Chapter 166: Sense of Crisis
"To cooperate well with your teammates, you must first understand them," Mugetsu announced calmly. "Next, you'll fight one-on-one to learn each other's strengths and abilities."
"Yo, Kakashi! Let's have a battle that burns with youth!" Might Guy flipped from his handstand into a perfect landing, eyes blazing with excitement.
Kakashi nodded. He wouldn't refuse training, and truthfully, he was curious—just how far had Guy's Taijutsu come?
It had been several months since their last spar, but Kakashi had seen Guy fight against real Shinobi before. His progress had been remarkable.
"Kakashi, you better give it your all, or I might just kick you into the next week!" Guy warned cheerfully.
According to Mugetsu, his mastery of Rock Breathing was on the verge of perfection. Compared to the old Guy from months ago, his current self could have defeated that version with a single kick.
"Instead of worrying about me being kicked," Kakashi replied evenly, "you should be worrying about how long you can last."
If Guy hadn't improved much, Kakashi could easily finish the fight in minutes. But if Guy truly had gotten stronger…
"As expected of my eternal rival and best friend! So confident!" Guy grinned, flashing his trademark smile.
"Start!" Mugetsu commanded.
The moment the words left his lips, Guy's breathing shifted—deep, rhythmic, and focused. His lungs filled with air like a roaring forge, and his Chakra flared outward, amplifying his physical power.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Guy vanished, reappearing beside Kakashi with blinding speed.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Even though Kakashi was prepared, the sheer velocity still caught him off guard. He raised his guard too late and was sent sliding backward several meters.
Both speed and strength… far beyond before. How is this possible? Kakashi thought in disbelief.
Obito's improvement had already been incredible—but now even Guy's growth was monstrous.
Moments ago, Kakashi had thought he could end this with minimal effort. After taking that kick, he realized he'd need to go all out.
"Haha! Kakashi, better stay sharp! That wasn't even my full strength!" Guy called out, full of fire.
Kakashi's expression turned serious. He knew Guy wasn't bluffing.
"Rock Breathing—Total Concentration!" Guy shouted, his body surging with energy.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Guy disappeared again. This time, Kakashi was ready—he used Body Flicker Technique to evade.
Boom!
The tree Kakashi had been standing near exploded into splinters, torn apart by Guy's kick.
"Such power…" Kakashi murmured, staring at the ruined trunk. He completely abandoned the thought of engaging Guy in pure Taijutsu.
He unsheathed the White Fang short sword from his back, lightning glinting across the blade.
The clash resumed. Kakashi's swordplay was sharp and precise, but Guy's sheer speed and rhythm made it impossible for him to gain the upper hand. Every swing was met by a counterattack faster than his eyes could track.
Realizing this, Kakashi shifted tactics—using Ninjutsu instead.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A massive wall of rock erupted between them, blocking Guy's next strike. But as Guy leapt over the wall, two Kakashis appeared on the other side, launching a pincer attack.
"Shadow Clone Technique, huh?" Guy thought, scanning them carefully. But no matter how closely he watched, he couldn't tell which was real.
He didn't bother trying. Guy lunged at one with full strength—boom!—and it vanished into smoke. But the moment he landed, the second Kakashi struck, throwing a volley of Shuriken.
Guy exhaled sharply, shifting his breathing, and burst forward at lightning speed, dodging them all. Just as he was about to counterattack, instinct screamed danger.
He flipped back just in time as a hand shot out from underground, grasping at where he'd been standing.
"He's sharper than Obito," the real Kakashi thought from below, emerging from the earth. His ambush had failed—Guy's awareness was sharper than expected.
Though Guy held the upper hand in speed and power, his Breathing Technique demanded enormous stamina. The longer the fight went on, the more his energy waned, and soon Kakashi began to close the gap.
"Alright, that's enough. You've both learned plenty for today," Mugetsu said, stepping forward. "Take a break. Next match—Obito versus Kakashi. Then Obito versus Guy."
He didn't want the spar to go too far—Guy still had Kakashi's training assignment later.
Both nodded, breathing heavily but without protest.
During the break, Kakashi frowned, still deep in thought. "How has Guy's strength improved this much…?"
Not long ago, Guy had been someone he could defeat easily. Now, he needed full focus just to keep up. And Obito… his growth was just as terrifying.
They were still academy students. How could their progress be this extreme?
When it was time for the next match, Kakashi faced Obito—and was stunned all over again.
Obito's strength had advanced even further. His one-handed Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson was astonishingly fast and precise.
Mugetsu stopped the match mid-climax before it could escalate further, but Kakashi was shaken.
He believed that if they continued, he would still win through experience and skill—but the thought gnawed at him:
What if they keep improving like this?
At this rate, within a year—or even half a year—Obito and Guy might surpass him.
And the image of Obito's smug grin after doing so made Kakashi's chest tighten with frustration.
A fierce determination flared in him. No matter what… I can't fall behind.
After the three duels, Mugetsu let them rest before assigning new training tasks. Obito and Guy's routines stayed the same—but his focus turned toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi," Mugetsu asked, "you've already mastered Earth and Lightning Nature Transformation, haven't you?"
Kakashi nodded cautiously. "Yes."
Mugetsu smiled faintly. "Good. Then from today on, we'll push your fundamentals further. I don't want you just keeping up—I want you to adapt."
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