Trying to copy Hikaru's movements at this stage was, frankly, wishful thinking on Kakashi's part.
And Hikaru's judgment had been spot-on—Kakashi's adaptation to the Sharingan was still far from complete.
He could see Hikaru's movements clearly, but his body simply couldn't keep up.
Hikaru's right hand tightened around his kunai and slashed forward, the blade flashing like lightning itself. Kakashi failed to match that speed entirely.
Yet Kakashi was still Kakashi.
When direct defense became impossible, his combat experience stepped in at once.
Relying on the Sharingan's predictive vision, he read the angle of the strike and shifted his body just enough—barely avoiding the blade.
But Kakashi didn't stop at evasion.
Passive defense led only to defeat. To reclaim the initiative, he had to counterattack.
As he slipped past the strike, Kakashi lowered his center of gravity while maintaining guard—and suddenly drove a kick straight toward Hikaru's groin.
"This guy…"
Hikaru's expression darkened slightly.
If that kick landed cleanly, a trip to the medical department would be unavoidable.
Still, he didn't consider Kakashi's move wrong. Ninja combat had never been about honor. Even in sparring, anything non-lethal was fair game.
Hikaru reacted instantly. His leg snapped upward, his reflexes and coordination allowing him to choose the optimal response even under pressure.
Bang!
His leg intercepted the kick perfectly.
Using the moment of contact, Hikaru pressed down, planting that foot firmly on the ground. Using it as a pivot, his other leg swept out in a brutal arc toward Kakashi.
Kakashi flipped backward to avoid the sweep, using the motion to widen the distance. Even as he retreated, he flung a kunai toward Hikaru without hesitation.
It was pointless.
Hikaru merely shifted his torso slightly, letting the kunai pass harmlessly by.
Kakashi had never expected it to hit.
The moment he gained space, his hands were already forming seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Barrage!"
Chakra surged into the ground. In the next instant, dozens of thick, razor-sharp earth spikes erupted beneath Hikaru's feet.
Each spike was massive and lethal— Hikaru had no doubt that being impaled by them would end the fight decisively.
He leapt lightly into the air.
And at that very moment, Kakashi charged in.
Intentional?
The thought flickered through Hikaru's mind.
Just as Kakashi was about to strike, the Hikaru suspended in midair vanished.
In the next heartbeat, Kakashi felt the cold bite of danger—a sharp kunai driving toward his side.
"So fast… even midair?"
The movement was utterly seamless.
But Kakashi didn't panic. He'd seen Hikaru fight at full strength before. Surprise didn't mean loss of composure.
At the critical moment, he completed a one-handed seal.
The kunai pierced his body—
—and immediately, thick smoke burst forth.
Instead of flesh, the blade struck wood.
"A substitution," Hikaru murmured.
He wasn't surprised. His sensory perception had already caught Kakashi's chakra shift.
In fact, he'd already pinpointed Kakashi's new position.
Landing lightly, Hikaru turned just in time to see Kakashi rush straight at him—no attempt at concealment whatsoever.
Kakashi knew better than to hide. After witnessing Hikaru's sensory abilities in past missions, he understood there was no point.
"Going head-on with taijutsu? Trying to leverage the Sharingan?"
Hikaru smiled faintly.
"Then come."
He felt no fear.
The Sharingan was terrifying—but only in the right hands.
In an instant, the two collided again.
Metal rang endlessly as kunai met kunai.
Hikaru's speed was blinding, every movement sharp and efficient—lacking elegance, yet carrying a raw, functional beauty.
Kakashi was clearly under pressure, but his fundamentals were solid. Combined with the speed boost from Lightning Release, he managed to keep pace—barely avoiding being overwhelmed.
More importantly, amid the high-intensity exchange, Kakashi felt something changing.
His Sharingan was seeing more clearly.
His predictions were becoming more accurate.
But my chakra consumption… it's increasing fast, Kakashi realized grimly.
Their taijutsu clash intensified further.
To onlookers, only two afterimages crossing again and again were visible, sparks flashing with every collision.
Their speed was already far beyond where it had started.
At this point, Uchiha Saya could no longer see anything clearly.
Then—
Hikaru suddenly leapt backward, flinging his kunai at Kakashi as his hands flew through seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Stone Dragon!"
The ground roared as stone and soil surged together, forming a massive dragon that lunged toward Kakashi with overwhelming momentum.
"Earth Style?"
Kakashi froze for a split second.
He hadn't expected this— Hikaru, known for Water Style, using Earth Style so proficiently?
But his hesitation lasted only an instant.
His hands blurred.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
His sealing speed was terrifying—among his peers, only a handful could rival it.
The stone dragon crashed head-on into the earthen wall.
Boom!
The impact shook the training field. Dust and debris exploded outward, swallowing the area in thick smoke.
Several ninja training nearby turned to stare.
"Is that jōnin sparring?"
"That kind of power… and it's just a spar?"
Their whispers spread, but Kakashi remained fully alert, eyes scanning the smoke-filled field.
When the wall finally collapsed, he realized something was wrong.
Hikaru was gone.
"Hidden… or—"
Kakashi's gaze sharpened.
"Underground?"
The answer came instantly.
Through his Sharingan, he caught the surge of chakra erupting from beneath him.
Kakashi reacted without hesitation, driving his kunai straight down toward the source.
But the moment his blade pierced the earth, his expression changed.
Because from the other side—
another burst of chakra flared violently into existence.
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