"It's not a problem at all I can indeed demonstrate my talent to Lord Hokage, but before I begin I have a small request."
"Don't be so formal you can ask ahead."
"If I meet your expectations would you be wiling to be my master." Ken declared his condition with confidence.
Both Hiruzen and Minato were taken aback by Ken's childish declaration but they both inwardly had to compliment the young boy's boldness and courage.
They, then moved towards the private training grounds inside the Hokage compound. There an anbu team and Nara Shikaku were standing awaiting the group's arrival.
"Now Ken, your test is very simple. The goal you have to complete is to fight against any one of the above anbu and the winning condition is leaving a scratch on them."
Hearing Minato's claim everyone was shocked including Shikaku.
'Dispite Kakashi being a great genius, even he couldn't scratch an anbu chunin when he was five. Could it be that Lord Hokage is planning not to take this kid as a disciple at all?' Nara Shikaku silently mused curious to see what Minato had planned.
Ken himself looked lost in thought, silently contemplating the possibility of himself passing the harmless test.
Although he had trained in kenjutsu for two months, that did not change the fact that he was limited by age constraints.
His gaze locked onto the many anbu in front of him and his finger instinctively pointed at the youngest anbu in the group.
"You heard the kid, go and take on his challenge." Shikaku said his voice directed at the chosen person.
The anbu wore a white and red patterned pit bull mask. He stood nearly 1.6 meters and from his physical appearance his age of lower than 16 years was reflected.
'Although age did not reflect strength to be exact especially in a situation were all variables were said to be at the same level of power. However age represented combat experience making the above anbu's combat experience likely lower than all the rest. This makes me believe that Ken did not pick at random but had analyzed all available variables. Or could it be that I am just over thinking.' Minato silently observed to himself.
The anbu wearing the standard anbu gear dared not show arrogance since whom he stood before to him wasn't a four year old but was a clan head.
He showed the seal of friendship and greeted "Greetings to you clan master Ken, I am an anbu under the 6th squad and my code name is Gale. Please allow me to be the proctor of your test."
"Before you begin I have to put out the rules of this test. Clan master Ken is allowed to strike 5 times while anbu Gale would be defending against him without retaliating.
Given that Clan Master Ken does not win in those 5 moves, he would have to defend himself against anbu Gale and the cycle will repeat. The test will finish when either clan master Ken is unable to continue or when anbu Gale is so much as scratched by clan master Ken. You may start!" a near by anbu captain announced.
Ken remained calm his expression unmoved as he performed a hand seal to summon two shadow clones. Despite not being perfect shadow clones, the fact remained unchanged that they were executed by a five year old.
The two shadow clones moved at high speed towards Gale but with just one strong sweeping kick they were both turned into smoke.
Ken reacted equally swiftly by taking out three kunai and throwing them with precise accuracy towards Gale who easily deflected them with his own kunai.
"Excellent, although he hasn't came close to reaching Gale you have to accept that his talent is beyond Kakashi."
Hiruzen voiced, his heart pounding showing his excitement.
Minato however, had black lines appearing on his face because he was now starting to consider the option of taking Ken as a full disciple.
Meanwhile after having not came close to scratching Gale after two attempts, Ken was growing exceedingly anxious.
He knew that aside from those tricks any other trick he used would just be the same as delaying the inevitable.
This made him realize that only two options were viable. He then aimed his gaze towards Gale's feet. Next his head firmly moved and his hands followed forming a myriad of hand signs.
Despite the hand signs being chaotic and slow since there was no rush, everyone patiently waited to see the ninjutsu that Ken would perform.
After the 42 hand seals, a concentrated chakra amount became visible from Ken's palms. The chakra was dense and strong showing a cold purple humanoid structure.
"Kageno clan secret art: Body War Roar." the skeletal chakra structure attacked Gale with pin point accuracy.
Upon closer inspection the small skeletal structure looked like a mini stage 1 susano.
For the first time Gale went full serious mode and made multiple hand seals after condensing chakra to his throat.
"Fire Release. Fire ball jutsu."
Immediately a ball of flames came out of Gale's mouth and they headed towards the chakra skeleton. In a short moment the two ninjutsu clashed against each other and the aftermath was extreme sending shock waves through the training ground.
Dust accumulated after the clash and Ken was anxiously waiting to see the result of his ninjutsu.
"That was close." Gale said appearing completely unscathed after the dust fanned out.
Meanwhile Hiruzen, Minato and Shikaku looked as if they were lost in thought. The jutsu that Ken had used was more dangerous than it looked.
"I remember seeing the former Deputy head using this ninjutsu." Shikaku said his hand stroking his small beard.
"Indeed it is one of the growth type ninjutsu of the Kageno clan and probably the only one in Konoha. In little Ken's hands it is like a C grade ninjutsu but in the hands of Torifu this was at least an A grade ninjutsu."
Hiruzen interjected adding his own thoughts.
"For a four year old to use such ninjutsu is truly frightening. The only problem is that his luck seems under whelming." Minato said.
"Yes, I never expected this but it is true that the current Gale can now be considered an elite chunin. If it had been any other chunin that jutsu was enough to at least injure it." Shikaku had already analyzed.
Now the odds of Ken completing the test were now excruciatingly low, since the gap between an ordinary chunin and an elite chunin was very high.