Sarutobi Hiruzen first accepted the mission, and then went with Torifū and Naori to their usual training spot—the Hokage Rock.
"Torifū, are you really sure you want to spar with me?"
Hiruzen asked again, still unable to understand why this kid was so stubborn.
Though he acknowledged Torifū's talent, he found it hard to believe a six-year-old could match him in combat.
"I'm serious, Hiruzen," Torifū replied calmly.
The tension between them rose, and the battle was about to begin.
Koharu nudged Danzo, whispering, "Can we stop this fight?"
"Once Hiruzen's interested, you know there's no stopping him," Danzo replied indifferently.
Hearing this, Koharu said no more. If even Danzō thought it was pointless, then all she could do was hope that Hiruzen wouldn't go overboard.
"You attack first. I'll give you one free move," Hiruzen said confidently.
Torifū nodded. Since Hiruzen had offered, there was no need to hesitate. He struck immediately.
With a swift step, he lunged forward, crouching low and sweeping his left leg toward Hiruzen's footing.
But such a basic attack was nothing to Hiruzen. A simple leap effortlessly avoided it.
Then, from seemingly nowhere, he pulled out an iron staff. Just as he was about to land, he used the staff to push off the ground and propelled himself back into the air.
Gripping the staff tightly with both hands, he spun once midair and then swung it down forcefully toward Torifū.
Torifū reacted immediately, rolling to the side to evade. The staff smashed into the ground, shattering the stone beneath it, leaving a web of cracks.
"You're quite agile, Torifū," Hiruzen teased.
Torifū didn't respond. He was beginning to grasp Hiruzen's strength. He needed to take this seriously. This was his first time fighting a ninja of this caliber—carelessness would mean defeat.
Without hesitation, he flipped up from the ground, creating distance between them.
"Crystal Release—Hexagonal Shuriken Barrage!"
Countless six-sided crystal shuriken shot from Torifū's hands, attacking Hiruzen from all angles. Under the sunlight, they gleamed brilliantly.
A few wouldn't be a problem, but this was an overwhelming barrage, leaving no room for escape. The dazzling reflections only made it harder to defend.
Torifū liked this jutsu—not because of its power, but because it forced the enemy to reveal an opening. Even if it was just for a second, that was all he needed.
Yet, Hiruzen remained unfazed by the storm of crystal.
Grinning, he planted his staff into the ground and flung a few shuriken in return—but such a small counterattack was nowhere near enough.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
As Hiruzen finished his hand seals, the few shuriken he had thrown multiplied instantly, becoming ten times their original number—if not more!
Metal clashed against crystal, sparks and shards flying in all directions. As the dust settled, both stood unharmed.
Hiruzen was growing more and more intrigued by this kid. Maybe it was time to take things up a notch.
Torifū wasn't surprised. What did surprise him, though, was that Hiruzen had already developed the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu at this stage.
Since things were getting serious, Hiruzen decided to stop holding back. Gripping his staff tightly, he charged at Torifū.
Seeing this, Torifū swiftly pulled a scroll from his pouch, unsealing his family heirloom—the Tsurugi Blade!
[T/N: Crane Cry Sword]
The moment the blade was drawn, a crisp "Kreee!" echoed through the air. There was no time to admire it—Torifū immediately raised his sword to block Hiruzen's strike.
But what happened next stunned everyone.
The moment Hiruzen's staff clashed with the Tsurugi Blade, it was as if the staff had turned to clay—it snapped cleanly in two!
Hiruzen was dumbfounded. His staff… broke? That was a custom weapon his father had paid a fortune to have forged!
"What kind of sword is that?! It's ridiculously sharp!"
Torifū replied coolly, "Kumotsuru clan, Tsurugi Sword!"
With that, he thrust forward.
Now weaponless, Hiruzen's offensive momentum stalled, and Torifū slowly took control of the fight.
Being forced on the defensive made Hiruzen more and more irritated. Finally, unable to bear it anymore, he bit his right thumb and smeared the blood onto his left hand.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
A cloud of white smoke erupted beneath Hiruzen's feet. As it cleared, a small, clothed monkey appeared in the field.
"Enma! Let's teach him a lesson!"
The little monkey, though unsure of the situation, immediately obeyed Hiruzen's command.
With a twist of its body, it transformed into a long, black staff with golden ends.
Seeing this, Hiruzen's teammates grew concerned. If Hiruzen had gone so far as to summon Enma, things might get out of hand.
Torifū, too, felt a pang of envy. He wanted a good summoning beast, but finding the right one was difficult.
Hiruzen's summon came from a family of highly intelligent and powerful monkeys, exclusive to the Sarutobi clan. No outsider could contract them.
While Torifū was still considering this, Hiruzen charged in, wielding his newly summoned staff.
The Golden Cudgel extended and retracted freely, constantly shifting in length, making it nearly impossible for Torifū to find a safe position.
Hiruzen's attacks became fiercer. Even with the Tsurugi Blade, Torifū was barely managing to defend. Fighting Hiruzen alone was already tough—now, with Enma's support, his strength had climbed to another level..
"Torifū, give up. I admit you're strong, but missions are still too dangerous for you."
Torifū's expression remained calm. Even though he was at a disadvantage, he wasn't flustered.
As Hiruzen's next attack came in, Torifū's eyes suddenly sharpened.
"...I haven't even tried using my full strength yet."
A surge of chakra flooded into the Tsurugi Blade, making the sword shine brilliantly.
As Torifū exhaled, a massive cloud of mist materialized around him, swirling in a vortex.
"Cloud Sword Art—Crane's Cry!"
Gripping his sword tightly, he slashed.
A colossal wave of sword energy erupted forward, carrying the swirling mist with it!
This was the Cloud Sword Art, a sword style designed to complement Cloud Release. Torifū had barely scratched the surface of its techniques.
As the sword energy cut through the air, the mist took the shape of a soaring crane, which struck Hiruzen in an instant!
The mist then seeped into his body, freezing his limbs stiff as he was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground.
Though the numbness faded quickly, a lingering cold remained in every joint of his body.
Propping himself up with the Golden Cudgel, Hiruzen stood and looked at Torifū with newfound seriousness.
This strange sword technique… and that mist… This must be the Cloud Release his father once mentioned.
That freezing sensation was unbearable—even now, his body still felt cold.
"...I admit it. You're strong. You can come with us."