The student surpasses the master.
Kakashi Hatake watched as Naruto Uzumaki, his hair a fiery red, instantly entered Sage Mode. In that moment, Kakashi knew Naruto had once again surpassed his own father. The jounin leader had underestimated his subordinate yet again.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you ready?" The words had barely left his mouth when Naruto shattered the ground with a single step and rushed forward.
Both Kakashi and Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but furrow their brows. Naruto's speed was incredible. Kakashi raised his arm to block the incoming fist.
But in the next instant, his eyes widened. What attacked him was not a fist, but a leg. The immense force sent him flying.
"His attack speed is also insane," Kakashi thought, "I can't even see his movements clearly..."
He landed in a crouch to absorb the impact, then pulled up his headband to reveal his scarlet Sharingan. "I have to use the Sharingan just for a taijutsu duel… this is not good."
Under the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, Kakashi could finally see through Naruto's movements. He was simply using his pure speed to switch up his attacks.
The two exchanged blows in a flurry of motion.
Because of the boost from Sage Mode, every one of Naruto's strikes landed on Kakashi like a hammer. In a pure taijutsu duel, the white-haired jounin was already at a disadvantage.
Kakashi saw the playful look in Naruto's eyes and drew a shuriken, intending to force him back. Continuing a close-quarters fight was not a good idea for him.
"Kakashi-sensei, let me help you!" Naruto's words sounded helpful, but his attacks only became fiercer.
Finding an opening in Kakashi's defense, he drove a kick into his abdomen, sending the Team 7 captain flying.
Crack! Boom!
Kakashi's body flew nearly a hundred meters, smashing through two large rocks before he landed hard. He knelt on the ground, clutching his abdomen in pain, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
He was injured right at the start of the fight.
Kakashi's fingers quickly formed hand seals, but he felt a bitter frustration. It was simple enough to cast a jutsu, but actually hitting Naruto was not going to be easy.
This kid could absorb ninjutsu chakra. Therefore, the jutsu he used now had to be something that could give him a tactical advantage.
"Water Style... Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
A thick fog instantly blanketed the battlefield. As the mist spread, Kakashi's figure quietly vanished from Naruto's sight. The Hidden Mist Jutsu was a technique that originated with the Hidden Mist ANBU. It concealed a ninja's form, allowing them to assassinate their target from within the fog, their murderous intent hidden.
"As expected of a jounin," Sasuke Uchiha thought with a small chuckle, his eyes fixed on the mist. "Even at a disadvantage, he can think of a countermeasure. Naruto is still too naive..."
He had to admit, their jounin leader had a few tricks up his sleeve. Against the power of Naruto's Sage Mode, the Hidden Mist Jutsu was a good counter. A classic strategy: hide and wait for an opening.
"You're wrong, Sasuke!"
No one expected Naruto to attack so decisively within the mist. His right leg suddenly swung out, kicking towards an empty patch of fog beside him.
After a surprised cry of pain, Kakashi's figure was revealed.
Naruto watched the white-haired jounin stumble back, a grin spreading across his lips. "Unlucky, Kakashi-sensei. Sage Mode comes from natural energy, so my sensory abilities are also greatly enhanced!"
Without another word, Naruto attacked again. Three consecutive flying kicks slammed into Kakashi, knocking the jounin clear out of the mist. He had thought he could hide, but Naruto had found his position with ease.
The white-haired jounin wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at his student in surprise. "Even your sensory abilities have increased?"
"That's right." Naruto slowly clenched his fist and chuckled. "This sensory ability is on a whole other level. It's not any worse than a dedicated sensory ninja's. For example, right now, I can sense that Orochimaru is no longer in Konoha..."
Sasuke Uchiha: "..."
Kakashi's feelings were complicated. If this wasn't a practice match, he would be happy for his student. But right now, he could only suffer in silence.
Still, as an all-around jounin, he wasn't out of options.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two clashed again in a flurry of blows. Kakashi barely managed to deflect the force of Naruto's attack. Taking advantage of a head-on clash, his scarlet Sharingan stared straight at Naruto. "Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!"
Bang!
Another kick came flying at him. Fortunately, Kakashi hadn't relied completely on the genjutsu and was wary of a counterattack, which was the only reason he wasn't defeated in that instant.
The white-haired jounin gritted his teeth. "Even genjutsu doesn't work?"
"Theoretically, Sage Mode gives an unimaginable enhancement to genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu, so ordinary genjutsu is useless," the blond genin explained, spreading his hands. "The same goes for Sharingan genjutsu, unless..."
Unless it was a dōjutsu from a Mangekyo Sharingan. Or rather, a visual power strong enough to break through the defense of Sage Mode. More importantly, it would have to be able to control both the Nine-Tails inside Naruto and Naruto himself at the same time.
"It's my turn..." Naruto said, condensing a vortex of chakra in his palm. He looked at Kakashi's wary expression and said seriously, "Even though I'll try my best to miss, Kakashi-sensei, you should also try your best to dodge. This is very dangerous... Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
The chakra sphere in Naruto's palm instantly expanded with practiced ease. A huge Rasengan, stirring up a hurricane, appeared in his hand.
"Are you kidding me!" A hint of horror flashed in Kakashi's eyes. If a Rasengan of that level hit him, how could he possibly survive? Was Naruto trying to kill him?
The white-haired jounin instantly vanished with a Body Flicker. He looked back just in time to see the huge Rasengan slam into the ground, turning a several-hundred-meter radius of land into a deep crater.
Kakashi's expression grew even more tense. He stared at the huge crater, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. "Under this 'Sage Mode,' the power of his ninjutsu has reached an unbelievable level. It's impossible for anyone to fight against that..."
If Naruto had used that jutsu during the third exam, the entire arena would have disappeared.
Besides that, there was something else that surprised him. Kakashi recalled the massive chakra sphere and sighed. "Naruto, you little brat, have you developed a new Rasengan derivative already?"
"Not really..." Naruto shook his head, looking at his palm. "The Massive Rasengan just uses sage chakra to boost the power of a normal Rasengan. In terms of real power, it's not even as good as the Spiral Wheel."
It was just that the Massive Rasengan formed faster. As Naruto spoke, he began condensing sage chakra in his palm again. "But there is another jutsu I should let you see, Kakashi-sensei... Sage Art: Wind Style: Massive Rasenshuriken!"
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Bonus:
Naruto: Let's spar, Kakashi-sensei!
Kakashi: No thanks, I'm not feeling so well today.
Naruto: Don't be like that, come on!
Kakashi: No Sage Mode, and no Spiral Wheel...
Naruto: Got it. Kurama Mode, Tailed Beast Bomb!
Kakashi: Sasuke, help me order a coffin from Yamato. Make sure it's top-quality wood.
Sasuke: ...You have high standards.