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Chapter 161 Kakashi vs Naruto
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With that, the spar concluded. The forest grew quiet again, save for the rustling leaves and the fading hum of residual chakra. The two Jonin gathered their teams.
Kakashi stood with his arms crossed, relaxed but observant. Beside him, Kurenai's expression brimmed with pride. "I must say," she began, her eyes sweeping over the six genin, "you all genuinely surpassed my expectations."
The genin straightened, standing a little taller beneath the weight of praise.
"Not only did you immediately appoint a leader without hesitation, but that leader played a pivotal role in coordinating the victory."
All eyes turned to Shino, who remained still and expressionless until Naruto clapped a hand on his shoulder with a wide grin.
"Dude! You were awesome! Choosing you as leader was the best decision we made!"
"Thank you, Naruto-san," Shino said simply, though the slight uptick in his posture spoke volumes.
Kurenai nodded, then turned to Naruto. "And you... recognizing his value instead of pushing yourself forward… that's maturity."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, nonchalant. "I mean, I could have done it. But if I fought both of you alone while everyone just watched, wouldn't that miss the whole point of a team battle?"
He said it so casually, so matter-of-fact, that Kurenai paused. Was he serious? Before she could press the thought, Oscar chirped loudly and butted his head against Naruto's side.
Moving on.
"Amazing support from you three," Kurenai continued, glancing at Hinata, Sakura, and Kiba.
Hinata gave a respectful bow. Sakura smiled, composed and proud. Kiba puffed his chest, confident and beaming. Akamaru barked once, though his bark was muffled by the helmet Naruto had strapped onto him.
"And a powerful show of skill from you two," she said, now addressing Sasuke and Naruto.
Sasuke offered a cool nod. Naruto, meanwhile, was too preoccupied with fastening Oscar's armor onto Akamaru's back, since the little puppy wanted to try out his friend's stuff. Unfortunately, the helmet was crooked, and Akamaru couldn't see properly. The pup stumbled blindly, yipping and spinning in circles like a furry, armored missile. The genin burst out laughing. Even Shino let out a subtle exhale that might have been a chuckle.
Kurenai glanced at Kakashi with a quiet smile. "I'm glad," she said.
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad I get to see Konoha's next generation grow like this."
Kakashi turned his head slightly, watching her for a moment too long.
"…What?"
"Nothing." He looked away. "Let's get some rest."
"Yeah," Kurenai said softly, the faint trace of a smile still on her lips.
They walked together, teams in tow, the sounds of the village ahead of them. And though most of the genin were exhausted, the idea of fighting the Jonin one-on-one lingered in their minds like the echo of a promise.
By nightfall, all of them were back in the training grounds, bodies aching but spirits burning.
All except Naruto.
He left a single note behind: Gone for a few days. Training with Oscar. Don't wait up.
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Three days later, the island had become a quiet battleground.
Most of the genin had already finished their spars against the Jonin. The outcomes were predictable. One-sided matches, humiliating but survivable. The Jonin never needed to go all out. The genin barely held their own.
But today was different.
They were all waiting. Not for another spar. For the spar.
For him.
A gust of wind stirred the trees, and in a flicker of motion, Naruto arrived at the edge of the clearing.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, calm and smiling. "Needed to squeeze in some last-minute training."
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You and 'last-minute training' are starting to worry me."
Sasuke stood beside her, arms folded, watching Naruto walk. He said nothing for a moment, then finally: "Good. I was starting to think you'd miss the fun."
His voice was even, but anyone paying attention could hear the anticipation under the surface.
"You two, positions." Kurenai's voice cut through the chatter, calm and clear.
Naruto and Kakashi moved apart, coming to a stop several meters away.
Then, without hesitation, Kakashi reached up and pulled his hitai-ate up, unveiling the Sharingan.
A quiet murmur spread through the crowd.
Sasuke's brow furrowed. Even I had to force him to use it... and he's starting with it against Naruto?
"How long do you think Naruto lasts?" Kiba asked, half-joking.
Kurenai turned toward Sasuke and Sakura. If anyone could give a real answer, it was them.
Neither answered right away.
Sakura's gaze lingered on the two figures in the clearing. She finally said, "He held off Zabuza."
"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "Zabuza wasn't serious. He was toying with him."
"Maybe," Sakura said, "but Naruto didn't break. And he's changed since then. He's grown."
