Chapter 45: The Fireball That Shocked the Whole Audience
"Obito, it's your turn," Rin reminded him softly.
Obito nodded, then quickly stepped onto the stage.
"You got this, Obito!" Rin cheered, her fists clenched with determination.
"Obito, you're up against Kakashi this time. Show them all your hard work," Guy added with a thumbs-up and that trademark gleam in his teeth.
They had trained together under Mugetsu's guidance. Guy had witnessed Obito's relentless efforts firsthand.
"Don't lose to someone else before it's even my turn," Kakashi said coolly—his own way of encouraging him.
And it worked.
Obito spun around and replied, "Impossible! Just you wait and see!"
"Another Uchiha youth, how rare! I wonder what kind of performance we'll see this time," the host announced with theatrical enthusiasm. The money they had paid for this event was really paying off—even two Uchiha had shown up.
"Obito too? He's a bit unlucky…" Asuma muttered. "Tekka just nailed his performance. The comparison's going to be brutal."
He'd known Obito for over three years and was well aware of his skills. Even though Obito had learned the Great Fireball Technique, his proficiency had always been… average, at best.
"He's competing too?" Tekka frowned from the audience. His earlier confidence in getting the prize money was starting to waver.
Still, he consoled himself with another thought.
"Well, the judges aren't exactly experts. Maybe they won't notice how much stronger the Great Dragon Fire Technique really is."
The Great Dragon Fire Technique, a B-rank Ninjutsu, was technically a level above the Great Fireball Technique—but visually, it was less impressive.
"Uchiha Obito, what Ninjutsu will you be demonstrating today?" the host asked, following procedure.
"I'll be using Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique," Obito replied confidently.
"Another Great Fireball Technique! Have all the Uchiha mastered this jutsu already? As expected of a prestigious clan. Let's see what Uchiha Obito can do," the host announced while stepping well out of range.
After all, large-scale Fire Release techniques weren't to be taken lightly.
"Does he really have high proficiency in Great Fireball while also mastering Great Dragon Fire?" Tekka found that hard to believe.
He could accept that from Shisui without question, but Obito had once been known as the dead last of the Uchiha.
Obito stood at the center of the stage, gazing down at the crowd.
Rin was smiling brightly, cheering him on.
Guy gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, flashing those blindingly white teeth.
Kakashi kept his eyes fixed on the stage.
Shisui looked calm, as if silently telling him, "You've got this."
Asuma already looked like he regretted coming.
And then—
"Teacher Mugetsu!" Obito's face lit up with joy when he spotted Mugetsu in the audience.
He had thought Mugetsu wouldn't make it today because of tutoring duties.
Obito owed a lot to Mugetsu. It was thanks to his guidance that he had shed the title of Uchiha's dead last, defeated Tekka, ranked second in the class, and even passed the theoretical exam for the first time.
Standing here now—strong, confident—was only possible because of Mugetsu's help.
For twenty days, Mugetsu had gone above and beyond to train him, even helping refine his Ninjutsu.
If Mugetsu couldn't witness his best performance today, it would be his only regret.
Noticing Obito's gaze, Mugetsu gave him a calm smile and a wave.
"I can't let everyone down," Obito took a deep breath, steeling his resolve. He entered a level of seriousness he had never reached before.
He hadn't forgotten the sting of failure.
This time, he would win it all.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito formed hand seals with smooth precision. Chakra surged in his chest, concentrated and transformed with practiced control—then expelled in a single breath.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A torrent of fire roared from his mouth, forming a blazing orange-red fireball that grew rapidly in size.
Four meters tall.
Nearly triple his height.
"What kind of Academy student can produce that?!" one of the judges exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
Another rubbed his eyes, sure he must be seeing things.
"Uchiha Obito's Great Fireball Technique is on a whole other level—shocking even the judges!" the host cried out, his voice trembling with excitement.
In five years of commentary, he had never seen a Great Fireball Technique like this—especially from a student.
"That's… that's impossible!" Tekka looked like he'd been hit with a Genjutsu.
He wanted to believe it was a Genjutsu.
If Obito could unleash something like that, then there had been no need for trickery that day. If they had fought head-on, Tekka would've been utterly crushed.
"This is Obito's Great Fireball?" Asuma stared in disbelief.
"Teacher, hit me. I think I'm under a Genjutsu," Asuma said weakly to Mugetsu.
Mugetsu obliged, tapping Asuma's head with two fingers.
"Ouch!" Asuma winced, then looked back at the fireball still burning on stage. His mouth hung open in pure shock.
He could accept being outclassed by Shisui—a genius who might even surpass Kakashi.
But Obito? They were old friends. He knew Obito's skill level.
What was this jutsu that was almost the size of a house?
Had Obito been hiding his strength all this time?
"Even Obito's at this level now… Am I really that far behind?" Asuma couldn't help but doubt himself.
If he didn't start training harder, he wouldn't just fall behind the Third Hokage—he'd be the weakest among his friends.
"With a Great Fireball like this, no wonder he was so confident," Kakashi mused, watching silently.
Obito had grown far beyond what he'd expected.
But he hadn't even graduated yet—how had he progressed so much in such a short time?
Usually, growth like this only happened after graduation.
"Ten, ten, ten! Uchiha Obito scores a perfect thirty! He takes first place—in advance!" the host shouted with infectious energy.
All three judges had given Obito a perfect score.
A rare occurrence.
"Was that an illusion...?" a low voice muttered.
Hyuga Homura had activated his Byakugan.
He saw through the true nature of Obito's technique. While visually overwhelming, it wasn't quite as powerful as it looked.
Still, Obito's victory was secured.
But Homura wasn't worried.
He was certain Obito wouldn't win the next final exam—because he would make sure Obito couldn't use Ninjutsu.
"The host said you've already secured first place! Obito, you're amazing!" Rin praised as Obito stepped off the stage.
"Hehe…" Obito scratched his head, grinning from ear to ear.
"Don't get cocky. When it's my turn, they might just break the rules and give a higher score," Kakashi said, deadpan.
"Next, let's welcome our fifth contestant—Kakashi Hatake—to the stage!" the host announced, right on cue.
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