"No hand seals? Is this seal-less ninjutsu!? Good heavens, the jutsu he developed... is actually a seal-less ninjutsu!?"
Offstage, a sharp-eyed upperclassman noticed that Shinichi had not formed any hand seals. His involuntary cry of alarm instantly ignited the shock of the entire audience.
"The density and rotation speed of that chakra... is terrifying! Just looking at it, you can feel its astonishing power!"
The crowd instantly exploded. Astonishment, disbelief, and frantic curiosity intertwined into a buzzing wave of sound.
On the stage, after the initial shock, an unprecedentedly sharp light rose in the eyes of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as he stared intently at that pale blue orb of chakra.
But this wasn't over yet!
Shinichi gritted his teeth, gave a low shout, and abruptly thrust his right hand, which was holding the Rasengan, upward,
Boom!
As if injected with even more berserk energy, the originally palm-sized pale blue glowing orb suddenly erupted with a more blinding light, its volume expanding at an astonishing rate!
The swirling currents of chakra emitted an even deeper, more intense roar. The air was furiously churned, letting out a shrill howl!
In the blink of an eye, the chakra orb swelled from the size of a fist to the terrifying size of a human head!
The high-speed flowing lines of chakra within became clearer and more frenzied, radiating a terrifying undulation that made hearts palpitate!
Odama Rasengan!
Not only do I want you to feel the danger, I want all of you to truly and deeply experience what extreme danger is!
The power of the Rasengan was not small, but its size was too small. Unless one was hit by it, it was difficult for it to give off an extremely shocking effect at a single glance.
The Odama Rasengan, however, was different; its power and sense of oppression were immediately apparent to anyone who laid eyes upon it.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
With the complete formation of this giant glowing chakra orb, the sound of the wind above the training ground became violent. The turbulent air currents whipped up the dust on the ground and caused people's clothes to flap loudly.
A tangible sense of oppression, accompanied by the unstable light and roaring emitted by the massive chakra orb, clearly enveloped the entire venue.
If the previous Rasengan only made people marvel at its seal-less nature and ingenuity, giving the impression that its power should be quite strong...
Then at this moment, this head-sized Odama Rasengan radiating an aura of destruction caused the expressions of all the teachers and students present—whether they were newly enrolled freshmen or experienced instructors—to drastically change in an instant!
It was no longer a theoretical "not bad" or "probably very strong," but a visceral, oncoming, lethal sense of threat enough to make one's scalp tingle!
The Chunin-level teachers in the ninja academy shrank their pupils, their bodies subconsciously entering a state of alertness.
Some students were even so deterred by those terrifying chakra fluctuations that they couldn't help but take a few steps back, the color draining from their faces.
"Wh-what rank of ninjutsu is this?!"
"What terrifying chakra... How could he possibly control it?!"
"Y-you've got to be kidding... Is this really a jutsu a student could develop?!"
Exclamations rose one after another, but even more people held their breath, staring fixedly at the chakra orb on the stage that resembled a miniature storm, as well as the black-haired youth at the center of the storm who seemed to be struggling somewhat to maintain it.
The Third Hokage's body had completely tensed up. The two advisors beside him stood up abruptly, their faces written with unbelievable shock.
At this point, the Third Hokage had already noticed the instability of the energy orb and the boy's gradually paling face. Without any hesitation, he stepped forward. He placed one hand firmly on Shinichi's trembling shoulder, while his other hand covered the dangerous Odama Rasengan.
A gentle yet massive amount of chakra intervened, guiding and dispersing it in an exquisitely brilliant manner. The heart-palpitating chakra orb rapidly shrank, dimmed, and finally dissolved into a wisp of breeze, dissipating into the air.
"Koharu, Homura, you two continue hosting the ceremony." The Third Hokage instructed in a low voice without turning his head. Immediately after, he turned toward the pale, panting Shinichi, the sternness on his face melting into a profound gentleness. "Child, come with me."
He didn't give anyone time to react before leading Shinichi away, swiftly leaving the clamorous ceremony site under the countless shocked, bewildered, and awe-struck gazes of the students and teachers.
"That child is far too reckless! To actually dare to independently develop and test such a dangerous ninjutsu all by himself!" Utatane Koharu said with lingering fear as she watched their departing backs.
"It was indeed somewhat impulsive and risky." Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, though the look in his eyes behind the lenses had grown much sharper. "However, Koharu... it seems our Konoha has produced a remarkable genius!"
Following Shinichi being personally taken away by the Third Hokage, the two advisors continued to host the opening ceremony.
But the storm of thoughts that Shinichi had stirred up could no longer be quelled.
"A-rank! That's absolutely a fluctuation that only an A-rank ninjutsu would have!"
"That larger one afterward... might even be S-rank! Even though it was extremely unstable, that sense of oppression..."
In the teachers' seating area, the knowledgeable Chunin instructors exchanged their opinions.
Very soon, the news that "Third-year student Higashino Shinichi has independently developed an A-rank seal-less ninjutsu, possibly even an unstable S-rank ninjutsu" swept through every corner of Konoha like the fiercest wildfire.
And the center of this storm, Higashino Shinichi, was currently standing inside the Hokage's office.
He lowered his head slightly, his hands hanging somewhat uneasily at his sides. His face wore an expression unique to a youth who had just caused a major disaster—a mixture of lingering fear, nervousness, and a loss of what to do.
Taking all of this in, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had already sat back down behind his spacious desk.
The expression on his face was as peaceful as ever, even carrying the distinct benevolence of an elder, as he slowly spoke:
"Shinichi, there's no need to be so nervous. Relax, take a seat." He pointed to the chair opposite him. "I didn't bring you here to reprimand you. I simply have some questions about that jutsu and wanted to have a good chat with you."
"Y-yes, Lord Third!" Shinichi hurriedly replied, obediently sitting up perfectly straight in the chair opposite the desk. He placed his hands properly on his knees, looking exactly like a good student earnestly waiting for a lecture.
"Have you named this ninjutsu?" The Third Hokage picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone as natural as casual chatter.
"Rasengan! Lord Third, I named it Rasengan," Shinichi answered.
"Rasengan... A spiraling chakra sphere. A very fitting name." The Third Hokage nodded approvingly, put down his teacup, and looked at Shinichi with a gentle gaze. "Well then, Shinichi, can you tell me how you thought of and ultimately developed this Rasengan?"
"Yes, Lord Third." Shinichi briefly put on a reminiscent look, then spoke up: "Speaking of which, I have to thank my classmate Asuma for giving me the inspiration."
"Oh?" The Third Hokage's eyes flickered slightly.
Does this involve that son of mine?
"The matter starts from two years ago..."
...