The Uchiha clan's greatest prodigy, who had been hailed as the number one genius of the ninja world seven years ago!
In the small grove nearby, Sasuke looked at Uchiha Akira with eager anticipation, wondering what kind of special training he had in store for him.
How much stronger would he become under Akira's guidance?
"Hey, Second Pillar, you remember that idea I mentioned to you a few days ago, right?" Uchiha Akira asked, noticing the excitement on Sasuke's face.
Normally, Sasuke didn't like that nickname, but today, it didn't really bother him.
"Of course, I remember. I've been working on the Chidori Current for a few days now. I've got some ideas, but it'll still take a bit of time to fully figure out," Sasuke nodded.
"No need to keep figuring it out. I'll just teach you the Chidori Current right now," Uchiha Akira said casually.
With that, Akira instantly activated the Chidori Current.
Suddenly, his entire body seemed to become the very core of a lightning storm, with fierce bolts of electricity bursting from him as his body crackled with Chidori.
This technique wasn't just defensive—it could be used offensively, too.
Thanks to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke could copy most jutsu with ease.
Sasuke had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and was watching closely, taking in every detail of how Akira's chakra flowed as he performed the Chidori Current.
"Well? Did you get it?" Akira asked as he stopped the technique and looked at Sasuke.
"Yeah, I got it," Sasuke replied, immediately mimicking the Chidori Current himself.
Electric blue lightning crackled around Sasuke's body.
Though it didn't have the same intensity as Akira's—due to the gap in their chakra reserves, with Akira being at a Kage-level and Sasuke still a Jonin—the fact that Sasuke learned the technique after seeing it only once spoke volumes.
That was the power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and it certainly made Akira's job easier.
If not for the Sharingan, even with Akira's natural talent, learning so many jutsu would've taken ages, even with the Life Simulator's help.
"Good, you've got the Chidori Current down. Now let's move on to Chidori Sharp Spear," Akira said, nodding approvingly as he saw Sasuke successfully mastering the first technique.
"Wait a second, Akira…"
Just as Akira was about to demonstrate the next move, Sasuke interrupted.
Akira stopped, looking at him curiously.
"If you knew the Chidori Current already, why didn't you teach it to me sooner? Why let me waste all those days trying to figure it out by myself?" Sasuke asked, clearly confused.
"You're mistaken. When I explained the theory to you, I didn't know it either," Akira shrugged, shaking his head.
"Wait… what?" Sasuke froze, his expression blank.
"So… you developed all these Chidori variations in just the past few days?"
"Is this… what a real genius looks like?"
"This… this level of talent is ridiculous!" Sasuke stared at Akira, completely floored.
At first, Sasuke had been confused—if Akira knew the technique, why hadn't he shown him earlier? Now it all made sense, and the realization hit Sasuke like a ton of bricks.
While Sasuke had been spending days working on the Chidori Current and barely making progress, Akira had already figured it all out.
So, was he really just a mediocre Uchiha after all?
"Great… now he's spiraling again," Akira thought, a bit amused by Sasuke's reaction.
But really, what could Akira say? Sasuke's misunderstanding was perfectly reasonable.
Was he supposed to tell Sasuke that he'd learned it from him using the Life Simulator?
On second thought, letting Sasuke take a few hits to his ego might not be such a bad thing.
After all, in the original story, Sasuke was infamous for his arrogance. He'd get cocky, then someone would beat him down, and the cycle would repeat.
Letting him experience a few setbacks might do him some good.
"Alright, next up is Chidori Sharp Spear…" Akira continued, moving on without bothering to explain further.
Sasuke quickly gathered his thoughts and focused on the next demonstration.
With his Sharingan active, Sasuke easily copied the Chidori Sharp Spear.
Next was Chidori Senbon. The ability to copy techniques using the Sharingan was undeniably convenient.
In this way, Akira demonstrated the three Chidori variants, and Sasuke successfully copied all of them.
