"I give up? It's a little too soon for that."
Houka's voice came from behind Shin Kiyono.
"What?" Shin Kiyono exclaimed in shock. He thrust his kunai forward, but the 'Houka' before him dissolved into a cloud of smoke.
Clone Technique? When did he—
Shin Kiyono rolled aside to dodge the blazing fireball behind him, then threw his kunai and quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Splitting Palm!"
Chakra gathered in Shin Kiyono's palms. He slammed them into the ground, and the earth split in an instant, the fissure racing toward Houka.
"Teacher Shin Kiyono, you can't afford to lose focus in a battle between ninjas. A technique like that won't work on me at all!" Houka tensed every muscle in his body, powering his legs as he sprinted along the edge of the fissure.
Shin Kiyono gritted his teeth. "That was my strongest attack, Houka. Prepare to die!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!!!"
A roar suddenly echoed from below the fissure. The head of a fearsome stone dragon forced its way through the crack, bursting out amid a storm of rock shards. It roared and spewed a barrage of mud bullets.
"Hey, hey, is this really the Ninja Academy Graduation Exam?!"
"You've got to be kidding! At this level, we'd die if we went up against them!"
"What are we supposed to do? We're never going to graduate."
Sato and the others huddled in a corner, staring at Shin Kiyono and Houka's battle in stunned silence. Their hearts pounded with dread, and they didn't know what to do.
Boom!
One massive mud bullet after another burst from the earth dragon's mouth, hurtling toward Houka with a rumble.
*This technique... Looks like the Third Hokage's Earth Release. But no matter how powerful a jutsu is, it all depends on