Swish!
With a single, fluid hand seal, Kakashi executed the Body Flicker Technique.
In a blur of motion, he瞬身appeared directly in front of Okamoto Dousuke, his chakra-infused practice short sword aimed at his opponent.
Reacting instantly, Okamoto Dousuke leaped backward with astonishing speed, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Swordsmanship: Wind Fang!" Kakashi swiftly redirected his attack, unleashing a sharp gust of wind chakra from his blade.
Still seemingly unprepared, Okamoto Dousuke, who had just landed, dodged to the side with an unnatural agility that defied physics. He bounced off the ground the moment his feet touched down, propelling himself behind Kakashi.
In the blink of an eye, Okamoto Dousuke was behind his opponent, right hand outstretched, index finger pointed at Kakashi's back.
"Water Style: Water Gun!" A concentrated stream of water, the length of a palm, shot towards Kakashi with incredible velocity.
Poof!
A wooden substitution log appeared in Kakashi's place as the water jet pierced through the empty air.
Body Flicker followed by the Substitution Technique – all in a split second.
"How are you moving like that?" Kakashi questioned, his expression grim as he tracked Okamoto Dousuke's erratic movements. It was as if Dousuke was standing on an invisible trampoline, launching himself away from the ground without any visible exertion of his leg muscles. This bizarre, physics-defying maneuver, Kakashi realized, would likely drain his own chakra quickly if he couldn't decipher it.
"Byakugan!"
From the observing group of Jonin, the head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Daisuke, activated his clan's signature dojutsu.
"The boy in the orange jacket," he observed intently, "notice the faint blue imprint that appears every time he lands. That's a Water Style technique forming beneath his feet just before impact. His precise chakra control allows him to make that water burst outward with an opposing force at the exact moment of landing, propelling him in a new direction with incredible agility and without any apparent wind-up."
Hyuga Daisuke continued, his tone reflecting astonishment, "What terrifying control. Even the Hyuga clan, with our bloodline limit, primarily focuses on manipulating chakra within the body. This method of external chakra manipulation, simply by attaching it to an object like that, is something even we struggle to achieve."
"Indeed," agreed Hyuga Shoma from the branch family, his voice hushed with awe. "If this child had been born into the Hyuga clan, he might have grown into a shinobi whose strength rivaled even that of Lord Hiashi!"
"Hmm," Nara Yuta, a seasoned ninja from the Nara clan, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "If those two were to marry, would their offspring inherit this kind of abnormal chakra control ability?"
"Let's focus on the match for now," the Third Hokage interjected, ending the speculative discussion with a knowing gaze.
Konoha Training Grounds.
Okamoto Dousuke glared at Kakashi, his face tight with exertion. While trying to replenish his dwindling chakra, he thought with frustration, I want to end this battle even more than you do. My chakra reserves are rapidly depleting. If only I had more, I could crush you right now.
"Lightning Style: Ground Flash!"
A bolt of crackling blue lightning surged towards Okamoto Dousuke.
Swish!
The four Okamoto Dousukes scattered, leaping away in different directions with surprising agility.
"Water Style: Water Gun!" The four identical figures performed the same jutsu in unison.
"The clone technique again," Kakashi muttered to himself. Since I can't distinguish the real one, I'll just have to take them all out.
"Swordsmanship: Piercing Fang Barrage!"
Brush! Brush! Brush!
A flurry of swift sword strikes aimed at the approaching Okamoto Dousukes. The water projectiles from the clones dissipated into nothing as they collided with the sharp bursts of wind chakra from Kakashi's blade.
Kakashi easily dodged the remaining water jets, his eyes following the subtle aqua-blue shimmer that occasionally flickered across Okamoto Dousuke's body as he deflected the flying sword energy.
Long-range attacks aren't proving very effective. They're being blocked by that blue aura around Okamoto Dousuke.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four more Okamoto Dousukes materialized, rushing towards Kakashi in a coordinated assault.
Once they were in close range, the Okamoto Dousukes, each wielding an unsharpened kunai, engaged Kakashi in a flurry of attacks.
Barely evading a swipe from one of the clones, a thought flashed through Kakashi's mind.
"Water Style: Fangs!"
Two of the Okamoto Dousukes executed the same technique. Focusing their chakra into their palms, thin blades of water formed, slashing outwards. These water blades detached from their hands, arcing towards Kakashi. This close-quarters ninjutsu was a variation of the Mystical Palm Technique, developed by Okamoto Dousuke for offensive purposes.
Kakashi was struck on his left arm by the swift water blade, and the Kakashi that was hit dissolved into smoke.
"A Shadow Clone!"
Suddenly, from beneath Okamoto Dousuke's feet, the ground began to shift.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
A pair of hands erupted from the soil, grasping firmly around Okamoto Dousuke's ankles.
Swish!
With that uncanny, almost teleporting movement, Okamoto Dousuke vanished from the grasp. Kakashi emerged from the earth, his hands clutching the patch of dirt where Dousuke had just been standing.
Remaining on the field were the four lifelike clones of Okamoto Dousuke.
