[ send power stones please]
The plaza had fallen completely silent.
Every gaze was locked onto the figure standing behind Lone Wolf.
That final strike had carried overwhelming momentum. The pressure alone had been enough to suffocate the air, sending a chill straight through the bones of everyone watching.
Faced with such an attack, no one believed Senju Hikaru still had a chance.
Speed, power, angle—everything about that blow had been flawless. There was no escape. No room to dodge.
And yet—
In a moment that shattered everyone's expectations, Senju Hikaru had evaded it.
Not only that—at some point unknown to all observers, a kunai had appeared in his hand, its blade resting precisely against Lone Wolf's throat.
What… happened?
How did Nightingale get there?
Wasn't he completely locked down?
What exactly occurred in that instant?
The Anbu stood frozen, staring at Senju Hikaru in disbelief.
From their perspective, at the very moment Lone Wolf's strike was about to land, Nightingale's figure simply vanished.
Like teleportation.
And in the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Lone Wolf—kunai already in place.
It sounded simple when described.
But accomplishing it was anything but.
Without a special technique, such a feat would be outright impossible.
Even Lone Wolf himself was stunned.
He knew for certain that he hadn't blinked. His Byakugan had never once lost track of Senju Hikaru.
And yet—
Fear crept silently into his heart.
He had seen Senju Hikaru draw out a kunai at the instant of impact.
Then—gone.
And in that same instant, Senju Hikaru appeared behind him.
This wasn't speed.
This was spatial displacement.
Space–time ninjutsu?
The thought struck him immediately.
And when he recalled Minato Namikaze's identical manner of appearance, the answer became unmistakably clear.
So that's it…
No wonder Nightingale had entered the captain selection.
No wonder the Fourth Hokage had recommended him.
No wonder he had deliberately left that marking on my body earlier.
So this was his hidden trump card.
Taking a deep breath, Lone Wolf slowly withdrew his fist. The violent surge of chakra around him subsided, returning to calm in mere moments.
He now looked like an ordinary man.
Senju Hikaru, understanding the message, withdrew the kunai as well.
Lone Wolf had conceded.
"You've mastered the Flying Thunder God, haven't you?" Lone Wolf asked as he turned around, his pale eyes staring straight at Senju Hikaru through the mask. "That mark earlier—it was a Flying Thunder God formula."
"Yes," Senju Hikaru nodded calmly. His tone remained gentle. "Thanks to Lord Fourth Hokage's guidance, I've grasped a small part of Flying Thunder God."
His words were humble, almost understated.
There was not the slightest hint of arrogance.
It was as if mastering the Flying Thunder God wasn't a testament to his own talent, but merely the result of Minato's instruction.
Even Minato himself felt awkward hearing that.
Truthfully speaking, aside from seal fundamentals and some usage experience, he hadn't taught Senju Hikaru much at all.
Yet Senju Hikaru had still mastered Flying Thunder God.
That level of talent left Minato genuinely awestruck.
Even more frightening was the fact that Senju Hikaru had shown no physical backlash from using the technique.
Flying Thunder God placed extreme demands on reflexes and bodily coordination.
Minato glanced at Senju Hikaru silently.
This level of aptitude was terrifying.
"Flying Thunder God…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched quietly as he suppressed the chakra surging within him.
The moment he confirmed that Senju Hikaru had truly mastered the technique, a flicker of killing intent had surfaced in his heart.
But it vanished just as quickly.
He was not Danzo.
Such emotions had no place here.
Taking a slow breath, Hiruzen stepped down from the platform and entered the plaza.
Every Anbu rose instinctively.
Hiruzen first nodded solemnly at Lone Wolf, then turned his gaze to Senju Hikaru.
"Incredible," Hiruzen said sincerely. "Truly incredible. To master Flying Thunder God at your age…"
"Merely good fortune," Senju Hikaru replied with a modest smile, bowing slightly. "Without Lord Fourth Hokage's careful guidance, I could never have learned such a profound technique."
"Yes…" Hiruzen nodded meaningfully. "This technique requires not only talent, but time. Of course, proper guidance changes everything."
Minato fell silent.
Before he could interpret the deeper meaning behind those words, Hiruzen turned and spoke loudly:
"Given the results, I hereby declare the victor of this selection—Nightingale! And furthermore—"
"Third Hokage-sama."
Senju Hikaru suddenly spoke, interrupting him.
"I apologize for my rudeness."
Hiruzen paused and looked at him calmly. "Do you have an objection?"
"Although I'm honored to win and qualify for the captain position," Senju Hikaru said steadily, "I believe that without the theory examination, one cannot truly prove oneself fit to command."
"Therefore, I request that the previous decision be withdrawn… and that the theory examination be conducted."
Silence.
Minato's eyes lit up instantly.
Hiruzen's expression twitched—ever so slightly.
Senju Hikaru had chosen the perfect moment.
Publicly. Calmly. Reasonably.
Refusing now would only damage his own authority.
After a brief pause, Hiruzen nodded.
"Very well."
Senju Hikaru and Kakashi soon left the plaza.
As they departed, Senju Hikaru could clearly feel the shifting gazes around him—respect, awe, wariness.
Especially respect.
"Captain," Kakashi finally asked during patrol, "why refuse the appointment? Didn't you want this position?"
"You wouldn't understand," Senju Hikaru replied with a warm smile. "There are reasons. I'll explain later."
After Kakashi departed to patrol his sector, Senju Hikaru stopped.
He turned slightly toward a tree and bowed.
"Third Hokage-sama."
A moment later, Hiruzen stepped out from behind the tree.
"So," Hiruzen said lightly, "tell me. Why did you do all this?"
"To meet you," Senju Hikaru answered calmly. "Only by proving my value could I earn this conversation."
Hiruzen studied him closely.
"…Interesting."
Before Senju Hikaru could continue, Hiruzen raised a hand.
"Family matters need not be spoken aloud—even before the Hokage."
Senju Hikaru froze, then bowed deeply. "I understand."
"Good," Hiruzen said gently. "Now tell me—your true intent."
"Because solving my clan's problems cannot be done as a mere Anbu," Senju Hikaru said firmly. "My first step is becoming Anbu Commander."
"And eventually," Hiruzen smiled faintly, "Hokage."
"Yes," Senju Hikaru replied without hesitation. "Every Konoha child dreams of becoming Hokage—especially a Senju."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
He saw ambition. Resolve. Calculation.
And traces of his own younger self.
"I understand," Hiruzen said at last. "I'm watching you, Senju Hikaru."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
As Hiruzen departed, Senju Hikaru remained still.
Only after his presence vanished completely did Senju Hikaru turn away, a brilliant smile hidden beneath his mask.
"A three-sided spy…"
"…How interesting."
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