Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Although the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were very skilled at playing with their yo-yos and could even throw them into the air, Sunagawa, who dared to call himself the "strongest Kazekage" in the future, also had his own iron sand that was quite powerful. The hard lump of iron made it impossible for the Ino-Shika-Cho yo-yos to break apart.

Although the Inuzuka clan cheats a bit in one-on-one fights, having a husky to help them make it a two-on-one battle against anyone, with Kaizo being the one being suppressed, they are not completely powerless to fight back; at most, it can be considered a mutual destruction.

With Sakumo Hatake, who was originally expected to defend against Shinto, weeping as he looked at the sky, Shinto truly became the most amazing guy on the battlefield this time. Seeing a group of Konoha people gathered together, he sent out several majestic lion heads. The lion heads now were much stronger than the lion heads of the past. Because of their strong stamina, with a wave of their hands, several huge lion heads, hundreds of meters high, crashed into the crowd. Wherever they passed, those Konoha novices were either killed or seriously injured. It was simply a god-level skill for clearing out soldiers.

While causing casualties, it also provides a visual impact. He found that when farming data in team battles, the Floating Fruit was much more effective than swordsmanship!

He's not a great swordsman yet, and can't unleash those awesome sword energies that stretch hundreds or even thousands of meters. Although his destructive power is stronger than Lion's Head, it's not as visually spectacular. This Devil Fruit ability seems to be able to change the terrain, with several lion heads that are hundreds of meters tall suddenly appearing from the ground. The weaklings of Konoha can't withstand it at all. So far, only the weaklings have fallen to Shinto. Anyone with a bit of skill can dodge the impact of the lion heads with their movement. In crowded places where it's hard to move around, they'll only get grazed and suffer minor injuries.

"That's too strong! Absolutely too strong! Young Master Shinto is amazing..."

"Let's go too, we can't fall behind!"

Although they were only dealing with weaklings, the Sand Ninja below were amazed by Shinto's fierce and unfair attacks. Their morale soared, and they charged at him with all their might against the Konoha ninja!

"Lu Yi, think of something. That brat can fly; Shuo Mao can't defend against him at all. If he keeps getting wiped out, we're finished..."

The head of the Yamanaka clan, one of the members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio who was playing yo-yo with the future third-generation Sunagawa, looked at Masato, who was shamelessly refusing to come down and farming minions in the sky, and then looked down at Sakumo, who was constantly trying to save people but with little effect. He said to his friends with some helplessness.

The tactics employed by the team were flawless. Ito-sama faced off against the puppet master Chiyo, they defended against Sunagakure's top young talent, Inuzuka perfectly defended against Kaizo in a two-on-one situation, their Konoha prodigies defended against the opposing prodigies, and the remaining truly low-level fighters were no joke. Those Sand Ninja underlings who had been playing with secondhand equipment since childhood were no match for their Konoha underlings.

46. ​​A Showdown of Child Prodigies

But now that Sand Village prodigy can fly too! Sakumo has absolutely no aerial combat skills. Most importantly, this Sand Village prodigy has incredibly sharp eyes; he saw right through his teammates' tactics and was specifically targeting their Konoha underlings. If he keeps going like this, he'll truly become a god...

"...Let me think about it some more."

Nara Shika, while controlling his yo-yo to collide with Sunagawa's metal behemoth, rolled his eyes. He was smart, sure, but he wasn't a god. In the current situation, no one could stop that kid. Their weakness in Konoha was that they couldn't fly! -_-||

Nara Shika didn't know that Shinto also wanted to farm those elites, but his current skill power wouldn't allow it. A few Lion's Roars wouldn't even touch a hair on those Konoha elites. Going down to solo them would be risky because Hatake Sakumo would be there to guard against him, and he wouldn't get any stats. It was much more satisfying to just use skills to farm stats and get the Rookie of the Year award...

"You damn bastard, come down here and fight me one-on-one if you dare!" (▼he▼メ)

On the battlefield, Shinto was really on fire. He didn't even remember what his stats were now, but he knew that based on this one game, he was a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year after the game. However, Hatake Sakumo, who was constantly trying to put out fires below but still couldn't save many, got furious and pointed at Shinto in the sky, uttering the first curse of his life.

