In the Hyuga clan's main branch courtyard.
Hiashi Hyuga was locked in fierce combat with an elder from the main branch. Both had activated their Byakugan, veins bulging on either side of their foreheads, exchanging blows with Gentle Fist techniques. The fight was incredibly fierce.
Bang!
After a powerful collision, both fighters leapt backward.
[Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!]
Hiashi regained his footing first. Regaining his footing first, he thrust one palm forward from over ten meters away. It appeared ordinary, but the elder's expression changed completely as he rolled sideways in a very undignified manner.
Boom!
Behind him, the wall exploded with a loud bang, leaving a shocking large hole.
"Hiashi, your strength has improved even further."
"That Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm just now released an invisible chakra shockwave only our Hyuga Byakugan can see. Others wouldn't be able to defend against it at all."
"After this formal challenge tomorrow, you'll surely protect our Hyuga clan's honor as the 'strongest in Konoha.'"
The main family's head and elders stepped forward, praising him profusely.
"Tomorrow, I will show everyone that I am truly the 'Number One Prodigy' in Konoha."
His eyes ablaze with determination, Hiashi spoke confidently.
...
An open wasteland within the Uchiha clan territory.
Fugaku Uchiha stood straight, holding the blazing war fan in his hand as he stared forward.
[Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!]
Suddenly, he shouted softly, made a seal, then exhaled a massive sea of flames from his mouth.
But it wasn't over yet.
Right after completing the Fire Release ninjutsu, he gripped the blazing war fan with both hands, poured chakra into it, and swung powerfully forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fan created gusting winds that howled toward the fireball ahead, merging into it.
Instantly, wind fueled the flames, and the fire intensified the wind.
Boom!
With flames reaching heavenward, the Fire Release technique expanded threefold, covering sky and earth in fiery red, as if doomsday had arrived.
After a long while, the flames finally extinguished.
Before Fugaku lay a hundred-meter stretch of scorched black earth. Smoldering embers scattered everywhere, and thick white smoke continuously rose from the ground.
Seeing this scene, Fugaku remained silent for a long time, profoundly shaken.
So that woman hadn't lied to him.
Though this war fan was merely a counterfeit, the Wind Release power within it had amplified his Fire Release abilities to an unbelievable level.
Was this the kind of might Madara Uchiha possessed back then?
Thinking about it, Fugaku tightened his grip on the blazing war fan, feeling unprecedented confidence surge within.
Now, when facing Heiyan again, he wouldn't have any psychological shadows left.
Even if Heiyan faced him using the Second Hokage's Water Release techniques, they would pale in comparison.
"Tomorrow, I will show everyone the true strength of the Uchiha clan."
Murmuring, Fugaku raised the blazing war fan high overhead as though attempting to blot out the entire sky.
...
At a training ground on the outskirts of Konoha as dusk fell.
Hiss!
A blue-white laser streaked through the air, instantly striking the target dozens of meters away.
Crack!
The high-quality target was instantly sliced apart.
Heiyan stepped forward, picking up the shattered pieces to examine closely. The cut edges were smooth as mirrors and remarkably neat.
After nonstop training for these past few days, he'd finally managed to perfectly merge his Lightning Release and Water Release chakras, forming this new blue-and-white laser beam.
This Storm Release laser moved faster and carried more destructive power than pure Lightning or Water Release techniques.
Heiyan remembered clearly—in the Naruto series, Madara Uchiha once used a technique called "Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang." This was practically the ultimate Storm Release ninjutsu, reaching absolute limits in both speed and power, even capable of slicing through Truth-Seeking Balls.
The principle behind Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang was actually quite similar to that of the Water Fang Wave.
The difference lay in one projecting a high-pressure water jet from the mouth while the other fired a laser-like chakra thread.
So if he based himself on Water Fang Wave as foundation, developed it into Storm Release: Shockwave Fang, then added Sage Chakra energy... could he recreate that legendary "Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang"?
This exciting possibility suddenly occurred to Heiyan.
Therefore, over these past several days, he conducted thousands of trials.
[Storm Release: Shockwave Fang!]
After forming the hand seals again, he spat out a laser beam as thick as a bowl opening from his mouth, aiming precisely at a massive rock two hundred meters away—ten meters tall and seven or eight meters thick.
Hiss!
In less than a second, the laser beam crossed this distance effortlessly, burying itself deep into the stone's surface.
Swish!
Under Heiyan's control, this boulder as large as a small hill was cleanly split right down the middle, top to bottom, by the devastating Storm Release laser.
