He wanted to grow at his own pace, but the Third Hokage would not allow it. He kept pushing him forward, placing Hikaru at the very front.
This was not what Hikaru wanted, yet it was not something he could choose.
What exactly should he do?
Keeping wary watch over Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru as they charged at him from different directions, Hikaru wore a grave expression while his thoughts shifted rapidly. He did not have much time.
Hikaru had started later than the others. His greatest advantages at the moment were his Chakra, far surpassing that of his peers, and the Sharingan. Chakra was manageable, but the Sharingan was a problem.
Everything had been fine at first, but the Third Hokage's interference had thrown Hikaru off balance and left him somewhat flustered.
His choice now was to reveal everything and earn the Third Hokage's attention and focused training, or continue hiding it. But if he did that, he would inevitably disappoint the Third Hokage.
Hikaru knew very well what benefits came with becoming the Third Hokage's student, but gaining those benefits would also bring greater risks.
Whether it was worth it came down to a single thought.
It weighed heavily on Hikaru's heart. His decision depended on which way the scales in his heart tipped.
Come on, Hikaru, let me see just how strong you are!!!
Jiraiya had challenged Hikaru several times before, but Hikaru had rejected him every time. Not just Jiraiya—even Tsunade had been turned down. Hikaru's reason had left them speechless: he did not want meaningless fights.
Now that they could finally fight, Jiraiya felt his entire body surge with excitement.
He did not know how strong Hikaru was, but from the effort and persistence Hikaru showed during training, he could guess a little. Jiraiya was the type who would not want to work hard unless he suffered a setback or received some stimulation.
If he suffered a major blow or provocation, this guy would definitely train hard.
"Uh..."
Jiraiya, who had been brimming with excitement, suddenly widened his eyes. His speed slowed, and he even thought he had seen wrong—that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Tsunade, charging in from the side, froze as well.
The Third Hokage, standing in the distance, was the same. Only Orochimaru, whose back was turned, failed to notice the change in Hikaru.
This was the Sharingan!!!
Hikaru had awakened the Sharingan at only six years old. Was this real?
Their two similarly sized hands brushed past each other. As the Sharingan opened, Jiraiya's speed grew slower and slower in Hikaru's eyes. Hikaru's hand slid down Jiraiya's arm, and from behind, his palm clamped onto Jiraiya's neck.
"Bang!!!"
Jiraiya was still in shock when he felt his neck being seized. Then a tremendous force came from his neck, and he lost control of his body as he was violently smashed into the ground, making intimate contact with the earth.
Since he had gone down headfirst, Jiraiya felt as if his head had been struck by a sledgehammer. It buzzed nonstop, leaving his mind dazed.
"Hah!!!"
Jiraiya had been slammed into the ground the instant they clashed, snapping Tsunade back to her senses. Her seemingly small fist, packed with enormous force, flew straight at Hikaru's face.
Hikaru moved with unbelievable speed. He shifted his body slightly and raised his right arm in front of him, aiming his elbow at Tsunade's arm.
What incredible strength!!!
Tsunade's fist struck Hikaru's arm, making it go numb. He was forced back several steps by the immense force. But Tsunade had it worse. Hikaru merely felt his arm going numb, while Tsunade felt as if her arm were about to break.
While defending himself, Hikaru had also aimed his elbow at a weaker spot on Tsunade's arm. When Tsunade threw her punch, Hikaru did not feel good, but she suffered the consequences directly—and she had practically delivered herself to him.
Just imagine punching someone when they aim their elbow, one of the hardest parts of the human body, at your arm—right at the muscle. What would it feel like when they collided?
The muscles in Tsunade's arm seemed to lose all sensation in an instant. She even thought her arm had been crippled.
She had never expected Hikaru to react so quickly, or to strike her so viciously even while defending. Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief as Hikaru's right leg whipped toward her.
A flash of white light streaked toward Hikaru from behind. Orochimaru was holding a kunai, stabbing at Hikaru's back.
The sharp kunai pierced straight into Hikaru's body. Excitement flashed through Orochimaru's eyes, but in the next second, it turned into shock.
"Bang!!"
Hikaru's body turned into a log, and Orochimaru's kunai had stabbed directly into the wood.
"Boom!!!"
A tremendous force struck from behind. Like Jiraiya, Orochimaru crashed into the ground. The attack Hikaru had originally intended for Tsunade was given to Orochimaru instead.
"The, the Sharingan!!!"
Orochimaru looked utterly incredulous. He could not believe that Hikaru had already awakened the Sharingan. Even the most ordinary Single-Tomoe Sharingan possessed powerful perception and observation. Orochimaru's attack could not escape Hikaru's eyes at all.
"Gah~~~ That hurts like hell!!!"
Before you continue