Konoha. The Ninja Academy.
Iruka held a roster in his hand, calling out the students' names one by one for a final review of the Clone Jutsu.
"Uchiha Yao!"
Yao walked up to the podium. He didn't bother with an elaborate series of hand seals; he simply brought his hands together in a casual motion in front of his chest.
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke exploded. A clone identical to Yao appeared, standing steady beside him.
"Whoa—!" "Yao-kun is so amazing!" "He succeeded on the first try, and it's completely flawless!"
The girls in the class, including Sakura and Ino, began to cheer wildly. Their eyes turned into literal hearts, faces flushed with admiration.
Iruka nodded in satisfaction and awarded a high score without hesitation: "Excellent! 95 points! Everyone should look to Yao as an example!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Iruka called the next name. "The Second Pillar" (Sasuke) walked up to the podium. Strangely enough, the Yao from a moment ago and Sasuke looked exactly alike. Their hairstyles, their features... they were carved from the same mold. The class was used to this; no one found it odd. After all, Uchiha Yao and Uchiha Sasuke were twin brothers—the only two survivors of the Uchiha clan!
However, compared to the bright and cheerful Yao, Sasuke was much colder. He was like a block of ice, projecting an aura that told everyone to stay away. Sasuke performed the Clone Jutsu with ease, and Iruka gave him 95 points as well.
"Next, Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Watch me!" Naruto jumped up with boundless energy, his hands clumsily twisting together as he shouted, "Clone Jutsu!"
Puff!
A distorted, orange mass slumped onto the floor, looking limp and pathetic. The classroom fell silent for a second before erupting into boisterous laughter.
"Hahaha!" "What the heck is that?" "Typical. The dead-last is always the dead-last!" "He can't even maintain a clone? That's pathetic!"
Naruto's face instantly turned beet red. He shouted back defiantly, "Dammit! That was a mistake! Let me try again!"
Iruka-sensei massaged his temples, exasperated. "Enough, Naruto! Sit down. 35 points!"
"Dammit!" Naruto trudged back to his seat, a look of indignation on his face.
Yao watched Naruto. This silly kid actually had a massive amount of chakra inside him, but because of Kurama's interference, he couldn't even perform the basic Three Academy Techniques properly. He had to admit, the kid was genuinely unlucky.
But then again... Yao thought, considering Kurama is a top-tier "cheat code," it's worth it for Naruto in the end. Honestly, if Yao didn't have his own Golden Finger (System), he would have preferred to be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Once you became a perfect Jinchuriki and mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, you were guaranteed to be beyond Kage-level!
The review continued as students went up one by one. The adorable Hinata, the loud-mouthed Sakura, the lively Ino... The review ended quickly, and it was time for combat practice.
Iruka looked toward Yao and Kiba Inuzuka. "Kiba Inuzuka, Yao! Step forward!"
Kiba had been waiting for this. He jumped out excitedly with Akamaru. "Hehe, Yao! Last time I only lost because I was careless. This time... I won't hold back!" Akamaru, perched on Kiba's head, barked twice and bared his tiny white teeth.
Yao looked at the high-spirited Kiba, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. There were many people in the class who wanted to beat him, especially the boys—including his "foolish little brother," Sasuke! But so far, the person capable of fulfilling that wish hadn't been born yet.
Yao and Kiba walked to the center of the field and formed the Seal of Opposition.
"Yao, I'm definitely taking you down today. Prepare yourself!" Kiba barked.
"Oh?" Yao raised an eyebrow and gave a calm smile. "Then give it your best shot."
"Yao-kun! Good luck!" "Yao-kun is the coolest!" "Wow! So handsome!" "Yao-kun..."
Sakura, Ino, and a crowd of girls immediately started cheering for Yao. Yao-kun was just too handsome, and more importantly, he was cheerful. He was way cooler than that moody, arrogant Sasuke who walked around with a long face all day!
Naruto also waved his arms and shouted loudly, "Yao! Go for it! Show Kiba what you're made of!"
Iruka-sensei gave a hand signal and shouted, "Begin!"
Before the words had even faded, Kiba lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow, his fist whistling through the air as it aimed straight for Yao. "Take this!"
