"Not bad."
Although Lin Ze seemed dismissive of Ryota Uchiha, he had to admit that his shurikenjutsu was among the very best in the class.
To the others, an attack like that looked difficult to dodge completely.
But Lin Ze was different. He had been in this world for a year and a half, spending most of that time conditioning his body and practicing taijutsu. His physical reflexes had long surpassed those of children his age and reached chunin level.
Lin Ze drove his right leg against the ground, launching himself diagonally into the air. Three shuriken whistled past the edge of his clothes. At the same time, his left hand snapped out with precision, actually catching the shuriken aimed at his throat between his fingers!
"What?!" Ryota Uchiha's eyes widened. "This guy..."
An uproar immediately broke out along the sidelines.
"He caught a shuriken bare-handed?!"
"Those reflexes are ridiculous!"
"So being top of the taijutsu class really wasn't just talk..."
Kurenai's clenched fists relaxed a little, but worry still filled her small face. "Lin Ze..."
Beside her, Asuma snorted around the blade of grass in his mouth at the sight. "All flash."
Lin Ze rolled as he landed, and the remaining four shuriken meant to cut off his escape all missed. He laughed inwardly. That's it? This is nothing compared to Nonō's special training.
A flicker of anger crossed Ryota Uchiha's eyes when his shuriken were dealt with so easily. He lunged forward, his right fist driving straight at Lin Ze's face!
"Taijutsu? Are you serious?" Lin Ze chuckled. Without dodging or retreating, he met him with a punch of his own.
Thud!
The instant their fists collided, Ryota Uchiha's expression changed sharply. It felt as though he had punched an iron plate. Pain shot through his finger bones, and the recoil sent him staggering backward, while Lin Ze did not budge.
Ryota Uchiha gritted his teeth and steadied himself, then abruptly changed moves, sweeping a kick at Lin Ze's legs.
Lin Ze stepped half a pace back and lashed out with his right leg like a whip. Faster and heavier, it overwhelmed Ryōta's attack, his toe tapping lightly against Ryōta's knee-
"Ah!" Ryota Uchiha cried out in pain and dropped to one knee.
"Hey, you've got to be kidding! Someone from the Uchiha Clan is being overpowered in taijutsu?!"
"Is Lin Ze a monster? That kick was so fast I couldn't even see it clearly!"
"Hmph, he's just taking advantage of being a few months older..."
Cries of surprise rose from the sidelines. No one had expected the taijutsu match to be such a one-sided crushing.
Looking down at Ryota Uchiha, Lin Ze shrugged. "Want to keep going?"
"You..." Ryota Uchiha looked up, panting, with a measure of unwillingness in his eyes.
"Bastard!"
"You asked for this."
Ryota Uchiha's face flushed red, and his hands suddenly flew through a series of hand seals.
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!"
Boom!
A fireball two meters across erupted from Ryota Uchiha's mouth, its searing flames warping the air. This was the Uchiha Clan's signature C-rank Fire Release technique. Under normal circumstances, it took at least a genin to perform it!
"Stop!" The teacher refereeing the match blanched. But Lin Ze and Ryota were too close together, and he had only just been promoted to chunin. He would not make it in time!
"Ryōta actually mastered that?!"
"He could kill someone!"
The students at the sidelines screamed and backed away. Several girls even covered their eyes.
"Lin Ze!"
Kurenai sprang to her feet, clear anxiety showing in her eyes.
Being hit by ninjutsu like that would mean more than an injury. He could very well die on the spot!
Lin Ze's pupils contracted sharply. In the original story, Uchiha Itachi could use this move at four, but Ryota Uchiha clearly lacked that talent. Judging by his clumsy hand seals, this was probably an incomplete version he had barely managed to perform.
Sure enough, a trace of cold sweat appeared on Ryota Uchiha's forehead in the distance. Performing this ninjutsu was clearly a considerable burden on him as well, nearly exhausting his chakra.
But it was still C-rank ninjutsu!
