The Battle for the Heaven and Earth Scroll

The night was anything but peaceful. After Moriyue and the others returned to their assigned lodgings, they learned that another conflict had broken out in the mess hall.

Apparently, the incident started when a particularly greasy ninja, while eating, was flinging sweat everywhere. Other ninjas, unable to stand it, tried to kick him out, but the fatty's teammates adamantly refused. This led to a confrontation between the two groups.

At first, it was just verbal sparring, but then, for reasons unknown, some instigator threw the first punch, igniting a free-for-all.

However, these guys had some sense and didn't use ninjutsu. They resorted to close-quarters combat, partly to avoid killing anyone, but mostly because the raw impact of fist on flesh felt more satisfying.

The farce was eventually broken up by the joint intervention of Rock Lee and Shira, both practitioners of taijutsu. All the other examinees had just wanted a decent meal, but their food was either contaminated with sweat or knocked to the ground. No one managed to eat their fill, and the evening ended on a sour note.

Afterward, they concluded that the fault lay entirely with the first person who threw a punch. Considering the outcome—they had a late and restless night, and didn't even get to eat properly—their behavior made everyone think of one person.

"Why are you all looking at me? This is really strange." Moriyue felt a barrage of hostile glares as he arrived for breakfast the next morning. He was utterly bewildered. He hadn't done anything yesterday. While he had considered some mischievous ideas, he had only thought about them, not acted on them.

"Captain, be honest with us. Did you sneakily do something wicked again? And you didn't even call me to join in the mischief. That's not cool..." Ando swallowed half a steamed bun. Setting aside his captain's other abilities, his talent for attracting animosity was second to none.

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't do anything yesterday. If you don't believe me, ask Zero. See if she sensed me leaving yesterday."

"Zero's got your back, so asking her is... Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop pinching! I was wrong, okay?"

Kazeki released her grip on Ando's neck. Her expression was grim, a look of deep worry etched on her face, as if burdened by unspoken thoughts.

"What's wrong, Zero? If you have something on your mind, just say it. It's not good to keep it bottled up."

The group left the mess hall and headed towards the location for today's exam.

"Captain, this exam is where we really have to show our strength. We made too many enemies in the previous two exams. This battle... it might be very difficult..."

Kazeki finally voiced her concerns. She wasn't as carefree as Ando. While she appeared indifferent to everything, she was actually quite sensitive and thoughtful.

"Ah, you're talking about this. I thought it was something serious. Don't worry, your captain is very strong. No need to fret. I'll get you guys promoted to Chunin this time."

Moriyue flashed a broad, confident smile, appearing genuinely assured. But Kazeki knew it was just an act for their benefit.

Their opponents were genuine ninjas, not only proficient in various long-range ninjutsu but also united in their decision to eliminate Moriyue. And their captain?

Despite Kazeki being satisfied with Moriyue's performance and trusting him as their captain, it didn't change the fact that Moriyue was a ninja who had achieved rapid advancement through Forbidden Jutsu. His understanding of chakra and ninjutsu was undoubtedly inferior to those seasoned veterans.

She had barely even seen Moriyue perform ninjutsu a few times. She worried if Moriyue even knew hand seals.

Excluding these possibilities, Moriyue's only remaining option was to continue using the life-burning Forbidden Jutsu. Rather than waste his life on the battlefield, she felt there was no point in participating in the third exam.

Ando also had a realization at this moment. He had been inspired by Moriyue's outstanding performances in the previous two exams. In his recent memory, Moriyue seemed capable of anything. But after Kazeki's reminder, he realized that their captain had been a ninja for less time than even they had.

"Y-you're right, Captain. Our mission has already exceeded expectations. Those guys back in the village probably never thought we'd get this far. We've gathered most of the intel we need... Maybe we should just go back..."

Moriyue looked at Kazeki and Ando. He knew they were genuinely worried about him and wanted to withdraw because they feared something might happen to him. This thought warmed his heart.

"I said I would lead you to become Chunin. Intel is also best gathered through combat. How can we prove the strength of our Hidden Cloud Village without going through this exam?"

"Don't worry, trust me. Your captain isn't that weak. Let's go."

Moriyue pulled the two of them towards the exam location. Asuma and Kurenai were already waiting there, patiently explaining the rules to the examinees while holding a stack of papers.

"The third exam requires signing a waiver of life and death. Examinees who are ready, please come forward to sign and receive the Heaven and Earth Scroll. The rules for this exam are very simple. The starting point is the Forest of Death, and the endpoint is the desert tower at the border between Konoha and the Sand Village. Each team will receive one of the Heaven and Earth Scrolls."

"Only teams that collect both the Heaven Scroll and the Earth Scroll will be considered to have passed the exam. Please safeguard your scrolls until then."

"The rules have been explained. Ready examinees, come forward. To ensure fairness, each team will start at different locations. Please rest assured, we are very fair."

After Asuma announced the rules, the examinees, who had been chatting and laughing moments before, fell into a sudden silence. Those who were taking their first exam had never seen bloodshed before. Upon hearing about the life-threatening danger, they all hesitated.

Moriyue, however, was unfazed. Not to mention he was currently protected by the Dog Talisman, so he wasn't too worried about dying. The ninja world was inherently cruel; if you didn't have the resolve, you weren't a true ninja.

Still, he needed to find a way to fully integrate the Dog Talisman with himself. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if people spoke their hearts to him. At least until he researched that particular Forbidden Jutsu, that place in Myanmar would remain his lifelong nemesis.

Without any hesitation, Moriyue walked straight up to receive his scroll, signed his name with a flourish, and beckoned Kazeki and Ando towards the starting point.

"It's the Heaven and Earth Scroll format again. This is simple. Interested in becoming scroll collectors? We can ambush teams, steal their scrolls, and then sell them. What do you say?"

Moriyue grinned, tossing the dark purple scroll marked with "Earth." He showed no sign of the tension he must have felt after signing the waiver of life and death.

"Captain, stop joking. It'll be a miracle if we don't die here. My suggestion is to lie low and specifically ambush any lone, injured teams. We should pick on the weak ones."

Ando's eyes nearly popped out of his head upon hearing Moriyue's audacious idea. Good heavens, selling scrolls? Captain, you really dare to think like that! Is this really the time for fantasies?