The clan leader had said that if he lost this competition, his legs would be broken, leaving him unable to survive the rest of his life.
So no matter what, he had to win—by any means necessary.
"You little brat! Tired of living, huh? What did you just say?"
The shinobi from Kirigakure lunged forward, throwing a full-powered punch at the boy who looked only seven or eight years old—Hyūga Shigeo.
If it had been an ordinary child sitting there, that punch would have killed him instantly.
But Shigeo was never one to show mercy to those who struck first. If someone respects me one measure, I return it tenfold. But if they come at me intending to kill, then I'll give them the same courtesy—full force.
With that thought, he dodged lightly and countered with a single punch—
The result stunned everyone.
On one side, Shigeo threw his fist with all his strength. He didn't even feel the impact. On the other, down at the base of the hill, two rogue shinobi holding a running contestant froze in disbelief.
Before their eyes, the tall Kirigakure ninja's face caved in under the boy's punch, blood bursting out as the man's body flew into the distance. He vanished completely beyond their line of sight—no trace of him even hitting the ground.
Just how much power does it take to send a man flying that far?
The two rogues suddenly remembered their orders. The noble families had been clear: no matter who wins, the representative of the commoners must not.
They couldn't let anyone interfere.
They knew the Kirigakure ninja were on the same side as them. The Konoha shinobi, on the other hand, were nowhere to be seen—otherwise they could've joined forces.
"Charge!" the two shouted.
Both were chūnin level. Could they really lose to a child?
Reality answered for them. They didn't even have time to weave hand seals. Before either could move, Shigeo's Mokuton: Shin no Jutsu (Wood Release: Piercing Technique) impaled them both clean through.
The noble contestant saw the two men die, legs trembling, and collapsed on the roadside—fainting on the spot, utterly terrified.
Xiaoyou sprinted ahead, fast as lightning, climbing upward toward the finish line.
The Konoha-escorted contestant followed close behind.
Naruto ran just behind them, but when he caught sight of the two corpses skewered by wooden stakes, his eyes widened in shock.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, scanning the child by the road. The chakra flowing through his body was astonishing—seven-colored, radiant. He had only seen such chakra once before, in one man.
He stared at the boy, wanting to ask something, but in the end remained silent.
As everyone climbed higher, the battles grew fiercer. Among the guards, Fuyu—with her Ranton (Storm Release)—overwhelmed the enemy's Water, Fire, and Earth techniques with ease. Even when jōnin stepped in to attack Xiaoyou, Shigeo intercepted them from the shadows, striking them down one after another.
Amid the chaos, Xiaoyou pushed forward fearlessly, undeterred by any obstacle.
Finally, through the blood and smoke, to the cheers of the crowd, he reached the finish line—taking first place.
At the endpoint, the gathered citizens erupted in joy, clapping and shouting.
The four great noble families of Tea Province ground their teeth in fury.
Then suddenly—from the western island—a loud explosion rang out.
Countless shinobi appeared, surrounding the six ninjas of the Ink Village, the new town chief Masada, and Xiaoyou, the victor.
"Today is the festival of the Azuchi Lumu Shrine!" shouted the He clan patriarch. "The gods are angry! Because in this sacred ceremony, outsiders have defiled our customs! This is Tea Country's tradition—why should it be presided over by an official appointed by the Nanmo Nation? It's not fair to Tea Country!"
A calm voice answered from outside the encirclement:
"Unfair to Tea Country? Or unfair to you nobles? Tell me, Clan Head He, you know better than anyone how you've treated your four hundred clansmen, don't you?"
Everyone turned.
A child stood on the branch of a tall tree, dressed in rough linen like a commoner.
"Where did this beggar brat come from? Someone seize him!" the clan head roared.
Several ninjas rushed forward—but the branch was empty.
Then a voice cried out in terror, "Behind you!"
The clan head turned, and his pupils shrank.
Standing right behind him, holding a kunai to his throat, was Hyūga Shigeo—his true form, no longer disguised as a child.
"Well now, good day to you, Clan Head He. A close relative of Tea Country's former daimyō, isn't that right?"
"Bastard! Who are you?! Men, kill him!"
He still didn't understand his position. One flick of Shigeo's wrist, and that kunai could easily open his throat—but instead of fear, he screamed for his men to attack.
A foolish man.
Without hesitation, Shigeo slashed. The blade tore a wide gash across the man's abdomen. Blood poured out as the people around screamed in horror.
The surrounding ninjas charged. The other clan heads shouted as they retreated:
"No one leaves the west island today! Hold them off until Kirigakure reinforcements arrive! Anyone who performs well will be paid double!"
Only then did Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke finally understand—this wasn't a protection mission at all. It was a political struggle between Tea Province's nobles and Nanmo Nation's rule.
"What do we do now?" Sakura asked, panic rising.
"What do you mean, what do we do?! Of course we stand with my sensei! Sensei, I'm coming!" Naruto yelled, charging forward.
They called him the number one unpredictable ninja—and once again, he proved it.
Even Shigeo hadn't expected Naruto to rush in at such a time, choosing his side without hesitation.
Sasuke sighed. "Tch… if we do this, the mission's a failure. But… whatever."
He had no choice. With Naruto running ahead, could he and Sakura really stand aside? Never—they were a team.
Shigeo stood amid the chaos, one hand gripping the bleeding body of Clan Head He, a faint smile on his lips.
The surrounding shinobi shouted, "Who are you?!"
Sakura blinked, then said, "You don't know? He's the First Ink Shadow!"
The entire battlefield fell silent.
The rogue ninjas shook their heads in disbelief.
"Impossible! He doesn't even know about today's plan. There's no way he could've come to the west island of Tea Country himself! Impossible!"
And besides—wasn't Hyūga Shigeo supposed to be a monster?
Rumor said he had three heads and six arms, hideous and terrifying—his laugh could shake the earth, his finger's twitch could make trees spring from the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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