Phoenix Flower Jutsu, You Did Well!

Wait, wait a second...

What was going on?!

[You learned from the Clone Technique that although Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu was a dazzling, glamorous young lady on the surface, she was not actually valued very highly. Many people humiliated her with the nickname "Kindness Technique." Fire Ball Jutsu never said anything about it, but she minded it greatly and wanted to prove her strength and shut up those who mocked her.]

[Please decide whether to use practical action to clear Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu's name: Yes/No]

[Mission Time Limit: 15 days]

"!!"

Mikami Yu's eyes lit up.

Good! Clone Technique, you did well!

As expected of my trusted right-hand man. Three sentences, and you managed to trigger Fire Ball Jutsu's special event... What else was there to say?

Take it!

As the saying went, there were no useless jutsu, only users who did not know how to use them. If Uchiha Madara could make a C-Rank Ninjutsu produce the effect of an A-Rank Ninjutsu, then Mikami Yu could do the same!

Though the criteria for "clearing her name" were a little vague. It sounded like he needed to kill a few people with Fire Ball Jutsu. Fortunately, there was plenty of time—fifteen whole days. By then, he should have been assigned to a team and able to leave the village for missions.

The Shinobi World was in the midst of war. Killing people was nothing unusual. At worst, he could find some bandits to make up the numbers. That should work too.

As Mikami Yu chose to accept the mission, the text box changed:

[Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu: (Her flames calmed slightly, though they still burned high) Hmph! That's more like it! Remember what you said! This young lady will be waiting!]

[Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu Affection +2]

A day of training came to an end.

As the sun set, Mikami Yu dragged his exhausted body home, washed up, and rested.

In the blink of an eye, graduation day arrived.

Like the entrance ceremony, this ceremony was a rare major event for the Ninja Academy. Besides the graduating students, quite a few parents had also been invited to attend. Naturally, that included Mikami Yu's mother, Mikami Aoi.

Early that morning.

Mikami Aoi got up and woke Mikami Yu. While he ate breakfast, she returned to her room to dress up and changed into a clean new outfit.

When mother and son stepped outside, they saw their neighbors, Nohara Hiroshi and Nohara Misa, coming out with Rin as well. Smiling brightly, they greeted Mikami Aoi. "Morning, Aoi, and morning to you too, little Yu. We heard from Rin that you got first place, but we haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet!"

"Uncle Hiroshi, you're too kind. If not for the Ninjutsu scroll you gave me, I wouldn't have achieved results like this."

Mikami Yu said.

Nohara Hiroshi laughed. "Haha, not at all. It took me two or three months to master those two jutsu back then. The fact that you learned them in such a short time is proof of your talent. Even without them, you'd still make a name for yourself."

After chatting for a while longer,

the two families headed toward the academy.

At nine in the morning.

The grand auditorium of the Konoha Ninja Academy was already packed with people. Graduating students and some of their parents filled the seats, exchanging lively greetings.

Mikami Yu looked around and spotted some familiar faces: Yuhi Kurenai's father, Yuhi Shinku; Might Duy; Hizashi Hyuga; and several people he did not know but whose appearances made their clans obvious, such as the Nara Clan's signature pineapple heads.

"Eh? Was Obito late again?"

Nohara Rin thought of that noisy figure.

"Probably."

Mikami Yu said.

In the original plot, Obito seemed to have missed this graduation ceremony too.

"Let's find somewhere to sit first. There seem to be nameplates on the seats."

Before long, the ceremony began.

Fujimoto Itsuki, the Ninja Academy principal, stepped onto the stage and began a long but necessary speech. He reviewed the past, looked toward the future, and emphasized the Ninja Academy's responsibility and Konoha's glory. Finally, he solemnly announced:

"Among this year's students, thirty-three have passed the rigorous examinations and will officially receive Konoha ninja headbands, becoming proud Genin! Please give them a round of applause!"

Clap clap clap—

"Huh? Thirty-three? Why are there so many? I remember there were only twenty-one last year."

"Indeed. Even someone like Ebisu passed?"

Mikami Yu heard someone whisper.

Then another, older voice said, "Shh—keep it down. Have you forgotten about those wounded soldiers who returned to the village recently? These are not peaceful times. The village needs fresh blood..."

The murmurs gradually faded away.

Mikami Yu also withdrew his attention.

The ceremony continued.

During it, Mikami Yu took the stage as the class valedictorian to speak on behalf of the graduating students. He had spent two hours writing the speech the night before, carefully weighing every word and phrase. Its content closely followed the Will of Fire. After all, this was a public chance to show himself. He had to perform well.

When the speech ended, thunderous applause erupted from below the stage. Nohara Rin and Mikami Aoi clapped the hardest of all.

Then the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, appeared once more. With a gentle smile on his face, he personally presented every graduating student with the headband representing Konoha's ninja.

Once all those proceedings were over, the parents began leaving one after another. Those with missions returned to them, while those with nothing to do gathered in small groups, preparing to have a few drinks and catch up.

The students, meanwhile, remained behind to await the team assignments.

"Mikami, your situation is special. Lord Hokage instructed you to go find him at the rear training ground first."

Teacher Oki came over and said.

"Hm?"

Mikami Yu paused slightly, then stood up. Under the envious gazes of Nohara Rin and the others, he left the auditorium and made his way behind the teaching building. Hiruzen Sarutobi was already waiting there, a pipe between his lips and a genial smile on his face.

"You're here?"

When Mikami Yu approached,

Hiruzen Sarutobi removed his pipe and got straight to the point. "Now, I will fulfill my promise and teach you the Phoenix Flower Jutsu."

"The Phoenix Flower Jutsu is a C-Rank Fire Style Ninjutsu. Unlike Fire Ball Jutsu, which pursues instantaneous explosive power and range, it places greater emphasis on dispersed attacks and sustained pressure..."

As the "Professor of Ninjutsu," Hiruzen Sarutobi's teaching ability was beyond question. He had reached the point where complexity became simplicity.

Using easy-to-understand explanations, he went over the Phoenix Flower Jutsu's chakra circulation route and the key points of its hand seals. Along the way, he also briefly mentioned Fire Ball Jutsu and Wild Water Wave. Only after confirming that Mikami Yu understood did he begin demonstrating.

"Watch closely. Rat—Tiger—Dog—Ox—Rabbit—Tiger..."

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Whoosh—!

Several clusters of orange-red flames, resembling phoenix flower seeds, burst from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth.

Rather than flying in straight lines, the flames arced through the air like tracking missiles, spreading out toward several earthen targets ahead and blasting each one apart.

[Ding! A high-quality potential target has been detected: "Phoenix Flower Jutsu." A limited-time Encounter mission has been triggered!]