What Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know…
…was that Yoruha had already held back enormously.
The reason was simple.
He did not fully understand the Third Hokage’s durability yet.
If he accidentally used too much force—
Hiruzen might genuinely die.
Even while restraining himself, a single punch had already forced the Hokage to cough blood.
So Yoruha did not follow with a second attack.
Instead, he leaped backward lightly.
Splash.
His feet landed atop the lake’s surface effortlessly.
Water-walking was merely the most basic application of chakra control in the Naruto world.
After inheriting Sakazuki’s monstrous combat instincts and control, mastering such fundamentals became almost instinctive.
After all, Akainu’s control over power was terrifyingly precise.
Whether it was Haki, Devil Fruit mastery, or battlefield awareness, Sakazuki stood at the absolute top tier of the One Piece world.
Yoruha inherited not only his strength—
But also his combat talent and adaptability.
Combined with Yoruha’s preexisting understanding of chakra theory from this world, basic chakra manipulation became effortless.
Now he stood calmly in the middle of the lake beneath the moonlight, staring toward the shore.
The Third Hokage slowly climbed out from the massive crater created by the previous exchange.
Blood remained visible at the corner of Hiruzen’s mouth.
His arms still trembled faintly.
The old Hokage looked at Yoruha with unprecedented shock.
“This child…”
“That strength is absurd…”
“It’s several times greater than Tsunade’s.”
And speed—
That speed was even more terrifying.
Hiruzen had fought many powerful shinobi throughout his life, including the Third Raikage during the Great Ninja Wars.
The Raikage lineage of Kumogakure possessed the most terrifying physiques in the ninja world, refined through Lightning Release stimulation and monstrous training.
Especially Third Raikage.
The man once fought the Eight-Tails directly for days.
His body was practically a weapon.
Yet the speed Yoruha displayed moments ago felt even more explosive.
Only one person Hiruzen remembered clearly surpassed such movement speed—
Minato Namikaze.
But Minato relied on Flying Thunder God.
Yoruha relied purely on physical movement.
That distinction alone was terrifying.
Standing atop the water, Yoruha spoke calmly:
“Hokage-sama.”
“Don’t compete with me in taijutsu.”
“Use ninjutsu instead.”
His tone was not arrogant.
Merely factual.
Even with Enma assisting, Hiruzen simply could not match him in close combat.
The Third Hokage naturally understood this already.
As he stood fully on the grass again, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
“This was supposed to be me testing him…”
“Now it feels more like he’s testing me instead.”
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
“That punch earlier…”
“He held back.”
The realization made his scalp numb slightly.
If Yoruha truly intended to kill him during the first exchange—
The result might have become disastrous.
At that moment, Enma’s voice sounded from the Adamantine Staff.
“Hiruzen.”
“If that brat punches again…”
“…I might not withstand it.”
The Third Hokage froze briefly.
“Even your Adamantine Body can’t endure it?”
Enma’s transformed body was famous for its absurd durability.
The Adamantine Staff could even resist the Kusanagi Blade.
Its hardness far exceeded steel.
Yet Enma sounded genuinely shaken.
“That fist…”
“It didn’t feel like being hit by a human.”
“It felt like a mountain slammed into me.”
Enma’s voice carried lingering fear.
“And his fist…”
“…might actually be harder than my body.”
Hiruzen’s pupils contracted.
“What?”
Even he found that difficult to believe.
Yet Enma had directly received the impact himself.
No one understood the force better than him.
Enma continued grimly:
“No wonder his body withstands such terrifying speed naturally.”
“His physique has already reached Raikage-level.”
The Raikage of Kumogakure represented the absolute pinnacle of body refinement among shinobi.
Especially the Third Raikage.
Outside of abnormal monsters like Tsunade, who inherited Senju vitality and enhanced herself through chakra control, almost nobody in the ninja world could rival that level of durability.
Yet Yoruha’s body clearly belonged within that category already.
