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Kakashi went to a nearby tree and sat down under the shade. He closed his Sharingan eye and took in a few deep breaths. He felt some relief after drinking some water from a small bottle stored in his pouch.
Hiruzen was watching the battle from time to time. He was impressed with how Daichi survived so far. 'Kensei and Tsunade taught him well. To push Kakashi like this… He's no doubt beyond Chunin. I made the right choice passing him.'
Kakashi took a few minutes break to catch his breath and recuperate some energy. 'Based on his Medical skills, I'm sure he's already healed himself.'
Letting out a long breath he stood up, and bit his thumb. With the needed blood as sacrifice he spread the bloody thumb on a scroll and began to make several seals. Once he reached the final seal he slammed his palm on the ground. 'Summoning jutsu.'
In a large puff of smoke 8 dogs of all sizes appeared wearing ninja gear.
"Hey guys." The man smiled looking at his ninja dogs.
The small pug sitting on top of the large black dog took a look at his summoner and was taken back.
"What happened to you Kakashi?" The small dog asked in a deep, gruff voice.
"Hey. Pakkun…"
"What's going on?"
"Well, I'm currently putting my student through a survival exam."
The dogs looked around the place and noted the destruction. "Must be one hell of an exam." One of them said.
"Yeah…" Kakashi took a piece of clothing and handed it to Pakkun.
"I took this during our battle. I need you guys to track him. He's somewhere inside this Training ground."
Pakkun took a whiff of the torn piece of clothing and concentrated on the smell… Once he had the scent he closed his eyes and searched for his target.
A few seconds later the ninja dog opened his eyes and spoke. "Got him. West of here."
Kakashi nodded. "Track him and capture. But be careful. He's strong and he has powerful senses."
"Understood." With those words the ninja dogs disappeared.
—-
Daichi got away from his enemy and stopped near the border of the training field. 'Kakashi will take at least a few minutes to rest. His Sharingan must be taking its toll on his body by now. So this is my chance.'
He created a shadow clone and sat down, controlled his breathing and within a minute entered the meditative state. His clone began healing his injuries and his meditation skill fastened the healing effects. 'Now that I can enter meditation quickly it helps with healing wounds and speeding up the chakra and health regen.'
In just several minutes the debuff notifications vanished and his arm was fully healed. Daichi took a medical pill from his inventory and quickly ate it. 'That will ensure my body will have the Protein and Vitamins needed for healing other large wounds. I have a feeling I'm going to need it.'
"How do you feel?" The shadow clone asked as it took a step back and asked his creator.
"Not bad considering the situation. I'll go hide and rest some more. I need you to distract Kakashi." Daichi told his counterpart.
Replying with a nod, the clone took off in Kakashi's direction.
As the real Daichi stood up and was about to leave the place, several ninja dogs burst out of the ground and bit down on his body. 2 dogs clamped their jaws on each of his arms and another 2 held on to his legs. A large black dog was on Daichi's back with his jaws near the boy's neck.
Daichi was surprised as he was completely trapped. 'Shit! I didn't even sense their movements underground. And because I didn't use Mana scout they escaped my detection. But even so, to escape my senses, these ninja hounds must be pretty exceptional.'
At that moment another small dog appeared out of the ground. He looked at the trapped prey and narrowed his eyes. 'So this is the student. Kakashi was right. I can already tell from his chakra… This kid is extremely dangerous.'
Daichi recognized the dogs around him. Especially the one that made the latest appearance. 'Pakkun. So Kakashi actually summoned them huh… He's actually kinda cute.'
"Do you wanna touch my paw?" Pakkun suddenly asked him.
"What?" Daichi was slightly taken back by the question.
"My paw. Do you wanna touch it? It's soft…" The small pug raised its right front leg and showed Daichi it's paw.
Daichi gave a large innocent and angelic smile and replied. "Sure. I'll touch your paw. It looks so smooth and it does look soft. If you just tell your buddies to let go I'll shake your paw. I'll even pet you. Dogs are my favorite, you know."
"Aww really?" Pakkun tilted his head and smiled at the boy.
"Yup."
"Ok. But I'll let you go after the test. Then you can pet me." The small dog had a smirk on his face as he replied.
"Damn it!" Daichi's smile fell and he mumbled.
At that moment sounds of battle were heard coming from the direction his clone took off. It lasted for a dozen seconds before the forest became silent again. Daichi got the memories of his vanquished clone and almost cursed. 'Kakashi went for killing blows and quickly finished off the clone. He must want to end this now. I'm not gonna give you that chance.'
A few seconds later footsteps were heard and Kakashi's form became visible to all. He walked with his hands in his pocket, his Sharingan eye closed and a nonchalant look on his face. Once he reached the spot he looked at Daichi and spoke.
"You've done well in this test. Far better than I had thought. But this is where it ends." Kakashi spoke with a serious tone.
Despite the situation he found himself in, Daichi still managed to smile. "Do you really believe that?" He asked the man.
The Jonin wasn't surprised at the boy's defiance. He half expected it. "I do. And you think you can escape this situation because you don't understand it. Those are ninja dogs that are currently biting down on your body. And since you're a great medic I'm sure you already know where their teeth are currently resting."
With that the man opened his Sharingan eye again.
Daichi narrowed his eyes and replied after a second. "My vital areas."
The man nodded. "Exactly. Now before you do anything rash, you should listen to what I have to say…"
The Jonin paused and taking Daichi's silence as a yes, he continued.
"If you make one move, try to gather chakra for a jutsu, I will know and before you can even execute it, I will give them the order to tear you apart. These dogs are specially trained to take down even high level shinobi. They will tear through flesh and bone and can rip their target to pieces on command. Your neck, the muscles, arteries, bones and veins through your arms and legs, once they chomp down you'll receive critical injuries and you'll bleed to death in seconds."
Daichi raised an eyebrow at the grim picture Kakashi just painted. He had a plan but for it to work he needed to turn off the Gamer's Mind. 'I need to test something. Turning off the Gamer's Mind is the only way. It's not the best move but it's my only option.'
Daichi mentally opened the options panel and turned off the Gamer's Mind.
He then asked the man a question with a small smile. "Would you really kill me?"
"During this test, yes. If it comes to it I will." Kakashi replied without hesitation. "This is a survival exam. I told you from the start. I'll be coming with the intent to kill… Now, we can avoid that if you just surrender."
At that question Daichi looked down and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Hihihihi…. HAHAHAHA..." The small chuckle quickly turned into full blown laughter. Kakashi was taken back by Daichi's unexpected response.
Pakkun and the other dogs became weary. Their animal instincts were predicting a coming danger but they weren't sure what.
A few seconds later the laughter died down and Daichi looked at the man. He had a dangerous and maniac smile on his face that set Kakashi on edge.
