The Youngest Chunin

"Hmph! Your Gentle Fist? Don't make me laugh! You branch-family brat! You've exposed your real body, so you've already lost!" Hyuga Hiroshi rushed forward and struck at Nichigetsu's chest with his palm. Nichigetsu's Byakugan had already seen the changes in Hiroshi's muscles.

"Oh? You're going to attack my chest?" Nichigetsu said calmly, as if he had seen Hiroshi's move coming. Hiroshi was startled.

His right palm was less than a few centimeters from Nichigetsu's chest. Nichigetsu casually raised a hand and easily deflected it, then turned his palm into two fingers and jabbed at Hiroshi's arm. Hiroshi reacted quickly and tried to dodge.

"Hmph! You're going to dodge to the right?" But Nichigetsu's fingers followed like a shadow, changing direction at once. It was as if he had been waiting for Hiroshi's hand to send itself right onto his fingertips. Smack! His finger still struck Hiroshi's arm.

"Waiguan Point!" Hiroshi's arm immediately throbbed with pain. Nichigetsu had used a chakra needle to completely destroy the point.

At the same time, Nichigetsu's other hand had already jabbed toward another point on Hiroshi's right arm. Hiroshi hurriedly tried to block it with his left hand.

"Tianjing Point!" Nichigetsu seemed to know how Hiroshi would block. Smack! His finger shot down at once, striking first.

"Ah!" Hiroshi let out a cry of pain. Nichigetsu had disabled another point.

"Daling Point!" Nichigetsu didn't pause for an instant. He jabbed again with the back of his hand. In the blink of an eye, three points had been disabled, and Hiroshi could no longer move his right hand.

"Damn brat!" Hiroshi gritted his teeth and struck back at Nichigetsu with his left hand, hoping to force him to stop attacking.

"Oh? You want to hit my right shoulder this time?" Nichigetsu's words sent a chill through Hiroshi. Nichigetsu shifted slightly, and Hiroshi's left hand struck empty air.

"Xiaohai Point!" Nichigetsu jabbed the back of his hand into Hiroshi's elbow. The pain turned to numbness, and the arm felt as if it no longer belonged to him.

"Quchi! Quze!" Nichigetsu showed no mercy. His hands moved faster and faster, striking from both sides. Hiroshi's entire forearm had gone completely numb and could no longer move. Terrified, he abruptly backed away, trying to pull his arm free.

"You still think you can pull away now?" A cold voice echoed beside Hiroshi's ear.

Impossible! Impossible! He can't predict my movements! Hiroshi roared inside. But Nichigetsu's actions shattered that thought. Nichigetsu's left hand had already clamped tightly around his right hand. Hiroshi couldn't retreat.

"Sanli! Kongzui! Shaohai!" Nichigetsu's right hand darted out three times, then withdrew three times. Hiroshi's right hand was covered in densely packed finger marks. He struggled desperately to pull his arm back, but Nichigetsu wouldn't let go. There was no way he could break free.

"Xiabai! Chize! Lieque!" Nichigetsu showed no mercy and kept attacking. After those points were struck, Hiroshi's right arm had swollen and turned purplish red. Nichigetsu had disabled all the important points.

"Ah! Let go of me, you little brat!" Hiroshi roared and struggled like a madman, his face twisted with fury. He was nothing like the smug, arrogant man he had been moments ago.

Hiroshi slapped at Nichigetsu's face with his left hand. Nichigetsu dodged easily. Nichigetsu with his Byakugan activated was completely different from the version of himself who fought using only experience and reflexes!

"Trying to run? Go on, get lost!" Nichigetsu suddenly let go. Hiroshi hadn't expected him to release his grip. He stumbled and nearly fell, then clutched his right hand and staggered backward, quickly putting distance between them.

"Ha, ha! Damn you! You actually destroyed the points and meridians in my right hand! Fine! Very good!" Hiroshi sneered. He had finally broken free, and now he glared viciously at Nichigetsu, murderous intent plain in his eyes. He would take his revenge with everything he had! He would kill Nichigetsu! Hiroshi ignored his right arm, which had turned blue-purple and swollen like a radish. He gathered all his strength in his left hand, preparing to use Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm on Nichigetsu.

