Sarutobi Hiruzen's calm, time-worn eyes lingered on the jonin before him."Moonlight Gale," he said evenly. "I'll leave it to you."
The pale swordsman straightened slowly. Facing the Hokage, he bowed lightly, then turned to the assembled genin. His voice—soft, hoarse, yet steady—echoed through the tower hall.
"Nice to meet you all... Ahem… I'm Moonlight Gale. Before we move on to the third test, we'll be holding a preliminary round to determine who qualifies."
"Huh? A prelim?"The crowd murmured, confused.
Kazehaya Hayate folded his arms, brow furrowing slightly.Right… there was a round like this in the original timeline, he recalled vaguely. But the details are fuzzy.
Moonlight Gale coughed, continuing his explanation with the same dry calmness. "These matches will be one-on-one. If you wish to forfeit, you may do so of your own accord."
"Who would quit now?" Sasuke muttered, frowning—only to suddenly flinch as pain lanced through his shoulder.The Curse Mark pulsed beneath his skin, sending waves of dark heat crawling up his neck.
While Sasuke clenched his teeth, Hayate's mind clicked. Ah, right. There's someone who should quit here…
His eyes shifted, landing on a pale, polite genin with glasses and a Leaf headband. The corners of Hayate's lips curved faintly.Yeah. That guy.
Moments later, as if on cue, Kabuto Yakushi raised his hand and smiled awkwardly. "I'll be withdrawing here. Sorry, everyone."
The crowd murmured again. Hayate smirked to himself. As expected.
"Alright then," Moonlight Gale said, coughing lightly. "Let's begin the preliminaries."
He raised a hand toward Anko, who was waiting by the control panel. "Red Bean," he said, "start it."
"Got it!" Anko replied, flashing a grin. She leaned into the mic. "Okay, show the matchups!"
A section of the wall groaned open, revealing a massive electronic screen. Rows of names flickered rapidly across it, spinning faster and faster until—click!—they stopped.
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Kazehaya Hayate
The hall went utterly still.
Hayate blinked. "…Wait. Me?"He stared up at the board, then exhaled with a low whistle. "Uchiha Sasuke, huh?"
Sasuke Uchiha—prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Even though this was early in the timeline and his power wasn't yet terrifying, Hayate knew what lay ahead for him.The story's 'number two male lead,' huh? That means he's got ridiculous plot armor… and the potential to explode at any moment.
"B-Brother Hayate…"Hinata's soft voice reached him. She looked up anxiously from behind him, her hands twisting together. "Y-Your opponent is Sasuke Uchiha… he's… he's really strong."
Hayate smiled gently, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Across the room, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed calmly on his pipe. Smoke curled around his face as he watched the screen."Uchiha Sasuke versus Kazehaya Hayate… This should be an interesting duel." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But with that curse mark's interference, Sasuke's strength will be unstable. This may not go the way he expects."
Sasuke's gaze locked on Hayate. He frowned, pressing his shoulder where the mark throbbed.A sixteen-year-old fresh graduate…? he thought. I can take him down.
"Contestants, step forward," Moonlight Gale said, his tone as dry and calm as ever.
Hayate and Sasuke walked to the center of the stone arena. The tension in the air was thick enough to feel.
Moonlight Gale raised his arm."Preliminary Round — First Match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Kazehaya Hayate. Begin!"
"Hmph. A sword, huh?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he noticed the long silver blade strapped to Hayate's back. Instinctively, he shifted his stance lower—but his leg trembled, pain flaring up again from the curse mark.
"You're hurt?" Hayate asked quietly. His gaze softened for a brief second. "That's rough. The pacing here really is as drawn out as I remember…"
Sasuke didn't bother replying. He leapt back, flicking his wrists, and three kunai flew from his hands in rapid succession.
The blades whistled through the air, colliding midflight to ricochet at sharper angles—an unpredictable spread meant to trap his opponent.
"It's a feint," someone whispered from the sidelines.
Sasuke smirked. "Try dodging this!"
But Hayate didn't move.At the last instant, a silver flash flared around him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
All three kunai were deflected midair, rebounding with a metallic shriek and embedding deep into the stone floor. Shards of tile scattered at his feet.
The hall erupted in gasps.
"What the—?! He blocked them?!"Even Naruto's jaw dropped.
Moonlight Gale's tired eyes sharpened. As a swordsman himself, he instantly recognized what he'd just seen. That wasn't speed alone… That was precision—control beyond what most jonin could manage.
Across from him, Sasuke broke into a sweat. No way… that wasn't just swordsmanship. That was—something else.
His Sharingan wasn't active yet, but his instincts screamed that Hayate's movement was inhumanly clean—faster and more seamless than even Zabuza Momochi's brutal blade work.
If he's really that strong… Sasuke gritted his teeth. Then I'll—
He winced suddenly as the curse mark flared hotter. The pain bent him forward, his breath sharp and uneven.
Seeing that, Hayate sighed softly. "If it hurts that much," he murmured, "then I'll just cut it off for you."
"Huh—?"Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, but Hayate was already gone.
A single flash of silver split the air.The next moment, Sasuke felt a cold edge rest against the side of his neck. The faint chill of the blade brushed his skin.
The match was over.
The hall went silent. Not even the audience breathed.
Nobody had seen Hayate move.
"W-What… what was that just now?" Kiba stammered, hand instinctively flying to his own neck. "That move again… Damn it, it's freaky! Completely unreadable!"
Hinata's pale eyes shimmered with awe. "Brother Hayate… amazing…"Her heart swelled with quiet pride. The so-called "failure" who once couldn't graduate for four years had just defeated the Uchiha clan's genius without breaking a sweat.
"Kai," Kakashi said, his tone low, "did you catch that?"
Might Guy crossed his arms, shaking his head. "It wasn't pure speed. Even the Body Flicker Technique leaves traces. This…" He frowned. "It was closer to space-jumping—like a true teleportation."
"…A blinking technique," Kakashi muttered. And in his mind, an image flickered—a golden flash, long gone yet unforgettable.
"I… I lost?"Sasuke's voice trembled. His vision wavered as he stared at the ground. "Did I really… lose that easily…?"
Then, with a sudden surge of emotion—rage, disbelief, humiliation—his pupils constricted.Two tomoe spun to life within his crimson irises.
The Sharingan awakened.