Talent...

~ Omniscient Pov, 2 week later... ~

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'I feel like I'm going insane... This kid. Why do I get such bad feeling from him, like he's hiding something.' It's been two weeks since the last physical examination check-up. Initially when Hayatou had lost; of course, he was disappointed, but quickly got over it... 

Yet the very next day, the same boy came back, and looked to be even more different than yesterday. He couldn't place his finger on it. but ever since then, being an a somewhat experienced ninja he could feel that something was off.

And for the past two weeks, he's finally gotten the chance to see what's changed, if anything at all...

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"Alright... Kai and Hayatou, please step up to the ring."

Both students stepped up to the ring as intended. The other students wondering why their sensei even bothered pairing the two when the result was clear. Kai would be the winner, just like last time...

"You both know what to do." The teacher said, checking off his list.

The two of them quickly made the designated hand signs to spar... "Hajime!"

Kai was the first to charge this time, however as he closed in, he realized that Hayatou took a stance, a weird stance. One he hadn't seen before. Hayatou had his left foot back wards, his right foot placed toward the front. Both evenly spread apart. His posture was upright, with his arms held in front of him tightly yet evenly.

The teacher noticed this, 'Hmm? What kind of stance is that...? Whatever it is, it's definitely not the one we've taught him...' He looked at the match, slightly more interested than before.

Kai looked suspiciously at what was even happening, 'What is he even doing? No, it doesn't matter, I'll just defeat him like last time.' He charged, forwards once again. Using his momentum, he quickly threw a left punch.

Fwish~

'Hmm? He dodged that?' Their sensei looked at the movement Hayatou had made, realizing that he couldn't spot any form of wasted action in the movement at all; despite how weird it had appeared. In fact, the dodge was nothing short of beautiful.

Kai grit his teeth, realizing that his attack was a miss, following it up, he quickly ducked below, using a low sweeping kick meant to knock his opponent off his feet. Yet...

Tap~

Hayatou had backed up, just out of his reach...

Kai clicked his tongue in frustration, 'Tch—he dodged it again?'

This time without any hesitation, he pressed forward, throwing a rapid flurry of punches. Left, right, left—each strike aimed with precision, and each one carrying his full intent to overwhelm.

'Looks like he's upset...' Hayatou remarked, seeing the punches go by him in slow motion...

Yet in contrast, he moved like a literal ghost. His feet shifted effortlessly, his body swaying just enough to let each attack brush past without making contact. His eyes were calm, studying Kai's every move.

Their sensei watched with growing intrigue, 'This... This definitely isn't just random dodging... it's almost as if he's reading all of Kai's movements...' Kai, however, refused to be deterred by any of this. Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his rhythm, feinting a right hook before swiftly twisting into a spinning back kick.

'Now I've got you!'

But—

Fwip~

Hayatou had already ducked under the kick at the last second, shifting his weight onto his back leg before smoothly countering with a precise liver shot to Kai's torso...

Thud!

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"What are you waiting for?... He isn't going to get back up." Hayatou said, jumping off.

The teacher looked at Hayatou in absolute confusion, 'Just what the hell was that match? How did one of our best student's lose in a single hit? Hell, how did he even lose so easily too?'

"Woah! Did-did Hayatou just win?"

"He beat him in one hit too..."

Hayatou sighed, "Oh, and Toyo sensei... I'll also be inquiring for an early graduation as well."

Of course, his sensei was speechless at the moment. It's one thing to do something like this, but it's another story to apply for an early graduation entirely...

"We..." Toyo thought and paused for a moment, "We will have to speak, after class..." He didn't expect such an over whelming victory from the child. He'd definitely have to think things over now.

He quickly glanced over and walked over to help his student... Hayatou on the other hand, quietly sat in a corner by himself. Ignoring the bickering on the children.

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As he did so, he heard N.E.O getting ready to start a conversation.

[You should have used all your power host... If you did so, your ascent into a higher position would have been guaranteed.]

Hayatou took a moment to think, 'I... would agree; but if I did that, it would've been too much, and I doubt even my own sensei, Toyo would even see me move. Defeating the kid like that should be enough to spark some level of curiosity. Plus, that's how humans are... If you feed them too much, over saturate themselves and lose interest. Trickle it, and they'll only want more...'

[Interesting... And how do you think the early graduation ceremony will go?]

'I... I don't know, if my memories serves me right, the Hokage had actually barred student's from graduating before the age of 12 years. However, I plan on revealing a strength level so high, he'll have to reconsider it himself, a talent even he can't ignore.'

[I suppose that should be your next goal, however... I wanted to ask you. Who do you have in mind as your first sample?]

Hayatou thought deeply about it for a moment...

