NOVEL WEB Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Two hours later, Elder Naoki arrived at the training ground with his grandson, Hideki Senju.
By then, the place was already packed. Spectators filled every corner, leaving barely any room to breathe.
Among them were prominent figures from all across Konoha — the old guard and the next generation. Hyuga Mori of the Hyuga clan, Nara Shikaichi from the Nara clan, along with members of the Yamanaka and Akimichi families, had all shown up.
Even Uchiha Madara had sent for Uchiha Kitajima to be brought over.
What had started as a simple test between two children had suddenly turned into a full-blown showcase of the younger generation.
Normally, kids of their age would've been excited, running around and chatting endlessly. But this wasn't a normal day.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Every major clan leader in Konoha was present — no one dared to act out.
They could mess around on regular days, but not today. One wrong move, and their clan leaders would never let them hear the end of it.
Hoshikawa Haru followed behind Hashirama, scanning the crowd.
None of the faces looked familiar, but something told him these were the parents of people he'd be dealing with in the future.
"You all arrived quickly," Hashirama said, his voice calm and unreadable. "Let's get started — there's a council meeting afterward."
Naoki raised an eyebrow, slightly suspicious, but said nothing.
Nara River, head of the Nara clan and known for his insight, narrowed his eyes with a subtle smile.
The Yamanaka and Akimichi clan heads stood nearby, exchanging whispers. The three clans had been allies since the Warring States period.
Yamanaka Kyosuke asked his friend directly, "What are you grinning about?"
With a cryptic tone, Nara River replied, "This might get interesting."
Kyosuke leaned in. "You think it'll be unexpected?"
"Let's just say… don't let your jaw hit the floor," Nara River said with a smirk, nodding toward the center of the field.
On the field, Hideki Senju and Hoshikawa Haru stood facing each other.
"So, you're the Hokage's disciple?" Hideki sneered. "You don't look like much. Try not to cry when you lose."
As the grandson of a powerful elder, Hideki had gained the strength of a Chūnin by age ten. If nothing went wrong, he was on track to become a jōnin in the future.
But Haru yawned, clearly unimpressed. "Are we gonna fight or just run your mouth all day?"
That lazy, indifferent tone hit Hideki hard. He felt belittled — and kids can't take that lightly.
Without warning—
Swish—swish—swish!
Three kunai came flying, aimed directly at Haru's limbs.
At the same time, Hideki lunged forward, hoping to land a decisive strike.
Haru didn't even flinch.
To someone his age, that speed was decent.
But to Hoshikawa Haru, it was like watching a turtle crawl. He saw every move in slow motion, full of glaring openings.
He stepped aside, effortlessly dodging two of the kunai.
Then — mid-air — he snatched the third kunai with a swift twist of his wrist.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Nearby, a young man with black hair and a sunny smile turned to one of his companions. "Danzo, our junior's not bad at all."
"He's better than we were at that age."
Danzo's face was unreadable. "He is the Hokage's student, after all. Of course he's strong."
"But he's still young," chimed in Utane Koharu, another of Tobirama's disciples. "He might not last long."
Another disciple, Mitokado Homura, asked, "Sensei, do you think our junior can win?"
The rest of Tobirama's six students leaned in, waiting for his response.
Tobirama's arms were crossed, his eyes calm. "I'm more worried Hideki will be traumatized."
The six of them froze.
What?! That serious?!
"You'd better watch closely," Tobirama added. "This kid's going to be your pressure in the future."
They all gulped and turned their attention back to the field.
Meanwhile, Hideki hadn't given up. He rushed in and threw a punch.
Haru smirked.
He blocked with his left arm, grabbed Hideki's collar with his right, and yanked forward.
Hideki stumbled right into a counterattack — Haru raised the kunai he had just caught.
Just as it was about to land, Hideki vanished.
Haru raised an eyebrow.
"Clone Technique, huh? So it won't be that simple. Guess I'll have to show a little more."
Outside the arena, Naoki stroked his beard, looking pleased.
In his mind, he was already picturing Hideki earning the Hokage's praise.
"Hokage's disciple or not," he muttered with a grin, "this is for your own good, kid."
Just as Naoki grew more confident, Uchiha Madara spoke with a scoff. "Hmph. That's nothing but flair. Last-ditch effort."
He turned to Uchiha Kitajima, his tone heavy.
"Remember this — strategy means nothing when facing absolute strength."
Kitajima blinked, confused. The fight looked even so far. Why would Madara say that?
But when he looked up, Madara had gone quiet, his eyes fixed on the field.
Kitajima didn't dare ask further.
Back on the field, Haru stood silently for several minutes, his expression unreadable.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naoki smirking, clearly convinced his grandson had the upper hand.
A plan began forming in Haru's mind.
"So you want to play tricks? Fine. I'll give you something real."
His quiet voice caught everyone's attention.
Even Hashirama, Tobirama, and Uchiha Madara reacted subtly — their eyes sharpened.
Others weren't sure what he meant.
Then, it happened.
Hoshikawa Haru's eyes began to shift.
His once-black pupils turned deep blue, glowing faintly. A strange, pulsing energy radiated from his body in all directions.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"This… this is—"
"A bloodline limit?!"
"Yes! It's a dojutsu!"
"I can't believe it — after the Sharingan and the Byakugan, another eye-based bloodline appears in Konoha?"
In mere seconds, the energy in the arena shifted completely.
A quiet, routine spar had become something else entirely.
The audience erupted in stunned murmurs, and the tension climbed with every passing second.