After obtaining such a powerful trump card, it was impossible for Natsuhiko not to feel happy.
However, he still had to restrain himself for now.
Not only did he know that his current status and influence were far from enough to exchange this trump card for real benefits, but something like this could even bring fatal danger to him.
Besides that, he still had something more important to deal with.
The ANBU Division Commander selection was still proceeding as scheduled.
During the past week, Natsuhiko had already fought two more matches.
Even though he carried a secret in his heart, he clearly understood that if he acted abnormally, that would truly spell disaster.
Therefore, in those two matches, his performance remained stable and normal.
But in the eyes of others, even his "stable and normal" performance was still astonishing.
Just as he expected, his opponents gradually changed.
At the beginning, he had faced someone like Weasel, an orphanage member.
Now his opponents were becoming ninjas from major clans.
His second match opponent came from the Yamanaka Clan.
Natsuhiko didn't know that person's exact name, but his strength was unquestionably formidable.
In many people's memories, the Yamanaka Clan was famous for their unique secret techniques and their teamwork with the Nara and Akimichi clans.
But that wasn't entirely true.
The selection for jonin itself was a comprehensive evaluation of a ninja's abilities.
If someone only relied on secret techniques and teamwork, even during wartime they might not receive battlefield promotions.
The Yamanaka ninja Natsuhiko faced possessed terrifying taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu skills.
Not to mention that his clan's secret techniques were extremely difficult to defend against.
Without using Sage Mode, Natsuhiko had nearly lost that fight.
Fortunately, he ultimately relied on his excellent sensory abilities and reaction speed.
After preparing in advance for the opponent's attack, he managed to counterattack and defeat him in one decisive move, successfully advancing to the final round.
However, this also made Natsuhiko become more cautious.
He knew exactly how strong he really was.
To put it simply, in his previous battles he relied heavily on the fact that his enemies didn't know his abilities.
He could use his speed to repeatedly accelerate, disrupt the enemy's rhythm, and eventually secure victory.
But now the situation was different.
Most members of the ANBU already knew his general capabilities.
Even if their understanding was only partial, it was still enough to create significant trouble for him.
And after several battles, his abilities—at least when he wasn't using Sage Mode—had mostly been figured out by them.
Moreover, they had also noticed that Natsuhiko did not summon his giant summoning beast during combat, which gave them additional confidence.
"It seems that in this final battle, I'll have to use something… interesting."
Sitting in a corner of the ANBU headquarters plaza, Natsuhiko watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi stood near the stands announcing various matters.
At this moment, Natsuhiko was in an excellent mood.
After a week of constant anxiety, he had gained something incredibly valuable.
Anyone would feel especially relieved and happy.
On top of that, he had advanced to the final match for the ANBU division commander position.
One could say that Natsuhiko had reached a small highlight moment in his life.
Beside him sat Kakashi, who looked somewhat nervous.
However, he wasn't nervous for himself—he was worried about Natsuhiko.
"Captain, your final opponent doesn't seem easy to deal with," Kakashi finally said quietly after holding back for a while.
"That guy… is from the Hyuga Clan."
"I know," Natsuhiko said with a slight smile and nodded gently.
"Lone Wolf… that guy is no ordinary opponent."
A place like the ANBU was something the Hyuga Clan would never ignore. Naturally, they would send their own people into it.
And by "their own people," it meant someone from the main house, or someone under their absolute control.
Natsuhiko didn't know what kind of agreement the Hyuga clan had reached with the Third Hokage and the others that allowed a branch house member to enter the ANBU.
But thinking about it carefully, it was actually quite normal.
Members of the Main House did not bear the Caged Bird Seal, so they would never be sent to risk their lives on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Branch House members who were "protected" by the Caged Bird could fight and bleed on the battlefield without worrying about their Byakugan being stolen.
The ANBU was an extremely dangerous place where anyone could die in battle.
If someone simply died, that would be fine.
But if they were captured, then the problem would become truly serious.
Perhaps from Konoha's perspective, they also did not want members of the Hyuga Main House entering such a place.
"The Caged Bird… what an enviable thing."
Natsuhiko sighed inwardly.
Once upon a time, the Caged Bird Seal was the guardian of the Hyuga clan, protecting them from having their Byakugan stolen.
But as time passed, it had turned into something different.
Now it served as an excuse for the main house to claim protection while actually enslaving the branch house, effectively turning them into servants.
Just looking at Hyuga Hizashi and Hyuga Neji was enough to understand how deeply they hated this technique.
