Hyuga Shinmune walked over to where Sato had just been standing. Ahead of him were five wooden targets, spaced about a meter apart. To his left, two rows of kunai rested on a wooden rack, each blade faintly glowing with a cold, subtle chakra aura.
Not far away, Sato and the others watched with amused, teasing expressions. Their eyebrows raised, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Think he'll miss the target?"
"Come on, he's from the Hyūga clan's branch family—precision is in his blood."
"Yeah, I'm really curious to see how he does!"
Kiyono's voice rang out, loud and clear: "Begin!"
Hyuga Shinmune's gaze turned focused. His hands moved fluidly and simultaneously as he grabbed kunai from the rack, throwing them with controlled speed but seemingly no particular pattern.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Three sharp hits—three kunai struck the red bullseye simultaneously.
"What?!"
"Are you joking?"
Sato's confident smile vanished in an instant, replaced by stunned disbelief.
"Just luck?" he muttered.
Suddenly, with a burst of movement, Shinmune leapt into the air and threw five kunai in rapid succession. Three struck dead center on the bullseye; two missed by just a single ring.
"Ninety-eight points!" the supervising teacher called out loudly.
Shinmune glanced at Sato and the others with an indifferent gaze. A faint, disdainful smirk curled at the corner of his mouth as he silently mocked the group.
Sato's mouth twitched nervously. He felt his face burning from embarrassment, like a frog stuck in the bottom of a well. The classmates beside him exchanged blank, dismayed looks—they clearly didn't want to lose face either.
"Fenghuo, your turn," Qing Yezhen said calmly.
Fenghuo stepped forward, passing by Hyuga Shinmune.
"He's from the Hyūga clan after all, even if he's from a branch family. It's no surprise he's strong," Sato said with a forced smile, trying to defuse his own awkwardness. Then, glancing at Fenghuo, he added, "I think this guy is just throwing for experience!"
The others were about to nod in agreement when Fenghuo casually grabbed a handful of kunai and threw them without looking.
Thump!
All five kunai pierced the red bullseyes simultaneously with a single, crisp sound.
"Three-star kunai throwing technique!" a teacher shouted in surprise.
Fenghuo clapped his hands calmly, expression serene.
"What?!" Sato's forced facade broke completely. His mouth twitched uncontrollably, cheeks flushed with shame.
The surrounding students looked on helplessly at the five perfect bullseyes, speechless.
"Perfect score—100 points!" the teacher announced, impressed. "Little devil, your throwing skills are exceptional!"
"Thank you, sir," Fenghuo replied politely.
"Hey, I'm not just some 'sir,' brat!" Kiyono laughed.
Kiyono grinned. "Fenghuo, looks like you really have been reborn!"
"Hmph, opportunist," Hinata Shinmune muttered stubbornly from behind. "Being a ninja isn't just about throwing kunai."
Fenghuo chuckled. "You lost—come back when you've got the skill. If I don't knock you out cold, I'll eat my head!"
"Bastard!" Hyuga Shinmune fumed. He wanted to confront Fenghuo but the memory of Fenghuo's match against Chūnin Uchiha Ye Xing six months ago flashed through his mind. Challenging Fenghuo now was just humiliating himself.
"Next is the second test!" Qing Yezhen interrupted. "If you can hold out against the teacher for three minutes, you'll pass and earn your forehead protector. Otherwise, back to school for another year!"
The format of the graduation exam varied each year to prevent students from focusing only on exam content. Holding out for three minutes against a Chūnin-sensei was known as the toughest challenge.
Fenghuo's body trembled at the thought.
Every fight with Matt Dai ended disastrously for him. For two straight months, he was nearly eliminated. Now, he desperately needed to win to prove himself.
"Teacher Qing Yezhen, shall we start?" Fenghuo's eyes gleamed brightly.
Qing Yezhen's skin twitched nervously. "Well, Fenghuo, no rush. Take your time to get ready."
"I'm in perfect condition!" Fenghuo's blood burned with resolve.
Kiyono, knowing Fenghuo's upcoming Chūnin Exam and superior strength, muttered, "Better to leave tough students like him to other teachers."
"Teacher Kiyono, let's begin!" Fenghuo dashed forward without hesitation.
Qing Yezhen sighed but quickly shifted to defense, retreating as Fenghuo's fiery assault pressed in.
"Prepare yourself!" Qing Yezhen's face darkened, and his instant body technique vanished as he sprung into action.
Fenghuo's muscles exploded with power as he sidestepped three shurikens flying toward him.
"Fire Escape — Great Fireball Technique!" Kiyono formed a hand seal and unleashed a massive fireball into the air.
"Fire Escape — Great Fireball Technique!" Fenghuo countered, mimicking Matt Dai's style, meeting the attack head-on with his own fiery blast.
Two enormous fireballs collided midair, distorting the air with searing heat before exploding with a thunderous boom, spreading waves of fire like ripples.
"Fire Escape — Flame Bullet!" Qing Yezhen appeared behind Fenghuo, striking with instant body technique.
Fenghuo instinctively formed the fireball seal—but suddenly a wall of earth erupted beneath him, striking his chin.
"…That's not Hōton: Yanbomb, it's Doton: Tsuchi Rōshi!" Fenghuo muttered, dodging with a teleportation technique, stunned.
Qing Yezhen, usually honest and straightforward, resorted to such underhanded tactics—his jaw dropped in disbelief.
Kiyono's cheeks flushed briefly but he quickly composed himself. "Fight fire with fire! Ninja battles aren't games; they're life or death. If you're not ready to commit, just give up now!"
"I already knew that," Fenghuo replied, taking a deep breath as he quickly formed seals with both hands.
Ram, Ox, Snake, Monkey, Rooster.
"Fire Escape — Dragon Flame Bomb!"
Three massive fireballs rose, surrounding Qing Yezhen from left, center, and right.
At the same time, Fenghuo's feet kicked up dust as he dropped low and charged.
Boom!
Qing Yezhen summoned an earthen wall to block the incoming fireballs.
"Screw Pill!"
In Fenghuo's right palm, a sky-blue chakra sphere the size of a balloon appeared, glowing fiercely. He hurled it against the earth wall.
Boom!
The shattered wall crumbled completely under the impact, and with unstoppable force, Fenghuo surged forward.
"What kind of technique is that?!" Qing Yezhen gasped, scrambling to dodge, but Fenghuo appeared again, the spiral chakra sphere closing in fast.
"Teacher Qing Yezhen, if you're slower than me, you'll have to pick it up!" Fenghuo said with a confident grin.
"Damn it, don't get cocky!" Qing Yezhen gritted his teeth and used earth technique again without hesitation.
"Doton: Tsuchi Substitution!"
Boom!
At that moment, the spiral chakra sphere smashed Qing Yezhen's true face, instantly melting it into a ball of mud.
"Doton: Heart Beheading Art!"
Suddenly, Qing Yezhen surfaced from the earth, grabbing the stunned Fenghuo and pulling him underground, leaving only his head exposed.
"Fenghuo, three minutes aren't up yet!" Kiyono squatted beside Fenghuo's head, holding a handful of kunai close to his eyes. "Give up!"
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