"Today's exam includes the Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique."
"First, Uchiha Ryo."
Uchiha Ryo was the standout talent of the Uchiha Clan.
Unfortunately though, starting from his second year at the Ninja Academy, he had never again surpassed Orochimaru in academic performance.
Confidently, he stepped forward and quickly formed hand seals.
In less than a second, another [Sarutobi Nennosuke] appeared before everyone.
Flawless.
"Very good. Next, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya used to fear exams the most, but this time, he walked up with confidence, flashing a sly grin.
Jiraiya reached the platform, where Sarutobi Nennosuke nodded at him, signaling him to begin.
"Teacher, I'll start now. Transform!"
Chakra surged as smoke filled the room. In the next second, a graceful figure appeared inside the classroom.
A perfect body, precisely balanced physical features, and even a coy flying kiss.
"T-t-this is Naruto Uzumaki's [Sexy Jutsu]?!'
"Holy hell, Jiraiya really created this technique out of nowhere!"
The class immediately burst into commotion. Some laughed loudly while others covered their eyes, pretending to be shy.
"Fool! Stop messing around with such utterly pointless techniques!"
Sarutobi Nennosuke stood close and bore the brunt of the impact. He nearly bled from the nose.
Even with all his battle-hardened experience, he hadn't anticipated Jiraiya pulling off something like this.
"Wait 'til he comes down—I'll knock some sense into him."
Tsunade snorted coldly.
"Tch, being able to perfectly replicate a technique straight from the comics shows Jiraiya has improved after all."
Surprisingly, Orochimaru spoke a fair word for Jiraiya.
"It's my mistake."
Akaba covered his face—somehow, it only made sense that the future protagonist's mentor would be this good at *this* kind of technique.
Bang!
A noise erupted as Jiraiya's technique got forcefully canceled.
"Pfft, the dead-last only knows how to use tricks like these."
Uchiha Ryo curled his lip disdainfully.
His voice wasn't loud, but enough for both Jiraiya and Sarutobi Nennosuke on stage to hear. Immediately, Jiraiya's face stiffened.
"You!"
Angry, Jiraiya glared at him, yet soon could do nothing but obediently perform the Transformation Technique properly.
Not bad, but it still fell short of Uchiha Ryo's mark.
Uchiha Ryo sneered coldly and fell silent.
Down below, Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze fierce.
"Jiraiya, go write a report about today's incident!"
Sarutobi Nennosuke coughed slightly.
"Yes."
Jiraiya shot Uchiha Ryo an angry glare before stepping down from the stage.
"Don't worry, I'll help you get your revenge."
Akaba sneered, rising to his feet and heading toward the stage.
"Next, Sakuma Akaba."
Arriving onstage, Sakuma Akaba bowed to the teacher, then swiftly performed hand seals.
In the blink of an eye, the Transformation Technique was complete.
But instead of becoming [Sarutobi Nennosuke], Akaba transformed into [Uchiha Ryo] himself.
Just as arrogant, just as full of himself—it was like looking at the same person in a mirror.
He lifted his head proudly and declared, "This is what a Transformation Jutsu should look like! You call *that* a transformation? Pfft, I saw right through it!"
"I don't know what you're so proud of."
Uchiha Ryo shot to his feet, slamming his hand on the table, momentarily speechless from rage.
Because Akaba had transformed into an almost identical copy, making him feel like he was staring at himself.
"Sensei, how does my Henge no Jutsu compare to his?"
Akaba pointed at Uchiha Ryo.
Sarutobi Nennosuke's hand froze as he held his pen. After carefully considering for a long time, he said, "Both are quite impressive, but I'll give yours a full score."
He couldn't just gloss over it either—Akaba's understanding of Henge no Jutsu went too deep; he didn't just transform his appearance, but also captured the deeper inner essence.
With such mastery of Henge no Jutsu, there wouldn't be any problems on the battlefield.
Uchiha Ryo sat back down without saying a word.
"Next time, don't act so high and mighty. Like you're even any better than him," Akaba scoffed.
"You might do well with these tricks, but in real combat, you're no match for our Uchiha clan!" one of the other young Uchiha retorted.
