Just as the distance between the two had closed by half compared to the initial separation, Matsuake moved.
He didn’t even draw the short sword from his back, merely raising a fist with bulging veins.
In an instant, he appeared before Suke, who was charging toward him.
Such speed not only made Suke look as if he had seen a ghost but also caused many spectators to show expressions of astonishment.
“That kid Kazuma never told me that little Matsuake had already grown this strong,” Hashirama said in amazement.
He achieved this speed not by using Ninjutsu but purely through physical strength.
Even among Chūnin, only those skilled in Taijutsu could accomplish such a feat.
Moreover, Matsuake was not yet seven years old at this time.
However, even Kazuma, who had previously guided him for a period, was unaware of Matsuake’s transformation.
After all, for the past month or so, Kazuma had been extremely busy preparing for his upcoming wedding.
And Matsuake’s leap in strength had precisely occurred during this month of intense training and “cheating.” “Move quickly!!” Suke, who had already begun to sense that something was amiss, reacted with all his might.
His right hand, tightly gripping a Kunai, rose and swept forward, positioned across his chest.
In response, Matsuake’s red eyes merely flashed with a cold gleam.
His fist, originally aimed at the opponent’s abdomen, abruptly changed direction and struck Suke’s wrist with tremendous force.
Crack!
The sound of bone shattering could be clearly heard even from a distance.
Suke’s right hand lost all strength, and the Kunai, under such immense force, flew far away, embedding itself in the ground.
Just as he was about to cry out in pain, Matsuake’s other fist slammed into his abdomen.
This punch was not as forceful as the previous one.
After all, the target was different.
If he had used the same force as before, Suke’s internal organs would likely have been shattered.
Although he disliked his opponent, there was no need to go that far.
The earlier punch that shattered the bones in his opponent’s wrist was merely a lesson for Suke’s earlier ruthless act of breaking the bones of other examinees.
Even so, this punch still made Suke curl up like a shrimp, bending over from the impact.
Seeing this, Matsuake calmly withdrew his fist, took a few steps back, and looked toward the proctor outside the arena.
The proctor, still stunned by the course of the battle, snapped back to attention and began announcing the result.
“This match is won by Senju Matsuake!” Generally, after a match, both parties should perform the Seal of Reconciliation as a gesture of goodwill.
But since one side was so severely injured, it was more appropriate for him to receive treatment as soon as possible.
Once the dust had settled, Matsuake prepared to turn and leave.
As for Suke, if his injuries were not severe, he could leave the arena on his own.
If the injuries were serious, medical personnel would carry him away for treatment.
However, it was clear that Suke was unwilling to accept defeat like this.
For him, he had not yet displayed his Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu, yet he had been knocked down with a single punch.
Moreover, the early Graduation Exam was inherently stricter than the regular Graduation Exam.
Given this, even if he had performed well in previous battles, his final evaluation would likely be unfavorable.
For someone as prideful as him, this was more painful than death!
Thus, he struggled to his feet, glaring intently at Matsuake’s retreating back.
He raised his right hand, which hung limply due to loss of strength, and attempted to form a Hand Seal.
He completely disregarded the examiner’s declaration that the battle had ended, solely focused on using his most proficient Great Fireball Technique to wash away the shame.
However, with his right hand severely injured, his hand seals were as slow as a turtle’s crawl.
Matsuake would never stand by and watch him attempt a sneak attack without reacting.
Pushing off with his feet and shifting direction, Matsuake’s cold, stern face burned with anger as he dashed forward in a few strides to stand before Suke.
With his right hand, he harshly grabbed the other’s hair, lifting the person of similar height directly off the ground.
Then, he slammed him fiercely onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Suke, who had planned to use ninjutsu for a sneak attack, felt only an intense pain in his head, as if his soul were about to be hammered out of his body.
“Chakra Enhanced Strength!” An immense amount of chakra erupted from Matsuake’s body, converging at the center of his right fist.
Carrying overwhelming force, he smashed it fiercely into the ground beside Suke.
With a thunderous crash, the ground directly shattered.
Chakra is, after all, the product of physical and mental energy.
Thus, as his Breathing Technique deepened and his physique strengthened, his chakra reserves had surged accordingly.
Coupled with the results of his recent training, Matsuake could now wield Chakra Enhanced Strength with relative ease.
Under this single punch, the once-level ground fractured completely.
Suke lay disheveledly in the crater as if buried, his consciousness blurred.
In his daze, he saw the silver-haired figure ahead stroll away.
The resentment that had filled his eyes earlier was gone, replaced now by immense fear.
Arrogance, competitiveness, jealousy—all these emotions were shattered by that single punch.
“Matsuake, you’re amazing!” Tsukuyomi trotted over to Matsuake’s side, feeling even more impressed seeing how effortlessly he handled the situation.
Lately, she had often sparred with him and had the most direct sense of his progress.
From being evenly matched at the start, there was now a gap that seemed impossible to bridge.
Thus, the outcome of this battle didn’t surprise her at all.
“Hokage-sama, this child of the Senju is truly remarkable.” Outside the arena, Sarutobi Sasuke watched the scene somewhat speechlessly, sighing with deep emotion.
He had initially thought this would be a highly engaging duel.
Moreover, their identities—one from the Senju Clan, the other from the Uchiha Clan—gave him a sense of destiny.
Since the Warring States period, the two clans had been locked in constant conflict.
Veteran ninja like them had witnessed firsthand the years of rivalry between Hashirama and Madara, as well as Tobirama and Izuna.
But now, it seemed the sense of destiny was nonsense.
What kind of arch-enemy gets knocked down with just a few punches?
“This was beyond our expectations as well.” “The last time we saw young Matsuake use Chakra Enhanced Strength, he couldn’t control his chakra with such precision.” Hashirama and Tobirama exchanged a glance, equally surprised and bewildered.
Though usually busy, they still kept an eye on the development of their clan’s younger generation.
But the strength Matsuake displayed today had exceeded their expectations.
With such ability, he was more than qualified not just as a Genin, but even as a Chūnin.
All he lacked was experience and seniority.
Moreover, they had noticed that Matsuake carried a short sword on his back.
Throughout these rounds of combat, that short sword had yet to be drawn.
However, they only felt gratified that their own child was so formidable.
After all, the younger generation of the Senju Clan lacked any outstanding ninjas, which had them worried about the predicament of a talent gap.
Beside them, Hiruzen, Danzō, and the others also wore solemn expressions.
“Hiruzen, what do you think?” Homura whispered.
To be honest, watching the earlier battle, he felt somewhat uncertain.
Although he wouldn’t be knocked out in just a few moves like Suke, he likely wouldn’t escape defeat either.
Hearing this, Hiruzen shook his head and said, “At his age, he is indeed absurdly strong.” “In a few years, it’s hard to say, but for now, he probably isn’t my match.” Soon, the medical personnel waiting outside the arena stepped in to carry away the unconscious Suke.