c32 - Planted Seeds, Waiting...
Shiranui Yuuji… won.
He actually defeated Hatake Kakashi!
In the Hokage building, several high-ranking officials were left in stunned silence. Even Minato, who had been ready to use his Flying Thunder God Technique to intervene, stood frozen.
The room was eerily quiet for a long moment.
"I knew Yuuji wouldn't lose to Kakashi, but I didn't expect him to reach this level so quickly..." Minato finally spoke, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. His gaze was fixed on the crystal ball, his admiration for Yuuji clear. "I miscalculated. I've watched Kakashi for years, and he was my student. Yet he lost to Yuuji so decisively, without even a chance to turn the tide..."
Yuuji… what an extraordinary child.
Minato thought, silently acknowledging the growth of the young shinobi before him. Kakashi has finally met his match.
Sandaime Hokage took a slow puff from his pipe, his eyes never leaving the scene in the crystal ball. "It seems we don't need to intervene, Minato. The strongest duel of the new generation has come to a close."
Minato nodded, but his expression was conflicted.
"Yuuji is remarkable. A descendant of the Shiranui clan, a clean and heroic background, and a work ethic that led him to awaken his own unique Blood Succession Boundary. His thinking is sharp, and his speed in converting talent into strength is impressive. He could very well set the standard for the next generation of shinobi."
"I'll go and stop them now…" Minato began to stand, but Sandaime raised a hand to stop him.
"No, Minato. Wait a little longer."
Minato's eyebrows furrowed. "But Yuuji... he could kill Kakashi at any time, especially after what's happened. What if—"
Sandaime didn't respond immediately, only watching intently as the fight continued. His expression was one of deep contemplation. Kakashi's life is precious, but Yuuji holds the power to end this fight. What will he do now?
There was a subtle hesitation in his heart. Yuuji, you have the strength to kill him, but in this state, will you do it?
Sandaime's thoughts were interrupted as the battle continued to unfold.
---
Outside the Training Ground
"Yuuji... actually defeated Kakashi?"
Genma stood in shock, his face bruised and swollen, staring at the scene in disbelief. His mind couldn't wrap around the fact that Kakashi—who had once been heralded as Konoha's greatest prodigy—was now lying defeated in the dirt by someone his age. The technique Yuuji used, one he'd never seen before, had overwhelmed Kakashi completely.
"I told you!" Guy exclaimed, his fists clenched in determination. "Yuuji-san is the strongest of our generation! He never would have lost!"
Guy was the only one who had unwavering faith in Yuuji's abilities. His trust had been earned over many years, and he knew Yuuji's potential better than anyone. The defeat of Kakashi—the legendary genius who had once made Konoha proud—was a crushing blow to those who had once believed in Kakashi's invincibility.
---
The Training Ground
Yuuji stood over Kakashi, holding him by the neck with ease, his expression cold and distant. There was no anger in his eyes—just the impassive calm of someone who had already decided the outcome of the battle. For a moment, Yuuji considered delivering a lesson Kakashi would never forget.
"How could this be? How did you do it?" Kakashi's voice was strained, weak from the beating he had endured. His last, desperate attempt to use Chidori had fizzled out, its energy dissipating uselessly into the air.
Kakashi had nothing left. His chakra was drained, his body battered, and now, facing Yuuji's unwavering gaze, he was more vulnerable than ever.
Yuuji's voice broke the silence. "You must be very lonely, right?"
Kakashi had been raised to embody the spirit of the shinobi—silent, strong, and self-reliant. But Yuuji understood something deeper: the void left behind after a great loss. Kakashi had lost his father, a hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War, and the weight of that loss had shaped him into the man he was today. He had turned his pain inward, becoming isolated and cold, pushing others away.
"Isn't that what you feel, Kakashi?" Yuuji continued, his tone indifferent. "After losing your father, you probably felt this same loneliness, didn't you?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed in irritation. "Heh, why bring up that useless man? He was just a pathetic loser. He had a mission, but instead of finishing it, he gave up and chose to die. What a fool."
Pa!
Yuuji's hand cracked across Kakashi's face, the sound echoing in the silent air. Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Is this how you feel? You call your father—the hero of the Third Great Ninja War, the White Fang—'trash'?" Yuuji's voice was a low growl. "Is this really the conclusion you've reached after years of grieving your loss?"
Kakashi's face twisted in anger, but Yuuji wasn't finished. Another slap, harder this time, forced Kakashi down to the ground.
With a swift, brutal movement, Yuuji began to punch him. Each hit was like a drumbeat, punctuating his words with violence.
"Kakashi, you're wrong. Your father didn't owe you anything. He made a choice, a painful one, but it was a choice made with love. He wasn't weak. He loved you more than anything."
The punches kept coming, but Yuuji's words cut deeper than any physical blow. "You think your father abandoned you, but the truth is, he was trying to protect you. And now you're taking that hatred and projecting it onto everyone around you."
Kakashi's head was spinning. Blood dripped from his swollen face, his body barely able to register the pain. "Why... why do you keep saying this? He was a failure, a coward..."
Pa!
Another slap. Yuuji was unmoved. "Kakashi, you can't keep blaming your father for the man you've become. His death isn't the reason for your pain—it's your refusal to accept it. You've transferred your hatred to your comrades, to those who care about you."
Yuuji's eyes were cold as he loomed over Kakashi, who was now on the ground, struggling to breathe. "Genma never hurt you. He's not the one who betrayed you. You're the one who pushed him away, who used your own self-loathing to drive a wedge between you and those who care about you."
Yuuji's voice softened, but there was no compassion in it. "What's worse is that you think you can control your own life by hating yourself, hating everything around you. It's a childish, pathetic cycle."
"Go ahead," Yuuji continued, his tone flat. "Try hating me. It's the only thing you're good at."
He swung his fist down with a loud bang, making an imprint in the earth next to Kakashi's head.
"Hate… me?" Kakashi whispered, his voice broken, his eyes unfocused. The clouds above drifted lazily by, oblivious to the torment below.
Yuuji looked down at him, his expression unreadable. "Hate will always be the driving force in this world. It's something you'll never escape." He began walking away, his hands in his pockets. "But you're too lost to even understand that."
As Yuuji's back turned to leave the training ground, Kakashi lay there, broken, his mind in a haze. A seed had been planted in his heart, one that would grow slowly, quietly, waiting for the right moment to bloom.
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