Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan and Taking Over Team 7

The highest position in the village was Jonin. As for becoming Hokage, he had no interest at all.

"People come in all ranks, and so do ninja. If I'm a first-rate ninja, then you're..." Aogetsu Hyuga's lips curled into a mocking smile. "A third-rate ninja."

He enjoyed taunting people, especially when they couldn't do anything about it.

It was fun.

"First-rate ninja..." Everyone on Team 7 froze. They hadn't expected all that buildup from their teacher to end with him insulting the enemy.

Their teacher seemed awfully confident. Was he exceptionally strong even among Jonin?

"Third-rate... You arrogant bastard. If I had the Kubikiribōchō, I could kill every last one of you in a single breath!" Zabuza Momochi glared coldly at Aogetsu Hyuga.

This was the first time anyone had called him a third-rate ninja.

He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the Demon of the Mist who had once taken down hundreds of ninja single-handedly!

Furious as Zabuza was, he didn't attack recklessly. Instead, he searched for an opening.

But to his surprise...

Aogetsu Hyuga didn't move either!

"Don't get so worked up. We're just trading insults." Aogetsu Hyuga raised three fingers, his manner brazen. "No need to look for an opening. You're a rare opponent for me, so of course I'll give you a chance."

"Three minutes."

"You plan to finish me off in three minutes? You're even more arrogant than the rumors say!" Zabuza sneered and glanced at the lake in the distance.

I need to move the fight onto the lake. My Water Release options are limited without water.

He specialized in Water Release. His techniques would be much stronger where water was available!

"I'm giving you three minutes," Aogetsu Hyuga said. "Attack however you like. Hit me with your strongest technique. My students haven't seen much of the world, so I ought to broaden their horizons."

He intended to use the opportunity to test his elementalization.

"Are you serious?" Zabuza's expression darkened further. He had never imagined Aogetsu Hyuga could be this arrogant.

In all his life, he had never met a ninja so absurdly conceited that he would give an enemy three minutes to attack at will.

He must be up to something.

Sakura Haruno shot her teacher a glare. "Please stop fooling around!"

He really had the nerve to give their enemy three minutes!

A plan? Sasuke Uchiha frowned. He figured their teacher must be plotting something if he was acting arrogant enough to give the enemy an opening.

"It's fine, it's fine. Attack however you like. After all..." Aogetsu Hyuga waved a hand casually, his lips curving in mockery. "You're rather weak."

What was the point of having power if he couldn't show it off? A fight without that was meaningless.

The Great Waterfall and Majestic Destroyer Flame

"W-weak?" Zabuza's face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead. An immense surge of Chakra erupted from him, sending a fierce gust through the area that swept away branches and dust.

Arrogant and cold by nature, Zabuza could even swallow his pride for the sake of a plan. Yet Aogetsu's contemptuous attitude had made even him furious.

He had been wary of Aogetsu's three-minute offer, suspecting it was some kind of trap.

But now he understood.

There was no trap or plan. Aogetsu had offered him three minutes out of sheer arrogance!

He saw Aogetsu for what he was: someone who...

Looked down on everyone, did whatever he pleased, and had absolute confidence in himself!

"Don't regret this, brat. I'll tear that smug grin off your face, and your billion-bounty head will be mine!" Zabuza rapidly formed Hand Seals, then slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

Rumble! The ground shook violently as a towering surge of water burst upward. It roared across the earth like a tidal wave, flattening swathes of forest in its path as it bore down on Aogetsu Hyuga.

Even among ordinary ninjutsu, this A-rank Water Release technique was rare. It ranked among the strongest Water Release techniques!

No one without Jonin-level Chakra could use the Great Waterfall!

Infused with Chakra, the surging mass of water was tremendously heavy—at least several dozen tons. It could easily crush many ninja to death!

"A-and this guy's weak?" Naruto Uzumaki stared wide-eyed at the vast, rolling wave in disbelief.

What a terrifying technique!

"How is that possible?" Sasuke Uchiha fixed his two-Tomoe Sharingan on the approaching wave, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

The Great Waterfall alone showed how frighteningly strong Zabuza was!

He had produced an A-rank Water Release technique somewhere with no water. His strength spoke for itself.

And their teacher had called someone like that weak?

You've got to be kidding me!

Forget the Genin of Team 7—even Chunin and some Jonin might be crushed to pieces if that waterfall swallowed them!

"W-what do we do?" Sakura Haruno's legs gave out, and she dropped to the ground. She couldn't block the Great Waterfall or move fast enough to escape it.

So this is the strength of an A-Rank Rogue Ninja?

What a terrifying enemy!

"The Great Waterfall? It's certainly a strong technique by ordinary ninja standards." Aogetsu Hyuga watched the massive wave approach, then slapped both hands against the ground.

"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core."

The ground shuddered violently, cracks spreading across it. A slab of earth as hard as steel rose beneath Team 7 and Tazuna, lifting them into the sky.

Suddenly thrust upward, Naruto Uzumaki squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, "Waaaah!"

"He used Earth Release without Hand Seals. What a terrifying man." Sasuke Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the earth beneath his feet, then looked toward Aogetsu Hyuga.

He had seen it clearly: to activate Earth Release, Aogetsu Hyuga had simply slapped his hands against the ground.