Seeing this result, Heiyan nodded in satisfaction.
This imitation "Storm Release: Shockwave Fang" had been upgraded from standard Water Release to Storm Release by enhancing the Water Fang Wave technique, doubling both its speed and destructive power.
It could rightfully be considered the most damaging ninjutsu technique he currently mastered.
"This is Storm Release... What terrifying power."
At this moment, Pakura walked over, expressing her admiration.
"Thanks for your help these past few days," Heiyan smiled at her. "Without your assistance, I couldn't have succeeded so quickly."
"You're finally admitting it," Pakura said, puffing out her chest proudly.
Actually, there were four main factors contributing to Heiyan's rapid progress in mastering Storm Release.
Firstly, the Multi-Shadow Clone technique allowed him to train at ten times normal efficiency—meaning six actual days equated to roughly two months' worth of normal cultivation time.
Secondly, the Hanzo Scroll provided valuable guidance, saving him from initial trial-and-error and helping avoid unnecessary detours.
Thirdly, Pakura's selfless sharing of knowledge had helped broaden his understanding.
Lastly came his own natural talent and accumulated experience.
When it came to innate aptitude and foundation training in both Lightning Release and Water Release techniques, Heiyan ranked among the very best in the entire ninja world, giving him a significant advantage that substantially lowered the difficulty of learning Storm Release.
All these factors combined allowed him to develop [Storm Release: Shockwave Fang] in an incredibly short time.
As daylight faded, it was time to return.
Glancing at the setting sun, Heiyan suddenly recalled something—buried in intensive training these past days, he'd nearly forgotten about tomorrow's arranged duel with two opponents.
He nearly forgot this important duel.
So the two left the training ground together and returned to the village.
Back in the village, to celebrate successfully mastering Storm Release and to thank Pakura, Heiyan invited her for a meal. They enjoyed a hearty dinner together.
Night fell deeply.
After taking a bath and changing clothes, Heiyan went to the rooftop, casually choosing a spot to sit down.
In the warm summer night breeze, he lifted his head and gazed into the boundless starry sky.
He imagined his soul soaring beyond his gaze, vanishing into the endless sea of stars and drifting through the infinite cosmos.
This was Heiyan's way of relaxing after training.
"Something wrong? Can't sleep?"
Unknowingly, Pakura had also come to the rooftop. She sat beside Heiyan, propped her chin on her hand, tilted her head sideways, and asked, "Are you worried about tomorrow's duel?"
"No."
Heiyan shook his head and smiled.
The so-called duel among the three great geniuses. If one had to find someone in the entire Konoha who cared least about this matter, that person would definitely be Heiyan himself.
"Heiyan, do you have any dreams?"
Pakura suddenly asked. Without waiting for his reply, she turned her gaze toward the night sky and added on her own, "My dream is to become The Fourth Kazekage."
"As a woman," she thought for a moment and added another sentence.
Indeed, since the founding of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the Kage of each village throughout history had without exception always been men—never a single woman ever had.
The ninja world, after all, had always been ruled by men.
Pakura's dream was to break this monopoly and become the first ever female Kage.
Unfortunately, in the future, not only did she fail to realize her dream, she was instead betrayed by Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, dying under extremely tragic circumstances.
"Good luck. I hope your... dream comes true."
Heiyan said these words, partly encouraging but more as comfort.
"How about this—we make a promise?"
Pakura didn't detect anything unusual from Heiyan's tone. Instead, she became excited and enthusiastic. She stretched out her hand toward him. "I will definitely become The Fourth Kazekage, and you—you must become The Fourth Hokage! What do you say? Dare to make this promise with me?"
She looked at him full of expectation.
However, much to Pakura's disappointment, Heiyan did not reach for her hand.
"I'm not interested in becoming Hokage."
Heiyan replied, his voice unwavering.
Becoming Hokage, sitting at that office desk every day facing towering piles of paperwork and complicated affairs—that wasn't the life Heiyan wanted.
Moreover, the title of Hokage carries more than just power—it also demands sacrifice.
Unless one truly loved the village from the bottom of their heart and was willing to dedicate everything—even one's own life—for Konoha, they could never be fit for such a role.
That wasn't what Heiyan sought.
Ever since his fight with Hanzo, Heiyan had constantly been thinking—what exactly was his conviction as a ninja?
Now he finally understood.
He wanted to become a mighty immortal sage, travel every corner of the ninja world, witness its breathtaking landscapes, and wander freely wherever his heart desired.
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