That bastard is absolutely despicable! A powerful figure was waiting for him down there, and instead of coming, he was just farming minions in the sky. I've never seen such a shameless person. He's supposed to be a genius from Sunagakure, have some self-respect! (「▼皿▼」)

"Damn it! You think I've spoiled my temper? Fine, let's fight one-on-one! Get the hell out of my way! (▼ヘ▼#)"

The airborne Shindou was completely swayed by this tactic. After speaking to the Sand Ninja underlings surrounding Hatake Sakumo, he landed and grabbed a pure gold greatsword, slashing at Hatake Sakumo. Being challenged in front of so many people, if he didn't accept, he would lose all face! Data was important, but face was even more important.

"Ding ding ding..."

Both of them wield weapons, but their swordsmanship is different. Shinto's swordsmanship leans towards power and force, which can be summed up in one word: recklessness!

Sakumo Hatake's Hatake sword technique emphasizes speed and precision, and with the addition of Lightning Release, its power is naturally not weak. In addition, its speed is also very fast. Although his hands always go numb and he is surprised by the strength of this guy when he fights head-on with Shin, it has little impact on him.

The two figures constantly clashed and moved through the crowd, with intense sword energy and blade light occasionally emanating from them, injuring the surrounding henchmen and keeping them away from the two fighters' battle.

"This...is this still a children's battle? Have we been living like dogs all these years...? σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

"Uh-huh....."

After an unknown amount of time, the clash of swords and shadows, enhanced by the special effects, gradually became the focus of the entire arena. The underlings of both sides seemed to have been paused, stopping in amazement to watch this highly anticipated duel. Even Ino-Shika-Cho and Sunagawa paused to watch this battle between the two genius children from their two villages.

Nara Shika stared blankly at the two figures that were almost just shadows, muttering to himself, which was agreed upon by his two companions.

Is this some kind of fight between kids?

Sakumo is only nine or ten years old, and the boy from Sunagakure is also about ten years old according to the data. Judging from their strength, they are even more powerful than Jonin. This is still a child.

Are you kidding me?

What level were they at when they were ten years old? Chunin or Genin?

Anyway, compared to these two kids, I'm just a total loser...

"The Hatake family has a worthy successor!"

The head of the Yamanaka clan sighed as he watched Sakumo Hatake relentlessly battling Shinto.

The Hatake clan has always been a clan of geniuses, but because it is a single lineage, it failed to rise to prominence during the war-torn era. However, to survive from the war-torn era to the present day by relying on a single lineage, it would not have been possible without some strength, even if it had latched onto the Senju clan.

Sakumo is a famous child prodigy in Konoha, and they all know that, but they never knew just how talented he was. After all, there wasn't a single boy in the next generation of the village who could rival him. Without a comparison, they adults would be embarrassed to fight a kid, right?

Therefore, the only person who truly understood Sakumo's strength from beginning to end was probably his father, Ito.

"Yes, the Hatake clan has a worthy successor, but Sunagakure is also about to take off. Compared to Sunagawa, the number one of the younger generation, Miyamoto Masato is the real genius..."

Nara Shika, the big-headed man from Konoha, thought even more deeply. Sakumo was indeed a genius, but this Sand Village boy who clashed with him seemed slightly more capable. Besides being able to slash, he could also fly! And he could unleash the Lion's Head technique—his methods far surpassed Sakumo's. Moreover, the Hatake clan was notoriously unable to sustain long-term damage…

.......

"Go Sakumo!!! Don't give it to him!!!"

"Shindou-sama, go for it! Kill him!!!"

"Sakumo Ganbatte...!"

"......"

Watching the clash of swords in the arena, a member of Konoha couldn't help but cheer for their village's prodigy. This shout immediately triggered a chain reaction, and under his influence, other Konoha members began to cheer for their village's child prodigies.

Seeing Konoha's stance, the Sand Village underlings knew they couldn't afford to lose, so they threw away their weapons and pulled out small flags from somewhere to cheer for their prodigy.

A grand battle inexplicably turned into a one-on-one duel between two child prodigies, resulting in an unusually harmonious scene...

"?????"

On the battlefield, where they were still fighting fiercely, the two supreme commanders, Chiyo and Itō Hatake, stopped and looked at each other, both with puzzled expressions.

