The next morning, at Konoha's Training Ground One.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was practicing staff techniques in a corner.
As the clan that had signed a Summoning Contract with Enma, every head of the Sarutobi Clan had to master staff techniques.
That was because their summon, Enma, could transform into a chakra-conducting weapon.
In truth, training with a staff suited to his summon was a little too advanced for a thirteen-year-old like him.
At this age, children often struggled to use the Summoning Technique.
But more than half a year ago, after Sarutobi Hiruzen had seen that obnoxious guy's strength with his own eyes, all he could think about was getting stronger as quickly as possible, surpassing him, and giving him a good beating himself.
As for why he hated him?
He couldn't say.
His father, Sarutobi Sasuke, had already told him the truth about how the great ninja clans had been smeared.
It had been despicable and vile.
But if not for Hyuga Hoshishaku, how would anyone have found out?
Ever since that incident, the Sarutobi Clan had shown signs of decline.
Though the other clans had all promised not to pursue the matter any further,
they had tacitly joined forces and used perfectly legitimate business tactics to put pressure on the Sarutobi Clan.
Whenever Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of the unshakable worry on his relatives' faces, his hatred for Hyuga Hoshishaku surged all the more fiercely.
"Hiruzen, are you still thinking about that brat?"
Shimura Danzō walked over, wiping away his sweat, and asked.
At his words, Sarutobi Hiruzen reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice rising several pitches.
"Who would think about that despicable brat!"
Shimura Danzō laughed and teased him.
"Relax. Ever since that brat became a disciple, he's been training in Sealing Techniques. His strength must be exactly where it was before. Next time you see him, you'll beat him so badly he'll be crawling on the ground with one hand!"
Listening to his friend, he couldn't help imagining Hyuga Hoshishaku pinned beneath his foot.
Sarutobi Hiruzen began to hum and puff himself up, looking rather pleased.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from nearby.
"Oh? Were you talking about me?"
The two were startled and turned to look. Hyuga Hoshishaku was pushing Senju Yuto, who sat in a wheelchair, while watching them with amused interest.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt both embarrassed and angry.
After all, getting caught badmouthing someone to their face was mortifying.
He turned to look at his other friends, silently blaming them for not warning him.
Utatane Koharu was staring at the two handsome little boys with hearts in her eyes, while Mitokado Homura stood beside her, a bump on his head that had clearly come from her.
Torifu Akimichi and Kagami Uchiha were still training in the corner. Even though they'd noticed what was happening, neither showed any interest in getting involved.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gritted his teeth and muttered, "That despicable woman only ever thinks about handsome boys!"
Hyuga Hoshishaku clearly had no intention of letting them off the hook.
"Hey, did the two of you go mute? You dare to say it but not own up to it? What a couple of cowards!"
At that, Shimura Danzō's expression darkened, and he put a hand on his tool pouch.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, red with anger and embarrassment, shouted, "That's right, we were talking about you, you obnoxious brat! We said it, so what are you going to do about it?"
Hyuga Hoshishaku grinned.
He called Hyuga Yunfei over and left Yuto nearby to watch.
Then he rolled his wrists, his smile turning cruel.
"Good, good. It's been more than half a year. Looks like you two have forgotten who Teacher Tobirama's strongest disciple is. I'll teach you a lesson today."
Before he could finish, Shimura Danzō had already flung a shuriken at him, aiming right for his face.
At the same time, he formed Hand Seals and began preparing a jutsu.
As Utatane Koharu cried out in alarm, Hoshishaku narrowly dodged the attack.
His expression then darkened.
What had he ever done to them?
Why throw a kunai right at someone's face?
Even with Konoha's advanced medical techniques, a wound on the face could still leave a scar.
Looking at Uemura Danzo's handsome face—second only to his own—
he decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzō finished preparing his jutsu and spat out a sharp blast of air that shot straight toward Hoshishaku.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flashed with nervous excitement, and, in perfect sync with Danzō, he unleashed a Fire Release jutsu.
Just before the flames and razor-sharp wind blades could hit Hoshishaku, he stamped his left foot down and vanished from where he stood.
The spot where he'd been standing was immediately pierced by Vacuum Wave, leaving a deep hole.
The Fire Release that followed baked the sand there until it turned translucent.
Hoshishaku's mouth twitched at the sight.
He'd only meant to spar with the two of them and beat them.
Were they actually trying to kill him?
If so, he wouldn't hold back.
Clone Technique!
A clone appeared out of nowhere, and Hoshishaku's original self handed it a stack of sealing papers.
As the clone used the Sealing-In Technique, the Fire Release and Wind Release attacks came at them again.
But the powerful suction produced by the Sealing-In Technique sucked both jutsu straight into the seal.
"Now!"
Hoshishaku's original self shouted as he unleashed the Fire Release he'd learned from Uchiha Sasuke.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The clone flicked its wrist, and the powerful suction suddenly became a tremendous force of repulsion.
"Unsealing Technique!"
In an instant, Hoshishaku unleashed four jutsu: a gale, Wind Release: Vacuum Wave, Great Flame Technique, and his original self's Great Fireball Technique!
They weren't combined into a single attack.
But unleashed all at once, their power was plain to see!
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō didn't just sit there and wait to die.
Seeing that they couldn't dodge, they moved together.
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly formed Hand Seals and used a defensive jutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, exhaled a cloud of soft white mist.
"Wind Release: Wind Counter!"
This Wind Release reflected part of the incoming gale and Vacuum Wave back at them.
But the remaining force of the combined Fire and Wind Release attacks slammed into the earthen wall.
The wall turned red-hot from the flames, and under the force of the gale, it began to slowly crumble.
Hoshishaku and his clone easily dodged the wind blades that Danzō had reflected back earlier.
Seeing the two of them hiding behind the wall as it crumbled, the clone began using a second sealing paper.
The original had already disappeared.
"Boom!"
The earthen wall finally gave way to the gale and shattered.
Holding an Adamantine Staff, Sarutobi Hiruzen smashed the last lingering flames from the Fire Release and scanned the area. His eyes blazing, he accelerated toward Hoshishaku's clone, not caring in the slightest about the gale's pull.
He even used the powerful suction to his advantage, raising his staff and bringing it down on the clone!
Danzō pulled out a kunai and ran after him, ready to act when the opportunity arose.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was just about to be sucked into the paper seal.
But his Adamantine Staff was already swinging down toward the head of Hoshishaku's clone!
Before you continue