Terrifying Talent!

Uzumaki Kuming's shuriken test was just a minor interlude in the exams. After Kuming finished early, the other children took their tests one after another.

The children from the clans really were outstanding. In Kuming's group, he was the youngest, and the passing requirements were the strictest. Yet the pass rate still reached 100%.

That wasn't even the most impressive part. Of the dozen or so younger children taking the test, ten achieved excellent results by hitting all five targets. They included children from the Uchiha Clan, the Nara Clan, and the Yamanaka Clan.

When the last child finished the test, the shuriken portion came to an end.

"Now we'll begin the second test: the taijutsu test!"

"I'll be testing you this time. You'll spar with me, and I'll decide whether you meet the requirements for enrollment!"

Once all the children had finished the shuriken test, Jiudai stepped in front of the group and announced the second test.

"Weren't the students supposed to spar with one another?"

Kuming glanced curiously at the teacher the Third Hokage had called Jiudai when he heard how the taijutsu test would work. He'd assumed it would be a simple matter of the children sparring with one another, with the strongest advancing and the weakest being eliminated. He hadn't expected them to spar with a teacher.

That meant the teacher had a great deal of authority. Whether the children passed or failed would come down to a single word from him.

This doesn't seem very fair, Kuming thought, sneaking a glance at the Third Hokage standing to one side. From the Hokage's expression, he seemed to have approved of the arrangement. Even so, Kuming couldn't understand why they'd chosen such an obviously unfair way to test the children.

But everyone taking the test was a child. No one thought the method was unfair. In fact, many of them thought it was a great idea. Those with strong taijutsu skills saw it as a good chance to show off.

"The children who finished the shuriken test first should have had enough time to rest. Let's start with you."

"We have to test everyone anyway, so we won't go by the list this time. Who's willing to volunteer and be the first?"

Jiudai was a Chunin. His patience and absolute loyalty to the Third Hokage had earned him a position teaching at the Ninja Academy. Though he hadn't been on the battlefield in a long time, his skills were still exceptional among the Chunin. He was more than capable of testing children who weren't even Genin yet.

After all, Jiudai was a teacher at the Academy, and the students were somewhat reluctant to fight him. The field fell silent for a moment.

"Is there no one? Nobody willing to step forward?"

"If no one volunteers, I'll start calling names!"

Looking at the quiet crowd, Jiudai couldn't help speaking up. His expression reminded Kuming of his old schoolteachers. Whenever a teacher asked a question in class and was met with silence, the ensuing roll call was a true ordeal for the students.

Usually, the class was rescued from that sort of predicament by a top student.

And in the world of Naruto, the same problem had the same solution.

"Teacher, I'll go first!"

Hizashi Hyuga pushed past some of the children in front of him, left the line, and walked onto the open space before Jiudai. His face was eager and resolute. He looked confident in his abilities.

"Ohohoho! As expected of someone from the Hyuga Clan! Do your best, Hyuga!"

"Yeah! You can do it!"

The field, which had been silent moments before, suddenly burst into excitement.

The crowd's enthusiastic cheers made Hizashi, standing in the middle of the field, feel his blood surge. The chance to show off his abilities in front of so many people filled him with excitement.

"Teacher, let's begin!" Hizashi bowed, then took the opening stance of the Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan.

"Very good. Come at me."

Teacher Jiudai nodded with a smile. Without moving from his spot, he stood there confidently and motioned for Hizashi to attack first.

Seeing Jiudai's rather careless stance, Hizashi's gaze sharpened. The veins around his eyes bulged.

"Byakugan!"

Hizashi cried out and rushed forward, raising a hand to strike straight at Jiudai's face.

"Whoosh!" His palm swept past Jiudai's cheek. Jiudai easily leaned aside and dodged Hizashi's attack, then teased him, "Not bad speed. As expected of someone from the Hyuga Clan!"

Though it was praise, Hizashi didn't seem pleased to hear it. Having missed his first strike, he quickly changed his move, turning his palm into a finger strike and thrusting it down toward Jiudai's shoulder.

"The Hyuga Clan's taijutsu..."

"Their unique dojutsu lets them see the body's pathways, pressure points, and the flow of Chakra. It allows them to predict what jutsu their opponent might use and react quickly."

"Their distinctive taijutsu lets them send their own Chakra into an opponent's body, blocking their pressure points and cutting off their Chakra flow."

"With this kind of taijutsu, all it takes is one hit to win!"

At some point, Shikaichi Nara had come to stand beside Uzumaki Kuming. He watched the fight and took on the role of commentator. Hearing him, Kuming glanced sideways at Shikaichi, then turned his attention back to the fight.

It was only the Byakugan. Though this was the first time Uzumaki Kuming had seen it in action, he'd known how it worked for a long time.

"Thud!"

In the middle of the field, Hizashi's finger strike didn't hit Jiudai. Instead, Jiudai kicked him in the chest. The force sent the unprepared Hizashi flying a considerable distance, but his strong physique kept him from losing the ability to fight.

That attack was fast. Is this teacher really a Chunin?