"Kakashi…" Pakkun called out his name in a slightly scared tone. The small ninja pug had a feeling things were about to get a lot more dangerous. Kakashi ignored him and kept his attention on his student.
"Do you remember?" Daichi asked the man at that moment.
"Remember what?"
"What I told you that day? During the Genin exam… When you had me pinned down with my arm behind my back?"
At that, Kakashi remembered the memory of that moment. He clearly recalled the words Daichi said to him. 'You have no idea… of the strength of my resolve.'
Daichi looked at the man with a dangerous grin on his face. "I have no intention of dying for the foreseeable future. And even if I somehow do… It won't be from a few dog bites."
Kakashi's danger sense, born from years of facing strong enemies, suddenly reared its head. The hairs on his body suddenly stood as he felt the rise of an ominous intent.
Daichi emitted a powerful Killing Intent that spread throughout the area petrifying everyone in their spot.
Due to turning off the Gamer's Mind and amplifying the strength of his emotions, the effects of his special stats and with a small bit of chakra mixed in, his intent became sufficiently potent and much stronger than most.
Kakashi's eyes widened as he felt the strength of Daichi's murderous intent. 'What is this? How can he produce such powerful killing intent?'
Daichi's flowing aura contained the helplessness and rage he felt in the last day of his previous life, his desire to live as he bled out in the street, his strong resolve to survive as he battled the various powerful enemies throughout the years and the cold merciless brutally he was willing to unleash on his enemies.
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
.
.
.
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
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.
.
His intent concentrated on the dogs biting down on him for a few seconds and then it just vanished. Once the killing intent was gone, Daichi only spoke two words in a small soft tone.
"Let go."
Even though they were spoken in a soft tone without killing intent, they had a massive impact on the ninja dogs. Their natural animal instincts overcame their training and all of the ninja dogs let go of Daichi and the next second ran away as fast as they could, disappearing into the forest.
Daichi turned his eyes to the last remaining dog. Pakkun saw no mercy in those orbs staring down at him.
"Get lost. Or I'll kill you."
Pakkun looked into Daichi's eyes and understood. 'He really will kill me… I need to…' The small pug tried to move his body but it's legs wouldn't move. They were petrified in fear. And that fear showed on its face.
The next second the small dog was safe in Kakashi's arms. "It's going to be okay Pakkun. You're safe." Kakashi gently stroked Pakkun's body and calmed him down.
"Pakkun. Thank you for your help. I'll take it from here. Go find the rest of them and return home." Kakashi said with a smile.
Daichi didn't make a move and just looked at the scene. He turned on his Gamer's Mind and reigned in his emotions. Several notifications appeared at that moment but he didn't pay them any attention.
Now that he was free and thinking more clearly he felt slightly bad for scaring them like that. 'I should get them a treat as an apology after this.'
The small dog looked at Kakashi in sadness. "Sorry Kakashi."
"Don't apologize. You did what I asked. You found him and trapped him. You guys did well. Now, find the others and get home. Once I'm done here I'll call you guys back for a well deserved snack." The man had a gentle smile as he replied.
Pakkun nodded and disappeared into the forest the next second.
Once his last summon disappeared, Kakashi looked at his student. 'So that's what happens when someone pushes you to the edge huh.'
"Thank you for not attacking them. They won't interfere anymore. This will be just between you and me." The Jonin's tone and expression didn't show any rage at what had just happened.
Daichi slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at the man. "You don't sound angry at what I did to your friends."
Kakashi let out a breath and replied. "I told you to come at me with everything you got. And your goal is to survive till the end of this test. You did as I asked. I can't fault you for that."
But a second later his eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist. "But that doesn't mean I'm not pissed off at what you did to them."
No more words were spoken as in the next second both of them rushed at each other and began their attack.
Kakashi blocked Daichi's punch and slapped away another. He thrust his fingers intending to target the nerve bundle in Daichi's chest but was blocked by the boy's high kick. The Sharingan eyed ninja bent low and did a leg sweep to unbalance Daichi but he jumped and brought the other leg high in the air down onto the man's shoulder with enough force bringing Kakashi to his knee.
The man swiftly grabbed and tightly held on to the leg on his shoulders and he ran to the nearest tree and slammed Daichi into it. The speed at which Kakashi slammed him destroyed the tree and before Daichi could respond Kakashi attacked with a palm thrust right towards Daichi's chin.
With his head snapped upwards Daichi was unable to properly defend himself and the next moment he felt a strong punch bury itself in his diaphragm. "GHAA…"
Without wasting another second after the chin strike, with precision Kakashi bypassed Daichi's wild defense blocks and struck a blow to the boy's abdomen, taking away his air. He quickly followed it up with several punches to the ribs and upper body.
Daichi had the wind knocked out of him and felt the blows wrecking his body. His breathing became unstable and he coughed a few times. His vision went blurry for a second but he held on. Using every ounce of will power and survival instinct he unleashed chakra threads from his arms and attached to a nearby tree and pulled himself from the spot, thereby barely dodging a kick from his opponent that would have buried him in the ground.
Kakashi followed his student but before he could continue with his assaults Daichi managed to create over a dozen shadow clones. One began to heal Daichi while the rest surrounded the Jonin ninja.
The clone at the back placed his palms on the real Daichi and started emitting green chakra. It quickly and meticulously checked Daichi's condition. 'Difficulty in breathing due to the spasm of Diaphragm. But no tears or other injuries in that area. Now moving upward… 3 cracked ribs and a bruised sternum.'
The real Daichi took a few deep breaths of air and got his breathing under control while his clone worked on healing the injured ribs and sternum.
At that moment Daichi was watching his clones get torn apart with speed and precision. 'Despite having a numerical advantage my clones are getting destroyed. When getting attacked Kakashi grabs and uses one to take out another. And his Taijutsu is almost flawless… He was a former Anbu Captain. So I guess I should have expected this much…'
Kakashi meticulously took out the clones one by one with Taijutsu. He avoided their Ninjutsu and due to the Sharingan their Genjutsu techniques did nothing to slow him down. He dodged the chakra strings flying at him and jumped to the side to evade the wind bullets. But the moment his feet touched the ground two hands suddenly appeared and grabbed on to him. The next second a fireball from behind came and blasted him but Daichi's clones realized that the man used substitution jutsu.
But it was too late as the ground around the three clones suddenly turned into swamp and fast lightning chakra coated shuriken came and pierced through them the next instance.
Only the real Daichi and the healing clone remained. But the real Daichi was healed and stood next to his doppelganger. Not planning on staying there any longer, they dropped smoke bombs on their location covering their two figures. The next second two Daichi's rushed in opposite directions.
Kakashi and his shadow clone watched the two disappear and followed after them.
The real Kakashi took off and as he swiftly moved through the trees, he threw a kunai that cut a wire hidden in the branches of a tree.
