"No hand seals? This is a seal-less ninjutsu?!"
Below the stage, a sharp-eyed upperclassman noticed that Shinichi hadn't formed a single hand seal. His shocked gasp instantly ignited the crowd.
"The density and rotation speed of that chakra... it's terrifying! Just looking at it, you can tell the power is insane!"
The crowd instantly exploded. Shock, disbelief, and frantic curiosity wove together into a deafening roar.
Up on the podium, the initial shock in the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes was quickly replaced by an unprecedented, razor-sharp gleam. His gaze locked onto the pale blue sphere of chakra.
But it wasn't over!
Shinichi gritted his teeth, let out a low shout, and suddenly thrust his right hand—which was holding the Rasengan—violently upward.
BOOM!
As if injected with an even more violent surge of energy, the palm-sized, pale blue sphere suddenly erupted with blinding light. It began to expand at a terrifying rate!
The rotating chakra currents released an even deeper, more violent roar. The surrounding air was frantically churned, emitting a shrill, tearing howl!
In the blink of an eye, the chakra sphere swelled from the size of a fist to the horrifying size of a human head!
The high-speed chakra lines flowing inside became intensely visible and entirely chaotic, radiating a terrifying, heart-stopping fluctuation!
The Giant Rasengan!
I don't just want you to feel danger. I want every single one of you to genuinely experience what absolute, extreme danger looks like!
The base Rasengan's power was considerable, but its size was simply too small. Unless someone was directly hit by it, it was difficult to evoke an overwhelming sense of visual shock at first glance.
The Giant Rasengan, however, was different. Its destructive power and oppressive aura were immediately apparent to anyone who laid eyes on it.
VMM! VMM! VMM!
As this massive sphere of light fully took shape, the winds above the training ground turned violent. The turbulent air currents kicked up dirt from the ground and violently whipped at everyone's clothing.
A physical, almost tangible sense of oppression—accompanied by the unstable glow and deafening roar of the massive chakra sphere—clearly descended over the entire venue.
If the initial Rasengan had merely left people marveling at its seal-less nature and exquisite control, giving them the feeling that it should be powerful...
...then this head-sized Giant Rasengan, radiating an aura of absolute destruction, instantly drained the color from the faces of every student and teacher present.
From the newest enrollments to the most seasoned veterans, everyone paled!
This was no longer a theoretical "not bad" or "probably strong." It was a visceral, suffocating, scalp-numbing sense of lethal threat crashing directly into their faces!
The Chunin-level instructors felt their pupils contract, their bodies subconsciously dropping into highly defensive combat stances.
Several students, completely paralyzed by the terrifying chakra fluctuations, involuntarily stumbled backward, their faces completely bloodless.
"W-What rank of ninjutsu is this?!"
"What terrifying chakra... How is he even controlling it?!"
"Y-You've got to be kidding me... Is this really a jutsu a student could develop?!"
Screams and gasps echoed across the field. But the vast majority of the crowd simply held their breath.
Their eyes were glued to the miniature storm on the stage and the black-haired boy at its center, who now looked to be genuinely struggling to maintain it.
The Third Hokage's body had gone completely rigid. Beside him, the two advisors shot to their feet, absolute disbelief written across their faces.
Noticing the energy sphere's growing instability and the boy's rapidly paling face, Hiruzen didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward, placing one steady hand firmly on Shinichi's trembling shoulder while his other hand reached out to cover the highly volatile Giant Rasengan.
A gentle, yet overwhelmingly massive surge of chakra intervened, guiding and dispersing the volatile energy with masterful precision.
The terrifying chakra sphere rapidly shrank, dimmed, and finally dissolved into a harmless breeze.
"Koharu, Homura. Continue hosting the ceremony," the Third Hokage issued the low command without turning his head.
Then, he looked down at the pale, panting Shinichi. The grim seriousness on his face melted into a profound, reassuring warmth. "Come with me, child."
Without giving anyone time to react, he led Shinichi away. Under the shocked, bewildered, and awe-struck gazes of the entire student body and faculty, they swiftly departed the chaotic ceremony.
"That child is far too reckless! To independently develop and test such a dangerous ninjutsu all on his own!" Koharu Utatane watched their retreating backs, lingering fear clear in her voice.
"It was indeed impulsive and dangerous." Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, but the look in his eyes was exceptionally sharp. "However, Koharu... it seems our Leaf Village has produced a truly unbelievable genius!"
With Shinichi personally escorted away by the Third Hokage, the two advisors resumed the opening ceremony.
But the cognitive storm Shinichi had ignited could no longer be quelled.
"A-rank! That fluctuation definitively belongs to an A-rank ninjutsu!"
"That larger one at the end... it might even touch S-rank! Although it was incredibly unstable, that oppressive aura..."
In the faculty section, the highly experienced Chunin instructors wildly exchanged their assessments.
Very quickly, the news—"Third-year student Shinichi Higashino has independently developed an A-rank seal-less ninjutsu, potentially even an unstable S-rank jutsu"—swept through every corner of Konoha like a raging wildfire.
Meanwhile, the eye of the storm, Shinichi Higashino, was currently standing inside the Hokage's office.
His head was slightly bowed, his hands resting uneasily at his sides. His face perfectly displayed the specific mix of lingering fear, anxiety, and helplessness typical of a young boy who realized he had just caused a massive scene.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, having taken in the boy's entire demeanor, had already sat back down behind his massive desk.
His expression grew incredibly serene, exuding the distinct, kindly warmth of a grandfather. He slowly broke the silence in the room, his voice gentle:
"Shinichi, there is no need to be so tense. Relax, take a seat."
He gestured to the chair across from him. "I didn't bring you here to reprimand you. I simply have a few questions regarding that jutsu and wanted to have a proper chat with you."
"Y-Yes, Lord Third!"
Shinichi hurriedly replied. He sat down rigidly in the chair across the desk, his hands placed perfectly on his knees, looking exactly like an obedient student preparing to listen to a lecture.
"Have you given this ninjutsu a name?" The Third Hokage picked up his teacup and took a slow sip, his tone as natural as casual conversation.
"The Rasengan! Lord Third, I named it the Rasengan," Shinichi answered.
"Rasengan... a spiraling sphere of chakra. A very fitting name."
Hiruzen nodded in approval. He set his teacup down and looked at Shinichi with warm eyes. "Well then, Shinichi. Can you tell me how you conceptualized and ultimately developed this Rasengan?"
"Yes, Lord Third."
Shinichi put on a thoughtful expression, as if recalling a memory, before speaking. "Truthfully, I have to thank my classmate, Asuma, for giving me the inspiration."
"Oh?" The Third Hokage's eyes flickered slightly.
My son had a hand in this?
"It started about two years ago..."