In a monitoring room of the exam hall, Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the battle between Hoshita Shūichi and Uchiha Yūbito unfold on the screen.
"To execute the Three Crescent Moon Dance so flawlessly in such a short time—it seems Shūichi has remarkable talent in kenjutsu as well," Sarutobi Hiruzen praised.
Namikaze Minato smiled and nodded. "Yes, Lord Third Hokage. Shūichi has indeed made significant progress in swordsmanship. His innate reflexes give him a considerable advantage in close combat."
Sarutobi Hiruzen mused, "If he also possesses sensory and space-time sensitivity, he would be an ideal candidate to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Namikaze Minato agreed. "That's true. I've considered that as well, but it's still too early for Shūichi."
Although Hoshita Shūichi's chakra reserves had improved recently, they weren't yet sufficient to master such an advanced technique.
After the second exam, Hoshita Shūichi and his team continued their training.
At noon, he returned to Konoha Hospital to have lunch with Yakushi Nonō, then spent the afternoon enduring Tsunade's beatings.
Watching the panting Hoshita Shūichi, Tsunade taunted with amusement, "Hey, brat, can you even keep up?"
Woman, you've picked the wrong person to mess with!
Hoshita Shūichi gritted his teeth inwardly, swallowing another soldier pill.
As his stamina rapidly recovered, he took a deep breath and lunged at Tsunade like a released arrow.
"Taking the initiative now?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
But the next moment, her eyes widened in surprise as Hoshita Shūichi unleashed a Fireball Jutsu—without forming a single hand seal.
The fireball hurtled toward her, forcing Tsunade to leap back. "Seems I underestimated your intel!"
"Of course, Lady Tsunade. There's still plenty about me worth discovering."
"Now it's my turn to attack."
"In real combat, you can't just defend forever. You have to think ahead and prepare medical ninjutsu in advance."
As he spoke, Hoshita Shūichi leaped into the air and spat out a barrage of fireballs, enveloping Tsunade.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Tsunade dodged frantically, but mid-air, Hoshita Shūichi vanished from her sight.
"Behind me—!"
Twisting mid-air, Tsunade threw a punch—only to hit empty air.
"Not good!"
She sensed movement behind her but was too late to react.
Hoshita Shūichi's legs clamped around her waist, his arms locking hers in place, his hands pressing firmly against the curves of her chest.
Tsunade froze.
Seizing the moment, Hoshita Shūichi twisted his body, flipping them both headfirst toward the ground.
"Hah!"
With a burst of chakra, Tsunade broke free, landing on her hands and flipping upright. She lunged at Hoshita Shūichi, her fists a blur.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hoshita Shūichi blocked desperately, but Tsunade's overwhelming strength quickly broke his guard, leaving his arms numb and his stance shattered. A punch to his abdomen sent him doubling over.
Fortunately, he had predicted the strike and barely managed to activate the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique.
Even so, the impact left him curled up like a shrimp. Tsunade followed up with a punch to his cheek, then an uppercut aimed at his chin.
200% Focus!
His mind sharpened to its limits. Ignoring the pain, Hoshita Shūichi twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blow. He kicked off Tsunade's chest, using the recoil to flip backward.
Mid-air, he spat out a Flame Bullet straight at her face.
The distance was too close, the speed too fast—Tsunade couldn't dodge. She crossed her arms, chakra flaring to shield herself.
Boom!
The explosion sent her flying, tumbling several times before she landed.
Her exposed arms bore severe burns, but they healed rapidly—clearly, she had also used the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique.
"This kid..."
"He doesn't even need hand signs for Fire Release!"
Panting heavily, Tsunade glared at Hoshita Shūichi, her chest heaving. Even she was feeling the strain of the battle.
Opposite her, Hoshita Shūichi's left cheek was swollen.
He had managed to mitigate the abdominal punch with his technique, but the hit to his face had landed cleanly.
Had Tsunade not held back, that punch would have left his head ringing, robbing him of the ability to think—let alone use ninjutsu.
It reminded him of how Uchiha Shisui had been ambushed by Danzō using Izanagi, struck repeatedly in the head before having his eyes stolen without a chance to react.
Swallowing another soldier pill, Hoshita Shūichi formed hand signs and used the Healing Technique to reduce the swelling. Then he walked toward Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, you promised not to hit my face."
Tsunade's cheeks flushed—she had made that promise earlier. But she quickly snorted, justifying herself, "In real combat, any part of the body is a valid target."
"Especially the head—it's the quickest way to disable an enemy's ability to think or fight."
Hoshita Shūichi had no rebuttal. Instead, he glanced at the two muddy footprints on Tsunade's chest and pointed.
Tsunade looked down, then casually brushed them off, her movements causing a noticeable ripple.
Hoshita Shūichi averted his gaze.
"That's enough for today."
Tsunade ended the session. "Your reflexes are sharp, but your technique isn't polished enough. We'll continue tomorrow!"
Almost got humiliated by a Genin today. I really need to get back into training.
My speed and reflexes have dulled from lack of practice.
As Tsunade walked away, Hoshita Shūichi couldn't help but recall the earlier moment.
Did she... not have anything on under there?
His hand twitched instinctively, but he quickly suppressed the thought.
Pervert!
I'm such a pervert!
Shaking his head, he left the training ground to find Kakashi.
With no missions scheduled, he needed to squeeze in as many sparring sessions as possible to secure the [Taijutsu Expert] entry and further enhance his physique.
Physical strength is the foundation of everything!
Before sunset, Hoshita Shūichi not only secured another taijutsu victory against Kakashi but also achieved the required wins for the [Kenjutsu Expert] entry.
Though his wins relied more on reflexes than pure swordsmanship skill, the Skill Tree still recognized them as valid.
Now, he just needed to master the Three Crescent Moon Dance to officially claim the [Kenjutsu Expert] entry.
July 8th, 39th Year of Konoha, 10 a.m.
The third phase of the Chunin Exams began, pitting Hoshita Shūichi's team against another squad.
Coincidentally, their opponents included Uchiha Yūbito—the same boy Hoshita Shūichi had defeated in the second round.
They weren't exactly enemies, but Uchiha Yūbito glared daggers at Hoshita Shūichi and Uchiha Shisui.
"I'll handle Uchiha Shisui and that Kurama Sanyō. You two be careful with that Hoshita Shūichi—his speed is no joke!" Uchiha Yūbito warned his teammates.
They nodded firmly. "Don't worry!"
Having watched yesterday's match, they knew exactly what Hoshita Shūichi was capable of.
On the other side, Uchiha Shisui said, "Leave Yūbito to me."
Hoshita Shūichi and Kurama Sanyō had no objections.
Sharingan versus Sharingan—perfect.
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