Survival Training 2

Sasuke watches Naruto struggle upside down, hanging from a rope like a caught fish. His idiot teammate flails and grunts, trying to pull himself up, but it's pathetic. A waste of energy. Sasuke shifts his focus back to Kakashi, who's still standing there, flipping a page in his book like he isn't even in a fight.

Tch.

Without hesitation, Sasuke hurls a barrage of shuriken straight at him. He times it perfectly—Kakashi is mid-sentence in his book, still distracted by Naruto. The blades whistle through the air, closing in—

Thud.

The impact is real. But something's off.

A second later, the form of Kakashi wavers, then poofs into a wooden log embedded with shuriken.

A substitution.

Sasuke's eyes widen for just a second before he tenses, quickly scanning the area. Where? Where did he—

"Behind you."

Sasuke barely has time to turn before Kakashi's hand shoots out from the ground beneath him.

"Tch!" He leaps back just in time, dirt kicking up from the spot he just stood in.

Kakashi emerges smoothly from the earth, brushing off dust with one hand while holding his book with the other, not even looking up. "Not bad," he says lazily. "But you should really check your surroundings more."

Sasuke scowls. His fists clench at his sides. How? He didn't even sense him underground. This guy—he's toying with them.

Fine. If a frontal attack won't work, he needs to be smarter about this. He locks eyes with Kakashi for a brief second before dashing into the trees.

"Hm?" Kakashi watches him go, tilting his head slightly.

Just as he's watching Kakashi, he notices Raizen isn't where he was before instead, He's behind Kakashi, launching a punch right at him.

Kakashi dodges sidestepping, getting out of the way.

From the bushes, Sasuke narrows his eyes, already forming a plan. Let Raizen try and act cool. He'll fail in a second, and that's when Sasuke will strike—when Kakashi's tired.

He just has to wait.

Raizen, on the other hand.

His golden eyes locked on Kakashi. His body is loose, relaxed—but his mind is sharp. He already knows brute force alone won't work. Kakashi is too skilled, too fast, and too unpredictable.

Which means Raizen has to be faster.

He darts forward.

Kakashi doesn't even look up from his book. Instead, he takes a slow step back, tilting the page slightly as if the sunlight is all that matters to him.

Raizen swings—a sharp, clean jab straight for Kakashi's ribs.

Miss.

Kakashi shifts effortlessly, just a half-step to the side. He turns a page.

Raizen follows up instantly. A sweeping kick.

Miss.

Kakashi barely leans. The movement is so casual, so lazy that it burns Raizen up inside.

"You're faster than the other two," Kakashi murmurs, still reading. "That's good."

Raizen doesn't respond. He doesn't have time. He pivots sharply, flipping forward and twisting his body midair, bringing his leg down in an axe kick aimed straight for Kakashi's head.

Kakashi finally moves. His arm lifts, the book still in hand, and he blocks Raizen's kick with his forearm like it's nothing.

Raizen lands, sliding back slightly. His heart pounds. He knew it wouldn't be easy; it never has when he's fought his dad, but to have every single strike dodged so effortlessly—

From his spot in the tree, Naruto watches with wide eyes. "Whoa..." he mutters. He's still hanging upside down, forgotten and helpless, but even he can tell—Raizen is on a completely different level than him.

Sasuke grips his fists from behind the bushes, his jaw tightening.

Raizen goes in again, weaving through different attacks—sharp elbows, lightning-fast punches, low sweeps. Every strike flows into the next, no wasted movement, no hesitation.

Kakashi dodges them all.

At one point, he sidesteps a jab and lifts his book slightly higher, as if making a point. "If you can't hit me," he says lazily, "how do you expect to get the bell?"

Raizen doesn't answer. He just keeps pushing forward, adjusting, and adapting. He tries fakes, changes his footwork, speeds up his attacks, but no matter what—

Kakashi is one step ahead.

Raizen grits his teeth. His frustration grows, his focus narrowing to the bell dangling from Kakashi's belt. It jingles slightly every time he moves, always just out of reach.

"You're being really annoying...!"

He needs an opening.

Then he hears Kakashi chuckle softly.

"You're finally using them."

Raizen freezes for half a second.

Kakashi had spoken loud enough for both Naruto and Sasuke to hear.

"What's he talking about?" Naruto blurts out.

Sasuke's eyes narrow.

Raizen smirks.

Without a word, he lifts his hand–and in an instant, golden chakra flares to life around him. 

It pulses, twisting unnaturally, and then--

A beast forms.

A wolf, bigger than him, gray with glowing, slit-golden eyes.

Naruto's jaw drops. "What—what the hell?!"

Sasuke's breath catches in his throat. He's never seen anything like that before.

Kakashi finally looks up from his book. "That's more like it," he says.

"Yeah, yeah," Raizen makes a single hand sign, and the wolf locks onto its target.

Kakashi.

With a burst of speed, the chakra beast lunges. Its claws tear into the dirt as it closes the distance, its snarl rumbling like thunder.

Kakashi flips a page in his book.

Raizen moves at the same time, attacking from the opposite side. He and his wolf are in perfect sync—one striking high, the other low, forcing Kakashi to split his attention.

This time, Kakashi finally has to move. He dodges back, avoiding the wolf's snapping jaws, then twists to block Raizen's fist with his free hand.

The wolf skids to a stop, turns, and launches at Kakashi again.

For the first time, Kakashi tucks his book under his arm. He exhales.

"Not bad," he admits.

Raizen grins.

Naruto yells from his tree trap. "What the hell is that thing?! You had that this whole time?!"

Raizen doesn't answer. He keeps moving, pressing Kakashi further. The wolf snaps at Kakashi's heels, forcing him to dodge to the right—right into Raizen's kick.

Kakashi barely blocks in time.

The force sends him sliding back a few feet.

Naruto gapes. "Whoa. Did he—did he actually—?"

Sasuke watches in silence, his grip on his fists tightening.

Raizen doesn't let up. He dashes in again, his beast mirroring his movements. They launch another coordinated assault—Raizen attacking from the front, the wolf from behind.

But Kakashi is still too good.

Raizen's fist just barely grazes the bell.

For one moment, he thinks he has it.

Then—

Poof.

His wolf vanishes.

Raizen's eyes widen. He looks down.

Kakashi's hand is pressed against his stomach.

"Gotcha."

A powerful kick slams into Raizen's chest, sending him flying back. He crashes through the bushes, rolling to a stop.

"Ugh...!!!"

"Dammit…" he growls, gripping his stomach.

Kakashi dusts off his sleeve and tucks his book back into one hand. "You got distracted."

The bell jingles as he straightens up.

"That's why you lost."