"Only by ruling the Land of Rain can one be qualified to speak with the major powers!"
A bitter smile appeared on Yahiko's lips. This approach was completely contrary to the ideals he wanted to uphold. If he really intended to usurp Hanzo the Salamander Amegakure resolve everything with his own strength and violence...
Will that "dawn" still be the same "dawn" full of light and warmth?
When power becomes the tool for resolving all disputes, can one still maintain their true self and not be misled by the convenience it brings?
No one could answer Yahiko's question. Sato Hideaka couldn't give him an answer, and Yahiko's idol, Hanzo the Salamander, was even less likely to do so, because Hanzo the Salamander himself, in his youth, was a passionate young man just like Yahiko.
Faced with this Land of Rain, plagued by disasters and perpetual weeping, every young person with a dream tries to change it. But when a once passionate youth becomes a leader, power and corruption follow, eroding his will!
Sato Hideaka looked at Yahiko, whose expression kept changing, and said calmly, "I've already told you the solution. You can go back and think about it slowly. But I still have one condition and one wish that I haven't fulfilled. I hope you can help me realize them..."
"Hmm, hmm, okay... You have a wish?"
Yahiko was still somewhat dazed at the moment, and it took him a moment to come to his senses.
Sato Hideaka removed his mask and raincoat, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said, "My teacher is Tsunade, one of the Princess Tsunade of Konoha Sannin, while your teacher is Sannin, the Toad Sage, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin. I would like to compare our strengths, and I hope you will go all out."
Come, Nagato, let me see the power of the Rinnegan Six Paths...
A fighting spirit suddenly surged from Sato Hideaka's body. The person he truly wanted to challenge was not Jiraiya's apprentice, nor Yahiko and Minami, but Nagato, who possessed the power of the Rinnegan. In his later Nagato even destroyed the most powerful Konoha with its power.
The Sage of Six Paths used it to seal Kaguya Otsutsuki, and Madara Uchiha and Obito used it to suppress the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. In Naruto Sharingan, the ultimate evolution of the Rinnegan, undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of combat power.
Although, at this time, Nagato was not yet able to unleash the full power of the Rinnegan.
When Yahiko, Nagato, and Minami saw Sato Hideaka Monkey Mask, they felt a mix of emotions. They hadn't expected that the guy who had always talked to them about peace was so young—or rather, so young!
Judging from this kid's youthful face, he must be under twelve years old, right?
This kid, not even twelve years old, is already lecturing me?
Shaking his head to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts, Yahiko smiled and lowered his head, Sato Hideaka, "Little brother, I think we should forget it. It won't be easy for you to take on the three of us like this, and besides, ninja battles are very dangerous and injuries are common. If..."
Seeing Yahiko lecturing him with an air of superiority, the meticulous Nagato couldn't help but cover his forehead in exasperation, feeling utterly ashamed. He said, " Yahiko, you idiot! The fact that this child's teacher, Princess Tsunade, was willing to let him stay already reflects his strength. His strength is definitely not as simple as his age suggests. Why couldn't you even see that? Besides, this guy reminds me of someone..."
"That, Sato Hideaka the Five Great Nations? It seems that Lady Tsunade called him that earlier too..." Nan covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes narrowing into two crescent moons. In her mind, these two friends had extremely complementary personalities.
"The strongest of the new generation of the Five Great Nations..." Yahiko's smile froze, replaced by a solemn expression.
The strongest of the new generation in the Five Great Nations, and recognized by all five countries simultaneously, is no simple honor. You have to know how many talented people there are in the Five Great Nations, and the number of the most talented among them is countless, but there can only ever be one truly the strongest.
"Alright, now whether you agree or not, I'm going to take action..." Sato Hideaka with a dark face and a hint of displeasure.
Guy, ghost...?
You need to know that the sum of your ages in both lifetimes is at least twenty-five years old, right?
He's older than both of you ghosts!
Konoha Whirlwind
Using his left foot as a fulcrum, Sato Hideaka kicked out with his right foot, sending countless raindrops flying.
This was a probing attack, intended only to force Yahiko, Nagato, and Minami to make their move. However, the immense force of the side kick still produced a series of explosive sounds as it swept towards Yahiko's chest.
Yahiko reacted instantly, placing his right hand in front of him to block the kick.
However, when the immense force came from his hand, Yahiko's entire body jolted, and he was sent flying backward, dragging several meters across the muddy ground, leaving two long trails in the dirt and splashing countless water droplets and mud before finally coming to a stop...
Feeling a slight numbness in his arm, Yahiko couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Such speed, such powerful strength..."
"This was just a probing attack, using only forty percent of my strength."
Sato Hideaka retracted his right leg, his blue eyes looking at the three of them, and said in an extremely calm tone.
He only used 40% of his strength?
Yahiko's eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets. The numbness in his arm felt so real, and in terms of strength, it was in no way inferior to his own. Could the opponent have only used 40% of his power? How could that be... This ghost must be lying.
With a flick of his right hand, Sato Hideaka unleashed another beam of red light towards Yahiko.
Yahiko instinctively dodged the red light, but Sato Hideaka's figure had already disappeared from the spot. A knee strike landed on Yahiko's stomach, causing him to arch his back like a shrimp. The intense pain distorted his face.
Another kick struck Yahiko in the chest, sending him flying backward instantly...
Sato Hideaka landed lightly on the ground, his clothes without a single wrinkle. The battle had been very easy for him. In fact, the root cause was that Yahiko had underestimated him and hadn't fully unleashed his fighting spirit.
With his fighting spirit not in place and his physical reactions not keeping up, Yahiko had absolutely no idea what to do when faced with Sato Hideaka's agile fighting style!
"Such speed..." Nan exclaimed in disbelief.
Beneath his red head, Nagato's eerie Rinnegan took in the entire battle, and he murmured, "Crimson Crystal Kunai, the body can suddenly return to the Kunai's side, is this Space-Time Ninjutsu?"
Looking at Yahiko who had crawled out of the mud, Sato Hideaka smiled and said, "Now, shouldn't our battle officially begin?"
"Okay, I'll lead the attack, the south side will provide support, Nagato will wait for the right opportunity to strike."
Yahiko finally got serious. With his natural leadership qualities, he quickly gave an order, and Nagato and Minami followed suit. The three of them rushed toward the seemingly harmless, smiling Sato Hideaka.
[ Water Release: Water Gun Technique]
In a swift movement, the hand Hand Seals were completed.
Yahiko took a deep breath and exhaled, a thin stream of water shooting out of his mouth, slicing towards Sato Hideaka. The rock that was hit was instantly cut in half; this ninjutsu was as sharp as a high-pressure water jet.
A green aura suddenly erupted from Sato Hideaka's body, repelling all the surrounding rainwater and instantly increasing his speed. He slightly bent over to dodge the water gun attack and charged towards Yahiko without showing any weakness...
[ Dance of the Shikigami - Paper Spear]
Thick layers of paper instantly appeared on Nan's face behind Yahiko, and her body seemed to turn into origami. Countless oiled papers began to condense in the air under the control of her outstretched right hand, forming sharp spears that surrounded her.
In an instant, twelve spears, transformed from oiled paper, shot out like arrows released from a bow!
In the blink of an eye, Sato Hideaka also finished forming the hand seals. Twelve crystal-clear " Crystal Twin-Thorn Spear " suddenly formed out of thin air and were arranged in an orderly manner around his body. After completing the Hand Seals, the " Crystal Twin-Thorn Spear " also shot out.
[ Crystal Release: Two-Thorn Spear ]
...(To be continued.)