Natsuhiko was indeed a little impatient—but he recovered quickly.
After all, he had the mindset of an adult and plenty of patience. Two days' time was nothing; it would probably pass in the blink of an eye.
"Looks like I need to carefully think over these next two days about how to face the Fourth Hokage."
Natsuhiko thought to himself.
He still hadn't chosen a side, because he himself didn't yet know what decision he should make.
The Fourth Hokage's brilliance had fallen swiftly, but one thing was undeniable—his personal charisma was truly formidable.
It was just unfortunate that in reality, while charisma was important, what mattered even more were personal strength and vested interests.
Natsuhiko firmly believed that if Namikaze Minato were given enough time, he would absolutely be able to neutralize the influence of the Third Hokage's interest groups and become a true Hokage in every sense.
To put it bluntly—if not for those unexpected events—even by lifespan alone, Minato could have simply outlived them all.
But sadly, things rarely go as one wishes.
After explaining everything, Kakashi had originally planned to leave. Staying here felt rather awkward.
He didn't recognize the girl standing beside Natsuhiko, but he did notice she was from the Uchiha clan—the emblem on her clothes was unmistakable.
Kakashi naturally felt a sense of guilt toward the Uchiha clan. Even though Natsuhiko had advised him and he had gradually come to terms with things, it hadn't been very long.
He still needed more time to adjust.
Today, he had first accidentally put Natsuhiko in an awkward spot with a single sentence, and then immediately ran into an Uchiha clan member.
It was a bit much for him.
Just as he was about to speak, Natsuhiko suddenly said:
"I understand. Thank you, Kakashi."
"No need."
Kakashi attempted a smile, though it looked somewhat stiff.
"If there's nothing else, then I'll—"
"You've already come all this way. Why rush off?"
Natsuhiko shook his head and smiled.
"Come to think of it, we've known each other for quite a while. I even had the honor of serving as your temporary captain once on the battlefield. But we've never properly sparred, have we?"
Spar?
Kakashi froze for a moment. He hadn't expected Natsuhiko to make such a suggestion.
But this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea.
Natsuhiko genuinely wanted to test his current level against genius Kakashi.
Of course, this was strictly a sparring match—not a life-and-death fight with full power unleashed.
In a spar, Natsuhiko naturally wouldn't consider using Sage Mode. He also wouldn't use many of his Water Release techniques.
Although he didn't particularly like Senju Tobirama, he had to admit that Tobirama's Water Release techniques were absurdly overpowered.
Other people's Water Release simply used water to strike, alter terrain, and ultimately drown their opponent through overwhelming flow.
But Tobirama had transformed Water Release from a "quantitative change" into a "qualitative change."
His Water Release was like a high-pressure water gun—no, even a high-pressure water blade.
Those techniques were meant to kill.
He wouldn't use them in a sparring match.
So by setting those aside, this spar would essentially become a contest of more fundamental abilities.
Natsuhiko also wasn't worried about exposing his strength.
He hadn't forgotten that Uchiha Sora was still standing beside him.
In truth, sparring with Kakashi had another purpose as well.
Since Kakashi had unintentionally put him in a difficult spot earlier, he needed to find a way to smooth things over.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said what he just did.
Kakashi reacted quickly. He immediately understood what Natsuhiko meant.
And truthfully—
He was tempted
Kakashi had seen Natsuhiko fight at full strength before.
That Sand Village jōnin, Yashamaru, had been overwhelmed by Natsuhiko's sheer speed—so much so that he could barely keep up.
But since this was only a spar, Natsuhiko would certainly hold back. Kakashi was also curious to see what level of combat ability Natsuhiko would display in a controlled match like this.
"If Captain is interested, then I'm willing to accompany you."
Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Sora beside them and then nodded decisively.
He couldn't help but wonder whether this Uchiha clan member was very close to Natsuhiko—or perhaps…
Was she one of his former classmates?
But Kakashi didn't ask. His gaze quickly locked onto Natsuhiko, and at the same time, chakra began to gather around him.
Natsuhiko still wore a faint smile, but his body subtly leaned forward, and his hand unconsciously drifted toward his waist.
That was where his ninja tool pouch rested. On its outer edge, a kunai gleamed coldly.
"Clang!"
In an instant, the two figures vanished almost simultaneously. When they reappeared, accompanied by the sharp clash of metal, they had already crossed blades!
Fast—so fast it was almost unimaginable!
Uchiha Sora silently retreated to the side. The exchange between these two was clearly beyond her reach.
But she didn't leave the training ground.
She was extremely curious—curious about just how strong these two former classmates had become.
She knew Kakashi was a genius. In fact, she remembered it clearly—Kakashi was the youngest jōnin ever.
Even if that promotion had come during wartime, she would never believe he lacked true jōnin-level strength.
And Natsuhiko had surprised her even more.
Her former deskmate, who had once seemed so ordinary, now appeared astonishingly powerful.
A civilian ninja—
The very person she had once considered helping—
Had actually been Kakashi's captain during the war?
All of this left her mind spinning.
And once they began fighting, she realized something even more shocking—
She could barely even see their movements.
"If only I had awakened the Sharingan…" Uchiha Sora sighed inwardly. "At least then I wouldn't be completely unable to follow their movements…"
Neither Natsuhiko nor Kakashi knew what Sora was thinking.
That brief exchange had already allowed both of them to gauge roughly the level of this battle.
They separated after a single clash, then almost simultaneously threw their kunai.
Seizing the initiative was essential at their current level. Simply put, they weren't yet strong enough to confidently counterattack after the opponent moved.
Unless—
One possessed the Sharingan.
Clang! The metallic sound rang out again as the two kunai collided midair.
In the next instant, Natsuhiko and Kakashi dashed forward almost at the same time, catching the kunai that had rebounded toward them from the collision.
This time, Natsuhiko moved even faster.
He understood the nature of the Sharingan—but he also knew Kakashi's current control over it was far from perfect.
So he intended to suppress Kakashi with sheer speed.
Even without using Sage Mode, among jōnin, his speed was considered exceptional.
"I'd like to see," Natsuhiko thought to himself,
"whether you can really copy my movements…"