Sasuke didn't argue against that.
"Logically speaking," Sakura continued, "Naruto's chakra reserves and stamina are far above Kakashi's. Physically, Naruto's stronger too. Kakashi can match him with chakra-enhanced strength, but… if it comes down to endurance, Naruto has the edge."
Sasuke nodded. "It all comes down to speed. If Kakashi ends it quickly, he wins. But if the fight drags on… he's in trouble." He looked out over the battlefield, eyes narrowing. "Naruto's like his name... a maelstrom. The longer you stay inside, the harder it is to get out."
Kiba stared at them like they were mad. "Wait! You're actually saying Naruto can go toe-to-toe with Kakashi-sensei?!"
Even Shino seemed uncertain.
Only Hinata didn't question Team 7's judgement. Rather, she believed.
Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, then turned back to Team 8 with matching smirks.
"Get ready," Sakura said. "You're about to see why Naruto's the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha."
Sasuke added, "Try not to blink."
It wasn't the words that landed. It was the certainty behind them. The unshakable confidence.
Meanwhile, Kakashi turned to Naruto. "So… what's your wager in all this?"
Naruto gave a lazy shrug, gently setting Oscar down at his side. "I'm not betting. I'm planning to win."
"Confident, huh?"
Naruto's gaze didn't waver. "No. Certain."
Kakashi chuckled beneath his mask. "Good. I look forward to it."
What none of them knew was just how much Naruto had taken advantage of Lordran's time dilation. In the last three days, he had done a week's worth of training. A full week spent hunting beasts, mastering techniques, reforging gear with Andre and Rickert. Every hour, every moment, honed him sharper.
He exhaled slowly and opened the invisible screen only he could see.
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]
[ Covenant: Way of White ]
[ Level: 42 → 48 ]
[ HP: 616 / 616 ]
[ Stamina: 93 ]
[ Equip Load: 42.8 / 51.0 ]
[ Stats ]
[ Vitality: 12 ]
[ Attunement: 12 ]
[ Endurance: 11 ]
[ Strength: 24 ]
[ Dexterity: 16 → 20 ]
[ Resistance: 12 ]
[ Intelligence: 20 ]
[ Faith: 18 → 20 ]
[ Humanity: 0 ]
[ Armor ]
[ Head: Elite Knight Helm → Elite Knight Helm +4 ]
[ Chest: Elite Knight Armor → Elite Knight Armor +4 ]
[ Hands: Elite Knight Gauntlets → Elite Knight Gauntlets +3 ]
[ Feet: Elite Knight Leggings → Elite Knight Leggings +3 ]
[ Weapons ]
[ Right Weapon 1: Prosthetic Arm ]
[ Right Weapon 2: Unusable ]
[ Left Weapon 1: 309 (Zweihander +5) ]
[ Left Weapon 2: 300 (Drake Sword +5) ]
[ Defense ]
[ Physical Defense: 168 (73) → 216 (86) ]
[ VS Strike: 165 → 212 ]
[ VS Slash: 183 → 237 ]
[ VS Thrust: 168 → 216 ]
[ Magic Defense: 125 (83) → 155 (98) ]
[ Flame Defense: 117 (72) → 145 (84) ]
[ Lightning Defense: 111 (76) → 137 (89) ]
[ Resistances & Other Attributes ]
[ Poise: 86 ]
[ Bleed Resist: 97 ]
[ Poison Resist: 78 ]
[ Curse Resist: 30 ]
[ Item Discovery: 100 ]
[ Attunement Slots: 2 ]
Naruto adjusted the prosthetic arm while raising his left hand to form the sign of confrontation.
Across from him, Kakashi mirrored the gesture with his single hand, the other hovering just above the scroll strapped at his side.
He's planning something, Naruto thought.
Kurenai gave the signal.
Kakashi moved instantly, slamming the scroll into the ground.
"Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique!"
A burst of smoke exploded beneath Naruto's feet. He didn't need a Byakugan or a Sharingan to see it... his way of Focality, enhanced by the Hawkeyes, slowed the moment down. The summoning seal spiraled out in a massive glyph, and from it, dozens of Kakashi's ninken burst forth, snarling and snapping, coming not just for his legs, but for his throat.
Naruto didn't flinch. With a thought, a small talisman appeared in his palm, glowing white.
