Chapter 145: Triggering the Mission
Chapter 145: Triggering the Mission
Just as Obito began to celebrate his impending victory in his mind, something unexpected happened that caught him off guard.
Kakashi, who had been caught in the aftermath of the fire-style jutsu, suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke.
Obito, of course, didn't believe that he had killed Kakashi. He expected to see his opponent's body, even if it was charred from the explosion.
"It was a Shadow Clone!" Obito's heart sank as he realized his mistake, but it was too late. In the moment of his relaxation, Kakashi, who had been hidden underground, seized the opportunity to strike.
"Wood Style: Secret Technique, Thousand-Year Death!"
Kakashi, with his hands sealed in the tiger seal, burst forth from the ground and aimed directly for Obito's vulnerable spot.
"Ahhhh!" Obito's face contorted in pain as the intense agony from his weak spot made him jump several feet into the air. He fell to the ground, still clutching his hands protectively over his severely injured area, but it was of no use.
Obito landed on his backside with a thud, letting out a defiant roar filled with anger and frustration, "Kakashi, you despicable bastard!"
"It's your own fault for being careless," Kakashi replied calmly as he walked forward.
"The enemy had already disappeared from your sight, and when you saw me again, you rushed in without carefully observing your surroundings. If I were the enemy, you would have died several times over by now," Kakashi bluntly pointed out.
"Damn it..." Obito couldn't refute; he knew he had lost, not because of some powerful jutsu, but because of a simple shadow clone.
If he had lost due to a jutsu showdown, Obito wouldn't feel so resentful. This was a pure crushing defeat in terms of battle experience.
Unlike his student, Kakashi had been a ninja for over three years and had experienced the harsh realities of life-and-death battles.
"Save your big talk," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "If you want to dream of defeating me, you'll need to train for several more years."
However, Kakashi's heart was not as calm as his expression suggested; he was, in fact, quite astonished.
Based on the battle that had just transpired, Kakashi assessed that Obito now possessed the strength he had when he was six years old. In other words, Obito currently had the capability to pass the Chunin Exams, although he lacked the qualifications to take the exam just yet.
Kakashi was stunned by this realization. Just a few months ago, Obito might not have even been able to defeat a five-year-old Kakashi, and now he had the strength of a six-year-old Kakashi. The rate of improvement was astonishing.
If Kakashi hadn't had the advantage of superior battle experience, he would have had a hard time dealing with Obito.
It had been over two years since Kakashi became a Chunin, but there was a period of over a year when he had neglected his training due to certain events, so his strength had not improved qualitatively since he was six.
"How did his strength improve so rapidly, and he hasn't even activated his Sharingan..." Kakashi's heart was filled with questions.
If Obito had activated his Sharingan, such rapid progress would be understandable, but Obito hadn't used his Sharingan at all during their fight, which made the situation peculiar.
"Damn it! If only I had the Sharingan, if only I had mastered the Fire Style: Breath of Fire..." Obito struck the ground in frustration as he felt the lingering pain from his vulnerable spot.
If he had attained the level of breathing technique mastery like Sage Mo Yue, Kakashi wouldn't have been able to make him look so pathetic.
"Damn you, Kakashi! I was careless just now, but next time, once my injuries heal, you'd better prepare for your own failure!" Obito vowed, feeling that he could turn things around if he learned from this failure.
"With your current level, even if you challenged me ten thousand times, you wouldn't be able to win," Kakashi stated flatly.
Obito's current strength was commendable, but wanting to defeat him was simply wishful thinking.
"Just you wait," Obito muttered, feeling belittled as he rubbed his sore backside and headed for the door.
Kakashi stood nonchalantly while Obito, his face contorted with humiliation and resentment, slowly walked away, clutching his nether regions.
"What do you mean, bad timing? We're done fighting, and he's free now," Obito said, turning to leave without another glance.
"Let's go," Kakashi said coldly, his eyes fixed on Obito's retreating back as he began to walk towards the Hokage's office.
"We still have some time. We should prepare. The teacher said this mission will be difficult," his other teammate reminded him.
"As a ninja, I'm always ready for a mission," Kakashi replied, continuing on his way.
With Kakashi taking the lead, his two teammates had no choice but to follow.
...
Due to the embarrassing nature of his injury, Obito took a while to find Mu Yue. He wanted her to review his performance so he could improve before challenging Kakashi again. After all, Kakashi was about to leave on a mission, and he might not return for a week or even a month. Obito wanted to use this time to get stronger and then try again.
"You used the All-Out Concentration Breath too early," Mu Yue said, shaking her head after hearing the details of Obito and Kakashi's fight.
"With your current stamina and chakra levels, you can't maintain that breathing technique for long. The critical All-Out Concentration Breath burst should be saved for the crucial moment to deliver a fatal blow to your enemy."
Even without witnessing the battle herself, Mu Yue could tell that Obito's performance was full of flaws.
"I see. I do feel a bit tired after using the All-Out Concentration Breath," Obito admitted, listening intently to Mu Yue's analysis.
"However, it's impressive that you were able to do that against Kakashi, a true genius. Even I, as a new teacher, occasionally hear tales of his legendary exploits at the Ninja Academy," Mu Yue said with a smile.
"That Kakashi is nothing. I'll defeat him eventually," Obito declared, hoping that one day he would also become renowned, and Mu Yue would be proud of him.
"I believe that one day, you will defeat Kakashi, Obito," Mu Yue said gently.
"But for now, it's very difficult. You need to train harder," Mu Yue continued, giving Obito an overview of Kakashi's current strength.
In terms of chakra, Obito currently had only 1,100 points, while Kakashi, according to Mu Yue's observation a few months ago, had 2,500 points—a significant advantage.
Mu Yue couldn't be sure of Kakashi's exact ninjutsu capabilities since she hadn't used her upgraded Appraisal Technique on him. However, based on the earlier Earth Style Wall technique, she knew Kakashi's skill was definitely not inferior to Obito's and was most likely superior.
From Obito's description of how Kakashi quickly turned the battle around after an initial setback, it was clear that Kakashi's taijutsu and battle experience were also better than Obito's.
After comparing their skills, Mu Yue couldn't find any advantage for Obito aside from the breathing technique, which he hadn't yet fully mastered.
"So, that Kakashi guy is actually so strong!" Obito exclaimed as he realized he had underestimated Kakashi's abilities.
"Thankfully, I came to find Teacher Mu Yue," Obito thought to himself, grateful that he hadn't had to endure another Thousand Years of Death.
Just as Obito was thinking about how fortunate he was to have Mu Yue as his teacher, she also received a notification.
(End of Chapter)
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