Naruto: Strength Through Teaching

Seeing that the last examinee from Mist, Hoshigaki Kisame, was eliminated, Genji's expression turned a bit unpleasant.

With their own contestant out, he still had to wait for the Konoha Ninjas to finish and then watch them compete internally for first place, which made Genji feel very uncomfortable.

After all, they were all part of the five great ninja villages, and the draw had gone pretty well; How did it end up like this, with only one of theirs in the semifinals?

"What a pity. The Water Release skills of this ninja from your village far surpass those of his peers. He was so close to victory," Hiruzen said, wearing a look of regret for the talented.

Even Danzo, who usually didn't show a pleasant expression, nodded in approval upon seeing Konoha ninjas in such a dominant position. All his dirty and exhausting work for Konoha had not been in vain. Thanks to the efforts of both him and Hiruzen, Konoha was growing more and more prosperous.

Although Genji felt uncomfortable, he still had to put on a smile in response to Hiruzen's words.

Duy, watching his son Guy win, also burst into a big laugh and gave a thumbs up to Guy in the arena.

Even though Duy didn't fully understand the Chunin Exams, with Guy performing so well, there was no way he wouldn't secure a Chunin position.

"Guy really is that Guy who never disappoints," Genma and Ebisu sighed in relief.

The battle between Guy and Kisame genuinely made the audience feel that their tickets were worth it; it was high-energy throughout without any breaks, and it was an impressive spectacle.

Many Konoha Ninjas also deeply remembered the name Might Guy. In that situation, some Konoha Jonin felt it would be difficult to fight Kisame in the Water Balloon, yet Guy had managed to defeat Kisame right in the Water Balloon.

"But why didn't he use any Ninjutsu?" One Ninja recalled all of Guy's matches and realized that he hadn't used any Ninjutsu at all.

"Maybe his Ninjutsu skills are relatively poor, but with Taijutsu being like this, it's fine if his Ninjutsu is lacking," a Ninja nearby said.

Although Ninjas emphasize the comprehensive development of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, if one aspect can reach a certain level of strength, the others can be overlooked.

After all, most Ninjas only manage to reach Chunin in their lifetime, while Guy's Taijutsu can take down ordinary Chunins in an instant. With such Taijutsu, who needs anything else?

Those who had mocked Duy when he entered were now sweating profusely; his son was extraordinarily strong.

"Uchiha Obito vs. Hatake Kakashi!"

As Hiruko's voice echoed into the waiting room, Kakashi and Obito exchanged a glance and walked towards the battle arena together.

"That said, no amount of talk can compare to the outcome of the fight. Kakashi, I'm curious to see what excuse you'll come up with if you lose this time," Obito provocatively remarked.

He was quite dissatisfied with Kakashi's usual words and actions, considering him a defeated opponent who often spouted lessons to him.

Obito wanted to show Rin through this battle that he, Uchiha Obito, was more talented and reliable than Kakashi.

"You want to say that to yourself. Think ahead about what excuse you'll use if you lose, so you don't panic later," Kakashi said calmly.

He was very confident in his abilities now because he was the genius Kakashi; how could a genius lack self-confidence?

Not only did he want to defeat Obito, but he also aimed to beat Guy and finally take down Shisui, thereby announcing his powerful return as a genius. He wanted to become Mutsuki's strongest disciple.

"Hmph, you'll soon see the power of my flames," Obito decided to stop arguing with Kakashi and let his strength do the talking.

Kakashi smiled faintly, finding this quite agreeable.

As the battle between Kakashi and Obito was about to begin, many spectators perked up, ready to watch the match.

Although some spectators felt it didn't matter who won among the contestants since Konoha Ninja would ultimately secure the first place, those connected to the contestants definitely hoped for the victory of the competitors they knew.

"Obito has activated his Sharingan. Although Hatake Kakashi is very fast, it shouldn't be a problem for Obito," Uchiha Yashiro analyzed the battle.

Even though Kakashi had a record of defeating Byakugan users in an instant, Uchiha Yashiro did not believe that Byakugan could be compared to Sharingan in battle. Additionally, apart from his Kekkei Genkai, Obito's overall strength far surpassed that of Hyuga Kouichi.

With Obito having reached the top four, Uchiha Yashiro was certainly hopeful that Obito could enter the finals and claim first place, showcasing the strength of their Uchiha Clan.

"Hatake Kakashi cannot be described simply as fast; it's difficult to determine the outcome between them," the more powerful Uchiha Fugaku shook his head and said.

If one merely considered Kakashi as fast, that would be an oversimplification. Although the mist made it hard to see what was happening inside, the slashing marks on the ground indicated that Kakashi's strike was very powerful.

"The battle begins!"

Hearing Hiruko's voice echo once more, the spectators stopped their discussions and turned their attention to the center of the arena.