Yao didn't dodge or move away. But just as Kiba's fist was about to connect, Yao's figure blurred for a split second.
Slap!
A soft sound echoed. Kiba's "sure-win" punch struck nothing but air.
"What?" Kiba's pupils shrank. Before he could change his move, he felt an irresistible force at his waist. Yao had seemingly effortlessly pressed his palm against him and then gave a sudden, sharp shove.
Kiba felt a massive surge of power hit him. He was forced back five or six steps, stumbling and nearly collapsing.
"So fast!" One of the students couldn't help but whisper. "Did you see Yao's movement?" "No... it was like he just flickered... so fast!"
Sasuke stared intently at Yao in the center of the ring, his fists clenching secretly. This bastard Yao... has he gotten even faster?
Kiba shook his numbing arm, his gaze turning serious. "Akamaru!" "Woof, woof!"
Akamaru understood instantly. The boy and the dog separated immediately, circling Yao in a pincer formation.
"Beast Human Clone!"
Poof!
Another Kiba appeared behind Yao's flank. Together with the original body and Akamaru, they pounced simultaneously from three directions. Their sharp claws whistled through the air, sealing off every possible path for Yao to dodge.
Faced with this three-way combined assault, Yao merely took a soft breath. His body seemed weightless as he executed an incredible series of movements within a tiny radius.
First, he leaned back slightly, evading the original Kiba's direct punch. Simultaneously, he shifted his footing by a fraction, causing the Beast Human Clone's kick to strike empty air. Finally, his hand shot out like a nimble snake, precisely parrying Akamaru's biting lunge.
The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye—it was blindingly fast. To the observing classmates, Yao looked like a phantom. In an instant, the attacks coming from three directions had been neutralized into nothingness!
"How is that possible?" Kiba's original body and clone regrouped, his face filled with disbelief. His combined tactical assault was something even Chunin-level instructors specializing in Taijutsu had to exert effort to deal with, yet this guy had broken it so effortlessly?
Having been humiliated repeatedly, Kiba felt his pride wounded. All the girls in class were watching; if this continued, it would be too embarrassing.
"Yao, you forced my hand! I'm getting serious now!" Kiba's hands flew into a blur of seals as he barked, "Akamaru!"
"Woof! Woof!"
Akamaru leapt into the air, his body rapidly expanding and shifting as he fused with the Kiba who had finished his seals.
Boom!
A thick cloud of smoke erupted. A massive beast with two hideous canine heads appeared in the center of the field, radiating a fierce, wild aura. This was the secret Ninjutsu of the Inuzuka Clan: Man-Beast Multi-Body Clone: Double-Headed Wolf!
"Take this! Fang Over Fang!!" (Gatuga)
The Double-Headed Wolf began to spin violently, transforming into two fierce tornadoes that tore toward Yao from the left and right. The momentum was terrifying, causing the surrounding students to instinctively back away.
"Kiba is... actually going all out! That's pretty impressive!" "Can Yao block that?" Ino and the others began to worry.
Facing a combined attack that would drive an ordinary Genin to despair, Yao's expression remained remarkably calm. Just as the two rotating drills were about to collide with his body, Yao moved.
His movements didn't look fast; he simply stepped slightly to the side. By a hair's breadth, he let the edge of the left tornado pass him, while his right hand reached back with deceptive casualness.
Thud!
A dull impact rang out. The aggressive tornado on the right came to a dead halt. Every student's eyes widened, staring at the scene in disbelief. Yao's right hand was pressed firmly against one of the Double-Headed Wolf's heads.
With just a simple press, the massive rotational force had been completely neutralized by his nonchalant palm!
"No way!" Kiba's cry of shock echoed from within the wolf's head. He could feel his rotational power vanishing like mud sinking into the sea, disappearing without a trace.
"The power is decent, but the openings are too obvious. You need more practice." Yao's voice was incredibly flat, as if he were giving a critique during a tutoring session.
Before his voice even faded, he gave his wrist a slight flick, releasing a burst of focused force.
"Awoo—!" Akamaru let out a whimper as the fusion state instantly dissolved. Smoke billowed out, and Kiba and Akamaru went tumbling away, rolling several times across the ground before coming to a stop.
The classroom fell deathly silent.