Force Miracle.
A dome of white detonated from his position. The shockwave slammed outward in a perfect sphere. The hounds were flung back mid-lunge, vanishing into white smoke mid-flight. But Naruto wasn't relieved. He knew the Force Miracle couldn't damage someone enough that they needed to leave.
This was obviously a distraction. But for what?
A sharp, high-pitched chirp snapped his head towards Oscar just in time to see his companion vanish in a puff of chakra, tail coiled around the tiny pug, Pakkun.
"What kind of jutsu..."
"Summoning and Reverse Summoning," Kakashi said calmly. "I couldn't risk letting Oscar intervene, especially with how dangerous his skill set is. Don't worry, he'll be safe."
Naruto's jaw tightened. That jutsu... it could pull someone out of a battlefield remotely. That would be perfect for getting Oscar out of Lordran if things went bad.
The blonde boy gave a nod, that familiar gleam in his eyes, the kind that always meant trouble. "Well, sensei… remember last time, when I said you owed me a jutsu? Since, y'know, you copied my sword style?"
Kakashi blinked, already regretting not brushing that off back then. "…Yeah?"
"Well, you're going to teach me the Summoning Jutsu."
Before Kakashi could even think of the implications of that sentence, Naruto moved.
He closed the distance in a single step.
Kakashi barely raised his forearm in time as Naruto's fist came in like a battering ram.
BAM.
Even blocking, the shock traveled through Kakashi's bones. He rolled with the blow, bringing a kunai around in a low arc aimed for Naruto's ribs. But Naruto had already stepped inside the arc, slamming his shoulder forward like a piston, armor grinding against armor.
Kakashi staggered. It was like being hit by a young Might Guy—not just speed, but power wrapped in precision. He retaliated fast, twisting Naruto's arm and attempting to bring the kunai up under the boy's jaw.
But Naruto wasn't there. He'd dropped low, crouching into a boxing stance so tight it almost looked lazy.
Kakashi moved in for a quick strike—jabs to the body, a slice across the chest but every hit struck reinforced armor. His fingers stung from impact. It was like punching a moving wall. And then Naruto retaliated.
A body hook to Kakashi's side, the metal knuckles of his caestus ringing against flak vest.
A rising uppercut, his real hand exploding upward toward Kakashi's chin.
The Jonin spun away, deflecting the worst of it but just barely.
He landed a solid kick to Naruto's side.
Nothing.
Naruto didn't even flinch.
Kakashi had copied the stance. He mimicked the form. But even in perfect replication, he lacked what Naruto possessed: armor and physicality.
The way Naruto twisted his hips into every punch. The way his weight dropped like a hammer before every strike.
Kakashi ducked a jab and countered with a shoulder throw, trying to use Naruto's own weight against him.
It worked.
Almost.
Naruto rotated mid-air, driving a spinning elbow down at Kakashi's temple. The Jonin barely caught the blow on his forearm and even that staggered him backward.
They circled again.
Naruto feinted left and launched a cross with his prosthetic, then stepped in for a body blow. Then another. Then an overhand punch cracked the air like a thunderclap.
Kakashi ducked low and swept Naruto's legs in a blur of movement, but Naruto, already anticipating, dropped into a one-handed handstand, his momentum twisting mid-air. With brutal force, he drove his heel downward, slamming into the ground where Kakashi's shoulder had been a heartbeat before.
They broke apart.
"Impressive skills, Naruto. But out here... power's nice. Dexterity is flashy. But what really wins a fight..." he vanished, "...is speed."
Naruto barely had time to blink.
Kakashi blurred through the treeline, each pass a gust of wind and steel. Kunai slashes kissed the edges of Naruto's armor, sparking and scraping along the blackened pauldrons and vambraces. One swipe went for the ribs and another for the neck. Both glanced off reinforced plating. Even when Kakashi funneled lightning chakra into his blade, the energy crackled uselessly across Naruto's gauntlets and breastplate.
He'd been struck by dragon lightning in the Valley of Drakes. A jolt wasn't going to slow him down.
Still, the pressure was real.
Naruto stayed low, blocking and angling his movements, using short bursts of movement and pivots to ride out the flurry. His Hawkeyes tracked each blur with chilling focus. He didn't flinch. Didn't snarl.
He thought like a predator in the sky.
Calm. Always calm.
