Their figures crossed.
A sharp clang of steel on steel echoed, and the two instantly separated. Each glanced at the kunai in their hands, then raised their eyes to meet one another—both seeing the same seriousness and complexity reflected.
Hatake Kakashi let out a quiet sigh.
In that brief clash, he had clearly felt the immense strength hidden within his opponent.
They had once graduated from the same class. Now, they stood as enemies, kunai raised once again, ready for the next round.
Aoyama held a kunai in one hand, while his other hand flipped open the Book of Monsters, ready to summon at a moment's notice. After all, his opponent was none other than the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi—a single misstep could mean falling into a trap.
During battle, remaining calm and analytical was something many ninja could do, but among them, Kakashi was undoubtedly the most skilled.
Having worked with Kakashi numerous times before, Aoyama was well aware of his strength and his devious tactics. He couldn't afford to suddenly be dragged underground by a jutsu or taken out by some unexpected genjutsu.
Kakashi said quietly:
"Oi, Aoyama… Your taijutsu might not be as insane as Guy's, but in Konoha, just in terms of hand-to-hand combat, you're probably one of the few with no equals, huh?"
Aoyama paused for a moment before replying:
"Hard to say. When it comes to taijutsu, aside from Guy's Strong Fist and the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist, nobody would dare claim to be unrivaled."
He kept his eyes fixed on Kakashi, wary of any sudden tricks. Even as they exchanged words, he suddenly noticed Kakashi's hand and foot positioning shift slightly. Alarm bells rang in his head, and Aoyama immediately leapt back.
Boom!
The ground split open. From the crack, an arm shot out.
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!
It wasn't a high-level technique and didn't deal much direct damage, but it was devilishly effective. If an enemy was distracted even for an instant, they'd be dragged underground and immobilized.
Aoyama reacted instantly, narrowly escaping Kakashi's sly trap. Had he been pulled under, even with his raw physical strength to break free, that brief delay might have been enough to decide the battle's outcome.
Because in a fight between ninja, victory wasn't determined by chakra reserves or brute force alone—it was about skill, instincts, and battlefield cunning.
Aoyama, for example, relied not only on his brute strength but also on his "cheat"—summoning monsters to overwhelm opponents in a war of attrition.
As long as his opponent wasn't someone like Guy, who could push beyond his limits, there weren't many enemies Aoyama couldn't handle.
Even Akatsuki members like Kakuzu and Sasori—both Kage-level—had appeared to test him, and Aoyama had still managed to cope. Maybe his methods weren't "fair," but who ever said he couldn't play dirty?
And so—
The very next moment, a towering Golden Titan, holding a massive axe, leapt out of the void. Its weapon gleamed coldly as it swung down with terrifying force—using its axe like a giant hammer, aimed straight at Kakashi.
Kakashi immediately recognized the beast despite its larger frame and new weapon. His expression tightened, and he quickly retreated to avoid the crushing strike. A deep crater exploded into the earth where the blow landed.
His face turned grim as he exhaled, slightly breathless.
"…Seriously? Just because I tricked you once, you went so far as to summon Kongō? And your Summoning Technique—you don't even need hand seals anymore, do you?"
The sudden appearance of Kongō had rattled even Kakashi. Watching the Titan's sheer strength shake the ground, his face paled.
Its body was larger than before, its power even greater. The axe—it wasn't clear what material it was forged from, but it was clearly sturdy and deadly.
Aoyama noticed the faint flicker of fear in Kakashi's eyes and couldn't help but grin.
"Actually, Kongō missed you. Didn't you always like feeding him back then? Well, now you've got another chance. Come on."
"Bastard!" Kakashi's face darkened. "Back then, Kongō was just a cub! Now look at the size of him—you're insane! Don't think you're the only one with summoning beasts. I've got mine too!"
He quickly ran through hand seals and slammed his hand to the ground.
Summoning Technique!
With a burst of smoke, eight ninken of varying sizes appeared at his side.
Kongō hefted his axe in one hand and pounded his chest with the other, his roar reverberating like a war drum.
The eight dogs, who had emerged with such bravado, froze as Kongō's roar and presence hit them. In the next instant, they scrambled behind Kakashi's legs, whimpering and refusing to face him head-on.
So much for their "impressive" entrance.
Aoyama laughed. "Heh, no wonder they're your dogs, Kakashi. They know when to quit—same as their master."
Kongō, eager for a fight, kept pounding his chest.
Then Aoyama's expression shifted, mischief glinting in his eyes.
"Kakashi… remember that time we skipped class? Asuma stole a dog, and we roasted it together. Tasted pretty good, right?"
Kakashi's face went pale.
He looked down at the dogs huddled by his legs. The moment Aoyama spoke, their bodies trembled, tails tucked tight, eyes wide in horror.
"Ah… that was back then. Fun times, huh? How about instead of that, we go try out the new barbecue place in town? I heard it's good."
"I still think dog meat tastes best."
"Pfft. If that's the case, why don't you steal one from the Inuzuka clan?"
"I'm serious. I think your dogs would taste great."
The pack whimpered in terror, trembling uncontrollably.
Kakashi sighed, realizing his ninken were completely demoralized. They were out of the fight. He'd have to handle this alone.
He hurled a kunai, then launched himself forward with explosive speed, body like a fired cannonball, aimed straight at Aoyama's face.
Aoyama signaled Kongō to handle the dogs and raised his leg to meet Kakashi's charge. His foot smashed into Kakashi's face—
Boom!
The figure exploded into smoke—just a Shadow Clone.
The real Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.
Aoyama immediately glanced toward the ground, half-expecting Kakashi to spring up from below. But there were no signs, no chakra flow detected.
Still, Kakashi was the Copy Ninja, a man who had memorized over a thousand jutsu. No one ever knew how many he had mastered.
And against him, you always had to be ready to be tricked.