Today was a special day, Kakashi had just completed his very first C-rank mission.
To celebrate, Rin insisted on treating him to a meal, and of course, Obito tagged along without hesitation.
After a bit of back and forth, all six of them, Sora, Guy, Duy, Kakashi, Rin, and Obito, found themselves sharing a table at a popular grilled meat restaurant.
The place was famous for a reason, this barbecue joint had made countless appearances in their conversations.
For Duy and Guy, it was their first time, and after devouring ten plates of meat, they were still far from satisfied.
Sora, too, ate with gusto, his cravings thoroughly sated.
"Tell us about your mission, Kakashi!" Rin said sweetly, placing a piece of meat into Kakashi's bowl.
"Yeah! You've already started doing C-rank missions? Come on, spill it!" Guy chimed in, speaking through a mouthful of meat.
All eyes turned to Kakashi. For academy students like them, C-rank missions were practically legendary.
"Pfft. What's the big deal about a C-rank mission?" Obito grumbled, pouting. "This future elite will be doing B- and A-rank missions in no time!"
Kakashi ignored Obito's sulking and answered calmly, "It was just a simple escort mission. We took a merchant caravan to the Land of Waterfalls."
"Was it dangerous? Did you have to fight any enemy shinobi?" Rin's eyes widened with curiosity.
"Not really. We ran into mountain bandits four times. Their leader was probably a genin-level rogue." Kakashi's tone was casual, almost bored.
"Still, that's impressive!" Rin looked at him with pure admiration. "You handled all of them?"
Guy clenched his fists, eyes shining with determination.
"Even when Kakashi's not in class, he's still training hard! I've decided, Dad! I'll add three more sets to my morning drills starting tomorrow!"
Duy gave him a hearty thumbs-up.
"Guy! You've finally grasped the essence of youthful rivalry! With companions who push each other forward, our youth will burn brighter than ever!"
Kakashi smiled as he took a sip of tea.
"You planning to take the Chūnin Exams?" Sora asked suddenly from the corner.
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, I'm trying to finish enough missions to qualify. If all goes well, I'll make it in time for the next exam."
That stunned the whole table into silence.
Rin gasped, her eyes sparkling.
"You're going for the Chūnin Exams at age six? That's amazing, Kakashi!"
"Y-You've gotta be kidding!" Obito's face twisted with anxiety.
He hadn't even graduated yet, and Kakashi was already a Chūnin candidate.
The gap between them was growing too fast.
He glanced at Rin, but her gaze was fixed entirely on Kakashi.
Even Guy and Duy couldn't help but shower Kakashi with praise.
Kakashi thanked them humbly, admitting he might not pass, though his tone made it clear he wasn't worried.
Sora, having just finished his last bite of grilled meat, put down his chopsticks and looked at Kakashi seriously.
"Kakashi… I want to challenge you."
"I want to see just how big the gap is between me and a Chūnin."
The entire table fell silent, their eyes snapping to Sora in shock.
"You're serious?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
"Completely." Sora didn't hesitate.
Hatake Kakashi.
In the early timeline of the shinobi world, few geniuses shone brighter.
Unlike Uchiha Sasuke, who was celebrated for mastering the Fireball Jutsu by age 12, Kakashi was a true prodigy:
> Graduated from the academy at 5
> Promoted to Chūnin at 6
> Became a Jōnin at 12, and created the A-rank technique Chidori
He broke record after record in Konoha's history. Even prodigies like Shisui or Itachi couldn't surpass him.
The barbecue was quickly forgotten.
Even for Guy, it was more exciting to witness Kakashi in action than eat another plate of meat.
The group relocated to the forest outside the village.
There, Kakashi and Sora stood opposite one another, hands forming the Seal of Confrontation.
"Begin!" Duy shouted.
The two launched forward simultaneously.
BAM!
Their forearms collided, an even blow, but the force pushed Sora back by a step. He didn't pause, instead lunged again, fists and kicks flying. They traded a dozen strikes in close combat.
Another clash, shin to shin, and they broke apart.
Kakashi, already behind him, brought a knife-hand strike toward Sora's neck.
With no time to turn, Sora ducked low, used the ground as leverage, and kicked upward at Kakashi's head.
His feet passed right through Kakashi.
"A clone? When did he, ?!"
Sora's eyes flicked sideways, Kakashi was already closing in from the right.
He dove forward just in time, evading the incoming kick and rolling away to create distance.
Whizz! Whizz!
Two shuriken flew from Sora's hands.
Kakashi casually threw one in response, Clink! Clink!, deflecting both with a single toss.
But Sora wasn't done.
That had been a feint.
He charged in, hands forming seals mid-run.
"Ox, Dragon, Rat, Dog, Boar, Snake, Tiger, !
Hell Mirage Jutsu!"
"Genjutsu?" Guy gasped.
"Since when could Sora use Genjutsu?!"
Even Kakashi looked caught off-guard.
Hell Mirage was a technique that revealed one's greatest fears, powerful even for trained shinobi.
Kakashi's expression shifted. His pupils dilated. He staggered and clutched his head in pain.
"I got him!"
Sora darted forward, kunai in hand, placing the blade at Kakashi's throat.
ZZZTT!
A crackle of blue lightning.
Suddenly, a second Kakashi appeared behind Sora, pressing a blade against his neck.
A chill ran down Sora's spine.
"W-What? That one's real… but this one's, ?"
He reached out to touch the Kakashi caught in his Genjutsu.
With a poof, it dissolved into smoke.
"Shadow Clone." Kakashi withdrew his blade.
He formed a quick seal, and the clone vanished completely.
"So you used Shadow Clone and regular Clone Jutsu together…" Sora murmured, still stunned.
Kakashi nodded. "I cast the Shadow Clone the moment we passed each other after that first clash. You never noticed."
Sora's expression tightened.
His hand signs were so fast I didn't even see them. And I was sparring with a clone the whole time…
"That lightning… was that a chakra activation technique using the lightning element?" Sora asked, recalling the shocking speed at the end.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You actually recognized that?"
Sora forced a smile.
The gap was even wider than he expected.
Kakashi hadn't even used his signature Hatake sword style. He hadn't gone all out. And yet… Sora never stood a chance.
Seeing his disappointment, Kakashi spoke gently.
"You've improved tremendously, Sora. Last time we met, you were about the same as Obito. Now your taijutsu and genjutsu are already impressive. You're easily one of the best in your class."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
Obito protested, leaping over and grabbing Kakashi's sleeve.
"I only lost last time because I was going easy on you, okay?!"
Sora didn't reply. Kakashi's praise meant little.
His goal wasn't just to stand out in class.
His rival was the top student of the third-year class, Uchiha Shu.
He looked straight at Kakashi and asked:
"Tell me the truth… how do I compare to Uchiha Shu?"
<150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter>