"These six students will, without a doubt, be the future pillars of Konoha Village." Hiruzen's face broke into a smile when he heard Iruka announce the six names. It was clear he felt extremely satisfied.
He even recalled his own generation. Under the leadership of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, their generation also produced many outstanding talents.
Besides himself, there were Danzo Shimura, Uchiha Kagami, Akimichi Torifu, Homura Mitokado, and Utatane Koharu, among others.
Today, all of them were core figures in Konoha Village. It was no exaggeration to say that the village rested on their shoulders.
And now, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Hyuga Hinata seemed to be on that same path. The most important thing was—he was now the Hokage of Konoha Village.
Teacher, I have walked on thin ice my whole life; can I reach your shore? As a student, Hiruzen Sarutobi earnestly hoped he could reach—or even surpass—the level of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Danzo Shimura had always been dissatisfied with Hiruzen being Hokage, believing he had only lost the position due to a momentary lapse.
But Hiruzen felt that the current Konoha Village had already proven that his teacher's choice had not been wrong.
Speaking of teachers, his eyes turned to Kitazawa again. This was truly a rare talent.
Among the six students who entered the third round, all five—except for Shino Aburame—had received training from Kitazawa. While their strength came from talent, without an excellent teacher, their potential couldn't have been fully unlocked.
Hiruzen had met many teachers in his life. Not just instructors from the Ninja Academy, but also team leaders. Many of them far surpassed Kitazawa in strength. But when it came to teaching ability, none could compare.
Hiruzen Sarutobi now felt fortunate that Kitazawa was only a Special Jonin with a good background, loyal to the Will of Fire. If someone like Danzo Shimura had such influence and ambition, Konoha Village would likely descend into chaos before long.
After all, Kitazawa's students were all heirs of major Ninja clans.
"I should pay more attention to him." Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Terai.
Root members were fundamentally unfit for the Ninja School. Previously, he had allowed Terai to teach Second Year Class A out of consideration for Danzo Shimura—but that could no longer continue.
Kitazawa's energy should be focused on his students, not wasted on monitoring Root members. Additionally, appropriate rewards must not be overlooked.
"The six students who have entered the third round, please come up and draw lots!" After the break, Kitazawa called out.
"I must draw Sasuke!" Naruto clapped his hands together and prayed.
Sasuke twitched his lips. If he had a choice, he wouldn't prioritize Uzumaki Naruto. Because he felt that Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique and taijutsu were troublesome to deal with, even more so than Hyuga Hinata or Shino Aburame.
"I feel like it doesn't matter who I draw." Ino looked around and thought she couldn't beat anyone.
Fortunately, she had a good mindset—making it to the third round was already an exceptional performance. In short, the top six were secured. The rest was just participation.
"This is really troublesome." Shikamaru felt like a husky who had wandered into a wolf pack.
Besides Ino, whom he might be able to beat, the remaining four were all excellent at countering his Shadow Imitation Technique:
Hinata's Byakugan, Shino Aburame's Kikaichū, and Uzumaki Naruto's Shadow Clones. As for Uchiha Sasuke, he had already fought him once, and his raw power alone made it difficult to win.
Uchiha Sasuke glanced at the mumbling Naruto and walked forward to draw first.
He opened his slip—Number Three.
Six people, two-on-two matches. Number Three meant he would be in the last battle.
"Too bad the third round isn't Number One." Naruto looked at his slip and said, "This time it's Number Three."
Uchiha Sasuke's expression stiffened. What was going on? Could it be that coincidental? Is Naruto's luck that good?
"Sasuke, what number are you?" Naruto peeked and excitedly shouted, "You and I are both Number Three!"
Shikamaru and Ino simultaneously sighed in relief. The two most difficult opponents were matched against each other—it made them much safer.
"This is the arrangement of youth!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming. "Sasuke, let's have a thrilling showdown!"
Sasuke stood there silently, ignoring the enthusiastic declaration.
"I am Number One." Shino Aburame walked up and showed his slip.
