Are you satisfied with my strength?

After a long while, Uzumaki Kuming, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi arrived together at Training Ground No. 7.

Training Ground No. 7 was located at the very edge of Konoha. Its location was remote, and in times of war like the present, there were already few ninjas visiting the training grounds; a place as isolated as this one was practically deserted.

Therefore, when the three of them arrived, the area was completely empty. Their sparring would not disturb anyone, nor would it be observed by prying eyes.

"Since this is an exchange, let's keep it light."

"This Humble One is not skilled in taijutsu, and my techniques are too destructive; I struggle to control the scale. Let us leave the sparring to you, Hiashi."

After arriving at the training ground, Uchiha Fugaku spoke first. He actually had no objections to Kuming joining the team, and while he was curious about Uzumaki Kuming's strength, he had no desire to engage in such a thankless task.

Thus, he shifted the burden directly onto Hiashi. His claim of being unskilled in taijutsu was merely a temporary excuse.

"That is fine, I will do it."

Although Hyuga Hiashi knew Uchiha Fugaku was making excuses, he did not mind. Being a stubborn man, he walked to the center of the clearing and waited for Kuming to enter.

"Is that so? Would that really be appropriate?"

"Since this is an exchange, the goal is for us to familiarize ourselves with each other's abilities, right?"

"Brother Fugaku and Brother Hiashi have been working together for quite some time; you understand each other well and have already developed a certain rapport."

"But this younger brother knows nothing about either of you."

"Since we have such a good opportunity, Brother Fugaku, why don't you join in as well? That way, I can get to know you too."

Although Uzumaki Kuming spoke politely and maintained the demeanor of a junior, Uchiha Fugaku did not hear a hint of humility in his words. Despite the gentle tone, wasn't Kuming clearly suggesting a two-on-one fight?

"That wouldn't be right, that wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be fair."

"Besides, if we did that, we wouldn't be able to see your performance."

Uchiha Fugaku spoke smoothly, but inwardly he felt a surge of dissatisfaction toward Kuming. He felt the brat before him was far too arrogant, and his impression of Kuming soured, his tone carrying a trace of mockery.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all~"

"You both come at me together; I'm in a hurry."

One second, Kuming's face still held a simple, humble smile; the next, his expression turned cold, and the arrogance in his eyes fully bloomed.

Hearing Kuming's arrogant words, before Uchiha Fugaku could even respond, Hyuga Hiashi, standing in the center of the field, grew impatient: "Begin, brat."

"Very well!" Kuming performed a one-handed seal as a gesture of courtesy, then lightly threw a punch toward Uchiha Fugaku while simultaneously drawing several Shuriken from his pouch with his other hand and flicking them toward Hyuga Hiashi.

In the distance, Hyuga Hiashi watched the Shuriken fly toward him with slow speed and mediocre aim. He didn't even bother to dodge or activate his Byakugan; he simply took a stance and casually reached out, catching the Shuriken firmly in his hand.

Nearby, Fugaku saw Kuming's punch coming, took a half-step back, and tilted his head to avoid it.

"You are a child after all. Is this the extent of your ability?" Hyuga Hiashi casually dropped the Shuriken to the ground with a clatter. Seeing such a clumsy attack, he couldn't help but speak up.

Uchiha Fugaku also shook his head imperceptibly, his dark eyes revealing disappointment.

"Heh, that was just a greeting."

Suddenly, the ground around Kuming began to tremble, and gravel rolled outward from his center. A visible, deep-purple chakra began to swirl around Kuming's body.

The sudden vibration caused Uchiha Fugaku to instinctively leap back, immediately creating distance. His black eyes suddenly turned scarlet, and three black Tomoe rapidly took shape as he stared in shock at the source of the disturbance, Uzumaki Kuming.

In the distance, Hyuga Hiashi's expression turned solemn, and he whispered: "Byakugan!"

"Such terrifying chakra. What exactly is this guy?"

After activating his Byakugan, Hyuga Hiashi was finally able to perceive something. Under the enhancement of his Byakugan, he could see the chakra surging within Kuming becoming violent, with a constant stream of energy being pumped into every part of Kuming's body.

"With this level of chakra, I doubt even the Jonin in the village could compare to him. This kid..."

Although Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan could not see the flow of chakra inside Kuming, the insight provided by his eyes allowed him to see just how terrifying the chakra swirling outside Kuming's body was.

At this moment, both Fugaku and Hiashi cast aside their contempt, their expressions turning serious as they began to truly assess Kuming's capabilities, while simultaneously analyzing the ninjutsu he might unleash.

After all, since the opponent had already flared his chakra, the technique to follow would surely be powerful.

However, they could never have guessed that flaring chakra to apply pressure before a fight was simply Kuming's standard procedure, not a precursor to a technique. It was like a battle in Bleach—before you even see the person, you suppress them with spiritual pressure to let them know you aren't someone to be trifled with.

Kuming was the same; regardless of the actual gap in strength, he had to win three points in momentum before the fight even started. As for the wasted chakra, while others might feel a pinch, for Kuming, it was merely a drop in the ocean, completely inconsequential.

Just as Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi stood ready for Kuming's attack, Kuming—the center of the chakra flare—suddenly abandoned the nearby Uchiha Fugaku and charged toward the distant Hyuga Hiashi. To Hiashi's surprise, Kuming closed the distance and threw a soft, seemingly weak punch toward his abdomen.

"This kind of attack, can..." Hiashi didn't take such an attack to heart, but his excellent instincts as a ninja compelled him to defend with full force.

Hyuga Hiashi, who had still been looking down on Kuming, discovered upon catching the punch that a massive amount of chakra had instantly gathered in Kuming's fist.

The next second, a terrifying, immense force sent him flying.

"Nani?" The terrifying power poured into his body. Fortunately, Hiashi hadn't underestimated Kuming while defending; as the force hit, he quickly leaped into the air, spinning several times to dissipate most of the impact.

Even so, when Hyuga Hiashi landed, he still slid back several meters before coming to a stop. His hands trembled slightly; forcing himself to catch that blow had been a struggle.

"Not bad, to be able to block my 'Careless Normal Punch' head-on~"

"Your ability is impressive, Hyuga Hiashi."

Kuming did not pursue, instead speaking to Hiashi in a tone of praise.

"This guy... the force of that punch is so heavy. It's impossible for someone his age to have such strength. This shouldn't be simple taijutsu."

"Could it be Lady Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred?"

"That must be it. I heard Uzumaki Kuming has lived in that lady's home since he was a child."

Hyuga Hiashi paid no mind to Kuming's words, his mind rapidly analyzing Uzumaki Kuming's capabilities. If he had still held onto the dignity of an elder before Kuming made his move—intending to suppress his own strength to test the boy—he was now fully focused, treating Uzumaki Kuming as an opponent of equal standing.

Is the power of his fist really that heavy? Even though Hiashi had blocked the strike with both hands, they couldn't help but tremble. It seems his attacks cannot be taken head-on.

In that case, it is time to see what my Uchiha clan can do!

A short distance away, Uchiha Fugaku had completely forgotten his initial reluctance to team up with Hyuga Hiashi. He rapidly formed hand seals, intending to launch a ninjutsu attack immediately.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Although Kuming was facing Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku's movements could not escape the detection of his Mind's Eye of the Kagura. The moment he sensed the chakra behind him, Kuming leaped into the air, dodging the fire ninjutsu.

"Hm?" Kuming, having just jumped into the air, felt a slight shock and looked upward. He saw Hyuga Hiashi, who had also leaped high, blocking out the sun and casting a shadow over him. Hiashi then descended from above, slamming a palm toward Kuming's shoulder.

So that's it. You lured me into the air where I have no leverage to dodge.

What incredible coordination.

Uzumaki Kuming was well aware of the function of the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and the offensive effects of their Gentle Fist. Facing Hiashi's attack, Kuming did not meet it head-on. Just as Hiashi's palm was about to strike his shoulder, Kuming quickly reached out, grabbed the man's wrist, and pushed it to the side, easily evading the assault.

Kuming did not let go of the wrist he had grabbed, instead beginning to exert even more force.

This guy... he can actually keep up with my speed.

