Blooming Strength

Ryōken's gaze darkened. He pushed off hard and retreated in quick steps.

However, his retreating speed was far slower than the fireball's charge.

Since he couldn't dodge it, then he wouldn't!

Facing the incoming scorching fireball, Ryōken abruptly raised his sword and assumed a defensive stance.

A glint flashed through his distinct black-and-white eyes, and an indescribable field spread outward.

As if it were formless, the field rapidly expanded and enveloped the fireball.

At once, in Ryōken's eyes, incongruous points appeared all over the approaching fireball, exposing its weaknesses.

Seeing this, Ryōken relaxed slightly. Just as expected, ninjutsu had flaws as well.

Still, knowing the flaws required sufficient strength to exploit them.

But since flaws existed, Ryōken's current strength was enough.

Ryōken stood with sword in hand, calming his mind and focusing his spirit. A faint glow began to emerge along the blade, pure and pale white.

Though the glow was weak, merely staring at it made one's eyes sting.

This was sword aura. It could enhance a sword's sharpness and resilience; otherwise, an ordinary sword would never withstand the blazing heat of the Great Fireball Technique.

"Has he gone mad?"

"He actually wants to cut through the Great Fireball Technique head-on."

At this sight, every student was dumbfounded.

Ninjas were known for high offense and low defense. Even Kage-level ninjas found it difficult to take ninjutsu head-on.

The chief examiner was stunned as well. Although he wanted to immediately step in and stop the match, Ryōken looked utterly serious, with no intention of surrendering. He was instead incomparably calm, leaving the examiner conflicted.

"A technique similar to chakra flow?"

"This kid knows something like that too?"

"Even so, there's no way he can block the Great Fireball Technique, right?"

Seeing the light on Ryōken's sword, any ninja with a bit of knowledge was startled before beginning to discuss it.

However, this kind of power was rarely seen, so they could not determine the outcome of this clash and did not dare draw conclusions carelessly.

The scorching fireball, taller than an adult, closed in relentlessly. Ryōken's aura grew stronger and stronger, and just as the two were about to collide, he gave a soft shout.

"Laurent Eye of the Mind."

At once, invisible radiance emerged around Ryōken, enveloping his entire body as though it were tangible.

The massive fireball reached Ryōken's eyes. He could even see the flames churning within it, its heat overwhelmingly intense.

At the instant Ryōken was about to be swallowed by the fireball, he swung his sword down with the momentum. The faintly glowing blade swept past, and the fireball split apart in response. Wild flames streaked past him without causing him the slightest harm.

"Good!"

Seeing this, Ryōken showed no delight. Instead, he became calm.

This was one of the skills Ryōken had obtained from Fiora, the Grand Duelist's inheritance: Laurent Eye of the Mind. When a weakness was exposed, if he assumed a defensive stance and struck that weakness, a layer of light would appear around his body.

This barrier was extremely strong. With Ryōken's current strength, it could even block ordinary B-rank ninjutsu.

However, this move had a major flaw: the defensive stance required a certain amount of preparation time and could only defend against frontal attacks.

Surging flames and searing heat erupted and spread outward, corroding everything.

Clearly visible, the surrounding ground had been scorched black by the blazing flames, wisps of green smoke curling upward.

Flames raged, and Ryōken's figure was swallowed by the fire, vanishing from sight.

"Did he die?"

Aside from those possessing special ocular techniques, no one outside could see through the flames or know what was happening within. They could not help crying out in alarm.

But they were only surprised and not overly worried.

After all, there were simply too many powerful people present. If something had truly gone wrong, someone would have stepped in to save him long ago.

Thus, most of them settled down and quietly watched the situation unfold. Even Hiwa Hyuga, who was closest to Ryōken, merely watched with concern and did not fear for his life.

As long as he was not dead, Konoha's medical capabilities could easily save him.

Kouichi Uchiha watched the gradually dissipating flames and the charred ground. His face turned slightly pale, and a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes. If he refused to surrender and died, it wouldn't be my fault.

He looked toward the center of the flames, then suddenly stiffened, disbelief appearing in his eyes.

In the distance, Ryōken still looked exactly as before, spotless. Even his clothes had not suffered the slightest damage.

The crowd fell silent, then erupted into uproar, the noise reaching the heavens.

They had considered all kinds of outcomes, but none of them had expected Ryōken to emerge completely unscathed. It was simply unbelievable.

On the elevated platform.

Solemn expressions filled the faces of the six people standing at Konoha's pinnacle. They looked at one another, unable to hide the surprise in their eyes.

After a long while, Orochimaru spoke, his voice filled with intense curiosity.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be an ocular technique, right?"

"It doesn't require hand seals. In that regard, it is indeed similar to an ocular technique."

Jiraiya rarely became serious, but he spoke solemnly.

"Ryōken's eyes have changed too. Although his pupils are still the same color, they somehow feel different."

Relying on a woman's intuition, Tsunade added a remark, effectively confirming the conclusion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and fell into thought. A new bloodline limit had appeared, and it was an ocular bloodline limit. There were too many implications involved, and even as Hokage, he could not immediately weigh them all.

Though Ryōken did not seem problematic at the moment, his origins as an outsider from another village remained a thorn lodged in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, one that could not easily be removed.

In the ninja world, children only a few years old could be sent to the battlefield. Children dispatched as spies were not unheard of either.

At that moment, Danzo, who had remained silent, flickered his gaze and suddenly spoke. "This child is promising. He can be placed in Root for training."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head. A piercing light flashed in his eyes as he said decisively, "Impossible. Don't think I'm unaware of Root's situation. Ryōken has already displayed sufficient talent—potential enough to become Kage-level. Even if he cannot yet be fully trusted, he can be kept under observation."

His words carried the imposing might of a peak expert, allowing no rebuttal.

At this, Danzo fell silent, his expression blank.

Hiruzen Sarutobi at this time possessed both prestige and power, so Danzo could not confront him directly. He would find another opportunity later. Once Ryōken entered Root, the matter would no longer be up to him. Still, he was deeply resentful.

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had no intention of giving up on Ryōken, Hatake Sakumo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was not easy to encounter a child with such exceptional talent in swordsmanship, and he did not want to miss this chance.

As the ANBU captain, he knew that anyone who entered Root would be trained into a killing machine. If that happened, Ryōken's talent would be utterly ruined.

For a true powerhouse, unwavering conviction was the most important thing. This was especially true for those who practiced the sword.

Erasing one's mind might allow for faster growth, but it would also sever any chance of reaching the pinnacle.

Fortunately, Lord Hokage had not disappointed him.

Please bookmark...