Two nights before the official tournament, Satoru gathered his four students once again in the Western Forest.
The cool night breeze stirred the leaves, and the chirping of insects painted an atmosphere both serene and tense.
Standing before his students, Satoru spoke with calm authority:
"In these next two days, I will train each of you in practical combat. Not just ninjutsu or chakra—but more importantly, how you apply them in battle, in tactics, and in reflex."
The four kids were fully focused, their eyes burning with anticipation.
"A true shinobi isn't someone who only relies on chakra or ninjutsu. Before chakra existed, shinobi survived through battle wisdom and strategic awareness."
Satoru looked each one of them in the eye, then asked:
"How do you think Observation Haki can help in real combat?"
The kids frowned in thought. Obito raised his hand eagerly:
"Sensei! Haki lets you sense things you can't see, like the enemy's chakra! It helps avoid sneak attacks!"
Satoru nodded but remained expectant:
"Is that all?"
Gai clenched his fists.
"It can also help you feel your surroundings in battle! If you can sense properly, you can dodge without even seeing!"
Satoru smiled lightly, then looked to Kakashi.
Kakashi responded calmly:
"It can also distinguish between real bodies and shadow clones."
Obito's jaw dropped:
"What?! So Kakashi can't trick me with clones anymore?!"
Satoru nodded:
"Exactly. If you train your Haki well enough, you can feel which body holds a stronger chakra flow. Clones only hold minimal chakra."
"Remember, powerful shinobi develop senses so sharp through countless battles that just a twitch of chakra or a simple hand seal gives away the opponent's next move."
"You're lucky. What takes others years of blood and sweat, you can gain faster with Haki. That's why the Third Hokage and Jiraiya have placed their faith in me."
The students looked as though a new world had opened before them.
"Amazing! Thank you, sensei!" Rin beamed.
"Let's get started right now!" Gai shouted with energy. Kakashi quietly lowered his head in gratitude, while Obito clenched his fists:
"The road to Hokage just got one step closer!"
Satoru smiled softly:
"Alright. We'll begin with two sparring matches. Kakashi vs Eren. Obito vs Gai."
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Match: Kakashi vs Eren
Location: Western Forest
That night, darkness blanketed the forest. No moonlight, only the sound of rustling leaves filled the air.
Kakashi stood silent in the shadows, his black ninja outfit blending with the woods.
Across from him, Eren stood tall—a solid, immovable force.
His breathing was steady, but Satoru could feel the wild, primal energy that lingered beneath Eren's calm.
No longer a berserk titan, yet the beast within remained.
Eren stepped forward, his voice deep and composed:
"Kakashi, I'll only use one-third of my strength."
Kakashi didn't respond. He merely took a stance, kunai gleaming in hand.
Fight!
BOOM!
A smoke bomb exploded, cloaking the field in thick fog.
Kakashi vanished instantly, suppressing his breath and chakra to near silence, deploying clones throughout the area.
But Eren didn't flinch.
He stood firm, placed a hand on the ground, and spread his chakra through an underground web of roots—scanning the entire field with his advanced perception.
Suddenly, kunai rained from above, accompanied by a Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.
But Eren didn't dodge.
With Armament Haki encasing his body, the flames scorched him only lightly before the skin rapidly regenerated.
Underground, Kakashi watched carefully.
"His regeneration is insane... Only one technique might land a real hit—Chidori!"
He adjusted his chakra, setting up a clone with faint chakra output to bait Eren.
Eren felt it immediately.
He smirked:
"Found you, Kakashi-kun."
BOOM!
Eren launched forward like a missile, crashing down with a thunderous kick, coated in blackened Haki!
Just before impact, Eren paused.
His Observation Haki picked up subtle chakra flow in the ground.
"What is this?!"
He quickly formed hand seals and summoned a massive tree beneath his feet, vaulting upward to avoid the trap!
Below, a pit of mud gurgled—a trap exactly where he was about to land!
Kakashi emerged, smirking.
"Not bad. But..."
SWOOSH!
From the base of the tree, another Kakashi clone darted out, kunai slicing forward!
Eren twisted midair, hammering a punch straight at the attacker—
BOOM!
It burst into smoke.
"A clone again?"
Eren frowned, thoughts swirling.
"This kid… truly a tactical genius."
TO BE CONTINUED—
Next chapter: The explosive climax of Eren vs Kakashi!