"Third round, begin!"
As Hayate Gekkō's voice rang out, the arena fell silent.
Kin Tsuchi reached for her ninja pouch, pulling out senbon tied with bells, ready to hurl them at Hinata and weave a sound-based genjutsu.
But Hinata, standing two meters away, moved like a phantom. In a flicker of afterimages, she closed the distance, appearing before Kin in an instant.
Her speed was blinding—too fast for the body to react.
Snap, snap, snap…
Hinata's fingers, wreathed in blue chakra flames, struck Kin's body with merciless precision. Each jab carried astonishing force, sinking through clothing into flesh.
Chakra pierced skin and muscle, flooding Kin's tenketsu, sealing the flow of chakra through her meridians while inflicting searing pain.
Kin couldn't even scream. Hinata's onslaught, swift as a gale, landed over a dozen strikes in mere moments.
With a final blow, Hinata drove her palm into Kin's torso.
Boom! A distorted shockwave erupted from Kin's back, rippling through the air.
As the blast faded, Kin's eyes dulled, blood trickling from her lips. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, motionless.
"Thank you for the lesson," Hinata said softly, gazing down at her fallen opponent. The bulging veins around her temples slowly receded.
Click! Click! Click…
From the second-floor stands, the sound of a camera shutter echoed relentlessly.
Izayoi, playing the part of a photographer, grinned wide, his lips curving with pride.
If he weren't so young—and if their relationship wasn't still a secret—he'd have shouted to the heavens: My wife is so cool!
"What… what just happened?"
"Hinata's Body Flicker Technique—what was that? That speed… it was flawless, no hesitation!"
"That movement… it feels so familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before."
"…"
The Rookie Nine stood dumbfounded.
Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno felt a pang of inadequacy, their hearts sinking as they realized they were leagues behind Hinata.
Over with Might Guy's team, Neji Hyuga clenched his fists, his eyes burning with frustration.
The heiress has grown stronger again!
His mind replayed years of sparring with Hinata—matches that began as equal contests, then tipped in her favor, and finally became outright domination.
Her finger strength and chakra control were so precise, she didn't even need the full Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms to leave an opponent coughing blood or crumpled on the ground.
Even with his mastery of Rotation, Neji wasn't certain he could defeat her.
Nearby, Tenten glanced at Rock Lee, whose eyes trembled with awe. "Lee, that move from Neji's clansman—was that high-speed movement?"
"It was high-speed movement, but… different from mine," Lee said, nodding, then shaking his head.
Might Guy chuckled. "It's nature transformation! Neji's clansman has mastered Lightning Release chakra, just like Sasuke Uchiha before her. She uses it to stimulate her cells, boosting her speed. That's the spirit of youth!"
"I see!" Lee's eyes widened, finally understanding why Sasuke's speed had been so overwhelming. At first, he could barely keep up, but then Sasuke had exploded into motion.
He'd thought it was the Sharingan's doing, but it was Lightning Release nature transformation.
And now, Hinata had mastered the same technique—using Lightning Release chakra to enhance her cells.
The Hyuga clan traced their lineage to the Ōtsutsuki, another branch left in the ninja world. Over a millennium, their bloodline had thinned, their surname shifting to Hyuga, but that didn't mean they were incapable of ninjutsu.
The Hyuga focused solely on their kekkei genkai and Gentle Fist because the secret techniques paired perfectly with their Byakugan—offense and defense, near and far, honed to the level of elite Jonin. They saw no need to waste time on other ninjutsu.
But Izayoi wasn't bound by Hyuga tradition. Having mastered Lightning Release chakra stimulation, he'd taught it to Hinata, who had an affinity for lightning, transforming her Body Flicker into a taijutsu-based high-speed technique that amplified her strike speed.
And clearly, Izayoi's judgment was spot-on.
Hinata's Body Flicker, powered by Lightning Release, had no lag—her attacks were as swift as Lee's after shedding his weights, a storm of motion.
"What an exceptional heir to the main house," Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured, puffing on his pipe, a faint smile on his lips.
His gaze shifted to Izayoi, who was checking his camera film, and his smile turned sly.
To train the main house heiress to this level—impressive! But how will you, a commoner, win the heart of such an extraordinary successor?
Over with Team Seven, Kakashi Hatake turned to Sasuke Uchiha. "Sasuke, did you teach her that technique?"
"No," Sasuke shook his head. "Izayoi taught it to both me and Hinata."
Naruto Uzumaki, whether out of envy or something else, couldn't resist a jab. "Man, you're practically Izayoi's sidekick!"
This time, Sasuke didn't shoot Naruto a murderous glare.
Because a thought had stirred within him.
If I really became Izayoi's follower, would he teach me his ultimate techniques?
Recalling Izayoi's timely rescues and the sense of security he inspired, Sasuke began to think having such a leader might not be so bad.
The proud second son's musings remained his own.
Hearing Sasuke's answer, Kakashi glanced at Izayoi, his estimation of the top student rising even higher.
A commoner genius who outshines this generation's prodigies—truly remarkable!
With vast chakra reserves, mastery of Lightning Release cell stimulation, a powerful Fire Release vortex, and unknown ultimate techniques…
In that moment, Kakashi saw a reflection of his younger self.
At twelve, he'd become a Jonin and developed Chidori.
And his chakra had been just as prodigious.
Curiosity about Izayoi's true strength sparked within Kakashi, his anticipation for the next matches growing.
Orochimaru shared a similar intrigue.
Even after the Sound Trio's battles ended, he lingered, eager to watch the upcoming fights.
The fourth round began swiftly: Misumi Tsurugi versus Kankuro.
Misumi, one of Kabuto Yakushi's teammates, appeared to be a Konoha Genin but was secretly one of Orochimaru's spies planted in the village.
This spy was peculiar, almost flaunting his connection to Orochimaru by openly using the Soft Physique Modification technique, which let his body stretch and twist freely. Izayoi mused that if it could be combined with the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique, it might surpass even the Eight Gates as the ultimate technique.
In the fight, Misumi moved like a python, swiftly binding Kankuro.
But he hadn't anticipated one thing: the Kankuro he'd ensnared wasn't real—it was his puppet, Crow, in disguise.
By the time Misumi realized, it was too late.
Emerging from the puppet's bandages, Kankuro manipulated Crow, swiftly dispatching Misumi with ease.
Just as Dosu Kinuta had outsmarted Sasuke earlier, in a world where strength hadn't yet reached Kage-level supremacy, ninja battles hinged on information.
When neither side knew the other's secrets, victory depended not just on jutsu, but on tactics and intellect.
And in that regard, Misumi was no match for Kankuro.
---
Every 200 power stones 1 bonus chapter will be uploaded faster.
And if you want to read 30 chapters early, you can visit: Patre on . com / KangTL (REMOVE SPACE)