Once Yuya could shatter B-rank ninjutsu, any chūnin—or even elite chūnin—who lacked A-rank techniques would likely be swept aside by him.
If he could go a step further and crush A-rank ninjutsu, then even jōnin—perhaps even elite jōnin—would find it extremely difficult to defeat him.
The amplification granted by Kekkei Genkai rarely allowed for massive rank-skipping, but it almost always produced overwhelming results among peers of the same level.
Why were the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan and the Hyūga Clan's Byakugan so powerful?
Because as long as one possessed those eyes, they were elites among their peers.
And Yuya's Kekkei Genkai—
A power that directly destroyed ninjutsu itself—
Seemed even more domineering and tyrannical than the Sharingan or Byakugan!
At the genin stage, taijutsu was ineffective.
Ninjutsu was ineffective.
Beating Yuya was nearly impossible.
"I… lost."
Minato's voice carried a trace of bitterness. He made no further moves and openly conceded defeat.
His stamina and chakra were already nearly exhausted. The outcome was undeniable.
He looked deeply at Yuya, unwillingness flickering in his heart—because he, too, was fiercely competitive by nature.
"Yuya, I'm glad I got to fight you," Minato said sincerely.
"I'll keep challenging you in the future."
"You're welcome anytime," Yuya replied, nodding lightly.
With Minato's concession—
The final match of the Practical Ranking Examination officially came to an end!
The chief proctor took a deep breath, then raised his hand and announced loudly:
"The winner—Yuya!"
Boom—!
The arena erupted once more.
Yuya—first place in the practical ranking exam!
He had surpassed Namikaze Minato and become the Ninja Academy's new top genius!
Countless students were stunned.
Just a few months ago, Yuya had been a hopeless dead-last who couldn't even train ninjutsu.
And now—
After awakening his Kekkei Genkai, he had produced such a shocking reversal.
At this moment, nearly everyone remembered one name:
Shock Release .
Some could already imagine the future—
A future where this Kekkei Genkai would shake the entire ninja world.
Ignoring the gazes filled with envy and amazement, Yuya lightly leapt up to the stands and walked over to Kushina.
"I kept my promise," he said with a smile.
"First place."
He raised one finger and waved it playfully in front of her.
Kushina was still staring at him blankly.
Earlier, she had been certain Yuya was going to lose—but the ending had been a complete reversal.
Yuya had won.
And not just won—
He had won decisively.
Throughout the entire practical ranking exam, Yuya hadn't even suffered so much as a tear in his clothes.
Not even Minato had managed to leave a single mark on him.
Kushina bit her lip. Tiny tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes.
They were tears of joy.
She was happy—for Yuya.
Others may never have paid attention to him before, but she always had.
She knew how hard Yuya worked.
After school.
When no one was around.
Even late at night—
Yuya trained relentlessly.
To Kushina, what Yuya had gained today wasn't luck.
It was something he deserved.
The reward for his effort.
"Why are you crying?" Yuya chuckled softly.
He reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"W—!"
Only then did Kushina snap back to her senses. A cute blush instantly spread across her cheeks.
She glared at Yuya, puffed out her face, and huffed,
"Hmph! So what if you got first place? That's nothing to brag about! If you want to chase after me, you're still far from good enough!"
Pfft—!
Yuya nearly choked.
Only after saying it did Kushina realize what she'd blurted out. Her face turned bright red.
Surrounded by stunned expressions—
Even she couldn't withstand the embarrassment.
In the next instant, she fled in panic, disappearing in a flash.
Yuya was left speechless, the corners of his mouth twitching—before he finally laughed.
"Minato… actually lost…"
On the high platform, Jiraiya toppled headfirst off the railing like an overturned toad, landing in an utterly undignified heap.
The other jōnin could only twitch their lips.
Nearby, Tsunade resisted the urge to kick Jiraiya away and ignored him completely.
She turned her gaze to Yuya, her eyes shining with pure appreciation.
Yuya's fighting style—
His methods—
They suited her taste far too well.
If Jiraiya chose Minato as a disciple, she would absolutely choose Yuya without hesitation.
"Hehehe… what a splendid battle," Orochimaru said with a strange smile as he straightened from the wall.
"A clash between geniuses like that is rare indeed."
"But how far will they ultimately grow, I wonder… oh, right," he added softly, eyes glinting.
"That child Yuya seems to still have a rather big problem left unresolved."
With that, Orochimaru turned and left, his figure disappearing.
Those words caused Tsunade's expression to shift slightly. She frowned and looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Since Danzō's departure, Hiruzen had been deep in thought, his expression unreadable.
By defeating Namikaze Minato and claiming first place in the Ninja Academy's practical ranking exam—
Yuya's name spread throughout Konoha in a single day!
Everyone was shocked.
No one had imagined that the boy once seen as arrogant—who dared challenge Uchiha Han—could reach such heights.
Because Yuya had crushed Minato and taken first place, opinions about his challenge to Uchiha Han also began to change.
Before, people thought he was reckless and courting death by offending the Uchiha Clan.
Now—
They saw him as a genius youth, brimming with youthful arrogance.
And for someone that talented, a bit of pride was only natural.
Attitudes shifted noticeably.
However—
Understanding was one thing.
Most people still didn't believe Yuya could defeat Uchiha Han.
After all, the practical ranking exam was, at best, a genin-level competition.
Uchiha Han was a chūnin of the Uchiha Clan—
And not just any chūnin, but an elite among them.
The gap between an elite chūnin and a child who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy—
Even if it wasn't heaven and earth—
It was still an insurmountable chasm.
Yuya had just awakened his Kekkei Genkai, leaping from dead-last to genius.
That was already a tremendous jump—yet still within reason.
But to leap again, crossing directly into chūnin-level strength?
That would be nothing short of a fantasy.
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