Daichi, who was ahead, sensed movement from a bush and quickly dodged the weapons flying in his direction. At that moment he received the memories of his clone and was not happy. 'He took out my clone already?'
As the boy jumped to another branch Daichi's heightened senses allowed him to sense his teacher coming from above intending to strike him down. Daichi flipped in mid air and blocked the knee strike that was aimed at his back. His hands went through seals as he sent a roundhouse kick that Kakashi blocked.
A small but fast fireball jutsu came from Daichi and struck the man in the face but the next second charred wooden pieces rained. Daichi was getting annoyed at that. 'Sometimes I hate that Jutsu.'
He backflipped and landed on the ground but something unexpected happened. He had an uneasy feeling just before his feet touched the soil and his intuition was right. The instant his feet touched the earth, several paper bombs lit up around the ground he was standing on and exploded the next second.
Daichi watched from a nearby tree and felt the shockwave from the blast pass him by. 'But sometimes I love that Jutsu.'
He tilted his head to the side and grabbed the arm that tried to attack him from behind. Daichi used Kakashi's momentum and sent an elbow strike backwards to the man's chest and dispelled him. He jumped down from the tree and avoided the small rain of shuriken that landed in his previous spot.
A second later the real Kakashi appeared in front of him. Both looked at each other and resumed their battle. Daichi was using Analyze skill on Kakashi and now after hours of battling the man he knew how the Jonin fought.
The battle continued with both of them trying to bring down the other. During the chaotic fight Daichi was able to create a few clones and escape the place but minutes later he sensed that Kakashi was onto him. He created three more and had them move in different directions but still felt that Kakashi was on his tail.
'Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence but three times is enemy action. How does he know I'm the real one?'
The Jonin ninja caught up to his student and they clashed for a while. Daichi had to use several skills that amplified his speed to escape the situation once again but the Mana scout indicated that his enemy was on his tracks.
'How is he following me? I managed to drop a few stink bombs around the place and made sure to disappear from his line of sight. But he's still tracking me. How?'
As this thought came to Daichi's head he stopped and looked at himself. He quickly checked himself over and soon found a small piece of paper tucked in his pocket. He saw a seal engraved on it.
He used 'Observe' on the item and cursed. 'Son of a bitch. A tracking seal. I didn't even know he had something like this.'
Daichi quickly destroyed the seal and checked his body if there were any more. Finding none, he let out a sigh but that relief was short lived as the tree near him exploded sending him flying through several other trees.
"Ghaa…"
Daichi landed and rolled on the ground a few times before coating his hand in lightning chakra and grabbed the earth to bleed off the momentum.
His ears were ringing but he was able to raise his hand and block the punch that came with his forearm. Another bout of Taijutsu battle began but due to Daichi's less than ideal conditions he took several blows and was only able to partially defend himself. 'Damn it. He's too good. I can barely defend myself let alone attack. He's going for my pressure points and nerves. He's trying to paralyze me like the old man did at the end of our fight.'
Kakashi had great respect for Daichi. Especially after seeing what he was capable of in this test. 'Even after taking an explosion near him, he's still able to defend like this. How hard must he have trained to achieve such tenacity and will. He is definitely the best in his generation. With all his skills and his growth rate there is no one who will be able to match him… I've been burning my chakra at a fast pace. I won't be able to hold on if I continue at this rate. I need to end this now.'
Wanting to finish the fight before running out of steam, Kakashi sent a speedy fist to the boy's chest but the next second Daichi turned into broken wooden pieces. 'Shit. He escaped. His use of substitution jutsu is impressive.'
Kakashi was about to give chase but he noticed something. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. 'I can't track him. So he found the seal. I was hoping to end this before that had happened but… Seems I have no choice…'
Kakashi let out several long breaths and decided to take a short break and recuperate his energy.
-—--
Meanwhile as Kakashi was resting, Daichi moved through the training ground as fast as he could. Only stopping after several minutes. He let out a breath and dropped to his knees. He had been using intense stamina skills, various Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to fight on equal terms with his foe.
'I had to fight with overwhelming force and intensity to match Kakashi and compensate for his years of experience and skill. My health isn't a problem but my chakra and stamina are starting to run low. I'm down to a little over 35%... But first things first. I need to find the traps he has hidden in the forest and either disable them or try to use them to my advantage. I can't get caught like that again… But for that I need to scour the whole forest and Kakashi will be waiting for me… I'll have to use Mana scout but I need to use it sparingly…'
Daichi thought about the points stored up but decided not to use them. He didn't want to see them as a crutch or a safety whenever he ran into trouble.
Daichi created a few clones and had them meditate for as long as they could while he went to look for the traps Kakashi planted. Before long he came across one. He looked around and saw that it would launch shuriken and kunai with a few paper tags in a certain direction. Just as he was about to enter and disable the trap he stopped himself. He had a thought that ran through his mind that froze him in his tracks.
'Always look underneath the underneath. That's his mantra… Could it be…'
Without moving, Daichi carefully looked around the whole place with a critical eye. As he was carefully searching he noticed a ninja wire painted green running through the leaves. He followed the wire and soon found that he was right.
'That bastard. He rigged a trap around the boobytrap. If I were to disarm the first one the second would go off. And he made the first one somewhat easier to find so that I wouldn't look deeper and find the hidden one. That sly motherfucker… He's clever… I have to give him that.'
He looked around to see if there were more traps but after a while he found none.
Daichi jumped back and gained some distance. 'Well, if I can't disarm it, then the next best thing to do is let it go off. But this time it will be on my terms.' He took a few kunai and sent them at the wires of the trap.
—-
Kakashi raised his head and looked to the side as he heard the sound of an explosion followed by the wind blowing through the place. "So he found one of the traps huh. I wonder if he got caught or if he saw through it?"
Kakashi got up and went to the location. He didn't find Daichi but the next moment he heard the sounds of shuriken hitting a tree trunk near him. By the time he reached the place Daichi was already gone.
'It seems he saw through my little ruse. Well, he isn't exactly dumb so I half expected that. Based on the location of the two traps that were triggered, he's moving south. Unless I'm wrong he must have already reached the next one I set there. I'll intercept him at the fourth one.'
Kakashi moved quickly and took a long round path with the idea to confront Daichi when he reached the place. But contrary to his expectations he didn't see Daichi and after several minutes heard another one of his traps go off in a completely different direction. The man narrowed his eyes and then sighed in frustration.
'This kid is starting to become a real pain. I could have been at home reading my books but no. I had to take this seriously… I'm beginning to regret this whole thing.'
—-
Daichi smiled as he set off another trap. 'When I checked the location on my Mini Map it was obvious that the traps were set in a certain order with a similar distance between each one. You thought you could track me like this? I won't be that easy to manipulate…'
Daichi then moved in a random direction in search of the next trap. At that moment he got the chakra and memories of a clone that was dispelled by Kakashi. 'Hmm… Seems he's starting to get frustrated. Ha! That's what you get when you mess with me, you walking scarecrow.'
