Two hours passed quickly, and Naoki arrived at the training grounds with his grandson, Hideki Senju.
The area was already packed. Elders, clan leaders, and prodigies from nearly every major family had gathered to witness the match.
Among them stood Hyuga Mori from the Hyuga clan, Nara Shikaichi of the Nara clan, as well as members of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans.
Even Uchiha Madara had sent for one of his clan's younger members, Uchiha Kitajima.
What should have been a simple spar between two children had somehow turned into a full-blown event—an unofficial gathering of Konoha's next generation.
Normally, the children would've been loud and playful, chattering and showing off. But now, standing before Konoha's most powerful figures, they were silent as mice, stiff and tense, barely daring to breathe.
They could act wild at home, but not here—not under the eyes of their clan leaders.
Kaede followed Hashirama through the crowd, scanning the faces around him.
I don't know any of them, he thought, but some of these people are probably the parents of those I'll know in the future.
"You all came quickly," Hashirama said calmly, his tone neither warm nor cold. "In that case, let's begin. We still have a meeting afterward."
Naoki's eyebrows twitched. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, but he remained silent.
Meanwhile, Nara Kawaji, the Nara clan head known for his sharp mind, glanced around with an amused smile.
Yamanaka Kyosuke, seated beside him, noticed and leaned closer. "What's that look for?"
The bond between the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans had always been strong, so Kawaji didn't bother hiding his thoughts.
"You'll see soon enough," he said with a mysterious grin. "Something interesting might happen."
Kyosuke raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think the result will surprise us?"
Kawaji didn't answer directly. He nodded toward the field. "Watch closely. Just don't let your jaw hit the ground."
At that moment, the two young competitors stepped into the center of the training ground—Hideki Senju and Kaede, standing opposite each other.
Hideki smirked. "So, you're the Hokage's disciple? You don't look impressive. Try not to cry when you lose."
As the grandson of the great elder, Hideki was already considered talented. At only ten years old, he had reached the level of a chunin. In a few years, he would surely become a jonin.
Kaede yawned lazily. "Are you going to fight or talk all day?"
The relaxed tone only fueled Hideki's anger. His pride as a Senju couldn't bear being looked down upon.
Children's tempers were like storms—quick to form, quick to explode.
Three kunai flew toward Kaede in rapid succession, aimed precisely at his limbs.
Hideki dashed forward right after, determined to teach this "arrogant brat" a lesson.
Kaede, however, stayed calm. The kunai looked fast to most onlookers, but to him, it was painfully slow—like watching someone move underwater.
He shifted his body, sidestepped two kunai, and caught the third midair with a flick of his wrist.
The entire motion happened in less than a second.
Tobirama, watching from a distance, nodded slightly. "Danzo, look at that. Our little prodigy's not bad."
"At his age, dodging perfectly like that… he's ahead of where we were," one of the younger men said.
Danzo crossed his arms. "He's the Hokage's disciple. Naturally, he wouldn't be weak."
"But he's still a child," Koharu remarked. "His stamina won't last long."
Mitokado Homura looked at their teacher. "Sensei, do you think he can win?"
Tobirama's lips curled into a faint smirk. "That boy Hideki might end up with a lifelong shadow after this."
The six disciples blinked in surprise. "That serious?"
"You'll see," Tobirama said coolly. "Watch carefully. This is what pressure looks like."
On the field, Hideki charged in, unfazed by Kaede's earlier display.
He swung a fist straight toward Kaede's face.
Kaede's lips curved slightly. He raised his left arm to block, then grabbed Hideki's chest with his right hand and yanked him forward.
The sudden pull threw Hideki off balance, his body tilting forward.
In one motion, Kaede drove the kunai toward him—only for Hideki's figure to vanish in a puff of smoke.
"A clone technique?" Kaede muttered, scanning the field. "Not bad. Guess I'll have to show a bit more of my power."
Outside the ring, Naoki's lips curved in satisfaction.
Seeing his grandson perform so well, his confidence grew. In his mind, he was already picturing Hideki basking in praise from the Hokage.
"Hokage's disciple or not, this will teach the boy humility," Naoki muttered smugly, stroking his beard.
Across the crowd, Uchiha Madara chuckled darkly. "Hmph. All that flash is just a distraction before defeat."
His sharp eyes tracked every movement in the field.
He leaned slightly toward Uchiha Kitajima, who stood beside him. "Remember this, boy: tricks and schemes are useless in the face of absolute power."
Kitajima blinked in confusion. The fight looked evenly matched to him—neither side had shown dominance yet.
Madara noticed his uncertainty but said nothing more. He simply snorted and continued watching in silence.
Meanwhile, Kaede stood motionless in the arena. Several long minutes passed without any movement from either side.
Naoki's smirk widened. It was clear he thought victory was in hand.
Kaede noticed the smug look and sighed. "Playing games, huh? Alright. I'll get serious. Consider this a sign of respect."
The onlookers frowned, not understanding what he meant.
Only Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara's eyes narrowed slightly.
A faint hum filled the air as Kaede's pupils began to shift. The dark black faded away, replaced by a radiant blue glow.
A strange wave pulsed from his body, rippling across the field.
Gasps erupted from the audience.
"That's… a Kekkei Genkai!"
"Yes, and it's a dōjutsu type!"
"Unbelievable! After the Sharingan and the Byakugan, Konoha has birthed another ocular Kekkei Genkai!"
In an instant, the once-casual spar became the most riveting spectacle in Konoha's history.
Even among gods and prodigies, something new had just emerged.
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