"Yes."
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage.
In the next moment, he regained his composure—though his eyes still carried unmistakable amazement.
Something like this had never happened in history.
"Shakumo, what do you think?" Hiruzen asked.
"Hmm… I'm extremely curious about that child Yuya's strength now," Hatake Sakumo replied.
"I'll go take a look myself."
Sakumo nodded lightly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Hiruzen let out a breath and nodded as well.
"That's fine. That child has indeed earned that qualification. To be honest… even I want to test his strength."
Konoha – ANBU Underground Base
After personally eliminating every participant in the first training phase, Yuya returned here along with the others.
This was a short rest period.
Along the way, most ANBU candidates, and even some full ANBU, looked at Yuya differently now.
If before, Yuya had merely been seen as an unpolished prodigy—
Then now, his growth rate had far exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Genius" was no longer sufficient.
He was a monster.
At this point, no one doubted whether Yuya could become a full ANBU.
It was practically a certainty.
Only the timing remained unknown.
ANBU suffered casualties frequently, and whenever that happened, replacements were needed.
Yuya's displayed talent had clearly placed him at the very top of the candidate pool.
And with such terrifying potential, as long as Yuya didn't die—
At the very least, he would grow into the level of a squad leader.
Perhaps even a sub-commander.
Or possibly…
The successor to Hatake Sakumo himself as the next ANBU Captain.
At this moment, Yuya sat quietly alone in a corner.
No one disturbed him.
Though he had not been injured in the battle, the stamina he had expended was enormous.
However, that battle had also stabilized the True Eight Gates activated within his body.
Especially the gate near his heart—it seemed even more active now.
The power being nurtured there had subtly increased.
As expected, combat itself is a form of training.
Endless closed-door cultivation alone could never produce a true powerhouse.
Without battle—
Without brushing against life and death—
There could be no true transformation.
That transformation was, in essence, a spiritual one.
Yet it was directly tied to strength.
Because mental willpower influences chakra, and chakra determines a shinobi's combat power.
"I didn't expect this battle alone to boost my strength as much as a full month of training," Yuya murmured.
When he opened his eyes, his stamina had mostly recovered.
A trace of satisfaction flickered in his gaze.
Just as Yuya stood up, someone entered the hall.
The person at the front was not wearing a mask.
Behind him followed one ANBU sub-commander and three ANBU squad leaders.
The identity of the leader was obvious.
ANBU Captain — Hatake Sakumo.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
In an instant, every ANBU present—candidates and full members alike—rose to their feet and saluted.
Sakumo nodded lightly, gesturing for them to relax, then walked straight through the crowd—
Stopping directly in front of Yuya.
This was Yuya's first meeting with Hatake Sakumo.
Although Sakumo had secretly observed Yuya more than once—
Yuya was seeing him in person for the first time.
Even though Sakumo was still young, Yuya recognized him immediately.
"Captain," Yuya said respectfully, giving a slight bow.
Regardless of how others viewed him, Yuya held deep respect for Konoha's White Fang.
In the original history, Sakumo's death was something Yuya had always found painfully regrettable.
Because he chose to save his comrades and abandon a mission—
He fell from village hero to the target of universal condemnation.
And ultimately took his own life.
Though the prevailing doctrine at the time held that a shinobi should complete the mission even at the cost of their life—
In Yuya's eyes, there was undoubtedly darkness behind that incident.
Even if Sakumo had failed both the mission and the rescue, the outcome shouldn't have been so extreme.
There was no doubt—someone had pushed things from the shadows.
With a bit of thought, it wasn't hard to see why.
At that time, Hatake Sakumo had the qualifications to become the Fourth Hokage.
And as Hiruzen's right-hand man, that made him a thorn in certain people's eyes.
Of course, these were only Yuya's speculations.
None of it had happened yet, and the truth remained uncertain.
"No need for formalities," Sakumo said, smiling gently.
There was not the slightest hint of cold sharpness in his expression.
From appearances alone, it was almost impossible to believe this man was the legendary shinobi whose Hatake-style kenjutsu.(Hatake swordsmanship) had shaken the ninja world—
Konoha's White Fang.
"You went a bit overboard this time," Sakumo said with a chuckle.
"Even I couldn't resist coming to take a look."
"Got a little carried away," Yuya shrugged.
A nearby ANBU candidate nearly spat out blood upon hearing that.
A little carried away?!
You wiped out every single ANBU candidate by yourself, and that's "a little"?!
If you were serious, wouldn't the heavens collapse?!
Even Sakumo couldn't help showing a slightly strange expression.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Still," Sakumo continued, "you did an excellent job."
"ANBU candidates are the fresh blood supporting our frontline operations. We expect them to be ready at all times."
"There's no need to hide anything here. What I need to see is your talent and your capability, so I can judge your future position within ANBU."
As he spoke, Sakumo lightly patted Yuya on the shoulder.
"This training session counts as a solid performance… but I want to see more."
Those words left Yuya momentarily stunned.
See more?
What did that mean?
Another round?
No—
That wasn't it.
Sakumo intended to personally test his strength.
Yuya realized it instantly, his expression turning slightly blank.
Sakumo smiled faintly and turned around.
"Come with me."
Watching Sakumo's back, Yuya's mouth twitched.
Just how strong was Konoha's White Fang?
Yuya wasn't sure—but Kage-level was the bare minimum.
Otherwise, how could he shake the ninja world during the coming war?
Kage-level was a realm Yuya couldn't yet reach.
He felt a bit helpless.
The earlier fight had been exhilarating—
But he really didn't want to be brutally beaten.
Unfortunately, this was Sakumo's decision.
Yuya had no way to refuse.
He could only brace himself and follow.
With a helpless shake of his head, Yuya thought—
Sakumo probably didn't have the hobby of abusing geniuses.
Most likely, he wanted to personally test Yuya's strength.
And perhaps even give guidance.
A Kage-level shinobi's personal sparring and instruction—
Maybe this was the true reward for achieving an unprecedented first place by eliminating everyone else.
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