Chapter 13: Rapid Progress in Battle

Sasuke's sudden burst of speed didn't surprise Kakashi too much.

For a freshly graduated Genin to exhibit such speed was indeed remarkable, but Kakashi was already aware of Sasuke's capabilities in this regard.

Calmly keeping up with Sasuke's movement, Kakashi also drew a kunai, ready to test Sasuke's taijutsu.

However, in the next instant, a faint sound of something cutting through the air caught Kakashi's attention.

He froze for a moment, his peripheral vision catching a barely noticeable shadow rapidly approaching from his right.

In a split second, Kakashi halted his advance.

A shuriken streaked from his right side, narrowly missing him and flying past.

Looking at the shuriken that had somehow appeared out of nowhere, Kakashi was deeply shaken.

Rewinding Sasuke's earlier movements in his mind, he thought:

Could it have been thrown in the moment he spun the kunai in his hand?

Even if Sasuke had used the motion of spinning the kunai as a diversion, to make a shuriken travel in such a wide arc and aim precisely for his temple wasn't a simple feat.

This Uchiha kid...

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi also appeared astonished as he observed through the crystal ball.

To think... he used the kunai's spin to disguise the throw of the shuriken...

For a Genin to possess such skill was almost unbelievable.

Taking advantage of the opening created by the shuriken, Sasuke pressed his attack. He lunged directly at Kakashi, slashing downward with a kunai aimed straight at his heart.

The motion, angle, and speed of the strike were flawless.

However, Kakashi wasn't so easily defeated.

Effortlessly parrying Sasuke's attack, Kakashi countered with a powerful spinning kick aimed at Sasuke.

Though Sasuke managed to block the kick with crossed arms, Kakashi's strength sent him flying backward.

Sasuke quickly stabilized mid-fall, expertly dispersing the force and adjusting his stance.

Almost instantly, he launched another attack, ensuring he didn't lose his offensive rhythm.

Kakashi was even more astonished by Sasuke's reaction.

A Genin? With this level of taijutsu skill?

It was unbelievable.

Clang!

The clash of kunai echoed, sending a cascade of sparks flying.

While Sasuke's attacks were swift and precise, Kakashi's greater strength overwhelmed him.

Due to the age and experience gap, Sasuke hadn't had the chance to fully train his physical strength, leaving a noticeable disparity.

Yet, Sasuke deftly absorbed the blow and immediately accelerated back into close range, refusing to give Kakashi any breathing room.

A dizzying exchange of taijutsu followed, so rapid and intense it was difficult to follow.

Hidden in the bushes, Sakura was completely dumbfounded.

Who am I?Where am I?

Is this really a fight between Sasuke-kun and our Jonin instructor?

The relentless battle was too fast for her to see clearly.

Sasuke-kun… is this how strong you really are?

While Sakura was in shock, Naruto was even more astonished.

Having clashed briefly with Kakashi earlier, Naruto knew firsthand just how powerful their instructor was.

Kakashi wasn't someone a newly graduated Genin could possibly stand up against.

And yet, Sasuke was not only holding his own but engaging Kakashi in an intense, seemingly equal exchange.

Naruto's arms fell limp at his sides as he stared, wide-eyed, at Sasuke's blurred figure darting around at impossible speeds.

Sasuke… is this… your true strength?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was equally astonished.

To be able to battle Kakashi in taijutsu to this extent, Sasuke, despite his young age, already possessed taijutsu skills nearly on par with a Jonin.

However, the difference in raw strength meant that Sasuke's taijutsu hadn't yet reached the level of a true Jonin.

Even so, it was enough to make Hiruzen feel concerned.

"The Uchiha clan... another genius has emerged. Is this truly a blessing for Konoha?"

At this moment, the most shocked person was Kakashi.

He could clearly sense that Sasuke's battle rhythm was becoming increasingly intense.

Every move seemed stronger and more refined than the last.

This wasn't a matter of physical strength increasing rapidly; it was something else… something innate.

"A natural-born genius in combat."

From the slightly clumsy movements at the start to his seamless adaptability in just a few exchanges, Sasuke had not only quickly entered a full combat state but was visibly improving his taijutsu technique at an alarming rate.

Without personally engaging Sasuke in battle, it would be nearly impossible to notice this.

"A genius… an undeniable genius."

For a brief moment, Kakashi even felt that Sasuke's natural talent surpassed Itachi's.

"The Uchiha clan… they truly have no shortage of prodigies."

Kakashi felt a mix of admiration and resignation.

However, he decided not to let this fight drag on further.

While Sasuke's taijutsu was rapidly improving, Kakashi's overwhelming strength gave him an undeniable advantage.

In the face of absolute power, skill alone could only go so far.

Bang!

Kakashi got serious.

With a single strike, he sent Sasuke, who had been relentlessly engaging him in close combat, flying backward.

Even though Sasuke managed to block the attack, the sheer force was too much to withstand.

This time, the impact sent Sasuke far enough to disrupt his offensive rhythm.

Standing in place, Sasuke didn't immediately counterattack. Instead, he shifted into a defensive stance.

Seeing Sasuke's reaction, Kakashi felt a hint of satisfaction.

"Sharp instincts! Or perhaps it's that unbelievable battle intuition…"

As these thoughts ran through Kakashi's mind, his hands moved without hesitation.

He raised his arm and threw a kunai. Now, Kakashi intended to seize control of the fight's rhythm and force Sasuke to reveal his Lightning Release technique.

As the kunai hurtled toward him, Sasuke instinctively responded by throwing his own kunai.

When it came to kunai-throwing techniques, Sasuke didn't believe Kakashi was any more skilled than he was.

But the problem was raw power. Sasuke couldn't match Kakashi in strength.

Clang!

The kunai collided mid-air. However, while Kakashi's kunai was deflected slightly, it still managed to continue toward Sasuke.

At the same time, Kakashi rapidly closed in on Sasuke from another direction.

Dodging was the only option.

The kunai would leave Sasuke vulnerable to Kakashi's close-range assault if he didn't act fast.

Now, Sasuke had only one choice: to accelerate and evade both the kunai and Kakashi's incoming attack.

But to do so would require speed surpassing Kakashi's.

However, Sasuke was reluctant to reveal his Lightning Release technique, though he was unaware that Kakashi had already seen through him.

Watching Sasuke's momentary hesitation, Kakashi thought to himself:

"Still not ready to use it? Your Lightning Release…"

At that moment, Hiruzen also leaned in closer, focusing intently on the crystal ball.

But in the next second, Sasuke's right hand once again reached for his ninja tool pouch...

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