"You know," Kakashi said as he flickered behind him, "I expected more from someone who wants to be the next Shisui Uchiha."
Naruto didn't bite. Instead, he turned with his back exposed just long enough to be tempting.
Kakashi's kunai flashed through the air and pierced clean through an afterimage.
"Well, sensei," Naruto's voice echoed from a dozen directions, tone playful yet eerily calm, "I'm not Shisui. Can't body flicker without hand signs… yet. But I'm getting there."
Then the air shifted.
Twelve Narutos stepped out from trees, branches, shadows, walking in eerie unison. Each held a black rapier, their blades howling with compressed wind chakra so dense they shimmered like heatwaves.
Kakashi's Sharingan flared. He didn't blink. His lone visible eye flicked from blade to stance to ripple of chakra.
Afterimages? No. Too tangible.
Shadow Clones. Laced into the illusions like venom in water.
They struck.
A coordinated pincer attack from seven angles. One went high, two low, three stabbed straight-on while the last spun in from behind with a feint into a full-body thrust.
Kakashi moved like smoke made flesh.
He pivoted, ducked under one blade, caught a clone's wrist mid-stab, twisted it into the path of another rapier—dispelled. He weaved through the blades with millimeter precision, Sharingan predicting each micro-shift in Naruto's clones' weight, stance, and intention.
But they were evolving and adapting.
One clone feinted a thrust and retracted instantly, pulling Kakashi into overextending.
Another clone slid in low with a fencing-style lunge in perfect form. Kakashi dodged, but wind chakra bit into his flak vest, slicing it open.
"Lightning Style: Fang Bolt Flash!"
A whip of lightning crackled in a spiral, shredding the air with a deafening crack. Three clones fizzled out, electrocuted mid-lunge, their forms vanishing in curls of smoke and steam.
When the haze cleared, only one Naruto remained kneeling in the smoking crater. He tilted his head slightly, whispering under his breath. "En garde."
He lunged so fast that it pierced through Kakashi's eye.
A clean hit. Only… it wasn't.
The body dissolved in a burst of static lightning, unraveling like a pulled thread. It was a lightning clone.
Naruto popped a beat later, dissipating into smoke.
Both fakes.
Kakashi emerged from the ground and said, "You're still behind Shisui. A dozen afterimages? Shisui could make hundreds."
The real Naruto, now perched high on a branch, hummed in reply. His boots dangled for a moment before he dropped down, landing with a deafening crash, a crater forming beneath him from the sheer force of impact. As the dust rose around him, he equipped the Zweihander in one fluid motion. "Then let's get serious."
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Meanwhile on the sidelines, Kurenai and the genin squad were frozen, eyes wide, caught between awe and disbelief.
"How long has it been?" Kiba asked, his voice low, like he didn't want to interrupt the spell the battle had cast.
"Ten minutes," Shino replied, watching without blinking.
"And how long did we last against the Jonin during our best spar?"
"Five."
"…Then how the hell is this even possible?"
"It's his taijutsu," Hinata said softly, eyes tracking every move. "His strikes release shockwaves that disrupt the opponent's nervous system. That's why Kakashi-sensei keeps hesitating. And Naruto's armor, his attacks just bounce off."
"And now," Sasuke added, "he's using the Fist of the Flickering Peregrine."
The others turned to him.
"It's Shisui's technique. A body flicker form so refined it creates real afterimages, not illusions. If I had wind chakra, I could probably replicate it with my Sharingan… but he's already mastered it."
Sasuke's voice wasn't jealous. It was impressed.
Kurenai, however, crossed her arms. "Impressive… but it ends soon."
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On the battlefield, Kakashi suddenly weaved a long sequence of signs.
Earth Release: Earth Flow River!
The ground beneath Naruto's boots liquefied into a churning river of mud. The force swept his legs out instantly, dragging him backwards, armor grinding against the shifting terrain.
Kakashi followed up before Naruto could recover.
Earth Release: Mud Dragon Bullets!
A great maw of earth rose from the river like a serpent breaching the surface, its eyes hollow, its fangs made of jagged clay. It roared as it launched globs of compressed mud like mortar shells.
Naruto countered in the same breath.
Wind Style: Wind Bullet!
