The battle began.
Yujiro’s entire body turned into a weapon.
Fists.
Elbows.
Knees.
Shoulders.
Every movement carried power, and every step pressed forward without hesitation.
Kakashi’s expression grew more serious with each exchange.
Was this really a five-year-old?
This level of combat sense… it was not inferior to some genin.
No.
In close combat alone, it might even be above that.
“Still not enough.” Yujiro could feel it clearly.
His body was excited.
No, it was more than that.
It felt as if something inside him was struggling to break through its shackles.
At Training Ground Seven, two figures crossed again and again.
Clang!
Clang!
Sparks burst whenever kunai met short sword.
Kakashi’s breathing grew slightly heavier, and his exposed eye stared at Yujiro with undisguised shock.
Does this kid not get tired?
Ten minutes later— Ding!
Congratulations to the Host for breaking through the physical limit.
Limiter Unlock Progress +0.2%.
Ding!
Limiter opening… Ding!
Limiter successfully opened!
[Host: Yujiro] [Chakra Nature: Lightning, Wind] [Chakra: 600 — Chūnin Level] [Limiter: Level 1] [Progress toward Level 2: 0%] [When Level 2 progress exceeds 50%, Level 1 can be activated normally.] [Current Goal: Push physical energy to the limit.] [Daily limit: None.] In that instant, Yujiro felt as though a hidden door inside his body had been forced open.
His thoughts became frighteningly clear.
His senses sharpened.
His muscles responded to his will with a precision they had never possessed before.
The daily limit was gone?
Before opening the Limiter, he could only push his body to the limit twice a day.
But now, there was no restriction.
After all, every function of his body had been strengthened tenfold.
At that moment, Kakashi appeared behind him, short sword already moving.
Yujiro did not think.
His body moved on its own.
His hand shot back and caught Kakashi’s wrist with terrifying accuracy.
Combat instinct.
A pure subconscious reaction.
At the same time, the kunai in his other hand stopped against Kakashi’s abdomen.
The training ground fell silent.
Kakashi lowered his gaze to the kunai, then back to Yujiro.
“…I lost.” His voice was calm, but the shock in his eye was impossible to hide.
Yujiro released his wrist and stepped back.
“No.
You didn’t.” Kakashi had not used ninjutsu from the beginning.
He had fought Yujiro only with kenjutsu and taijutsu.
If Kakashi had used the full range of a jōnin’s techniques, Yujiro might not have been his opponent yet.
But now that the first stage of the Limiter had opened… Even if Yujiro could not defeat Kakashi, Kakashi would not be able to suppress him easily either.
“Thanks,” Yujiro said.
After opening the first stage of the Limiter, his body felt strangely light.
Almost weightless.
But Yujiro knew better than to be careless.
Right now, he was still maintaining the Level 1 state, so the abnormality had not fully appeared yet.
However, opening the Limiter for the first time always came with powerful side effects.
His cells needed time to adapt to the sudden change.
The moment he shut it off, he would probably collapse.
Without saying anything more, Yujiro turned and left Training Ground Seven.
…
When Yujiro returned home, Kurenai was already waiting for him.
“Yujiro!” The moment she saw his exhausted face, her expression tightened.
“Why are you only coming back now?
If you stayed out any longer, I was going to look for you myself.” Her voice carried blame, but the worry in it was stronger.
Yujiro looked up at her and smiled.
“I’m sleepy.
I’m going to sleep.” It was a soft smile.
Perhaps it was the kind of smile Yujiro only showed in front of Kurenai.
Then he closed the first stage of the Limiter.
The next instant, a fierce pain pierced through his entire body and struck straight into his mind.
His vision blurred.
Before he completely lost consciousness, Yujiro only felt himself fall into a warm embrace.
…
…
Hokage Office.
Inside the room, two figures stood in silence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the desk with his pipe in hand.
Namikaze Minato stood nearby, his expression calm, though helplessness lingered deep in his eyes.
He was the Fourth Hokage.
And yet, whenever something important happened in the village, the final decision still rested with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He held the title of Hokage.
But the authority that should have come with it was far thinner than anyone outside this room imagined.
One village.
Two Hokage.
How ridiculous.
“Minato.” Hiruzen picked up a report from the desk and slowly exhaled smoke from his pipe.
“These days, Iwagakure has started moving restlessly near the border again.” The report in front of him had been sent back from the front line.
Minato frowned slightly.
Every time intelligence came from the border, Hiruzen always read it first.
Only after that would it reach Minato’s hands.
“Then we should send reinforcements from the village.
If we delay—” Before Minato could finish, Hiruzen raised his hand and stopped him.
“Konoha does not have many shinobi to spare right now.” Hiruzen sighed deeply.
“The village cannot withstand more losses.
For now, we can only trust the shinobi stationed at the border.” Not many shinobi?
Minato remained silent, but his heart sank.
ANBU.
Root.
The shinobi clans.
Were those not shinobi?
They would rather send ANBU on ordinary escort missions than reinforce the battlefield?
But Minato did not say it aloud.
Because he already knew what Hiruzen’s answer would be.
Those shinobi were needed to protect Konoha.
They could not be moved.
But if the border fell, what meaning would there be in keeping all that strength hidden inside the village?
“Third Hokage.” Minato’s voice was calm.
“Then allow me to go.” “No.” Hiruzen rejected him immediately.
His tone became heavier as he stood up.
“Minato, you are no longer just a jōnin.” “You are Konoha’s Hokage.” “The village cannot afford to have you leave.” After saying that, Hiruzen picked up his pipe and slowly walked toward the door.
Konoha’s Hokage… Minato lowered his eyes slightly.
Why was the position he had admired for so long so different from what he had imagined?
Why did being Hokage feel so heavy?
Just as Hiruzen reached the door, Kakashi walked in from outside.
“Third Hokage-sama.” Kakashi lowered his head respectfully.
Hiruzen stopped and looked at him.
“Do you have business with the Hokage?” “Yes.” Kakashi nodded.
Just as Hiruzen was about to say something, a voice came from behind the desk.
“Come in, Kakashi.” Minato was already standing behind the Hokage’s desk, looking at his student.
Hiruzen’s brows tightened faintly.
After a moment, he gave a quiet sigh and left the room.
Kakashi stepped inside.
“Kakashi.” Minato looked at the boy in front of him, guilt stirring in his chest.
When Obito died, he had not arrived in time.
When Rin died, he had not been there either.
Perhaps Kakashi was already deeply disappointed in him.
Perhaps he had every right to be.
“Minato-sensei.” Kakashi went straight to the point.
“I fought that kid Yujiro today.” A trace of curiosity appeared in Minato’s eyes.
Yujiro was not unfamiliar to him.
His parents had died honorably on the battlefield, and he now lived with Kurenai Yuhi’s family.
A week ago, Kakashi had also mentioned him.
A boy who trained harder than anyone his age should.
“What happened?” Minato smiled gently.
In his heart, he had already guessed the answer.
Yujiro was only five years old.
No matter how gifted he was, Kakashi was already thirteen and had the strength of a jōnin.
There was no need to ask who had won.
Kakashi raised his head and said in a deep voice.
“…I lost.”