Since these were originally Sasuke's own developments, they felt perfectly natural for him to learn.
After copying the techniques, Sasuke looked at Akira again.
Akira had also mentioned another powerful lightning jutsu when they'd first talked—an idea for a technique even more incredible than the Chidori variations. Had Akira managed to develop that one, too?
Watching Akira for a moment, Sasuke saw no indication he was about to perform anything new, feeling a mix of slight disappointment and relief.
To be fair, expecting Akira to develop something like that in just a few days was unrealistic. He'd already done so much, Sasuke thought. No point in asking for too much.
The theory behind Kirin, after all, involved harnessing natural lightning from the sky, an S-rank technique, no less.
Of course, Akira would need more time to develop it, Sasuke reasoned.
"Hey, Akira, when you figure out Kirin, show me how it works, alright?" Sasuke said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Akira blinked, looking at Sasuke like he'd just said something weird.
Sasuke gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"Kirin? I've already finished developing that. It's just, well, the technique relies on drawing from natural lightning, and with the weather so clear and sunny today, there's no lightning around to use," Akira explained.
"W-Wait, what? You already finished it?!" Sasuke was stunned. "That's an S-rank jutsu! How do you just… develop something like that so quickly? When did S-rank techniques become so easy to make?!"
Hearing Akira's explanation, Sasuke was completely dumbfounded, unable to believe what he was hearing.
He had thought Akira hadn't developed the technique yet, but in reality, Akira had already finished it. The only reason he hadn't demonstrated it was because there wasn't a thunderstorm to draw from.
This was Akira's talent?
For years, Sasuke's reputation in the Leaf Village had only grown, and he had been proud of his abilities. But now, comparing himself to Akira, Sasuke couldn't help but feel insignificant.
"Was my fame these past years… mostly because my father is the Hokage?" Sasuke began to question everything.
Was his recognition truly earned, or was it because of his family name?
Akira noticed Sasuke's inner turmoil but added, "Though, to be fair, you don't need a thunderstorm to use the Kirin technique, but it does help sell it."
Akira recalled how in the original timeline, Sasuke used Kirin with a bit of theatrical flair. Smiling to himself, Akira continued, "The core of the technique is using natural lightning as a weapon."
"But isn't that impossible without storm clouds?" Sasuke asked, clearly confused.
"Well," Akira grinned, "if there's no lightning, why not make it yourself?"
Sasuke looked at him, perplexed. "Make lightning? How would I even do that?"
Akira didn't answer directly. Instead, he clasped his hands together and began forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
One after another, powerful fire techniques shot from Akira's mouth, all aimed high into the sky.
With Akira's Kage-level chakra reserves fueling them, the flames were enough to turn half the sky into a blazing inferno.
People in the Leaf Village couldn't help but notice the sky lighting up in flames.
Watching Akira's actions, Sasuke was utterly confused. "I thought you were trying to create thunderclouds. Why are you using fire?"
"Wait… could it be…?"
Suddenly, it clicked for Sasuke. His eyes widened as he realized what Akira was doing.
Sure enough, the intense heat from the fire caused the air to rise rapidly, forcing moisture in the air to condense at higher altitudes, forming clouds.
Within moments, the clouds grew darker, thicker, and began to rumble with the sound of distant thunder.
"He actually used fire to create thunderclouds! This will make using Kirin so much easier!" Sasuke marveled.
"Genius… of course, if there's no thunderstorm, you can make one!" he thought, admiring Akira's resourcefulness.
However, Akira wasn't wrong about one thing—using fire jutsu to summon thunderclouds required a bit of performance. If your opponent saw you randomly shooting fire into the sky, they might realize something was up.
As the thunderclouds gathered overhead, Akira finally began preparing the Kirin technique.
Thunder rumbled louder as Akira called down the lightning from the clouds above...
*********
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 218 at patreon.com/Emik01.
Konoha was a big village, no doubt about that, and Uchiha Akira's Fire Release had turned half the sky red. It wasn't long before the huge mass of thunderclouds gathering in the sky caught the attention of everyone in the village.
