Extreme

A deathly silence.

"Impossible!"

Everyone spoke in unison, staring at the scene in shock, unable to hide their astonishment.

Hyuga Setsuna's reaction was the strongest of all. Even he, who specialized in taijutsu, had only managed to deform it with his strikes.

And Ryōken was clearly just a teenager. No matter how gifted he was, his strength shouldn't have been enough to disperse the barrier.

He murmured absentmindedly.

"How is this possible?"

The ANBU ninja in charge of recording suddenly froze, his eyes widening at the sight. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

The nearby ANBU ninjas also gathered around, clicking their tongues in amazement. Even men as cold and stern as them had their gossiping spirits stirred, and they kept discussing it.

"It's been a long time since we've seen a reserve disperse the barrier."

"When was the last time?"

"Don't you remember? It was Lord White Fang—the only one in ANBU history to receive an extreme rating in the full-member assessment."

"I can't believe another one has appeared."

Ryōken was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the barrier to be so fragile. A casual punch had dispersed it outright. It really couldn't take a hit.

However, looking at the Sealing Jutsu Formula crumbling around him, Ryōken felt a little awkward and said somewhat aggrievedly, "I'm not paying for that."

He had no intention of spending his allowance on something like this. That barrier looked expensive.

Everyone was speechless.

More than a dozen people had undergone the strength test. Arm strength was still frequently used in ninja combat.

Battles between ninjas usually began with taijutsu.

Those with stronger arms could gain a certain advantage in close combat, whether with fists and kicks or kunai fighting.

If ninjutsu was the means of deciding victory, then taijutsu was the means of testing each other out. Of course, Might Guy of the Eight Gates was an exception. That god-defying strength was far beyond the scope of ordinary taijutsu.

The next test was for speed, measuring maximum velocity. The reserves stepped forward one after another, mustering all their strength as they sprinted ahead madly.

This requirement was slightly higher. Only speed at the jonin level counted as passing.

Many reserves had fallen at this stage.

The recorder was replaced this time. It was the captain of the Second Squad, who had apparently come specifically for Ryōken.

"Next, Hyuga Setsuna."

Official ANBU ninjas addressed one another by codenames, but reserves did not have that privilege.

Hyuga Setsuna clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes. He had to surpass Ryōken.

"Hyuga!" He adjusted his breathing before walking onto the track.

The Squad Leader watched with interest. Elites of the Hyuga Clan were especially prized by every squad. Even if their combat strength was lacking, they could still serve as sensory ninjas. The Byakugan's scouting abilities were nearly unrivaled in the ninja world.

Boom!

Hyuga Setsuna kicked off the ground with a deep thud. Swinging his arms and driving powerfully off the ground, he quickly reached his limit. His face twisted fiercely, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and ran forward with all his might.

Roar!

As he crossed the finish line, he let out a low roar.

Standing at the finish line, Hyuga Setsuna turned around uneasily. When he saw the admiring looks from the onlookers, the tension in his heart immediately eased, as if he had glimpsed heaven.

The Squad Leader clicked his tongue in praise. "Hyuga Setsuna, right? Elite jonin-level speed. Very good. If you become a full member, you can consider joining our squad."

The official ANBU nearby immediately erupted in commotion, some looking at Hyuga Setsuna with envy.

The ANBU was currently divided into roughly four squads. Only the captains of the First and Second Squads were Kage-level. Following such powerful people meant greatly increased chances of survival, so naturally they were all envious.

Still, they knew this was a bonus granted by the Byakugan Bloodline Limit. They could only sigh inwardly at the value of Bloodline Limits.

The corners of Hyuga Setsuna's mouth curled beneath his mask, revealing a trace of smugness as he looked at Ryōken provocatively.

Ryōken could not be bothered with him. He was like a little brat.

He walked straight onto the track. Without any apparent preparation, he dashed forward, leaving afterimages in his wake. He flashed past, reaching the finish line in the blink of an eye.