He fired rapid bursts of compressed air from his mouth, detonating the incoming mud balls mid-air. At the same time, two of his fingers twisted mid-jutsu. A small puff of smoke and two clones, kneeling behind him with bows already drawn.
They loosed.
Two chakra-forged arrows screamed forward like lightning bolts.
Boom!
The dragon's head exploded into shards of earth and wind pressure, mud splashing across the field in molten arcs.
Kakashi's hands were already moving.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld.
The ground rippled and then sank. The archers vanished, sucked down into the hungry earth as if they never existed.
Water Style: Mud Dragon.
From the river of churned earth and chakra-infused muck, a second serpent erupted. Unlike the earthy construct before, this one was slick, wet, and thrashing—its body not just stone but mud turned molten, its breath steaming with heat. The serpent coiled and launched itself forward, its jaws stretching unnaturally wide. Mud hissed along its body like boiling oil, and the very air rippled with steam.
The next sequence of events left everyone watching in stunned silence.
Naruto stared down the charging mud dragon and instead of running away, he lifted his talisman and summoned the miracle gifted to him by Siegmeyer.
Emit Force.
A white orb of compressed energy swirled to life, pulsing like a heartbeat in the air before him. With a flick of his wrist, he launched it not like a blast, but like a parry.
The orb struck the dragon head-on.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward, tearing the construct apart in a spiral of sludge and light. The force didn't just cancel the jutsu—it overwhelmed it.
And Naruto was already moving. He flickered forward, black Zweihander drawn, crashing through the mud wall Kakashi had thrown up as cover. Clay splintered in every direction as he sliced through the defense like paper.
But Kakashi was gone.
What...!
A hand grabbed him from behind. A sphere of water enveloped his body in an instant.
Water Prison Jutsu.
The world turned cold. Heavy. Silent.
A drowning sphere of stillness locked Naruto in place, water pressing against his chest and limbs like a vice. The liquid wasn't just suffocating. It was chakra-dense, crushing his muscles and slowing his thoughts.
Most shinobi would panic since they couldn't make a ninjutsu with both hands to escape. However, Naruto raised one hand as his fingers danced. Dozens of clones burst into the prison in a spiral of motion, overwhelming the technique with sheer volume. The sphere shattered like glass, water exploding outward in a violent burst as Naruto's clones surged forward, Zweihanders raised. Kakashi barely landed a step back before he was forced to react, weaving between the towering blades aimed to turn him into a pincushion.
Ninja Art: Poison Fog.
A cloud of thick white and purple mist burst from his mouth, engulfing the area.
The clones dropped instantly, vanishing mid-step—some not even making it to the ground before dissolving.
Kakashi landed lightly on a nearby branch, staring into the churning haze. The spar is over, he thought. That's a high-grade nerve agent. ANBU operatives trained in poison arts collapse within seconds of exposure. Naruto won't last a moment more.
His instincts screamed as he dodged just in time.
CLANG!
Naruto's Zweihander impaled the exact spot where Kakashi had stood a heartbeat ago, cracking the tree bark with the force of the blow.
Kakashi narrowed his eye. How?!
He scanned the mist again—this time, he saw it.
Naruto stood in the drifting haze, helmet gone, steam rising faintly from the blackened steel of his pauldrons. Between his lips, a long, slender smoking pipe rested. An ornate length of dark-polished wood and brass, carved with winding dragons and tiny clouds along the stem. The mouthpiece gleamed faintly, shaped like a bird's beak, and the bowl at the end burned with a soft purple ember.
Thin tendrils of lavender smoke curled upward in slow, elegant spirals that shimmered faintly in the mist, mixing with the purple cloud Kakashi had conjured—devouring it from the inside out.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Of course Naruto had something like that.
Naruto exhaled slowly, releasing a ring of smoke so perfect it hung suspended in the air before dispersing. "Like the pipe? I made it."
Kakashi blinked. "I really shouldn't have let you hang out with Asuma."
Thunk!
An arrow slammed into the ground between them, nearly impaling Kakashi's torso.
It wasn't normal.
A timer on the storage seal along the shaft opened, revealing a flash bang. A blinding burst of white light consumed the world for an instant, washing out all edges and shadows.
Naruto stood in the middle of it, calm as ever, taking one last drag from his pipe.
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Meanwhile, the spectators were still frozen in disbelief.
"What… what are we even watching?" Kiba muttered.
