Duel with Shisui

?Fated Rivals?

Feeling Uchiha Shisui's burning gaze beside him, Hane couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Why did that line sound so familiar?

Had this kid been possessed by Might Guy?

"Uchiha Shisui, Yakushi Hane."

"Both of you have successfully passed today's assessment."

"From today on, you are official Konoha ninjas."

At that moment, a steady and dignified voice drifted over from the crowd nearby.

"Lord Hokage?!"

"Lord Hokage is here too!!"

The surrounding crowd let out a series of low gasps, quickly clearing a path.

An old man wearing a white Hokage cloak and a conical hat appeared on the Training Ground.

It was the Third Hokage, who had just been in his office; after witnessing Hane defeat three genin in five seconds, he finally couldn't sit still.

He had come to the Ninja Academy's Training Ground in person to preside over this most highly anticipated graduation ceremony in history.

Hearing the Third Hokage's words, two chunin walked up to Hane and Shisui.

Each handed them a forehead protector engraved with the Konoha village symbol.

This marked the moment that Hane and Shisui were officially Konoha genin.

"That was a truly brilliant battle just now..."

"I am very pleased that Konoha has birthed two more talented genius ninjas."

Standing on the Training Ground, the Third Hokage watched with a smile as the two genius youths put on their Konoha forehead protectors.

"However, this special graduation exam has yet to produce a top-ranked student."

"So, Uchiha Shisui, Yakushi Hane... are you two interested in one final duel?"

A final duel??

Upon hearing this, Hane and Shisui, who had already tied their Konoha forehead protectors around their heads, exchanged glances, both seeing the eager light in the other's eyes.

"That's right! The top spot hasn't been decided yet!!"

"Lord Hokage is right! Let's have one last duel!!"

"Both are geniuses! Who is actually stronger?"

The Third Hokage's words immediately ignited the intense interest of everyone present, and they began to clamor.

The brilliant battle between the two genius youths had left them wanting more.

Initially, everyone had favored the Uchiha Clan's genius, Shisui.

But after witnessing Hane's monstrous performance, a question hung in everyone's minds.

Between these two genius youths, who was truly superior?

Worshiping the strong.

It wasn't just in the Naruto World; the real world was the same.

"Since Lord Hokage has said so..."

"Come on, Hane, I've wanted to cross blades with you for a long time."

As the words fell, Shisui's figure was already standing on the Training Ground, his eyes burning as he stared at Hane and beckoned him over.

"There's really no helping you... in that case..."

Feeling the surging fighting spirit from Shisui and the eyes of everyone around him fixed upon him, Hane shrugged helplessly, stepped onto the Training Ground, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't go crying if you lose to me later, Shisui."

He also wanted to see what level of strength the future world-renowned 'Body Flicker Shisui' had reached at this moment.

"Yakushi Hane, you just finished a battle."

"Do you need time to recover your chakra?"

Everyone's eyes were locked on the two genius youths standing opposite each other on the Training Ground.

Looking at Hane, who had just experienced a spectacular fight, the Third Hokage asked.

"No need."

Hane shook his head, signaling that he didn't require it.

Having broken through to the chunin level, his internal chakra reserves were already several times that of an ordinary chunin.

Especially with his body modified by the String-String Fruit, his stamina and chakra recovery were astonishing; the chakra consumed by using Chidori earlier had already almost fully replenished.

"Then... let the battle begin!!"

Hearing Hane's response, the Third Hokage waved his hand, signaling the start of the fight.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The moment the Third Hokage's voice faded, the air was filled with the sharp, piercing sound of objects cutting through it.

Having witnessed Hane's overwhelming strength in taking down three genin in five seconds, Shisui braced himself with absolute focus, eight shuriken instantly appearing in his hands.

With a flick of his wrists, the eight shuriken flew toward Hane from every angle—top, bottom, left, and right—at blinding speed.

"What exquisite shurikenjutsu!"

Several elite chunin in the surrounding crowd exclaimed in awe as they watched Shisui's throw.

Both the technique and the precision were already on par with their own, and in terms of pure skill, it even surpassed them.

As expected of the Uchiha Clan's genius, Shisui; this single display of shurikenjutsu was something an average genin would have no way of handling.

"Come on, Hane..."

"Let me see your true strength!"

Amidst the spinning shuriken, Shisui stared intently at Hane, his black eyes flashing with a sharp, dazzling intensity.

However, Hane simply extended his hands, and eight kunai appeared between his fingers as if by magic. Facing the incoming shuriken, he swung his hands with what looked like casual ease.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Ding!

All eight of Shisui's shuriken were struck down by Hane, clattering to the ground.

Although Hane had focused more on taijutsu, ninjutsu, and his String-String Fruit abilities over the past year, he had never forgotten the shurikenjutsu he had painstakingly practiced, and handling the current Shisui was no problem at all.

"Impressive!"

"It seems this Yakushi Hane's ninja fundamentals are not a bit inferior to the Uchiha Clan's genius, Shisui."

Watching the exquisite display of shurikenjutsu as Hane went toe-to-toe with Shisui on the Training Ground, the onlookers' eyes lit up, and their estimation of Hane rose once again.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The moment the shuriken and kunai hit the ground, both Hane and Shisui vanished from their spots, erupting with astonishing speed as they charged toward each other.

Bang! Bang!!

The two figures collided instantly.

Hane's palm blocked Shisui's incoming knee, while Shisui's hand parried the punch Hane had thrust forward.

At first glance, it looked like a stalemate, but soon, Shisui's body began to tilt backward, unable to hold his ground.

"What? How is this possible..."

"We're the same age, so how is his strength so much greater than mine?"

Feeling the immense force surging from his opponent, Shisui was shocked.

Only after this first direct collision did he realize with horror that the physical power erupting from Hane's body was nothing like that of a six-year-old child.

"My body might be a bit different from the average person..."

"If you try to compete with me in taijutsu, you don't stand a chance."

Watching Shisui being pushed back by his strength, Hane curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

If anyone tried to challenge him in taijutsu, there was no opponent in his age group who could win—not even the genius Shisui.