Everyone in Konoha—no, in the entire shinobi world—knew just how difficult the Flying Thunder God Technique was.
So Hiruzen Sarutobi's doubt was completely natural. Even if Senju Hikaru was a descendant of the Senju, everyone also knew what the Senju looked like now.
Even back when Konoha had just been founded—when the First and Second Hokage were still alive—within the Senju clan, aside from the Second Hokage, no one else could use Flying Thunder God anymore.
There was no way Hiruzen believed a Senju kid could master it in such a short time.
As for the possibility that Senju Hikaru had been practicing it since childhood…
Not impossible. But if he had it, he would have used it long ago.
From Senju Hikaru's mission reports—and from the reports submitted by his teammates—this kid simply did not know that technique.
Still, Hiruzen kept a trace of caution.
Minato's earlier words likely carried more meaning than stubbornness.
That meant Senju Hikaru still had something up his sleeve—something "interesting."
"Could it be… the Rasengan?"
Hiruzen silently considered it.
Rasengan was difficult, yes—but compared to Flying Thunder God, it was far simpler.
Once you understood the trick, learning it wasn't impossible.
Minato had been meeting privately with Senju Hikaru. The boy was talented. He was sharp.
If he had learned Rasengan, that wouldn't be strange.
While Hiruzen was thinking, the smoke in the plaza thinned. Senju Hikaru and Lone Wolf became clearly visible again.
Senju Hikaru looked disheveled.
Under Lone Wolf's relentless pressure, he could only dodge and defend.
And Lone Wolf—experienced to the bone—had already sensed Senju Hikaru being pushed into a corner.
He would never waste such an opening.
With one step forward, Lone Wolf closed in and threw a heavy punch.
For an instant, Senju Hikaru felt a terrifying illusion—like he had been completely locked in place, as if there was no possible way to evade that fist.
But Senju Hikaru was a seasoned ANBU veteran.
Even in a desperate position, he could still defend.
He snapped his ninja blade up.
Blue chakra burst across the steel.
He swung forward hard—aiming straight for Lone Wolf's arm.
Yet Lone Wolf didn't seem to care at all.
Or rather… he simply didn't need to care.
The instant the blade and fist collided, Lone Wolf's punch erupted again with powerful chakra.
But at the same moment, Senju Hikaru's blade changed.
Water-nature chakra flared, compressed to the extreme—spreading along the edge like a razor-thin wave.
"Hmm?"
Lone Wolf's brow furrowed slightly.
But he didn't let up.
He retracted his fist just enough to draw Senju Hikaru in with the momentum—then struck again.
A punch, ripping the air, slammed toward Senju Hikaru's ribs.
And Lone Wolf's brow furrowed deeper.
Bam!
Smoke erupted.
Senju Hikaru became a chunk of wood.
The real Senju Hikaru reappeared at a distance.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Breaking the close-range exchange, Senju Hikaru formed seals instantly.
At this point, Senju Hikaru was essentially going all out for his current level.
And it frustrated him—because this Hyūga opponent was truly monstrous.
Strength. Speed. Defense.
Without Sage Mode, Senju Hikaru was being completely outclassed.
He could even say with confidence: even if he used his beginner Sage Mode, it still wouldn't necessarily swing the fight in his favor.
Sage Mode was powerful—but only when the user's base was already terrifying.
Jiraiya's Sage Mode was overwhelming because Jiraiya himself was overwhelming.
A roaring water dragon surged forward, smashing toward Lone Wolf.
But Lone Wolf remained calm.
The Hyūga didn't fight with ninjutsu, not because they couldn't—but because they had something far better for exploiting their eyes: Gentle Fist.
And because of it, they rarely feared ninjutsu.
Lone Wolf's chakra condensed. His hands turned vivid blue.
Behind the mask, his Byakugan locked onto the dragon's core.
Closer. Closer.
When the water dragon came within five meters, Lone Wolf stepped forward, right hand shifting from fist to palm—
And chopped straight into the center.
Buzz!
Blue chakra pierced through the dragon's body.
With a violent shock, the water dragon collapsed instantly, losing form and splashing down into a wide puddle.
And at that exact moment, Senju Hikaru moved again.
With a single-hand seal, Water Style: Instant Water completed—
And Senju Hikaru shot to Lone Wolf's side at unbelievable speed.
His blade was coated in lethal chakra.
"Water Style: Water Blade Slash!"
The blade came down.
Even Lone Wolf's expression twitched.
He knew the technique—but he had never seen it condensed to this degree.
Still, he didn't panic.
This time, he didn't block. He dodged.
Not because he couldn't block—because there was no reason to take it.
In a split-second, Senju Hikaru adjusted.
The sword arc curved strangely in midair, redirecting toward Lone Wolf's head.
Lone Wolf refused to be dragged into this exchange.
He crouched slightly, slipped under the strike, spun—
And kicked out viciously toward Senju Hikaru's torso.
Senju Hikaru's eyes lit up.
He had been waiting for this moment.
"This time… I win!"
He raised his blade in front of his chest to block.
And at the same time, his left palm condensed a trace of chakra—
And struck out at Lone Wolf.
…
BAM!
Senju Hikaru was blown backward.
His ninja blade shattered from the kick.
Lone Wolf's taijutsu was just that brutal.
But Senju Hikaru didn't look panicked.
He flipped once in midair and landed cleanly.
Lone Wolf didn't immediately pursue.
