[Defeat Kakashi!]
As soon as Hyuga Bin turned around, the familiar system prompt appeared in his mind.
> [Optional mission completed!]
[New mission unlocked: Heal Tsunade's heart. Rewards will be distributed upon completion.]
[Mission objective: Fully heal Tsunade's psychological trauma caused by the deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan.]
Hyuga Bin's face stiffened.
This... is exponentially more difficult.
After reading the mission objective, he couldn't help but sigh deeply at its sheer difficulty. Still, he began mapping out possible strategies.
After all, it was Tsunade who had chosen him for this, and now he had to follow through—even if it meant shedding tears.
"I've got a weird feeling about this kid," Tsunade muttered, watching Hyuga Bin shuffle away. She glanced down at the neatly wrapped candy in her hand. Slowly, she unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and tossed the wrapper into the trash.
"…Sweet enough."
---
Hyuga Bin soon arrived at the intersection of Konoha's bustling food street, where Hatake Kakashi was already waiting.
Visiting the dessert stalls was part of Hyuga Bin's daily routine.
As someone who knew Hyuga Bin well, Kakashi had positioned himself at the entrance in anticipation of his arrival.
"Bin, I want to challenge you!"
The moment Kakashi spotted him, he jumped out and blocked Hyuga Bin's path. His young face—still not yet hidden behind a mask—was etched with seriousness.
That tone and expression... They reminded Hyuga Bin of Uchiha Obito, who had said almost the same thing just a few days earlier.
The reason behind Kakashi's challenge was simple: he'd heard that Hyuga Bin had faced off against three Uchiha and even taken one down. He felt ashamed. In their previous spars, each bout had ended in a draw. Kakashi had assumed they were on equal footing.
But now he realized—Hyuga Bin had been holding back.
As the son of the legendary White Fang, Kakashi couldn't accept that he hadn't even noticed.
And so, determined to test himself, he came to settle things properly.
When Hyuga Bin saw Kakashi standing there with such conviction, he paused. This wasn't the Kakashi he remembered—reserved, reluctant, and always battling like a courtesan forced back into work after vowing to quit.
The Kakashi in the original manga wore a face mask and covered one eye, always carrying an air of gloom—like the world owed him money.
"So this is what it means to experience the world firsthand. Kishimoto is a manga artist. Fanfic authors write whatever they want. But you never truly understand these people until you live it."
Hyuga Bin chuckled bitterly. Still, he thought Kakashi was overthinking it.
He was just a branch family Hyuga. How could he possibly be compared to Hatake Kakashi—a prodigy who graduated from the Academy at five, became a Chūnin at six, and a Jōnin by twelve?
Each of their past fights had left Hyuga Bin completely drained.
And now he was just trying to get some Taiyaki.
"Kakashi, I'm on my way to eat," he replied politely.
"I'll wait until you're done," Kakashi insisted firmly.
Hyuga Bin sighed. It was clear Kakashi wasn't backing down.
Then, the system pinged again:
> [Option A: Accept Hatake Kakashi's challenge. Reward: Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms (C-Rank reward).]
[Option B: Say, "Next time, I promise." Reward: Substitution Technique (D-Rank reward).]
[Option C: Reject the challenge outright. Reward: +0.1 random attribute point.]
Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms. That was no small reward—especially for a three-and-a-half-year-old Hyuga.
It was still a C-rank technique, so it shouldn't be that hard.
Decision made, Hyuga Bin turned to Kakashi.
"Alright. I accept."
> [Option mission completed!]
[New task unlocked: Defeat Hatake Kakashi. Rewards will be distributed upon completion.]
[Mission objective: Defeat Kakashi and earn his sincere acknowledgment.]
---
One Hour Later – Konoha Training Grounds
Hyuga Bin and Kakashi stood facing each other.
"We're not official shinobi yet—no need for the Seal of Reconciliation," Bin said, raising his guard.
"Got it. I'm coming." Kakashi didn't hesitate.
"…"
The clash was intense. Taijutsu collided. Sparks flew. Neither held back.
By the end, both were scraped and bruised, their small frames exhausted. Nothing life-threatening, of course—they'd heal in a day or two.
And yet—Hyuga Bin stood the victor.
He was a few months older, and while Kakashi had genius on his side, Hyuga Bin's system-assisted growth and relentless hard work had paid off. He had trained even more obsessively than Kakashi in recent weeks.
But it was still a close call. Without his trump card, Hyuga Bin might have lost.
If not for the system… I would've been eating Kakashi's dust by next year.
As he reached out to help Kakashi up, he couldn't help muttering to himself:
"Guess the only thing standing between me and a genius… is a system."
But Kakashi refused the offered hand. He staggered to his feet on his own, determination in his eyes.
"Bin… I'll keep challenging you. I won't stop until I surpass you."
Then he turned and walked away.
> [Mission failed!]
Hyuga Bin's face froze.
He believes it in his heart… but he didn't say it out loud!
He wanted to cry.
The reward he'd fought so hard for? Gone—again.
"If I can't even complete these 'optional' tasks, how am I supposed to keep up with Kakashi next time?"
With a tired sigh, Hyuga Bin glanced at Kakashi's retreating form and turned to head home.
Kakashi, for all his talent and resolve, still had the innocence of a regular child.
In the original story, Kakashi's emotional detachment stemmed from relentless trauma: his father's suicide, Obito's death, Rin's death, and the loss of his teacher Minato.
Top that off with a Mangekyō Sharingan that never turns off—constantly draining chakra—and you had a boy weighed down by grief.
But for now, Kakashi was still just a kid.
And Hyuga Bin? He still had Taiyaki to eat.