This Is... the Sharingan!

He wanted to grow at his own pace, but the Third Hokage would not allow it. He kept pushing him forward, making Hiko stand at the very front.

This was not what Hiko wanted, yet it was not something he could choose.

What exactly should he do?

Keeping a wary eye on Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru as they charged at him from different directions, Hiko's expression remained solemn while his thoughts raced. He did not have much time.

Hiko had started later than others. His greatest advantages right now were the Chakra that far exceeded those of his peers and the Sharingan. Chakra was not much of a problem, but the Sharingan was.

Everything had been fine at first, but the Third Hokage's actions had thrown Hiko off balance, leaving him somewhat flustered.

The choice before him now was to reveal everything and earn the Third Hokage's favor and focused training, or continue hiding it. But if he chose the latter, the Third Hokage would inevitably be disappointed.

Hiko knew full well what benefits came with becoming the Third Hokage's student, but gaining those benefits would also bring greater risks.

Whether it was worth it came down to a single thought.

It weighed on Hiko's heart. His decision depended on which way the scales in his heart tipped.

Come on, Hiko, let me see just how strong you are!!!

Jiraiya had challenged Hiko several times before, but Hiko had refused every time. Not only Jiraiya—even Tsunade had been turned down. Hiko's reason left them speechless: he did not want to engage in meaningless fights.

Now that they could finally fight, Jiraiya felt his entire body grow excited.

He did not know how strong Hiko was, but Hiko's effort and persistence during training made it possible to guess. Jiraiya was the sort who did not feel like working hard unless he suffered a setback or received some stimulation.

If he suffered a major blow or provocation, he would definitely train hard.

"Uh..."

Jiraiya, brimming with excitement, suddenly widened his eyes. His speed slowed, and he even wondered if he had seen wrong—if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Tsunade, charging in from the side, froze as well.

The Third Hokage standing in the distance was no different. Only Orochimaru, whose back was turned, failed to notice Hiko's change.

This was the Sharingan!!!

Hiko had awakened the Sharingan at only six years old. Was this real?

Two similarly sized hands brushed past each other. As the Sharingan activated, Jiraiya's movements grew slower and slower in Hiko's eyes. Hiko's hand slid down Jiraiya's arm, and his palm pressed against the back of Jiraiya's neck.

Bang!!!

Still caught in shock, Jiraiya felt his neck seized. Then immense force surged through it, and he lost control of his body as he was smashed viciously into the ground, getting intimately acquainted with the earth.

Since he had hit headfirst, Jiraiya felt as though his brain had been struck by a massive hammer. It buzzed relentlessly, leaving his mind muddled.

Hah!!!

Jiraiya had been slammed into the ground the moment they exchanged blows, and Tsunade immediately snapped out of her daze. Her seemingly small fist, packed with immense force, shot toward Hiko's face.

Hiko moved unbelievably fast. He shifted slightly and raised his right arm in front of him, aiming his elbow at Tsunade's arm.

Such strength!!!

Tsunade's fist struck Hiko's arm. His arm went numb, and he was forced back several steps by the immense force. But Tsunade had it worse. Hiko merely felt his hand going numb, while she felt as if her arm had nearly been crippled.

While defending, Hiko had aimed his elbow at a weaker part of Tsunade's arm. When she threw her punch, Hiko did not feel good, but she suffered the consequences directly—having practically delivered herself to him.

Imagine punching someone only for them to aim one of the hardest parts of the human body, their elbow, at your arm—right at the muscle. Just one collision would be agonizing.

For an instant, the muscles in Tsunade's arm seemed to lose all sensation. She even thought her arm had been ruined.

She had not expected Hiko to react so quickly, or to strike back so ruthlessly while defending. Tsunade, who had never encountered anything like this before, stared wide-eyed in disbelief as Hiko's right leg kicked toward her.

A white glint flashed behind Hiko. Orochimaru held a Kunai and thrust it at Hiko's back from behind.

The sharp Kunai pierced directly into Hiko's body. Excitement flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, but in the next second, it turned into shock.

Bang!!

Hiko's body turned into a piece of wood, and Orochimaru's Kunai had stabbed straight into it.

Boom!!!

Immense force struck from behind. Like Jiraiya, Orochimaru crashed into the ground. Hiko had redirected the attack he originally intended for Tsunade onto Orochimaru.

"The... the Sharingan!!!"

Orochimaru looked utterly incredulous, unable to believe that Hiko had already awakened the Sharingan. Even the most ordinary One-Tomoe Sharingan possessed powerful perception and observation. His attacks could not possibly escape Hiko's eyes.

"Gah~~~ That hurts like hell!!!"