"Your genjutsu is powerless against our eyes. In tomorrow's final test, I'll show you the real might of the Uchiha!" Uchiha Ryo, recovering from his shock, became supremely confident again.
"Oh? Too bad you're from Konoha, though. Tomorrow I can let you experience your death in advance," Akaba said as he glanced at him and walked away.
Uchiha Ryo clenched his leg tightly, then released his grip. He knew Akaba had awakened a Kekkei Genkai, but the unyielding pride of the Uchiha bloodline would never let him submit.
"If I strike first, defeating him won't be difficult," he secretly told himself.
Meanwhile, Akaba looked relaxed as he walked back and sat down. He barely considered Uchiha Ryo worth even a second thought.
Even if the opponent was an Uchiha, so what? Uchiha Ryo hadn't even awakened his Kekkei Genkai yet, let alone developed any notable mental strength. There's no way he could stand a chance against Akaba.
"Thank you, Akaba," Jiraiya clenched his fist. This humiliation should have been something he took revenge for himself, but he knew he truly wasn't as capable as Uchiha Ryo.
"No problem. Your talent in actual combat is pretty good. In the future, you'll surely become a powerful ninja," Akaba smiled, equally unconcerned about the incident.
"Right! I'll give it my all!"
Jiraiya solemnly nodded.
After Akaba sat back down, he leaned back in his chair, legs lazily crossed, ignoring the broken table as he watched the others continue their tests.
At the same time, he opened his system panel.
"94 points, almost there, almost there!"
[Shadow Clone Jutsu] was within reach!
This B-rank Ninjutsu carried significant importance for him—it wasn't just a tool for leisure, but more importantly, it could be used in conjunction with releasing genjutsu and achieving various tactical effects.
Of course,
without Shadow Clones, he still could defeat Uchiha Ryo.
However, with this technique, Akaba could make Uchiha Ryo lose without even knowing how.
"Has Akaba already awakened Five Senses Manipulation?"
When Hiruzen Sarutobi received this information, all the Henge no Jutsu test projects had already been completed.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Not only that, during the Henge no Jutsu test, Sakuma Akaba demonstrated extraordinary chakra control ability. And according to reports from the Sakuma clan, his mental strength has already reached levels comparable to a Chunin."
Reports came steadily from an Anbu ninja. When the Third Hokage heard the words "comparable to a Chunin," his smoking paused slightly.
"An unprecedented genjutsu prodigy."
Hiruzen Sarutobi mused thoughtfully. After a moment, he asked, "What did the Sakuma clan do after learning about Akaba's talent?"
"They printed many paintings created by Sakuma Akaba, and every household in the Sakuma clan received one."
The Anbu ninja said in a strange tone.
"I see. You may leave now."
He signaled for the Anbu to go, then sat alone in his chair for quite some time before casting the Telescope Technique once again.
In the image, Sakuma Akaba sat on grass, sketchpad upright in front of him as he kept drawing relentlessly—frighteningly diligent.
Hiruzen frowned slightly, puzzled.
"This kid suddenly became hardworking?"
After observing for several days, he had developed an understanding of Akaba's personality.
Not exactly lazy—just never what anyone would call diligent.
"Could it be that..."
A thought crossed his mind. He shifted the lens of the Telescope Technique sideways and quickly found another figure nearby—another Akaba, this one lying comfortably on the soft grass, fast asleep.
Hiruzen couldn't help but smile wryly. Indeed, old habits die hard. Yet shortly after, a chill crept into his heart.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu]—at such a young age, he's already mastered a B-rank technique and even devised an extraordinary use for it.
"A genius—a true genius!"
His evaluation of Akaba rose higher and higher, yet for precisely this reason, he felt increasingly troubled.
"Hiruzen, hand Sakuma Akaba over to me. Root needs talents like him."
At this moment, a voice came from outside the door.
"No. Akaba cannot go to Root."
Sarutobi responded firmly. "The Sakuma clan's body is too weak. Sending him to Root? The Sakuma clan will never agree."
"Then how about Orochimaru?"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!