In the ninja academy, there generally isn't much interaction among ninjas of different ages. Just like in the original story, Naruto and his peers didn't even recognize seniors like Lee.
Thus, even though Li Zhenwu had been skillfully "fighting" his way through grades since enrollment, the other students in his graduating class didn't know much about his abilities.
In front of the graduating class, Li Zhenwu and Uchiha Shabi faced off.
Li Zhenwu arrogantly smiled and gestured for Uchiha Shabi to come forward.
"Is he really so arrogant at just three years old? Isn't he afraid of getting beaten up?" The other classmates were astonished, looking at the stark contrast between Li Zhenwu's small stature and Uchiha Shabi's figure.
They all knew the reputation of the "Konoha Monster" but they were unaware of the other meaning behind Li Zhenwu being called a "monster," which only circulated among ninjas.
Thus, it was only natural for them to think that the three-year-old Li Zhenwu couldn't possibly be Uchiha Shabi's opponent.
However, the reality was shocking for all of them.
As Li Zhenwu beckoned, Uchiha Shabi could no longer contain his anger and lunged forward to kick.
But the kick missed completely!
Everyone clearly saw that while Li Zhenwu was still in place, he slowly began to fade away at the moment of Uchiha Shabi's kick.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?" The classmates were stunned, not only because they had never heard of this technique used by Li Zhenwu, but more importantly, that a three-year-old could actually use ninjutsu?
Uchiha Shabi was taken aback!
He almost stumbled due to the sudden force but managed to regain his balance and began anxiously searching for Li Zhenwu.
"Hey!" Suddenly, Uchiha Shabi felt a tap on his shoulder, along with Li Zhenwu's voice ringing near his ear.
With a start, Uchiha Shabi turned around, only to find no one there.
"You shouldn't be looking up at me from there," came a leisurely voice from below.
Uchiha Shabi suddenly realized that Li Zhenwu was not even half his height, so when he turned to look straight ahead, naturally, he wouldn't see him...
Bang!
Just as Uchiha Shabi made this realization, it was already too late; he felt a punch land squarely in his stomach.
Instantly, a sharp pain hit him, almost causing him to double over like a boiled lobster.
Struggling to endure the pain, Uchiha Shabi's eyes reddened as he raised his hands, quickly retreating to create distance while swiftly forming hand signs.
"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Technique!"
Uchiha Shabi quickly completed the hand sign, looking down at Li Zhenwu as a fireball erupted from his throat!
"Wow! A C-rank ninjutsu!" Someone shouted nearby.
At this point, most of them were still students about to graduate.
Even so, being able to perform such a powerful ninjutsu was impressive.
"If it's from the Uchiha clan, it's certainly true to its name!"
"Uchiha's Fire Style lives up to its reputation!"
At that moment, while everyone was focused on Uchiha Shabi's Grand Fireball Technique, Inuzuka Hana was watching Li Zhenwu with deep concern in her eyes.
What was Li Zhenwu doing at this moment?
To the onlookers, Li Zhenwu appeared to be frozen in place, seemingly stunned.
Even Uchiha Shabi, seeing Li Zhenwu's unmoving figure, was taken aback, wondering if this "Konoha Monster" had been petrified by his Grand Fireball Technique?
The Grand Fireball soared towards Li Zhenwu, and immediately, the surrounding air felt heated, a vibrant red dominating their vision.
Bang!
Before anyone could ponder further—or for those students yet to become ninjas, and even if they wanted to intervene, they felt powerless—it only took an instant for the fireball to engulf Li Zhenwu.
In that moment, a flash of white appeared, and where Li Zhenwu had stood was now just a piece of dead wood.
"Substitution Technique!" The crowd gasped in surprise.
The Substitution Technique is one of the three basic techniques and is also a ninjutsu required for ninja graduation.
To graduate from the ninja academy and become a certified ninja, being able to use the substitution technique is a hallmark of accomplishment.
Now, no one had seen how Li Zhenwu performed the hand signs, nor had anyone noticed when he cast his ninjutsu; clearly, he had mastered this technique.
People were astonished as they began to acknowledge Li Zhenwu's potential.
Seeing that his Grand Fireball had only hit the wooden substitute, Uchiha Shabi was equally surprised.
"Hey, look behind you," came Li Zhenwu's lazy voice from behind.
Uchiha Shabi turned around, this time deliberately lowering his gaze, and found Li Zhenwu looking up at him with a smile.
"Konoha... Great Whirlwind!"
A powerful force hit Uchiha Shabi in the stomach, sending him flying.
For quite some time, his body floated like a leaf caught in a storm, enduring Li Zhenwu's relentless assault...
Bang!
Uchiha Shabi crashed hard to the ground, while Li Zhenwu satisfactorily retracted his foot.
He was very pleased with his recent training; not only had he mastered the substitution technique, but he had also learned many taijutsu techniques from his training with Guy Sensei that could be used in actual combat.
After Uchiha Shabi landed, Li Zhenwu no longer paid him any mind.
He had controlled his strength, and while it looked bad, Uchiha Shabi's injuries weren't severe.
Li Zhenwu turned to leave, and the students automatically parted to make way for him, looking at him with a mix of awe and viewing him as a "monster."
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