Completely Crushed!
Xu Fan bent down and picked up a long sword from the ground. Straightening up, he fixed his gaze on the three remaining Root ninjas ahead.
The ten-man squad had been effortlessly dealt with, and the ones left posed no real threat.
"Why? Aren't you going to continue?" Xu Fan sneered.
As he spoke, he stepped on a loose stone beneath his foot and, without hesitation, kicked it forward.
Whoosh!
Infused with explosive chakra energy, the stone shot out like a bolt of lightning, striking one of the Root ninjas directly in the left eye.
Bang!
The Root ninja staggered backward, trying to regain his balance. However, the sheer force behind the stone had already damaged his brain. His body gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.
Kakashi, watching from the side, was momentarily stunned.
Even with his Sharingan, he had barely been able to follow the speed of that stone.
Accuracy, speed, power—it far exceeded the level of an ordinary shinobi.
Despite serving in Anbu for years, Kakashi prided himself on knowing the capabilities of the ninjas in the village.
But he couldn't recall ever seeing such a terrifying genius emerge from the Ninja Academy.
Even compared to Uchiha Itachi, Xu Fan was something else entirely.
And what made it even more astonishing was his fighting style. If no one had trained him, then that alone was even more frightening.
Just as Kakashi was processing this thought, Xu Fan had already moved past him, charging at the remaining Root ninjas.
Seeing this, the two remaining operatives immediately abandoned their fight with Kakashi and turned to engage Xu Fan instead.
But against Xu Fan's overwhelming strength, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Xu Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. Before crossing into this world, he had loved playing table tennis and had even made it to the provincial team.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his dynamic vision was far superior to the average person's.
The two Root ninjas attacked simultaneously, one from the left and the other from the right. However, Xu Fan remained calm, sweeping his sword outward to force one of them back.
Then, without missing a beat, he released his grip on the sword and thrust his palm forward, using his height advantage to strike the other ninja directly in the abdomen.
Boom!
With a muffled impact, the Root ninja was sent flying like a kite with its string cut.
And because Xu Fan had concentrated his chakra into his palm, this strike carried far more power than a regular attack.
Before the ninja could even take another breath, the sheer force had already shattered his internal organs.
The last remaining Root ninja, who had been momentarily dazed, thought he had found an opening. His eyes flashed with a fierce determination as he lunged forward.
Planting his right foot down, he gripped his blade tightly with both hands and aimed a vicious upward strike at Xu Fan's left kidney.
"Ahhhh!"
The Root ninja roared like a beast, pushing his speed and strength to the absolute limit.
It's going to hit!
"Watch out!"
Kakashi felt his heart clench as he realized the danger. Xu Fan's offense had been too aggressive, leaving him with little room to maneuver.
If he failed to dodge, his left kidney would be pierced through.
Reacting swiftly, Kakashi began forming hand seals, intending to summon a Water Dragon Jutsu to force the attacker back.
But the next moment, Kakashi froze.
Through his Sharingan, he noticed something that others wouldn't.
Xu Fan was smiling.
He's… laughing?
Could it be…
An intentional setup?
From the very beginning, Xu Fan had orchestrated everything. His exaggerated attack patterns, the supposed "openings"—they were all a carefully laid trap to bait the enemy into attacking.
It was a setup all along!
Squelch!
The Root ninja's blade plunged into Xu Fan's left side—
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke erupted as Xu Fan's body transformed into a wooden log.
The ninja's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"A… Substitution Jutsu…?"
Kakashi's mind raced. This guy had planned everything from the start!
Xu Fan had deliberately tricked his opponent into thinking he had an opening!
The gap is too big.
Even if Kakashi hadn't been there, these Root ninjas wouldn't have stood a chance.
The difference in strength was too vast.
From the beginning—
They were completely outmatched.
"It's over."
Xu Fan's voice came from behind.
Before the Root ninja could react, a kunai slashed across his neck.
Then, Xu Fan delivered a final kick to his kidney.
Thud!
The ninja tumbled forward several times before coming to a stop. Blood pooled beneath his motionless body as his breath and heartbeat faded.
Kakashi swallowed hard.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, struggling to process what he had just witnessed.
Instincts. Combat skills. The ability to bait and manipulate an enemy's attack.
Had he not witnessed it himself, he never would have believed someone this young could possess such mastery.
But today, he had seen it.
And it was real.
Even with Sharingan eyes, he had seen it happen before his very eyes.
Maybe…
Maybe Xu Fan's name would surpass his own teacher's.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"Obito… did you see that?" Kakashi murmured to himself.
Back then, Obito Uchiha had been called a genius by his peers, their teacher, and even the Third Hokage.
At Xu Fan's age, Obito had already become a Chūnin and achieved great feats in the Third Ninja War.
But looking at Xu Fan now…
Kakashi couldn't help but think—
If Obito had this kind of strength back then…
Would he still be alive?
If Obito hadn't died…
Then maybe… Rin wouldn't have—
"Kakashi."
Xu Fan's voice pulled him back to reality.
Clapping his hands together, Xu Fan checked the fallen Root ninjas.
None survived.
"What do we do about them?"
After all, Kakashi was an Anbu captain, while Xu Fan was just an academy student.
Handling bodies was obviously a job best left to him.
Kakashi took one last look around before lowering his forehead protector to cover his left eye.
"I'll report this to the Third Hokage and take care of it."
"That's fine." Xu Fan nodded, understanding the situation.
Even though Danzo's Root had tried to assassinate him, the political climate in Konoha meant that at best, the Third Hokage would be angered.
But punishing Danzo?
That was impossible.
Xu Fan knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't as simple as he seemed.
The same could be said for his dealings with Danzo, both before and after the Uchiha Massacre.
Suddenly—
A scream echoed from nearby.
"AHHHHHH!!"