Chapitre 52: The Power of a Kage
The sword's path of destruction was swift and merciless, cutting through trees and boulders like they were paper. The massive trunks split cleanly in two, offering no resistance to the blade's force.
The aftermath was chaos. Trees crashed to the ground, sending debris flying everywhere. The earth itself seemed to shudder, shaken by the sheer force of Hayashi's strike.
Naruto's eyes went wide as the unstoppable force rushed towards him. He tensed up, ready to dodge or deflect the attack.
Just as the flying slash seemed about to strike, it suddenly changed direction, shooting upward at the last second.
The slash passed mere inches from Naruto's face. His hair whipped wildly, and a few strands of golden hair fell to the ground.
Naruto remained unscathed, but the earth behind him took the brunt of the attack. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
The sheer power behind that single strike left him breathless.
"I... I give up," Naruto rasped.
But as he regained his energy, he stood up, a grin spreading across his face. He pointed a finger at Hayashi.
"Next time, I'll win!"
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As the sword energy faded, the massive wall behind Naruto crumbled, revealing the village beyond.
The audience, knocked out cold by Hayashi's intense pressure, slowly regained consciousness. They rubbed their sore heads, looking around in confusion.
Groans and murmurs filled the arena as people struggled to their feet, trying to make sense of what had happened.
"What...what happened?"
A young woman asked, her voice shaking as she sat up.
A man nearby, still dazed, looked around and exclaimed, "People were falling down left and right! I thought it was all over for us!"
His companion, a young kunoichi, slowly got to her feet, her eyes scanning the area.
"What about the others? Are they...?"
She trailed off as she saw the lifeless bodies scattered around them. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Oh no...they're not moving!"
But then, one of the villagers knelt down beside an unconscious figure.
"Wait, she's alive," he said, checking the pulse.
"She's just knocked out."
Another villager, a young woman, did the same for a nearby figure.
"And he's alive too," she said, relief washing over her face.
Some were crying, others were screaming, and a few were still trying to process what had just happened.
One of the villagers, still shaken, pointed to Hayashi.
"W-what did he do?" he stuttered.
"How did he...how did he do that?"
As the civilians cowered in fear, the stronger ninjas stood frozen in horror and disbelief.
"Could it be a bloodline limit?" someone whispered.
"No, even a bloodline limit can't be that extreme!"
"Is this even possible with sword skills?" another exclaimed.
"Who is that silver-haired boy?"
The arena was filled with whispers and confused murmurs as the ninjas struggled to comprehend the impossible feat they had just witnessed.
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The Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage stood up in shock, their eyes wide with horror.
"That slash didn't have any chakra fluctuations, but it's undeniable that it's as strong as an S-rank ninjutsu," the Fourth Kazekage analyzed.
The Third Hokage's hand, gripping his pipe, shook slightly.
"A twelve-year-old with Kage-level power?" he whispered.
In the shinobi world, S-rank techniques were the highest level of mastery, and only a select few could wield such power. Any ninja who masters it wields the power to threaten a Kage.
And Hayashi's slash had just demonstrated that level of strength, surpassing even Kakashi's Raikiri in lethality.
A twelve-year-old Kage-level prodigy? It's a terrifying prospect for a child of such immense power to emerge in an era of peace.
But what surprised them more was the crushing pressure they felt from Hayashi. They couldn't explain what it was, but it was as if the air had been sucked out of the room.
As Hayashi left the arena, the Third Hokage's gaze followed him, his eyes never leaving the young ninja.
'Is this a blessing or a curse for Konoha?'
His eyes narrowed as he thought to himself.
'A ninja with such immense power could shape the village's future, but it also poses a significant threat to our security.'
He glanced at his advisors, their worried looks mirroring his own concerns.
'I need to consult with the others and decide what to do,' he realized.
As he sat down, his mind suddenly wandered to Danzo, his old friend. He wondered what his friend would think of the situation and whether he would have any advice to offer.
Being the Hokage can be a heavy responsibility.
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"In the first round, Yusuke Hayashi wins."
Genma's voice echoed through the arena as he looked at Hayashi with a hint of respect.
The crowd, which had been filled with fear just moments before, erupted into excitement.
"Too powerful!" someone exclaimed.
"That wasn't ninjutsu..." another voice chimed in
A lone voice cried out, "Hahaha, let's make Konoha great again!"
The outburst was met with an uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by the sound of whispers and murmurs.
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As Hayashi strode into the lounge, the other candidates couldn't tear their eyes away.
Temari and Kankuro, in particular, looked like they'd seen a ghost.
'That guy is a monster like Gaara!'
Even those with limited understanding of the shinobi world recognized that Hayashi was no ordinary Genin.
Shino, adjusting his sunglasses, asked calmly as Hayashi approached Hinata, "Hayashi, was that your full strength?"
Hayashi paused, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah, that's my full strength."
Shino's eyes narrowed, his breath catching in his throat.
"I see."
The skepticism in Shino's tone was clear, and Hayashi's casual response only fueled the suspicion. Shino's eyes widened in awe.
'That wasn't even his full strength!'
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The first round of the third exam had the crowd on the edge of their seats, completely absorbed by the intense performance.
But the excitement was short-lived, as Sasuke's unexpected absence in the second round left the audience feeling deflated.
Disappointed murmurs and disgruntled voices filled the arena as the match was postponed, leaving fans feeling frustrated and let down.
To move things along, the proctors decided to skip ahead to the third round: Aburame Shino vs. Kankuro.
But things only got worse when Kankuro unexpectedly forfeited the match, depriving them of another highly anticipated battle.
The audience's curses and boos rained down on Kankuro, but he didn't seem to care.
He knew he didn't stand a chance against Shino, and by forfeiting, he could conserve his energy for later and avoid a second loss to his opponent.
The fourth round of the tournament finally got underway: Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru.
This was Shikamaru's chance to impress the senior officials of Konoha with his clever tactics.
He might not have been as strong as Naruto or Sasuke, and a few others could overpower him in a fight. But his intelligence set him apart.
In fact, he was the only one of the nine candidates to be promoted to Chunin in the original series, beating out 152 other competitors.
His sharp mind and strategic thinking were on full display, showcasing his exceptional skills.
However, in a move that surprised many, he chose to concede the match once he had her cornered.
But in a surprising move, Shikamaru chose to concede the match, even though he had Temari cornered. Thus, the fourth round came to a close with Shikamaru's forfeit, leaving many in the audience stunned.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone