Wind Release Chakra Mode

Once the top student of each grade was selected, it was time for Aoike to take the stage.

The crowd gathered around with curiosity, their expressions ranging from inquisitive to admiring, or even displeased.

Everyone wanted to know how the top students compared to him.

At this moment, only Aoike, his opponent, and the proctor remained on the training ground.

The proctor announced the rules of the assessment in a loud voice.

"For this match, your opponent is Konoha Special Jōnin Yamamoto Shin."

"The objective of the assessment is to hold your ground against Yamamoto Shin for five minutes without being defeated."

The students below exchanged glances; they knew that Jōnin was already the highest rank for a standard ninja.

Even with the "Special" prefix, it meant that Yamamoto Shin excelled in at least one area compared to an ordinary Jōnin.

Ultimately, this was just an assessment, and Yamamoto Shin viewed it merely as a way to evaluate and offer guidance to a junior.

"Little one, the academy is only the starting point for a ninja. The battlefield isn't as simple as a ninja game; if you don't have any impressive skills, you'd be better off going back to class."

Aoike formed the Seal of Confrontation, ignoring the disdain in his words.

It was normal for an academy student to be looked down upon by a Special Jōnin; this wasn't a life-or-death struggle on the battlefield, so there was little need for a strong ninja to be wary of a weak one.

Seeing that his words couldn't shake Aoike's resolve, Yamamoto Shin stopped talking.

He wanted to see just how much of Kakashi's flair this genius possessed.

The proctor's hand dropped from the air.

"Begin!"

Several shuriken were launched toward Yamamoto Shin.

A standard probing throw.

Yamamoto Shin held a kunai in one hand and deflected two shuriken with a flick of his wrist, feeling disappointed when the remaining two flew wide, passing three feet above his head.

Is this all he's got?

Just as he let his guard down, the sound of the two shuriken colliding above his head triggered the instincts he had honed over years of combat.

He performed a roll, narrowly dodging the redirected shuriken, though a small tear appeared on the shoulder of his clothing.

"I was careless."

He had seen the technique of using high-speed collisions to change the trajectory of shuriken during sparring matches with the Uchiha clan; such a move required immense skill, reflexes, and calculation.

He hadn't expected this kid to know such a trick.

Setting aside some of his disdain, he gripped a kunai in each hand to face the approaching Aoike.

The iron weapons clashed repeatedly in their hands, sparks flying and swirling around the two of them.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Yamamoto Shin's forehead; he couldn't believe the strength a child could exert.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others saw it clearly: while Aoike's strength was indeed much higher than his peers, he was still at a disadvantage compared to an adult Jōnin.

What truly allowed him to keep pace with Yamamoto Shin in taijutsu was his technique for dissipating force.

At the moment of every clash, Aoike used his footwork to shed most of the kinetic energy, moving as fluidly as a spinning top being struck.

However, the physical toll of this was undoubtedly immense. Yamamoto Shin realized this, but he still wouldn't risk a reckless exchange.

A powerful whip kick forced Aoike to break off the engagement, and he followed up with a punch aimed at Aoike's chest.

Aoike crossed his arms to block the blow, then seized the opportunity to use the momentum to leap into the air, throwing his kunai to disrupt Yamamoto Shin's follow-up attack.

By the time Yamamoto Shin dodged the kunai, Aoike had only three seals left for his Fire Style technique.

Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

The moment the massive fireball erupted from his mouth, Yamamoto Shin's hands moved so fast they blurred.

Water Style: Water Wall!

Steam from the fire and water filled the area. Realizing he had made a mistake by losing sight of his opponent, Yamamoto Shin ignored his flushed face and performed a few simple seals, but his attempt was undoubtedly interrupted.

He clutched his arm, where several pressure points had been struck, and channeled his chakra to reopen the sealed points.

But the numb, tingling sensation meant that the arm could only perform simple movements.

Not daring to delay, Yamamoto Shin created a shadow clone.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

As the mist cleared, Aoike, who had been hiding within it, was blown away.

"Good chance."

Yamamoto Shin seized the moment, his shadow clone coordinating with his main body.

Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!

Yamamoto Shin was in the same class as Kakashi, having survived the Great Ninja War thanks to his tenacious vitality and large chakra reserves.

The combination ninjutsu was activated. Although he still had a surplus of chakra, he dared not add any more attacks, fearing that he might accidentally snuff out a genius if he couldn't hold back his strength.

The ground beneath Aoike turned into a quagmire, and a water dragon from the sky surged toward him.

He did not panic in the face of such a predicament.

Starting with the common hand seals for Wind Release, pale blue chakra overflowed from his body, forming a sphere that enveloped him.

"Is that the Hyuga's Rotation? But I recall that this type of taijutsu shouldn't require hand seals."

Suppressing the doubt in his heart, he knew that no matter what kind of Rotation it was, the rotation itself was an unavoidable weakness; there was a limit to so-called absolute defense.

He formed hand seals once more, preparing Earth Release: Earth Sinking Technique, which, combined with the Swamp of the Underworld, would be enough to bring the spinning Rotation to a halt.

Before he could even launch it, he saw the Rotation dissipate the Water Dragon Bullet and come to a stop.

Yamamoto Shin paused his movements.

It seems he has reached his limit, he speculated inwardly.

Danzō and the others on the platform thought the same.

Only Hyuga Hiashi and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew it wasn't over yet; the new technique had yet to be revealed...

When the remaining blue specks of light faded, Aoike reappeared in everyone's sight in a brand-new posture.

A pure white curtain of light transformed into a thin garment covering his body, and his chakra was more active than ever before.

The mud beneath his feet was pushed aside by the wind, and under the reflection of the sunlight, he looked like a celestial being.

"Watch out, Senior."

With a light tap of his toes, a gust of wind exploded. Everyone saw only a blur, and a massive fist shadow filled Yamamoto Shin's pupils.

Before he could see clearly, Aoike had already flashed behind him and delivered a light palm strike. Yamamoto Shin flew backward, only managing to stabilize his tumbling body with the help of a shadow clone.

So fast!

He could barely keep up with his shadow.

Yamamoto Shin felt immense pressure, his back drenched in sweat.

He no longer held back and tossed a shuriken into the air.

--Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique

A sky-covering barrage of shuriken enveloped Aoike. He took a deep breath, huff.

All the shuriken were blown back.

Earth Release: Earth Style Wall.

An earthen wall stood before Yamamoto Shin, blocking the reflected shuriken.

Before he could even catch his breath, Aoike delivered a sweeping kick, and two sharp wind blades shredded the Earth Style Wall.

Aoike flashed forward and pressed a single hand against his chest; the wind blades poised for release declared the end of the battle.

Yamamoto Shin lowered his hands, which had been mid-seal, and looked at the composed Aoike before him with a complex expression.

"I lost."