There is no absolute good or evil, only relative strength and weakness.
"This confrontation... it's happening more than a decade too soon, Obito."
Sensing Uchiha Obito pursuing him alone, Kakashi deliberately slowed his pace, allowing his former teammate to catch up.
"This guy... was he your teammate before?" Mei asked quietly.
"Yeah," Kakashi confirmed, his tone distant. "Before."
He turned to face the panting young Obito. Kakashi's eyes, now both fully functional, held a distinct look of curiosity. A closer look at his repaired left eye revealed a faint, white, almost mechanical glow within it.
"What gave you the courage to come after me alone, without Sensei?" Kakashi asked coolly. "Planning to challenge me by yourself, Obito?"
Hearing such cold, hostile words from the friend he had once looked up to, the friend who had saved him, Obito's initial flicker of joy slowly morphed into confusion, and then ignited into anger.
"Why did you lie to us?!" Obito demanded. "Rin... she trusted you so much! Sensei trusted you so much!"
"Is that what you came here to interrogate me about?" Kakashi asked, digging a finger into his ear with feigned impatience. The silver-haired boy closed the distance, stopping about five meters from Obito – striking range in a close-quarters ninja battle. Under the predictive gaze of the Uchiha clan's dōjutsu, several phantom images seemed to flicker around Kakashi's every potential move.
Obito's mind raced, analyzing possible combat scenarios. He, who had never once defeated Kakashi at the Ninja Academy, realized it instantly. Even with his three-tomoe Sharingan active, the gap between them was still immense, perhaps even wider than before.
Why... even though I've gotten so much stronger...
"I'm taking you back, Kakashi," Obito declared, his voice regaining some conviction. "You're going to apologize properly to everyone."
"Are you an idiot?" Kakashi retorted bluntly. "I'm a missing-nin now. Do you really think Konoha will just let me walk back in?"
"Sensei is going to apply for the Hokage position when he gets back," Obito countered earnestly. "Once he becomes Hokage, he can restore your status as a normal shinobi!"
So, it's almost that time already... Kakashi gazed at Obito's Sharingan eyes, his thoughts drifting to Uchiha Madara, to the Nine-Tails.
"...."
Kakashi's prolonged silence made Terumi Mei think he was actually considering it. She nervously clenched the fabric of her sleeve, wanting to ask his intentions but fearing the answer he might give. If he goes back to Konoha... where would I go? What could I do? Just keep living as a missing-nin? Or... turn myself in to Kirigakure?
Three individuals, six eyes locked in a silent standoff, each mind swirling with different thoughts. Both Obito and Mei waited for Kakashi's decision.
Obito didn't want to fight here. Firstly, it would easily attract unwanted attention from Kirigakure. Secondly, he didn't want his friend hurt because of him. And thirdly, after seeing Kakashi again, he honestly wasn't confident he could win. He vividly recalled the fear from his Academy days, watching the silver-haired prodigy single-handedly take on their entire class.
"Sensei... he gave you a kunai, didn't he?" Kakashi asked abruptly, breaking the silence. The key piece of the puzzle clicked into place in his mind. A fleeting warmth of gratitude touched his heart before he ruthlessly extinguished it.
"That's right," Obito admitted openly, seeing no point in hiding it. He produced the special kunai, twirling it threateningly between his fingers. The unique teleportation formula inscribed on the handle was clearly visible. If necessary, Minato Namikaze could appear by his side in the very next instant.
"That's unfortunate," Kakashi said softly. "Because you won't get the chance to send that signal."
He struck without warning. Forgoing Lightning Release, Kakashi engaged Obito purely with taijutsu. Obito reacted instantly, blocking with one hand while keeping a desperate grip on the Flying Thunder God kunai with the other, constantly weaving it defensively. As long as the kunai remained in his possession, Obito felt he held the advantage, the key to negotiating.
The sharp cracks of fists meeting echoed through the quiet forest. Kakashi, having studied the Sharingan extensively even from a young age, had long contemplated ways to counter it. Use a Sharingan against the Sharingan. Use Sage Mode against the Sharingan. And finally, use sheer taijutsu prowess against the Sharingan.
Just like Guy – if you avoid direct eye contact, you negate genjutsu. If your speed surpasses your opponent's, their predictive abilities become useless; they can't react in time, let alone counterattack.
Years of relentless training and clashing with powerful foes had honed Kakashi's combat experience and physical conditioning far beyond Obito's current level. The power difference even between Jōnin could be staggering – the chasm separating a low-level Special Jōnin from a Kage-caliber Jōnin was often too vast to bridge with tactics alone.
Furthermore, now that Kakashi's vision was fully restored, he discovered his left eye possessed strange new abilities. Its dynamic range and acuity were significantly enhanced. It seemed to grant him a degree of predictive capability, and his reaction speed felt heightened as well. It was a startling development. Whether it offered any resistance to genjutsu remained unknown – that would require testing in actual combat.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
After landing three swift kicks, Kakashi saw Obito flash through hand seals.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!)"
A massive sphere of fire erupted, rolling towards Kakashi with intense heat. Though often mocked as a jutsu that rarely killed anyone, at close range, its power was undeniable. Kakashi was about to effortlessly block it with an Earth Style: Mud Wall when a water dragon suddenly shot past him from behind, colliding with the fireball and exploding into steam.
Kakashi paused, glancing back at Terumi Mei, who looked slightly embarrassed.
"Stay out of this," Kakashi ordered flatly.
"Er..." Mei faltered. For some reason, the orange-haired girl felt strangely excluded, pushed out of their circle.
"Don't overthink it," Kakashi added quickly, perhaps sensing her reaction. "It's just a simple duel."
As the first fireball dissipated, a second one immediately launched towards him. Kakashi felt a flicker of exasperation. Seriously? Who falls for such an obvious follow-up?
He decided against using the Mud Wall to conserve chakra and simply sidestepped. As he dodged, he saw the sizable fireball suddenly defy gravity, floating upwards inexplicably.
Seeing Obito's triumphant smirk, Kakashi instantly knew he'd been tricked.
"Mei!! Suiryūdan!! (Water Dragon Bullet!)" he yelled urgently.
"Huh? Ah?!" Startled by the abrupt command after just being told not to interfere, Mei flinched but reacted quickly, her hands flying through seals. A second Water Dragon Bullet shot upwards, extinguishing the airborne fireball. Steam billowed into the sky, momentarily thickening the already present white mist.
Fortunately, the Land of Water's naturally poor visibility might prevent this disturbance from being spotted. Otherwise, Minato Namikaze would surely have detected them by now.
"Well, well. Didn't expect someone as earnest-looking as you to resort to dirty tricks, Obito," Kakashi commented, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You've certainly learned a few things."
"Heh heh." Obito accepted the sarcastic remark as praise, adjusting his goggles. From their brief exchange, he'd also sensed it – Kakashi held no killing intent.
Combat often communicated more effectively than words. At this point, Obito no longer felt the need to fight Kakashi. He wanted to reminisce first, then slowly persuade him to return to Konoha.
"Perfect chance."
Seeing Obito relax his guard, Kakashi didn't hesitate. He darted forward and delivered a swift chop to the back of Obito's neck, knocking him unconscious.
"See? You're still too naive," Kakashi muttered, looking down at his fallen teammate.
"Who are you calling naive, Kakashi?"
A voice from above, accompanied by a flash of familiar blond hair, made the silver-haired Jōnin freeze, his entire body stiffening.
"Sensei?!"
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