'To be honest... I think I'll go with Shikamaru as my first target. He has something I desperately want at the moment; a more powerful mind. What's more, he likely has physical parameters far higher than mine anyway; it's a win-win situation. If I can get a sample of him, it would be well worth it. If not, I'd likely go with Naruto as my next target.'

[May I know why Naruto was your second choice?]

'He has the Uzumaki bloodline's capabilities of wielding chakra chains, as well as high life force, stamina and ridiculous chakra reserves. He'll definitely be an interesting one to get. Next would definitely be Hashirama; his blood cell are valuable, having high life force as well, but instead of longevity, it'll even provide much faster regenerative capabilities, coupled with raw strength is also something I would like to have. Next would be the Uchiha for their Sharingan... That would be it.'

[I will note this in my database...]

Hayatou sighed, 'Sure... You do you.'

Just as he was about to take some time to rest himself; he heard a familiar pattern of footsteps, coming closer and closer towards him...

'Sensei's back already?'

"Alright everyone, back inside..." Toyo then looked at Hayatou with wonder...

'I'll need to see some more before I make up my mind completely. But to think he'd take down a top tenner is another thing entirely... He lost easily last time, but it only took him two weeks to dominate the kid this much. I doubt even the so called prodigy Sasuke could do what he did; much less with a completely foreign taijutsu style. Is he a late-bloomer or a literal diamond hidden in the rough?'

For now, Toyo decided he would have to report this to the Hokage for the time being.

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"Yes Mr. Hiruzen, It's exactly as I told you. He claimed that he wanted to apply for early graduation..." Toyo asked.

The Hokage's office was silent for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling in. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, his weathered hands steepled together as he listened carefully. His expression was calm, unreadable, but Toyo could see the gears turning behind those wise old eyes.

"A request for early graduation…" Hiruzen murmured, taking a slow drag from his pipe. A thin wisp of smoke curled into the air before dispersing, "That alone isn't unheard of… but the way you're speaking about this child, I take it there's more to the story?"

Toyo nodded, exhaling. "Yes, Lord Hokage. Much more."

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing, "Two weeks ago, Hayatou Riki was just another average student... Showing some more promise than even before, sure; but nothing truly remarkable at all. Then, after a humiliating loss in a sparring match, he comes back today… different."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Different? In what way?"

"His overall demeanor has shifted. And more importantly—his growth rate is something I've never seen before..." Toyo leaned forward, his voice taking on an urgent tone. "The boy went from struggling against one of our top ten students, to defeating him in a single strike—and it wasn't remotely because of something like luck."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

Toyo shook his head. "That fight wasn't just brute strength or speed... Based on my understanding, Hayatou had essentially read every one of his opponent's movements perfectly. And when he did dodge, he did so with zero wasted effort—as if he already knew where every attack was going to land before it even started... In fact, I swore I saw him dodging after a strike that didn't even form... And when he countered? He didn't just hit Kai hard, he hit him in the exact spot to shut down his body, immediately."

Hiruzen's fingers tapped lightly against his desk. "If it's like you've said; that level of control… doesn't happen overnight."

"Exactly." Toyo agreed. "Which is why I don't know what to make of this. The stance he used—it wasn't anything we've taught at the Academy. And yet, he moved with the precision of a seasoned fighter.

"Hiruzen remained silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he spoke. "…And what do you think?"

Toyo hesitated before answering. "I... I don't know what to think. I've trained students for many years, and I can confidently say—no normal child improves this quickly. Either he's been hiding his talent this entire time… or something else is going on."

Hiruzen nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the window overlooking the village. "Hmm... A prodigy hidden in plain sight… or an anomaly beyond our understanding."

A heavy silence filled the room...

Then, the Hokage exhaled, setting his pipe down, yet he smiled... "Very well. I will consider overseeing his early graduation trial personally.

"Toyo's eyes widened slightly. "You mean—?"Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "If he truly possesses the ability you claim he does, I want to see it for myself... However, do not tell him so; I wish to speak with the boy myself and assess him further."

Toyo swallowed. He had expected immediate pushback, maybe outright rejection. But if the Hokage himself was actually taking an interest in Hayatou… Then this was far bigger than he had initially thought it would be.

"U-Understood, Lord Hokage." he said, bowing slightly.

As Toyo turned to leave, Hiruzen spoke up once more, "Keep an eye on him..." His tone was quiet, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. "Whether he's a late bloomer or a hidden genius... I want to know exactly what kind of shinobi we're dealing with."

Toyo nodded firmly. "Yes, sir." He bowed once more, leaving the Hokage's office.

The Hokage looked outside his window, overseeing the entire village, 'To think I'd get news of something like this... Let's see if that boy is all talk or not.' Hiruzen sighed to himself, knowing that this is something he'd never accept ever since the past few years... But once again, times were changing.

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END