.
***
**Chapter 11: Clash with Kakashi**
" Sparring?"
Hearing Kakashi's invitation, Asuma nearly dropped the cigarette in his mouth, showing more surprise than the person involved, Rubik.
"Hey, Kakashi!"
Asuma stepped forward, glancing meaningfully at Class 7 nearby. With a teasing tone, he tried to dissuade Kakashi:
"You're not seriously picking a fight with a kid just to defend your favorite student, right?"
Kakashi didn't answer directly. He just tilted his head, giving Asuma a subtle look.
Years of rapport let Asuma instantly understand. His brows rose slightly as he swallowed his remaining words and turned thoughtfully to Rubik.
*So that's it, Kakashi... You mean this kid's strength might be more than he seems?* Asuma thought.
"How about it? If you're tired, we can rest first," Kakashi suggested casually.
"No problem, Mr. Kakashi," Rubik replied calmly, facing him.
Though caught off guard by the sudden challenge, Rubik accepted without hesitation. He had his own calculations—showing some strength now would deter any nosy troublemakers.
...
Konoha Training Ground 7, under perfect sunlight.
At the edge, Class 7—Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—and the cigarette-smoking Asuma watched the two in the field intently.
In the center, Kakashi's headband covered his left eye, his exposed right eye fixed on Rubik.
*Well... he's Jiraiya-sama's disciple. Can't let my guard down,* Kakashi thought.
"It's starting!" Asuma exhaled a smoke ring, telling Class 7: "Once Kakashi gets serious—he's no joke. I don't know much about Rubik, but as Jiraiya-sama's student, he must know plenty of his secret techniques."
Asuma grinned at them. "Watching this fight is a rare chance for you genin. Learn well."
Before he finished, the two figures blurred!
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Kunai clashed!
Rubik attacked first; Kakashi parried precisely with his own kunai. His right eye sharply tracked every move.
"An Opening!"
Kakashi predicted Rubik's next action!
As Rubik swung down and his shoulder dipped, Kakashi sidestepped. The kunai grazed past his forehead!
His left hand gripped Rubik's wrist with lightning chakra, numbing it on contact!
Rubik's kunai slipped instinctively. Then, a cold blade pressed against his throat!
Kakashi held his kunai steady, saying flatly: "The match is over. I win."
Naruto blinked at the scene, then yelled: "That fast?!"
"No..." Asuma narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
On the field, Rubik eyed the kunai at his throat, a smirk tugging his lips.
*Boom!*
Smoke billowed. The Rubik before Kakashi turned into a log.
Kakashi murmured in surprise: "Substitution? When?"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!" Rubik, now behind, finished his seals!
A massive earth wall erupted, slamming Kakashi into the nearby pond!
Asuma watched the rising wall in surprise. "Using a defensive Earth Flow Wall for offense?"
Kakashi, splashed into the pond, channeled chakra to his feet and skidded back across the water, steadying himself.
His gaze on Rubik sharpened. His fingers hooked the edge of his headband.
A battle-hardened Konoha jonin like him knew after a few clashes: this boy was no easy opponent.
*Guess I need to get serious!*
Sasuke, at the edge, saw Kakashi's headband move and tensed. "Here it comes!"
He watched closely. With his own Sharingan, this was prime learning material.
*Shing!* Kakashi revealed his scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan, locking onto Rubik.
Sakura gasped: "Sharingan!"
Asuma's expression grew grave: "Kakashi's getting serious!"
In the field center, Kakashi's hands blurred into seals!
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
The pond's water surged into a roaring dragon, charging at Rubik!
Rubik faced the approaching dragon fearlessly, hands flying through seals!
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A blazing fireball arced out, smashing into the wall's remnants!
*Boom!*
It exploded! Burning earth chunks rained toward Kakashi like fiery meteors!
Asuma explained rapidly: "Using Earth Style as a launchpad to amp the fire attack! That's... a combo ninjutsu!"
"Sharingan can read trajectories, but this is too dense—Kakashi can't dodge!"
Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly, calculating paths in an instant.
He sealed fast, intoning: "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Dozens of precise fireballs intercepted the fiery rain!
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Midair flames burst. Kakashi's technique used collision shockwaves to redirect the burning debris!
The fire rain clashed with the water dragon, filling the field with thick steam.
*Hiss—!!!*
Dense white mist swallowed most of the training ground. The four onlookers lost sight.
Naruto fretted: "I can't see!"
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, staring into the fog.
In the mist's heart, Kakashi moved first, his left hand crackling with lightning!
"Chidori!"
Blue-white electricity ripped the fog!
Asuma saw the Chidori and said loudly: "Chidori!? Kakashi's going all out?"
It tore through the last meters, reaching Rubik.
Kakashi said confidently: "Got you!"
But then—surprise.
Rubik's spiky short hair exploded into rigid black strands!
Like a hedgehog's instant armor, it shielded him!
"Ninjutsu: Needle Hedgehog!"
*Clang—!!!*
A screeching metallic grind! Chidori's lightning stabbed the steel-hard black hair, sparking wildly but unable to pierce!
The impact cracked the ground under Rubik, but the hair shield held firm!
"That's... Needle Hedgehog?! Jiraiya-sama's signature move!" Asuma's eyes lit up, then puzzled: "But that defense... blocking Chidori? Impossible!"
Kakashi hadn't expected his Chidori to stall. His pupil shrank in shock at the hair's toughness!
In that split-second hesitation, the ground under him softened silently.
Hidden by Needle Hedgehog, Rubik had sealed.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the underworld"
Kakashi's footing turned to sticky mud!
Sudden sinking threw off his balance; Chidori flickered unstably!
Worse came from the side!
Black hair from Rubik's shield split off, forming a shadowy figure lunging from Kakashi's flank!
"Ninjutsu: Hair Clone!"
The clone sealed, splitting into strands that wrapped Kakashi's ankles—trapped and slowed by the mire!
*Troublesome—can't move!* Kakashi thought. His Sharingan tracked it all, but the mud and imbalance made evasion hell!
He twisted, slashing with a kunai, but the hair resisted with a grating *scrape*, unyielding!
His ankles locked tight by the tough strands!
"Now!"
Rubik dropped Needle Hedgehog. Scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan blazed open, targeting Kakashi's stalled form!
Kakashi's Sharingan met it—identical scarlet tomoe!
"This... what?! How?!" Kakashi's mind blanked briefly. Those eyes? That face? So many coincidences— what tied this boy to Obito?
Rubik's Sharingan magnified every flaw. His right hand whirred with a high-speed, wind-infused blue chakra sphere—
A wind-natured Rasengan!
It halted just shy of Kakashi, the sheer wind pressure blasting him back.
He flipped midair, hand-springing to skid several meters, looking ragged.
"What was that power...? I know Rasengan, but that's no ordinary one," he muttered, Sharingan glaring at Rubik's now-normal eyes.
Silence gripped the sidelines.
"His H-Hair got hard?! And it... moved?!" Naruto stammered, pointing at Rubik's settling black locks.
Sakura covered her mouth: "Earth clone... and that swamp! Amazing combo!"
Sasuke stared between them, shocked and confused. No mistake—that was Sharingan! Like his, like Kakashi's!
Asuma's cigarette fell. He inhaled deeply, gravely: "Earth Style terrain trap, clone feint for the secret art setup, the Rasengan as the finisher...
This kid wields Jiraiya-sama's techniques masterfully. And those eyes..."
Kakashi eyed Rubik seriously: "No doubt—this 13-year-old has jonin-level strength. Given time, he could rival sensei or even the Sannin."
He rose slowly, Sharingan still fixed, then sighed lightly without more words.
Rubik steadied his breath, ignoring Sasuke's piercing stare. A faint, clear smile curved his lips.
Facing Kakashi, he said softly: "Mr. Kakashi... looks like I won this spar."
***