Item Cards: Skill Proficiency Cards

The shuriken spun like windmills, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Sarutobi Enjun, wielding a kunai, moved with the agility of a monkey, dodging and weaving, occasionally swinging his kunai to cut the elastic threads attached to the back of his shuriken.

The Uchiha-style shuriken are renowned. In the sparring session with Uchiha Inahisa just now, the latter also demonstrated shuriken throwing skills that were no less than those of Uchiha Gen. Sarutobi Enjun was naturally on guard against this move.

Uchiha Gen, Sarutobi Enjun, and Uchiha Inahisa form the iron triangle of this year's competition. Their strength is comparable, and they are almost always the opponents in every practical test. They are very familiar with most of each other's techniques.

What he needs to do is maintain his rhythm, find an opportunity, and unleash a ninjutsu powerful enough to seal the victory in a battle at this level.

In the last final exam's practical exercise, Gen Uchiha did not demonstrate the ability to use a ninjutsu of the level of Fireball Jutsu.

If he hadn't mastered this kind of ninjutsu during this time like his clansman Inahi, then he would definitely have won the top spot this time!

Even if Gen also learns it, Sarutobi Enjun is still confident of winning!

In any case, the advantage lies with him!

In the distance, Akimichi Choza curiously opened Sarutobi Enjun's water glass.

"This is a beverage I've never seen before, and it smells and tastes different too."

Choza Akimichi dipped his chubby finger into the yellowish-orange liquid in the glass, put it in his mouth and sucked on it, then opened his mouth and spat it out.

"This tastes awful! It's just oil!"

Uchiha Inahisa, who had stepped down to rest, heard Choza's voice and immediately leaned over to take a sniff. His expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

It really is oil!

"No wonder. It turns out that he had oil in his mouth, and it was specially refined oil, which made the Flame Falcon's Fire Release more powerful and durable than Inahisa's. However, apart from the first time he used it in actual combat, it would be difficult to find an opportunity to drink oil at other times."

Kurama Murakumo looked at Sarutobi Enjun's bottle and said.

"Not necessarily. When actually carrying out a mission, there will definitely be teammates to help hold them back, so there will be some opportunities. I just don't know how Yan Jun came up with such a bad idea."

Nara Shikaku, with his legs crossed and hands behind his head, leaned against the trunk of a large tree, looking quite relaxed.

Uchiha Inahi said in a deep voice:

"Judging from the source, I'm going to lose. I sparred with him once at the clan's training ground half a year ago. Although he also learned the Great Fireball Technique, his mastery of Fire Release is probably a bit worse than mine."

His ninjutsu was taught by his Jonin father, who was proficient in Fire Release: Nature Transformation, and its power has increased significantly compared to half a year ago.

No matter how solid Uchiha Gen's foundation was, given his talent, which he had previously displayed to everyone as being on par with his own, there was absolutely no way he could surpass him in such a short time without the guidance of a powerful Fire Release ninja.

Unfortunately, Gen Uchiha was the one who had an overpowered advantage.

He had already accumulated enough experience to level up to level eight at the beginning of the semester and had drawn an item card.

[Item Card: Skill Proficiency Card (Green)]

[Can be used on ninjutsu that you have already mastered, and can improve your proficiency in that ninjutsu to a certain extent during the next month of training.]

"Bang!"

Uchiha Gen had used up most of his ninja tools, and Sarutobi Enjun, after expending a great deal of energy, finally managed to get close to Gen through agility and movement.

His taijutsu skills are recognized as the strongest in the class, even surpassing the other two Uchiha.

Sarutobi Enjun needs to find the right moment to release his ninjutsu, and also close the distance to ensure that his opponent cannot escape the range of his ninjutsu.

Because he can only hold a mouthful of oil, if it doesn't work the first time, the power of his Fire Release technique will drop a notch when he uses it again.

He must use his slight advantage in physical skills to create this opportunity after closing the distance.

"Clang!~"

The kunai collided, producing a crisp and pleasant sound like metal clashing.

Feeling the force coming from the kunai's handle, Uchiha Gen took a step back to dissipate the force. At the same time, he pulled another kunai from his ninja tool pouch with his left hand, hooked his index finger into the round hole at the end of the kunai's long handle, and lightly rotated it a few times to generate centrifugal force and increase its power. Then, he flicked his wrist and threw it out.

This kunai throwing technique isn't very powerful and has little lethality at long range, but it's sufficient in close combat and is more concealed.

Sarutobi Enjun was already on guard, so he withdrew his hand, turned around, and dodged the kunai. Uchiha Gen took advantage of this opportunity, stepped forward, turned around, and raised his leg for a side kick.

"Bang!"

A little dust rose as Sarutobi Enjun crossed his arms in front of him to block the attack, then quickly retreated while forming hand seals.

This is a perfect opportunity to launch a ninjutsu attack, switch from defense to offense, and secure victory in one fell swoop.

However, this opportunity was also created by Gen Uchiha to use ninjutsu.

"巳－未－申－亥－午－寅!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A fireball, twice the size of the one Uchiha Inahime had used before, shot out from Uchiha Gen's mouth, carrying immense power as it hurtled towards Sarutobi Enjun.

Compared to the latter, the fireball is like a table tennis ball compared to a tennis ball. Although their diameters are within the same order of magnitude, Gen Uchiha's Great Fireball is significantly larger.

"boom!"

Endless light and heat erupted from the two fireballs, and under the intense heat, beads of sweat quickly appeared on Sarutobi Enjun's forehead.

This power is far beyond what a ninja academy student could wield!

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe, squinted, and stared at the great fireball released by Gen Uchiha in the crystal ball.

As a top-tier ninjutsu master who is proficient in all five elemental ninjutsu, he can tell from the shape and color of this fireball that it does not involve the nature transformation of fire-style ninjutsu, and its form is not particularly outstanding.

This is normal. After all, he is just a ninja academy student who is about to graduate as a genin. It would be strange if he actually mastered the nature transformation at the jonin level.

But this also shows how rare it is.

"This ninjutsu talent... is probably not much worse than Orochimaru's back then."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his thick beard.

Such talented Uchiha clan members must be brought into the Hokage lineage, influenced, and turned into one of our own.

Otherwise, if an uncontrollable Uchiha were to emerge, he might one day become the second Madara.

We must strengthen his connection with the Hokage lineage.

"Gongdao should understand what I mean, and his abilities are sufficient. However, if we want to deepen the bond between Uchiha Gen and the Hokage lineage, it seems we still need to find a different candidate."