As Uchiha Shinji erged with the montum of defeating Yakumo, his lone figure accompanied by a single cat silenced the gathered shinobi and students. Hidden in the shadows, Danzo's face darkened with a scowl.
"Damn Uchiha remnant..."
Danzo was loath to admit it, but for a fleeting mont, a deep wariness of this nine-year-old academy student—an Uchiha—stirred within him.
If Yakumo's performance could be described as shocking, then Shinji's could only be called "stunning."
From his earlier taijutsu bout with Yakumo, to his tactical response against her "Wood Release," to choosing the perfect battleground and executing a final ambush—everything was near flawless.
Thus, Danzo grew cautious.
He felt that if Shinji continued to grow unchecked, it wouldn't be long before another Uchiha erged—soone like Shisui or Itachi—capable of striking fear into the entire Hokage faction.
"Fortunately, he hasn't awakened the Sharingan yet!"
With that thought, he let out a slight breath of relief.
Also in the shadows.
Orochimaru fixed his gaze on Shinji, his eyes brimming with covetous desire: "This brat..."
Even a figure like him had deed Shinji's defeat inevitable against Yakumo's "Wood Release." Yet Shinji had slapped him in the face with this outco.
But Orochimaru was Orochimaru—he didn't fu over his misjudgnt. Instead, it only fueled his excitent further.
At that mont, Sasuke stumbled out of the crowd: "Shinji, you... you won!? You beat 'Wood Release'?"
Sasuke's shout was like a thunderclap, finally snapping the dazed onlookers back to reality.
All eyes turned to Shinji—so with joy, so with shock, so with disbelief, and many with faces of reluctant acceptance. A myriad of expressions swirled among them.
Shinji smiled: "I only beat Yakumo, that's all."
anwhile, Kazahi, nestled on Shinji's shoulder, held her head high with a soft huff, her face radiating pride and smugness!
Looking at this man-and-cat duo, the "revived" crowd began whispering among themselves.
"Who'd have thought Yakumo, so ridiculously strong, still couldn't beat Shinji..."
"Sigh, she couldn't overco the hurdle of the academy's four geniuses after all..."
"Is the competition at the academy this intense now?"
"Yeah, I almost forgot—this was just a spar between academy students!"
Amid the chatter and sighs, Shiro quietly slipped back into the crowd.
He smiled at Karin: "Shinji's a genius from the prestigious Uchiha clan. Our worries were a bit unnecessary."
Karin exhaled in relief: "As long as he's okay."
On the battlefield.
Thanks to her enhanced post-surgery physique, Yakumo—knocked out by Shinji's single strike—regained consciousness before long.
But knowing she'd lost, she didn't get up. Instead, she lay quietly in the now-lifeless sea of trees, staring blankly at the sky still drifting with ash.
In her inner world, Ido grumbled discontentedly: "Why? Why didn't you let take over? If you'd let fight just now, we could've beaten Shinji!"
Yakumo ignored Ido's complaints, continuing to gaze at the sky.
Truth be told, her heart felt strangely calm.
The relentless challenges and victories of recent days had piled imnse pressure on her. This defeat, though tinged with regret, also lifted that burden, leaving her at ease.
"I've already grown so much and gained everything I once wanted—why keep chasing more?" Pausing, she suddenly chuckled: "Actually, lying here like this feels pretty nice!"
Hearing Yakumo's soft laugh, Ido froze, then muttered: "No ambition! But Shinji's pretty impressive, I'll give him that. Next ti, we'll definitely beat him!"
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Just then, amid a series of gusts, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi arrived at Yakumo's side.
Tsunade crouched beside her, asking with concern: "Yakumo, are you hurt?"
Seeing Tsunade, Yakumo felt apologetic: "I'm sorry—I lost."
Tsunade shook her head: "It's fine."
Yakumo's performance had already far exceeded her expectations—she felt only joy, not a hint of bla.
As for the match's outco...
Shinji's display was simply too dazzling. She could hardly fathom how a nine-year-old academy student could remain so composed against such a terrifying "Wood Release" tree sea, crafting and executing a strategy with such precision.
Jiraiya surveyed the now-still sea of trees around them, then stepped forward to the prone Yakumo: "Don't dwell on a single win or loss."
Tsunade chid in: "Yes, this will be the last ti you lose to him!"
Adapting to the First Hokage's cells, mastering "Wood Release," developing the Koryugan, and refining her basic taijutsu—there were so many areas where Yakumo could grow.
Given ti, Tsunade was confident she could mold Yakumo into an outstanding shinobi of jonin caliber.
In contrast, Shinji...
Without awakening the Sharingan and gaining the Uchiha's dojutsu kekkei genkai, his growth would be severely limited. Jonin might be his lifeti ceiling.
Their potential wasn't even in the sa league!
Yakumo propped herself up and stood: "You don't need to comfort —I lost fair and square this ti."
"Yakumo..."
Tsunade's expression shifted, worried Yakumo might be stuck in a rut.
Yakumo shook her head: "Lady Tsunade, I'm really okay! I'm even a little glad Shinji beat today. Otherwise, academy life moving forward would've been so dull!"
Kakashi let out a soft sigh.
He'd once thought Sasuke was the academy's brightest star—a future he had to nurture with all his might for the village's sake.
But with Naruto's growth, Yakumo's rise, and now Shinji's jaw-dropping performance that left even an elite jonin like him in awe, he suddenly felt Sasuke wasn't quite so dazzling after all.
Shaking his head, he gave a wry smile to himself: "No, it's not that Sasuke isn't bright—it's that this batch of academy students is just too absurd."
With that thought, a faint anticipation for the future stirred within him.
He imagined a ti when Yakumo, Naruto, Sasuke, Shinji, Kimimaro, and Neji—all these geniuses—grew up. How powerful would Hidden Leaf beco?
By then, even the thriving Akatsuki might have to steer clear of their edge!
On Shinji's end, weaving through the crowd, he spotted Shiro and Karin mixed in with the others. Waving them over, he smiled: "Let's go!"
"Yes!"
Shiro and Karin nodded, following him.
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