After skidding to a stop, Hizashi's expression grew even more serious. He wasn't an ignorant little kid. As a member of the Hyuga Clan, he'd seen all kinds of ninja, including Jonin and Chunin.

The Hyuga Clan had even arranged for him to spar with many outstanding Jonin and Chunin during his training. Hizashi knew very well that this unremarkable Ninja Academy teacher was actually a formidable expert hiding his abilities.

Hizashi steadied himself and took up a fighting stance again, but this time he stood quite differently from before.

"What's this?" The Third Hokage's eyes brightened slightly as he watched Hizashi's movements. Jiudai, facing Hizashi, also grew a little more serious.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!"

A sudden whirlwind rose out of nowhere. As Hizashi's cry rang out, he rushed up to Jiudai, unleashing a storm of attacks.

"Thud! Thud-thud-thud!"

"Thud..."

The two figures exchanged punches and kicks. Their attacks came so quickly that they blurred before the audience's eyes. Aside from the Third Hokage and a few accompanying teachers, hardly anyone at the Academy could follow their movements.

"Damn... Is this really an entrance exam for the Ninja Academy? Isn't this supposed to be the Chunin Exams?"

Uzumaki Kuming stared dumbfounded at Hizashi's relentless assault. He hadn't expected an eleven-year-old child to use the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms in a mere Ninja Academy entrance exam.

The first person to use the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms in Naruto had been Neji Hyuga, a boy hailed as a genius. But he'd been thirteen when he used it, during the Chunin Exams.

Now Hizashi Hyuga was using the same technique. More importantly, he was only eleven years old. The title of genius was sure to belong to him.

"Eight Palms!"

"Sixteen Palms!"

"Thirty-Two Palms!"

"Sixty-Four Palms!"

Hizashi attacked incredibly quickly. As he shouted "Sixty-Four Palms," his hands formed a "seven" shape and struck the two pressure points in front of Jiudai's body. When Hizashi finished his Sixty-Four Palms, Jiudai's body flew through the air and crashed heavily to the ground with a thud.

"Did he win?"

The students leaned forward, trying to see how Jiudai was doing as he lay on the ground. They wondered nervously.

"Substitution Technique," Kuming murmured, smoothing his bangs. He'd sensed something wrong with the Jiudai who'd been struck as soon as Hizashi landed his first two blows.

"I lost," Hizashi said, looking at Jiudai lying on the ground. As soon as he spoke, Jiudai's body suddenly turned into smoke. When the smoke cleared, only a wooden post remained.

"Very good. You only managed to land two hits on me, but your taijutsu is excellent, Hizashi Hyuga. You've earned an excellent score."

Jiudai's voice came from behind Hizashi. He'd used the Substitution Technique to evade Hizashi's attacks. Though Hizashi had only managed to land two harmless hits on him, Jiudai recognized his taijutsu ability.

Another genius has appeared in the Hyuga Clan! the Third Hokage thought. He was pleased, but also uneasy. The Hyuga Clan, one of Konoha's most powerful clans, produced talented people one after another. As Hokage, he was already feeling the pressure.

"Thank you, teacher!" Hizashi showed no surprise when Jiudai appeared behind him. His Byakugan had actually spotted Jiudai dodging his attacks, but he'd realized it a little too late.

After finishing the first test, Hizashi returned to the line. One student after another stepped up to challenge Jiudai. However, many of those who went after Hizashi couldn't land even a single hit on him.

"Looks like Hizashi Hyuga's taijutsu is truly terrifying. So far, he's the only one who's managed to hit that teacher!"

Watching one student after another get toyed with by Jiudai, Shikaichi couldn't help exclaiming. Just as he was about to keep chatting with Kuming, he noticed that Uzumaki Kuming had already stepped out of line and was walking toward Teacher Jiudai.

"Teacher, I'll go first for the under-eight group!"

Kuming, dressed in a white training outfit, walked into the middle of the field. The previous student was still lying on the ground, unable to get up, but Kuming had already entered the arena and was smiling at the examiner.

"Oh? Can't wait, can you?"

"Fine, you can go first for the younger group."

Jiudai smiled at the handsome boy standing in front of him.

"Please be gentle with me." Kuming still knew his basic manners. He bowed slightly to greet Jiudai.

"Come on! Let's begin."

Jiudai had barely finished speaking when Kuming disappeared from where he'd been standing. The next moment, he appeared in front of Jiudai and lifted his leg for a straight kick. Since Kuming was only about three meters tall, his kick was aimed at Jiudai's groin.

This kid's vicious! The direction of Kuming's kick made Jiudai's scalp crawl. He immediately brought up both hands to block it. As he grew irritated, he saw Kuming flip through the air twice and land beside the student who'd been lying on the ground.

"What's he trying to do?" Jiudai watched in confusion as Kuming hooked his right foot around the student who'd been lying there and hadn't gotten up for some time, then kicked him far away.

"In the way!" Kuming lowered his gaze. After clearing the nuisance out of the way, he turned into a blur once more and charged toward Jiudai.

"Fast! But not fast enough!"

Seeing Kuming charge at him, Jiudai bent his arms and braced himself.