"I am Number Two!" Nara Shikamaru revealed his draw with surprise.
Shino was Number One, so his opponent could only be either Hinata or Ino.
"Hinata, what number did you draw?" Shikamaru didn't mind losing to Hinata again.
It was expected—no one would blame him, not even Kitazawa. But if it were Ino, he'd have to go all out. Because he had a real chance of winning against her.
If he slacked off and Kitazawa gave him a low score, his summer vacation would be ruined. But winning also came with trouble—with Ino's personality, she'd probably make him treat her for several days in revenge.
Not that treating her was a big deal. But there was also Akimichi Choji—the bottomless pit.
"Number One," Hinata responded seriously.
Even though her strength had greatly improved under Kitazawa's guidance, Shino's Kikaichū were formidable. Their strengths were close—this would be a tough battle.
Not wanting to disappoint Kitazawa-sensei, she couldn't afford to lose. Clenching her fists, she was filled with determination.
Shino Aburame frowned slightly. Hinata made him uneasy. His Kikaichū had two attack methods: biting and Chakra absorption. But both were greatly diminished in the face of the Byakugan.
"It really is Ino." Shikamaru sighed.
"What? It's me, and you're not happy?" Ino glared at him.
"No." Shikamaru quickly shook his head.
"The two students who drew Number One, please come to the centre." Kitazawa put away the drawing box.
Shino Aburame and Hyuga Hinata walked to the center of the arena, forming the seal of confrontation. Sasuke, Shikamaru, and the others stepped back to the place for First Year Class A.
"Please." Shino Aburame raised his hands. Secret Technique: Kikaichū!
A dense swarm of kikaichū flew from his sleeves.
Byakugan—activate! The veins around Hinata's eyes bulged, and her vision turned crystal clear. She looked directly at the swarm, seeing the Chakra flow within every insect.
Shino's mind stirred. The kikaichū swarm dispersed into a thick smoke, attacking from all directions.
For most ninjas, this would cause panic. But the Byakugan granted 360-degree vision.
Hinata could see every insect approaching. She immediately focused Chakra into her fists and began swinging. With each precise palm strike, countless kikaichū were smashed.
"The Byakugan is truly terrifying," Ino exclaimed.
Shino's kikaichū were virtually unbeatable in early-to-mid-stage matches. Most students, even from ninja clans, would have surrendered already.
But thanks to the Byakugan, Hinata looked completely at ease.
"I wonder if the Kikaichū will run out first, or if Hinata's Chakra will be depleted first," Shikamaru remarked thoughtfully.
The number of Kikaichū depended on Shino Aburame's Chakra. But since he was still young, his Chakra was limited.
Of course, Hinata faced the same problem—using the Gentle Fist consumed a considerable amount of Chakra.
"Good thing I didn't make it into the third round." Kiba patted his chest, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Sasuke frowned slightly. Hinata's strength was beyond his expectations. If it were him facing so many Kikaichū, he would probably rely on Fire Release. But with Kikaichū everywhere, his fire techniques might not be enough to deal with them effectively.
The more Sasuke thought about it, the more troublesome Shino Aburame seemed. Yet even this troublesome Shino appeared somewhat helpless against Hinata.
Byakugan, huh... Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help but feel envious. When will I awaken the Sharingan?
"Hinata's mastery of Gentle Fist is quite high." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with approval. He could imagine how much hard work Hinata had put into her daily training.
As more and more Kikaichū fell, Hinata looked increasingly at ease.
Shino Aburame's expression remained serious. After a brief moment of thought, he formed hand signs. Secret Technique: Insect Clone!
A large number of Kikaichū flew from Shino's body, quickly forming another him in front of him. Though it wasn't the Shadow Clone Technique, it was a clone with real offensive power.
Shino didn't immediately attack. Instead, he stood in place for a second. After that moment, a layer of Kikaichū spread across his body. With this armor, Hinata's precise strikes wouldn't take immediate effect.
The two Shino Aburame charged forward, one from the left, one from the right. Combined with the lingering Kikaichū, Hinata was suddenly surrounded.
