The Great Fireball Technique

Hearing Kakashi's question, Obito, who was preparing to attack again, gradually slowed his steps and finally stopped.

"To be honest, I don't really know myself..."

He shook his head and said, "If it were back when I first entered the ninja academy, the reason would have been simple..."

"Back then, I simply couldn't stand your constant show-off attitude, so I would often argue with you, saying that one day I would defeat you..."

"Thinking back, I was really naive and foolish, thinking that just because I awakened the Sharingan, I could easily defeat you."

Almost six-year-old Obito showed a look of nostalgia.

Kakashi, hearing Obito's words, also felt a bit dizzy.

Though Obito was talking about events that had occurred just a few months ago, it felt like a long time had passed...

Perhaps time really is the best filter.

Recalling those days of bickering with Obito, Kakashi felt a strange sense of nostalgia...

But Obito's following words quickly cooled his heart.

"However, this semester, you, Kakashi, changed. You started wearing a cold expression all the time, stopped arguing with me, and even talked about graduating early."

Obito gave a self-mocking smile. "Honestly, whether you graduate or not doesn't really affect me. In fact, I should be happy that I won't have to see your gloomy face every day anymore."

"But for some reason, I felt that I couldn't just let you leave the ninja academy with that expression…"

"At that moment, I genuinely started wanting to defeat you."

"Because that was the only solution I could think of."

"Even if you've become indifferent to many things if you were defeated by someone your age, you probably wouldn't be able to maintain that poker face, right..."

Kakashi remained silent, continuing to listen quietly.

"Later on, I received help from Natsuhiko-Sensei, Kushina-Sensei, and many others, and I began special training with the goal of defeating you."

"I became stronger. Many people began to expect things from me."

"In order not to let down their help, to respond to others' expectations, and to prove the results of my special training, I ended up with several reasons to defeat you—sometimes so many that it felt suffocating."

At this point, Obito glanced at Natsuhiko-Sensei, who stood quietly by the side like a transparent figure.

"Fortunately, Natsuhiko-Sensei enlightened me back then, helping me understand one important truth."

"When you truly want to do something, you don't need overly complicated reasons."

Obito looked deeply into Kakashi's eyes and said:

"I've grown a lot stronger, but I've also come to understand your strength, Kakashi."

"But the stronger you are, the more I don't want to lose to you!"

"Perhaps, at the core…"

Obito revealed a self-deprecating smile:

"I just don't want to be left far behind by you, don't want to lose even the right to argue with you…"

After a brief pause, Obito scratched the back of his head and added:

"—But even though I'm not the best student, I'm not as single-minded as that guy, Guy."

"So, I still couldn't fully embrace sensei's teaching of clearing my mind. Soon enough, these reasons became all mixed up, and even I don't really know what I'm thinking anymore."

"So I can't give you the answer you're looking for, Kakashi…"

As he spoke, Obito slowly reached for the pouch at his lower back and drew out four shurikens, holding them between his fingers. He continued:

"Luckily, Natsuhiko-Sensei also said that a first-class ninja can understand another's thoughts after just one exchange of blows without needing words."

"So if you, the genius that everyone calls you, truly want to know the answer, you'll have to find it yourself through this fight!"

After saying that, Obito crossed his arms in front of him, his gaze never leaving Kakashi.

Kakashi, after hearing Obito's response, still said nothing. Even the expression under his mask showed little change.

But standing nearby like a human camera, Natsuhiko could sense that Kakashi seemed... different.

Then, for the first time, Natsuhiko saw Kakashi take a kunai from his pouch and hold it in a reverse grip, his gaze fixed on Obito not far away.

Without a word, Kakashi had expressed his intentions.

He, Hatake Kakashi, was finally getting severe…

And so, after a very typical ninja world exchange of words, the battle resumed.

However, both opponents remained standing in their original positions, not moving an inch, cautiously watching each other.

Because their earlier conversation had given this battle deeper meaning, neither dared make the first move; each searched for a chance to land a decisive blow.

Natsuhiko glanced at the system clock and noticed that only ten minutes remained until the graduation exam was supposed to begin.

Yet, the two before him seemed to have forgotten about that; their eyes focused only on each other.

It seemed that even the surrounding woods had become infected by the tension as silence hung heavy in the air.

Time passed by slowly...

Moments later, a crow perched on a crooked tree couldn't take the oppressive atmosphere any longer and suddenly flapped its wings, flying away into the sky.

