Destined Rivals

Fated Rivals?

Feeling Shisui's burning gaze beside him, Yu couldn't help rolling his eyes.

Why did that line sound so familiar?

Had Might Guy possessed the kid or something?

"Uchiha Shisui, Yakushi Hane."

"You've both passed today's test."

"From this day forward, you are officially Konoha Ninja."

Just then, a steady, authoritative voice came from the crowd.

"Lord Hokage?!"

"Lord Hokage is here too!!"

The people around them murmured in surprise and parted to make way.

An elderly man wearing a white Hokage robe and a conical hat appeared on the Training Ground.

It was the Third Hokage, who had been in the Hokage's office moments ago. After watching Yu defeat three Genin in five seconds with his own eyes, he had finally been unable to sit still.

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

At the Third Hokage's words, two Chunin walked over to Yu and Shisui.

They each handed them a Forehead Protector engraved with the emblem of the Konoha Ninja Village.

This marked the moment Yu and Shisui officially became Konoha Genin.

"That was an absolutely brilliant battle..."

"I'm delighted that Konoha has gained two more gifted young ninja."

Standing on the Training Ground, the Third Hokage smiled as he watched the two talented boys put on their Konoha Forehead Protectors.

"But this special graduation exam still hasn't produced a top student."

"So, Uchiha Shisui, Yakushi Hane... would you two be interested in one final match?"

One final match?

At his words, Yu and Shisui, their Konoha Forehead Protectors now fastened to their brows, exchanged glances. Both saw the eagerness in the other's eyes.

"That's right! We still don't have a first-place student!"

"Lord Hokage is right! Let's have one final match!"

"They're both geniuses! Which one is stronger?"

The Third Hokage's words immediately stirred everyone's interest, and the crowd began cheering them on.

The thrilling battle between the two prodigies, Yu and Shisui, had left everyone wanting more.

At first, everyone had favored Shisui, the Uchiha Clan's young genius.

But after seeing Yu's monstrous performance with their own eyes, a question had taken root in everyone's minds.

Which of the two talented boys was stronger?

People admired the strong.

That was true not only in the Naruto World, but in the real world as well.

"Since Lord Hokage put it that way..."

"Come on, Yu. I've wanted to fight you for a long time."

Shisui's voice rang out. He was already standing on the Training Ground, his eyes fixed intently on Yu as he beckoned him over.

"There's no arguing with you... If that's how it is..."

Feeling Shisui's surging fighting spirit and the eyes of everyone around him fixed on him, Yu shrugged helplessly, then walked onto the Training Ground with a smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't cry when you lose, Shisui."

He wanted to see how strong the future "Body Flicker Shisui," famed throughout the world, really was at this point.

"Yakushi Hane, you just finished a battle."

"Would you like some time to recover your chakra?"

Everyone was staring intently at the two prodigies facing each other on the Training Ground.

Looking at Yu, who had just fought an impressive battle to his left, the Third Hokage asked him.

"No need."

Yu shook his head to show he was fine.

Having reached Chunin-level chakra, he had several times the reserves of an ordinary Chunin.

His body, especially, had been transformed by the String-String Fruit. His stamina and chakra recovery were astonishing, and the chakra he'd spent on using Chidori had almost fully recovered already.

"Then... the battle begins!"

At Yu's answer, the Third Hokage waved his hand and declared the match underway.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!"

The instant the Third Hokage's words fell, the air filled with a shrill whistle.

Having witnessed Yu defeat three Genin in five seconds, Shisui was on high alert. In an instant, eight shuriken appeared in his hands.

With a flick of his arms, he sent all eight hurtling toward Yu from above, below, and every direction in between.

"What exquisite Shurikenjutsu!"

A few elite Chunin in the crowd exclaimed when they saw Shisui's throw.

His technique and accuracy were already on par with theirs, and his skill was even better.

As expected of Shisui, the Uchiha Clan's young genius. An ordinary Genin wouldn't stand a chance against that Shurikenjutsu.

"Come on, Yu..."

"Show me what you can really do!"

As the eight shuriken whirled through the air, Shisui stared at Yu. A sharp, dazzling glint flashed in his dark eyes.

Yu simply stretched out both hands, and eight kunai appeared at his fingertips as if by magic. He gave a seemingly casual flick in response to Shisui's shuriken.

"Clink! Clink! Clink! Clang!"

All eight of Shisui's shuriken were knocked down by Yu and clattered to the ground.

Over the past year, Yu had focused more on training his Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and String-String Fruit abilities.

But he hadn't forgotten the Shurikenjutsu he'd once trained so hard in. Handling Shisui was no problem.

"Impressive!"

"Yakushi Hane's fundamentals as a ninja are every bit as good as those of the Uchiha Clan's genius, Shisui."

Seeing Yu's precise Shurikenjutsu match Shisui's on the Training Ground, the onlookers' eyes lit up. They silently raised their estimation of him once again.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The instant the shuriken and kunai thrown by Yu and Shisui hit the ground, the two of them vanished from their spots in perfect unison and charged at each other with astonishing speed.

"Thud! Thud!!"

Their figures collided in a flash.

Yu's palm stopped Shisui's incoming knee, while Shisui blocked the punch Yu drove at him.

For a moment, they seemed evenly matched. But soon, Shisui began to buckle and tip backward.

"What? How can this be...?"

"We're the same age, but he's so much stronger than me?"

Shisui was stunned by the force crashing into him.

Only after their first head-on clash with Yu did he realize in shock that the strength Yu could unleash was nothing like that of an ordinary six-year-old.

"My body might be a little different from other people's..."

"If you want to beat me with Taijutsu, you don't stand a chance."

Looking at Shisui, who was steadily forced backward beneath his pressure, Yu gave a slight smile.

If someone his age tried to match him in Taijutsu, they wouldn't stand a chance—not even the genius Shisui.