Uzumaki Raiden hooked the last student off the field with a single kick and quickly rushed toward Kudai. His incredible speed left the surrounding students momentarily stunned.
The children watching the battle couldn't keep up with Raiden's movements. Even Hyuga Hizashi had to activate his Byakugan to follow Raiden's figure.
"So fast, but still not enough!" Kudai shouted. When Uzumaki Raiden appeared in front of him, Kudai took the initiative to attack, aiming a punch at Raiden's chest.
When sparring with other students earlier, Kudai never attacked first. He had simply defended against their moves to assess their taijutsu skills. But now, facing Raiden, he couldn't hold back.
In truth, Kudai felt a pang of fear. If he hadn't reacted quickly to Raiden's earlier sudden attack, he might have been incapacitated by now. Frustrated, he decided to teach Raiden a lesson.
"With such speed, there's no way you can dodge my attack!"
As Kudai's fist neared Raiden, he prepared to pull back his strength to avoid causing serious harm.
But before Kudai could retract his punch, Raiden stomped on the ground with his right foot, halting his momentum abruptly. He then grabbed Kudai's arm with one hand and launched a swift kick toward his midsection.
"Nani?"
Kudai exclaimed in surprise. With his right hand caught, he couldn't pull his arm back in time to defend. He raised his left hand to block Raiden's kick, thinking he had successfully countered. But suddenly, he felt his body being lifted off the ground.
"Super Strength!" Raiden shouted as he used one leg as a pivot and lifted Kudai into the air. Though just a child, he displayed strength comparable to that of an adult.
"Oh!"
Kudai was momentarily distracted, and Raiden took advantage, flipping him over with a shoulder throw that slammed him into the ground. Dust swirled around them as Kudai lay stunned. He hadn't anticipated that a five-year-old could possess such strength.
Although Kudai was thrown to the ground, he wasn't seriously injured. A ninja's resilience far exceeds that of ordinary people. While he wasn't incapacitated, he was dizzy and needed a moment to recover.
After successfully throwing Kudai, Raiden backed away to observe his teacher's condition.
Soon enough, Kudai got to his feet, brushing off the dust as if nothing had happened. His calm expression betrayed no embarrassment.
"Haha~ I was careless, but there was no danger."
Kudai laughed it off, as if he hadn't just been thrown by a child. However, Raiden's display of strength forced him to take the boy more seriously. While Kudai intended to hold back, he realized he needed to pay more attention to Raiden's abilities.
"Uzumaki Raiden, right? Your taijutsu is impressive. Come at me again—I want to see more of your skills."
Instead of showing anger, Kudai praised Raiden, his tone full of admiration. Yet deep down, he felt his pride as a ninja school teacher had taken a hit. He decided he needed to regain some dignity.
Seeing Kudai's stance and smile, Raiden realized it was time to retreat.
"Teacher Kudai , I'm the only student who attacked you directly. Doesn't that mean my taijutsu has already met the requirements?" Raiden asked with an innocent expression.
"(⊙o⊙)..."
Kudai was momentarily speechless but quickly recovered. "Yes, you've passed. But the teacher would still like to assess your taijutsu more thoroughly for teaching purposes."
Inwardly, Kudai cursed, This little rascal! Trying to escape?
"Teacher, there's plenty of time to assess me in the future. Since I've passed, shouldn't we let others take their turn?" Raiden replied with a dry laugh, glancing at the Third Hokage for support.
"Hehe, a clever child," the Third Hokage muttered with a smile. Noticing Raiden's gaze, he gave a slight nod.
Kudai caught the exchange and sighed. "Fine, there will be other opportunities."
"Uzumaki Raiden, excellent performance in taijutsu!" Kudai announced, though his tone hinted at resignation. His pride was thoroughly bruised, and he couldn't find an opportunity to regain his dignity.
As Kudai declared Raiden's results, the other students stared at Raiden in a mix of awe and apprehension. His earlier performance during the shuriken test had already left an impression, but now his taijutsu skills solidified their view of him as someone dangerous.
"Although Kudai held back, Uzumaki Raiden's taijutsu is undeniably exceptional," the Third Hokage mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. His assessment of Raiden went beyond his strength. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Raiden's talents carried significant implications for Konoha.
The Hokage had already considered Uzumaki Kushina as the next Jinchuriki candidate due to her strong chakra and ties to Konoha. However, Kushina's potential to marry and have children posed risks. Seeing Raiden's talent, the Hokage wondered if he could develop a low-risk Jinchuriki candidate before Lady Mito's passing.
While the Third Hokage pondered this, the other students continued their assessments. As expected, the children participating in early enrollment all displayed above-average abilities. None could replicate Raiden's feat of throwing a teacher, but their taijutsu skills were sufficient to pass.
Once the final assessments were completed, Kudai addressed the group.
"Children, today's assessment is over. Those who were eliminated will have a chance for a makeup test at a later date. Those who passed should gather at the entrance of Konoha Village tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock for the week-long wilderness survival assessment. Now, let me explain what the survival assessment entails…"
(End of Chapter)
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