The next day.
The second exam of the Chūnin Selection began in Konoha.
Yuichi stood outside the examination hall beside His two temporary teammates—
Tsuchiya Ryota and Takaoka Daisuke.
The three of them weren't far from the proctor of the second test, Mitarashi Anko.
"Yuichi, about what you did yesterday…"
Ryota suddenly asked, his tone heavy with curiosity.
Daisuke also stared at Yuichi, waiting for His reply.
Yuichi smiled.
"Isn't the purpose of the exam to test our ability to gather intelligence? In the end, Examiner Ibis also said that comrades are more important than the mission. So if I can help, I should help, right?"
But… compared to yesterday, the number of Konoha Genin participating today had dropped sharply.
Just then, a voice rose—not from Anko, but from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"No matter who it is, a Konoha ninja should never rely on another's strength. Only a shinobi who truly stands on their own can become a worthy Chūnin.
I made this decision so that every Genin of Konoha can rise to the rank of Chūnin by their own power."
Old-fashioned words of encouragement.
Nothing more than a ladle of chicken soup for the soul.
Still, it helped ease the atmosphere.
Even if Hiruzen's words couldn't erase the frustration of those who had already been eliminated, chicken soup always warms someone.
And now, a few of the disqualified Genin at the back had even begun to cheer.
The Third Hokage's "chicken soup" still had its effect.
"Now then, let the second exam begin. I'll be watching the performance of every candidate closely. The future of Konoha belongs to you."
After saying this, Hiruzen's figure vanished.
Anko stepped forward and began to explain the rules.
In short:
Each team would receive a scroll—either Heaven or Earth.
To pass, they must obtain the opposite scroll, then reach the designated location and hand in both.
That was only the first part of the exam.
The second part—though Anko didn't mention it yet—was a one-on-one battle between candidates.
The test began soon after.
Yuichi's team had drawn the Heaven Scroll, which meant they needed to hunt down a team carrying an Earth Scroll.
Ryota and Daisuke weren't rookies.
Back in the exam hall, Daisuke had already observed several teams and guessed who might have the Earth Scroll. He'd also noted the direction they left in.
"Then let's go. The sooner we find the Earth Scroll, the sooner we can pass," Yuichi said.
Ryota and Daisuke agreed without hesitation.
The three set off, tracking their targets.
As they moved, Yuichi paused beneath a tree. He casually dropped a small twig on the ground before continuing on, showing no sign of hesitation.
After they left—
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke rose from the twig, and a Wood Style clone emerged.
The clone tilted its head slightly.
"It should be about time to begin. If I remember correctly, the main body's instructions were…"
If the Third Hokage accepts the results of this test, kill all the ordinary Konoha Genin during the second exam.
If he changes the system, then eliminate every foreign Genin—except for a few special cases.
The Wood Style clone frowned.
"So my current mission is to wipe out all the outside village teams…? I really don't understand why the main body gave such an order."
But the reasoning was simple.
If Sarutobi accepted the test results, then the survival of Konoha Genin didn't matter. What was needed were enemy corpses to fuel the hatred of Konoha's civilians.
That anger would be best directed against the allied villages.
But if Sarutobi chose compromise, then every Genin from the other villages had to die.
The important thing wasn't their lives, but the fact that all of Konoha's Genin would advance.
And when the civilians in the stands later saw their own children fighting tooth and nail while every other village's Genin had already fallen—
Wouldn't that soothe the sting of elimination?
No amount of chicken soup could erase bitterness.
But comparison could.
Even beauty falters before comparison.
The moment you see someone else with something you lack, your joy sours into resentment.
Why did their Genin pass while mine was eliminated?
That was exactly the reaction Yuichi wanted to create.
The Wood Style clone flexed its limbs, feeling the rush of chakra.
"The main body fed me quite a bit of chakra. Not bad."
Boom!
Chakra flared under its feet.
In a blur, the clone vanished into the forest—its features shifting rapidly midair until it disappeared into the shadows.
Elsewhere.
A squad of Sound-nin moved carefully through the undergrowth, keeping their presence hidden.
"Nothing here," whispered the lookout.
"No one's around."
But as he turned back—
Thud. Thud!
His two teammates collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from neat slashes across their throats.
His eyes widened in horror, his body freezing in place.
How…?
"Sorry," a cold voice whispered at his ear.
"I'm in a hurry. You're just unlucky."
A searing pain tore through his neck.
He clutched at it instinctively, feeling hot blood gush over his fingers.
"So… fast…"
Thump.
Three lifeless bodies fell into a pool of blood.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet."
Boom!
A torrent of flames rained down, consuming the corpses in seconds.
As the blaze roared, a dark figure streaked off into the distance.
Not far away, a team of Konoha Genin walked through the forest.
Suddenly, the lead Genin froze.
"What is it? Enemy?" his companions asked nervously.
"No…" he muttered, bending down to pick something up.
"It's a scroll—the one we need!"
His teammate frowned.
"Why would a scroll just be lying here? Isn't this obviously a trap?"
The leader grinned faintly.
"Trap or not… I already picked it up."