"Damn it!"

"Rotation!"

Hiashi, caught by the wrist, felt a jolt of alarm. Sensing the immense power coming from his arm, he knew he was in trouble. Chakra erupted rapidly from every tenketsu on his body, and with a fierce shout, Hiashi was enveloped by a sphere of spinning chakra.

Kuming realized the danger the moment the chakra began to vent from the opponent's tenketsu. He quickly released his grip and kicked out, though his foot struck the wall of spinning chakra rather than Hiashi's abdomen.

The recoil forced Kuming to land quickly, but before his feet even touched the ground, Uchiha Fugaku's voice rang in his ears.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Countless fireballs flew from the ground toward Kuming in mid-air. With no leverage to dodge, Kuming looked as if he were about to be engulfed by the flames. Uchiha Fugaku heard a faint sound from the air, and then the flames completely swallowed Uzumaki Kuming, followed by a massive explosion.

"BOOM!!!!"

The explosion generated a fierce gale, but Fugaku, standing on the ground, remained unaffected, his Sharingan fixed on the center of the blast. Hyuga Hiashi had also landed, his Byakugan active, yet the gravity on his face did not diminish despite Fugaku's successful strike.

After a long while, the smoke in the air began to dissipate, but Kuming's figure had completely vanished.

"Reduced to nothing?"

"Heh, do you really think we would believe that?"

"In front of these eyes of mine, no trickery can hide from our sight. Uzumaki Kuming, there is no need to hide. I know you are fine."

Hyuga Hiashi spoke coldly, and at almost the same moment, Uchiha Fugaku shifted his gaze toward the woods. Both had discovered Kuming's trail; as members of clans with bloodline limits, their insight was extraordinary.

"Hahaha~"

"My apologies, my apologies. I forgot about your abilities for a moment."

"The Byakugan and the Sharingan... they truly are troublesome."

Under the watchful eyes of Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku, Kuming stepped out from behind a large tree. The tree's shade obscured his expression, and the white training gear he wore showed no signs of burns. Despite the shade, Kuming's tightly closed eyes were clearly visible to Uchiha Fugaku, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Is this guy also a sensory ninja? His sensory ninjutsu seems quite formidable; I didn't even detect him using anything to sense us!

Hyuga Hiashi was also slightly dazed, not expecting his opponent to be fighting them with his eyes closed.

"It seems you know quite a bit about my Uchiha clan's Sharingan."

Uchiha Fugaku, seeing no opportunity to use the Sharingan's genjutsu, sighed before continuing:

"You are no match for the two of us. While your taijutsu is excellent, you will never have a chance against our combined efforts."

"Furthermore, no matter what ninjutsu you possess, it will be of no use in the face of our bloodline limits."

"You used a Shadow Clone to block my attack just now, and you managed to escape such a barrage without a single injury."

"As a teammate, you are qualified."

Uchiha Fugaku felt that continuing the fight was meaningless. The opponent's strength was impressive, and if neither side held lethal intent, they would be unable to cause each other any real trouble. They couldn't handle Uzumaki Kuming, and it was clear the boy couldn't handle them either.

"Is that so?"

"Actually, the moment you two stood together, I had already won!"

Uzumaki Kuming said with a smile. As his voice fell, black curse seals manifested on Hyuga Hiashi's wrists.

"Nani?"

"Bad!"

Uchiha Fugaku reacted quickly, wanting to retreat the moment he saw the curse seals appear on Hiashi's wrists. But before he could even move, the seals on Hiashi's body spread across his entire frame, and a portion of them crawled along the ground to reach him as well.

Uchiha Fugaku, who had intended to flee, was instantly bound by the seals and could not move an inch.

"Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal!"

Kuming walked slowly out of the woods. As the shadows faded from his body and the sunlight hit his face, he looked at the two men bound by the seals and revealed a brilliant smile.

"Was it when you grabbed my hand just now?"

"My entire focus was on the pain in my wrist, so I didn't even notice the curse seal being placed!"

Hyuga Hiashi was bound from head to toe, yet he could still speak. He didn't feel any resentment; instead, his tone was laced with a hint of disbelief.