Nichigetsu looked at the battered Hiroshi, his eyes brimming with pride. He raised his left hand level with him, pointing at Hiroshi with two fingers.

"Die, you little brat! Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hiroshi thrust out his palm, sending a shock wave hurtling toward Nichigetsu at tremendous speed. He had put all his strength into that strike! The gust of wind had already reached Nichigetsu's face. Hiroshi smiled cruelly. "Die! Die!"

Nichigetsu didn't move. He simply said a few words in a calm voice:

"Gentle Fist Art: Thirty-Six Death Point Strike!"

The next moment, Nichigetsu vanished. The shock wave struck nothing but air. In an instant, he appeared right in front of Hiroshi. Body Flicker Technique!

Nichigetsu's left hand, which he had raised a moment earlier, jabbed straight into the center of Hiroshi's chest.

"Danzhong!" Hiroshi's body stiffened at once, and his mind grew hazy.

Without pausing, Nichigetsu raised his right hand and jabbed sharply.

"Jiuwei!"

Both of Nichigetsu's hands struck out in turn.

"Juque! Shenque!"

Nichigetsu's figure flashed, his fingers dancing faster and faster.

"Qihai! Guanyuan! Zhongji! Qugu!"

Nichigetsu's hands blurred as they struck down from top to bottom.

"Yingchuang! Ruzhong! Rugen! Qimen! Zhangmen! Shangqu!"

Nichigetsu's feet moved rapidly, his footwork graceful and ghostly as he darted around, striking at Hiroshi's limbs.

"Jianjing! Taiyuan! Zusanli! Sanyinjiao! Yongquan!"

Then Nichigetsu took a step and spun in a wide circle, sliding behind Hiroshi and striking as he moved.

"Feishu! Jueyin! Xinshu! Shenshu! Mingmen! Zhishi! Qihaishu! Weilü!"

At last, Nichigetsu leaped high into the air, flipped over, and appeared above Hiroshi. He hung upside down, headfirst, and in the same instant unleashed another flurry of strikes.

"Baihui! Shenting! Taiyang! Ermen! Jingming! Renzhong! Yamen! Fengchi! Renying!!!" His two fingers struck all nine points in an instant, too quickly for the eye to follow—a relentless barrage like a raging tide!

Nichigetsu flipped over once more in midair, turned his back to Hiroshi, and landed. He drew back his hands!

In fact, Nichigetsu had completed all thirty-six strikes in less than three seconds. He had attacked Hiroshi from the front for one second, then circled him with graceful steps, leaving a flurry of afterimages as his fingers struck like lightning for another second. Then he had leaped up, flipped through the air, struck in an instant, and landed—all in the final second.

Hiroshi stood motionless, his gaze vacant, like a puppet.

The entire arena fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at the scene.

The Uchiha Clan members had all activated their Sharingan, trying to see Nichigetsu's movements. They had never seen a technique like this before.

The Hyuga Clan members gaped in astonishment. Could Gentle Fist really be used like that? Why did its strikes at the points produce effects they had never seen before? The points Nichigetsu had struck were also peculiar; many of them were unfamiliar. Even more astonishing, the speed of his strikes was in no way inferior to Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. But Sixty-Four Palms attacked in a single direction, while Nichigetsu's technique circled around his opponent and required graceful, uncanny footwork. How fast did his feet have to move to keep up with his hands? Most importantly, Nichigetsu had created the technique himself!

The Hyuga Clan Head thought, Could this branch-family child be the one who has truly inherited the Hyuga Clan's bloodline perfectly?! He's only five! At five, he created a new Gentle Fist technique!

The Third Hokage laughed and nodded. "Hahaha, that boy's something else! And I was worried for nothing. Danzo, it seems that sometimes being too 'practical' isn't a good thing."

Danzo said nothing. His face appeared expressionless, but the muscles at the corners of his mouth twitched.

The two advisors stared at Nichigetsu as well. Mitokado Homura kept his eyes on him and asked, "Koharu, what was that move called again? Koharu?"

