Ah, What Do You Do When There's Nowhere to Borrow a Flame?

Hideki had always been a cautious person.

He had once sworn that, for all eternity, he would be irreconcilably opposed to gambling and drugs!

But today, he was afraid he would have to break that vow... Obito could not hold on much longer, and he himself could not squeeze out any more chakra.

Only one path remained before him!

"First, mobilize Yang Release chakra..."

With a flip of his palm, the small chakra ball condensed in Hideki's hand immediately dispersed.

But the chakra did not vanish. Instead, it moved directly to the back of his hand.

Hideki began forming hand seals with both hands.

First came the Water Ball Technique!

There was no water source here that he could draw upon, only a filthy ditch. But Hideki had not planned on relying on external help anyway.

Hadn't he spent over half a month painstakingly practicing the Mystical Palm Technique for this very moment?

"Water Release!"

Hideki shouted, his volume and momentum no weaker than Obito's.

Yet no one paid attention to him. Obito was getting beaten up, Uchiha Beiying was cheering, and Uchiha Beiying's cousin looked on with utter disdain.

Meanwhile, Hideki continued his operation.

The chakra on the back of his hand turned into a small water ball. The water ball kept spinning, looking remarkably like a Rasengan.

But the Rasengan had no chakra nature transformation. Naruto's Rasenshuriken only came after he infused it with Wind Release chakra nature transformation.

Hideki's water ball merely looked like a Rasengan. In essence, it was just a spinning water ball.

But a water ball was exactly what he needed!

"There's a chance!"

Hideki's eyes lit up. The technique produced by fusing Yang Release and Water Release really was different from anything before!

He formed seals again, this time for Lightning Release!

He truly did not have much chakra left, but after a month of training, his total chakra reserves had increased considerably.

He still could not produce a stable Rasengan, but creating another Hydrogen Release like the one from that day was more than manageable!

Hideki was not sure how long his Yang Release: Small Water Ball could last.

But in theory, after Yang Release was infused into it, it should "exist" like Wood Release.

Bang!

Obito took another punch and was sent flying. He even rolled twice across the ground before landing at Hideki's feet.

He could no longer get up. His face was swollen and bruised like a pig's head, and only a slit remained in his vision, yet he stared resolutely at Hideki!

"Don't worry, Obito!"

Hideki nodded. The lightning in his left hand had already fused with the water ball in his right.

Bubbles continuously formed inside the water ball, and the sight immediately filled Hideki with wild joy!

Yang Release plus Water Release really could produce water molecules that could be broken down!

But then came the problem.

He had Water Release that could be electrolyzed.

His Lightning Release had enough power too. In this short time, the water ball had already expanded by a full circle, turning into a balloon.

But... where was the fire?

Hideki looked at the Uchiha ninja before him.

The boy was not very tall, just half-grown and still dozens of months away from adulthood.

Someone like that...

Probably would not be carrying a flame on him, right?

Hideki's heart skipped a beat.

The experiment succeeded, but what was he supposed to do if there was nowhere to borrow a flame? Waiting online, urgent!

But then...

"I really didn't expect you to know ninjutsu."

"However... before the Uchiha, your technique is worthless!"

The Uchiha brat ninja began forming hand seals. The seals looked familiar to Hideki—weren't they the same ones Obito had used for the Great Fireball just now?

Could it be...

"I'll let you see what the technique that trash couldn't use really looks like!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

For that 0.000735454-second instant, Hideki was completely dumbfounded.

But he quickly reacted, violently thrusting both hands forward and pushing out his Yang-Hydrogen Release!

It was gas, and Hideki did not know Wind Release, but that was not a problem. The mass was there.

The distance between them was also extremely short. With Hideki's push, the hydrogen balloon immediately lost its spherical shape.

The Uchiha brat ninja only felt a gust of wind rush at him. A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. At this level, even one of his farts would be stronger!

The next moment, chakra transformed into flames and erupted forth!

Whoosh—BOOM!!!!!!

The fireball appeared as expected, but it changed shape the instant it emerged, then reacted directly with the hydrogen in the air and exploded!

