Sai used the Clone Technique to dodge Yamashiro Aoba's attack, then put more than a hundred meters between them and hid behind a large tree, holding a short blade in front of him in a defensive stance.
Fujiwara Chima had also found a hiding place in the distance.
Neither of them knew that Yamashiro Aoba was watching everything around them.
"So, Yuyou Uchiha. This is where you've been hiding."
Information from Yamashiro Aoba's Summoning Beast, a crow, reached his mind. It had found Yu hiding atop a tree to the left and ahead of him.
But Yamashiro Aoba didn't expose Yu right away. Instead, he swiftly formed several Hand Seals.
[Secret Technique: Stone Needles]
Stone Needles was Yamashiro Aoba's signature ninjutsu. He used two Kunai connected to a cord that could transmit Chakra, stabbing them into his opponent and channeling his own Chakra through the cord to immobilize them.
Of course, the version he was using now was a simplified one. Having two Kunai stuck in your body wasn't exactly pleasant.
There was no need to use Kunai to subdue a Genin. His specially made cord would do the job.
Watching Yamashiro Aoba from atop the tree, Yu felt conflicted. His teammates were all trying so hard, so he couldn't just slack off. He had to show some ability, at least.
"I don't need to use anything too powerful. I'll just go with a signature Uchiha technique!"
Yu activated the two Chakra Hearts inside his body.
Then he swiftly formed the Hand Seals: Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger...
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]
After a four-second windup, Yu exhaled a stream of flames that instantly swelled into a massive fireball.
"What is that?"
The moment he saw Yu forming Hand Seals, Yamashiro Aoba had guessed he was about to use the Great Fireball Technique. He knew the technique himself, after all. As the Hokage's trusted subordinate, he had certain advantages—for example, access to the Uchiha clan's exclusive ninjutsu.
But his Great Fireball Technique was somewhat different from Yu's. Yu was using a version improved by the Uchiha.
Yamashiro Aoba hadn't paid much attention to Yu's Great Fireball Technique. Even if a Genin could use it, it wouldn't be very powerful, and he could easily dodge it.
But in the next instant, Yamashiro Aoba realized he'd been wrong. What on earth was that fireball, blazing like the sun? Even he couldn't produce a Great Fireball Technique with such power.
The Great Fireball Technique Yu unleashed was over five meters in diameter, larger than a house.
The fireball collided with Yamashiro Aoba's black cord, and its intense heat set the cord alight in an instant.
It all happened in a matter of seconds. Yamashiro Aoba had no choice but to retreat. If that fireball hit him, even he would die.
Fortunately, Yu had no intention of killing Yamashiro Aoba. Otherwise, even if Aoba managed to dodge this attack, he would still have been injured.
"Rumble..."
A massive explosion rang out, and countless flames scattered in every direction. The forest in the area was instantly transformed into a sea of fire.
"To think Yuyou Uchiha has such incredible power. That was even more powerful than the ninjutsu most Jonin can use. Could Yuyou Uchiha be another prodigy like Kakashi or Uchiha Itachi?" Yamashiro Aoba murmured as he watched the flames ahead. Prodigies like Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi were deeply etched in his mind. No matter how hard people like them tried, they could never catch up.
Suddenly, Yamashiro Aoba's eyes widened. He'd just remembered something.
"My bells!"
Yamashiro Aoba hurriedly looked toward the burning area, but before he could do anything, Yu had already come over with the bells.
"Jingle..."
As he listened to the bells' clear chime, Yamashiro Aoba felt as if he'd been slapped in the face. He'd actually failed at this stage of the ninja trainee test. Nothing like this had ever happened in Konoha before. If word got out, how could he face his comrades?
"Teacher Aoba, does this mean we passed your test?" Yu asked with a smile, holding out the bells.
"You... passed."
Yamashiro Aoba reached out and took the bells. He didn't want to admit it, but the facts left him no choice.
Looking at the boy in front of him, Yamashiro Aoba understood that another dazzlingly talented ninja had appeared in Konoha.
But Yu's identity made him feel uneasy. He knew the circumstances behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre, and he'd been assigned to lead Team 99 in order to keep an eye on Yu. Now he finally understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi had wanted him to see Yu's abilities.
Another brilliant Uchiha prodigy was bound to make Konoha's leaders uneasy.
The fire in the distance was spreading. This was a forest, full of towering trees and dense vegetation. If left unchecked, the consequences would be disastrous.
Yu had no intention of letting the flames keep burning. He'd caused the fire, so he had to take responsibility for putting it out. He stepped in front of the blaze and formed Hand Seals. "Water Release: Waterfall Technique!"
This was a C-rank technique, and it wasn't particularly powerful. But with enough Chakra, it could summon a massive amount of water.
After Yu used the Waterfall Technique, a torrent of water appeared above the fire. Its force was no less impressive than the Great Fireball Technique's.
The water poured down and quickly smothered the flames. Soon, the fire was completely extinguished, leaving only wisps of smoke rising into the air.
The vegetation here had been burned, but it would take only a short time for the forest to regain its former vitality.
Sai and Fujiwara Chima also came out of hiding and hurried over. Both of them kept their eyes fixed on Yu. They had seen what happened just now.
They could hardly believe that such a powerful technique had come from Yu.
Sai stared at Yu, his trademark fake smile nowhere to be seen. All that showed on his face was surprise and shock. Only now did he understand why Danzo had sent him to watch Yu. He also knew he would have to be more careful than ever from now on. If he was exposed, he might lose his life.
Watching Yu, Fujiwara Chima thought of the enemy ninjas on the battlefield. The ninjas in her clan had done everything they could to resist them, but fighting those opponents had been little different from throwing their lives away. The gap in strength had decided the outcome of their battles long ago.
And now, this boy who was about her age had the very power she had always dreamed of possessing.
Yu, meanwhile, watched them with a cheerful smile, showing no sign that he was bothered by having revealed his strength.
He knew he'd achieved his goal: to show Konoha that he had power, and that he was very strong. He wanted to see what Konoha would decide to do about him.
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