In that lightning-fast exge, how much of Link’s ten months of training did he actually use?

  The bination of e Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu.

  Ultra-fast hand seals.

  Detag his body from his head to gain the initiative.

  Turning limbs into ninja tools for indepe attacks.

  Using his head to distract the oppo while his body unched an attack.

  Most importantly, the physical endurance gaihrough daily releraining, allowing him to avoid being instantly defeated by a jonin.

  Now, as Link stood in pce, he realized he had exhausted all his tricks. He knew better than to think he could use the same teiques to fool a jonin again.

  In ninja battles, success often hinged on information. The only reason he had gained a fleeting advantage in taijutsu was the “information gap” created by his unorthodox Link-style taijutsu.

  But now...

  “Huff…” Link exhaled, his mind rag. How could he possibly engage in taijutsu against someone like Kakashi?

  The intense skirmish, bined with repeated use of e Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu, had drained his stamina to 50% of its safe threshold. It ainfully clear he was at a disadvantage.

  Would Kakashi use another Shadow e? Or, as the renowned master of ninjutsu, would he unleash a jutsu enjutsu? Perhaps he might even reveal his Sharingan to ensure Link couldn’t pull any more tricks?

  No matter how hard Link had worked or how much his cheat ability had helped, the gap between them was still insurmountable.

  Even if he trained for another year, would it make a difference?

  The harsh reality was—no.

  Another year of practice would ne the vast gap in physical prowess, bat experience, and intuition. He wasn’t a reinated super-soldier or elite assassin. He was just a regur person who had made extraordinary progress thanks to his te father’s foundational training and his owless effort.

  With a deep breath, Link formed hand seals again and cast e Jutsu. This time, he skipped the Transformation Jutsu to serve his dwindling stamina. Exhaustion was creeping up on him like a tide.

  The battle so far had proven that the teiques he developed—based on basic jutsu and academy-taught bat strategies—were insuffit against a jonin.

  Through this fight, Link realized that following the ventional ninja path to surpass or even match a jonin would take an unimaginably long time. It would require not only years of grueling training but also tless life-or-death experiences.

  Perhaps he should give up now and avoid revealing too much.

  Yet, a nagging sense of unwillingness g him.

  Link could endure monotonous training, bear daily fatigue and pain, but he struggled to tolerate his own cowardice.

  So, keep fighting.

  In the few seds it took for these thoughts to race through his mind, Link had already steeled himself to tinue.

  “Crack—Rustle!”

  Suddenly, two hands burst from the ground, grabbing Link’s legs and pulling him downward.

  Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu.

  Link khis teique well and was unsurprised that Kakashi, a master of Earth Release, would use it. Calmly, he grabbed his own head and flung it far away. In midair, he celed his e and reassembled his body.

  “Swish!”

  But Kakashi had anticipated this move. Using the Body Flicker Teique, he closed the gap instantly.

  Link smirked. “You showed me the inal Headhunter Jutsu, so let me show you my version.”

  F hand seals, Link released a jutsu:

  Link-style: Headhunter Jutsu.

  Kakashi’s instincts screamed at him, and his alertness shot to its peak. This kid was full of surprises. His bat style and bizarre jutsu were unlike anything Kakashi had ever seen.

  But whesu activated, Kakashi suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented.

  A genjutsu?!

  [But the file said…?!]

  “Swoosh—Ssh!”

  For an instant, Kakashi felt a sharp pain as though his head had been severed. The sensation was so vivid it felt real.

  “Release!”

  He disrupted his chakra, breaking free of the illusion just as a kick sent him tumbling to the ground. Landing on one hand, Kakashi steadied himself.

  It had been only a brief moment of vulnerability, but Link had mao capitalize on it.

  Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu...

  Kakashi cpped the dust off his chest and adjusted his stance, a newfound respe his eyes.

  [This kid isn’t an ordinary academy graduate enin.]

  Link nded a short distance away, his eyes fshing with frustration as he looked at the nearly unscathed Kakashi.

  [It wasn’t enough.]

  Even uhe influence of his unique Headhunter Jutsu, Kakashi had quickly gathered chakra to the point of impact, abs most of the damage. His sturdy body likely didn’t eveer much pain.

  Kakashi’s uny ability to read his iions, bined with his superior chakra trol, reflexes, and vast array of teiques, left Link feeling utterly powerless.

  This was bat experiehe differeween a seasoned jonin and a fledgling ninja.

  Kakashi didn’t eveo rely on his signature jutsu or the Sharingan to dominate. His overwhelming strength was simply the mark of ae jonin.

  [What else do I have left?]

  Link grimly assessed his options. His Money-Binding Jutsu required actual cash, and his Substitution Jutsu was highly uable.

  Even if he mao summon a bat-ready substitute, would it be enough to win?

  Over the past ten months, he had used the Substitution Jutsu roughly ten times, but only three resulted in bat-effective substitutes. The sheer variety of potential substitutes made it impossible for him to familiarize himself with all their abilities.

  Many substitutes required intricate strategies to utilize effectively. With their brief durations—mere seds or mi was rarely enough to turide of battle.

  [Fine. O stand.]

  A torrent of thoughts fshed through Link’s mind before he calmly formed hand seals.

  “Release!”

  A grotesque gray skeletal creature materialized behind him.

  It had a birdlike skull with a hooked beak, a tipede-like ribcage, glowing red eyes, a purple tongue, and six skeletal arms swaying menagly in the air.