—-
The cat and mouse game continued for hours. The two ninjas often confronted each other and would then disappear into the forest. Kakashi took another Ration pill to keep up with the chakra demands of his body and Daichi created clones to generate chakra, stamina and health points for him. The contest of strength now turned into one of tracking, evasion and capture. The Jonin would try to capture Daichi and would come close several times but the boy would find some ways to escape.
The sun went down and the moon slowly began to rise in the sky. The darkness of the night was often illuminated by a fireball or a lightning strike. The sounds of trees and rocks getting crushed by winds and water jutsu could be heard. And if one was near the place they would often feel the movements of the ground as if there was a small earthquake happening.
Daichi was sitting under a tree with his back resting against its large wide trunk. He was breathing hard as the intensity was starting to take its toll on him. 'Come on. How much longer…?'
As if to answer his prayers the sound of an alarm bell going off was clearly heard throughout the training ground. 'Fucking Finally. It's over. I won… I haven't gotten the end of quest reward yet but it must be because it's not officially acknowledged by Kakashi… But it's not that big of a deal. The bell rang. And I won. That's all that matters…'
Daichi chuckled and laid on the ground. He took several breaths and looked at the sky. He soon stopped smiling and sat up. 'Time to see this through.'
—-
Kakashi was at the clearing of training ground 3 near the three stumps waiting for his student. He reached the place a minute after the alarm went off. A couple minutes later he saw his student appear in a body flicker.
The man smiled as he looked at his student. His headband covered the Sharingan eye and the serious intent that was around him earlier wasn't present as if it was never there to begin with. "Well, I have to admit. I am impressed. You survived till the bell went off. To be honest I didn't see that coming."
Daichi smiled as he looked at the man. "You really put me through the ringer sensei. And you almost had me too if it weren't for some lucky breaks I had…"
Kakashi sighed as he scratched his head. "Well it doesn't matter how but you survived. So congratulations, you pass. Now, I'm going home and gonna take a long bath. I'll see you later Daichi."
"A bath does sound relaxing. I could use that. Good night sensei." Daichi smiled and turned around. He only took a step forward before he felt a kunai to his throat.
Daichi slowly tilted his head and looked at his teacher. "What's going on? You said I passed."
Kakashi once again had the cold expression he had during the test. "Never trust anything your enemy says. They don't play by your rules."
"You said the test is over once the alarm rings…"
"Did I say that? Think back to what I said carefully."
Daichi recalled every word Kakashi said when they met in the morning. "You just placed the clock on the stump. You never did say that the alarm would signify the end of the test. You just wanted me to think that."
"Exactly. I said this test would be over exactly at midnight. I set the alarm to go off 15 minutes before midnight. So technically this is still not over…"
Daichi was silent as he heard the words. Kakashi, not wanting the boy to feel depressed, spoke in a somewhat gentle tone. "When in prolonged combat our mental state gets worse and after some time we look for a way to finish the battle quickly or to escape. And in that desperate moment people often choose an easier path that opens up that will later become a trap… You were becoming tired and wanted to finish this quickly. So when you heard the alarm ring your subconscious mind told you that it's safe. You let your guard down. It's something that happens to almost every person. It's not something we can control… You did splendidly in this exam. You have nothing to be ashamed about… Now that being said… I win."
Daichi heard the speech and he slightly chuckled. The man narrowed his eyes and looked at the kid.
Daichi spoke after calming down. "You're right. It's something that happens to almost every person."
"But I'm not one of them." That voice came from behind Kakashi.
The Jonin's one visible eye widened and he looked behind and saw another Daichi with two daggers positioned millimeters away from his kidneys. The Jonin looked at the one he held at knife point and came to a realization. 'A shadow clone.'
"How?" The man asked.
"Even before I joined the Academy, I trained hard. And after I joined that place my training time only increased. I've spent so many days training till midnight and then some. I trained till I was on my knees struggling to take the next breath. Once I was done I would spend some time looking at the sky. At the stars… and at the moon. I did remember that you specifically said the exam ends at midnight. Before I came here I happened to look at the moon. I noted its position and realized that you set the alarm early. And knowing your personality, I knew it was another trap."
Kakashi had to fight off a smile as he heard that. 'This kid…'
"You said that as our situation worsens so does our desperation and the need for a way out. I'm not someone who would make such a careless mistake and I don't think you're the kind of person who would make an error in judgment like that as well… So why didn't you use a shadow clone to confront me… " The boy asked his sensei.
Kakashi sighed and replied to that question. "If I had used a Shadow clone, and it turned out you had fallen into my trap then I would have won and the test would have ended immediately. But if it was a clone then we would have been in a stalemate and I doubt I could have found the real you and subdued you in the remaining short time. And I would have ended the test then and there… Either way this test was bound to end quickly. I didn't see a need to waste anymore of my chakra and so I came by myself."
He took the kunai off clone Daichi's throat and placed it in his pouch.
"Oh come on. We don't know who will win for certain. We still have a few minutes before midnight. Wanna try your luck?" Daichi asked the man as he took a few steps back.
"No. I'm good. You pass Daichi. For real this time. There's no point in continuing this."
At that moment Daichi received a system message.
[Quest 'Pass the Survival Test' Completed.]
Author's Note:
Oh Man. Finally! It's completed. Even after writing 3 chapters with over 2K words, it still took another chapter with over 5.6k words to finish the whole battle.
This is my longest chapter in the series yet. A whopping 5.6k word count chapter without status page or skill list mentioned. That's a first.
Now that I've posted the whole battle sequence, I'M curious as to the response. Did you guys enjoy it?
This would be a perfect time for you guys to go back a few chapters and reread the whole fight.
I wanted to show that, while Daichi is strong, he isn't powerful enough to steamroll someone like Kakashi. Well, not without using the saved Stat Points anyway. But I also wanted to show that the last several years weren't a waste.
Daichi would have survived and outlasted Kakashi but wouldn't have beaten him. Kakashi survived till midnight only due to taking ration pills. That will be explained in the next chapter. So I didn't make him unnaturally stronger than his canon counterpart.
I wanted to strike a balance that showed Daichi was strong but not yet too OP(that would be boring if I did that this early.) Writing the whole thing with that balance in mind was a bit challenging.
Now I'm dying to know the verdict. Did you guys enjoy it? Or Do you think it's lacking something? Comment without holding back. This will make me want to try even harder for the next fight.
Alright, now with that out of the way I have some good news and bad news.
The good news is that you get to read a long ass 5.6k word chapter. I didn't want to split this whole fight even more than I already did and torture you guys.
The bad news is, I'm gonna take a short 2 or 3 day break.
I thank you all in advance for your patience.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release.
