The roar of my first truly potent Great Fireball still echoed in my ears, a private symphony of power. With Elemental Control complete, the Evolution System's new directive for Elemental Mastery - Fire loomed. It wasn't enough to just produce a large flame; I needed precision, versatility. The logical next step was a technique like the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Hōsenka no Jutsu), one that allowed for multiple, controlled fire projectiles.
My nights became a rigorous study of this new technique. The System provided the blueprint—complex chakra molding, rapid-fire hand seals, and the delicate control needed to launch several smaller fireballs. It was a stark contrast to the singular explosion of the Great Fireball. My Sharingan, when activated, was invaluable. I used its analytical prowess to dissect my own chakra pathways, to visualize the minute adjustments required to separate a single large stream into several focused embers. The muscle memory built from constantly practicing the hand seals improved, my fingers dancing through the complex sequence with increasing fluidity.
Skill Progress: Fire Release Ninjutsu (C- -> C)
The physical strain was less now, replaced by a mental fatigue from the intense concentration. My chakra capacity was still Genin-level, but my control was improving exponentially. The backyard of the orphanage, once a simple training ground, felt like a dojo.
At the Academy, the air crackled with anticipation. The graduation exams were just weeks away. Whispers about the practical tests, particularly the dreaded Clone Jutsu, filled the hallways. I continued my careful charade, performing adequately but never spectacularly. My Taijutsu was solid, my shuriken throws decent, my academic scores high. I was the ideal "average but promising" student.
Mizuki-sensei, however, wasn't letting up. His gaze was a cold prickle on my skin. He'd find excuses to pass by my desk, his eyes darting to my notes, or ask a seemingly innocent question about my Uchiha lineage during a break.
"Namekaze," he'd said one day, leaning against the doorframe as the other students left. "Your Fire Release affinity is quite strong for someone so young. Where did you pick that up?"
I feigned a slight blush, looking down. "My father... he showed me a little, before... before the night. Just basic molding." It was a plausible lie, one that honored the dead without revealing anything.
Mizuki's smile widened, but his eyes remained sharp. "I see. A natural talent, then. The Uchiha were certainly renowned for their Fire Style. A shame... so many techniques lost." He lingered for a moment longer, his gaze studying me, before finally turning and walking away. My alarm bells screamed. He wasn't just observing; he was probing. He suspected something.
My interactions with Sasuke continued to be a silent exchange. He no longer ignored me completely. Sometimes, during lunch, if I happened to sit at a nearby table, he wouldn't immediately move. He still ate alone, but the space between us felt less like a chasm and more like a carefully maintained distance. The "Guarded Respect" from the System's relationship status felt accurate.
I also found myself subtly helping Naruto. During a particularly frustrating shuriken practice where he was missing wildly, I 'accidentally' kicked a few pebbles near his target, subtly adjusting his aim without him realizing. He'd hit the bullseye and cheer, oblivious to my small intervention. Sakura, ever observant, would sometimes give me a curious glance, but she was too focused on her own improvement to truly question it. Building these subtle, unacknowledged bonds with my future teammates felt crucial for the path ahead.
The big announcement came from Iruka-sensei: the final practical test for graduation would be the Clone Jutsu. My heart sank. This was Naruto's bane. And it was mine too, in a way. I couldn't produce a perfect clone like Sasuke; that would be too suspicious for someone with my "history." But failing completely, like Naruto, was also risky. I needed to create a mediocre, visibly imperfect clone – one that was just good enough to pass.
My nights now included rigorous practice of the basic Clone Jutsu. It was technically simple, but mastering its imperfection was the challenge. I had to create a clone that was misshapen, blurry, or translucent, yet still clearly a clone, not a puff of smoke. The Sharingan was useless here; it was about intentionally mis-molding chakra, a nuanced deception.
On the night before the exam, I managed to produce a faint, shimmering duplicate of myself. It looked like it was made of water, wavering and indistinct, but it was a clone. It was enough.
Mission Objective Unlocked: Graduation Test Objective: Pass the Academy Graduation Exam without revealing your true abilities. Reward: 30 EP, Genin Rank (Confirmed), Stealth (Skill Points). Status: Pending.
The weight of the mission settled on my shoulders. I was about to step onto a new stage. The Academy was a serpent's nest, and I had learned to move within it. But graduation meant stepping out of the nest and into the jungle of the shinobi world, where the shadows were deeper, and the stakes infinitely higher.
Uchiha Namekaze has successfully learned the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique and is now preparing for the Academy graduation exam, specifically navigating the challenge of the Clone Jutsu. Mizuki's suspicion is a growing threat.
How will Namekaze's performance in the graduation exam play out, particularly with the Clone Jutsu, and what immediate consequences or team placements might arise from his efforts to maintain his cover while passing?
End of chapter 12