"Come on! Let this old man see the surprise you've prepared!" Danzo stood motionless, his hands hanging at his sides. His gaze was sharp, and his tone calm.
"Then you'd better look forward to it, Uncle!"
As he spoke, Kizaru didn't hold back. He formed Hand Seals, and Wind Release Chakra burst from his mouth.
Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!
Several "Wind Snakes," formed from sharp Wind Release Chakra, lunged at Danzo all at once.
Facing the Wind Snakes' attack, Danzo advanced instead of retreating. He surged forward with the Body Flicker Technique, deftly dodged their charge, then pulled out a Kunai and used Wind Style: Kunai to enchant the weapon.
Landing beside Kizaru, Danzo took advantage of the moment Kizaru was controlling the Wind Snakes. Holding his Kunai, he slashed down hard.
Abandoning control of his Ninjutsu, Kizaru leaped backward, putting distance between himself and Danzo and dodging the attack that had come within inches of him.
"If that's all you've got, you won't pass your assessment." Holding his Kunai in front of him, Danzo didn't pursue or attack. He stood where he was, facing Kizaru after his leap back, and spoke coldly.
Kizaru kept smiling, unaffected by Danzo's words.
He rolled his neck and said with a grin, "You're in such a hurry, Uncle! That was just a little warm-up."
Just a warm-up?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was amazed that Kizaru could use such advanced Wind Release Ninjutsu at the age of six. Hearing Kizaru's words only heightened his interest.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was intensely curious about the Kekkei Genkai called Light Style, which allowed its user to control light. He eagerly anticipated the fight between the two.
"Then show this old man what you can really do!" Danzo shouted at Kizaru and made his move.
Danzo formed Hand Seals rapidly and used Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere. One transparent bullet after another, each imbued with the shape transformation of Wind Release, shot from his mouth.
Facing Danzo's attack, Kizaru reacted just as Danzo had: he advanced instead of retreating. He used the Body Flicker Technique to leap into the air, transformed into a beam of light, and shot straight toward Danzo.
This was the first time Danzo had seen Kizaru use his Kekkei Genkai in battle. Although he realized the attack posed a threat, Kizaru was simply too fast. Before his brain could send instructions to his body, the beam of light was already in front of him.
"That move!" Jiraiya, the first person to fall victim to Kizaru's Ninjutsu, recognized it at once. The memory was still fresh.
Jiraiya wasn't the only one. Orochimaru and Tsunade, who had seen the move before, recognized it too. Their faces lit up with anticipation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed his students' reactions. After glancing at the three of them, he turned his attention back to the battlefield.
By then, Kizaru had reached Danzo in an instant and returned to human form. An intense light burst from his body, like a flash grenade, stabbing into Danzo's eyes.
Like Jiraiya, Danzo was facing this kind of surprise attack for the first time and couldn't react in time. His eyes stung, his vision blurred, and tears welled up in them.
"Uncle, have you ever been kicked by light?" Kizaru asked with a smile, without stopping his attack. He raised his right leg, gathered light particles around his lower leg, and kicked at Danzo's side at high speed.
Danzo suffered the same attack, but his battle experience far surpassed Jiraiya's. The instant he was blinded, he had already decided how to respond.
He formed Hand Seals rapidly and used the Substitution Technique.
Kizaru's Light Speed Kick connected with Danzo, only to strike a log instead. The wood burst apart, scattering into countless small pieces.
"Just as you'd expect from Uncle! You reacted much faster than Senior Jiraiya." Looking at the scattered wood in front of him, Kizaru offered a "sincere" compliment.
Why did they keep bringing him up when they were the ones fighting?
Jiraiya found himself caught in the crossfire again. Under the gaze of Teacher Sarutobi beside him and the disdainful looks from Tsunade and Orochimaru, he felt utterly crushed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his attention away from his disappointing student and looked toward Kizaru at the center of the field.
What an abundance of talent!
The more he watched, the more fond he became of Kizaru. A smile crept onto Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
Danzo felt much the same as Hiruzen Sarutobi. Despite his surprise at the suddenness and power of Kizaru's attack, he was also delighted.
Danzo was very pleased with Kizaru's Ninjutsu, which combined his Kekkei Genkai with the Body Flicker Technique.
It seemed he had misjudged the boy. He hadn't grown arrogant—he really had become stronger.
What a fine boy! No wonder this old man had chosen him as his successor.
Although Danzo was pleased, he had spent his life playing the villain and wearing the grim face. Outwardly, he maintained his cold expression.
Having used the Substitution Technique to evade Kizaru's attack and change position, Danzo closed his eyes and said coldly, "Why did you speak just now? After blinding your enemy, your voice gives away your position. If you hadn't spoken, this old man could've—"
Suddenly struck, Danzo felt a sharp pain in his arm and let out a grunt.
Kizaru stood where he was with a smile, his right hand raised and index finger extended, still glowing with golden light.
Thinking Danzo's advice made sense, Kizaru acted on it at once, firing a laser.
Still silent, Kizaru pointed his right index finger at Danzo and fired several more lasers.
The lasers shot toward Danzo's arms and legs, none aimed at a vital spot.
Bang!
As soon as the laser hit Danzo, his body turned into a log again.
"Another Substitution Technique?" Kizaru said at the sight. "Just as you'd expect from Uncle!"
No sooner had Kizaru spoken than a figure suddenly dropped from above behind him, holding a Wind Sword and swinging it at his back.
Having already sensed the attack behind him, Kizaru twisted around. His right foot glowed gold again, and he threw a spinning back kick at his attacker.
Faster than his opponent could react, Kizaru's right foot struck Danzo before the Wind Sword could reach him.
Bang!
Though the blow was powerful, the Danzo behind Kizaru didn't fly away. He dissolved into a cloud of white smoke.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Kizaru wasn't surprised. He sharpened his focus, scanned the area, and searched for Danzo.
As Kizaru looked around, a Shuriken wrapped in Wind Release Chakra shot out of the woods to his right.
Facing the Wind Style: Shuriken, Kizaru unleashed another Light Speed Kick, sending a slash made of light flying toward it.
The two attacks collided with a tremendous explosion, kicking up clouds of dust, rocks, and dirt.
"How frightening, Uncle!" Kizaru said, his hands in his pockets and his smile growing brighter.