Chapter 124: A Full-Power Battle

Full power, huh? Shinho raised an eyebrow.

During his time at the ninja academy, he rarely used his other Gu insects apart from the White Jade Gu. There simply wasn't any need. 

A single strike from his super strength was enough to end any match in the academy.

But going up against Kakashi... relying solely on brute strength might not cut it.

He wasn't too worried about revealing his insect abilities, though. 

After all, he was Tsunade's student. Who would dare question his methods? As for Sasuke and Naruto, he could always explain it away by calling it his Kikaichū's, his insect's bloodline limit or special ability.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Before Kakashi even finished his sentence, a green blur had already charged at him—it was Naruto.

"No surprise there," Kakashi muttered as he dodged Naruto's flying kick with a backward step.

The force of Naruto's kick sent dust flying, leaving a shallow crater where his foot had landed.

"Good strength and speed," Kakashi commented casually.

Having sparred with Might Guy countless times, Kakashi was unfazed by Naruto's taijutsu. The only thing left to wonder was whether Naruto had also learned the Eight Gates technique from Guy.

Kakashi himself had learned the Eight Gates but, due to his physical limitations, could only open the first gate.

"Come at me again!"

Naruto pushed off the ground with one hand, spinning into another green whirlwind of kicks. But as Kakashi prepared to dodge again, a surge of intense heat suddenly washed over him.

He turned just in time to see Sasuke's Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique hurtling toward him.

Kakashi quickly shifted, grabbing Naruto's leg mid-spin to redirect him. The sudden shift caused Naruto to stumble and lose control.

"Whoa, Sasuke!" Naruto yelped, stumbling directly into the path of the incoming fireball.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he prepared to pull Naruto out of harm's way. But before he could act, a jet of water shot out, dousing the fireball in mid-air.

Shinho had used his Water Arrow Gu to neutralize the attack.

He know Water Style too? Kakashi mused, momentarily taken aback.

"Phew! Thanks, Shinho!" Naruto exclaimed, catching his breath after narrowly avoiding the flames.

"Step aside," Sasuke said coolly as he clasped his hands together in a seal. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed another burst of flames.

This time, the fire split apart in midair, creating multiple smaller fireballs that darted unpredictably toward Kakashi. Hidden within them were several shuriken, concealed yet deadly.

This was Sasuke's Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique—a two-pronged attack.

Naruto scrambled out of the way. Being in close range during a fire-based assault was dangerous for someone who relied heavily on taijutsu.

"Too flashy," Kakashi muttered, forming a quick seal. A wall of earth rose up before him, adorned with four carved dog heads.

The fireballs crashed into the wall, causing only a slight tremor. As the smoke cleared, the only things left embedded in the wall were the scattered shuriken.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and the single tomoe in each of his Sharingan spun faster as he assessed the situation.

Just then, Kakashi turned his attention to Shinho, who had silently closed the distance, his fist poised to strike.

"Nice sneak attack," Kakashi said, just dodging in time. "But you're too slow."

Kakashi disappeared into the ground, using his Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to evade. 

He resurfaced behind Shinho, ready to counterattack, but a sudden surge of danger made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Trusting his instincts, Kakashi abandoned his attack and retreated just as the ground beneath Shinho exploded, sending rocks and debris flying in all directions.

A massive crater, almost seven meters wide, formed where Shinho had just stood.

That was close… Kakashi wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. Had he stayed, he might have been pulverized by that strike.

What kind of monstrous strength is this?! Kakashi thought, dumbfounded.

Sasuke and Naruto stood there, mouths agape, witnessing Shinho's devastating power for the first time.

Frost Moon Gu!

Still calm, Shinho raised his hand, and a blade of pale white light shot out, speeding toward Kakashi.

"Fast!" Kakashi's Sharingan activated instinctively, his three tomoe spinning to track the moonblade's trajectory.

With a flicker of movement, Kakashi dodged to the side, using his Body Flicker Technique.

"Wait… Kakashi-sensei's eye!" Naruto exclaimed, noticing the Sharingan for the first time.

"Now's not the time to focus on that," Sasuke said, his voice steady. 

Unlike the original timeline, Sasuke already knew about Kakashi's Sharingan. After all, they had trained together for five years.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"

Sasuke's hand lit up with crackling white lightning. As soon as Kakashi landed, Sasuke fired the lightning, striking his sensei squarely.

