NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: CHAPTER 10
Haneda didn't notice Obito sulking at the sidelines or muttering about "betrayal."
His full focus was locked on Kakashi.
His pupils tracked every movement, every shift in weight, reading subtle hints of Kakashi's next strike.
---
The Clash Intensifies
Suddenly, Kakashi drew a kunai mid-combo, his arm blurring.
Whoosh!
The blade flashed past Haneda's cheek, close enough for him to feel the wind cut across his skin.
- Too fast! Haneda cursed inwardly, springing back.
He yanked a kunai from his pouch, locking eyes with Kakashi.
The distance closed in a heartbeat.
Steel rang against steel.
Ding! Ding-ding-ding!
The tempo of their strikes was so precise it almost felt choreographed—a deadly rhythm of attack and counter, parry and feint.
Even Obito, usually the loudest in the class, was silent now.
His fists clenched. He didn't want to miss a second.
---
Kakashi's expression didn't change, but his voice cut through the clash.
- "You're better than Obito… but still not enough."
Haneda smirked through the sparks of clashing steel.
- "That so? Lend me your hands for a moment, then."
Before Kakashi could respond, Haneda's right hand blurred into seals—using both their hands mid-clash.
Kakashi's eyes widened.
- "He's—using my hands for seals?!"
Kakashi jerked back, breaking the lock—but it was already too late.
The final sign, Tiger, snapped into place.
---
Fire vs. Earth
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Haneda inhaled, then expelled a roaring inferno. The ball of flame ballooned outward, swelling to nearly three meters in diameter.
Kakashi slammed both hands to the ground without hesitation.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
The ground split, rising into a thick slab etched with snarling dog heads—Hatake clan style.
BOOM!
The fireball smashed against the wall, smoke and shards of earth exploding outward. Within seconds, the entire training ground was shrouded in gray-black haze.
---
Strings of Death
Haneda moved first.
The smoke curled around him as shuriken whistled out in all directions, glinting faintly—linked by taut, thin wires glowing with reflected light.
"Uchiha-Style: Shuriken Manipulation Technique!"
His fingers twitched in subtle patterns, guiding the spinning blades through arcs unseen.
Kakashi's kunai intercepted some with precise strikes, sparks cascading like fireflies.
But each deflection dragged on his stamina.
Haneda's voice cut through the smoke:
- "If you can't get close, Kakashi… you lose."
---
A calm voice answered from behind him.
- "You talk too much."
Haneda's eyes widened. He spun, kunai flashing up just in time—
CLANG!
Kakashi's strike locked with his, sending a jolt down his arm.
Before he could recover, Kakashi's leg swept low. WHAM!
The kick blasted Haneda back, skidding across the dirt.
---
Kakashi stood, silent as ever, mask hiding his face.
He formed the seal of reconciliation without arrogance, his tone flat:
- "It's over."
Haneda pushed to his feet slowly, brushing dirt from his shirt.
But his grin was feral.
- "Over? You sure about that?"
His eyes snapped open—burning crimson.
One tomoe spun lazily in each pupil.
The Sharingan.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Kakashi's eyes widened slightly.
- "Sharingan…?"
---
The Battle Shifts
Haneda's voice was ice:
- "Now… the real fight begins."
He blurred forward, kunai flashing.
And for the first time, Kakashi felt something alien—his own movements mirrored before they even finished.
Every feint, every strike—read and countered like a children's book.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The rhythm had changed.
Haneda pressed relentlessly, his speed sharper, his timing merciless.
Kakashi gritted his teeth.
- So this is… the power of the Uchiha?
---
Within minutes, Kakashi's breathing grew ragged.
Haneda's kunai halted at Kakashi's forehead protector—a whisper from cutting flesh.
Haneda exhaled slowly, lowering his weapon.
Then he extended his hand, forming the seal of reconciliation.
- "You lose, Kakashi."
Kakashi, sitting in the dirt, mirrored the gesture silently.
Sunlight cut across Haneda's face, framed by crimson eyes.
And for the first time, Kakashi spoke what his heart had been wrestling with:
- "Haneda… to you, companions matter more than the mission… right? Just like my father."
Haneda nodded without hesitation.
- "Of course."
Then he smirked.
"Let me tell you something, Kakashi… In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their friends…"
His voice hardened.
"…are worse than trash."
He slid his hands into his pockets and walked away, leaving Kakashi staring up at the sky—lost in thought.
---
Result
- "The winner—Uchiha Haneda!"
The class erupted in chaos.
Obito stormed over, fists waving.
- "You traitor! You promised me we'd stick together at the bottom, and then you go and beat Kakashi?!"
Haneda chuckled, clapping Obito on the shoulder.
- "Relax, Obito. No matter how strong I get… we're still friends."
- "Who's your friend, you bastard Haneda! Idiot Haneda!!"
Haneda just grinned, ignoring the tsundere explosion in front of him.
Ding!
[Obito's favorability +3]
Ding!
[Obito's favorability +5]
Haneda smirked inwardly.
- Obito's bond is rising… Next is Kakashi. And if I play this right, I can awaken more of the Sharingan's power—and maybe even snag some future techniques like Chidori.