The "big move" Hoshiyomi had in mind was, of course, his newly acquired skill—Secret Technique: Shadowstrike.
He didn't have time to hesitate. Sakumo's White Fang was closing in fast, his defense was about to break, and defeat felt imminent.
With a clenched jaw, Hoshiyomi activated the technique.
In that instant, his chakra surged on its own, coursing through his body. The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before—tingling, electric, almost intoxicating.
His whole body buzzed with a strange new awareness. It wasn't a boost to vision or speed—it was something deeper.
It was like his very skin could now feel the world around it. He could sense the temperature and humidity of the air, detect even the tiniest fluctuations, and his body adjusted instinctively.
As Hoshiyomi marveled at this strange transformation, both Sakumo and Jiraiya, watching from afar, wore identical expressions of disbelief.
Jiraiya's eyes bulged wide.
"Wait, what?! Where's Hoshiyomi?! He was right there just a second ago—how'd he vanish?!"
Even Sakumo, usually calm and composed, was stunned.
No matter how skilled someone was, they shouldn't be able to completely vanish in an instant. Not even a high-level Substitution Jutsu could erase someone so cleanly without a trace.
Is this genjutsu?
But it couldn't be. If it were an illusion, Jiraiya would be unaffected—unless...
Unless even Jiraiya is part of the illusion!
That thought made Sakumo's blood run cold.
Was he created just to mislead me? Is this all part of some elaborate trap?
Immediately, Sakumo pulled back and readied a defensive stance, holding White Fang tightly in front of him. He began disrupting his own chakra flow—trying to forcefully dispel the illusion.
But nothing changed.
Panic began to creep in.
He was brilliant, yes—but still just a six-year-old. This technique was far beyond anything he'd ever encountered.
His palms grew slick with sweat. The sticky sensation only made his grip on the blade more unsteady. But no matter how he tried to brace himself, Hoshiyomi didn't attack.
He wasn't waiting in ambush—he was… experimenting.
Completely oblivious to Sakumo's paranoid spiral, Hoshiyomi was still lost in wonder, watching their reactions from invisibility and studying the subtle changes in his body from different angles.
From his own perspective, he looked like he was coated in shifting shadow—faint, blurry, semi-transparent. He could see through his own hands, which fascinated him.
If it weren't for the chakra drain, I could do this all day…
But the moment he checked his reserves, his heart skipped a beat.
Already lost more than half… in under two minutes?
Time to finish this.
He moved quietly—slipping behind Sakumo, whose attention was still scanning the opposite direction.
But Hoshiyomi didn't strike immediately.
He could've ended the match with a stealth attack, but this was a sparring match, not a real battle. If Sakumo panicked and misreacted, someone could get seriously hurt.
He had no intention of being labeled a dangerous student—or worse, getting blacklisted by the Leaf before his career even began.
So, instead of attacking, he released the invisibility to give Sakumo a warning.
The moment his form reappeared behind Sakumo, Jiraiya screamed in surprise, and Sakumo's instincts flared.
He spun on his heel at top speed—only to find Hoshiyomi's blade already at his throat.
A flash of steel like a lightning bolt. He never even saw it coming.
But Hoshiyomi didn't press the blade in.
He simply gave a small nod, then sheathed his weapon.
Sakumo stood frozen. Then, after a long pause, he bowed deeply and muttered:
"I lost."
Jiraiya, being Jiraiya, immediately exploded with excitement.
"No way—Hoshiyomi actually beat Sakumo?! That's insane!"
Sakumo kept his head low, face unreadable. But his clenched fists said everything. He wasn't calm—not at all.
Hoshiyomi noticed and subtly motioned to Jiraiya to ease up. Then he stepped forward and offered Sakumo a hand.
"You're already strong. If I hadn't used my bloodline ability, you would've won."
That caught them both off guard.
Sakumo lifted his head, eyes narrowed.
So it wasn't genjutsu… it was a bloodline limit?
Jiraiya, naturally, couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Wait wait wait—you have a Kekkei Genkai?! What is it? What can it do?!"
Hoshiyomi, who had already decided to be honest with his future comrades, answered:
"It's called Transparent Release. Nothing as flashy as the Sharingan or Byakugan… It just lets me go invisible for a short time."
Jiraiya's jaw dropped, eyes sparkling.
He clapped Hoshiyomi on the back with stars in his eyes.
"Invisible?! Are you kidding me? That's amazing! Way better than those dumb eye powers! If I had that, I'd be unstoppable! I could—heh heh heh…"
He trailed off into a very obvious fantasy, face slowly shifting into the expression of a teenage pervert lost in his own world.
Hoshiyomi didn't need the Sharingan to know what he was imagining.
Sakumo, on the other hand, finally seemed to relax a bit.
So he has a bloodline power… it wasn't just me being weak.
But he still clenched his jaw and muttered quietly:
"A loss is a loss. Even without the bloodline, I couldn't have stopped that final strike."
Hoshiyomi winced internally.
Come on, man. I literally just said I cheated. Don't be so damn hard on yourself.
No wonder you ended up suicidal in canon… ease up a little, bro.
Still, before he could say anything else, Hoshiyomi felt something strange stir inside him.
He glanced at his system window.
[Novice Swordsmanship: 5/100]
Wait… that was 0 before!
Did… did fighting Sakumo just give me EXP?
Eyes wide with realization, Hoshiyomi looked at the downcast boy in front of him—and smiled.
So sparring really does give me experience… interesting.