The main tent fell silent as Minato finished his briefing. Hanekawa glanced at the map one last time before excusing himself—intelligence gathering was important, but he'd learned what he needed. The Kannabi Bridge. Of course it was important. Destroy that, and the war effectively ended.
He stepped outside into the late afternoon sun.
"Hanekawa!"
Kurenai's voice cut through the camp noise. She waved from where she stood with Rin and the others. Hanekawa headed toward them, already sensing the tension radiating off a certain Uchiha.
Obito stood ramrod straight, his Sharingan practically vibrating with barely contained energy. The moment their eyes met, Hanekawa knew exactly what was coming.
Here we go. Death flag: 'Rival challenges protagonist after hearing about his achievements.' Great.
"Hanekawa," Obito said, his voice tight. "Spar with me."
Kakashi's eye crinkled slightly—the closest he got to amusement these days. "Obito, he just arrived—"
"Now," Obito interrupted, already moving into position.
Rin looked worried. Kurenai looked amused. Guy looked like he'd just been told Christmas came early.
Hanekawa assessed the situation. Obito's chakra had definitely improved—the mysterious old man's training was working. His Fire Style had jumped at least a full rank. And if he could push Obito to his limits...
New entry potential. Let's see what we're working with.
"Sure," Hanekawa agreed, walking to the open space. "Let's keep it quick though."
Obito's jaw tightened. Quick. As if this would be over fast.
They took their positions. Obito's Sharingan blazed to life—two tomoe spinning in crimson. Smart move. Prevent genjutsu before it started.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The fireball erupted massive and furious, heat washing across the spectators. Rin flinched back. Even Kurenai blinked, impressed despite herself.
Hanekawa didn't move.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
The water rose like a shield, meeting the inferno head-on. Steam exploded outward, swallowing the training ground in white mist.
Predictable. He'll use the fog to close distance with Body Flicker.
The mist was still settling when Obito appeared behind him, already forming seals.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The flame lance shot forward like a spear, fast and vicious. Hanekawa's hands moved without conscious thought—Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu erupted from the ground, intercepting the fire dragon mid-strike. They collided in a shower of steam.
Obito's eyes widened. How did he—
An earth dragon's head burst from the ground directly beneath him.
"Tch!" Obito flickered away, but Hanekawa had already predicted the trajectory. An earth wall materialized exactly where he landed.
He's reading my movements.
Obito's frustration spiked. He'd trained hard. He'd gotten strong. The mysterious old man said his potential was limitless. So why—
"Fire Style: Impatiens Flower Claws Red!"
He unleashed his best technique—flames spreading like flower petals, shuriken hidden within the inferno. It was a B-rank jutsu. It was good. Many jonin fell for this combination.
Water bullets answered each flame with surgical precision. Each shuriken met its mark and fell harmlessly.
Hanekawa stood perfectly still, barely breathing hard.
That's when Obito saw red.
Not the Sharingan kind. The angry kind.
He'd trained for days. He'd improved by leaps and bounds. And Hanekawa was treating him like a practice dummy.
"Argh!" Obito launched himself forward, abandoning jutsu for pure taijutsu fury. Punch after punch, kick after kick, each one carrying the weight of his frustration.
Hanekawa sidestepped everything.
This is getting embarrassing for him, Hanekawa thought, finally deciding to end it. Obito was good—genuinely good—but he was fighting on emotion now. Sloppy.
Hanekawa let Obito overextend on a punch, then swept his legs. Obito's eyes went wide as gravity reasserted itself.
Before he could hit the ground, Hanekawa's hands were already moving.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground beneath Obito liquefied. He sank up to his waist, struggling, his Sharingan spinning frantically as he tried to find a way out.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Shock!"
Hanekawa pressed his palm against the swamp. Electricity crackled through the water, and Obito's scream cut through the camp before he went limp, unconscious.
The mist cleared.
Obito lay sprawled in the mud, smoking slightly, completely out cold.
Silence.
Rin rushed forward. "Is he—"
"He's fine," Hanekawa said, already walking back. "Just needs rest."
Kakashi nodded once, unsurprised. Guy looked like he'd witnessed the most beautiful thing in existence. Kurenai was trying very hard not to laugh.
"Well," Kurenai said brightly, "that was quick."
Hanekawa caught Tsunade's eye from across the camp. She was watching from near the command tent, arms crossed, a slight smirk on her face.
Not bad, kid.
He gave her a subtle nod and headed toward the medical tent. Might as well check on Obito before the kid woke up with a grudge and a concussion.
At least he didn't die. That's character development.
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