one in charge of tactics is the guy with the sword. I watched him during the fight. He can control his sword with wind chakra.
— Yeah… — Obito muttered, clenching his fists. — I didn't like him from the start.
— Exactly, — Rin added, looking at Obito. — We met him at the exam. His name is Kotetsu!
Obito jumped up, pretending to be angry:
— Next time I'll smash him!
Kakashi sighed and gave a faint smile:
— Your element is fire. Better not to fight him directly. He's too fast, and his wind-augmented strikes will be hard for you to predict.
— Aaah baka Kakashi, I'll show you how I'll destroy him!
Still… I managed to hit him too, Kakashi thought to himself.