Kakashi went to a nearby tree and sat down under the shade. He closed his Sharingan eye and took in a few deep breaths. He felt some relief after drinking some water from a small bottle stored in his pouch.
Hiruzen was watching the battle from time to time. He was impressed with how Daichi survived so far. 'Kensei and Tsunade taught him well. To push Kakashi like this… He's no doubt beyond Chunin. I made the right choice passing him.'
Kakashi took a few minutes break to catch his breath and recuperate some energy. 'Based on his Medical skills, I'm sure he's already healed himself.'
Letting out a long breath he stood up, and bit his thumb. With the needed blood as sacrifice he spread the bloody thumb on a scroll and began to make several seals. Once he reached the final seal he slammed his palm on the ground. 'Summoning jutsu.'
In a large puff of smoke 8 dogs of all sizes appeared wearing ninja gear.
"Hey guys." The man smiled looking at his ninja dogs.
The small pug sitting on top of the large black dog took a look at his summoner and was taken back.
"What happened to you Kakashi?" The small dog asked in a deep, gruff voice.
"Hey. Pakkun…"
"What's going on?"
"Well, I'm currently putting my student through a survival exam."
The dogs looked around the place and noted the destruction. "Must be one hell of an exam." One of them said.
"Yeah…" Kakashi took a piece of clothing and handed it to Pakkun.
"I took this during our battle. I need you guys to track him. He's somewhere inside this Training ground."
Pakkun took a whiff of the torn piece of clothing and concentrated on the smell… Once he had the scent he closed his eyes and searched for his target.
A few seconds later the ninja dog opened his eyes and spoke. "Got him. West of here."
Kakashi nodded. "Track him and capture. But be careful. He's strong and he has powerful senses."
"Understood." With those words the ninja dogs disappeared.
—-
Daichi got away from his enemy and stopped near the border of the training field. 'Kakashi will take at least a few minutes to rest. His Sharingan must be taking its toll on his body by now. So this is my chance.'
He created a shadow clone and sat down, controlled his breathing and within a minute entered the meditative state. His clone began healing his injuries and his meditation skill fastened the healing effects. 'Now that I can enter meditation quickly it helps with healing wounds and speeding up the chakra and health regen.'
In just several minutes the debuff notifications vanished and his arm was fully healed. Daichi took a medical pill from his inventory and quickly ate it. 'That will ensure my body will have the Protein and Vitamins needed for healing other large wounds. I have a feeling I'm going to need it.'
"How do you feel?" The shadow clone asked as it took a step back and asked his creator.
"Not bad considering the situation. I'll go hide and rest some more. I need you to distract Kakashi." Daichi told his counterpart.
Replying with a nod, the clone took off in Kakashi's direction.
As the real Daichi stood up and was about to leave the place, several ninja dogs burst out of the ground and bit down on his body. 2 dogs clamped their jaws on each of his arms and another 2 held on to his legs. A large black dog was on Daichi's back with his jaws near the boy's neck.
Daichi was surprised as he was completely trapped. 'Shit! I didn't even sense their movements underground. And because I didn't use Mana scout they escaped my detection. But even so, to escape my senses, these ninja hounds must be pretty exceptional.'
At that moment another small dog appeared out of the ground. He looked at the trapped prey and narrowed his eyes. 'So this is the student. Kakashi was right. I can already tell from his chakra… This kid is extremely dangerous.'
Daichi recognized the dogs around him. Especially the one that made the latest appearance. 'Pakkun. So Kakashi actually summoned them huh… He's actually kinda cute.'
"Do you wanna touch my paw?" Pakkun suddenly asked him.
"What?" Daichi was slightly taken back by the question.
"My paw. Do you wanna touch it? It's soft…" The small pug raised its right front leg and showed Daichi it's paw.
Daichi gave a large innocent and angelic smile and replied. "Sure. I'll touch your paw. It looks so smooth and it does look soft. If you just tell your buddies to let go I'll shake your paw. I'll even pet you. Dogs are my favorite, you know."
"Aww really?" Pakkun tilted his head and smiled at the boy.
"Yup."
"Ok. But I'll let you go after the test. Then you can pet me." The small dog had a smirk on his face as he replied.
"Damn it!" Daichi's smile fell and he mumbled.
At that moment sounds of battle were heard coming from the direction his clone took off. It lasted for a dozen seconds before the forest became silent again. Daichi got the memories of his vanquished clone and almost cursed. 'Kakashi went for killing blows and quickly finished off the clone. He must want to end this now. I'm not gonna give you that chance.'
A few seconds later footsteps were heard and Kakashi's form became visible to all. He walked with his hands in his pocket, his Sharingan eye closed and a nonchalant look on his face. Once he reached the spot he looked at Daichi and spoke.
"You've done well in this test. Far better than I had thought. But this is where it ends." Kakashi spoke with a serious tone.
Despite the situation he found himself in, Daichi still managed to smile. "Do you really believe that?" He asked the man.
The Jonin wasn't surprised at the boy's defiance. He half expected it. "I do. And you think you can escape this situation because you don't understand it. Those are ninja dogs that are currently biting down on your body. And since you're a great medic I'm sure you already know where their teeth are currently resting."
With that the man opened his Sharingan eye again.
Daichi narrowed his eyes and replied after a second. "My vital areas."
The man nodded. "Exactly. Now before you do anything rash, you should listen to what I have to say…"
The Jonin paused and taking Daichi's silence as a yes, he continued.
"If you make one move, try to gather chakra for a jutsu, I will know and before you can even execute it, I will give them the order to tear you apart. These dogs are specially trained to take down even high level shinobi. They will tear through flesh and bone and can rip their target to pieces on command. Your neck, the muscles, arteries, bones and veins through your arms and legs, once they chomp down you'll receive critical injuries and you'll bleed to death in seconds."
Daichi raised an eyebrow at the grim picture Kakashi just painted. He had a plan but for it to work he needed to turn off the Gamer's Mind. 'I need to test something. Turning off the Gamer's Mind is the only way. It's not the best move but it's my only option.'
Daichi mentally opened the options panel and turned off the Gamer's Mind.
He then asked the man a question with a small smile. "Would you really kill me?"
"During this test, yes. If it comes to it I will." Kakashi replied without hesitation. "This is a survival exam. I told you from the start. I'll be coming with the intent to kill… Now, we can avoid that if you just surrender."
At that question Daichi looked down and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Hihihihi…. HAHAHAHA..." The small chuckle quickly turned into full blown laughter. Kakashi was taken back by Daichi's unexpected response.
Pakkun and the other dogs became weary. Their animal instincts were predicting a coming danger but they weren't sure what.
A few seconds later the laughter died down and Daichi looked at the man. He had a dangerous and maniac smile on his face that set Kakashi on edge.
