"So it's started," Kiyohara murmured, giving a faint nod.
It seemed the coming days would be far from peaceful.
All the better. He could use the pressure to hone himself.
Whether the enemy came from Kirigakure or Sunagakure—Kiyohara didn't care.
At this stage, what he needed was a whetstone.
What he lacked most was experience—combat experience in every imaginable scenario. Only by building it up could he adapt to anything.
After all, one of Magnet Kiyohara's final wishes was to defeat Pakura.
That same Pakura who was known not just as "Scorch Release Pakura," but also as the Hero of the Hidden Sand.
Sure, she was the only person Kiyohara had ever seen die from shuriken…
But even if she hadn't reached her prime yet, defeating her would still take a monumental effort. He needed to grow stronger.
"Just training won't be enough," he thought. "Sparring will tell me how far I've really come. Should we try a match?"
Kakashi nodded. "I haven't used my father's sword style in a while. Wouldn't hurt to shake off the rust."
Since Obito's death, Kakashi had stopped using a blade in combat. He'd relied purely on ninjutsu and kunai ever since.
Kiyohara's heart stirred.
Kakashi had inherited his sword skills from Konoha's White Fang himself. Though he hadn't used a sword in a while, that didn't mean he was weak. His technique was no joke.
He'd only stopped using it because his early opponents were also adept swordsmen, and his short blade had snapped.
Fighting Kakashi now would be the perfect chance to test how far Kiyohara's swordsmanship had come.
Especially without relying on Konoha-ryū: Willow, he wanted to know his pure blade skill.
And since he'd also been training Leaf Flicker Technique for a while, this would be a good opportunity to put it to use.
"Alright," Kiyohara answered crisply.
The two moved to a flat patch of ruins nearby.
Yūhi Kurenai and Shiranui Genma had heard the commotion and came to watch.
Rin stood further back, ready to provide immediate medical aid.
She was one of the few on this defensive line capable of using an A-rank healing jutsu like Mystic Palm Technique. Most medics couldn't go beyond B or C-rank healing techniques.
It was a testament to Rin's exceptional talent.
"Hmph… Kakashi, huh…" Magnet Kiyohara floated up from Kiyohara's body and stared. "In my timeline, we were enemies."
"Figures," Kiyohara replied calmly. "You were from Suna, after all."
To a shinobi, alliances were fleeting.
A ninja's only true loyalty was to their village.
They were taught to treat its interests as absolute—mission above all else.
Kakashi borrowed a standard ninja blade from someone nearby. Kiyohara drew his own, the one he'd reforged and fitted with a wire loop at the hilt.
"I'm coming, Kiyohara."
Even before Kakashi finished speaking, his form blurred.
Kiyohara vanished too, his figure flickering to the side, a flurry of spinning leaves left in his wake.
Leaf Flicker Technique.
Whoosh—! Kakashi's blade slashed through the afterimage—empty air.
But his assault didn't slow. With a flick of the wrist, he reversed the grip and swept the short sword upward in a rising slash—an iconic technique of the White Fang's kenjutsu.
Kiyohara didn't block—he countered, aiming a pinpoint thrust at Kakashi's wrist, forcing him to pull back.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as their blades clashed repeatedly, rapid flashes of steel lighting up the dusty clearing.
Their silhouettes twisted and flickered with every exchange.
Eventually, both leapt back, drawing space between them.
"A little rusty," Kakashi said, exhaling.
If you don't practice, you regress—that was true in all things.
He'd devoted most of his time to Lightning Release over the years, and his swordplay had suffered.
"You're still strong," Kiyohara replied. "You're just not used to this blade."
After all, Kakashi had grown up under Sakumo's guidance. His fundamentals were solid. He'd simply chosen another path.
The Sharingan Obito had left him—was it truly a gift that elevated him, or a shackle?
Sure, Final War-era Kakashi performed well, but that was under ridiculous conditions: dual Mangekyō, Six Paths chakra, and a ghost-powered buff from Obito himself. Totally unreplicable.
Right now, young Kakashi only had a basic Sharingan, and it drained chakra nonstop—used or not.
"Alright, warm-up's over."
Kakashi's borrowed blade began to glow with a pale white light.
Chakra was flowing along the edge.
Sakumo's signature—when he wielded his short blade, it was wrapped in white chakra. Kakashi's looked exactly the same now.
"Let's go," Kiyohara responded, gripping his hilt.
Zzzzt!
Arcs of lightning crackled along Kiyohara's blade, spreading like a wave, coating the metal in a blue-white sheen.
His sword was forged with chakra metal—a rare, high-performance alloy that amplified chakra flow. Infused with an element, it became a weapon that could cleave through anything.
No wonder chakra metal always sold for outrageous prices.
The two clashed again.
But this time, the pressure was different—stronger. Sharper.
Kakashi's lazy eyes sharpened with a flicker of focus.
He could tell—Kiyohara's swordsmanship had improved again.
For a moment, Kakashi wondered if his father were alive, would he recognize Kiyohara as a true kenjutsu prodigy?
He didn't dwell on it.
Chakra light streamed from Kakashi's sword, forming a shimmering net of white arcs that danced like moonlight across the battlefield.
Kiyohara's blade carved elegant arcs through the air, trailing electric wisps behind every strike. The ozone burn lingered with each clash.
The battle reached its peak.
Kiyohara glanced at Kakashi's slanted headband, covering his left eye.
He understood—if Kakashi didn't use his Sharingan, he'd only fall further behind.
As expected, Kakashi's chakra was burning out much faster than his own.
Kiyohara seized the moment.
CLANG!
With a crisp, decisive clang, the two flashed past one another and stopped—blades sheathed, backs turned.
The match was over.
Neither had drawn blood.
Kiyohara exhaled, sweat dripping from his brow. His hand tingled from the last exchange.
Kakashi's breathing had grown labored too.
He'd nearly lost grip of his sword at the end.
"You've really gotten strong, Kiyohara," Kakashi admitted.
For the first time in a long while, he felt pressure.
He'd always been hailed as a genius. No one had ever matched him in natural ability.
But now—Kiyohara… wasn't beneath him.
Not at all.
"I'm still far from good enough," Kiyohara replied, steadying his breath.
He knew—if Kakashi had gone all out from the start, activating the Sharingan to read his movements, the fight would've been far harder.
On the sidelines, Kurenai's ruby eyes gleamed with awe. She hadn't expected Kiyohara to have come so far.
Rin, too, let out a relieved breath, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Alright. Time to get back to work."
Kiyohara checked the clock inside his tool pouch and spoke evenly.