Seeing his own nephew (son) fighting in the arena, with his underlings cheering and waving flags around him, the scene was unusually harmonious. Gone was the previous murderous aura; at most, when the other side's shouts were louder than theirs, there would be some verbal banter, followed by a throat lozenge and then continued cheering on the two fighters...

"Sister, when did Masato become so strong? (⊙_⊙)?"

Hatake Ito was fine; he was his own student, and he knew his strength best. However, Kaizo and Chiyo were a bit bewildered, watching their nephew wielding a large golden sword with such swagger. Was this kid really that strong? σ(⊙▽⊙a.)

47. Awakening of Observation Haki

(⊙_⊙)?？

Hatake Ito looked at the siblings' reaction with a question mark on his face, as if he was very confused. This is your child, don't you know what kind of fighting power he has?

"Why....!"

Noticing Ito Hatake's gaze, Chiyo and Kaizo exchanged a glance and sighed softly. They realized they hadn't been paying enough attention to the child. Ever since Retsuto's defeat, they had been busy with their own things. Kaizo was working tirelessly at the Kazekage-ro because he had to assist Shamon, and Chiyo needed to take care of and teach her young son. With so many things to do, they simply couldn't keep an eye on Shinto. Besides, although the child was usually mischievous, he was also very sensible and could take care of himself. Over time, they just let things take their course.

They had always known that the child was practicing the swordsmanship he talked about. Although it seemed a bit like he was neglecting his studies, playing with swords instead of practicing Magnet Release, Hai Zang had only advised him a couple of times before letting him be. They also knew that this kid was very powerful, after all, he had awakened a mutated Magnet Release at just over five years old. How could he not be powerful? But they never knew that the kid's way of killing people seemed even more powerful than that mutated Magnet Release.

Especially that ability to turn his entire body black, which even kunai couldn't penetrate. Just now, they saw one or two kunai shot at him from the crowd, but they fell off after hitting him. This... has absolutely no scientific basis!

"Ding ding ding...!"

Regardless of Chiyo and Kaizo's feelings, the real fighter in the arena was still exchanging blows with Hatake Sakumo, thoroughly enjoying himself. Throughout Sunagakure, there had never been anyone truly worthy of his attention. Whether it was his peers or older extras, almost no one could match him in combat. Shamon, Chiyo, Kaizo, and the future Third Hokage were all too busy to engage in duels with him. Therefore, Sunagakure had always been a place where he couldn't find a worthy opponent. Even Sasori's father, though a top student, was currently a weakling...

Only today has he met a peer who can truly compete with him for so long.

It has to be said that this guy who would overpower the prodigy "gambling, prostitution, and drugs" during World War II is indeed incredibly fierce. No wonder he'll be able to wear the Hokage badge on his short sleeves later on. After fighting for so long, apart from always panting heavily and looking like he's about to collapse, his movements, whether footwork or hand movements, are still incredibly agile. With his physique carrying the power system of the One Piece world, even if he hasn't reached his peak yet, there's definitely no one at his age who can fight him to this extent. Even the Uzumaki clan, known for their massive life force and chakra reserves, couldn't do it.

Moreover, he's a swordsman who can easily defeat even weak Jonin. It's truly impressive that the future White Fang of Konoha could fight him to this extent. If he can get rid of his inherited weakness in the legs, he'll be incredibly awesome.

Whether it was from being too focused or something else, he noticed that Hatake Sakumo's movements began to slow down. Or rather, he suddenly had a feeling that even before Hatake Sakumo made a move, he could almost predict the direction of Hatake Sakumo's next strike. This feeling grew stronger as time went on. Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, Masato subconsciously closed his eyes to verify this idea. The moment he closed his eyes, the feeling intensified. It was as if he had gained the eye of God, "seeing" the aura surrounding Hatake Sakumo flowing with his movements...

Holy crap! My Observation Haki has awakened!

"Holy crap! Young Master Shindou's gotten arrogant, he actually closed his eyes....σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

"Damn it, this is a total throw-in! Could it be that Master Shindou took money from Konoha to throw the match?"