"Kakashi…" Pakkun called out his name in a slightly scared tone. The small ninja pug had a feeling things were about to get a lot more dangerous. Kakashi ignored him and kept his attention on his student.
"Do you remember?" Daichi asked the man at that moment.
"Remember what?"
"What I told you that day? During the Genin exam… When you had me pinned down with my arm behind my back?"
At that, Kakashi remembered the memory of that moment. He clearly recalled the words Daichi said to him. 'You have no idea… of the strength of my resolve.'
Daichi looked at the man with a dangerous grin on his face. "I have no intention of dying for the foreseeable future. And even if I somehow do… It won't be from a few dog bites."
Kakashi's danger sense, born from years of facing strong enemies, suddenly reared its head. The hairs on his body suddenly stood as he felt the rise of an ominous intent.
Daichi emitted a powerful Killing Intent that spread throughout the area petrifying everyone in their spot.
Due to turning off the Gamer's Mind and amplifying the strength of his emotions, the effects of his special stats and with a small bit of chakra mixed in, his intent became sufficiently potent and much stronger than most.
Kakashi's eyes widened as he felt the strength of Daichi's murderous intent. 'What is this? How can he produce such powerful killing intent?'
Daichi's flowing aura contained the helplessness and rage he felt in the last day of his previous life, his desire to live as he bled out in the street, his strong resolve to survive as he battled the various powerful enemies throughout the years and the cold merciless brutally he was willing to unleash on his enemies.
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
.
.
.
[Skill Killing Intent's level has risen by one.]
.
.
.
His intent concentrated on the dogs biting down on him for a few seconds and then it just vanished. Once the killing intent was gone, Daichi only spoke two words in a small soft tone.
"Let go."
Even though they were spoken in a soft tone without killing intent, they had a massive impact on the ninja dogs. Their natural animal instincts overcame their training and all of the ninja dogs let go of Daichi and the next second ran away as fast as they could, disappearing into the forest.
Daichi turned his eyes to the last remaining dog. Pakkun saw no mercy in those orbs staring down at him.
"Get lost. Or I'll kill you."
Pakkun looked into Daichi's eyes and understood. 'He really will kill me… I need to…' The small pug tried to move his body but it's legs wouldn't move. They were petrified in fear. And that fear showed on its face.
The next second the small dog was safe in Kakashi's arms. "It's going to be okay Pakkun. You're safe." Kakashi gently stroked Pakkun's body and calmed him down.
"Pakkun. Thank you for your help. I'll take it from here. Go find the rest of them and return home." Kakashi said with a smile.
Daichi didn't make a move and just looked at the scene. He turned on his Gamer's Mind and reigned in his emotions. Several notifications appeared at that moment but he didn't pay them any attention.
Now that he was free and thinking more clearly he felt slightly bad for scaring them like that. 'I should get them a treat as an apology after this.'
The small dog looked at Kakashi in sadness. "Sorry Kakashi."
"Don't apologize. You did what I asked. You found him and trapped him. You guys did well. Now, find the others and get home. Once I'm done here I'll call you guys back for a well deserved snack." The man had a gentle smile as he replied.
Pakkun nodded and disappeared into the forest the next second.
Once his last summon disappeared, Kakashi looked at his student. 'So that's what happens when someone pushes you to the edge huh.'
"Thank you for not attacking them. They won't interfere anymore. This will be just between you and me." The Jonin's tone and expression didn't show any rage at what had just happened.
Daichi slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at the man. "You don't sound angry at what I did to your friends."
Kakashi let out a breath and replied. "I told you to come at me with everything you got. And your goal is to survive till the end of this test. You did as I asked. I can't fault you for that."
But a second later his eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist. "But that doesn't mean I'm not pissed off at what you did to them."
No more words were spoken as in the next second both of them rushed at each other and began their attack.
Kakashi blocked Daichi's punch and slapped away another. He thrust his fingers intending to target the nerve bundle in Daichi's chest but was blocked by the boy's high kick. The Sharingan eyed ninja bent low and did a leg sweep to unbalance Daichi but he jumped and brought the other leg high in the air down onto the man's shoulder with enough force bringing Kakashi to his knee.
The man swiftly grabbed and tightly held on to the leg on his shoulders and he ran to the nearest tree and slammed Daichi into it. The speed at which Kakashi slammed him destroyed the tree and before Daichi could respond Kakashi attacked with a palm thrust right towards Daichi's chin.
With his head snapped upwards Daichi was unable to properly defend himself and the next moment he felt a strong punch bury itself in his diaphragm. "GHAA…"
Without wasting another second after the chin strike, with precision Kakashi bypassed Daichi's wild defense blocks and struck a blow to the boy's abdomen, taking away his air. He quickly followed it up with several punches to the ribs and upper body.
Daichi had the wind knocked out of him and felt the blows wrecking his body. His breathing became unstable and he coughed a few times. His vision went blurry for a second but he held on. Using every ounce of will power and survival instinct he unleashed chakra threads from his arms and attached to a nearby tree and pulled himself from the spot, thereby barely dodging a kick from his opponent that would have buried him in the ground.
Kakashi followed his student but before he could continue with his assaults Daichi managed to create over a dozen shadow clones. One began to heal Daichi while the rest surrounded the Jonin ninja.
The clone at the back placed his palms on the real Daichi and started emitting green chakra. It quickly and meticulously checked Daichi's condition. 'Difficulty in breathing due to the spasm of Diaphragm. But no tears or other injuries in that area. Now moving upward… 3 cracked ribs and a bruised sternum.'
The real Daichi took a few deep breaths of air and got his breathing under control while his clone worked on healing the injured ribs and sternum.
At that moment Daichi was watching his clones get torn apart with speed and precision. 'Despite having a numerical advantage my clones are getting destroyed. When getting attacked Kakashi grabs and uses one to take out another. And his Taijutsu is almost flawless… He was a former Anbu Captain. So I guess I should have expected this much…'
Kakashi meticulously took out the clones one by one with Taijutsu. He avoided their Ninjutsu and due to the Sharingan their Genjutsu techniques did nothing to slow him down. He dodged the chakra strings flying at him and jumped to the side to evade the wind bullets. But the moment his feet touched the ground two hands suddenly appeared and grabbed on to him. The next second a fireball from behind came and blasted him but Daichi's clones realized that the man used substitution jutsu.
But it was too late as the ground around the three clones suddenly turned into swamp and fast lightning chakra coated shuriken came and pierced through them the next instance.
Only the real Daichi and the healing clone remained. But the real Daichi was healed and stood next to his doppelganger. Not planning on staying there any longer, they dropped smoke bombs on their location covering their two figures. The next second two Daichi's rushed in opposite directions.
Kakashi and his shadow clone watched the two disappear and followed after them.
The real Kakashi took off and as he swiftly moved through the trees, he threw a kunai that cut a wire hidden in the branches of a tree.