His Byakugan gaze locked onto his own rear leg.
There—on that spot—was a strange mark.
He didn't know what it meant.
He didn't feel any immediate discomfort.
And that made him even more uneasy.
He was certain Senju Hikaru wouldn't do something meaningless.
The only conclusion: this mark had a purpose.
But without an answer, Lone Wolf couldn't guess what Senju Hikaru intended.
He could at least tell one thing—
That mark seemed to be… a sealing technique.
"Water Style: Water Bullets!"
Senju Hikaru gave him no time to think.
The moment he landed, seals were already complete.
Several heavy water spheres formed and fired like cannon rounds toward Lone Wolf.
Up until now, Senju Hikaru had mostly relied on taijutsu.
His chakra reserves were still decent.
And his recovery was frighteningly good.
He had enough chakra left for a full-on ninjutsu bombardment.
His battle plan was already set.
The crucial step had already been completed.
Now he just needed to wait for the final opening.
Lone Wolf couldn't keep pondering.
He leapt up, evading the water bullets—
But Senju Hikaru, as if anticipating it, launched another technique immediately.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bite Explosion!"
The water scattered across the ground surged upward, saving Senju Hikaru chakra.
From the pooling water, a massive dragon erupted—roaring as it snapped toward Lone Wolf.
Lone Wolf snorted.
Midair, his hands lifted.
As the dragon lunged, he punched—
And Gentle Fist force expanded outward like a tight web.
Within that web were countless strikes and shockwaves.
Senju Hikaru's water dragon couldn't easily break through.
But it also wasn't instantly destroyed—Senju Hikaru had poured too much chakra into it.
"Water Style: Water Cutting Wave!"
Senju Hikaru formed seals again.
This kind of reckless ninjutsu chaining was absolutely "Senju-style," but it wasn't his usual style.
He didn't care.
His recovery was good enough that he could still preserve chakra for what mattered most.
A spiraling water vortex formed, dragging up every trace of moisture on the ground—
And slammed toward Lone Wolf as soon as he landed.
"Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"
Lone Wolf landed firmly, eyes on the incoming vortex.
He inhaled—
Then opened his tenketsu, releasing chakra as his body spun.
A spherical chakra barrier formed around him.
Senju Hikaru's water vortex collided—
And immediately stalled, unable to push through.
Rotation truly was the Hyūga's ultimate defense. Against ninjutsu or taijutsu, it could block nearly anything.
Senju Hikaru halted his assault.
He started breathing harder.
"That kid is running out of steam," Hiruzen said with faint amusement, glancing at Minato.
His tone was teasing—but inside, he couldn't help sighing.
Senju Hikaru really did keep rewriting expectations.
Relentless ninjutsu pressure—each technique executed with precise control.
Bringing every jutsu to that level wasn't easy. It required time, and it required talent.
And Hiruzen had also noticed Senju Hikaru's earlier move.
Just like Lone Wolf, Hiruzen didn't believe it was meaningless.
"Hm. Senju Hikaru is still a bit young," Minato said softly, nodding—then his tone shifted, carrying something subtle. "But it's not over. Let's keep watching."
Minato was also shaken.
Not only by Senju Hikaru's jutsu use—
But by that earlier "sealing" strike.
What he'd seen wasn't merely a sealing technique.
It was a different form of a sealing technique—
Something that resembled…
Flying Thunder God.
Had Senju Hikaru actually completed it?
Minato didn't dare confirm.
All he could do was watch. And wait.
When the water vortex finally dispersed, Lone Wolf stopped spinning as well.
He wasn't injured.
Senju Hikaru's combinations had been troublesome, yes—but Lone Wolf had endured far worse.
Back when he infiltrated Sunagakure and was hunted by the Kazekage, the ninjutsu assaults were on another level entirely.
He stared at Senju Hikaru with cold indifference, then gave a slight nod.
"You're impressive, Nightingale," Lone Wolf said—rarely speaking at all. "At your age… it's almost unimaginable."
"Thank you for the compliment," Senju Hikaru replied warmly. "To be praised by Lone Wolf… that's an honor."
"But I'm sorry," Lone Wolf continued, voice flat. "I have no interest in being ANBU Division Commander."
"Still, I have reasons I must win."
His stance lowered. His hands raised into an attacking posture.
"So I will defeat you.
For you… in a few years, this position will likely be yours anyway.
But not now."
"I understand," Senju Hikaru nodded gently.
He understood perfectly.
Lone Wolf was Hyūga.
His chakra surged.
Blue chakra coated his hands once more.
His aura rose sharply—killing intent washing over the entire plaza.
Everyone could tell: this was the finishing blow.
And in everyone's mind, Senju Hikaru was already finished.
Hiruzen and Minato both focused fully.
Their thoughts differed—
But neither wanted tragedy in an internal ANBU match.
The moment Lone Wolf's pressure peaked, he attacked.
His speed was terrifying. In less than a breath, he was already in front of Senju Hikaru.
His right palm thrust forward, driving toward Senju Hikaru's chest.
The instant Lone Wolf moved, both Hiruzen and Minato pushed their chakra to the peak.
Hiruzen had already begun forming seals—
But the moment his hands completed them, he froze.
Minato flashed directly into the plaza center—
But he didn't get a chance to act either.
He, too, stiffened.
Not just them.
Every ANBU watching also went completely blank.
At that moment, one sentence echoed in everyone's mind:
"Th-This… how is that possible?!"
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