However, at the very moment Shinto closed his eyes, Sand Ninja's underling, Spada, wondered why their great genius had suddenly closed his eyes after such a good fight. Wasn't that obviously holding back?

"Shut up, you bastard! We Konoha can win and we can lose, we never do this kind of thing. If you keep nagging, I'll tear your mouth apart! (╬◣д◢)"

However, when the Konoha underlings heard the Sand Ninja underlings say that, they were immediately displeased. They thought, "Our Konoha motto is to endure defeat and stand up straight when we're beaten. When have we ever thrown a match? These bastards are ruining Konoha's reputation."

"Damn it! I'm going to rant and rave, you try and show me what you've got!"

The Sand Ninja underlings on the other side were also annoyed. "Did I say something wrong? Didn't you see that our geniuses have all closed their eyes?"

"Damn it! I can't mess with you anymore... (「▼皿▼)"

"......"

In an instant, the two groups' underlings started exchanging insults again, creating a very heated scene. The two groups split into two sides, constantly spewing profanities at each other, but no fight broke out. After all, they had already done a good job and had been cheering for a long time, so they were exhausted. It was nice to have some trash talk, but fighting was out of the question. It wouldn't be good to hurt the flowers and plants, after all, everyone is born of a mother.

...

"What do we do now...?"

Seeing this scene, the leaders of both sides looked at each other. Although they were experienced enough to have witnessed the era when the God of Ninjas and the Asura of the Ninja World ruled the Ninja World, what kind of big scene hadn't they seen?

But... they've never experienced anything like this before. The fight was going so well, and suddenly it turned into this mess. They really don't know how to end it.

The current situation is such that a fight can't be fought anymore. The excitement of these underlings has subsided, and forcing a fight probably won't be very effective. But letting these two kids continue fighting isn't a solution either. Konoha doesn't care, since they're on the defensive anyway. They'd rather avoid fighting if possible. It would be even better if everyone could sit down and talk things out peacefully.

"Lord Ito, let's retreat now. That kid seems a bit strange..."

Nara Shika, approaching Hatake Itō with a hint of worry, said, "The younger brothers are just watching the show, while our boss is focusing on the details. It seems that Sakumo is indeed evenly matched with the Sand Village kid, but aside from the lion head he created at the start to boost his stats, which is a normal tactic, the abilities that Sand Village kid is displaying are strange, especially this ability to generate sword energy. Despite his extensive reading, he can't figure out what kind of swordsmanship this is. Even in the samurai era, such swordsmanship was unthinkable. If the samurai of the Land of Iron could generate such sword energy, this wouldn't be the ninja era anymore."

Now this kid from Sunagakure is actually fighting their genius one-on-one with his eyes closed. He's genuinely worried that some strange new ability might suddenly unleash and harm their promising young talent...

48. "Golden Lion" Miyamoto Masato

"....retreat!"

Hatake Ito nodded in agreement. Although he would prefer his son to win this duel between geniuses, it was clearly not the time for a one-on-one fight. Although the battle hadn't lasted long, their men had been overwhelmed by that kid, resulting in heavy casualties. The injured needed immediate treatment, and the dead needed to be reported to the Hokage so that the Hokage could send red envelopes to their families.

"...You're very strong! Let's settle this once and for all next time."

Upon receiving his father's signal to retreat, Hatake Sakumo immediately sheathed his sword, still looking half-dead, and earnestly spoke to Shinto, who still had his eyes closed. After finishing his words, he turned and left gracefully, without any hesitation.

"....(⊙_⊙)??? Why did you leave??"

"Holy crap! My data is ruined!! (「▼皿▼)"

Shinto suddenly opened his eyes, staring blankly at Sakumo Hatake, who was walking away with an air of nonchalance. Sakumo's attitude seemed completely different from when he challenged him to a duel... Then, looking at the retreating Konoha members, he realized that Konoha had already disappeared, and his stats seemed to be stuck at those godlike levels before the challenge; it seemed he hadn't even gotten a single assist...

In an instant, his good mood from awakening Observation Haki vanished, and he angrily pointed at Sakumo Hatake's back and launched into a tirade.

"What's wrong with him? He seems unhappy?"

"Perhaps it's because they couldn't defeat their opponents; that's probably a common flaw among geniuses."