You should know that in the Hokage World, ninjutsu was divided into several ranks: S-rank, A-rank, B-rank, C-rank, D-rank, and E-rank.
E-rank was Ninja Academy level, D-rank techniques were commonly used by genin, and C-rank Ninjutsu were commonly used by chunin!
The chakra flow is erratic, and the flames are unevenly concentrated... Lin Ze instantly identified a weak point on the fireball's right side. But with a human body's defenses, even a glancing hit would cause severe burns.
No choice... He pretended to stagger backward. The instant the firelight filled his vision, azure dragon scales silently surfaced on the skin beneath his right sleeve.
Thud!
Concealed beneath his sleeve, his Dragon Transformation arm blocked the fireball, scattering sparks across the air.
Lin Ze seized the chance to roll sideways out of the flames. While rolling, he hurriedly reversed the beastification of his arm before his sleeve burned away completely.
"Impossible!" Ryota Uchiha slumped to the ground, his chakra-depleted face filled with disbelief. "He blocked the Great Fireball with taijutsu?"
The entire field fell silent.
Kurenai was the first to rush onto the field. "Lin Ze! Are you all right?"
She suddenly froze. Apart from his blackened sleeve, Lin Ze's exposed arm was actually only slightly red.
"Just a little trick of coating my body in chakra." Lin Ze winked and lowered his voice. "It actually hurts like crazy. Keep it a secret for me?"
Kurenai nodded, her eyes reddening.
At that moment, the referee announced with a dark expression, "Ryota Uchiha violated the rules by using high-risk ninjutsu. He loses! Lin Ze wins!"
"Wait!" Ryōta struggled to his feet. "He must have cheated!"
"Shut up!" the teacher snapped. "Go to the infirmary right now, then write a three-thousand-word reflection!"
That evening, by the river where he had found the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
Lin Ze inspected his completely ruined jacket.
Partial beastification's defenses are stronger than expected, but relying on clothes to hide it is still a weakness.
He recalled the Great Fireball Ryota Uchiha had unleashed earlier that day. Although the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon gave Lin Ze considerable resistance to fire ninjutsu, that scorching sensation had been very real, as though he could still feel it even now. You really can't underestimate any ninja from the Uchiha Clan!
"Lin Ze!" Kurenai came running over with a medical kit in her arms. "I brought you burn ointment!"
Seeing Kurenai panting for breath, Lin Ze suddenly smiled. In the original story, Kurenai should have been training on a team with Asuma at this age, but now...
"Thank you." Lin Ze looked down at Kurenai as she applied ointment to him, a trace of softness appearing in his eyes.
As the sun sank in the west, only Lin Ze and Kurenai Yuhi remained at this secluded riverside in Konoha.
Kurenai carefully applied burn ointment to Lin Ze and asked quietly, "Does it hurt?"
"It's fine. A little injury like this is nothing." Lin Ze smiled.
After finishing with the ointment, Kurenai put away the medical kit and sat beside Lin Ze. Propping her chin in both hands, she asked, "Lin Ze, how did you block that fireball today? Your arm only looked a little red. It didn't even break the skin."
Lin Ze had already prepared his explanation. "A little trick of coating my body in chakra. Big Sister Nonō taught me. But it uses a lot of chakra, and it still really hurts."
Kurenai blinked, her face full of admiration. "You're amazing! You could even block the Uchiha Clan's ninjutsu."
"Just luck." Lin Ze shrugged. "That guy still hasn't mastered his Great Fireball. If it had been any stronger, I wouldn't have been able to block it."
Kurenai shook her head and said earnestly, "It wasn't luck! You train as hard as you can every day. Even the teacher calls you a genius in taijutsu class. Ryota Uchiha just relies on his clan's ninjutsu to bully people. In terms of actual strength, he's nowhere near you!"
Kurenai's words made Lin Ze laugh. "You're even more confident in me than I am."
Kurenai's cheeks flushed slightly, and she murmured, "Because... you're the hardest-working person I've ever met."
Before you continue