The instant that the silence in the woods was broken, both of them moved simultaneously!

Shhhh...!

With a flick of Obito's hands, eight shurikens shot out, slicing through the air at high speed, aimed straight at Kakashi.

Kakashi, meanwhile, lunged forward, swiftly deflecting the incoming shuriken with his kunai.

But the distance between them didn't close immediately, as Obito retreated quickly after throwing his shuriken while forming rapid hand seals…

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

In the next moment, Kakashi, still rushing forward, saw a massive fireball, two meters in diameter, flying directly toward him.

What an idiot...

Kakashi thought to himself but didn't slow down, continuing to charge forward.

As the fireball grew more prominent in his sight, Kakashi made an astonishing decision.

He didn't dodge or evade but accelerated, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush straight into the fireball!

Did the fireball turn out to be accurate, and Kakashi perished...

Natsuhiko couldn't help but mentally groan.

But clearly, the fireball was once again an illusion.

Using the Body Flicker Technique, Kakashi burst through the fireball and appeared right in front of Obito.

Clang!

The sound of kunai clashing echoed through the woods.

Though slightly caught off guard, Obito managed to pull out a kunai just in time to block Kakashi's sharp strike.

Unfortunately, his reaction was a fraction too slow, and he couldn't entirely block Kakashi's attack, causing his stance to collapse.

Bam!

Kakashi immediately followed up with a kick, landing it squarely on Obito's stomach and sending him stumbling back.

Kakashi dashed forward again, launching a relentless storm of attacks on Obito.

Clearly, both the kick and the barrage of strikes were payback for Obito's earlier moves.

Even Natsuhiko, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel speechless.

Kakashi sure is petty...

In the midst of the clashing kunai, Obito, who was being pressured, she shared Natsuhiko's thoughts.

Now, he truly understood the frustration Kakashi had felt earlier.

If it hadn't been for the training he had undergone with Asuma, improving his swordplay, he would have been defeated by now!

To make matters worse, Kakashi was not only physically overpowering him but also began throwing verbal jabs, aiming for Obito's heart.

"You talk big, but this is all you've got?"

"And that projection trick earlier, you didn't think I'd fall for it again, did you?"

"If you want to fool me, you should at least learn how to sync the sound properly. Don't tell me you still haven't mastered that technique?"

"No matter how much you improve, deep down, you're still a fool..."

"Who are you calling a fool?!"

Obito was so enraged by Kakashi's taunts that he was practically fuming, not even noticing that Kakashi had momentarily reverted to his old self, arguing with him again.

"Running out of moves, are we...?"

Kakashi muttered just loud enough for Obito to hear.

"Then again, learning so much in a single semester is already an overachievement for someone like you."

"Just because you're whispering doesn't mean I can't hear you!"

Obito was utterly furious. Seizing the moment when Kakashi aimed a punch at his chest, he didn't dodge or evade but threw a punch of his own at Kakashi's left shoulder.

It was clear that he intended to mimic Kakashi's earlier tactic, trading blows to break free from the pressure!

Ordinarily, Obito's decision to exchange blows would have seemed foolish to Kakashi.

However, after their earlier exchanges, Kakashi developed a deep respect for Obito's strength and endurance. Moreover, his left shoulder had already been injured in a previous clash.

Unable to guarantee that this strike would bring Obito down, Kakashi couldn't afford to take the risk of further injuring his left shoulder. So, he quickly retreated, avoiding the trade-off Obito proposed.

This gave Obito the opportunity to leap back, and for the third time, he began forming hand seals...

That technique again?

What is Obito planning?

Watching Obito's familiar hand seals, Kakashi frowned and kept chasing after him.

Obito swiftly finished the seals, took a deep breath, and exhaled forcefully.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

Boom!

A roaring fireball erupted from Obito's mouth, surging toward Kakashi with unstoppable force.

But for Kakashi, who was convinced this was another projection, his heart remained unmoved, and he almost felt like laughing.

It seemed that Obito really had run out of tricks…

A tinge of regret welled up within Kakashi.

It appeared that no one in the ninja academy could push him to his limits.

So... it's time to end this battle.

With this decision made, Kakashi prepared to use the same technique to burst through the fireball and close in on Obito, ending the fight.

But at that moment, a sudden sense of danger welled up from his subconscious, making him instantly more alert!

Did I overlook something?

This thought crossed Kakashi's mind, and in the next instant, he noticed something he had previously missed!

(End of this chapter)

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