People began looking in the direction of the storm, whispering to one another in confusion.
Meanwhile, several ANBU members were already closing in to investigate what was going on. After all, something like this didn't happen every day.
This was all happening as the Jonin exam was about to begin.
Naturally, many other ninja from the various villages were staying in Konoha at the time. While they didn't have the authority to investigate, that didn't stop them from observing from afar.
Back to the thunderclouds—under Akira's control, the lightning began to concentrate within the clouds.
The rumbling of thunder grew louder and louder.
At that moment, countless eyes turned toward the source of the noise. It was clear to anyone watching that this wasn't a natural storm.
Was this some kind of jutsu?
"That's some fierce lightning!" a ninja from the Cloud Village muttered as he stared at the clouds, his expression growing serious.
Cloud ninjas knew lightning better than anyone. They didn't need to feel the chakra involved—just a glance at the furious bolts within the thunderclouds was enough to understand how terrifying this was.
"The power… it's overwhelming!"
Even from a distance, the sheer intensity of the lightning was apparent. And standing right beneath it, Sasuke couldn't help but tremble. The concentrated lightning overhead made his heart race with fear. Every living being had an innate fear of thunder and lightning, and Sasuke was no exception.
Especially not when this was natural lightning, something far more devastating than any ordinary Lightning Release technique.
Suddenly, amidst the rolling thunder, a sound echoed—a deep, primal roar. It was hard to tell if it was the voice of the lightning itself or some kind of beast.
Then, the clouds parted, and a massive creature, formed entirely of lightning, emerged from the storm. Its enormous head loomed over the earth, gazing down as though it were some ancient god-beast surveying the world below.
"Kirin… Is this the Lightning Release jutsu, Kirin? It's like the lightning itself has come to life!" Sasuke thought, his heart pounding as he stared up at the creature's head. The sheer pressure it radiated left him utterly shaken.
The beast of lightning took one last look at the ground below before retreating back into the clouds. But in the next moment, under Akira's control, the massive Kirin-like bolt of lightning descended from the sky with terrifying force.
The sky lit up, as bright as midday, and for a brief moment, everything disappeared into a blinding white light. The only thing that remained was the deafening sound of thunder, roaring like a beast.
It felt like an eternity before the thunder finally faded, and Sasuke's Sharingan restored his vision.
Looking around, he saw that everything within a few hundred meters had been scorched black.
Sasuke was left speechless, his mind reeling from what he had just witnessed. The raw, destructive power of that lightning was beyond anything man-made. This was nature's fury at its purest, and no ordinary Lightning Release technique could compare.
"Was that… a Lightning Release jutsu?" An Iwa ninja from the Hidden Stone Village muttered, his eyes wide as he stared at the dissipating storm clouds. His face was pale with shock.
Lightning Release techniques naturally had an advantage over Earth Release, so it was no surprise that the Iwa ninja were particularly shaken by the sheer power of this jutsu. What kind of Earth Release technique could possibly withstand something like that?
"Since when did Konoha's Lightning Release get this powerful?!"
Ninja from the Cloud Village, well-versed in lightning techniques, were equally stunned by Kirin's destructive force. They had always believed that their village had the strongest Lightning Release users in the world, but this display from Konoha was on par with anything they could do.
Was this the strength of the Hidden Leaf, the greatest of the Five Great Shinobi Nations?
Each of the other Great Villages had their own specialties. The Sand Village had puppetry and wind techniques, the Stone Village had earth and dust techniques, the Mist Village had water techniques, and the Cloud Village had lightning.
But Konoha was a different story. They had mastered techniques across all elements—wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning—and they excelled at each one. Add in the Sharingan and Byakugan, and it became clear just how deep Konoha's strength ran.
"This is the power of the Five Great Nations…" Even the hardened Iwa and Kumo ninja were in awe of Kirin's might, while the smaller villages, who had sent their own candidates to the exams, could only watch in stunned silence.
