Chidori's Development, the Attention of Two of the Three Ninja

As Liuyun poured Chakra into the test paper, it first crumpled up, then instantly burned to ashes.

"Lightning and fire dual attributes? Not bad..."

Liuyun revealed a satisfied smile.

Nearly every member of the Uchiha Clan possessed the fire attribute. Some also had dual attributes, and most of those were lightning and fire dual attributes. There were hardly any exceptions.

Liuyun's dual attributes meant his innate talent was fairly good to begin with.

Next, he would focus on ninjutsu of these two attributes.

As for Fire Release, the Great Fireball Technique was a mid-range ninjutsu, while the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique was a long-range area attack. Those two Fire Release techniques were barely enough for now.

What he lacked at the moment was close-combat ninjutsu, and it needed to be powerful enough. Thus... Lightning Release: Chidori became his first choice.

As for defensive techniques? As the saying went, offense was the best defense, so he did not need them for the time being...

It would not be easy to figure out Lightning Release: Chidori from nothing. After all, it was an A-rank ninjutsu.

If he knew the complete sequence of hand seals for the technique, he could probably learn it quickly with the help of Shadow Clones. But at this point, even Kakashi Hatake, Chidori's creator, had not been born yet...

Trying to develop it himself based on nothing but a conceptual technique would inevitably cost him a great deal of time and energy.

"I can only have the Shadow Clones attend school for now. I'll return once my main body has created Chidori."

With that in mind, Liuyun immediately summoned Shadow Clones and began researching the ninjutsu.

Although he did not know how Chidori's initial stage was supposed to work, Liuyun figured that he first needed to make an electric current appear in his palm.

One main body and three Shadow Clones strained for over half a day. Aside from the main body failing to hold it in and letting out a loud fart, they could not even force out a single spark of electricity...

"Looks like I can only use hand seals to guide Chakra into transforming into electricity..."

Liuyun had originally wondered whether he could abandon hand seals from the very beginning and use his powerful spiritual will to guide Chakra through the transformation. It now seemed he had truly overestimated himself!

The Ninja Academy had taught the method of using hand seals to guide Chakra transformations. For example, Liuyun knew which seals to form in order to transform Chakra into Fire Release and breathe it from his mouth.

His foundational technique knowledge grades were decent, so he knew which seals could transform Chakra into electricity.

It took him six hand seals just to generate an electric current from his palm...

"I'll memorize this feeling first, then try simplifying it step by step later."

Chidori seemed to require only three hand seals, but even if Liuyun knew those three seals now, they would not be of much use...

Those three seals were simplified hand signs used after someone had completely mastered the technique. Before mastering the ninjutsu, it was impossible to use Chidori with only three hand seals.

Days passed one after another. After completing his physical training tasks each day, Liuyun spent most of his remaining time obsessively working on Lightning Release and Chidori.

Half a month later, the prolonged electrical currents wrapped around his hands had caused some damage to his palms. Fearing that he might leave behind hidden problems or internal injuries, Liuyun could only suspend Chidori's development for the time being.

Moreover, the Ninja Academy's final exams were approaching, followed by a long summer break.

Two days later.

Liuyun's main body went to the Ninja Academy to take the final exams.

There would be a series of assessments today. When he returned to school after today, he would be a proud sixth-grade student...

That day, the Third Hokage set aside his busy work and personally presided over the Ninja Academy, supervising the assessments conducted by teachers of every grade.

As the principal of the Ninja Academy, he did not need to be there on ordinary days. However, he had to appear for final exams and the opening ceremony for new students.

The Third Hokage had brought all three of his personal disciples with him today. They were currently seated in the principal's office around a crystal ball, watching the graduation assessments for the sixth-grade students.

Students were generally tested on one of the Three Body Technique ninjutsu for graduation. Unless their talent for ninjutsu was exceptionally poor, graduating successfully from the Ninja Academy was usually quite easy.

"Orochimaru, where are you going?"

Jiraiya, who had been watching the crystal ball, spoke as he watched Orochimaru suddenly rise and leave.

"I'm a little bored. Just taking a walk..." Orochimaru waved without looking back.

Not long after Orochimaru left, Tsunade also rose from her seat and walked out of the principal's office.

"Tsunade, you—"

"What the hell is it to you!"

Before Jiraiya could finish, Tsunade snapped at him impatiently.

"..."

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya stared at one another, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"I'll go see what those two are up to..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen merely glanced at his departing back without saying anything.

Orochimaru strolled casually through the Ninja Academy before eventually stopping by the window of Class 1, Year 5.

His snake-like eyes carefully examined Liuyun, who was diligently answering questions on his test paper.

As if sensing his gaze, Liuyun suddenly looked up toward the window, and their eyes met in an instant!

Interesting little Uchiha!

Seeing his slightly surprised expression, Orochimaru revealed a meaningful smile.

"What are you doing here?"

Tsunade suddenly walked up beside Orochimaru.

"Nothing. I came to look at an interesting little fellow..."

Orochimaru gave a hoarse laugh. Both of them kept their voices low, not wishing to disturb the students inside taking their test.

"An interesting little fellow? Do you mean Kushina?"

Tsunade was somewhat surprised. She knew that Class 501 was Kushina's class.

She had come over to see Kushina as well, and to take a look at her little deskmate while she was at it.

When she looked inside now, neither Kushina nor Liuyun seemed to have noticed her arrival. Both were focused on their own tests.

"No." Orochimaru denied it.

"No? Then you mean..."

Tsunade was startled for a moment, then seemed to think of something. Somewhat uncertainly, she spoke a name:

"Uchiha... Liuyun?"

"Hm? You know him too?" Now it was Orochimaru's turn to be surprised.

"Hey! What are you two doing lurking around here?"

Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, Jiraiya's arrival made them both frown and fall silent.

His voice was somewhat loud, even disturbing some of the students in the classroom.

Oda-sensei came out to take a look and made a shushing gesture.

"Idiot!"

With a dark expression, Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya by the collar and dragged him elsewhere.

"You moron, don't you know you can't disrupt the examinees?"

Thirty minutes later, the final written exam ended, and all the examinees from Class 501 gathered at one corner of the field.

The final exams still included an assessment of Throwing Technique, and its importance even surpassed that of the Three Body Technique.

Whether in fifth grade or sixth grade, instructors at every level paid special attention to throwing weapons.

Those who could not properly throw Kunai or Shuriken would only be burdens on the battlefield in the future, wasting expensive strategic supplies... People like that did not even deserve a Konoha forehead protector.

If your Three Body Technique was poor and you lacked talent for ninjutsu, Konoha might still look at your other strengths and allow you to graduate as a ninja, like Dai, Might Guy, and Lee.

But if you could not even pass Throwing Technique... Konoha might not even spare you a second glance.