"Huh? What did you ask me?" Utatane Koharu finally came back to her senses.

The others wore equally remarkable expressions.

"Is that really a five-year-old child?"

"That move was so fast. What just happened?"

"The Hyuga Clan has produced an incredible genius!"

Hiroshi had actually been stronger than Nichigetsu. He had lost because of the difference in their tactical knowledge. Nichigetsu had used a Shadow Clone to learn about Hiroshi's abilities. He knew far too much about the Hyuga Clan's techniques, while Hiroshi knew nothing about Nichigetsu's trump cards.

Nichigetsu had created Gentle Fist Art: Thirty-Six Death Point Strike by combining agile, uncanny, high-speed footwork with rapid strikes to thirty-six deadly points all around his opponent. It was the fruit of his painstaking practice in striking points and moving with the footwork of Eight Trigrams Palms. At first, he had tried repeatedly striking the thirty-six deadly points while moving back and forth. Then his fingers had grown faster and stronger, and his movements more ghostly, making his attacks ever more fierce. He had kept training until he could break the points on wooden dummies and flatten the ground beneath his feet. In the end, he created a technique that could strike all thirty-six points in a single breath, pushing the speed of his strikes and the agility of his movement to the limit.

Nichigetsu had deliberately disabled Hiroshi's right hand at the start to force him to attack with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm using only one hand. Hiroshi knew that Nichigetsu couldn't attack him from a distance, but he hadn't expected Nichigetsu to use Body Flicker Technique to launch his attack. He also hadn't known that Nichigetsu would strike the Danzhong Point in his chest. With one arm disabled and the other busy using Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, Hiroshi had left his chest wide open. He had already lost the moment he used the technique. Most people had never even heard of the thirty-six deadly points Nichigetsu had struck, making them hard to defend against. That was how Nichigetsu had won so decisively. If both of them had had the same information, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Nichigetsu deactivated his Byakugan and turned to glance at Hiroshi, who was still standing there like a piece of wood. Suddenly, Hiroshi spat out a mouthful of blood. Blood seeped from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, his whole body convulsing as he lost control of his bowels and bladder. The medical staff hurried over. They had been told to prepare for an emergency, but they hadn't expected to treat the child.

"Hyuga Hiroshi!" the Hyuga Clan elder cried out. He pointed at Nichigetsu and said gravely, "Nichigetsu, you actually tried to kill a fellow clansman! You should be disqualified immediately! No, you don't deserve to be a ninja!"

Nichigetsu raised his head and gave him a cold look. The elder's heart tightened, and he couldn't help shivering.

"I already spared his life! When I attacked, I used only the force of my fingers. I didn't use chakra needles, or he'd already be dead. Still, he's bound to end up mentally impaired and paralyzed from head to toe." Nichigetsu spoke slowly, his words carrying a rebellious pride.

"Nichigetsu, you were far too cruel! He's a member of the Hyuga Clan!" the elder continued, refusing to let the matter go.

Nichigetsu sneered. "Hmph! So what if he's a member of the Hyuga Clan? Did he hold back when he used Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms against a fellow clansman like me? If that had been my real body instead of a Shadow Clone, I'd be the one paralyzed from head to toe! Besides, this is the Chunin Exam! Of course I gave it everything I had. If I hurt him, he can only blame himself for not being good enough!"

Nichigetsu threw Hiroshi's own words back at the elder, a blatant slap in the face. The elder's face burned. He was so angry his beard bristled, but he couldn't come up with a response.

"Referee, did I break any rules? Are you saying that if my opponent is too weak to withstand my attacks and gets hurt, I'm responsible for that?" Nichigetsu turned to look at the Jonin referee.

The referee shook his head. "You didn't break any rules. That's how a ninja should act. Hyuga Nichigetsu is the winner!" Everyone had seen Hiroshi go all out against Nichigetsu. The referee despised people like him. Now that he had tried to cheat and ended up suffering for it, justice was on Nichigetsu's side.

Nichigetsu nodded and bowed to the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage, does this mean I've passed the Chunin Exam?"

