---
Ye Dou observed carefully for two hours, but considering the opponent was Hatake Kakashi, even that amount of preparation felt rushed.
"Then, let the survival exercise begin!"
As he spoke, Kakashi casually flipped open his little orange book—"Icha Icha Paradise", a not-so-subtle sign of his carefree attitude.
"Damn it, he's looking down on us!"
"Don't take the bait. Stick to the plan," Ye Dou said, drawing the shinobi blade from his waist and narrowing his focus.
Hatake Kakashi wasn't just a "Copy Ninja," or "Sharingan no Kakashi," though both titles were well-known. Among shinobi and even fans across the village, he was called "Hatake Kakashi" with reverence and fear—not just because of his name, but because of his terrifying track record.
In the Land of Waves, he clashed evenly with Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. During the Chūnin Exams, he closely monitored Orochimaru's subordinate Kabuto Yakushi, suspecting his true identity. Later in the series, Kakashi faced Kakuzu, Pain, Obito, and other S-rank or Kage-level shinobi in direct combat, always holding his ground.
Even during the Fourth Great Ninja War, he played a key role in sealing Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the final boss. Kakashi had an uncanny ability to pull opponents into fights that defied conventional logic—where paper strength didn't matter, and outcomes bent around his will.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Uzumaki Naruto, standing at the front, made a hand seal and instantly created ten clones, forming a human wall to protect Ye Dou and Uchiha Sasuke.
"The timing of your support is up to you, Uchiha's ghost," Ye Dou called out without turning.
"Shut up! I won't mess it up. I stake the Uchiha name on it."
Sasuke shot back, annoyed, but his hands were already full of kunai and shuriken.
"Move!"
Ye Dou lunged forward just as Naruto and his clones charged Kakashi. Sasuke remained at the back, kunai ready, eyes locked on their target.
"What a formation… You're underestimating me and overestimating yourselves."
Kakashi's tone was calm. With swift and precise movements, he dismantled Naruto's clones one after another, each Bang! marking the disappearance of another illusion.
The exercise field echoed with the cries of fading clones.
One.
Three.
Five.
In moments, all ten shadow clones were gone. When Naruto himself finally lunged, Kakashi avoided the attack with a simple backflip and pinned Naruto to the ground with one foot.
"The last one…"
Whoosh!
Three shuriken spun through the air in a tight triangle.
"Perfect timing for support!"
Kakashi had to abandon Naruto and leapt away from the incoming projectiles.
At that moment—shing!
A flash of light. Ye Dou emerged from the flank, his ninja blade slicing down.
"Smart move. But not enough."
Kakashi countered with a kunai, intercepting the blow. But then—
Another shadow fell over him. A second Ye Dou?
"A shadow clone? When did he… Was it during Naruto's distraction?"
Before Kakashi could react, the real Ye Dou pounced like a panther. He drew his blade again in a swift reverse cut, Ben Lei-style, full of explosive power.
His strike connected—clean through Kakashi.
But—
Poof!
"A substitution jutsu?!"
Naruto's eyes widened as two split logs tumbled to the ground.
"Wha—when did he even form the seal?!"
Even Sasuke, who had stayed back to observe from a distance, felt unease creep up. He had seen everything—or so he thought.
"Be careful…!"
Naruto shouted suddenly.
"Huh?"
Sasuke looked down—only to find his ankles ensnared by a pair of hands emerging from the earth.
It was the Hidden Mist-style Decapitation Earth Technique, a classic Doton jutsu. The user travels underground and drags their opponent down by the legs, immobilizing them.
Kakashi had already marked Sasuke as the priority.
The one responsible for long-range support had to go first.
---