Conflict

Half-asleep throughout the night, Satoru rose from his bed in the morning with a lingering sense of soreness all over his body.

"I didn't expect the aftermath of the Tyrant Mode to be so persistent. My chakra has mostly recovered, but the muscular damage will still require some time to heal."

With a slight grin, Satoru supported himself with one hand on the bedside while the other kept massaging his side. If anyone were to see him in this state, they would probably wonder if he had been through an intense "battle" last night, leaving his body severely drained.

After a simple breakfast, Satoru finally felt some improvement in his body. He sighed and said, "Let's slow down the training progress for a few days. Once my body fully recovers, I can continue."

With a few days left until his next mission with Shibi, Satoru found himself strolling down the streets with nothing else to do.

The village was still thriving, with children playing and chasing each other on the streets. Satoru gazed at the sky outside the village, his eyes filled with melancholy.

How long could this peaceful life last? The Third Great Shinobi War was looming, and its arrival seemed inevitable.

In the past, Satoru would never allow himself any slack, treating the war as a sword hanging over his head, constantly pressing down on him.

However, the Tyrant Mode he unintentionally unlocked yesterday gave him a hint of confidence in facing an uncertain future.

"It's been a while since I had a bowl of Ichiraku ramen."

Taking a break amidst the busyness was a pleasant pastime, and Satoru smiled.

Just then, he noticed Anko running towards him, panting.

"Bad news, Satoru. Rin and Kakashi got into a fight."

The smile on Satoru's face instantly froze.

"Is that white-haired kid White Fang's son?"

"Seems like it. I heard he's the most exceptional prodigy among the village's new generation. Surprisingly, he managed to hold his ground against the Uchiha brat."

"Hmph, a showdown between the Uchiha brat and White Fang's son, quite intriguing..."

In front of the Mission Management Office, a group of shinobi had gathered in a circle, discussing with fascination.

A swift motion of a short blade traced a white arc, clashing with kunai at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. Sparks and the sound of metal colliding filled the air.

The scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly as Uchiha Rin parried a strike, her expression growing more serious.

Kakashi's swordsmanship was formidable, each strike was aimed at her weak points. Without the assistance of her Sharingan, she might have been defeated long ago.

"This guy's strength has improved so quickly."

Rin clenched her teeth, remembering the years of competition with Kakashi during their time at the shinobi academy. She couldn't believe the gap had widened since their graduation.

"Kakashi's changed so much. Even though I mentioned his father, he shouldn't resort to such heavy-handed tactics."

Kakashi's classmates, like Kurenai, showed concern. Both of them were her classmates, and their sudden brawl left her at a loss.

"I seem to remember your name now. You're Uchiha Rin, right? You shouldn't have mentioned that man's name. He's nothing more than a failure who can't even complete a mission."

"Tch!" Kakashi's words left Uchiha Rin infuriated.

"In terms of strength, I have great respect for White Fang-sama. But his son? He's merely relying on clever words."

"Damn it! I told you not to mention that man's name."

To Rin's surprise, her words triggered Kakashi's anger. He leaped back, creating distance, and swiftly formed hand seals.

Ear-piercing cries, like thousands of birds, filled the air as Kakashi's body turned into a streak, hurtling toward Rin.

Completing the final seal with her hand, Rin's expression remained fearless. Chakra surged, ready to unleash her powerful Fire Release jutsu, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, a B-rank fire ninjutsu, her most potent fire technique.

"It's that jutsu. Is Kakashi out of his mind?"

"He's going too far. Isn't that jutsu still unstable? Does he want to kill her?"

Shinobis in the vicinity recognized Kakashi's technique and couldn't help but feel alarmed.

A thunderous roar filled the air as Kakashi's body turned into a straight line, hurtling toward Rin at incredible speed.

Rin's last seal fell into place, her face devoid of fear. Her chakra surged to her throat, igniting a scorching breath.

Suddenly.

Smack!

A dull collision sound rang out. The lightning-enveloped palm stopped a meter away from Rin's face. Her lips parted, and the fiery breath of her Fire Release was mere seconds from being exhaled.

"That was close. I made it in time."

Satoru let out a relieved breath. The intense movement caused his still-recovering muscles to ache, and he winced slightly.

With his right hand gripping Kakashi's wrist and his left shoulder against Kakashi's chest, Satoru deflected Kakashi's attack.

"Satoru, why are you here?" Rin looked surprised.

Then, as if recalling something, her expression turned slightly irritated.

"Hey, do you realize how dangerous that was? My Fire Release was just a second away from being released."

Enduring the pain in his muscles, Satoru gritted his teeth and said to Rin, "It would've been trouble if I hadn't come."

He discreetly glanced at Kakashi's right palm, still captivated by the residual shock. Chidori, an A-rank lightning release! He hadn't expected Kakashi to have developed this technique already. However, it seemed that he hadn't fully mastered it yet.

If Satoru hadn't intervened, Rin would've been in real danger.

At the same time, Kakashi's attention shifted to the suddenly appearing Satoru.

"Figuring out the weakness of my Chidori, and using your body to cleverly block my attack...Byakugan, huh? No wonder you could do that."

Seeing Satoru's eyes, Kakashi's expression took on a thoughtful look.

"What's going on? Why did you suddenly start fighting?"

Rin gave Kakashi a sidelong glance. "I was just checking for suitable missions at the Mission Management Office when I bumped into this guy. I thought I'd say hello and inadvertently mentioned his father. That's how the fight started."

Even now, she hadn't fully grasped how she and Kakashi had ended up fighting each other.

Is that so?

Satoru nodded thoughtfully. He had assumed Rin, given her temperament, had provoked the fight, but it turned out that Kakashi had struck first.

"I've already told you not to mention that man's name in front of me. He's nothing more than a failure who can't even complete a mission." Kakashi's voice was cold and devoid of emotion.

"Look at you," Rin shrugged helplessly.

Satoru couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that Kakashi was still struggling to move on from the pain of that incident.

It made sense. Even during his time in the village, there were rumors of Kakashi and his teammates clashing, even coming to blows. It wasn't until later, when he teamed up with Obito, that he began to heal.

Kakashi suddenly pointed his sword at Satoru, his voice cold.

"Since you blocked her attack, you can be my opponent now."

In an instant, the tense atmosphere that had eased was rekindled. Everyone's attention shifted to Satoru.

"Satoru..." Anko's grip tightened in worry.

"This bastard Kakashi. Does he even see his comrades anymore?" Kurenai cursed loudly. If she thought she could take on Kakashi, she would've given him a beating.

Satoru looked helpless. It seemed he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His body was still recovering from the pain, and his strength was nowhere near optimal.

But if he refused, Kakashi probably wouldn't let him off easily. Moreover, he sensed an elusive gaze fixed on them as if someone had been observing closely.

In that case...

Satoru turned to face Kakashi directly, a serious expression on his face.

"Let's make this clear, Kakashi. Challenging me comes at a price. Be careful not to let me beat you to death."