Chapter 242: Promotion and Challenge
Konoha Year 46.
"Cheers!"
With an excited roar from Guy, the five of them raised their glasses and downed the sake-like fruit juice in one gulp.
At a restaurant famous throughout the Land of Fire for its specialty barbecue, Kyosuke, Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma Sarutobi were eating and drinking with joyous expressions. It was the first time the group of peers had gathered since the beginning of the war, and the occasion was to celebrate Kakashi's promotion to Jonin.
Though Kyosuke's arrival had altered the timeline of the war, Kakashi, at the age of twelve, had still become the second-fastest shinobi in history to be promoted to Jonin. The first, of course, was the smiling Kyosuke, who sat watching them with an amused expression.
Originally, Kakashi would have fallen into a deep depression after the deaths of Obito and Rin. But Kyosuke, driven by a sense of guilt, had constantly sicced Guy on him, and over time, Kakashi had slowly returned to his old self.
Yesterday, upon hearing the news of Kakashi's promotion from Hiruzen, Kyosuke had gathered their friends for a celebration. He felt a sense of responsibility for Kakashi. Not only had the Chidori been a great help to the Uchiha during the war, but he also felt a degree of culpability for Obito's fate. He couldn't just stand by and watch Kakashi waste away.
His gaze swept over Kakashi's eyes, both of which were still his own, and he smiled. "Kakashi's strength has left you in the dust, Guy. As his rival, you'd better work hard," he said, turning to the ravenous Guy.
"Cough, cough." Guy quickly swallowed the barbecue in his mouth. "Don't worry, Kyosuke! I'll catch up to you both soon!"
"Hey, Guy, don't talk with your mouth full! You're spraying food all over me!" Asuma grumbled from across the table, wiping bits of meat from his face as Guy put on an innocent expression.
"Pfft." Kurenai, who had been quiet until now, let out a soft laugh and gently wiped Asuma's face with a napkin.
"Ooooh," a chorus of teasing calls went up, and the young couple's faces instantly flushed red.
To change the subject, Asuma's eyes darted around. "Speaking of which, I wonder how big the gap is between Kakashi's current strength and Kyosuke's."
The table fell silent. All eyes went back and forth between Kakashi and Kyosuke, each of them silently making their own comparisons. Even as a newly promoted Jonin, Kakashi was likely still no match for Kyosuke. But how big was the gap, really?
Seeing that the attention was now off of him and Kurenai, Asuma exchanged a look of relief with her. But before he could say anything else, Kakashi's next words stunned them all.
"I'd like to know the answer to that myself. How about a match, Kyosuke?"
Kakashi's gaze was fixed on him, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of challenge.
Kyosuke smiled, met his sharp gaze, and gave a silent nod of acceptance.
"Are you serious... Kakashi, that's not a very wise challenge," Asuma muttered, his eyes wide.
Kurenai nodded in agreement, but the excited look on both of their faces was impossible to hide.
Kyosuke's strength was the stuff of legend. Many in the village believed he was already the strongest shinobi in Konoha. Kakashi, on the other hand, had been a prodigy since his academy days. If not for Kyosuke, he would have been the brightest star of their generation. A public challenge between the two of them was a spectacle no one wanted to miss.
"Oh, Kakashi! This is what youth is all about! You are truly my eternal rival!" Guy leaped onto his chair, his barbecue forgotten, and began to cheer wildly.
"Hey, sir, you're disturbing the other customers," a waiter said with a weary smile.
"Oh, sorry," Guy said, then immediately went back to stuffing his face.
The party continued, but even the gluttonous Guy had lost his appetite. They were all too excited for the coming match. They quickly finished their meal and, at the urging of the others, made their way to a secluded training ground.
At this time of night, the training ground was deserted, which was perfect. Kakashi had just been promoted to Jonin. This was his time to shine. A loss to a peer, even one as renowned as Uchiha Kyosuke, would still be a blow to his reputation.
"Go, Kakashi!"
"Take him down!"
"Oh, I'm fired up!"
Ignoring the cheers from their friends, the two of them faced each other, their gazes serious as they began to gather their chakra. Both were masters of the sword, and the sharp, piercing aura that emanated from them was something an ordinary shinobi could never possess. Even from the sidelines, Asuma and the others could feel a phantom pain in their own vital points.
The three of them fell silent, their full attention on the two figures in the center of the training ground.
Impressive killing intent, Kyosuke thought, his eyes narrowed as he felt the pressure radiating from Kakashi. Perhaps because his period of depression had been so short, Kakashi's aura was even sharper than it had been in the original story. And now, without the burden of the Sharingan, his future potential was even greater.
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