The Great Fireball That Shocked the Entire Audience

"Obito, it's your turn," Nohara Rin reminded him.

Obito nodded and quickly walked onto the stage.

"Obito, good luck!" Nohara Rin clenched her fists and cheered him on.

"Obito, this time you'll be fighting Kakashi. Show them everything your hard work has achieved!" Might Guy cheered for Obito as well.

They had trained under Mu Yue together, and Guy had seen Obito's hard work firsthand.

"Don't lose to someone else before it's even my turn," Kakashi said coolly, encouraging Obito in his own way.

Kakashi's encouragement was remarkably effective. Obito immediately turned back and said, "No way! Just wait and see."

"Another young Uchiha. What a rare sight. I wonder what kind of spectacular performance he'll bring us," the Host remarked. Paying extra really was different—they had even gotten two Uchiha contestants.

"Obito entered too? He's a little unlucky. The Uchiha before him performed so well, so won't the comparison be incredibly awkward?" Asuma was already feeling embarrassed for Obito.

He had known Obito for over three years and knew exactly what he was capable of. Though Obito had learned the Great Fireball Technique too, his skill with it was really quite ordinary.

"He entered too." Uchiha Tekka frowned when he saw Obito step onto the stage, feeling that the Eight Thousand Ryo might not be secure after all.

"Still, those judges are mediocre. Maybe they won't recognize the true power of the Great Dragon Fire Technique." Uchiha Tekka considered another possibility.

Although the Great Dragon Fire Technique was a B-rank Fire Release Ninjutsu and a full level harder to learn than the Great Fireball Technique, its visual impact was inferior to the Great Fireball Technique.

"Contestant Obito Uchiha, what Ninjutsu will you be performing?" the Host asked as usual.

"I'll be using Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique," Obito answered confidently.

"Another Great Fireball Technique. Have all the young Uchiha mastered this Ninjutsu? As expected of a great clan. Let us look forward to contestant Obito Uchiha's performance." The Host spoke as he backed away.

For a wide-area destructive Ninjutsu like the Great Fireball, it was best to maintain a safe distance.

"Could he have mastered the Great Dragon Fire while also becoming highly proficient with the Great Fireball?" Uchiha Tekka found it somewhat unrealistic.

He would believe it without question if it were Shisui, but Obito had once been known as the Uchiha dead last.

Standing on the stage, Obito looked at the audience nearby below. From here, he could see everyone clearly.

Nohara Rin was cheering for him with a smile on her face.

Might Guy flashed a dazzling grin and gave him a thumbs-up.

Kakashi had been watching the stage the whole time.

Shisui seemed to be telling him to do his best.

Asuma wore an expression of regret.

Mu Yue...

"Eh, Mu Yue-sensei!" The moment Obito saw Mu Yue, his face lit up with surprise. His only regret today had been that Mu Yue had to work as a tutor and could not come watch his competition.

Obito was deeply grateful to Mu Yue. Mu Yue had helped him shed the title of Uchiha dead last, defeat Uchiha Tekka to become second in the class, and even pass the theory exam he had never passed before.

The reason he could stand here so confidently was also inseparable from Mu Yue.

During these twenty days of Special Training, he had not been the only one working hard. Mu Yue had gone to great lengths to increase his strength, even improving his Ninjutsu.

If Mu Yue could not see his brilliant performance when he took first place, Obito felt that would be a great regret.

Noticing Obito's gaze, Mu Yue smiled and greeted him.

"I can't disappoint everyone cheering for me." Obito took a deep breath and entered a state of seriousness unlike anything he had felt before.

He still could not forget that failure from back then. This time, he wanted to win it all.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Obito formed the hand seals skillfully, gathering a large amount of Chakra in his throat. He transformed all the gathered Chakra with Nature Transformation, then expelled it in an instant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Fierce flames burst from Obito's mouth, rapidly forming an orange-red fireball that expanded at high speed. In the end, it reached a full four meters in height, nearly three times Obito's current height.

"How could a Ninja Academy student possibly perform Fire Release Ninjutsu like this?" One judge stared at the magnificent giant fireball as if he had seen a ghost.

Another judge rubbed his eyes, his face equally full of disbelief.

"Contestant Obito Uchiha's Great Fireball has reached a level far beyond ordinary people. Even the judges are astonished!" Though shocked, the Host did not forget his commentary.

In five years of commentating, this was the first time he had seen a Great Fireball of this caliber, especially one cast by a Ninja Academy student.

"A Great Fireball of this level... how is that possible?" Uchiha Tekka felt as if he might have fallen under a genjutsu.

He would rather believe he was under a genjutsu than believe that Obito could be this skilled with the Great Fireball while having mastered the Great Dragon Fire.

With such a powerful Great Fireball, Obito would not have needed any tricks that day. In a direct clash, Tekka definitely would not have been his match.

"That's Obito's Great Fireball?" Asuma rubbed his eyes, finding it hard to believe.

"Sensei, hit me. I think I'm under a genjutsu," Asuma said to Mu Yue.

Mu Yue granted Asuma's request and tapped him on the head with two fingers.

"That hurts." Asuma looked at Obito still on the stage and the enormous fireball before him, his mouth hanging open in utter shock.

He could accept being defeated by Shisui Uchiha. That was a genius who might have been even more monstrous than Kakashi.

But Obito was his old friend. How could he not know the level of Obito's strength?

What the hell was this Great Fireball that nearly reached the height of a house? Had Obito been secretly hiding his strength all this time?

"Even Obito has this kind of strength. Am I actually just that weak?" Asuma began to question his life.

He felt that he needed to start working hard. Otherwise, forget surpassing the Third Hokage—he would be among the weaker ones even within his group of friends.

"A Great Fireball at this level... no wonder he was so confident before." After seeing Obito's Great Fireball, Kakashi felt that Obito had improved tremendously.

So tremendously that Kakashi was confused. Obito had not even graduated yet, so why had his strength improved so drastically?

Normally, one only entered a period of rapid growth in strength after graduating.

"Ten points, ten points, ten points! Contestant Obito Uchiha's total score is thirty points! He has received a perfect score and secured first place in advance!" the Host shouted excitedly.

Every Referee had given Obito full marks. That was an extremely rare occurrence.

"Did he use some kind of trick..." Hyuga Hamon, with his Byakugan activated, saw through the truth behind Obito's Great Fireball. It looked terrifying, but it was not actually as exaggerated as it seemed.

He had come along with a friend, and now it looked like Obito would take first place.

However, Hyuga Hamon did not think Obito would be able to defeat him in the next Final Exam, because he would make sure Obito could not cast any Ninjutsu.

"The Host said you've secured first place already. Obito, you're amazing," Nohara Rin praised Obito as he stepped down from the stage.

"Hehe." Obito could not stop himself from grinning foolishly.

"Don't celebrate too early. When it's my turn, they might make an exception and give higher scores," Kakashi said, telling Obito not to be happy too soon.

"Now, please welcome the fifth contestant, Hatake Kakashi, to the stage."

Just as Kakashi finished speaking, the Host called Kakashi's name.