"Flame Breathing, Total Concentration!"

"Thunder Breathing, Total Concentration!"

Both Obito and Kakashi immediately heightened their breathing, enhancing their physical abilities.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Obito swiftly formed hand signs and launched a massive fireball at Kakashi.

Kakashi was very familiar with this scene; next would either be Obito rushing in with flaming weapons or attacking with Taijutsu.

As Kakashi anticipated, when he dodged to the left, Obito immediately threw several flaming shurikens at him.

While running, Kakashi countered the incoming flaming shurikens with his own lightning-infused shurikens.

Boom!

The two shurikens, carrying different Chakras, collided and instantly exploded, causing both sets of shurikens to vanish.

Whoosh!

Taking advantage of the explosion's smoke for cover, Kakashi exploded with Chakra and dashed forward at high speed using Thunder Breathing.

Knowing that Kakashi was fast, Obito didn't hold back on Chakra; he activated his Sharingan when throwing the shurikens and quickly detected Kakashi's movements.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"

Obito gathered Chakra in his mouth and quickly performed Nature Transformation, unleashing a series of small fireballs at Kakashi to prevent him from getting closer.

To avoid being hit by the high-temperature fireballs, Kakashi had no choice but to adjust his position, slowing down his speed.

For him, Obito was truly a troublesome opponent; the powerful insight of Sharingan made Kakashi cautious even when using Thunder Flash.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall Jutsu!" Kakashi ultimately chose to use Ninjutsu for defense, raising a thick earthen wall shaped like a dog's head between himself and Obito, blocking all the fireballs Obito launched and briefly obscuring Kakashi from Obito's sight.

"Here we go again; you still think I'm the same as I was back then," Obito said with a smug laugh.

In their previous battles, Kakashi often utilized various obstacles to conceal his presence, then used Shadow Clones to draw attention while his real self would sneak underground to launch a surprise attack.

Having suffered so many losses, Obito wouldn't fall for the same trick again.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Obito gathered a massive amount of Chakra in his throat and swiftly performed Nature Transformation, unleashing large swathes of orange flames into the air, engulfing the ground around him.

Although Earth Release could allow him to burrow underground, it didn't go very deep; with the temperature of his flames, he could definitely make Kakashi uncomfortable.

Under the heightened concentration from Flame Breathing, Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet was quite powerful, even causing Kakashi's Earth-Style Wall to break apart and revealing Kakashi's body behind it.

"Hmm? A Shadow Clone?" Obito observed Kakashi behind the Earth-Style Wall with confusion through his Sharingan.

Since Shadow Clones are physical entities, even with Sharingan, he couldn't distinguish whether the Kakashi in front of him was the real one or a clone.

However, noticing that Kakashi quickly dodged and that no other Kakashi emerged from the ground, Obito finally realized he had been tricked. Kakashi hadn't moved at all; he had just been standing behind the Earth-Style Wall, while Obito had wasted Chakra on a Fire Dragon Flame Bullet for nothing.

Obito was glad he hadn't activated Flame Breathing mode for the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet; that would have been a significant drain on his Chakra.

His Chakra reserves were greater than Kakashi's, so as long as he didn't waste too much, he would be fine.

Obito didn't waste the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet he had launched; instead, he continued to compress Kakashi's dodging space while most of the area was engulfed in flames.

"Flash!"

Just as Kakashi was nearing the edge of the arena, he suddenly unleashed the Chakra he had concentrated in his legs, drawing his White Fang Tanto and transforming into a streak of yellow lightning as he slashed towards Obito.

"Flame Breathing Chakra Mode!"

The moment Obito's Sharingan detected Kakashi's movement, he immediately activated Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, consuming Chakra to enhance his body once more.

Without doing so, Obito was worried he see Kakashi's attack but wouldn't be able to react in time.

With the enhancements from Flame Breathing Chakra Mode and Sharingan, Obito dodged Kakashi's slash while unleashing a surge of flames from his palm towards Kakashi.

The speed of Flash was within the range Kakashi could handle, and upon sensing Obito's counterattack, he quickly used Soru to dodge.

"If Thunder Flash can't deal with Obito, then I'll be the one losing," Kakashi frowned slightly; this Sharingan was indeed difficult to deal with.

Kakashi found Obito challenging, and Obito thought the same of Kakashi.

Kakashi's speed was too fast, and his Fire Release couldn't cover the entire arena like Kisame's Water Release.

In the beginning, it was manageable because there were many trees on the field, allowing him to expand the coverage area of his Fire Release through the trees.

But after fighting for so long, there were no trees left; the battlefield had become a wasteland, not even a blade of grass remained.

Obito couldn't afford to hesitate too much. Relying on the convenience of Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, he bombarded Kakashi with Phoenix Sage Fire, forcing him into close combat.

However, the consumption of Chakra in Flame Breathing Chakra Mode was too rapid; he needed to end the battle quickly.

In Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, using Phoenix Sage Fire not only made Obito faster but also increased the power of his attacks. Even with Kakashi's speed, dodging became quite challenging, as Obito could clearly see his movements.

When the distance between Kakashi and Obito shrank to just six meters, Kakashi suddenly burst forth with electricity.

"Thunder Slash!"

A massive surge of yellow lightning enveloped Kakashi's right arm, extending the White Fang Tanto into a lightning-infused blade. With the combined force of the Breathing Technique and Nature Transformation, Kakashi swung his blade with great intensity.

Boom!

The dazzling slash made of yellow lightning surged towards Obito, leaving a long, charred mark on the ground.

Thunder Slash was a variant technique of Thunder Flash that Kakashi had developed after his battle with Zabuza; while its power was slightly less than Thunder Flash, it was safer to use.

"Blazing Fire Fist!"

Obito immediately combined Fiery Impact with Fire Fist, igniting flames all over his body before striking out with a blazing fire fist, sending a torrent of flames rushing towards Kakashi's slash.

Although Obito reacted quickly, Kakashi's strike was still more powerful.

Even with Obito using Fire Fist to unleash fire-type Chakra for defense and charging forward with flames to add a layer of fire protection, he ultimately couldn't avoid sustaining a cut on his body.

Seizing the opportunity to press his advantage, Kakashi wouldn't give Obito a moment's respite; he immediately exploded with Chakra and charged forward.

"Flash!"

The consumption of Thunder Slash and Thunder Flash was similar, but since Kakashi had already used Ninjutsu and Flash earlier, he couldn't draw on the power of Thunder Flash again and could only use Flash.

However, Flash's speed was still fast enough, and the injured Obito's movements were slightly slower, causing him to suffer another wound.

"Damn it, it shouldn't be like this!" Obito shouted internally as he continued to be injured.

Rin was watching from above, Mutsuki was also observing, and there were many Konoha Ninja and residents watching as well. Did he really want to lose to Kakashi in front of all these people?

No, he can't lose; he must win! He is no longer the Uchiha who used to lag behind!

Obito's flames gradually grew fiercer, and his aura became increasingly powerful. His Chakra burned faster within him as he glared at Kakashi, clasped his hands together, and unleashed a torrent of flames resembling a sea of fire.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Seeing Obito execute such a ferocious Fire Release, Kakashi instinctively wanted to dodge, but he found there was nowhere to escape. The flames roared like a rampaging tyrannosaurus, engulfing most of the battlefield and attacking him from the front, left, and right simultaneously, while behind him was the wall at the edge of the arena.

"Was he holding back before? So his Fire Release can be even stronger!" Uchiha Yashiro was astonished by Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. After all, Obito was only nine years old.

Even the usually composed Uchiha Fugaku showed signs of surprise; this talent for Fire Release was extraordinary. Even without Sharingan, Obito could still become a highly powerful Fire Release Ninja.

Asuma was already numb; did Obito start practicing Fire Release from the womb? He felt that Obito's Fire Release was even more powerful than that of some Jonin.

"Minato, be ready to save him," Hiruzen said directly to Minato.

Hiruzen was very familiar with the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet; if Kakashi didn't handle this move well, it could really cost someone their life. He didn't expect that Obito, at such a young age, had cultivated this advanced Fire Release to such a level.

"Did Mutsuki teach him this?" Hiruzen thought to himself, knowing that Minato didn't know the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Minato kept a close eye on the battlefield and nodded, preparing to intervene at any moment.

"Hah." Kakashi exhaled deeply, his expression gradually shifting from surprise to calm.

Obito had risen from the bottom to the point of being able to defeat him; a little more strength didn't mean much.

"Even though you're strong, I won't lose!" Kakashi's eyes suddenly became sharp, and his breath focused more intensely.

He had made a pact with Guy to fight in the Chunin Exam; he didn't want to break that promise, and as a genius, he couldn't afford to lose to Obito twice.

Kakashi pushed himself to the limit, trying to use Thunder Flash once more.

Zizizi!!

Brilliant yellow lightning manifested around Kakashi, growing more and more dazzling until he was completely enveloped in electrical light. His expression was weak, but his gaze grew increasingly resolute.

Boom!

A thunderous sound erupted, adding a flash of yellow lightning to the fiery world.

The electric light rapidly broke through the encirclement of the three fire dragons and charged towards Obito.

Puchi! Blood splattered.

Boom!

A narrow, charred cut appeared beside Obito, dispelling the terrifying flames that had trapped Kakashi.

"I'll win it back!" Obito said his final words before collapsing.

"That will be difficult because I am a genius!" Kakashi replied calmly, remaining in place.

"Hatake Kakashi wins!"

Realizing that Obito had truly fainted, Kakashi also couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed after the victory announcement.

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