Kakashi, finally acknowledging his opponent's skill, looked at the four identical figures and declared, "Dousuke, I admit it. You and I are equally matched in strength. But you don't have much chakra left. Come and face me directly!"
"No way," the four Okamoto Dousukes said in unison, a determined glint in their eyes. "I can still fight until nightfall!"
Observing intently, Hyuga Daisuke commented, "It should be over soon. The boy in the white-trimmed clothes has very little chakra remaining. As academy students who haven't even graduated yet, they are both remarkably talented."
The Third Hokage nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the two young shinobi. "Indeed, they are the bright new flames of Konoha."
"Kakashi, here I come! Please, take this! I've been preparing it especially for you!" Okamoto Dousuke thought, feeling the last vestiges of chakra within him coalesce.
"No problem, Dousuke! I've had this idea for a while now. It's still an immature technique, but I hope it'll catch you by surprise!" Kakashi retorted, his eyes shining with determination.
"Ah!" The four Okamoto Dousukes moved towards Kakashi in an unpredictable, staggered formation.
Kakashi watched the multiple Dousukes approaching from all directions and swiftly shifted his stance. Only one chance, Dousuke's unique fighting style...
Brilliant, crackling lightning gradually began to envelop Kakashi's right hand. This was a technique he had only practiced in isolation, focusing his chakra into his palm, never having used it in actual combat.
He focused his gaze on the four Okamoto Dousukes, recalling the damp soil he had felt when he used the Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu. The training ground had been specifically prepared for the ranking match, and there hadn't been any rain in days. Although he still didn't fully understand the specifics of Okamoto Dousuke's movement, he remembered the faint blue footprint appearing beneath his feet whenever he used that erratic technique.
Although Okamoto Dousuke's clone technique is incredibly realistic, it's still just a water clone, not a chakra-based Shadow Clone. So, the key to finding the real Dousuke must be those blue footprints!
"Only one chance, here I come, Dousuke!" Kakashi locked his gaze onto Okamoto Dousuke in one of the approaching positions, a faint "chirping" sound emanating from the Lightning Style technique crackling in his hand.
As Okamoto Dousuke moved, a layer of water ninjutsu began to form on his right hand. Under the precise and unusual control of Dousuke's chakra, the water flowed slowly at first, then accelerated rapidly.
The covering water film grew increasingly sharp and defined.
"Kakashi, I'm coming!"
"Bring it on, Dousuke!"
Thump!
As a cloud of smoke momentarily obscured the view, a figure wearing a Konoha headband, a Jonin vest, and with long, silver-white hair tied back in a ponytail, appeared between the two young ninjas. His hands firmly gripped both Okamoto Dousuke's right hand and Kakashi's right hand, effectively stopping their colliding techniques.
The raw power of the water and lightning ninjutsu that Kakashi and Okamoto Dousuke had unleashed had no effect on this individual.
Boom!
At that precise moment, the wall of the ninja school building behind them was shattered by the force of Okamoto Dousuke's released water ninjutsu, finally demonstrating its destructive potential.
"Father!" Kakashi exclaimed, recognizing the man holding his hand.
Hatake Sakumo, his gaze sweeping over the crumbling wall in the distance, said, "You've both done exceptionally well. That was a remarkable battle. When I was your age, I didn't possess that kind of power."
He then released both boys' arms.
Thump!
Kakashi stumbled and fell to the ground, exhausted.
On the other side, Okamoto Dousuke's right arm also dropped limply to his side.
Despite Kakashi's Lightning Release being skillfully aimed, it had still managed to graze and injure Okamoto Dousuke's right hand, causing it to bleed.
"Dousuke, you're hurt! You're bleeding!" Shizune cried out from the stands, her youthful voice filled with concern.
"I... I reluctantly admit the strength of these two," Uchiha Obito, still wearing his orange goggles, muttered as he stared at the damaged wall. "Although they're still not quite on my level..."
"You actually let Dousuke get hurt, Kakashi! You deserve to be my eternal rival!" Might Guy roared, gripping the railing of the stands with furious intensity.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a flash, Tsunade and Jiraiya appeared in front of the injured students.
"Are you alright, kid? Tsunade, this one's arm is injured," Jiraiya said, examining Okamoto Dousuke's bleeding hand.
"It's okay, Lord Jiraiya, I can heal it myself," Okamoto Dousuke said weakly, gathering the last traces of his chakra to perform the Mystical Palm Technique over his wound.
The injury began to heal at an astonishing speed, visible even to the onlookers.
"See, Lord Jiraiya? The wound is already starting to close. I..." Before he could finish speaking, Okamoto Dousuke suddenly fainted in Jiraiya's arms, his body going limp.
"Tsunade! Tsunade! This kid just fainted too!" Jiraiya called out loudly.
Tsunade quickly assessed both boys. "He's just overexerted his chakra. Kakashi is simply exhausted, though his incomplete technique also caused some minor damage to his hand. Nothing serious. Get them both to the hospital! They still need proper treatment."
With swift movements, she gently took the unconscious Okamoto Dousuke from Jiraiya's arms, cradling him in a princess carry, and left in the direction of Konoha Hospital.
Following close behind, Hatake Sakumo carried the exhausted Kakashi on his back.