Space-Time Ninjutsu? It's the Substitution Technique!

Bang—!

A dull impact rang out.

"Argh!"

Kaimon Hyuga cried out as his body lurched helplessly forward. He stumbled and nearly flew off the platform, barely managing to steady himself at its edge as searing pain flared across his back.

The Hyuga Clan possessed an absolute defense technique known as Rotation, as well as a method of coating the entire body in chakra as a shield. But the former was a secret technique only the main family could master, while the latter required exceptional chakra control—far beyond what a Ninja Academy student could handle.

If Kaimon Hyuga had not seen Mikami Yu with his Byakugan and instinctively tensed his muscles, that kick might have knocked the wind out of him completely.

"Yu, that was amazing!"

Nohara Rin covered her mouth, her face full of surprise.

"Nice one!"

Obito pumped his fist hard.

Strictly speaking, Obito and Mikami Yu were only on ordinary terms. He even often felt an inexplicable sense of crisis whenever Mikami Yu got too close to Nohara Rin.

But he disliked the Hyuga Clan even more, since they and the Uchiha never saw eye to eye. The enemy of his enemy was his friend, and seeing Kaimon make a fool of himself now filled him with glee.

The other students were in an uproar as well, stunned by the lightning-fast reversal.

At the side of the platform.

Teacher Oki and Teacher Himura, who had been overseeing the Three Techniques test while keeping an eye on the platform, turned around at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.

"Th-this is... Space–Time Ninjutsu?!"

Teacher Oki's voice trembled as he stared fixedly at Mikami Yu on the platform, unconsciously recalling the figure of a certain blond-haired man.

As an old teacher who had retired from a Chunin squad and entered the Ninja Academy to teach, Oki had personally witnessed Namikaze Minato's brilliance. Once someone had seen that astonishing Flying Thunder God, they could never forget it.

But Oki also knew that a genius like Namikaze Minato, who had become an Elite Jonin in his teens, was exceedingly rare. Even Kakashi, who had graduated at the tender age of five a couple of years ago, seemed utterly ordinary in comparison.

And now...

Could another genius like that have appeared?!

"No, that's not it!"

Teacher Himura had watched more carefully. He shook his head and spoke rapidly. "A Ninja Academy student couldn't possibly master a ninjutsu of that level... It must be the Substitution Technique! Just an incredibly fast Substitution Technique!

"He used those shuriken as substitutes, then activated the technique at the instant he was struck by the Gentle Fist, creating an effect similar to Space–Time Ninjutsu!"

The logic made sense.

But...

How could it have been so fast?!

On the platform.

The battle continued.

Kaimon Hyuga was, after all, a member of a Ninja Clan who had trained since childhood. Although he had taken a heavy hit, he did not lose his composure.

Just as he was about to fall off the platform, he slammed both palms downward, stopping his forward momentum. Then, relying on his powerful core strength, he performed a somewhat awkward backflip and landed back on the platform. He dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as he raised his head.

"Damn you, Mikami Yu, you actually ambushed me..."

Across the platform.

Mikami Yu split into four figures. He had clearly used the Clone Technique again, and this time he had created an especially large number. Four identical white-haired boys instantly occupied most of the platform, surrounding the unsteady, breathless Kaimon Hyuga.

Originally, Kaimon Hyuga had planned to use his Byakugan to identify Mikami Yu's real body directly.

But...

"Huh?"

Kaimon Hyuga froze.

In his vision, the chakra flow within all four "Mikami Yus" was faint—and exactly the same. It was as though... every one of them was a clone?!

How was that possible?

Then where was the real body? Had he hidden beneath the platform?

The Byakugan, said to see through all falsehoods, had failed.

Kaimon Hyuga stood rigidly in place, unable to decide what to do. He merely scanned his surroundings warily, every nerve in his body taut as cold sweat slid down his cheeks.

"Hey, Hyuga, what are you standing there for? Did that kick knock you stupid? Hahaha! If you're going to surrender, say it already! Stop wasting everyone's time!"

Obito was the first to shout at the top of his lungs, eager to stir up trouble.

The other students, not understanding what was happening, whispered among themselves. They could not understand why Kaimon Hyuga had suddenly stopped moving.

"Shut up, dead last!"

Provoked by Obito, Kaimon Hyuga was both ashamed and furious.

He roared, "To hell with it! If I can't tell them apart, I'll disperse them all! I'll force your real body out!"

If all the clones disappeared and Mikami Yu's real body still did not appear, then Kaimon would have won this match!

"Hah!"

Kaimon Hyuga let out a low roar and moved again. Like a tiger pouncing into a flock of sheep, he charged at the nearest "Mikami Yu"! The palm wind of his Gentle Fist was incomparably fierce.

Bang!

The first clone was dispersed with a single palm strike.

Then came the second, the third...

As one clone after another burst into white smoke, the anxiety in Kaimon Hyuga's heart only intensified. He still could not tell where that damned real body was! His chakra rapidly drained away in those blind attacks.

When only the last clone remained on the platform, Kaimon Hyuga pushed off the ground and charged forward again. Yet his gaze had already shifted to both sides, trying to see where Mikami Yu intended to appear.

Just then...

A sudden change occurred!

One of the shuriken on the ground abruptly exploded into smoke without warning. A hand coated in a thin layer of chakra shot out like lightning, its fingers pressed together as it sliced toward Kaimon Hyuga's ribs!

"Wha—?!"

Kaimon Hyuga had never expected this. Before he could change his move, a savage blow struck his side, instantly draining the strength from his body. Then someone seized his wrist, borrowed the momentum of his forward rush, and violently threw him over their shoulder!

Thud!

Dust flew up.

Kaimon Hyuga crashed beneath the platform in an utterly miserable pose, head down and feet up, letting out a pained cry.

Mikami Yu appeared where Kaimon had been standing moments ago. He let out a soft breath, his expression calm to the point of indifference. "The winner has been decided. You lost."

"Now, can you apologize to the Three Techniques?"

As Mikami Yu's voice fell.

The entire training ground went silent.

Sunlight fell on the tips of the white-haired boy's hair, and on the dejected Hyuga prodigy at his feet. Kaimon struggled to raise his head and opened his mouth unwillingly, wanting to say something, but no words came out at first.

The winner had been decided.

An elite child of the Hyuga Clan, with his Byakugan activated, had lost to a civilian ninja who only knew the Three Techniques... If it had happened to someone else, Kaimon Hyuga might have treated it as a joke. But now, he himself was the one involved.

For a moment.

Kaimon Hyuga felt the pride and superiority he had possessed as a child of a great clan being ground to dust. The countless gazes around him felt like needles stabbing into his back.