Human hearts were filled with selfish desires.
Once selfishness took control, things that once protected people could become tools for control or even destruction.
Selfish desire was the root.
The Caged Bird was merely the method.
And according to Natsuhiko's memories, this technique seemed almost impossible to remove.
At least, among the people he knew who carried the seal, none had ever truly gotten rid of it.
Just look at Hyuga Hizashi when he was revived through Edo Tensei—he still bore the Caged Bird mark.
"That's true… he's no ordinary opponent," Kakashi sighed softly before speaking more seriously.
"But Captain, aren't you worried? His taijutsu is extremely strong, and he isn't afraid of speed-type ninja either. His own speed is—"
"I've watched his battles, and I've read his reports," Natsuhiko said, still smiling.
"But don't worry. I'm prepared."
This Hyuga clan member with the codename Lone Wolf was indeed not an easy opponent.
He was extremely skilled in taijutsu, and his speed was astonishing.
As a branch house member, he had spent much of his time fighting on the battlefield before joining the ANBU, giving him an enormous amount of combat experience.
Combined with his Byakugan and Gentle Fist, he was practically a nightmare for ordinary ninjas.
The nature of Gentle Fist, combined with his taijutsu mastery, meant he wasn't afraid of ninjutsu attacks.
The Byakugan could see through any substitution or clone techniques Natsuhiko might use.
Even overwhelming him with speed wouldn't allow Natsuhiko to escape his vision—and there was even a chance this man's speed could keep up with Natsuhiko.
It could be said that even if Natsuhiko used Sage Mode, dealing with this opponent would still be troublesome.
Not to mention that for this battle, he had no intention of using Sage Mode at all.
"You're prepared?" Kakashi looked at him carefully before nodding seriously.
"I understand. Good luck, Captain."
"Thanks for the encouragement, Kakashi," Natsuhiko replied with a smile.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly stepped forward.
Standing on the platform, he looked over everyone present before loudly announcing:
"Then the final match will now officially begin!"
Looking at the man in the wolf mask standing not far away, Natsuhiko's expression became extremely serious.
As the two slowly walked toward the arena, the tension building in the air told him something clearly.
The opponent he was facing this time was probably the most terrifying person he had encountered, aside from Sasori and Kakuzu.
Lone Wolf was something of a legend within the ANBU.
Not only had he participated in war, but after joining the ANBU he had risen to the position of squad captain within just a few years.
The missions he carried out were also extremely dangerous—especially those he personally volunteered for, many of which were directly related to wartime operations.
These missions were not simply about dealing with the enemy's ANBU.
They often required infiltrating deep behind enemy lines, sometimes even entering enemy ninja villages directly to carry out extremely demanding tasks.
Natsuhiko had heard that this man once risked his life infiltrating the ANBU of Sunagakure to steal intelligence.
Unfortunately for him, his luck was terrible—he happened to run into Rasa, the Kazekage, while Rasa was conducting an inspection.
Even so, this man managed to fight his way out with his team and break through the encirclement.
Although the entire squad died, leaving him as the sole survivor, the mission made his reputation spread widely throughout the ANBU world of the ninja realm.
To be honest, if such a mission were given to Natsuhiko, he felt that without Lizardmaru and the Flying Thunder God Technique, he definitely wouldn't have made it back alive.
Of course, he would never volunteer for such a mission in the first place—it was practically suicide.
"Hello." Looking at Lone Wolf, whose aura had already reached its peak, Natsuhiko suddenly spoke softly.
"I've heard of your legend. Since this is our first meeting, please take care of me."
"..."
Lone Wolf clearly hadn't expected Natsuhiko to greet him.
Being someone accustomed to silence, he seemed somewhat uncomfortable responding. In the end, he simply gave Natsuhiko a slight nod.
Seeing this, the smile on Natsuhiko's face grew even wider.
There was no doubt that Lone Wolf was extremely powerful.
But after reading several reports, Natsuhiko also knew that this man's personality was exceptionally cold and distant.
Perhaps because he was a branch member of the Hyuga clan, his heart was filled with resentment, yet he had no way to change his fate.
Because of this, indifference had become his protective shell. He treated everyone with the same cold attitude.
And someone with such a personality would never be a suitable candidate for the position of ANBU commander.
At this moment, Natsuhiko was certain of one thing:
Whether he defeated Lone Wolf or not, this man would never become the commander.
