Outer Style: Bombing Axe

Outer Style: Bombing Axe

"What are the rules for selecting your team members?" Uchiha Mai asked.

Namikaze Minato paused slightly and replied, "There are no rules."

What rules were needed to test the Will of Fire? Wasn't it just a matter of seeing who was willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others?

Uchiha Mai nodded slightly, understanding.

He turned around instantly, drawing chakra into his legs, and whipped a high kick fiercely toward Asuma's temple.

I love games without rules.

In the office, Fugaku watched as the group stood stunned for a moment, then saw Mai take action immediately after speaking with Namikaze Minato. His heart leaped with joy: You did well, you did very well indeed.

Stepping forward at this moment to volunteer to withdraw would not only result in no loss other than failing to join Master Minato's team, but it would also significantly lower the threat level of the Uchiha in the eyes of the Third Hokage.

Afterward, those who volunteered to withdraw would be arranged into other elite teams; Fugaku had seen this routine far too many times.

However, Uchiha Mai's sudden, violent kick toward Asuma told Fugaku exactly how premature his joy had been.

Fugaku's heart skipped a beat. What the hell? Wasn't this supposed to be about seeing who could grasp the Will of Fire? What is the meaning of this sudden attack?

Fine, attack if you must, but why target Asuma? Is beating him up like eating and sleeping—a habit born from experience?

Uchiha Mai had his reasons for attacking Asuma; after all, Asuma was the one standing closest to him.

Obito was a clansman, so it wouldn't do to target him first. Yuhi Kurenai and Rin Nohara were both weaklings; if he kicked them, they'd just whine and cry for ages, posing no threat at all. He could deal with them last.

Guy... if things went south, he'd just open the Eight Inner Gates, which would be a pain to resolve. But eliminating the other four was enough; wouldn't it be wonderful to join the team alongside Guy?

Asuma was just contemplating whether he should volunteer to withdraw to help Yuhi Kurenai and Uchiha Mai when he suddenly saw a blur of a leg whipping toward him.

Reflexively, he tilted his head back and took a step, dodging the familiar-looking kick. He had truly gained experience from being beaten up.

When the first strike failed, Uchiha Mai stepped forward, his left foot anchoring his center of gravity, his muscles taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

His right foot rose high above his head, flexibility pushed to the limit, carrying even more potent chakra and striking with greater speed and sharper momentum toward Asuma's head.

Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts: Outer Style: Bombing Axe!

This was the new technique Uchiha Mai had developed after a month of grueling training; both its aesthetic appeal and its destructive power were pushed to the maximum.

It was a technique no one had seen before.

After Asuma perfectly dodged Uchiha Mai's first kick, he never expected Mai to launch a second heavy kick with such speed. He was never this fast when he used to beat me up.

Laughable. Why would I use my full strength during our daily beatings?

Asuma tried desperately to twist his body to dodge, but he only managed to avoid a fatal blow to his head.

"Crack!"

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the bone in Asuma's shoulder snapped under the force of the kick, and the immense pressure instantly slammed him to the ground.

"Ahhh~~~"

Dust billowed into the air. Only then did Asuma feel the searing pain in his shoulder, letting out a soul-stirring scream, his heart filled with utter frustration.

Uchiha Mai, you have no martial honor!

Beating me up before was one thing—at least that was a fair fight, and it took a dozen moves to leave me bruised and swollen.

Today, you resort to a sneak attack, not even caring if I can take it, coming straight out with such a heavy... kick.

Disgusting. Truly disgusting.

Asuma felt deeply aggrieved, while the expressions of Fugaku and Sarutobi Hiruzen in the office became even more bizarre, as if they were suffering from constipation.

This development did not align with their expectations!

"This Uchiha Mai... is impressive, very impressive." Sarutobi Hiruzen offered a stiff, insincere comment to mask his embarrassment.

"His strength is the greatest among our young Uchiha," Fugaku could only try his best to smooth things over for the Third Hokage.

To remain humble or play down his strength now, claiming Mai was just an ordinary child of the clan, would only make the Third Hokage more awkward.

What would that imply? That my son was taken down in two kicks by an average Uchiha peer?

Moreover, the strength Uchiha Mai displayed was undeniably formidable.

Fugaku only knew that Mai often fought Asuma and always won, but he never imagined he could win so easily.

As for Asuma, every time he went home with a bruised face, he claimed he had fought Uchiha Mai and lost by a single move after a grueling battle; how could he ever admit he was being toyed with?

The Ninja Academy's toughest kid had knelt so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard.

Only after Asuma was pinned down did Master Minato react. Didn't the Hokage say this would test their spirit of sacrifice? Why did he suddenly start fighting?

In this situation, should I intervene? If I do, I'll be contradicting my own words about "no rules" from a few seconds ago.

Namikaze Minato was conflicted.

Uchiha Mai didn't care about the awkwardness in the office or Minato's hesitation.

After putting Asuma down, he shifted his focus and charged toward Obito.

Sorry, little brother Obito. To join Master Minato's team, I have to take you down. Though, that does mean you won't be on the same team as your best buddy, Kakashi.

But afterwards, I will also lay Rin Nohara out flat. Look on the bright side, Rin Nohara won't be on the same team as Kakashi, which is a good thing for you.

"Mai, what... what are you doing?"

Obito, whose nerves were a bit thick, still hadn't adapted to Uchiha Mai's fast pace; he couldn't fathom why he had suddenly attacked.

"This is for your own good." Uchiha Mai replied, launching a flying knee toward Obito's chest.

Obito knew he had to fight back, so he channeled chakra and raised his elbows to guard his chest, blocking the flying knee.

Like a mayfly trying to topple a tree, Obito felt a sharp pain in his arms; although he had protected his chest, he hadn't fully deflected the impact, and he stumbled back several steps.

Uchiha Mai pressed the attack, activating his single-tomoe Sharingan to analyze Obito's posture and movements, his hands darting out like ghosts to grab Obito's head.

Having practiced the Lightning Five-Chain Whip for a long time, Mai's arms, hands, and fingers had seen significant improvements in both flexibility and speed.

If the person holding Obito's head had been Rin Nohara, Obito would have enjoyed it, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Uchiha Mai pulled Obito's head down with both hands and drove his knee upward, knocking Obito unconscious on the spot.

Uchiha Mai had always been brutal in a fight, always aiming for vital points; his baseline was a fracture and a mild concussion, with no upper limit.

Such a fighting style was indeed ruthless, especially for a sparring match or test between classmates. Yet, to this day, neither the Ninja Academy teachers, Fugaku, nor anyone else had ever corrected him on this point.

This was the ninja world, a world where less than ten years had passed since the Second Shinobi World War!

If you don't strike hard enough, you won't pose a sufficient threat to your opponent, and you will be killed in return. If you hold back too much during training, what will you do when your conditioned reflexes kick in on the battlefield?

In this era, you have to be ruthless. Do you think this is playing house just because there have been a few years of peace?