Chapter 8: The First Real Test

The dust had barely settled from their swift victory. Tsunade cracked her knuckles, grinning at the fallen opponents.

"Well, that was easy."

Jiraiya huffed, standing over the unconscious student he had fought. "Yeah, but they didn't make it fun."

Orochimaru, holding the real scroll, examined it with mild interest. "We have what we came for. We should leave before other teams arrive."

Ryūsei, his gold-tinted Byakugan still active, looked toward the trees. "It's already too late for that."

The leaves rustled, and from the shadows emerged another team—one far more prepared than the last.

At the front was Hyūga Hideo, his pale eyes locked onto Ryūsei. Behind him stood two others: Inuzuka Rei, with his ninken growling beside him, and Aburame Daisuke, his chakra signature strangely muted—probably suppressing his insects for a stealth advantage.

Hideo's gaze flickered to the scroll. "So you were the first to take it."

Orochimaru tucked the scroll away calmly. "And we intend to keep it."

Hideo didn't seem amused. "That depends on whether you can."

Tsunade smirked. "Want to test that theory?"

Before Hideo could respond, Ryūsei stepped forward. "We don't need to fight."

Jiraiya shot him a look. "Come on, you're not scared, are you?"

Ryūsei ignored him. "There are still other teams out there. Fighting now only makes us vulnerable to a third-party attack. The smart move is to leave."

Hideo's expression didn't change, but Ryūsei could feel the tension in his stance. The Hyūga wasn't the reckless type—but pride often got in the way of reason.

"You're strong, Ryūsei," Hideo said, "but I'd rather test that myself."

Ryūsei sighed. So it's going to be like this.

Tsunade clapped her hands. "Fine. Let's just finish this quickly."

Orochimaru remained still, watching everything with an unreadable expression.

Ryūsei glanced at him. "You're not going to stop this?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Why would I? I'd like to see how this plays out."

The Rematch: Hyūga vs. Ōtsutsuki

The two combatants stepped into the clearing.

Following Academy tradition, they both performed the Seal of Confrontation before assuming their stances.

Hideo fell into the Gentle Fist stance—elegant, precise, a clear display of his Hyūga training.

Ryūsei stood in his own stance—a refined yet raw version of the Hyūga's, its movements reminiscent of the Moon Ōtsutsuki. His form was looser, more adaptable, but carried the same deadliness.

Hideo activated his Byakugan first. "I've been looking forward to this."

Ryūsei's golden Byakugan glowed slightly. "Then don't disappoint me."

The fight began in an instant.

Hideo moved first, a blur of motion as he closed the distance. His palm lashed out, aiming for Ryūsei's chakra points.

Ryūsei sidestepped, barely avoiding the strike, and retaliated with a palm thrust to Hideo's ribs. Hideo deflected it with a smooth redirection, countering with a spin into a sweeping kick.

Ryūsei hopped back, avoiding the kick with ease. He wasn't just dodging—he was analyzing.

Hideo's technique was textbook Hyūga—efficient and precise, but predictable.

Ryūsei, on the other hand, fought like something older, deeper—his strikes weren't just aimed at chakra points, but at disrupting flow, balance, and control.

Tsunade watched closely. "He's… different from a Hyūga."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Yeah, I can't tell if he's holding back or just messing with him."

Orochimaru smirked. "He's studying him."

Hideo launched forward again, this time unleashing a rapid flurry of palm strikes.

Ryūsei moved fluidly, dodging each one by inches. Instead of directly countering, he redirected—his hands brushing past Hideo's attacks, subtly shifting his balance.

Then, Ryūsei struck.

A single palm to Hideo's chest.

Hideo staggered, his footing momentarily lost. It was not a normal Gentle Fist strike.

His chakra had momentarily disrupted—not from a blocked tenketsu, but from the sheer efficiency of the strike.

Hideo recovered quickly, his expression darkening. "I see. You're not fighting seriously."

Ryūsei exhaled. "I am. Just not how you want me to."

Hideo's hands blurred into a seal. "Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"

A burst of compressed air shot forward. Ryūsei barely shifted in time, the attack grazing his side.

But that was all the distraction Hideo needed.

He closed the distance instantly, striking forward with a direct palm to the abdomen.

Ryūsei reacted on instinct.

His body twisted mid-strike, his palm meeting Hideo's in an unexpected counter.

The air crackled as their chakra clashed—not in brute force, but in efficiency.

For a split second, Hideo's technique unraveled.

Ryūsei took advantage. His other palm struck forward, this time a clean hit to Hideo's shoulder.

Hideo's arm numbed instantly.

The Hyūga stumbled back, eyes widening in shock. "What…?"

Ryūsei lowered his hands. "I win."

Hideo's chakra network was not damaged, but temporarily disconnected from his arm. Ryūsei had learned to target balance points, not just chakra points.

Hideo clenched his fists but sighed. "Fine. I concede."

They both performed the Seal of Reconciliation.

Jiraiya whistled. "That was… something."

Tsunade nodded. "He fights smarter than he lets on."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "He's not Hyūga. But he understands them better than they understand themselves."

Ryūsei turned back to his team. "Let's go."

Tsunade threw an arm over his shoulder. "About time. You didn't have to play with him like that."

"I wasn't playing," Ryūsei said simply. "I was proving a point."

Jiraiya grinned. "What point?"

Ryūsei glanced back at Hideo. "That fighting isn't just about technique—it's about understanding."

Orochimaru's smile deepened. "Interesting."

With that, they vanished into the trees—a team more in sync than before.