After Senju Hikaru dodged Weasel's Earth Dragon Bullet with absurd ease—light, effortless, yet extremely difficult in execution—the rest of the fight had almost no suspense.
Weasel knew it too.
If he were the one facing that technique, there was no chance he could have avoided it so cleanly. What Senju Hikaru had just displayed proved one thing beyond doubt:
Senju Hikaru's fundamentals were terrifyingly strong.
Still, Weasel had no intention of giving up. As one of ANBU's squad leaders, he had his own pride.
He understood Senju Hikaru's advantages—some of them even beyond what he'd expected—but Senju Hikaru's weaknesses were equally obvious:
Too young, meaning his stamina should be limited.
Chakra reserves clearly insufficient.
Physical strength decent, but still not quite on par with a full-grown adult.
A thirteen- or fourteen-year-old couldn't possibly outlast an experienced adult… right?
So Weasel chose the only route left: drag it out. Even if he couldn't win, he would at least force Senju Hikaru to reveal more of his hidden cards.
With that mindset, Weasel launched a relentless assault.
His strength was no joke. In certain aspects, he still hadn't fully reached true jōnin level—just like Senju Hikaru—but overall, he could be considered jōnin-class.
That was exactly why the village even had the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin (Special Jōnin): some shinobi were jōnin in overall capability, yet had one or more missing pieces.
Senju Hikaru had always thought the label was silly—if your total combat power is jōnin level, then you're jōnin level. Some "special jōnin" even surpassed full jōnin in specific fields.
Against Weasel's storm of attacks, Senju Hikaru stayed calm and steady. His speed advantage exploded into full view.
Steel rang again and again, sparks bursting like fireflies as the two blurred into afterimages.
And everyone watching was ANBU.
Even if they didn't specialize in speed, they could still follow what was happening.
They could also see something else clearly:
Weasel was trying to drain Senju Hikaru… and even then, he wouldn't last long.
Senju Hikaru's speed crushed Weasel's. No matter how hard Weasel pushed, he couldn't truly catch him.
Meanwhile, every counter from Senju Hikaru forced Weasel into frantic, messy defense.
The gap was obvious to everyone.
Soon, Weasel seemed to decide the exchange was hopeless. He broke away and began forming seals again.
"Earth Release: Falling Clay!"
A strange barrier formed overhead—and in the next moment, massive amounts of chakra-infused clay began raining down toward Senju Hikaru.
Senju Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
He'd seen this technique before—maybe in manga or anime—one of those rare moments where ANBU got to look truly impressive. The technique had real bite.
He'd also personally seen it in ANBU's ninjutsu archives years ago.
Senju Hikaru paused for a fraction of a moment, then leapt backward. He had no interest in being touched by that sticky, dangerous clay.
As he evaded, his left hand quietly moved behind his back.
A single hand seal was completed—silently.
Weasel wasn't surprised that Senju Hikaru dodged. Senju Hikaru's reaction speed had already proven that this alone wouldn't threaten him.
Because Falling Clay wasn't meant to be used alone.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Weasel formed seals again without hesitation—this time it was Fire Release.
Falling Clay was designed to pair with fire. The chakra clay restricted movement and could trap the target—then the flames would turn the trap into a furnace, burning the enemy down into sludge.
Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't be allowed in a spar.
But Weasel couldn't worry about that now—and he trusted Senju Hikaru wouldn't actually die.
The fireball slammed into the clay—
And in an instant, flames swallowed the entire fighting zone.
The sheer heat made everyone tense—ANBU included, and even Hiruzen and Minato.
But no one intervened.
Weasel finished the combo and watched cautiously.
The roaring fire blocked his vision completely. He couldn't locate Senju Hikaru at all.
But he was certain Senju Hikaru was fine.
So he waited—guarded—ready for a counterstrike.
Then—
A faint movement stirred behind him.
Weasel spun.
And Senju Hikaru erupted forward with unbelievable speed.
So fast it looked like a streak of light.
Holding his ninjatō with both hands, Senju Hikaru surged halfway in—
Then suddenly accelerated again.
His speed jumped up an entire tier.
This was almost beyond Weasel's ability to track.
Weasel grit his teeth and raised his blade. He truly hadn't expected Senju Hikaru could still go faster—he thought he'd already found Senju Hikaru's ceiling.
But now it was obvious:
He hadn't pressured Senju Hikaru at all.
CLANG!
Steel collided.
Weasel barely, barely blocked the strike.
But his expression changed immediately.
Because movement flickered at his side.
Weasel yanked out a kunai. With no time left to dodge, he lifted it to take the hit—
But just as ninjatō and kunai were about to meet, Senju Hikaru's wrist shifted.
The sword moved like it was alive.
It slipped past the kunai and swept straight toward Weasel's throat.
"It's over."
Senju Hikaru stopped his blade at Weasel's neck. He had no intention of killing him—but the fight was done.
"So I lost completely." Weasel sighed deeply, not looking surprised. "As expected… that technique still wasn't enough against you."
"You shouldn't say that," Senju Hikaru smiled, offering a small consolation. "It's just that my speed is fast."
Weasel's combo was dangerous—but for Senju Hikaru, it wasn't truly troublesome.
And even if it became troublesome, Senju Hikaru had nothing to fear.
Minato and Hiruzen were both watching. They would never allow a spar like this to turn into a real tragedy.
They hadn't stepped in only because they were confident Senju Hikaru was fine.
Senju Hikaru sheathed his sword, then extended a hand.
Weasel took it and rose.
Hiruzen watched, silently weighing something.
Then he announced in a clear voice:
"The winner of the first match—Nightingale!"
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