Hinata's Byakugan flared to life. "Naruto has clones stationed… six hundred meters out. In every direction. All of them have bows drawn. They're… they're waiting for the right moment to snipe Kakashi-sensei."
"What?!" Sakura gaped. "How's he even aiming that far?!"
"It's his dōjutsu," Sasuke said as he tapped his palm with a closed fist. "Hawkeyes."
Hinata turned to him, stunned. "Dōjutsu?!"
"I didn't believe him either," Sasuke said, gesturing toward the chaos. "He told me once… that he lived like a hawk. Then… something happened, and now he sees everything."
They turned back to the battlefield.
"Naruto-kun is… amazing," Hinata whispered.
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The clang of steel shattered the silence.
Kakashi had caught the Zweihander mid-swing with his bare hands, encased in stone.
Earth Style: Rock Gauntlet.
The impact cracked the earth beneath him, dust exploding outward from his stance. "The most important rule you should learn. Never look a Sharingan user in the eye."
Their eyes met and Naruto froze, trapped in the illusion.
Kakashi took a moment to breathe. His lungs burned. His limbs felt heavier than they should have. But he pushed the fatigue aside. Just a little more. One last technique to end this. His chakra swirled as he prepared the genjutsu—subtle, precise, engineered to make Naruto throw away all his remaining kunai and finally fix his mistake.
Then his Sharingan twitched.
It had tracked something.
An arrow that was moving at him at mach speed.
Earth Style: Mud Wall!
He slammed his hand to the ground, and a barricade of thick, armored earth jutted up in rapid succession. Three walls, then four, just in time to intercept the incoming projectile. It slammed into the final wall with a seismic thud, cracking the surface but stopping short.
Kakashi exhaled sharply, sweat sliding down the side of his face. That shot would've pierced clean through a normal shinobi. He'd done too much. Burned too much chakra.
And then a voice in his ear. "Want to see a magic trick?"
No. Kakashi spun, eye wide, instinctively seeking Naruto. There he stood—mid-field, unmoving. Cloudy-eyed. His expression slack, his posture rigid. Still caught in the genjutsu.
Perfect. Or so Kakashi thought.
Until a staff in Naruto's hand lit up with a faint blue glow. Magic surged into its core and SNAP. A bolt of condensed energy exploded from the tip, slamming directly into Kakashi's forehead with enough force to fling him backwards through the air.
He rolled, slid to a stop, gritting his teeth as his thoughts recalibrated. That attack… that's just like Oscar's… of course. Naruto's their summoner.
Another bolt came screaming through the smoke.
Kakashi twisted, dodging mid-air, but the projectile curved shifting its trajectory in mid-flight.
Impact.
It struck his chest, shredding through his Jonin vest. The fabric disintegrated as the concussive blast slammed into his ribs, leaving his shirt in tatters and a deep, violet bruise blooming across his side.
He hit the ground with a grunt.
He's still in the genjutsu, Kakashi realized, but he can see me. He can fight through it. How?
He didn't have time to figure it out. Another bolt was charging.
Kakashi flickered forward. The move came fast, borrowed from Guy, driven by sheer instinct. His boot connected with Naruto's torso, sending the boy flying into the underbrush with a crash of leaves and snapped branches.
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Meanwhile, the genin stood in frozen awe.
"He's still in a genjutsu," Hinata murmured. "But he's… still fighting perfectly."
"I know," Kurenai said grimly.
"How is that even possible?" Sakura asked.
"I… don't know," Kurenai admitted, tension in her jaw.
Then everyone's instincts screamed. The air grew heavy. A pressure settled over the battlefield, thick and suffocating. A single point of danger. All eyes snapped back to Naruto.
Not him.
His sword.
The Drake Sword.
He stood up slowly, holding the blade with one arm—his other prosthetic resting on the grass where it had fallen. He'd discarded it without a second thought, as a golden light from the Estus Flask faded around his waist. His cursed arm had regenerated, steaming as charcoal muscle and sinew stitched themselves together in real time.
But no one noticed that.
All they saw was the sword.