The powerful shockwave and heat blast sent the Uchiha brat ninja flying far away. He crashed into his cousin and the group of underlings behind him, sending them all tumbling backward!

At the critical moment, Hideki threw himself over Obito. He could not worry about his hairstyle now. Obito had already been beaten into a pig's head—he could not just stand by and watch!

The heat wave rushed over as expected.

But it remained within Hideki's tolerance.

He felt a burning sensation on top of his head, accompanied by the smell of singed hair.

Hideki's heart jolted. He instinctively scrambled up and used his hands to put out the fire. When he finally managed to save his head, the sight before him made his heart tremble.

The enemy had fallen.

The explosion had come and gone quickly, but its point of origin had been the Uchiha brat ninja's Great Fireball.

He had taken the brunt of the blast. His entire upper body was charred black, while the Uchiha brats behind him had been knocked senseless. Not a single one remained standing.

"Oh no!"

Hideki's heart shuddered.

"Don't tell me... he got blown to death?"

A Great Fireball might not be able to burn someone to death, but that was not necessarily true with Hydrogen Release added to it!

"C-Cousin?"

Uchiha Beiying struggled to his feet. Looking at his unconscious cousin, the idol he had looked up to lay completely motionless. He immediately burst into tears with a loud "Waaah!"

The crying seemed contagious. The surrounding brats had already been shaken by the explosion, and one after another, they began crying loudly too.

Hideki watched them, but his gaze gradually turned cold.

In his original world, no matter how deep the hatred between two sides, if one side died or was severely injured, the conflict would tacitly come to a halt.

But this place was different.

This was the Shinobi World.

If he had not managed to form his Hydrogen Release in that situation, the one crying his eyes out now could only have been Obito.

Well, Obito probably would not even have been able to cry.

That had been Fire Release, after all! Fire Release from a Genin!

"Hideki..."

"Did we... win?"

Obito's weak voice sounded.

Hideki raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze back to Obito's pig-like face. Then he let out a breath and smiled faintly.

"Of course."

Helping Obito to his feet, the two brothers leaned against each other. After taking one last look at the Uchiha brats crying in a heap, the two made the same move as if by unspoken agreement.

They turned and left without a shred of pity!

Uchiha Beiying's cousin might have died, or he might not have.

Based on what Hideki had learned during his time in Konoha, there was a high chance that he had suffered severe burns and a concussion. His internal organs might have been bleeding too.

But...

Who cared?

No matter how you put it, if he had not fired that Great Fireball at them, Hideki would not have been hurt!

The two brothers limped out of the alley.

As the sun set in the west, the shadows of the two boys stretched long...

But what they did not know was that—

Atop the utility pole above their heads, a figure was watching their retreating backs.

"Interesting..."

Orochimaru's cold, serpentine eyes gleamed with intense interest.

"So this is the combined ninjutsu you developed..."

Orochimaru glanced at the dark alley filled with crying, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.

"Old man, this time, you misjudged them..."

"Hiss—! That hurts! Big sis, can't you be gentler?"

"If you know it hurts, then don't fight in the future, understand!"

Konoha Hospital.

Nurse Kumi applied medicine to Obito while sternly scolding him.

Konoha Hospital did not charge ninjas, not even first-year Ninja Academy students.

Besides, they had Hideki, an "insider," with them.

"They started it..."

Obito muttered.

But Kumi would not listen to explanations. "That still doesn't make it okay. Fighting is wrong, understand?"

"..." Obito lowered his head without a word.

Then he secretly glanced to the side.

Hideki was sitting obediently in a chair while a girl applied medicine to his hands.

"It shouldn't be anything serious, Hideki."

"Mm... thank you, Rin."

Hideki deliberately leaned his head against the wall. He did not want anyone to see the little curls on the back of his head.

"You're welcome, Hideki..."

The young girl smiled faintly, while Hideki looked a little awkward.

Seeing this, Obito let out a sigh.

Hideki seemed to be really popular with girls, huh?