Enthusiastic cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
"That's Kakashi from the Hatake family! And Aunt Chiyo from Sunagakure!"
"Aunt Chiyo! Where's your swimsuit? We want to see the swimsuit!"
"Aunt Chiyo!? This is Granny Chiyo?"
Ninja World Konoha's Naruto and Sakura, who had seen Granny Chiyo in person, were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped.
They struggled to reconcile the fairly attractive aunt on the space-time communication device with the wrinkled, nearly toothless old woman they knew.
"The difference is too huge. They're about the same age, so why is one a granny and the other an aunt?" Sakura said, bewildered.
"Martial arts! This is martial arts! Martial arts extend life and rejuvenate! Didn't I tell you before? Did you completely forget? This isn't youthful at all!" Imperial Lee complained.
"Oh, sorry, sorry… I thought it was just bragging before. I didn't expect it to be real." Sakura muttered.
Ino, Tenten, and other female ninja had sparkling eyes.
No woman could resist the rejuvenating and life-extending effects.
The Empire was truly amazing!
Their longing grew stronger.
"Kakashi-sensei from the other world—how strong is he? A fight between Empire people, I'm getting impatient."
A group of juniors also had gleaming eyes, but their focus was entirely different.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the arena, Imperial Minato spoke enthusiastically into the microphone:
"They're here! For this match, the Fire District and Green District have sent Hatake Kakashi and Chiyo."
"Both are renowned experts in the Empire, so I won't introduce them further. Now, please have both participants move apart, maintaining a 500-meter distance, and begin fighting on my command."
Imperial Kakashi and Chiyo exchanged glances. Neither rushed to separate immediately.
Imperial Chiyo smiled faintly.
"Kakashi of the Hatake family, I didn't expect you'd be the one to step up. I thought it'd be your father, Sakumo."
"My father doesn't like competing; he prefers honing his martial arts alone, so I'm substituting as the final participant. If you underestimate me for that, Aunt Chiyo, you might suffer a big loss."
Imperial Kakashi smiled too.
"Underestimate? I wouldn't dare. I'm just admiring how many talents the Fire District has. Beyond the three Dragon Soul clans, there's still a group of great experts. Only a nation like this could produce an extraordinary genius like His Majesty the Emperor…"
Imperial Chiyo sighed, then turned to move away.
Imperial Kakashi began retreating as well.
Taking advantage of this pause, Ninja World Tsunade turned to Ninja World Kakashi nearby and asked:
"Kakashi, how strong is your counterpart in this world?"
The question made Ninja World Kakashi show an awkward expression. He scratched his head with one finger, but before he could speak, Imperial Kakashi's son, Haruki, beside him, quickly said:
"Asking my godfather is pointless. He's not even worthy of fighting my dad. I've beaten him to a pulp!"
"Haruki! Don't talk nonsense!"
Imperial Rin, hearing her son disrespect Ninja World Kakashi, angrily tapped his head.
"Huh?"
Ninja World Tsunade froze, as did the Konoha ninja watching via the device.
"What does that mean? Kakashi-sensei can't even beat a kid?"
"Nonsense! That kid doesn't even look big! Kids love to exaggerate and brag! He looks about Konohamaru's age—how could he beat Kakashi-senpai?"
"No way! Kakashi's an elite Konoha Jonin. How could he lose to a little brat like that?"
The ninja group showed disbelief.
Sakura instinctively glanced at Naruto, making him feel a bit awkward.
He… had also been beaten to a pulp by Empire kids!
Those little brats were insanely strong! These people could talk so casually because they hadn't been thrashed yet!
Thinking this, Naruto didn't dare speak, lest everyone learn of his embarrassment.
"What do you mean? I'm the Hatake family heir, a genius even praised by His Majesty the Emperor! Beating trash like my godfather—isn't that normal? Why are you underestimating me?" Haruki shouted, indignant.
"Kakashi? Don't tell me you really got beaten by this kid?"
Seeing Haruki's serious and angry expression, Ninja World Tsunade asked doubtfully.
Nearby, Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto all stared.
"Tsunade-sama… Haruki is very strong, a Kage-level expert. I'm no match for him…"
Kakashi kept scratching his head awkwardly.
"See? Still don't believe me? I told you, asking him is pointless. Let me tell you! My dad's a renowned expert in the Fire Nation, and in his youth, he wasn't inferior to me…"
Haruki spoke proudly, but before he finished, Imperial Rin gently tapped his head again:
"Enough, you can't even talk properly. What's this about 'not inferior to you in his youth'? That's outrageous. Who's the father, and who's the son?"