It was ridiculous.

Utterly ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

"Phew... We're saved." Drained of strength, Sakura Haruno sat on the slab with her legs splayed to either side and cast a grateful look toward Aogetsu.

Without their teacher's help, the wave would have swallowed them!

Sakura Haruno crawled to the edge and peered down at the churning water. Her face went pale, and she swallowed as fear flashed through her eyes.

It's still terrifying!

Wait... If he saved us, what's he going to do?

"Watch out!" Sakura Haruno whipped her head toward Aogetsu Hyuga. The surging wave had already reached him, leaving only the length of a ruler between them.

At that distance, there was no time to defend or dodge!

"Teacher!" Everyone on Team 7 felt their hearts lurch as they watched the wave swallow Aogetsu.

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame." Aogetsu Hyuga took the Lollipop from his mouth and breathed out a jet of searing flame. As it shot forward, it spread into a sea of fire.

Rumble! The wave of intense heat instantly evaporated the entire waterfall, and scalding steam blanketed the area like fog.

The fiery wave didn't die out. It surged toward Zabuza in the distance.

"He used Earth Release and Fire Release without Hand Seals... What a terrifying man." Zabuza's face tightened as he watched the fire race toward him. He had no time to think further.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Three enormous water dragons rose behind Zabuza, spiraling upward before lunging at the blazing sea.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Zabuza changed his Hand Seals. The ground around him shook, and a wall of pressurized water burst upward like a shield.

Boom!

Fire and water collided violently, producing vast clouds of scalding steam. The fearsome flames gradually died, but lingering fire ignited the trees. Soon the entire forest was ablaze.

"Hah... Hah..." Zabuza knelt on one knee, clutching his scorched left arm as he stared at Aogetsu Hyuga.

This guy is absurd!

Even with the elemental advantage, I needed three Water Release techniques just to barely cancel out his Fire Release!

He had never seen Fire Release this outrageous.

The gap between us is too big!

No wonder Aogetsu Hyuga was so arrogant. With that kind of strength, Zabuza would be even worse!

Atop the towering slab of earth, Naruto Uzumaki stared blankly at Zabuza's scorched arm and muttered in disbelief, "Wh-what? Does fire beat water?"

"Idiot. Of course not." Sasuke Uchiha shoved his hands into his pockets. "Water Release counters Fire Release. Even an idiot knows that."

He had known their teacher's Fire Release was strong, but he hadn't expected anything this absurd!

Even at an elemental disadvantage, a Fire Release technique his teacher had used casually had held the overwhelming advantage.

Maybe he was telling the truth when he said he was stronger than Uchiha Itachi!

"What are you acting so smug for, Sasuke? I know that!" A vein bulged on Naruto Uzumaki's forehead as he pointed toward Zabuza. "I'm asking why he got burned when his element had the advantage!"

"You idiot. I knew you weren't listening to our teacher." Sakura Haruno sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "He told us that the amount of Chakra put into a technique affects its power."

"When the gap in Chakra is big enough, elemental advantages don't matter," Sakura Haruno said.

She had listened carefully to what Aogetsu said—apart from his indecent remarks, of course.

Naruto Uzumaki folded his arms and nodded as if he understood. "Oh, right. It's all about charkra."

"Chakra!" Sakura Haruno glared at him.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Aogetsu Hyuga held the Lollipop in his mouth and put on an apologetic expression. "Sorry, sorry. I hate getting wet. I couldn't help using Fire Release."

He meant it. He really hated getting drenched.

Aogetsu Hyuga tipped his chin up and looked coolly at Zabuza. "But I didn't expect you to be this weak," he said, sounding genuinely surprised.

That was true as well.

He had used Fire Release casually, only intending to evaporate the waterfall so it wouldn't soak his clothes.

But to his surprise...

Zabuza had needed three Water Release techniques just to barely stop that casual attack.

Was it because of the Beginner's Gift Pack reward?

Now that his Chakra reserves had doubled, the power of all his techniques had doubled too.

Elementalization with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!

Zabuza clutched his charred left arm. Ignoring the searing pain throughout his body, he stared coldly at Aogetsu Hyuga and sneered. "A head with a billion-bounty price on it really isn't easy to take."

Their brief clash had already shown him how strong Aogetsu was—far stronger than the rumors claimed!

He could use Fire Release and Earth Release without Hand Seals. Even a casual Fire Release technique from him had S-Rank power!

After years of hunting targets, Zabuza had never encountered such an absurd monster!

If they kept fighting, he would almost certainly die!

But so what?

He was a tool called a ninja, with an ambition he would pursue even at the cost of his life!

"I'm curious who put a bounty on me." Aogetsu Hyuga toyed with his silver-white hair. "It sounds conceited, but I doubt anyone in the Five Great Nations would dare put a price on my head."

"Even if I offered those fools my neck, they wouldn't dare touch me."

Though he had made many enemies throughout the Shinobi World and countless people wanted him dead, almost no one dared place a bounty on him.

He was too strong!

When the First Hokage was alive, would anyone have dared pay for his assassination?

Kirigakure had once placed a bounty on Aogetsu. He had gone straight there and wreaked havoc until the village withdrew it.

He hadn't had a bounty placed on him since.