Close combat was undeniably the Hyuga Clan's domain. But Shino had only learned two of the Aburame Clan's secret techniques. With his long-range attacks ineffective, he had no choice but to take a risky approach.
Gasps came from the students of First Year Class A.
The battle was intense—Shino's strength was clearly no less than any of the clan heirs. Usually overshadowed by Sasuke and Naruto, he finally had the spotlight.
But Hinata's Byakugan immediately detected the positions of the two Shinos. She clenched her teeth and chose to take the initiative. She struck at the nearest Shino without hesitation.
"What?" Shino hadn't expected such decisiveness, and her strike came as fast as lightning.
Bang! He was struck squarely by a palm. Luckily, the Kikaichū armor he had prepared absorbed a significant portion of the force, and he was merely forced back a few steps.
Just then, another Shino appeared behind Hinata. His attack was swift and straightforward—a powerful shoulder charge, driving forward with brute strength.
This revealed he was only an Insect Clone. The movement lacked coordination, as expected from a body of Kikaichū. Still, the advantage was clear: no harm to the real body, and even if it was destroyed, it didn't matter.
In that critical moment, Hinata turned around sharply.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Her first strike landed squarely on Shino's chest. The impact area rippled and dissolved—transforming into a swarm of scattering Kikaichū.
The second strike hit the disbanding insects, sending many crashing to the ground like scattered sand.
Hinata swept her gaze—her Byakugan locked onto the critical point. The third palm hit the insect clone's heart. With a dull sound, the Insect Clone could no longer maintain its form and burst apart into countless Kikaichū.
"How is this possible?" Shino's pupils constricted. His Insect Clone hadn't even lasted a full second?
But there was no time to think. Hinata's fourth palm was already in motion. Shino quickly summoned more Kikaichū to defend himself.
Bang! Her palm strike crashed into the swarm, killing many instantly.
Shino's body trembled.
Hinata's Chakra had passed through the Kikaichū barrier and struck him directly. He staggered back, eyes full of disbelief.
Hinata didn't hesitate. She joined her two fingers and swiftly jabbed three of his vital points.
Shino's internal Chakra flow immediately halted.
"Is that the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression showed visible surprise.
This technique, a secret art of the Hyuga Main Family, was extremely advanced—at least A-rank. For Hinata to perform four consecutive palms at her age was astounding.
Hiruzen clearly remembered how introverted she had been before. But now, she had undergone a complete transformation. Her combat style had become sharp, decisive.
Kitazawa is truly remarkable. Hiruzen thought privately. If Asuma had met a teacher like him back then, he probably wouldn't have turned out so rebellious.
"Winner, Hyuga Hinata," Kitazawa announced the result.
Hinata's performance had been perfect. She had executed four consecutive strikes from the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique. Moreover, she had accurately switched targets mid-battle and defeated both the real and cloned Shino.
"Hinata's become so strong!" Ino couldn't help but exclaim.
Previously, Hinata relied mostly on her Byakugan for an advantage. But this finishing blow—Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms—had nothing to do with her bloodline.
The Byakugan was a talent. But this technique was undeniably earned through hard work.
Ino sighed. She and Hinata had both trained under Kitazawa, yet their growth levels were on completely different tiers.
"So this is Hinata's true strength," Shikamaru recalled their earlier fight. Back then, she hadn't used Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, and he had been defeated instantly.
Uchiha Sasuke remained silent. He still remembered how he had been crushed by Hyuga Neji using just Four Palms of the Gentle Fist.
Now, even Hinata had mastered it—and she seemed even more intense. After all, Neji had only used basic Gentle Fist strikes.
Sasuke thought carefully. If caught in close combat, it would be difficult for him to defeat Hinata.
That realization frustrated him. Shikamaru had nearly defeated him. Now Hinata had displayed such dominance. And up next, he would face Naruto.
What would the outcome be? Sasuke took a deep breath, pushing away his self-doubt.
He is a Uchiha. He will win.