Sasuke's gaze was filled with disdain and indifference: "Kakashi, you're useless. I was right to leave the village. If I'd kept following you, I'd be no better than Naruto, the class clown."
"Damn Sasuke! What are you saying? Who're you calling a class clown? I'm super strong now!"
In Ninja World Konoha, Naruto, hearing Sasuke's words, shouted angrily.
Sadly, no one cared.
Interrupted by this chatter, Ninja World Tsunade didn't continue listening to Haruki but turned and asked:
"So, who's stronger between the two?"
"Who's strong and who's weak—how can you know without fighting? Though the Empire has a power ranking, that's too one-sided."
Imperial Sakumo nearby spoke up.
"That's true."
Ninja World Tsunade said, and everyone turned their attention back to the arena.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Imperial Kakashi and Chiyo stood upright.
A dozen guards approached the arena's perimeter, forming seals to raise a barrier.
As the barrier went up, Imperial Minato waved gently, his figure vanishing.
Imperial Chiyo's expression turned serious. She suddenly leaped back, swinging her right hand, and in the next moment, a series of smoke puffs appeared.
Solid metal puppets, like soldiers, materialized around her.
Seeing these puppets, the crowd gasped in shock.
*BOOM!*
At that moment, a lightning bolt struck where Imperial Kakashi stood.
*CLANG!*
A sharp metallic clash rang out.
Imperial Kakashi, crackling with lightning, appeared less than two meters from Imperial Chiyo, his short sword swinging horizontally but blocked by a gleaming metal puppet with its arms raised.
"So fast! Almost invisible. Kakashi from this world is incredibly strong. But this Chiyo's no slouch either, blocking such a swift attack. And so many puppets… at least a thousand! A thousand steel puppets could probably destroy a nation…"
"Where are the puppet strings?"
Ninja World Tsunade's pupils contracted.
"Puppet strings? No one uses such outdated things anymore. This is spiritual manipulation. Chiyo uses her mental power to control these puppets. It's far more precise than strings."
As they spoke, in the arena, Imperial Chiyo, who'd blocked Kakashi's attack with her metal puppets, landed and said with slight pride:
"Kakashi, I know your Hatake sword techniques are razor-sharp, slicing ordinary things in one strike, but the metal in my puppets is a new super-alloy developed by Sasori. Your Hatake family swords can't cut them. Let's see how you'll beat me!"
As her words fell, the thousand metal puppets moved.
Puppets near Imperial Kakashi swung their fists.
Those farther away fired white beams from their chests.
*BOOM!*
The puppets' fists and white beams struck the ground, blasting craters several meters wide.
Imperial Kakashi's figure had vanished.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
Kakashi's figure flickered, the arena filled with near-continuous metallic clangs.
Puppet fists swung, white beams shot through the air and ground, blasting crater after crater.
In moments, the vast arena was riddled with holes, as if bombed by a missile barrage.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Ninja World Konoha.
The onlookers weren't cheering excitedly but were rather confused:
"Can't see clearly! I can't see anything! I can't even spot Kakashi from the other world!"
"So fast! I can only hear those clanging sounds."
"It feels like Chiyo's controlling puppets to fight the air…"
"If we faced an enemy like this, wouldn't we be headless before we saw anything?"
"But that godlike speed… and Chiyo's holding her own? And the destructive power of those puppets is insane… every attack feels like at least a C-rank ninjutsu…"
"I feel… I might not even beat one of those puppets."
"Is this… the battle of experts? Who… who can even see this fight clearly?"
The ninja group exchanged glances.
Then, they all looked at Naruto, Guy, and Jonin like Ino-Shika-Chō.
"Don't look at me. I'm like you—can't see clearly at all. Imperial Kakashi's power is terrifying." Shikaku shook his head helplessly.
"Me too." Chōza said.
Others shook their heads.
Then they looked at Konoha's taijutsu expert, Guy, and martial arts expert, Naruto.
Feeling their gazes, Guy said with a serious expression:
"I can't see clearly either! Kakashi from the other world is too strong! This must be the power of a genius Kakashi who sacrificed his youth and spirit!"
"But I won't give up! Burn! My youth! My spirit!
"Gate of Injury! Open!"
Blazing chakra erupted.
Guy's face lit up with excitement.
"I see it clearly! I see it! Kakashi's so fast! He's like lightning, constantly attacking Chiyo. But Chiyo's strong too, always blocking with those puppets."
"Ugh! The other puppets' attacks play a big role too, forcing Kakashi to dodge and move! Oooo! This is the fierce battle of experts! Burn! I'm burning! My youth!"