Ch.280 Rasengan Makes Its Appearance

In the early morning, soft sunlight spilled onto the training ground.

The students of the Hidden Leaf Shinobi Academy had already begun their morning exercises. Some were running laps, sweating profusely, while others were intently practicing their taijutsu.

As usual, Uchiha Shinji arrived at the academy on time.

However, this time, he didn't immediately go to supervise Shion's training. Instead, he began searching the training ground for Karin's figure.

Soon enough.

In an inconspicuous corner, he found Karin.

At this moment, Karin wasn't training. Instead, she was looking up, gazing at the rising sun.

Others who saw this might have thought Karin was simply slacking off or daydreaming, but Shinji knew better. Karin was using the sunlight to test the light sensitivity of her eyes.

Whether Karin could fully restore her completely damaged Mangekyō Sharingan was, in Shinji's view, a fifty-fifty chance.

Shinji had delved deep into the condition of those damaged Mangekyō. Not only had the ocular power been completely drained, but a large portion of the cellular tissue had also necrotized.

If it weren't for the fact that they were Mangekyō Sharingan, they would have long since rotted away entirely.

Under such circumstances, even with Karin's unique healing physique, which was exceptional even among the Uzumaki clan, and even though she had transplanted White Zetsu cells, granting her the terrifying vitality of the First Hokage, Shinji still found it difficult to determine whether a miraculous recovery was possible.

However, perseverance pays off.

Karin had truly created a miracle!

Although the damaged Mangekyō had only regained a slight sensitivity to light, it was undoubtedly a boost of confidence for both Shinji and Karin. It proved that the damaged Mangekyō Sharingan could be restored and was in the process of recovery!

At that moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the academy entrance: "Sasuke, I challenge you!"

Everyone on the training ground turned to look and saw the fool standing at the entrance, shouting at the top of his lungs. It was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, who hadn't been to school for several days.

These past few days, Sasuke had been feeling down due to the attention surrounding Yakumo becoming Tsunade's apprentice, which had left him as a mere side character in the story. Hearing Naruto's bold declaration, Sasuke snorted coldly, "Hmph, overestimating yourself!"

Naruto swaggered up to Sasuke, rolling up his sleeves. "Sasuke, I've learned a move that will defeat you!"

Sasuke replied coldly, "If you're so eager to get beaten up, I'll oblige you!"

Most of the students on the training ground didn't pay much attention.

The scenario of Naruto challenging Sasuke had played out many times before at the academy, and each time, Naruto was swiftly defeated by Sasuke. It had become rather boring.

Only a few students who had heard that Naruto had recently been training under Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, cast curious glances, wondering if Naruto had truly learned some incredible technique.

Unable to wait any longer, Naruto began forming hand seals.

"Huh? This is..."

Sasuke recognized the seals Naruto was forming and looked slightly surprised.

Poof Poof Poof- 

In an instant, after completing the seals, white smoke erupted around Naruto. When the smoke cleared, everyone was shocked to see that nearly a hundred Narutos had appeared, filling up a corner of the training ground.

The students who hadn't paid much attention earlier were now completely stunned.

Sasuke, surrounded by countless Narutos, felt an indescribable pressure. He looked around in shock, "H-how is this possible!?"

When Naruto had started forming the seals, Sasuke had guessed that Naruto might be using the Shadow Clone Technique. However, he never expected Naruto to be able to create so many flawless shadow clones!

"Sasuke, today I'm going to defeat you!"

Countless Narutos shouted in unison, their voices shaking the field.

Not only were the students on the training ground startled, but even the teachers in the academy building were alarmed. They rushed to the windows and witnessed this unforgettable scene.

"Damn it!"

Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan and prepared to face the onslaught of Narutos.

A fierce battle began!

Although the number of shadow clones Naruto had created was astonishing, the gap in their taijutsu skills was evident. With the aid of his three-tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke wasn't afraid of being surrounded. To the onlookers, it seemed as though Sasuke had been overwhelmed by Naruto's shadow clones.

In reality, however, the soft poof sounds of disappearing shadow clones never ceased.

Each poof meant another one of Naruto's shadow clones had been defeated by Sasuke!

Gradually adapting to the situation, Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk. "Naruto, is this all you've got?"

However, in the outer circle of the battle, unnoticed by Sasuke, Naruto's true self, with the help of two shadow clones, had already completed the formation of the Rasengan.

On a distant tree.

Kakashi, who had been watching, was shocked when he saw Naruto use the Rasengan. "Is Naruto really planning to use the Rasengan in a sparring match?"

Without hesitation, he prepared to intervene.

As a student of the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi knew all too well the destructive power of the Rasengan. If not careful, it could easily be fatal.

But just as Kakashi was about to act, Jiraiya, who was beside him, stopped him.

Kakashi looked at Jiraiya in surprise.

Jiraiya chuckled lightly. "Don't worry. Naruto's Rasengan is still in its early stages. It shouldn't cause any fatal injuries to Uchiha Sasuke."

The power of the Rasengan depends on the user's chakra control, the nature transformation infused into it, and the chakra attributes.

The Rasengan Naruto could currently perform was the most basic and weakest version.

Kakashi was still uneasy. "But..."

Jiraiya said, "Letting Sasuke experience a little setback isn't a bad thing."

On the training ground.

The sheer number of Naruto's shadow clones had created chaos. Not only were the students unable to keep track of what was happening, but even many of the academy teachers failed to notice Naruto forming the Rasengan.

By the time some of the teachers realized something was amiss, Naruto was already charging toward Sasuke with the Rasengan in hand.

Poof Poof Poof- 

Sasuke, who had gradually gotten into the rhythm of the battle, was now able to take out one shadow clone with each move. A confident smile spread across his face. "Naruto, is this little trick what you call your ultimate move? Hmph, how disappointing!"

Whoosh! 

At that moment, Naruto's true self, using his shadow clones as cover, charged straight at Sasuke.

Sasuke, noticing the unusual behavior of the shadow clones, quickly deduced that the Naruto rushing toward him was the real one. He smirked, "It's useless. With my Sharingan, I've already seen through all your—"

Mid-sentence, his expression froze as he noticed the glowing Rasengan in Naruto's palm...