"Not only have you mastered Lady Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred, but you also used an A-rank Shadow Clone technique to dodge my attack, along with that strange sensory jutsu. And now, you've even mastered the A-rank sealing technique, the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal."

"For an average genin, mastering any one of these techniques upon graduating from the academy would be enough to call them a terrifying genius."

"I never imagined that a brat who hasn't even reached graduation age would have mastered so many high-level techniques."

"You really are a frightening kid. We underestimated you."

Uchiha Fugaku clearly recognized the sealing technique Kuming had just deployed. The Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal was the same technique Shimura Danzō used against Sasuke in the original timeline; it was easy to cast but had terrifying effects. Given Sasuke's abilities at the time, he had needed his Susanoo to break free. If Sasuke's Susanoo hadn't evolved at that exact moment, that battle would have required Obito to intervene early.

However, what Danzō learned was the castrated, single-target version of the seal that had leaked from Mito, while what Kuming learned was the authentic version passed down through generations of the Uzumaki Clan. The binding effect and range were on two completely different levels.

And as things stood, neither Hyuga Hiashi nor Uchiha Fugaku possessed the ability to break free from this Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal.

"I wonder if my abilities have satisfied you two brothers."

"If you're not satisfied, we can keep going~"

Uzumaki Kuming walked over to Uchiha Fugaku's side. Without releasing the curse seal, he leaned against the man's body and teased.

"What a nasty personality," Hyuga Hiashi thought, watching Kuming's posture. He was speechless and didn't want to talk.

"That won't be necessary. Let us go. Your abilities are very strong; even if we had gone all out from the start, we might not have been able to defeat you."

"We acknowledge your strength. Release us."

Uchiha Fugaku's face showed a helpless expression before he spoke in a somewhat pleading tone.

At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku had completely forgotten that he had initially disliked Kuming's arrogance. After all, the boy was a genuine genius, and a little bit of attitude was only natural. However, if Kuming hadn't defeated them today, Fugaku likely wouldn't have been so easy to talk to.

"Hiss."

The curse seals faded from their bodies, and the two regained their mobility. Hyuga Hiashi flexed his wrist, checking the spot where Kuming had applied the seal. Seeing that no marks remained, he nodded toward Kuming.

Hyuga Hiashi was a prickly person; he often didn't know how to express his emotions. Although he wanted to say something grateful, his pride prevented him from speaking the words, so a nod toward Kuming served as his acknowledgment.

"Kuming, let's introduce ourselves properly. My name is Uchiha Fugaku."

"From this day forward, you are my teammate. I am willing to entrust my back to you."

Having regained his mobility, Uchiha Fugaku wore a smile. After tidying his clothes slightly, he extended his right hand and said solemnly.

"Uzumaki Kuming! Please take care of me from now on." Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's expression, Kuming's demeanor also became more serious. He dropped his teasing look and shook Fugaku's hand.

Fugaku released Kuming's hand and turned to look at Hyuga Hiashi. Under the other man's burning gaze, Hyuga Hiashi also extended his hand. He felt a bit awkward at first, but once he reached out, his face turned solemn as well:

"I apologize for what happened earlier. I hope you don't mind."

"From now on, you are our teammate. Please take care of me."

Hyuga Hiashi bowed his head slightly to show his apology. Seeing the man's sincere posture, something in Kuming's heart was touched. He smiled, gripped Hiashi's hand, and said softly, "It's fine. After all, we're family from now on."

"What?" Hiashi hadn't heard Kuming clearly and asked in confusion.

However, Kuming had no intention of answering him. He looked at the sky, which had already darkened, stretched his back, and said loudly:

"Yosh~ to celebrate the formation of our squad, the three of us should go grab a meal together."

"Let's go to the barbecue restaurant on the west side of the village. I haven't had it in a long time!"

"I'm the youngest, so you two are treating."

Watching Kuming's excited expression, Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku exchanged glances and then helplessly shrugged. The next moment, they were grabbed by the hands by Kuming and dragged toward the village.

Don't let Kuming's age fool you; even though he was only seven, neither Hyuga Hiashi nor Uchiha Fugaku could break free from his grip~