Chapter 161: The Overwhelmed Kakashi
Hearing that they could learn a new ninjutsu, both Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes lit up. But should they agree to his condition?
Naruto and Sasuke put their heads together and whispered for a while before finally reaching a conclusion.
"We'll take that bet!"
They felt that although Kakashi seemed lazy, he was a genuine Jōnin. How could he not even have a basic sense of time?
Akiyama Makoto just smiled and said nothing. He had Sakura sit beside him and shared his breakfast with her, picking up pieces with his chopsticks. At first, she was a little reserved, but the thought that this was the first time he was feeding her made her forget everything else.
Naruto watched their interaction with a heart full of unwillingness.
Sasuke said, "If you want to be acknowledged by others, then improve your strength. He has proven himself. What about you?"
Naruto was speechless. He could only avert his gaze and, like Sasuke, began to wait quietly for Kakashi's arrival.
But as time slowly passed, dark lines began to fill their faces.
Makoto had simply pulled Sakura into the shade of a tree. While they were talking and laughing, he continued to channel his Yang chakra into her. The efforts of these few hours were already showing their effects on her. Her physical development, of course, couldn't be that fast, but her spirit seemed to have been strengthened considerably, and her chakra had also become a little stronger.
The total amount might not be much, but it had been less than a day. And as her body and spirit continued to strengthen, her growth rate would only get faster. At this pace, even if he were to max out her panel at 80 points, she would be able to raise her basic attributes to match in just a few years.
This change made him very satisfied and also strengthened his resolve to enhance the other girls.
Finally, just after eleven o'clock, Kakashi arrived, yawning. "Yo, you're all here."
"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life."
The resentment from Sasuke and Naruto was almost overflowing. Not only had they waited for hours, but they had also lost their bet with him. In contrast, Sakura was full of energy, her spirit and stamina at their peak.
Kakashi ignored their dark faces, gave Makoto a surprised look, and said, "What are you doing here, young Makoto?"
"Although this isn't a forbidden area, a battle between ninja is about to take place. Could I ask you to step aside?"
"Of course."
He wouldn't argue with Kakashi on this matter. After giving Sakura a light hug, he waved and left the scene, heading to a distant spot where no one could see him and summoning a fishing rod to start fishing.
The current distance was not actually completely safe, but Kakashi did not drive him away any further. After all, he knew all about his situation. In the future, they might even be colleagues, so there was no need to offend him.
"Here are two bells—"
Kakashi took out the ancestral bells and began the three-person test.
Makoto wasn't interested in the content of the test. He was more interested in how much combat power Sakura could display. This was, after all, the acceptance test for the results of his night of "cultivation."
So, he released his spiritual energy and began to observe the match.
Kakashi explained the rules, gave Naruto an initial taste of his power, and then had the three of them disperse and hide.
Sakura and Sasuke both concealed their figures and auras. Only Naruto stood out, launching a frontal assault.
Kakashi took out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, intending to block all of Naruto's attacks with one hand. At first, he did so easily. Naruto's taijutsu was a complete mess, relying purely on brute force. Just as he was about to shake his head and tell Naruto to quiet down for a bit, chakra suddenly lit up on Naruto's feet.
"This is—"
The next second, Kakashi quickly bent over.
Naruto's powerful kick grazed past the tip of his nose, which made the lazy Jōnin's face show a look of surprise.
So it was him who completed his tree climbing and water walking training?
"Well? You see how amazing I am now!"
Naruto had just managed to get out one smug sentence when Kakashi was already behind him, forming the Tiger Seal.
Is it coming? The Leaf's Secret Taijutsu, A Thousand Years of Death?
Makoto was just preparing to hear Naruto's scream, but the first thing he heard was Sasuke's voice.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A scorching fireball shot straight at Kakashi's back. The timing was perfect, right at the moment he was about to exert his strength. With his skill, Kakashi could have certainly just sent Naruto flying and then dodged the fire, but that would have been a real battle, not a test. He could only retreat to dodge.
At this moment, Sakura rushed out, throwing kunai at him as she charged.
"Good timing—but I don't remember you having any taijutsu ability, Sakura."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly, preparing to teach her a lesson. He easily caught the flying kunai to block, then threw a punch at her abdomen. The speed exceeded the limit of what she could dodge, but it didn't exceed the limit of a Chūnin.
But the next second, Kakashi's pupils constricted.
Sakura formed a one-handed seal and quickly cast the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
In an instant, the Sakura before his eyes vanished, replaced by the figure of Rin Nohara. A series of sharp blades stabbed towards her. Just as she was about to be killed again, everything before his eyes vanished with a jolt from his Sharingan's power.
He looked at Sakura in shock. A D-rank genjutsu with a one-handed seal had actually caught him! Even if it was just for a split second, it was enough to prove that her skill level was far beyond that of a Genin.
"Very good, but still not enough. Why would a genjutsu user charge to the front?"
Kakashi continued his punch. It hit her abdomen, but then with a poof, the Sakura before him vanished in a puff of smoke.
A shadow clone? Where did she learn that?!
He had to admit, Sakura had given him another surprise. If she had used a shadow clone to rush out and cast the genjutsu, then it was much more reasonable. Although he still had better ways to handle it, he was an experienced ninja. She was different.
Kakashi put away his Icha Icha book. He had a feeling he had to get serious now.
He turned, preparing to continue the fight with Sasuke and Naruto, but his footsteps were forced to a halt. The familiar scene before him now seemed so strange. He should have been close to them, but now he couldn't see their figures at all.
How is this possible...
He looked around in surprise. He knew he had been caught in the genjutsu, Sly Mind Affect Technique. The question was, when? If the clone had cast the Hell Viewing Technique while the real Sakura cast this one, it was impossible for him not to have noticed.
I'll have to ask her about it later. With this thought, he dispelled the genjutsu, only to see Naruto clumsily forming hand seals.
Naruto knows an elemental jutsu too?
Kakashi watched with curiosity, even waiting for him to cast it. Then, Naruto opened his mouth.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A fierce wind howled towards him, but he didn't even think of dodging. Because although this ninjutsu sounded domineering, it was actually a very basic Wind Style technique. Its power depended entirely on the user's skill. It was clear that Naruto could only cast this jutsu because of his large chakra reserves; its power was almost negligible.
But then Sasuke's voice made his expression change.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A straight line of fire shot towards him, drilling into Naruto's Wind Style. The once-ordinary wind jutsu instantly became a massive firestorm! Scorching flames swept in all directions. Even if the wind itself wasn't strong, the flames were more than enough to burn a person half to death.
A look of alarm appeared on his face. He no longer dared to relax and used Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall. The wall, engraved with dog heads, blocked their fusion ninjutsu. At this moment, Sakura, holding a kunai, silently stabbed at his back.
"Got you!"
With a squish, a hand shot out from the ground. It was Kakashi, who had used the cover of the jutsu collision to create a shadow clone and wait for his chance.
Seeing the look of terror on Sakura's face, a sense of appreciation for her talent rose in him, and he comforted her. "You've done well, Sakura—"
His words had just fallen when her body turned into a pool of water.
And the "kunai" in her hand also erupted in white smoke.
A Fragmentation Kunai!
Kakashi's pupils constricted. He had no choice but to use a Body Flicker, but even so, a few fragments still followed him. He moved his fingers rapidly, flicking them away.
His feet had just touched the ground when the Nine-Tails' roar appeared in his ear.
Kakashi finally frowned, a flicker of anger rising in his heart.
It seemed that using Chūnin-level strength was no longer enough to handle these three brats.
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