[ Item: Drake Sword +5 ]
[ Description: This sword, one of the rare dragon weapons, is formed from a Wyvern's severed tail. Seen as undeveloped imitators of true dragons, but they are likely distant kin. While drakes may only mimic the majesty of the everlasting dragons, feeding this weapon dragon scales has awakened a sliver of ancient power within. Though still far from the might of a true dragon, each swing now echoes the force of the Everlasting Dragons; a glimpse of their overwhelming strength, carried in a single strike. ]
It vibrated faintly, like a creature barely restrained. Each pulse from its core warped the air, distorting light and sound. The pressure rolling off it felt… ancient. Primordial.
Kakashi felt it in his bones.
He didn't think just moved.
Lightning surged into his hand. The Raikiri came to life with the cry of a thousand birds rising into a scream. His Sharingan narrowed to a pinpoint, and every nerve in his body told him this was the only moment.
Now.
Kill or be killed.
The clones stationed around the island readied their arrows. They would liquefy Kakashi if he dared to move.
It came down to a single decision. A clash of inevitabilities.
If Kakashi was faster, then he would land the Raikiri and win.
If Naruto was faster, then he would swing the Drake Sword and cleave Kakashi in two. And if he survived, the clones would shoot him down.
This was no longer a spar.
Then… flowers bloomed. Delicate petals. Pink, white, and violet. They burst from the ground like brushstrokes across a war-torn canvas, rising through scorched soil, drifting in the air. The chakra signature hit them all at once.
Genjutsu but not for harm. A gentle reminder.
Kurenai stood in the space between them, arms lifted. "Enough."
Her voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.
The field froze. The lightning in Kakashi's hand fizzled out. Naruto's swing halted inches from execution, the Drake Sword humming—desperate for release.
"This is a spar between student and teacher," Kurenai said quietly. "Not a death match between enemies."
The petals continued to fall.
Kakashi exhaled, shoulders slumping as the Raikiri faded from his hand. He glanced at Naruto—eyes still cloudy, but burning with intent beneath the surface.
Naruto blinked. Once. Then again. The genjutsu unraveled like threads pulled from a tapestry. The weight in the air lifted. The battle was over.
Whether it ended in a tie or a loss, no one could say for sure.
But everyone knew this much: it would be a very, very long time before anyone underestimated Naruto Uzumaki again.
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Author's Note:
Holy shit, that was an intense chapter to write. I actually had to boot up Dark Souls 1 and play through some sections just to get Naruto's stats, gear, and scaling right. But man, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.
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1 – Naruto vs. Kakashi
I've received a ton of feedback and I'm honestly so happy you guys were this invested in the fight.
So what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
Now, the main question: Is Dark Souls Naruto on Kakashi's level?
The answer is: fuck no.
Kakashi was clearly holding back. He wasn't trying to kill Naruto—he just wanted the summoning kunai and set up these spars to retrieve it. He's not the kind of guy to go all out and seriously hurt his student over something like this.
Yes, toward the end, Kakashi did get serious for a very real reason: the Drake Sword terrified him.
His instincts took over. He stopped thinking and moved to kill before his mind even caught up. That's how dangerous Naruto looked in that moment. If Kurenai hadn't stepped in, things could've gone somewhere neither of them could walk back from.
Still, this isn't to take away from Naruto's growth. He's come a long way, fought through hell, and played smart in this battle. He gave Kakashi a proper fight—even if he didn't win outright. I hope that balance came through.
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2 – Kakashi's Chakra Spam
Why was Kakashi able to use so many jutsu without falling over like in canon Wave Arc?
Remember Naruto healed him with the Estus Flask.
That gave Kakashi a massive boost. No more chakra bleeding from the Sharingan, and with his reserves topped off, he could go all-out—showcasing the Copy Ninja we've all heard legends about.
I wanted to live up to the hype that Kakashi has a thousand techniques at his disposal. Writing him bouncing from style to style, countering Naruto's Dark Souls moves, was incredibly fun.
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3 – Fight Structure & Perspective Shifts
I structured the Kakashi vs. Naruto fight with frequent cuts to Team 7 and 8 watching and reacting. I did this intentionally—to give you guys breathing room between intense exchanges and to ground the tension in how the others perceived it.
I rewrote the sequence a few times to make sure those perspective shifts were smooth and didn't confuse anyone. Hopefully, it came across as natural and added emotional weight.
Let me know if it worked for you or if it didn't!
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That's it… for now.
Thank you all for your incredible support. Writing this story has been one hell of a journey, and you make it worth every word.
As always, thanks for reading.
— Adam
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 79, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!