Among them were the ninja from the Star Village.
Their leader had once boasted that the Star Village was on the verge of becoming a Great Village, thanks to a meteorite that had fallen from the heavens, granting them great power. He had even dared to call himself the Star Shadow.
But now, as they watched the devastating power of Kirin, the Star Village ninja couldn't help but feel like they had been living in a bubble. This was the true power of the Five Great Nations.
Star Shadow? That title suddenly felt ridiculous.
"Well? Did you get a good look at that Lightning Release: Kirin?" Akira asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, I saw everything. I'll be able to use it when the time is right," Sasuke replied, his Sharingan eyes still glowing as he nodded seriously. This jutsu, along with the other Chidori variations Akira had taught him, was a perfect fit for him.
While his chakra reserves hadn't increased, Sasuke knew that mastering these techniques would significantly boost his overall combat ability.
A ninja's strength wasn't just about chakra. The jutsu they mastered played a huge role as well. After all, if it were just about chakra, wouldn't the Uzumaki Clan, with their massive reserves, have ruled the world by now?
"Crack!"
As Akira and Sasuke continued discussing training methods, several ANBU agents appeared, using the Body Flicker technique to arrive swiftly on the scene.
Akira glanced at them but didn't pay them much attention. He did, however, nod in approval at how quickly they had responded. Kirin had made quite the impact, so it made sense that the ANBU would show up.
But when the ANBU saw that it was Akira, they quickly withdrew.
If the Head of ANBU was here, there was nothing to worry about.
Besides, with his strength, it wasn't exactly surprising that he could pull off a jutsu as powerful as Kirin.
"Alright, time to go," Akira said, waving Sasuke off after discussing a few more details about his training. There was no need for him to stick around any longer.
Sasuke now had a clear focus for his training—he would hone his mastery over the Chidori variations Akira had taught him, making sure he could use them effectively in battle.
Meanwhile, back with the Iwa ninja, things weren't looking so good.
They had come to Konoha with plans to stir up trouble. But after seeing Kirin in action, they weren't so sure anymore. Lightning Release had a natural advantage over Earth Release, and with this kind of power, any attempt to cause trouble could end in disaster.
They debated amongst themselves but couldn't come up with any solutions.
At the same time, the ninja from Iwa—and all the other villages—were trying to figure out who in Konoha had cast that terrifying Lightning Release jutsu.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Jonin Exam was officially underway.
Each of the Five Great Nations had sent a team of three to participate. In addition, several smaller villages had also sent teams, making a total of twelve squads and thirty-six participants.
The ages of the participants varied. The oldest was a ninja from the Grass Village, who was over fifty years old. After all, these teams were meant to represent the best of each village's Chunin.
But when it came to age, the Konoha candidates stood out. They were all around fourteen or fifteen, drawing even more attention to the depth of talent in the Hidden Leaf. For a village to send such young candidates to an exam for Jonin—it was unheard of.
If Konoha wasn't confident, and their young candidates got eliminated early on, it would make the whole exam look like a joke.
"Alright, we've got twelve squads and thirty-six candidates. That's a bit too many. So, in the first round, I'm going to cut half of you," Akira announced, standing before the gathered candidates.
As Konoha's pride and the Head of ANBU, Akira had been chosen as the lead examiner for the Jonin Exam.
"You've got to be kidding! You look younger than most of us! What makes you think you're qualified to be the examiner?" one of the candidates, a twenty-something ninja from the Light Village, called out, clearly unimpressed.
"Ah, so because I look young, you don't think I'm qualified?" Akira sighed, shaking his head at the outburst.
Suddenly, Akira raised his hand, and a crackling spear of blue lightning shot across the stage in an instant, stopping right in front of the shouting ninja.
"Is the fact that my name is Uchiha Akira enough of a qualification for you?" Akira asked, his voice calm but filled with authority.
***********************
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230 at patreon.com/Emik01.
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