After finishing their meal at the barbecue restaurant, the three teammates made their way to the training grounds located deep within Konoha's back mountain.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and shadows stretched across the field, Kakashi finally came to a stop and turned to face his teammates.
"Obito, Rin, starting tonight, we're officially beginning special training," he said with a serious expression.
Both Obito and Rin stood at attention, sensing the shift in Kakashi's demeanor.
"Rin," Kakashi began, "I want you to start by using your chakra to form a ball of water in your hand. Then, while maintaining it, change its shape repeatedly—from a sphere to a cube and back again."
"Huh?" Rin tilted her head, clearly puzzled by the strange instruction. Still, she nodded and gave it a try.
A moment later, a ball of water began to form in her left hand. However, as soon as she tried to manipulate its shape, it wobbled, collapsed, and splashed onto the ground.
"This is… so difficult!" she exclaimed, brows furrowing in frustration.
Despite the unexpected challenge, Rin didn't give up. She adjusted her chakra flow and tried again, her expression growing more focused by the second.
"Good," Kakashi nodded. "Just keep practicing that. Once you've mastered it, I'll teach you the next step."
He then turned his attention to Obito.
"Obito, now that you've awakened your Sharingan, show me what it can do."
With a smirk, Kakashi formed the seal of confrontation.
"Haha! Finally, a chance to beat you!" Obito shouted enthusiastically. "Get ready, Kakashi—I'm not holding back!"
Before he finished his sentence, Obito lunged forward, fists swinging toward Kakashi's face.
But Kakashi disappeared in a blink.
A second later, Obito felt a weight press down on his back. He looked up in shock to find Kakashi kneeling on him, a kunai pressed lightly against his neck.
"If this were a real battlefield, you'd already be dead," Kakashi said coldly.
"Don't disappoint me, Obito."
He stepped off and looked down with narrowed eyes. Obito groaned in frustration and climbed to his feet.
"Damn it… I wasn't even using my full strength yet! Sharingan, activate!"
His eyes lit up with a scarlet glow as his newly awakened Sharingan flared to life.
With both hands clenched into fists, he gripped three kunai between his fingers in each hand. In a flash, he raised his left hand and launched three shuriken in a tight triangular formation, aimed directly at Kakashi's throat and eyes.
Immediately after, he followed with his right hand—another three shuriken flying just behind the first wave. These clashed subtly in midair with the earlier projectiles, changing their trajectories mid-flight.
While the first three formed a "品" shape targeting Kakashi's front, the second wave veered off in a smooth arc, aiming straight for Kakashi's back.
"So precise… If I wasn't careful, I might actually get hit," Kakashi muttered in a mocking tone.
With practiced ease, he blocked all six shuriken using the back of his blade—still sheathed.
Obito gritted his teeth and immediately weaved a series of hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive ball of fire burst from his mouth and surged forward, lighting up the twilight.
"Water Style: Water Barrier!"
Kakashi's calm counter came in the form of a towering wall of water. When fire and water collided, they exploded into a cloud of hot steam and mist, obscuring the field in dense smoke.
Obito's Sharingan flickered rapidly, scanning for any movement through the haze.
Then—shiver!
A chill ran down his spine.
Too late.
"Konoha's Secret Taijutsu: Thousand Years of Death!"
Poof!
With a yelp, Obito shot into the air like a rocket, his face beet red and voice echoing across the training ground.
"Tsk tsk… First time trying it, and it actually works better than expected," Kakashi remarked, watching Obito soar through the smoke-filled sky.
"You absolute jerk, Kakashi!" Obito shouted as he crash-landed, rubbing his behind with teary eyes. He limped back toward them, glaring furiously.
"We agreed on a duel—how was I supposed to know you'd pull out something like that?"
Kakashi just shrugged with a smirk. "That's exactly the point. You never know what your opponent will do in battle. That's why it's important not to let your emotions cloud your judgment."
He crossed his arms and added, "You were too emotional. A few taunts and you completely lost your rhythm. That's a serious weakness."
"You—!" Obito clenched his fists, ready to argue.
But then, he paused. Deep down, he knew Kakashi was right. Letting his temper get the better of him had cost him dearly in the fight.
"…So what should I do?" he asked grudgingly.
Kakashi raised a brow, then nodded approvingly.
"Good. That's the right attitude. Since the Sharingan has boosted your visual and combat abilities, it might feel like you've suddenly gained a huge power-up. But that power is raw—you don't know how to control it yet."
"You lack real combat experience. That's why from now on, I'll be your opponent. Every day. Until your body and mind are battle-ready. Get prepared for hell."
"No problem!" Obito said without hesitation. "If that's what it takes to get stronger, I'm ready!"
His eyes burned with determination.
"Kakashi! I did it!"
A cheerful voice cut through the tension. Rin came running over, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
In her hand, the water ball shifted seamlessly between a sphere and a cube, switching shapes with smooth precision.
"Well done, Rin. That's impressive," Kakashi said, the corners of his eyes softening into gentle crescents.
Hearing his praise, Rin blushed deeply and looked down shyly, her cheeks turning a bright red.
"The next step," Kakashi continued, "is to use both hands simultaneously. When your left hand forms a sphere, your right should form a cube—and vice versa. Keep alternating until you can switch without even thinking about it."
Rin nodded quickly and returned to her spot, her focus unwavering.
But Obito, scratching his head, couldn't help but ask, "Kakashi, what's the point of this exercise? Wouldn't it be more efficient for Rin to practice actual ninjutsu instead?"
"You're not wrong," Kakashi replied calmly. "Learning ninjutsu directly does give you faster results—in the short term."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"But if you want long-term power, there's more to it. Take Water Style, for example. To unleash truly devastating Water Jutsu, you need enormous chakra reserves. The Second Hokage could use massive Water Style techniques even without a water source nearby—that's how much chakra he had."
"But Rin doesn't have chakra capacity like that. Her strength lies in her chakra control. It's extremely precise and well-balanced."
He gestured toward Rin, who was now practicing with both hands as instructed.
"This kind of training improves her control even further. With that level of mastery, she'll be able to reduce chakra consumption, increase jutsu efficiency, and even create new techniques tailored to her strengths."
"It's not about brute force. It's about control, finesse, and using what you're best at."
Obito listened in silence, slowly realizing the logic behind it.
"…I get it. That makes sense. I'll stop interrupting her and focus on my own training."
"That's the spirit," Kakashi said. "Now, let's continue."
He turned back toward Obito with a smirk. "You're the one we need to worry about most. Don't let Rin leave you in the dust~"
That line worked like a switch.
"Don't look down on me, you bastard!" Obito shouted, charging in with renewed energy.
Even though he was knocked down repeatedly, he gritted his teeth and got back up every single time. Again and again, he pushed himself, refusing to quit.
Time slipped by as the trio continued their intense training. The sun had long since disappeared, and now the moon hung high in the night sky. All across Konoha, the lights of the village gradually dimmed one by one.
Yet on the quiet training field behind the mountain, three figures continued to move under the pale glow of the moon—one perfecting her control, one locked in battle, and one guiding them both with sharp eyes and silent resolve.
Their journey had just begun.