Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind suddenly swept through, making Kakashi's clothes flutter wildly.
Facing the powerful wind capable of snapping tree branches, Kakashi's expression shifted slightly—he admitted to himself that he had underestimated Naruto's strength.
A jutsu of this scale was something even an average Chunin wouldn't dare to use casually.
When the wind died down, Kakashi turned just in time to block a punch from behind, preparing to grab Naruto's arm and pin him to the ground.
But Naruto was as agile as an eel. After the initial strike failed, he quickly created distance and launched an attack from another angle, occasionally mixing in shuriken throws and Wind Release techniques.
The rapid barrage left Kakashi struggling to keep up, forced into a defensive stance. His eyes slowly changed from surprise to outright shock.
Naruto was a Jinchuriki, so his chakra reserves naturally exceeded most people's.
But chakra quantity was only one factor in a battle's outcome. Kakashi was confident that with his extensive combat experience—even limiting his strength to that of a Genin—he could easily defeat Naruto and make him obediently return to the Ninja Academy.
Yet the current situation was beyond Kakashi's expectations.
Not only did Naruto have vast chakra reserves, but his ninjutsu and taijutsu were impressive—far beyond the level of a typical academy student and comparable to an average Chunin.
With Kakashi deliberately restricting his own power to Genin level, he found himself barely able to keep up.
Noticing Kakashi's surprise, Naruto stood still and said, "Want to quit? I'm worried I might hurt you, old man. You look a bit worn out."
"I'm a Jonin. My strength far surpasses yours," Kakashi said with a strange expression, reluctant to admit he was feeling a bit weak in front of Naruto.
Naruto nodded, "Good, then I'm relieved. I haven't even used my full strength yet."
Not using full strength? Kakashi twitched at the corner of his mouth but forced himself to continue the fight.
However, Kakashi quietly loosened the restrictions on his power. What started as a lesson to get Naruto back to school had become a test to probe Naruto's true abilities.
After Naruto launched another combination jutsu, Kakashi formed hand signs and slammed his hands on the ground, shouting: "Earth Release: Mud Wall!"
Instantly, an earthen wall carved with a dog's head rose from the ground, blocking the wind and shuriken attacks.
Naruto's expression flickered as he showed a slight opening in midair. Kakashi instantly teleported forward to seize the off-balance Naruto.
But as Kakashi grabbed him, Naruto vanished like smoke.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Kakashi furrowed his brow and spotted Naruto standing some distance away, smiling cheerfully. Multiple shadow clones appeared beside Naruto, forming hand signs and launching Wind Release attacks.
Unable to tell which was the real Naruto, Kakashi once again raised mud walls to block the assault.
Using three mud walls as shields behind him, Kakashi just started to catch his breath when a whistling sound came from above—Naruto's palm spun a high-speed Rasengan hurtling toward him.
Sensing danger, Kakashi dropped his power restrictions.
He pulled off his eye cover, revealing his Sharingan, and twisted his body to narrowly dodge the Rasengan.
Boom! The mud wall hit by the Rasengan cracked like a spider web.
Standing his ground, Kakashi watched Naruto. Dodging the Rasengan wasn't difficult for him.
What puzzled him more was how Naruto had mastered the Rasengan.
If Naruto learned it from the Third Hokage, that was understandable. But if Naruto developed it on his own, that was terrifying.
Especially since Naruto already possessed at least Chunin-level strength.
Naruto's ninja talent had completely surpassed Kakashi's—surpassing even Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.
Minato had Jonin-level strength before graduation, but he was already 11 or 12 years old then. Naruto was only about eight and far from the typical rapid growth phase for ninjas.
Unable to pinpoint the reason, Kakashi attributed Naruto's talent to strong genes from his teacher and his identity as a Jinchuriki.
Then Naruto walked over and smiled, "Done fighting?"
Naruto shook his head. "No more. If we keep going, I'll definitely lose. But you've already gone beyond Genin level, haven't you? I don't believe that was your Genin-level strength."
Kakashi glanced sideways, mocking, "You're hiding your strength too. You've long outgrown the level of a Ninja Academy student."
"But I'm still a Ninja Academy student. That's not a lie. Is it wrong to be outstanding?"
"Being outstanding isn't wrong. But I think you should go back to school. If you want to become a full-fledged ninja, raw combat power isn't enough—you also need excellent academic performance."
Naruto glanced at Kakashi and said, "Old man, you really want to drag me back to school, huh? But I've already self-studied the curriculum up to sixth grade. I'm more than ready to be a ninja."
Surprised, Kakashi asked Naruto several academic questions.
Naruto answered all of them correctly. Kakashi fell silent, unable to find a reason to force Naruto to keep attending school—Naruto's talent made him stand out too much there.
Yet at this age, Naruto should still be in school. The harsh reality of being a ninja was too much for a child to bear.
Kakashi had graduated early himself and had already become accustomed to killing by the time his peers were still at the Academy. As a result, he had never fully escaped that shadow.
He also saw the same in his other subordinate from the Anbu, Uchiha Itachi—too much burden at such a young age.
After some thought, Kakashi asked Naruto, "Why do you want to become a ninja? The life of a ninja is no better than the Academy. You'll kill and be killed. It's even harsher than you imagine."
Naruto was silent for a moment, then softly said, "Because the Hokage promised me that once I become a ninja, he'll tell me about my origins."
Kakashi's expression softened as he looked into Naruto's eyes.
His first impression of Naruto had been a proud brat, but now he saw a child longing for the truth.
For a moment, Kakashi wanted to tell Naruto that he was actually the Fourth Hokage's son. But remembering the Third Hokage's instructions, he abandoned that thought.
The Hokage's enemies were numerous. Being a Jinchuriki might save Naruto's life, but being the Fourth's son would only bring death.
Then Naruto said, "Ninja old man, I actually know your identity. You're one of the ninjas who have been protecting me behind my back. Can you tell the Hokage I'm ready to become a ninja?"
Kakashi's eyes widened as he looked at Naruto.
Naruto noticed Kakashi's genuine reaction because he had never deliberately disguised himself. How had he seen through the Anbu's disguise?
Seeming to guess Kakashi's thoughts, Naruto said, "After the last attack, I suddenly gained the ability to sense chakra. A few chakra signatures have been following me—I guess they're people the Hokage sent."
Did he inherit Kushina's talent? Kakashi recalled his teacher Kushina, who had similar abilities and cared deeply for Naruto.
After a moment's thought, Kakashi agreed, "I can convey your message to the Hokage. But even if the Hokage agrees, you'll need to apply to the Academy teachers yourself for early graduation."
Naruto nodded, "I understand. But I'm glad you're willing to help."
Kakashi sighed softly, then went to a hidden spot to call for backup and relieve his team. He then headed toward the Hokage's office to report the recent events to the Third Hokage.
After Kakashi left, Naruto looked toward the Hokage's office and smiled.
Showing Kakashi part of his strength and requesting early graduation me/ant he should gain a certain degree of freedom—not having to be constantly shadowed by the Anbu anymore.
(End of Chapter)
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