If It Can't Be Fired, Can It Be Called a Bullet?

The two engaged in another fierce exchange, utilizing the Flying Thunder God Technique with fluid agility as their figures flickered constantly across the battlefield.

Kushina watched, dazzled, completely unable to keep up with their speed.

Just then, Minato seized a momentary opening, circled behind Hayato, and put his quick thinking into practice.

"Rasengan!"

Hayato reacted instantly, once again using the Flying Thunder God Technique to evade the attack.

The Rasengan struck the ground, blasting out a massive crater as dust billowed into the air.

"It seems we're evenly matched when it comes to the Flying Thunder God," Minato said with a smile.

Hayato knew otherwise; for the same move, Minato had the reaction time to employ the Body Flicker Technique, while he could only rely on the Flying Thunder God to dodge.

Although Minato held the edge in speed, Hayato had activated his Sharingan early on.

His powerful kinetic vision allowed Hayato to slightly bridge that gap, enabling him to react in advance.

Hayato nodded slightly, thinking to himself, My Flying Thunder God still needs further refinement.

At that moment, Minato suddenly opened up the distance, pulled three shuriken from his ninja tool pouch, and threw them at Hayato. Immediately following, he performed hand seals rapidly. "It won't be that simple from here on out, Hayato. Watch closely! This is a technique passed down by the Third Hokage."

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

In an instant, the three flying shuriken multiplied into tens of thousands, raining down upon Hayato like a dense storm.

The barrage sealed off all of Hayato's room for retreat.

Hayato's expression turned grave. He quickly formed hand seals and shouted, "Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

Instantly, three five-meter-tall earthen walls rose from the ground, separating him from Minato.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Hayato did not relax, for the obstruction of the walls had caused him to lose track of Minato's position.

He leaped up to the top of the wall, his Sharingan darting in every direction as he focused all his attention on scanning his surroundings.

Suddenly, Minato's figure flashed behind Hayato.

"It's over! Rasengan!"

Poof! Hayato's figure turned into a puff of smoke and vanished.

A look of surprise appeared on Minato's face. "A Shadow Clone?"

Hayato's figure appeared directly above Minato. "Hey, Brother Minato, did you know? Everything in this world is relative. While I couldn't pinpoint your location, you couldn't track my movements either."

A ball of chakra condensed in Hayato's hand.

"That is! That move from the other day!" Minato observed the glowing sphere of chakra in Hayato's hand.

Hayato gathered chakra in both hands. "Brother Minato, didn't you ask before why this move has that name?"

Hayato flicked his hands, launching the chakra sphere directly. He then continued to condense more without pause; although the spheres were slightly smaller, he intended to win through sheer volume.

"Spirit Bomb!"

Shock appeared on Minato's face. "He can actually launch that move!"

When Hayato had demonstrated it to him before, he had only held it in his hand, so Minato hadn't realized it could be thrown.

Wait, come to think of it, the Tailed Beast Bomb can be fired. Looking at it this way, Hayato's move really does have the flavor of a Tailed Beast Bomb.

Hayato couldn't help but grumble internally: If it can't be launched, can you really call it a bomb?

Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of explosions was incessant.

Thick smoke billowed across the scene, and the spot where Minato had been standing was blasted into a giant crater.

However, there was no sign of Minato.

With a turn of his eyes, Hayato blocked with his right arm, parrying Minato, who had suddenly appeared beside him.

"As expected, it wasn't that simple."

The two traded blows, locked in an evenly matched struggle. The Flying Thunder God Technique, Rasengan, Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Earth Style, Lightning Style... every jutsu was utilized to its fullest potential in their hands. Kushina watched from the sidelines, her blood boiling; she had never seen such a spectacular sparring match.

Finally, after a series of intense exchanges, both withdrew at the same time, standing in place and gasping for breath. They looked at each other, their eyes shining with mutual admiration and respect.

"Hayato, you really are strong!" Minato said, panting.

"Likewise, Brother Minato!" Hayato replied with a faint smile.

Although the sparring match ended in a draw, it served to deepen the friendship between the two.

Time passed as swiftly as a white horse leaping across a crevice. A week flew by in the blink of an eye, and under Minato's careful guidance and assistance, Hayato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique became increasingly refined and proficient.

Finally, the day of the Chunin Exams arrived.

Hayato arrived at the exam site alone. Without the cumbersome first round of genjutsu testing to block his path, he went straight to the written exam hall.

Not long after, a figure in a green bodysuit, brimming with vitality, appeared in the exam hall. It was none other than Might Dai—Guy's father.

"Dai, I see you're in trouble again this year; you definitely won't pass the Chunin Exams," a ninja said, immediately trying to dampen his spirits upon seeing Might Dai.

However, Might Dai didn't care in the slightest about the opinions or evaluations of others. He simply raised a thumb, revealed a set of pearly white teeth, and smiled. "Never give up! That is youth!"

Hayato couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion as he witnessed this scene.

He had never expected to participate in this year's Chunin Exams alongside Might Dai.

Then again, Dai would likely still be here for the next one.

But for him, none of that mattered. He only needed to give it his all and perform at his absolute best.

Not long after, the proctor in charge of the assessment, Yamanaka Feng Yuan, walked into the examination hall.

With a stern expression, he announced the rules and requirements for the exam before instructing his assistants to distribute the test papers.

"Anyone caught cheating will be punished without exception! If one person cheats, the entire team will be held accountable and expelled from the hall immediately." Yamanaka Feng Yuan's words carried an unquestionable sense of authority and power.

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into an eerie silence. All the examinees held their breath, focusing their full attention on the test.

The written portion of the Konoha exam had always been a test of one's ability to gather intelligence.

However, this was no difficult task for Hayato. When he saw the questions on the paper, he couldn't help but feel a surge of secret delight—Heh! He knew all of these!

Furthermore, since he was taking the exam alone, he didn't have to worry about team coordination or sharing intelligence at all.

He only needed to rely on his own strength and intellect to answer the questions.

The exam hall was so quiet that only the rustling of pens could be heard.

As for those Genin who had some prior knowledge of the exam's nature, they had already begun to show off their unique skills and specialties.

Hayato, however, remained calm and composed, handling the test with ease. He finished answering all the questions in less than half the allotted time.

He began to observe the other examinees in the hall.

Because relations between the various nations were currently strained, there were no international Chunin Exams.

Every examinee in the hall was a Konoha Genin. Aside from Might Dai, there was no one who left a particularly deep impression on Hayato.

It seems this year's Chunin Exams should be quite easy, Hayato mused to himself.

As the sand in the hourglass finally ran out, Yamanaka Feng Yuan announced the end of the written exam.