Konoha.
The Ninja Academy's training ground.
"Next."
"Sasuke Uchiha."
As Mizuki called out the name,
every eye in the crowd snapped toward him.
The genius of the Uchiha Clan.
Heir to one of Konoha's most prestigious families.
Sasuke Uchiha stepped out of the crowd and into the center of the field.
He intended to prove that he was the strongest of this year's graduates.
He raised both hands, his ten fingers flying.
His Hand Seals came so fast they left afterimages, even stirring faint whistles through the air.
Tiger—Snake—Horse—Dragon—Rat—Ox!
Chakra compressed furiously in his throat, like a volcano about to erupt.
In the stands, Fugaku Uchiha shot to his feet.
That sequence of seals...
It wasn't the Fireball Jutsu!
"B-Rank Fire Release!"
Fugaku Uchiha's heart hammered as he gripped the railing.
Sasuke Uchiha's chest swelled. Then he opened his mouth.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Boom!
A ferocious pillar of searing flame burst forth.
The flames swelled in midair, becoming a snarling fire dragon with claws outstretched.
Terrifying heat swept across the entire field in an instant.
The fire dragon roared toward the massive reinforced iron target at the far end.
Clang!
The deafening crash rang out in every direction.
The reinforced target, ten centimeters thick, began to glow red under the flames.
In less than three seconds,
its center melted into red-hot iron, dripping onto the ground.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Even the seasoned Jonin proctors stared wide-eyed.
Twelve years old.
His Sharingan hadn't awakened.
Yet with Chakra control alone, he had performed an advanced B-Rank Fire Release technique!
"Is this still a Genin exam?"
Iruka swallowed, cold sweat covering his forehead.
There were too many monsters in this graduating class.
"Hmph."
Sasuke dropped his stance and turned back toward the crowd.
He lifted his chin slightly