In the lush forest, there was a clearing with a small stream flowing through the middle.
Kakashi arrived at this training field, glanced back, and his eyes carried a hint of disappointment.
How could someone who couldn't even keep up with his speed be a powerful ninja?!
Suddenly, a voice sounded above Kakashi's head: "The earth belongs to ninjas, and the sky belongs to sages. Kakashi, I have already ascended to become an immortal."
Kakashi looked up, his pupils shrinking.
Kairen was just standing quietly in the sky, with a puddle of water beneath his feet.
A qualified ninja could judge another's strength from even the smallest detail. Kakashi had been a Chūnin for five years now; his strength was infinitely close to that of a Jōnin.
Seeing Kairen display such mastery of water-attribute chakra, Kakashi's heart trembled. Not even the Second Hokage had such exquisite control over water-attribute chakra.
Kairen jumped down from the sky, smiled at Kakashi, then folded his arms and tilted his eyes at him: "Do we still need to fight now?"
Kakashi didn't speak. Instead, he formed the Seal of Opposition.
Becoming a Chūnin at age six, Kakashi was the number one genius of Konoha. How could he be so scared by Kairen that he lost his will to fight?
Kairen saw this and also formed the Seal of Opposition. In his heart, he couldn't help thinking—was Little Kakashi imagining he could fight him evenly?
Minato and Kushina instantly body-flickered to the scene.
Minato stood on a branch, while Kushina cheered Kakashi on from below.
"Kakashi, go! Try to last as long as you can—don't lose too miserably."
Kakashi's face darkened. What kind of encouragement was that? Did she really think he couldn't win?
With a shift of thought, chakra surged violently from Kakashi's right leg. With a Body Flicker, he appeared in front of Kairen and launched a whirlwind kick toward Kairen's neck.
On the surface, Kairen's eyes were obscured by the genjutsu, but he had actually activated his Sharingan.
The Sharingan possessed three abilities: observation, copying, and hypnosis. Its observational power was especially formidable, with dynamic vision far surpassing ordinary ninjas.
After gaining his three tomoe, Sasuke could even see the subtle range of Naruto's movements.
Kairen's three-tomoe Sharingan clearly captured Kakashi's movements—his vision even tracked the swing of Kakashi's lower leg, as though he could see the future.
Next, Kairen's hand shot upward like a venomous serpent, grabbing Kakashi's calf in an instant at lightning speed.
Kakashi's pupils contracted: "So fast!"
Kairen gave a light flick, sending Kakashi flying five or six meters away.
Kakashi steadied himself midair, then reached into his tool pouch and drew several shuriken.
"Whoosh, whoosh"—they sliced through the air.
Kairen waved his hand and directly caught all the shuriken Kakashi had thrown back.
Kakashi drew a kunai and rushed toward Kairen at high speed.
Seeing Kakashi attack like a ferocious tiger, his kunai about to pierce Kairen's chest—
Kairen smirked: "Using such petty tricks before an expert?"
He shifted his position, instantly appearing behind Kakashi.
Kakashi reacted with a backhand stab, but Kairen's right elbow slammed into his chest, forcing him back several steps.
Kakashi sucked in a deep breath. That iron elbow to his chest almost made him feel like he was about to suffocate.
His opponent's Taijutsu surpassed even Guy's. If Taijutsu wouldn't work, then he would use Ninjutsu.
Kakashi suddenly pulled a smoke bomb from his pouch and threw it at Kairen's feet. In an instant, black smoke exploded outward.
Kairen's vision was blocked. He immediately switched to Byakugan and clearly saw a clump of chakra beneath his feet.
Two hands wearing black gloves burst from underground. Kairen leapt up, dodging Kakashi's burial technique.
As he landed, a voice sounded:
"Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique!"
"Woof! Woof! Woof…"
In an instant, five dogs bit Kairen from all directions—one on each arm and leg, and a tiny puppy hung from his backside: the young Pakkun.
Obito and Rin burst out of the forest and immediately saw Kairen being bitten by several dogs.
Obito pointed at Kakashi and scolded: "Shameless! You even ordered your dogs to bite people!"
Minato, sitting on a branch above, chuckled: "Obito, summoned beasts are also part of a ninja's strength."
The dogs' teeth had already sunk into Kairen's flesh.
Kairen didn't seem to care. He turned his head toward a large black dog biting his shoulder and threatened: "Let go, or I'll turn you into hot soup tonight."
The big dog couldn't speak, but their leader—Pakkun—could.
Pakkun released his bite from Kairen's backside and spoke with a youthful yet angry voice:
"How dare you threaten to turn cute puppies into hot soup—I'll bite you to death!"
Pakkun bared his fangs, ready to tear off a chunk of Kairen's flesh.
"Click!"
Kairen snapped his fingers with his right hand. At once, wooden branches burst from the surrounding mud, forming several vines that bound all five dogs biting him.
"Wood Release!"
Kakashi's pupils shrank violently. He knew this jutsu from textbooks—he never expected to witness it today.
How? Wood Release was the Kekkei genkai of the First Hokage. Why did Moku Kairen have it?!
Obito shouted to Minato: "Sensei! Sensei! What is that? Why is wood coming out of the dirt?"
Obito was bottom of the class in school; his theory grades were terrible. Naturally, he didn't know about the Wood Release Kekkei genkai.
Minato jumped down.
Looking at the wooden branches around Kairen moving like flexible limbs, he explained:
"Wood Release is the Kekkei genkai of the First Hokage. With it, he pacified the chaotic era and founded the Hidden Leaf Village."
Obito's jaw dropped. He might not know Wood Release, but he definitely knew the First Hokage—the Ninja God who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Uchiha Madara.
"Why? Why does Kairen have the First Hokage's Kekkei genkai?!"
Kushina, eager to chime in, beat Minato to the punch: "Because Kairen is from the Senju Clan. Look at his back."
Obito and Rin shifted their gazes to Kairen's back. They saw a clan crest resembling two blazing flames—the symbol of the Forest Senju Clan.
Obito suddenly realized something. He looked at Kairen's back with a complicated expression. He was growing distant—he could no longer reach him.
This comrade had betrayed the revolution!
Kairen bound all of Kakashi's dogs with wooden vines, then created a shadow clone.
Holding a sharp knife, with a white scarf around his shoulders and a bloodthirsty smile on his face, he approached, making the dogs shiver.
The dog butcher produced a pot filled with boiling water, blazing flames roaring beneath it.
"Heh heh… dog meat is delicious." The dog butcher sneered.
Each scrape of his butcher knife made Pakkun's fur stand on end.
Pakkun barked twice at Kakashi: "Kakashi, hurry and save me!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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