It has also become a taboo topic within the village, no longer to be openly discussed.
But this fact alone is enough to prove—
Age is not a measure of strength.
"It's actually Captain Tenzo from the Second Assassination Division personally administering the test. This just got a whole lot more interesting!"
"I've got a feeling this kid's no ordinary genin. Look at him—doesn't even flinch in front of so many Anbu. That kind of composure is rare, especially in a twelve-year-old!"
"If he can last even five minutes against Captain Tenzo, he can brag about it for the rest of his life—haha!"
...
Whispers of speculation and excitement rippled through the onlookers.
But Tian Yu completely ignored the gazes around him.
Following Yamato, he walked calmly into the center of the training ground, entering a focused battle-ready state.
"Let's begin," Yamato stated bluntly, his tone crisp and professional as he took a ready stance.
Tian Yu gave a slight nod, lowered his head, and in a flicker of dark light, removed the weighted sandbags from his ankles and sealed them back into his ninja ring.
The next moment—
Without holding anything back,
He shot forward like a blinding white whirlwind toward Yamato!
"Dynamic Entry – Leaf Whirlwind!"
A blue aura of chakra surged down Tian Yu's leg, enveloping his calf and sole in an instant.
With a howling burst of wind, Tian Yu launched a full-powered kick at Yamato.
This strike was unleashed with complete force from the get-go—
For an elite-level shinobi like Yamato, underestimating him would be equivalent to inviting death.
Tian Yu, fully intent on demonstrating his prowess, chose not to go easy.
He wasn't aiming to kill—but neither would he hold back.
He went all in.
The moment Tian Yu accelerated, the Anbu spectators collectively gasped.
In their vision, Tian Yu's body nearly vanished, leaving behind only fleeting afterimages. His movement was too fast to track with the naked eye!
His current speed—
Was faster than when Rock Lee removed his weights during the Chūnin Exams.
In fact, Tian Yu's speed now was nearing that of Lee's First Gate release!
Having trained in taijutsu since the age of five,
And after seven years of rigorous, daily cultivation—
The explosive power and agility he now possessed were utterly breathtaking!
The entire training ground fell into a stunned silence.
Even among these battle-hardened Anbu, an unsettling question echoed through their minds—
Could I move like that?
And then, one by one, they arrived at a chilling conclusion:
No.
Despite being full-fledged Anbu shinobi—
They couldn't match the sheer speed of this twelve-year-old!
"So fast!"
"If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed a genin could reach this level of speed!"
"Wait—isn't that one of Might Guy's taijutsu techniques?! He actually mastered that move? What's his relationship with Guy-senpai?"
"No wonder Lord Hokage himself handpicked him for Anbu!"
The buzz of admiration wasn't limited to the bystanders.
Even Kakashi Hatake, the proctor overseeing this assessment, was visibly surprised.
This kind of physical speed—
Already rivaled elite jōnin.
In the entire village of Konoha, there was only one person Kakashi could think of who might've trained this child in such advanced taijutsu:
Might Guy, his eternal rival and closest friend.
Of course, Kakashi already knew that Tian Yu had once undergone private training under Guy-sensei,
But to think he had even mastered the "Dynamic Entry – Leaf Whirlwind"—
It showed he had inherited Guy's taijutsu legacy in full.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel a touch of regret for underestimating Tian Yu earlier.
Now, as he assessed the match, his gaze turned completely serious.
"He's fast…"
Even Yamato, standing in the center of the arena, was startled by the incredible burst of speed.
But as an elite jōnin, his reaction time was exceptional.
The moment Tian Yu's kick closed in—
His hands completed a swift hand seal.
Boom!
Yamato's figure was kicked high into the air—
But it burst apart instantly in a puff of wooden fragments, scattering like splinters.
Substitution Jutsu – using a wooden clone!
---
Chapter 56 (continued):
Yamato had executed a textbook Substitution Technique using his Wood Release clone.
His real body instantly appeared further away,
And by the time his feet touched the ground, he had already completed another hand seal—
"Wood Style: Silent Binding Jutsu!"
The instant his voice rang out,
The flat training ground cracked and split open.
Thick wooden branches burst from the earth and snaked toward Tian Yu with terrifying speed and precision.
"It's Captain's Wood Release!"
"He's pulling out the Wood Style right from the start? That means he's taking this fight very seriously!"
"Captain's Wood Release is derived from the First Hokage! We're lucky to see it in person!"
Gasps of awe rose from the watching Anbu.
But Tian Yu didn't even glance at the incoming wood tendrils.
He simply raised his elbow—
"Leaf Rising Wind!"
Crack!!
At the moment of impact, Tian Yu's elbow smashed into the thick wooden branch.
Fractures instantly spread across its surface, like spiderwebs across glass.
"Break!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A chain of deafening explosions followed.
The entire wooden assault—composed of thick, chakra-infused logs—
Shattered from within!
Splinters rained down like shrapnel.
"W-What?!"
Yamato's eyes widened in disbelief.
To think that someone could break through Wood Style using pure taijutsu—
That kind of power…
It far exceeded his expectations.
Yamato's expression turned grave.
His Wood Release, effective against brute strength types, had met its match.
Yet Tian Yu wasn't a typical strength-based fighter.
Pure power types are usually slow.
But Tian Yu—
Had already demonstrated explosive speed and devastating force.
A rare hybrid. A nightmare for any shinobi.
Behind his Anbu mask, Yamato's brows furrowed.
He knew a head-on clash was now a disadvantage.
He would need to adapt and exploit alternative strategies.
Unconsciously, Yamato no longer saw a twelve-year-old genin.
He saw a worthy adversary—
A threat he had to neutralize with full effort.
"A troublesome opponent…"
"In terms of taijutsu, I'm clearly outmatched. If I allow him to close the distance, I'll be overwhelmed."
"That leaves me with one option—use that jutsu and see how he handles it!"
Muttering to himself, Yamato flashed through a new set of hand seals—
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
A devastating ninjutsu once used by the First Hokage—Senju Hashirama.
Only Yamato, having inherited Hashirama's cells, could reproduce a version of this legendary technique.
He poured chakra into the ground like lifeblood.
Tree seedlings erupted from the soil of the training ground—
And within mere seconds, they grew to towering giants, transforming the entire area into a dense forest battlefield!
"That's—That's the First Hokage's ninjutsu!!"
"Unbelievable! Captain Tenzo even mastered Deep Forest Emergence!"
"It's over! If he used that, the kid doesn't stand a chance! This jutsu was created by Lord Hashirama himself!"
The jungle expanded at breakneck speed, swallowing the arena.
Vines and tree trunks moved like serpents, lashing toward Tian Yu from every direction.
Tian Yu, however, remained unfazed.
He shifted his position swiftly, leaping from tree to tree through the encroaching forest.
Vines trailed closely behind him, never relenting.
Whoosh!
One sharp vine pierced through the mist and lunged—
Slamming straight into Tian Yu's chest!