Daichi, who was ahead, sensed movement from a bush and quickly dodged the weapons flying in his direction. At that moment he received the memories of his clone and was not happy. 'He took out my clone already?'
As the boy jumped to another branch Daichi's heightened senses allowed him to sense his teacher coming from above intending to strike him down. Daichi flipped in mid air and blocked the knee strike that was aimed at his back. His hands went through seals as he sent a roundhouse kick that Kakashi blocked.
A small but fast fireball jutsu came from Daichi and struck the man in the face but the next second charred wooden pieces rained. Daichi was getting annoyed at that. 'Sometimes I hate that Jutsu.'
He backflipped and landed on the ground but something unexpected happened. He had an uneasy feeling just before his feet touched the soil and his intuition was right. The instant his feet touched the earth, several paper bombs lit up around the ground he was standing on and exploded the next second.
Daichi watched from a nearby tree and felt the shockwave from the blast pass him by. 'But sometimes I love that Jutsu.'
He tilted his head to the side and grabbed the arm that tried to attack him from behind. Daichi used Kakashi's momentum and sent an elbow strike backwards to the man's chest and dispelled him. He jumped down from the tree and avoided the small rain of shuriken that landed in his previous spot.
A second later the real Kakashi appeared in front of him. Both looked at each other and resumed their battle. Daichi was using Analyze skill on Kakashi and now after hours of battling the man he knew how the Jonin fought.
The battle continued with both of them trying to bring down the other. During the chaotic fight Daichi was able to create a few clones and escape the place but minutes later he sensed that Kakashi was onto him. He created three more and had them move in different directions but still felt that Kakashi was on his tail.
'Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence but three times is enemy action. How does he know I'm the real one?'
The Jonin ninja caught up to his student and they clashed for a while. Daichi had to use several skills that amplified his speed to escape the situation once again but the Mana scout indicated that his enemy was on his tracks.
'How is he following me? I managed to drop a few stink bombs around the place and made sure to disappear from his line of sight. But he's still tracking me. How?'
As this thought came to Daichi's head he stopped and looked at himself. He quickly checked himself over and soon found a small piece of paper tucked in his pocket. He saw a seal engraved on it.
He used 'Observe' on the item and cursed. 'Son of a bitch. A tracking seal. I didn't even know he had something like this.'
Daichi quickly destroyed the seal and checked his body if there were any more. Finding none, he let out a sigh but that relief was short lived as the tree near him exploded sending him flying through several other trees.
"Ghaa…"
Daichi landed and rolled on the ground a few times before coating his hand in lightning chakra and grabbed the earth to bleed off the momentum.
His ears were ringing but he was able to raise his hand and block the punch that came with his forearm. Another bout of Taijutsu battle began but due to Daichi's less than ideal conditions he took several blows and was only able to partially defend himself. 'Damn it. He's too good. I can barely defend myself let alone attack. He's going for my pressure points and nerves. He's trying to paralyze me like the old man did at the end of our fight.'
Kakashi had great respect for Daichi. Especially after seeing what he was capable of in this test. 'Even after taking an explosion near him, he's still able to defend like this. How hard must he have trained to achieve such tenacity and will. He is definitely the best in his generation. With all his skills and his growth rate there is no one who will be able to match him… I've been burning my chakra at a fast pace. I won't be able to hold on if I continue at this rate. I need to end this now.'
Wanting to finish the fight before running out of steam, Kakashi sent a speedy fist to the boy's chest but the next second Daichi turned into broken wooden pieces. 'Shit. He escaped. His use of substitution jutsu is impressive.'
Kakashi was about to give chase but he noticed something. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. 'I can't track him. So he found the seal. I was hoping to end this before that had happened but… Seems I have no choice…'
Kakashi let out several long breaths and decided to take a short break and recuperate his energy.
-—--
Meanwhile as Kakashi was resting, Daichi moved through the training ground as fast as he could. Only stopping after several minutes. He let out a breath and dropped to his knees. He had been using intense stamina skills, various Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to fight on equal terms with his foe.
'I had to fight with overwhelming force and intensity to match Kakashi and compensate for his years of experience and skill. My health isn't a problem but my chakra and stamina are starting to run low. I'm down to a little over 35%... But first things first. I need to find the traps he has hidden in the forest and either disable them or try to use them to my advantage. I can't get caught like that again… But for that I need to scour the whole forest and Kakashi will be waiting for me… I'll have to use Mana scout but I need to use it sparingly…'
Daichi thought about the points stored up but decided not to use them. He didn't want to see them as a crutch or a safety whenever he ran into trouble.
Daichi created a few clones and had them meditate for as long as they could while he went to look for the traps Kakashi planted. Before long he came across one. He looked around and saw that it would launch shuriken and kunai with a few paper tags in a certain direction. Just as he was about to enter and disable the trap he stopped himself. He had a thought that ran through his mind that froze him in his tracks.
'Always look underneath the underneath. That's his mantra… Could it be…'
Without moving, Daichi carefully looked around the whole place with a critical eye. As he was carefully searching he noticed a ninja wire painted green running through the leaves. He followed the wire and soon found that he was right.
'That bastard. He rigged a trap around the boobytrap. If I were to disarm the first one the second would go off. And he made the first one somewhat easier to find so that I wouldn't look deeper and find the hidden one. That sly motherfucker… He's clever… I have to give him that.'
He looked around to see if there were more traps but after a while he found none.
Daichi jumped back and gained some distance. 'Well, if I can't disarm it, then the next best thing to do is let it go off. But this time it will be on my terms.' He took a few kunai and sent them at the wires of the trap.
—-
Kakashi raised his head and looked to the side as he heard the sound of an explosion followed by the wind blowing through the place. "So he found one of the traps huh. I wonder if he got caught or if he saw through it?"
Kakashi got up and went to the location. He didn't find Daichi but the next moment he heard the sounds of shuriken hitting a tree trunk near him. By the time he reached the place Daichi was already gone.
'It seems he saw through my little ruse. Well, he isn't exactly dumb so I half expected that. Based on the location of the two traps that were triggered, he's moving south. Unless I'm wrong he must have already reached the next one I set there. I'll intercept him at the fourth one.'
Kakashi moved quickly and took a long round path with the idea to confront Daichi when he reached the place. But contrary to his expectations he didn't see Daichi and after several minutes heard another one of his traps go off in a completely different direction. The man narrowed his eyes and then sighed in frustration.
'This kid is starting to become a real pain. I could have been at home reading my books but no. I had to take this seriously… I'm beginning to regret this whole thing.'
—-
Daichi smiled as he set off another trap. 'When I checked the location on my Mini Map it was obvious that the traps were set in a certain order with a similar distance between each one. You thought you could track me like this? I won't be that easy to manipulate…'
Daichi then moved in a random direction in search of the next trap. At that moment he got the chakra and memories of a clone that was dispelled by Kakashi. 'Hmm… Seems he's starting to get frustrated. Ha! That's what you get when you mess with me, you walking scarecrow.'