Hiruzen slowly tightened his grip on Enma.
“This child…”
“He’s already beyond ordinary Jonin.”
“With just physical ability alone, he rivals Tsunade and the Third Raikage.”
Then Enma corrected him immediately.
“No.”
“His punches are even heavier than the Third Raikage’s.”
“The Raikage never shook my body like that.”
A brief silence followed.
Enma added stiffly:
“And I absolutely do not want to receive a second punch from him.”
Even the Monkey King had developed psychological pressure after one exchange.
The Third Hokage inhaled deeply.
“…Then I’ll test his ninjutsu resistance.”
He raised both hands instantly.
Hand seals formed rapidly.
“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”
The calm lake exploded violently.
ROAR!!
A gigantic water dragon surged upward beneath the moonlight, roaring toward Yoruha with overwhelming force.
The dragon stretched dozens of meters long.
Massive waves crashed outward from its movement.
Yoruha merely raised his head slightly.
Then—
He clenched his fist.
CLICK.
A strange cracking sound emerged from his arm.
Steam began rising from his fist.
Terrifying heat spread outward instantly.
The temperature around him climbed rapidly.
This was not full magma transformation yet.
Yoruha was merely increasing volcanic heat and pressure through the power of the Mag-Mag Fruit.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
Then he punched forward casually.
BOOM!!!
The atmosphere exploded.
The Water Dragon Technique did not even reach him.
The monstrous shockwave from Yoruha’s punch instantly vaporized the entire dragon into steam.
BANG!!!
A catastrophic gust erupted forward.
Trees hundreds of meters ahead exploded apart violently.
The earth tore open.
A gigantic fan-shaped trench stretched across the forest, extending hundreds of meters into the distance.
Everything in its path was obliterated.
Wind pressure alone bent the surrounding forest violently.
The Third Hokage’s robes whipped wildly in the storm.
He stared blankly ahead.
His mind momentarily stopped functioning.
Behind Yoruha—
The lake still steamed intensely from the evaporated water.
Meanwhile, Yoruha slowly lowered his fist.
“It seems my control over magma-related output has improved further.”
The attack just now was not true magma generation yet.
He merely amplified force through volcanic thermal pressure.
Even so—
The resulting destructive power already approached high-level A-rank or even S-rank ninjutsu.
And this was while restraining himself inside Konoha territory.
If fully unleashed—
That punch might genuinely pierce through a mountain.
The Third Hokage felt a cold chill down his spine.
For a brief moment during that attack—
He genuinely sensed death.
Not metaphorically.
Actual death.
“…Ridiculous.”
Hiruzen’s voice became dry.
“How can someone this strong exist at twelve years old?”
At some point, Enma silently released his transformation and dismissed himself without even saying goodbye.
Apparently, the Monkey King had no interest in remaining nearby any longer.
Yoruha calmly walked back toward the shore.
Passing beside the Third Hokage, he spoke casually:
“Hokage-sama.”
“It truly doesn’t matter who becomes my instructor.”
Then he simply walked away toward his house.
Hiruzen remained standing there motionlessly for a very long time.
Only after Yoruha disappeared entirely did he finally recover slightly.
He turned stiffly toward the devastated forest.
The gigantic trench cutting across the earth remained visible beneath the moonlight.
Proof of Yoruha’s terrifying punch.
The Third Hokage’s mouth twitched slightly.
“…Does this child even need an instructor anymore?”
More importantly—
Who in Konoha could actually guide him?
Pure physical force already rivaled top-tier Kage-level monsters.
And Yoruha had not even demonstrated proper ninjutsu yet.
Hiruzen sighed heavily.
“He would fit Guy’s style…”
“But even Guy may not be his opponent.”
At this point in time, Might Guy had not yet reached his future peak.
Without opening the Eighth Gate—
Hiruzen genuinely doubted Guy could defeat Yoruha.