Only then did the afterimage lingering at the starting line slowly fade away.

An eerie silence immediately filled the air.

Hyuga Setsuna's white pupils trembled violently. Because of the Byakugan, his eyesight was sharper than that of ordinary people.

Yet that was precisely why he was even more shocked. In that instant just now, he had almost failed to distinguish that it was an afterimage.

The Squad Leader was equally astonished. "Amazing. That speed is nearly on par with mine."

As he spoke, his eyes shone as he looked at Ryōken. If Ryōken had not yet been a reserve, he would have wanted to pull him directly into his squad. If other squads found out about such a promising talent, they would fight tooth and nail over him.

Both his strength and speed had reached the extreme.

Only then did the dumbfounded crowd come back to their senses. Just as they were about to cry out in surprise, they suddenly heard the Squad Leader's words. They fell silent, then sucked in a sharp breath.

Kage-level!

In battle, Kage-level speed could accomplish many things, including dodging some slower ninjutsu and unexpectedly killing enemies.

There were currently only two Kage-level members in the entire ANBU.

Although only his speed had reached the Kage level, that was still extraordinarily rare.

"Unbelievable."

After the speed and strength tests were completed in succession, several more people had been eliminated. Only five reserves remained.

"Follow me." The Squad Leader led Ryōken and the others to the tightly shut rooms Ryōken had seen when entering.

"This is where neural reaction speed is tested."

The Squad Leader pointed at the room and smiled at Ryōken like a scheming old wolf.

The room was roughly a hundred square meters. Strange Sealing Jutsu Formula covered the walls, which were also densely packed with small holes whose purpose was unknown.

"I'll go first this time."

Just as the Squad Leader was about to call someone, Hyuga Setsuna spoke up directly, unwillingness to concede evident in his eyes.

His reaction speed was not particularly fast, but his eyesight was exceptional. He refused to believe he still could not surpass Ryōken in this round.

"Though the Byakugan is not as adept at perception as the Sharingan, it still enhances vision. Hyuga Setsuna has a huge advantage in this round."

"After all, it's one of Konoha's great clans and one of the three great dojutsu."

The surrounding ANBU ninjas discussed it among themselves, quite optimistic about Hyuga Setsuna.

The prestige of Bloodline Limits was deeply ingrained in this world. They were something every ninja longed for.

Hyuga Setsuna immediately walked to the center of the room. Veins suddenly bulged around his eyes as he watched his surroundings vigilantly.

"Remember, you cannot leave the red circle in the center of the room."

After saying that, the Squad Leader walked beside the door and flipped a switch.

Hiss.

A scraping sound of mechanisms turning came from within.

The densely packed holes around the room immediately shot out streaks of red light. Some were fast and some slow, their flight paths irregular and chaotic as they rapidly flew into the red circle.

Hyuga Setsuna pushed his Byakugan to its limit, veins standing out across his face and making him look somewhat ferocious. His body darted back and forth, left and right, rapidly weaving through the gaps between the red stone pellets.

Thud, thud.

He was hit twice in succession.

Fortunately, those stone pellets were hollow. They were not very fast and had little force, so they did not hurt when they struck him.

Second by second, time passed.

Hyuga Setsuna desperately continued dodging inside, and soon one minute had passed.

"Stop."

With a loud shout from the Squad Leader, he abruptly pressed the switch. The walls immediately stopped firing stone pellets.

Hyuga Setsuna panted heavily. He looked as though he had just been pulled from the water as he slowly walked out of the room.

After checking, the Squad Leader announced loudly, "One minute, hit six times. Excellent."

At those words, Hyuga Setsuna seemed to regain his confidence. He turned to look at Ryōken, but when he saw Ryōken's calm, unruffled eyes, he immediately wilted again. He walked to the side and waited for Ryōken's turn with an angry expression.

Hmph. Let's see if you can still keep that dead-fish face when you can't beat me.