"Sensei... how could I lose? I'm not weak!"
Obito shouted, his voice cracking with frustration.
He was shaken not because of any lack of strength, but because Kurenai Yuhi had hidden herself using a genjutsu, launching a surprise attack in coordination with Asuma's shadow clone. In a direct confrontation, he wouldn't have gone down so easily.
"Reflect on what I said earlier."
Jingyi walked over to Asuma's side, calmly forming hand seals.
Chakra gathered in his palm, glowing a soft green.
"Sensei, you actually know medical ninjutsu the Mystical Palm Technique?" Rin asked, wide-eyed.
"Why would I pretend?" Jingyi gave her a sideways glance. Such a fuss over a basic trick.
Thanks to his training system, he wasn't particularly specialized in any one field but in ninjutsu, he was comfortably proficient across the board.
Minato Namikaze looked on, impressed. Kakashi, however, bit his lip until it bled.
This guy...
Mastery of so many types of jutsu medical, elemental, and still strong in taijutsu and kenjutsu. How was that even possible?
Am I... really that far behind?
Kakashi clenched his fists. He had always been called a prodigy. People praised him endlessly. He never thought his talent was lacking.
But after meeting Jingyi, the gap felt overwhelming.
He was good at taijutsu, kenjutsu, ninjutsu...
But not the best. During their match, he couldn't even break through the defensive coordination of Shisui, Asuma, and Kurenai. His tactics had relied too heavily on brute force and instinct rather than strategy.
His thoughts drifted to his father Sakumo Hatake.
The Hatake clan had roots in samurai tradition. Sakumo had refined his sword style by merging kenjutsu with chakra flow and taijutsu. That was how the White Fang rose to prominence in the ninja world.
Maybe... my father's path wasn't wrong after all.
Kakashi had once rejected his father's legacy completely, but now he felt a painful clarity.
Sakumo's swordsmanship was powerful.
"Kakashi, I had high expectations for you. But watching that fight, I truly questioned whether you're even fit to be a shinobi anymore. You might be better off returning to the Academy," Minato said sharply.
Kakashi flinched. He wanted to protest but he couldn't.
He'd lost.
Excuses didn't matter.
Asuma scratched the spot where he'd been healed and hesitated. He knew Kakashi had been holding back. If it had been a real battle, Kakashi could've killed him.
But even so, Kakashi was already a chunin. Asuma was still a genin.
Nothing worth boasting about.
"Minato-sensei," Jingyi interjected, half-joking, "isn't that too harsh? Rather than demoting him, why not give the chunin team another chance? One more proper exam."
Minato frowned. "Is he even worthy? A chunin needs to coordinate team strategy and lead in battle. What did Kakashi do? High mission completion rate or not, who would want to team up with someone who can't work with others?"
But in truth, these weren't Minato's words they were Jingyi's.
He had asked Minato to say them in hopes of shaking Kakashi's stubbornness, helping him confront the pride and pain he'd been carrying since Sakumo's death.
Minato owed Jingyi. The young jōnin had no obligation to help with Kakashi or Sakumo, yet he did for the sake of Konoha's future.
If Kakashi could push past his block, he had the potential to become a formidable jōnin.
Jingyi, for his part, was thinking more long-term. Minato and Jiraiya weren't swordsmen. If Kakashi wanted to pursue kenjutsu seriously, he'd have to seek out someone like Jingyi.
Training a promising student early makes it easier to "collect wool" later.
Kakashi, of course, didn't realize any of this. All he heard was Minato's harsh words, all he felt was failure.
"Kakashi used to be in my provisional squad," Jingyi added. "We've fought together on the front lines. I'm vouching for him."
"Really?" Minato blinked. That wasn't part of the plan.
Kakashi was just as confused. He vaguely recalled a mission team-up long ago, when Jingyi had just been promoted to chunin.
"It was a temporary squad during a mission. Minato-senpai, give him another chance."
Minato nodded. "Fine. Kakashi you can give up your chunin rank and retake the exam with your team. Or keep the title and leave my team. Decide."
Shisui, nearby, watched with a strange expression.
This tactic... it's exactly what Jingyi-sensei pulled on me.
He remembered overhearing Jingyi's loud "conspiracy" with Minato. He knew what this was.
They're just baiting him. If Kakashi falls for it...
But was the genius of the Hatake clan really that naive?
Kakashi's pride burned. Give up his rank?
No. This title was earned in real combat. But...
He looked at Shisui, Kurenai, and Asuma.
I can't lose to a team like them.
His jaw tightened. A moment passed. His mind cleared.
"Test me."
Minato smiled faintly. "Very well. Jingyi, I'll conduct another exam tomorrow. Thank you for everything."
"I'll be there," Jingyi replied easily. Though, he planned to just send a shadow clone.
Kakashi had underestimated his opponents this time. That wouldn't happen again.
"Thanks," Kakashi said, bowing deeply.
He couldn't remember clearly, but he did recall being on a team with Jingyi once. At the time, Jingyi had just made chunin.
Now?
He was far ahead.
"You used to be a genius I looked up to," Jingyi said softly. "I don't want that potential to go to waste. Minato-senpai, we'll leave you to your class."
"Jingyi... truly, thank you," Minato said, solemn.
Even the Third Hokage hadn't been able to break through to Kakashi. But now... maybe something had finally reached him.
As Jingyi left with his team, his students wore strange expressions.
Rin glanced over. Kurenai and the others looked unusually smug but Minato had already launched into another lecture, so she let the thought go.