Kaede held onto Kakashi's fist, a light smile appearing on his face. "You've grown a bit taller. Just a few months, huh... Is this the result of the Cell Activation Jutsu?"
Although he had only used four times his normal speed and had not activated the Eight Gates, the fact that Kakashi could react to him meant that Kakashi's strength was gradually surpassing the level of a Chūnin.
Under normal circumstances, Kakashi would have become a Jōnin at twelve. However, with Kaede as his older brother and mentor, coupled with the Cell Activation Jutsu and the Chidori he had learned from Kaede, Kakashi's strength was already near that of a Jōnin, even though his battle experience and other aspects still fell short of the Jōnin standard.
"Maybe," Kakashi tilted his head slightly, showing a tired gaze. "But the gap between us is getting bigger."
Though it seemed like Kakashi had dodged Kaede's "attack," in reality, the strike had been launched from a distance, giving Kakashi a chance to react. The most important factor, however, was Kaede's performance in the Land of Grass, where he had killed numerous Jōnin, showcasing the vast difference in strength between them.
"You're growing, and I'm still training. It won't be easy to catch up to me," Kaede said with a smile, releasing Kakashi's fist.
Nearby, Minato's gaze briefly lingered on Kaede.
Kaede's speed earlier had been truly impressive, even though he hadn't used the Eight Gates. It was no wonder he had achieved such results in the Land of Grass.
"..."
Obitoi, on the other hand, felt somewhat frustrated. He had hoped to stand out during this mission, but the attention of everyone had shifted to Kaede the moment he appeared.
He approached the two Sand Village Jōnin corpses, inspecting them briefly before saying in surprise, "From the chakra residue, these should be Jōnin from the Sand Village, right? Did you eliminate them all in an instant, Minato-sensei?"
From the moment they detected the battle to when Minato arrived using the Body Flicker Technique, and then to when they reached the scene, only a few seconds had passed. In such a short time, two Jōnin had been neutralized. Although Obito, as Minato's student, was somewhat familiar with his master's strength, he couldn't help but be amazed.
"No," Minato shook his head. "It wasn't me..."
He turned to look at Kaede.
With his group consisting mainly of Chūnin and some Genin, it would have been difficult for them to take down two Jōnin from the Sand Village. Given the short time it took for Minato to arrive, and the fact that Kaede had arrived earlier, it was likely Kaede who had dealt with them.
"Judging by the marks, it seems like the battle ended in an instant. If that's the case, Kaede's power has certainly reached a new level," Minato mused.
However, his admiration was tempered. Such strength didn't faze him because, after all, he could also achieve similar results. What truly shook him was Kaede's youth, he was far younger than Minato, yet already so powerful. A ninja of his age had yet to reach his peak.
"That was pretty incredible. Kaede, what was that technique?" Yūhi Kurenai asked, her curiosity piqued after having calmed down from the initial shock.
Kaede smiled and replied, "You mean the state I was in? It's a combination of Lightning Release and Taijutsu, a secret technique I call 'Eight Gates Lightning Release.'"
He couldn't help but glance at Minato. The name 'Eight Gates Lightning Release' had come to him spontaneously, partly to avoid Minato potentially naming it something over-the-top like "Silver Flash Super Raging Thunder Technique."
Obito, still stiff, was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Kaede had taken down the two Hidden Sand Village Jōnin, and he was disappointed that Minato had arrived a little too late. He had been hoping to draw the crowd's attention, but it seemed all eyes were on Kaede now.
The group didn't linger for long. After dealing with the bodies and sealing the heads in scrolls, they headed towards the Konoha camp.
As they walked, Yūhi Kurenai turned to Kaede and asked, "Did Hokage-sama send you here, meaning you'll be working with us on the mission from now on?"
"Not sure," Kaede shook his head. "It depends on Hokage-sama's orders and Jiraiya-sensei's instructions. But it's more likely I'll be acting alone."
He glanced at Minato, and Minato caught his gaze. The two exchanged a brief look before turning away.
Minato smiled lightly.
From Konoha's perspective, Kaede coming to this battlefield was a good thing. His accomplishments on the Land of Grass battlefield had already proven his worth.
As for Kaede being Orochimaru's student, and now seemingly his competitor, Minato wasn't too concerned. If he had been on the battlefield in the Land of Grass, using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was confident he could have done even better.
Minato's goal was to become Hokage. He needed to compete with ninjas who had the qualifications to become Hokage, like Orochimaru and Tsunade. As for Kaede, he was just a competitor for the next generation, so there was no need to worry.
…
Two hours later.
Kaede, Minato, and the others returned to the frontlines of Konoha's camp, heading straight to the largest tent in the center of the camp to report to their commanding officer, Jiraiya.
"...I understand. Leave the intelligence gathering to Jiraiya."
Jiraiya nodded after hearing the group's reports and accepted the scroll containing the sealed heads of the Hidden Sand Village Jōnin from Yūhi Kurenai.
Then, he turned his attention to Kaede.
Kaede, being Orochimaru's student, was like a nephew to Jiraiya. However, despite their relationship as comrades and rivals, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a bit helpless when he saw that Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent Kaede to this battlefield.
Originally, Jiraiya and Minato had handled the battle in their respective areas, but now that Kaede was brought in, it made it seem like Minato and Jiraiya weren't enough, and that Orochimaru had to send one of his students to help.
It felt... odd.
But there was no stopping it now.
Kaede had already intervened in the battle. When news reached Jiraiya of Kaede single-handedly eliminating a group of nearly 100 elite Hidden Sand ninjas who had taken a detour through the Amegakure, Jiraiya had been left stunned.
If the enemy had executed their plan of attacking the rear camp during the main force's full-on assault, Konoha would have been in deep trouble, if not defeated outright.
What really shocked Jiraiya, however, was that Kaede had wiped out nearly 100 elite Sand ninjas by himself!
This student of Orochimaru... was truly a monster.
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