Boom!
A head-sized fireball suddenly burst into existence in the arena, the intense heat creating a wave of pressure that swept across the area, stunning everyone watching.
"Fire Release? There's no way that idiot Uchiha Fūka could have learned a Fire Release jutsu! It must be a Genjutsu! Damn it, don't think you can fool my eyes!" Hyūga Shinzo's veins bulged even more around his Byakugan, dividing the world into shades of gray, but the terrifying aura of the approaching flames remained undeniable.
His expression finally showed fear. "It's real, it's real! Damn it, stop! Make it stop!"
But despite running at full speed, he couldn't halt his momentum. His face turned pale with terror, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
"What? He…" Outside the ring, Asuma Sarutobi looked utterly shocked, unable to close his mouth. Since the start of the school term, Uchiha Fūka had been shattering his expectations, each time more surprising than the last.
"Fire Release? Uchiha Fūka has already learned Fire Release?" The other students were equally stunned, unable to believe that Uchiha Fūka, once ranked near the bottom of their class, had mastered such a technique. It was nothing short of a miracle!
"So cool!" Rin and Kurenai widened their eyes in awe, their breathing quickening excitedly.
"This is bad!" Only Kiyono Makoto showed a mix of shock and concern. "Using a Fire Release jutsu at such close range… The duel has to be fair, but there's no choice! Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Buzz!
In an instant, a thick wall of earth sprang up, separating Fūka and Shinzo.
Boom!
Fūka's Great Fireball collided with Shinzo's hastily formed Eight Trigrams: Two Palms, triggering a powerful explosion.
The blast wave sent both Fūka and Shinzo flying, but the fiery aftermath and the shattered debris from the earth wall hurtled directly toward Shinzo.
"No!" Shinzo had exhausted his chakra with his second Eight Trigrams: Two Palms. He was left helpless in mid-air, unable even to stabilize his body as he watched the wave of flames and debris rush toward him.
"This is embarrassing!"
The explosion also flung back Fūka, but he quickly regained his balance and landed smoothly on the ground.
At the same time, Kiyono Makoto used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Shinzo, raising another earth wall to shield him.
"I'm saved," Shinzo muttered, his face drained of color. Then he felt a warm, wet sensation spreading below his waist, a moment of comfort like being in a hot spring, followed by the horrifying realization of what had just happened. His pale face flushed bright red, and he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground.
"Amazing!"
"That was incredible!"
"That's what a real ninja battle looks like!"
The surrounding students erupted in cheers and excitement, their previous jeers toward Fūka lost in the aftermath of the explosion.
Standing at the back of the crowd, Mizuki's eyes burned with jealousy as he stared at Uchiha Fūka. His envy had gotten the better of him once again.
"Ha ha! Fūka, you did great! You didn't embarrass me at all, ha ha ha!" Obito was overjoyed, almost as if he had been the one to prove himself, as he enthusiastically pounded Fūka on the back.
"Fūka, you're amazing! I can't believe you've already learned such a difficult Fire Release jutsu." Kurenai's big, innocent eyes sparkled with admiration, her chubby cheeks glowing with excitement.
"Hmm? You know about this jutsu?" Fūka asked with a smile.
"Yes! My dad told me about it. He said the Great Fireball Technique is unique to the Uchiha clan and hard to master. Some genin haven't even learned it yet." Kurenai replied earnestly.
Fūka couldn't resist giving the adorable little girl's chubby cheeks a gentle pinch.
"Hey, Fūka, I was congratulating you! Why are you ignoring me?" Obito grumbled, obliviously pushing in between them.
Fūka's eye twitched. No wonder Rin preferred Kakashi over him. With this kind of social skill, it was a miracle Obito even had friends. If Obito ever found a girlfriend, Fūka would gladly take on his last name!
Kurenai, being just a six-year-old, didn't mind having her cheeks pinched, as her father often did the same. But this scene didn't sit well with Asuma Sarutobi, who stood at a distance, sulking.
"Everyone run laps around the field until Kiyono Makoto returns!" Asuma Sarutobi barked out, using the excuse to vent his frustration on the other students. He then turned to Fūka and his group. "That means you too!"
"Ah, sorry, I got injured in the duel and need to rest." Fūka was not interested in running laps with a bunch of six-year-olds. That sounded like pure torture.
"I'll stay here to take care of Fūka!" Obito chimed in eagerly.
Rin and Kurenai exchanged glances, both being well-behaved girls and obediently returned to the track to run.
Asuma Sarutobi finally breathed a sigh of relief as they left.