The Third Hokage nodded and announced loudly, "I hereby declare that Nichigetsu has passed the exam and become a Chunin!"

People in the stands slowly began to applaud. The applause grew until, with the exception of Danzo, the Uchiha Clan, and a few others, everyone was cheering Nichigetsu's victory. They were celebrating a spectacular battle, the chance to witness the forceful skill of Nichigetsu's Gentle Fist, and the sight of a five-year-old child becoming a Chunin. The youngest Chunin in history—Hyuga Nichigetsu!

The Hyuga Clan Head turned to the Third Hokage and said, "Lord Hokage, the Hyuga Clan hopes Nichigetsu can stay with us for special training. You know his potential. As clan head, I promise that we'll teach him all the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques."

Hiashi added, "Lord Hokage, Nichigetsu is a member of our Hyuga Clan. We understand the Byakugan and Gentle Fist's combat techniques best. Growing up with his own clan would be best for him."

The Third Hokage shook his head. "I think what Nichigetsu needs most right now is field experience. You can teach him the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques later, can't you?"

The Hyuga Clan Head said, "But, Lord Hokage..."

The Third Hokage waved a hand. "Nichigetsu is Tsunade's student now, and you know what that girl is like. Besides, Nichigetsu is still a Hyuga. What's there for your clan to worry about?"

The Hyuga Clan Head thought for a while, then nodded. "I agree to let Nichigetsu go out and gain experience, but he'll still need to return to the clan to study."

The Third Hokage smiled. "Nichigetsu is a member of the Hyuga Clan to begin with. He's going back to his own home. How could I possibly stop him?"

The Uchiha elder hurried away with his people. As they walked, he loudly cursed the Uchiha Clan, spittle flying onto the faces of the attendants beside him. "A bunch of good-for-nothings! Why does the Uchiha Clan produce nothing but good-for-nothings? How come the Hyuga Clan can produce a Hyuga Nichigetsu? From now on, double the amount of training for every young person in the clan! Do it immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" The attendant didn't dare provoke him and could only nod meekly.

As a result, for a long time afterward, the children of the Uchiha Clan constantly heard things like, "Look at Hyuga Nichigetsu's shuriken skills, then look at yours." "Why don't you learn from Nichigetsu of the Hyuga Clan?" "If you were even half as good as Hyuga Nichigetsu, our clan would have produced an Uchiha Clan prodigy." "You need to learn from Nichigetsu, understand?" "By the time you graduate, Hyuga Nichigetsu will already be a Jonin! Good-for-nothing!" Remarks like these were everywhere.

In short, the Uchiha Clan's children spent their childhoods hearing about "someone else's kid" and "the Hyuga Clan's kid." They envied and resented Nichigetsu by the time they learned his name. When Nichigetsu found out about it later, he could only feel helpless. He said he'd been caught in the crossfire for no reason.

Danzo left the examination grounds without a word, his face expressionless. As he walked, he suddenly swung his hand down, smashing his elegant cane in two. Then he casually tossed it aside.

Danzo's face was so dark it looked ready to drip, and he raged inwardly. Sarutobi, you bastard! Very good! You actually kept this from me for so long! What a sly old fox—you moved fast! You pulled that boy into your own inner circle so early.

I wondered why Tsunade had been so hasty about taking a student. How had a five-year-old child already graduated from the Ninja Academy? For a moment, I even thought it was because his mother was from the Senju Clan and he'd benefited from those connections!

Hyuga Nichigetsu. Steady, calm, clever, and cunning. His methods are ruthless, seasoned, and vicious. Hmph, and he has astonishing talent and potential. This child is exactly the sort of talent Root needs! Hmph! That selfish old monkey! There's still plenty of time. Don't get too pleased with yourself, old monkey. The boy is only five. Sooner or later, I'll bring him into Root and train him properly!

Danzo was an extremely stubborn man. Once he set his sights on someone, he would never give up easily. He would do anything to get what he wanted, especially when he was competing for that person with his lifelong rival, Sarutobi Hiruzen. In that case, he was even less willing to back down.