Inside the examination area, tension mounted. Asuma Sarutobi's expression shifted from mild annoyance to cautious seriousness as he observed Satoru Uchiha.
*How does this kid have such an intense aura?* Asuma wondered, his mind racing. *Is it another bluff? There's no way a five-year-old could generate this much pressure.*
Despite his skepticism, Asuma couldn't deny the strange presence radiating from Satoru. It unsettled him. If this child got the better of him here, it would become a stain on his reputation—something his father, the Third Hokage, would never let him live down. Worse, if the Daimyo found out he had lost to a mere child, his ambitions to become one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve might crumble.
Still, Asuma refused to let his guard down.
Meanwhile, Satoru stood casually, a single shuriken in his hand. He wasn't about to reveal his full strength. His more powerful techniques would be too conspicuous and might raise questions he didn't want to answer. For now, he relied on speed and precision—skills derived from his unique training.
The confidence in his stance, however, only served to further irritate Asuma.
"Stop fooling around!" Asuma snapped, adjusting his position, his irritation giving way to growing focus. The boy's earlier antics had pushed him to take the match seriously.
But before Asuma could utter another word, the air was suddenly filled with the sharp sound of metal slicing through the wind.
"**Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!**"
Shuriken spun through the air with astonishing speed, their trajectory perfectly calculated. Asuma's instincts screamed at him, and he moved just in time to avoid the blades. Sweat dripped down his face as he realized how close they had come to grazing him.
*So fast!* he thought, shaken. If he hadn't taken half a step back at the last moment, the shuriken would have cut through his legs and arms.
But what startled him more than the speed of the attack was the boy's positioning. Somehow, Satoru was now behind him, calm and composed, as though he hadn't moved at all.
*How did he get there?* Asuma's mind raced. *I didn't even see him move.*
Years of experience on the battlefield had saved him from being completely overwhelmed, but the gap in awareness left him unnerved.
---
Asuma forced a smirk to mask his unease. *He's just a kid using shuriken. It's no big deal. All I need is some distance.*
He widened the gap between them, convinced that physical techniques alone wouldn't be enough to keep up. Satoru's earlier Earth Style had been rudimentary, lacking the depth and control of a fully trained ninja. If the boy was relying on physical attacks, time would eventually run out.
Glancing at the burning incense stick nearby, Asuma felt a wave of relief. *Not much time left. A little longer, and this kid can go back to school. The battlefield isn't a place for someone like him.*
What Asuma didn't know, however, was that chakra wasn't the only energy fueling Satoru. Hidden within the boy was a different power—one far removed from the traditional techniques of the ninja world.
---
From the sidelines, Orochimaru watched with a satisfied grin.
"Asuma's going to lose," he said confidently.
Kurenai turned to him in disbelief. "Lose? To a five-year-old? How is that even possible?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "He underestimated his opponent and let arrogance cloud his judgment. If this were anyone other than a Konoha child in front of him, Asuma wouldn't have been so careless."
"But…" Kurenai trailed off, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. "How is this kid doing it?"
"That's what I want to know," Orochimaru murmured, his serpentine pupils narrowing. *What is the secret behind Satoru Uchiha? There's no chakra fluctuation when he moves like that, so it's not ninjutsu. And it's not physical prowess alone. What is this hidden power he wields?*
---
Back in the field, Satoru let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand over his blindfold.
"This is getting tedious," he muttered to himself.
Asuma tensed, his sharp senses warning him of another shift. In the blink of an eye, Satoru vanished from sight.
*Where is he?* Asuma's eyes darted around the room, but there was no trace of the boy.
"**Whoosh! Whoosh!**"
The sharp, unmistakable sound of spinning shuriken filled the air again. Asuma barely had time to react, instinctively dodging to avoid the deadly blades. He spun around, searching for Satoru's position, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"How… how is he doing this?" Asuma muttered under his breath, his confidence wavering for the first time.
---
Orochimaru's grin widened as he observed the chaos. *Fascinating. Truly fascinating. This isn't just talent—it's something more. Something deeper. I must know the secret behind this boy.*
Kurenai, still struggling to process what she was seeing, glanced at Orochimaru. "Sensei, are you sure he's only five?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Don't judge a genius by the limits of your own imagination."
In the field, Satoru's voice echoed softly, though his exact location was impossible to pinpoint.
"Time's almost up, Asuma-sensei," Satoru said, his tone calm but laced with a hint of mockery. "Are you sure you can keep up?"
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 50 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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