But with a loud poof, Kakashi vanished.

"A shadow clone?" Sasuke muttered, scanning the area for the real Kakashi.

Without a word, Shinho extended his hand, and a swarm of parasitic insects surged forth from his body.

Kikaichū... He's more of a problem than I thought, Kakashi observed from his hiding place in a nearby tree.

The cloud of insects would find him in mere seconds if he didn't act fast. He began forming hand seals.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of chirping birds.

Kakashi's right hand sparked to life with a concentrated surge of lightning, forming into the shape of a wolf.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!"

The sound was deafening as the lightning wolf leapt from the tree and charged toward Shinho.

"Over there!" Naruto shouted, getting ready to charge, only to have Sasuke stop him.

The lightning wolf hurtled toward Shinho, snapping its jaws.

Sasuke raised his head and spat out a stream of fire—Fire Dragon Technique! The flames raced toward the lightning beast, but it wasn't fast enough. 

The fire struck the ground, leaving a trail of scorched earth.

"Shinho!" Naruto shouted, his heart racing as he ran forward, but Kakashi swiftly hurled a barrage of shuriken, forcing Naruto to stop and dodge.

"Get back!" Sasuke warned, but Shinho stood his ground.

Fire Cloak Gu!

Shinho's skin took on a pale, crystal-like sheen as a fiery red aura enveloped him, forming a protective layer.

The lightning wolf lunged, its jaws wide open.

Without flinching, Shinho caught the wolf by its jaws, gripping its upper and lower teeth with his bare hands.

Kakashi's eyes went wide in disbelief. What kind of strength is that?!

Shinho twisted his hands, snapping the lightning wolf apart. The beast let out a final howl before shattering into fragments of lightning.

"I..." Sasuke trailed off, watching in stunned silence.

Worrying about Shinho was pointless, Sasuke realized. I should focus on Kakashi.

Sasuke formed a seal and unleashed a massive fireball aimed at a nearby tree. Kakashi's clones scattered, diving to the sides as the fireball engulfed the tree, setting it ablaze.

Naruto, who had been watching from the sidelines, was more than eager to jump into the fray. 

He scanned the area and charged toward the Kakashi on the left. In no time, the two were entangled in a close-quarters battle.

Meanwhile, Shinho, standing still for a moment, noticed something odd.

Another Kakashi appeared right in front of him, locking eyes with him.

Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!

Kakashi's Sharingan glimmered ever so slightly, and the landscape around Shinho began to shift, trapping him in an illusion.

Sasuke, noticing this, felt a pang of worry. 

But he quickly halted himself, remembering that Shinho's insects were immune to genjutsu. This meant... Shinho was faking it to deceive Kakashi.

Realizing this, Sasuke readied six kunai between his fingers, eyes narrowing with focus.

Kakashi, thinking he'd successfully trapped Shinho, let out a slight smirk. "A bit tricky, but manageable," he murmured, stepping forward to deliver a chopping blow to Shinho's neck.

But just as Kakashi's hand moved, Shinho caught his wrist mid-strike.

"What?!" Kakashi gasped, eyes wide in shock.

Without hesitation, Shinho reached for the two bells hanging from Kakashi's waist.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Shinho split open, and a pair of hands reached out, grabbing hold of his ankles and dragging him down into the earth.

"Good thing I had a backup plan," Kakashi smirked behind his mask as his clone vanished with a puff.

In the next moment, the real Kakashi emerged from the ground, having used the Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu, leaving only Shinho's head above the surface.

"You've failed," Kakashi said smugly, looking down at Shinho.

"Not quite," Shinho replied calmly.

Lightning Wings Gu!

With a deafening crack, Shinho shot out of the ground, propelled by a pair of lightning wings that sprouted from his back.

"Nani?!" Kakashi's jaw dropped in disbelief.

He can fly?!

Even Sasuke, who had fought Shinho many times before, was taken aback. 

How much has he been hiding? he thought. Why has he never shown this during our training sessions? 

A rare sense of defeat crept into Sasuke's heart, but it was quickly replaced with renewed determination.

In that moment, Sasuke acted. He hurled six kunai toward Kakashi with precision.

Hearing the kunai cut through the air, Kakashi snapped back to his senses and leaped backward.

Frost Moon Gu!

Taking advantage of Kakashi's momentary distraction, Shinho unleashed a crescent-shaped moonblade toward him. 

