NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: A Sparring Match
A new day dawned, and Mochizuki Hui left the Senju compound early, well before six o’clock, heading to Training Ground One.
He left so early to avoid running into the girls infatuated with him. This sort of thing would probably go on for a few more days until the hype around his graduation died down.
At exactly eight o’clock, Senju Tobirama arrived at Training Ground One, right on time.
“Good morning, Grandpa Tobirama!” Mochizuki Hui greeted him sweetly, knowing exactly how to act in front of his elders.
Being cute and obedient was the perfect strategy for dealing with adults. Sure, it was a little embarrassing, but when weighed against the benefits, it was a small price to pay.
“Hui, attack me with everything you’ve got. I want to see your current strength,” Tobirama said after nodding, skipping any small talk.
He didn’t immediately dive into examining Hui’s body or trying to analyze his awakened kekkei genkai; instead, he focused on evaluating Hui’s current combat ability.
In the past, due to Mochizuki Hui’s limited potential, Tobirama had avoided asking him to demonstrate his abilities, not wanting to embarrass the boy.
But now that Hui’s strength had seemingly exploded and his bloodline had potentially awakened, Tobirama needed to assess his actual power.
“Got it.”
Hui’s eyes lit up at the challenge. Sparring with someone like Senju Tobirama, the legendary Second Hokage, renowned as the fastest shinobi in the world, the "Water God," and a master of forbidden techniques, was an unparalleled opportunity.
For a rookie like Mochizuki Hui, who lacked combat experience, fighting against someone like Tobirama was like reading the best battle manual.
Hui was also eager to gauge his own strength, to see where he stood.
“I’m coming!” Hui announced, launching his attack with full force.
He quickly flung several shuriken. They sped through the air at an incredible pace, their sharp trajectory accompanied by the unmistakable whistling sound of their power.
Tobirama’s eyes gleamed with interest.
However, he didn’t retaliate. Instead, he leapt into the air, dodging the shuriken with ease.
But as Tobirama ascended, Hui swiftly hurled a few kunai at him, targeting him mid-air.
Though one’s mobility is limited while airborne, someone of Tobirama’s caliber could easily twist his body to avoid the kunai.
Hui, undeterred, threw another set of kunai, these traveling even faster than the last.
Still, Tobirama dodged them all effortlessly. However, he noticed something odd—the last few kunai seemed imprecise, as if they weren’t aimed at him at all.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal colliding filled the air. Tobirama’s eyes widened slightly as he watched the newly thrown kunai strike the earlier ones, altering their flight paths. The redirected kunai were now headed straight for Tobirama’s landing spot.
It was the shurikenjutsu that would one day make Uchiha Itachi famous—a technique where kunai and shuriken were used to alter each other's trajectories.
Mochizuki Hui, with his extraordinary observational ability and natural talent, had grasped the principles of the technique through self-study and practice.
This move earned Tobirama’s immediate praise.
“Impressive!” he called out.
Thunk, thunk, thunk!
The kunai struck Tobirama, but instead of hitting flesh, they made a dull thudding sound.
The Tobirama they hit transformed into a log.
Substitution Jutsu!
Bam!
Hui sensed a disturbance in the air behind him—Tobirama had reappeared at his back, moving at a blinding speed. Without hesitation, Hui spun around, landing a well-timed kick. His leg collided with Tobirama’s arm just as he materialized.
After that, they exchanged blows at close range. But it was mostly Hui attacking while Tobirama defended, observing.
Hui could tell Tobirama was gathering information on his abilities, so he didn’t hold back. He fought with everything he had, treating the spar as an opportunity to learn and improve.
There was no worry about accidentally injuring Tobirama—he knew better than to fear that.
After another flurry of rapid attacks, Hui realized Tobirama had probably gathered enough data on his close-quarters combat abilities. So after landing a kick, he used the momentum to leap back, putting some distance between them.
“Well done, Hui. Honestly! I’m impressed,” Tobirama said, nodding with approval.
“Your reflexes are excellent, and your combat awareness is sharp. But your lack of battle experience is still holding you back. Against opponents your age or average shinobi, your physical prowess and reaction speed are more than enough to secure victory.”
He paused, his gaze sharpening. “But if you were to face an opponent whose physical abilities are on par with yours in a life-or-death battle, the outcome would not be in your favor.”
Tobirama’s words were meant as praise and critique, but inside, he was still reeling from what he had witnessed. Hui’s abilities were far beyond what he expected from a six-year-old child. His potential was undeniable.
Tobirama mused to himself that if Hui were given a month of real combat training, fighting every day, he would become even stronger—perhaps astonishingly so.
“Do you have any other techniques or skills to show me? Let’s see them all,” Tobirama said, though he doubted Hui had any major surprises left.
To his surprise, Mochizuki Hui nodded.
“Actually, Grandpa Tobirama, I believe my strongest ability is my swordsmanship.”