Kaida and Yomi stood ready to demonstrate their progress in ninjutsu. The Hokage turned to Kaida.

"Kaida, I want to confirm something first. One of my Anbu ninjas mentioned that a student caused a deafening roar two days ago, and the description he gave matches you. Did you create that sound?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Kaida replied, bowing slightly. "I apologize for the disturbance. I was practicing my transformation jutsu and made the sound by mistake."

"No harm done, Kaida," Hiruzen responded with a gentle smile. "But can you show me that jutsu?"

"Lord Hokage, there is a slight issue with that," Kaida hesitated, glancing at Yomi, who blushed slightly. "If I use the jutsu with my clothes on, they'll get ruined..."

Hiruzen chuckled warmly. "No problem at all. Let's have Yomi take her second test first, and then we can proceed with yours."

Yomi nodded, determined. Hiruzen instructed her, "Alright, Yomi, show me all three jutsu, one by one."

"Yes, sir," Yomi replied. She quickly formed the hand signs for the first jutsu, and in an instant, a cloud of smoke enveloped her. When it cleared, a wooden log had taken her place, and she was now standing 50 meters away.

Both the Hokage and Kenji nodded in approval, acknowledging her proficiency in the substitution jutsu.

Without missing a beat, Yomi began sprinting toward them, performing hand signs for her next jutsu. Another small explosion followed, and five clones appeared, running towards the Hokage and Kenji from different directions.

Despite the clever tactic, both experienced ninjas could easily distinguish the real Yomi from her clones. After surrounding them, she dispelled the clones and seamlessly transitioned into the hand signs for her final jutsu, transforming into a perfect replica of Kenji.

Hiruzen laughed, impressed by how flawless the transformation was. "Excellent, Yomi! You've mastered all three jutsu. You may return to the academy now; we'll follow after Kaida completes his test."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Yomi said with a bow before heading back to the academy.

Now, only Kenji, Hiruzen, and Kaida remained on the training ground. The Hokage looked at Kaida and said, "Alright, Kaida, you may begin."

Kaida nodded and swiftly performed the substitution jutsu, reappearing 100 meters away—double the distance Yomi had covered, showcasing his superior chakra control. He then ran back, forming hand signs for the clone jutsu.

*Puff*

Nine clones materialized, each armed with a kunai, rushing towards the Hokage and Kenji at full speed. Once they had surrounded the two, Kaida dispelled the jutsu, knowing full well that the experienced ninjas had been tracking his real form all along.

After these two jutsu, Kaida did something unexpected. He began to remove his clothes, leaving only his underwear. Neither Hiruzen nor Kenji reacted, remembering Kaida's earlier warning about the jutsu's effect on his clothing.

Kaida started forming the hand signs for the transformation jutsu. Although he could have performed a standard transformation like Yomi, he knew the Hokage wanted to see the jutsu that had caused the uproar in the village.

As he completed the hand signs, a white mist rose from the ground, enveloping his entire body. The mist swirled and expanded, growing larger and more defined.

*Puff*

When the mist cleared, Kaida had transformed into a majestic golden lion with a dark golden mane. He adjusted his vocal cords and let out a powerful roar.

**ROOOAAARRRRR!**

The roar was even louder than the one before, sending shockwaves into the forest. Kenji was stunned, realizing that while transforming into an animal wasn't unheard of, Kaida's transformation was extraordinarily detailed and realistic. Even the Hokage was taken aback by the display.

After finishing the roar that had caused the previous uproar, Kaida dispelled the jutsu and quickly dressed himself.

Once he was fully clothed, Hiruzen spoke, his voice serious. "Kaida, do you realize what you just did?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Kaida replied. "I transformed into a lion using the transformation jutsu. I've studied in the library and can also transform into a monkey, a dog, and a cat." He assumed their surprise was due to his ability to transform into an animal.

Hiruzen sighed, then began to explain, "Kaida, in the standard transformation jutsu, you don't actually become the figure you transform into. It's more like wearing an illusionary skin, which limits chakra use. But you... you fully transformed into that lion and could still use chakra naturally to enhance the roar. This ability, if developed further, could make Konoha the most powerful shinobi village in the world. So tell me, how did you do it?"

"I didn't do anything special, Lord Hokage. I just thought about the anatomy of a lion as we were taught, and this happened naturally," Kaida answered. But he thought to himself, *So just thinking about transforming like Ben 10 can bring such results? I should probably keep this to myself for now since I've already shown more than enough to attract the village's attention.