In response, Kakashi's right hand flared up with blue lightning as he summoned the power of Chidori to intercept the attack.

With a single slash, Kakashi split the moonblade in two, though a chilling frost spread across the battlefield, slowing his movements slightly.

What kind of insects are these? Kakashi thought, beginning to realize that Shinho's techniques weren't traditional jutsu but instead powered by his mysterious insects.

In the meantime, Sasuke's six kunai, connected by thin wires, wrapped around Kakashi's body, immobilizing him.

"Nice teamwork," Kakashi said with a smile as he effortlessly twisted his wrist, severing the wires.

"Sensei, you tricked me!" Naruto suddenly reappeared, his face filled with frustration.

Kakashi was momentarily surprised. 

He managed to take down my shadow clone that quickly? He delved into his memories of the fight and realized Naruto had used the Primary Lotus technique to overcome his clone.

"I'm coming for you!" Naruto charged forward, his powerful kick whistling through the air.

Kakashi, calculating his move, decided not to dodge this time. Instead, he mirrored Naruto's attack with his own Leaf Whirlwind.

Their kicks collided mid-air, creating a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield.

Kakashi, having trained alongside Might Guy for years, was no stranger to taijutsu. His mastery over the Leaf Whirlwind was easily on par with Naruto's.

Watching from the sidelines, Sasuke furrowed his brows. His taijutsu wasn't on the same level as Naruto's or Kakashi's, but using ninjutsu at this range would risk hitting Naruto as well.

Kakashi smirked. His plan was working. I've got them caught up in each other's rhythm, he thought.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi noticed something odd—Shinho had vanished.

Where did he go?! Kakashi's Sharingan scanned the surroundings, but there were no signs of him.

Bang!

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged punches, and with the momentum of the blow, Kakashi jumped back, putting some distance between them.

He formed hand seals, expanding his sensory range. Just then, the sound of slicing air filled his ears.

Shinho, having used the Hidden Scale Gu to cloak himself, appeared directly behind Kakashi, his arm coated with green, swirling wind from the Wind Blade Gu.

As his speed increased, Shinho snatched the bells from Kakashi's waist with one hand while pressing his other hand against the Jonin's back.

Kakashi froze for a moment, his entire body tensing up. But after a second, he relaxed and raised his hand. "Naruto, stop," Kakashi called out.

"Huh?" Naruto, mid-kick, stopped in his tracks, looking disappointed. "We're done already?"

Done? I almost got wrecked! Kakashi thought, suppressing a groan. 

Even if Shinho's ambush had failed, Kakashi had realized something—he couldn't maintain control of this battle much longer.

One against three was more difficult than he had expected, especially with students of this caliber. If this dragged on any further, he'd risk embarrassing himself.

"The point of the bell test has been achieved," Kakashi said seriously. "Don't worry, Naruto. There will be plenty of chances for you to show off during missions."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "What's our first mission?"

Kakashi sighed in relief, lowering himself to the ground and sitting cross-legged. "Let's rest for a bit. Then I'll take you to our mission."

It's been a while since I've had to fight like this... 

Kakashi thought, feeling the weariness creep into his bones. He had grown rusty from lack of intense training. 

No wonder... he mused, reflecting on how much time he'd spent reading Icha Icha Paradise instead of practicing.

Shinho observed Kakashi with a raised eyebrow. His sensei's strength was indeed perplexing, fluctuating between moments of sharp brilliance and odd lethargy.

In earlier battles, such as his fight against Zabuza, Kakashi had been forced to take a break after expending too much chakra. 

This wasn't only due to his Sharingan, but also because he had neglected his own training for years.

Only after leading Team 7 and engaging in more battles had Kakashi slowly regained his strength. 

By the time the Fourth Great Ninja War rolled around, he could use multiple Kamui without showing signs of exhaustion.

For now, though, he was still just an elite Jonin, nowhere near his later prowess.

"Here, Kakashi-sensei," Shinho said, tossing the bells back to him.

"Are all of your techniques really from your insects?" Kakashi asked, his curiosity piqued.

Sasuke also looked up, clearly interested in Shinho's response.

"Yes," Shinho confirmed, "You can think of them as a type of bloodline limit that my insects possess."

"Incredible..." Kakashi said, his voice full of awe. 

Who would've guessed that a medical ninja could have such terrifying strength?

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