"The third round, begin!"
As Gekkō Hayate's voice echoed through the arena, the tension snapped.
Kin Tsuchi immediately reached into her ninja pouch, ready to hurl a 1,000-yen coin tied with bells and activate her Sound Wave Genjutsu on Hinata. However, before she could act—
Hinata, who stood just two meters away, appeared directly in front of her in a sudden flash. Her movement was so swift it left an afterimage behind, resembling the Body Flicker Technique—but faster, more fluid, more advanced.
Her speed overwhelmed Kin Tsuchi, who couldn't even react.
Clap. Clap. Clap…
With her fingers wrapped in a brilliant blue Chakra aura, Hinata launched a flurry of jabs, each strike precise and devastating.
Her fingers pierced through Kin's clothes and sank into her body with brutal force. Chakra followed through the impact, entering her acupoints and disrupting the meridians. Not only was Chakra flow blocked, but searing pain also followed.
Before Kin could even scream, Hinata had already struck more than a dozen times with both hands.
Then, with one final palm strike—
Boom!
A shockwave burst from Kin Tsuchi's back. When the air calmed and the dust settled, Kin's eyes were lifeless, blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, and her body gave out—knees buckled, and she collapsed completely.
"Thank you for the guidance."
Hinata's tone was soft and polite, but the way she looked down at Kin from above, her Byakugan veins still pulsing and then slowly retreating, revealed a dominant confidence.
Click! Click! Click…
On the second-floor stands, the sound of shutter clicks echoed one after another.
Izanami had turned into a small-time photographer, snapping away with a satisfied smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
If he weren't still young and their relationship wasn't a secret, he might have shouted it out loud:
"My wife is so cool!"
"What… what just happened?"
"Was that the Body Flicker? That speed—no stiffness, no telegraphing—just… gone."
"That movement feels familiar… where have I seen it before?"
The Rookie Genin were completely stunned.
Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno, especially, were dumbfounded. They now deeply understood how far below Hinata they stood.
Over in Might Guy's team, Hyūga Neji clenched his fists tightly. His eyes were filled with frustration and awe.
The Young Mistress has grown even stronger.
In his mind, he recalled countless sparring sessions with Hinata—at first evenly matched, then gradually outclassed, and finally utterly dominated.
That kind of finger strength and Chakra manipulation could make an enemy cough up blood from internal injuries and collapse—and that wasn't even a full set of Thirty-Two Palms.
Even with his Rotation Technique mastered, Neji wasn't confident he could defeat Hinata anymore.
Tenten, watching beside him, glanced at Rock Lee, whose wide eyes trembled.
"Little Lee… was that High-Speed Movement?" she asked.
Rock Lee nodded slowly, then shook his head.
"Yes… but it was different from mine."
Might Guy stepped in with a beaming grin. "It's Nature Transformation. That Hyūga girl has mastered Lightning Release Nature Transformation, just like Sasuke did before. She's using Lightning Release Chakra to stimulate her cells and boost her speed. So youthful!"
"Ah!"
Rock Lee finally understood. That incredible speed Sasuke displayed wasn't just from the Sharingan—it was Lightning Chakra stimulation.
Hinata had mastered it too.
The Hyūga Clan, after all, was a distant offshoot of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Though their bloodline had thinned over a millennium and their name changed to Hyūga, that didn't mean they couldn't use ninjutsu.
They simply chose not to.
The Hyūga tradition centered around their Bloodline Limit and the Gentle Fist. It was versatile, powerful, and could be cultivated to Elite Jonin levels. So, they hadn't seen the need to develop ninjutsu.
But Izanami wasn't bound by those traditions.
He had learned how to use Lightning Release Chakra to stimulate his cells and had passed it on to Hinata, who possessed a lightning affinity. This allowed her to convert her Body Flicker into a Taijutsu-based High-Speed Movement, massively boosting her attack speed.
Clearly, Izanami was right.
Hinata's Lightning-enhanced movements erased the usual stiffness of Body Flicker. Her attacks were a blur, like a hurricane—just like Rock Lee after he removed his weights.
"This generation's main family is truly outstanding," said Hiruzen Sarutobi, gently exhaling smoke from his pipe, his eyes filled with appreciation.
But then his gaze shifted toward Izanami, who was still checking his film roll.
A knowing smile crept onto the Third Hokage's face.
To cultivate the Hyūga heiress so perfectly… you've done something remarkable, Izanami. But with someone so outstanding, how do you plan to keep her by your side?
Back in Team Seven's box, Kakashi turned to Sasuke.
"Did you teach Hinata?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. Izanami taught both me and her."
Naruto, clearly annoyed or jealous—or both—grumbled, "You really are Izanami's little brother!"
But for once, Sasuke didn't glare back.
In fact, his heart stirred.
If he really became Izanami's younger brother, would Izanami teach him even more powerful techniques?
He remembered Izanami's timely rescue—how that overwhelming power had made him feel safe for the first time in years.
Maybe having such a boss wouldn't be so bad…
None of his teammates knew what the proud Uchiha heir was thinking.
But Kakashi was silently impressed.
He glanced at Izanami again, mentally raising his evaluation of the mysterious young genius.
To lead among such a unique generation of prodigies—not simple at all.
Vast Chakra reserves… Lightning Release-enhanced movement… Fire Tornado techniques… and more unknown cards up his sleeve.
So much like me, Kakashi thought.
At twelve, he had become a Jonin and developed Chidori. He had also possessed elite Chakra levels.
Now, watching Izanami, he felt a strange connection.
Orochimaru shared the sentiment.
Even though the fight involving Dosu's team had ended, he remained seated, eager to observe the next matches.
The fourth round was up: Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankuro.
Misumi, a teammate of Kabuto, was officially a Konoha Genin—but in truth, he was one of Orochimaru's spies, planted within the village.
And this spy was... unusual.
As if afraid his allegiance wouldn't be obvious, Misumi directly used Soft Physique Modification, a body-altering technique developed by Orochimaru himself. His body could stretch and twist like a serpent—like a grotesque puppet of flesh.
Izanami thought to himself:
If this were combined with the Akimichi Clan's Expansion Jutsu… it could be the strongest taijutsu technique in existence. Perhaps even surpassing the Eight Gates.
In battle, Misumi wrapped around Kankuro like a python, confident in his strategy.
But to his shock, Kankuro wasn't even present.
What Misumi had grabbed was nothing more than Crow, Kankuro's puppet, wrapped in bandages to disguise it.
Before Misumi realized it, it was already too late.
Kankuro emerged and controlled Crow with precise chakra threads, launching a swift counterattack that overwhelmed Misumi with ease.
It was just like the earlier ambush Zaku Abumi attempted against Sasuke.
Until one reached the Kage level, battles between ninja weren't just tests of power—they were contests of information, deception, and planning.
If you didn't know your opponent, it wasn't only a clash of techniques, but a clash of tactics, timing, and wit.
Clearly, Kankuro was far superior to Misumi in this area.
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