NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 78: Chapter 78
Witnessing Tetsuya Fujiwara's Conviction
But at the end of the day…
In Tsunade's mind, Tetsuya Fujiwara was simply a young genius from a lesser shinobi clan, one without any bloodline limits.
Geniuses were never in short supply in Konoha—or in the shinobi world at large.
"Tsunade!"
"If you got to know that kid better, you wouldn't say that," Jiraiya said, standing beside Orochimaru and Tsunade as they chatted.
Not far from them, a growing number of younger faces appeared, many recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Among them were talents like the Senju clan prodigy, the Hyuga brothers Hizashi and Hiashi, and the rising stars of the Uchiha clan.
Aburame clan's genius with sensory mastery, and others with varied expressions—some calm, some proud, others indifferent.
But right now, all of them shared the same question:
Why had Tetsuya Fujiwara garnered such respect from the Third Hokage?
This wasn't a typical sparring session; it was a senior's guidance to a junior, personally overseen by the Hokage.
To date, only three others in the entire village besides members of the Sarutobi clan had ever been given such an honor.
———
As the gathering settled around the training field, the crowd grew silent.
After a few moments, a group of figures arrived, each more notable than the last—Hiruzen's advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homaru Mitokado, and lastly, Konoha's shadow, Danzo Shimura.
"Quite the spectacle today, isn't it?"
Mitokado greeted several familiar faces as they exchanged quick words, and then he, Utatane, and Danzo claimed some of the best vantage points left, right after the spots taken by Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
"He's here!"
The wait wasn't long.
Within minutes, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in with Tetsuya Fujiwara, Koharu, and a few others, sharing lighthearted conversation. Yet the warmth in Hiruzen's eyes sparked subtle curiosity among onlookers.
"Heh, so everyone's here," Hiruzen remarked as he glanced around.
At least a hundred shinobi filled the training field by now, each waiting to witness this rare event.
"Hiruzen, you're being reckless," came Koharu Utatane's sharp voice. "As the Hokage, you represent the face of Konoha! Engaging in a match with a young kid—it's unbecoming of our village's leader."
Only Koharu Utatane would dare to adopt such a blunt tone with Hiruzen.
The historic tensions between the Koharu clan and the Fujiwara, Tanaka, and Uesugi clans were long-standing, their rivalry like a thorn lodged deeply in both sides.
As the strongest voice of the Koharu clan, Utatane naturally held a bias. Talking about objectivity in this case felt pointless—no one could completely escape their own clan's history.
"Utatane, it's just a whim," Hiruzen replied with a knowing smile. "Don't take away my fun."
Under Hiruzen's steady gaze, even Danzo Shimura and Homaru Mitokado looked away, choosing not to challenge him. Only Utatane held her ground, though she soon stepped back as the intensity of Hiruzen's gaze grew.
"Tetsuya!"
"This sparring match will follow the same rules as the Chunin Exams—you're free to use any ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and all types of weapons. Don't worry about injuring me."
"Show me your full strength," he continued, his expression sharpening. "I want to see if you have what it takes to be a future Kage-level shinobi."
Hiruzen straightened, his posture emanating a warrior's unshakable resolve. In that moment, he'd already slipped into combat mode.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Tetsuya replied, his voice steady. "I'll give it everything I've got."
After a brief pause, he drew a short sword from behind his back—the blade named Cicada's Cry, borrowed from Mikoto Uchiha. Though not entirely to his liking, its durability and sharpness ensured it wouldn't break against Hiruzen's power.
"Alright then," Hiruzen declared.
The two exchanged a quick seal of confrontation.
As Tetsuya took his stance, he lunged forward with startling speed, dashing directly at Hiruzen.
The sound of Cicada's Cry cutting through the air filled the space with sharp whistling notes.
"So fast!" murmured onlookers.
"His instincts are impressive," Hiruzen observed, deflecting Tetsuya's blade with minimal effort, exploiting a gap in his attack with a calm swipe.
Clang!
A thunderous impact reverberated, a simple yet formidable blow that caused ripples of energy to pulse outward.
Hiruzen's casual deflection left Tetsuya reeling.
"Not bad! But if you're relying on Konoha-Style Swordsmanship as an opener, you've already made a slight miscalculation."
Undeterred, Tetsuya adjusted his stance, and his expression held a new glint of determination.
"Remarkable, Lord Hokage! Even with all your combat experience, you're still this insightful about swordsmanship?"
He began unleashing successive moves.
"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship—Void Severance!"
"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship—Falling Blade!"
"Impressive, Tetsuya! Your swordsmanship has improved significantly," Hiruzen praised. "But that alone isn't enough!"
The short exchange revealed Tetsuya's strengths and limitations to Hiruzen. Tetsuya's skill level with Konoha-Style Swordsmanship had reached a point that would qualify him to face off against elite Chunin.
For someone so young to already be at this level—it was, indeed, extraordinary.
"Lord Hokage, thank you for your guidance!"
Tetsuya's voice rang out, respectful yet brimming with unwavering resolve.
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