This is the Sharingan!

He wanted to grow at a steady, unhurried pace, but the Third Hokage would not allow it, constantly pushing him forward and forcing Hikaru to stand on the front lines.

This was not what Hikaru wanted, yet it was not something he could choose to avoid.

What exactly should he do?

Watching Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru charging at him from different directions with vigilance, Hikaru wore a solemn expression, though his mind raced with lightning-fast thoughts; he did not have much time left.

Hikaru had started slower than others, and his greatest assets currently were his Chakra reserves, which far exceeded those of his peers, and his Sharingan. Chakra was fine, but the Sharingan was a problem.

Everything had been going well, but this sudden upheaval caused by the Third Hokage had thrown Hikaru off balance, leaving him feeling flustered.

The choice he faced now was either to expose everything and gain the Third Hokage's favor and intensive training, or to continue hiding his strength, which would inevitably lead to the Third Hokage's disappointment.

Hikaru knew very well what the benefits of becoming the Third Hokage's student were, but obtaining those benefits came with even greater risks.

Whether it was worth it depended on a single thought.

It weighed heavily on Hikaru's heart, and how he chose would depend on which way the scales in his mind tipped.

Come on, Hikaru, let me see just how strong you are!!!

In the past, Jiraiya had challenged Hikaru several times, but unfortunately, he was rejected every time. It wasn't just Jiraiya; even Tsunade had been turned away. The reason Hikaru gave for his refusal left them speechless: he didn't want to engage in meaningless battles.

Now that they could finally fight, Jiraiya felt his entire being surge with excitement.

He didn't know how strong Hikaru was, but he could guess a little from the effort and persistence Hikaru showed during training. Jiraiya was the type who wouldn't put in the effort unless he was struck or provoked.

If he suffered a major blow or stimulation, this guy would definitely train hard.

"Uh..."

Suddenly, the excited Jiraiya's eyes widened, his speed slowed, and he even thought he had seen wrong or his vision had blurred. Even Tsunade, who was charging from the side, froze in place.

This included the Third Hokage standing in the distance; only Orochimaru, who had his back turned, did not notice the change in Hikaru.

This is the Sharingan!!!

Hikaru had awakened the Sharingan at only six years old; was this real?

Two hands of similar size brushed past each other and slid downward. With the Sharingan active, Jiraiya's speed seemed to slow down and slow down again in Hikaru's eyes. Hikaru's hand slid down Jiraiya's arm, his palm pressing against the back of his neck.

"Thud!!!"

While Jiraiya was still in shock, he felt his neck being gripped, followed by a massive force surging from his nape. He couldn't control his body as he was slammed hard into the ground, making intimate contact with the earth.

Because he was head-first, Jiraiya felt as if his brain had been struck by a giant hammer, buzzing incessantly, leaving his mind in a daze.

"Hah!!!"

Seeing Jiraiya make intimate contact with the ground the moment they clashed, Tsunade immediately snapped to her senses. Her fist, which looked small but contained immense power, swung toward Hikaru's face.

Hikaru's speed was absurdly fast; he shifted his body slightly, blocking in front of him with his right arm and aiming his elbow at Tsunade's incoming arm.

Such strong power!!!

Tsunade's fist slammed into Hikaru's arm. Hikaru felt his arm go numb and was forced back a few steps by the sheer force, but Tsunade fared much worse. While Hikaru only felt his hand going numb, Tsunade felt as if her arm had been shattered.

While defending, Hikaru had aimed his elbow at a vulnerable spot on Tsunade's arm. When she punched, Hikaru took the hit, but she suffered the consequences—and she had delivered the blow herself.

One can imagine what it feels like to punch someone only for them to align their elbow—one of the hardest parts of the human body—against your arm, specifically the muscle.

The muscles in her arm lost all sensation in an instant; Tsunade even thought her arm had been crippled.

She hadn't expected Hikaru to have such rapid reflexes, capable of delivering a vicious counter while defending. Having never encountered such a thing before, Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief as Hikaru's right leg kicked out rapidly.

A flash of white light flickered behind Hikaru, revealing Orochimaru, who held a Kunai and thrust it toward Hikaru's back.

The sharp Kunai pierced directly into Hikaru's body, and a glimmer of excitement flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, but the next second, that excitement turned to shock.

"Poof!!"

Hikaru's body turned into a log, and the Kunai in Orochimaru's hand struck the wood directly.

"Boom!!!"

A massive force came from behind, and Orochimaru was slammed into the ground just like Jiraiya. The attack Hikaru had originally intended for Tsunade had been redirected to Orochimaru.

"Sha, Sharingan!!!"

Orochimaru looked on in disbelief, unable to believe that Hikaru had already awakened the Sharingan. Even the most basic Single-Tomoe Sharingan provided immense insight and observation; his own attack had been completely unable to escape Hikaru's eyes.

"Hiss... that hurts like hell!!!"