However, Lone Wolf was still the perfect candidate to participate in this selection process.
And because Natsuhiko had asked Minato Namikaze to intervene, he had ended up being matched against this man.
Normally speaking, Lone Wolf might not have even passed the theoretical exam stage.
If Natsuhiko won, Hiruzen Sarutobi could conveniently shift the blame for the Hyuga clan missing the commander position onto Natsuhiko.
And if Natsuhiko lost, Hiruzen could simply proceed with the theoretical test, where Lone Wolf would likely be eliminated anyway.
Of course, Hiruzen had no idea what Natsuhiko was thinking.
He calmly watched the two men standing in the center of the plaza, then glanced back at Minato Namikaze and the others.
After confirming there were no issues, he spoke expressionlessly.
"Since both sides are ready, the final match will now begin!"
The moment Hiruzen's voice fell—
Lone Wolf suddenly vanished.
When he appeared again, he was already in front of Natsuhiko.
His hand had formed a palm strike. With incredible speed and a strange rhythm, it slammed straight toward Natsuhiko's chest.
Facing such an attack, Natsuhiko was only briefly surprised by the man's speed before reacting immediately.
His body shifted slightly to the left with a quick sidestep, gracefully and sharply dodging the palm strike.
However, Lone Wolf clearly hadn't expected the sneak attack to succeed.
Without hesitation, he pressed forward again—this time even faster.
His left hand clenched into a fist and struck toward Natsuhiko without pause.
At the same time, bright blue chakra blossomed in his right hand.
In an instant, it felt as if the surrounding air itself had come alive.
All the air around them began moving in a pattern that was orderly yet unpredictable. Streams of invisible currents quietly formed without anyone noticing.
Natsuhiko spun gracefully again, narrowly avoiding Lone Wolf's punch. But in the next moment, he sensed that something was wrong.
Without the Sharingan, he naturally couldn't see everything with perfect clarity.
His sensory ability allowed him to detect hidden situations, but it couldn't let him immediately understand every detail.
However, one thing he did know—this Lone Wolf had no intention of holding back.
For him, real combat didn't involve any kind of probing or testing.
From the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi announced the start of the match, he had already entered a fully serious combat state.
"Boom!"
The palm strike turned into a fist, which smashed fiercely toward Natsuhiko. The sharp whistle of the punch made Natsuhiko's ears ring painfully.
With chakra wrapped around his fist, a thunderous explosion echoed throughout the entire plaza!
Thick smoke instantly covered the center of their battlefield, while violent shockwaves rippled across the square.
However, the spectators did not seem particularly surprised.
Clearly, in their eyes, this was Lone Wolf's normal level of performance.
"Looks like Captain Nightingale is in serious trouble this time."
"Indeed. Captain Lone Wolf's strength is well recognized. Captain Nightingale is strong too, but he's still too young."
The ANBU whispered among themselves, obviously not very optimistic about Natsuhiko.
Not only them—even Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others sitting on the main viewing platform showed faint smiles.
It was clear they all understood Lone Wolf's strength, and they weren't particularly confident in Natsuhiko's chances.
Natsuhiko undoubtedly possessed tremendous potential—this they could not deny.
But turning potential into real strength required time.
Especially since this kid, Natsuhiko, had no intention of using a summoning beast. Of course, against Lone Wolf he likely wouldn't have the chance anyway.
"It seems Nightingale won't last much longer," Hiruzen said softly, glancing slightly toward Minato Namikaze.
"However, the boy's potential is indeed impressive."
"Thank you for the praise, Third Hokage," Minato replied calmly. "That's exactly why I recommended him. And besides… the match isn't over yet."
"You're right, the match isn't over yet."
Hiruzen gave Minato a deep look before turning his gaze back toward the battlefield.
He was somewhat dismissive of Minato's stubborn confidence.
Although the battlefield was filled with smoke, that didn't mean they had no idea what was happening inside.
After all, this smoke wasn't like the Hidden Mist Technique, which contained strong chakra interference.
It was still possible to make normal observations.
Moreover, the smoke was already beginning to disperse.
They could now clearly see two figures constantly clashing within it.
Especially the shorter figure, who was being forced back step by step.
If this continued for a while longer, Natsuhiko's defeat would be inevitable.
Hiruzen was well aware that Natsuhiko had been learning something from Minato Namikaze.
But he simply didn't believe that in such a short period of time, Natsuhiko could have truly mastered anything significant.
I refuse to believe you could have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique in a few weeks...