—-
The cat and mouse game continued for hours. The two ninjas often confronted each other and would then disappear into the forest. Kakashi took another Ration pill to keep up with the chakra demands of his body and Daichi created clones to generate chakra, stamina and health points for him. The contest of strength now turned into one of tracking, evasion and capture. The Jonin would try to capture Daichi and would come close several times but the boy would find some ways to escape.
The sun went down and the moon slowly began to rise in the sky. The darkness of the night was often illuminated by a fireball or a lightning strike. The sounds of trees and rocks getting crushed by winds and water jutsu could be heard. And if one was near the place they would often feel the movements of the ground as if there was a small earthquake happening.
Daichi was sitting under a tree with his back resting against its large wide trunk. He was breathing hard as the intensity was starting to take its toll on him. 'Come on. How much longer…?'
As if to answer his prayers the sound of an alarm bell going off was clearly heard throughout the training ground. 'Fucking Finally. It's over. I won… I haven't gotten the end of quest reward yet but it must be because it's not officially acknowledged by Kakashi… But it's not that big of a deal. The bell rang. And I won. That's all that matters…'
Daichi chuckled and laid on the ground. He took several breaths and looked at the sky. He soon stopped smiling and sat up. 'Time to see this through.'
—-
Kakashi was at the clearing of training ground 3 near the three stumps waiting for his student. He reached the place a minute after the alarm went off. A couple minutes later he saw his student appear in a body flicker.
The man smiled as he looked at his student. His headband covered the Sharingan eye and the serious intent that was around him earlier wasn't present as if it was never there to begin with. "Well, I have to admit. I am impressed. You survived till the bell went off. To be honest I didn't see that coming."
Daichi smiled as he looked at the man. "You really put me through the ringer sensei. And you almost had me too if it weren't for some lucky breaks I had…"
Kakashi sighed as he scratched his head. "Well it doesn't matter how but you survived. So congratulations, you pass. Now, I'm going home and gonna take a long bath. I'll see you later Daichi."
"A bath does sound relaxing. I could use that. Good night sensei." Daichi smiled and turned around. He only took a step forward before he felt a kunai to his throat.
Daichi slowly tilted his head and looked at his teacher. "What's going on? You said I passed."
Kakashi once again had the cold expression he had during the test. "Never trust anything your enemy says. They don't play by your rules."
"You said the test is over once the alarm rings…"
"Did I say that? Think back to what I said carefully."
Daichi recalled every word Kakashi said when they met in the morning. "You just placed the clock on the stump. You never did say that the alarm would signify the end of the test. You just wanted me to think that."
"Exactly. I said this test would be over exactly at midnight. I set the alarm to go off 15 minutes before midnight. So technically this is still not over…"
Daichi was silent as he heard the words. Kakashi, not wanting the boy to feel depressed, spoke in a somewhat gentle tone. "When in prolonged combat our mental state gets worse and after some time we look for a way to finish the battle quickly or to escape. And in that desperate moment people often choose an easier path that opens up that will later become a trap… You were becoming tired and wanted to finish this quickly. So when you heard the alarm ring your subconscious mind told you that it's safe. You let your guard down. It's something that happens to almost every person. It's not something we can control… You did splendidly in this exam. You have nothing to be ashamed about… Now that being said… I win."
Daichi heard the speech and he slightly chuckled. The man narrowed his eyes and looked at the kid.
Daichi spoke after calming down. "You're right. It's something that happens to almost every person."
"But I'm not one of them." That voice came from behind Kakashi.
The Jonin's one visible eye widened and he looked behind and saw another Daichi with two daggers positioned millimeters away from his kidneys. The Jonin looked at the one he held at knife point and came to a realization. 'A shadow clone.'
"How?" The man asked.
"Even before I joined the Academy, I trained hard. And after I joined that place my training time only increased. I've spent so many days training till midnight and then some. I trained till I was on my knees struggling to take the next breath. Once I was done I would spend some time looking at the sky. At the stars… and at the moon. I did remember that you specifically said the exam ends at midnight. Before I came here I happened to look at the moon. I noted its position and realized that you set the alarm early. And knowing your personality, I knew it was another trap."
Kakashi had to fight off a smile as he heard that. 'This kid…'
"You said that as our situation worsens so does our desperation and the need for a way out. I'm not someone who would make such a careless mistake and I don't think you're the kind of person who would make an error in judgment like that as well… So why didn't you use a shadow clone to confront me… " The boy asked his sensei.
Kakashi sighed and replied to that question. "If I had used a Shadow clone, and it turned out you had fallen into my trap then I would have won and the test would have ended immediately. But if it was a clone then we would have been in a stalemate and I doubt I could have found the real you and subdued you in the remaining short time. And I would have ended the test then and there… Either way this test was bound to end quickly. I didn't see a need to waste anymore of my chakra and so I came by myself."
He took the kunai off clone Daichi's throat and placed it in his pouch.
"Oh come on. We don't know who will win for certain. We still have a few minutes before midnight. Wanna try your luck?" Daichi asked the man as he took a few steps back.
"No. I'm good. You pass Daichi. For real this time. There's no point in continuing this."
At that moment Daichi received a system message.
[Quest 'Pass the Survival Test' Completed.]
Author's Note:
Oh Man. Finally! It's completed. Even after writing 3 chapters with over 2K words, it still took another chapter with over 5.6k words to finish the whole battle.
This is my longest chapter in the series yet. A whopping 5.6k word count chapter without status page or skill list mentioned. That's a first.
Now that I've posted the whole battle sequence, I'M curious as to the response. Did you guys enjoy it?
This would be a perfect time for you guys to go back a few chapters and reread the whole fight.
I wanted to show that, while Daichi is strong, he isn't powerful enough to steamroll someone like Kakashi. Well, not without using the saved Stat Points anyway. But I also wanted to show that the last several years weren't a waste.
Daichi would have survived and outlasted Kakashi but wouldn't have beaten him. Kakashi survived till midnight only due to taking ration pills. That will be explained in the next chapter. So I didn't make him unnaturally stronger than his canon counterpart.
I wanted to strike a balance that showed Daichi was strong but not yet too OP(that would be boring if I did that this early.) Writing the whole thing with that balance in mind was a bit challenging.
Now I'm dying to know the verdict. Did you guys enjoy it? Or Do you think it's lacking something? Comment without holding back. This will make me want to try even harder for the next fight.
Alright, now with that out of the way I have some good news and bad news.
The good news is that you get to read a long ass 5.6k word chapter. I didn't want to split this whole fight even more than I already did and torture you guys.
The bad news is, I'm gonna take a short 2 or 3 day break.
I thank you all in advance for your patience.
