The Second Exam

"Soul-related..." Kakashi recalled the strange, fleeting glint in Qingyu's eyes earlier today.

"Do you think it's possible... that some kind of soul-related technique has taken effect on him?"

"Should we conduct a further investigation?"

"Not for now," Kakashi said, closing the file.

"The Fourth Hokage once said that we must be... cautious regarding the Uchiha clan. As long as he does not endanger the village, we shall observe the situation."

"Understood."

When Kakashi left the Anbu headquarters, it was already two in the morning.

He walked along the silent streets, looking up toward the direction of the Uchiha compound.

The faces of the Fourth Hokage and Obito surfaced in his mind...

"Sensei, Obito..." he whispered.

"If you were still here, how would you view this junior?"

No one answered.

Only the night wind blew past.

Qingyu knew nothing of this.

He had just finished four hours of high-intensity training and lay sprawled on the training ground, soaked in sweat.

His chakra was exhausted and his muscles ached, but his spirit was exceptionally exhilarated.

[Daily training complete]
[Uchiha Style Shuriken proficiency +3%]
[Senju Style Chakra Control proficiency +2%]
[Water-Fire Rotation proficiency +1%]
[Consciousness coordination slightly increased]

"That is all for today," Tobirama said. "Rest now, and we continue tomorrow."

"Spend three minutes before sleep reviewing today's shuriken trajectory calculations in your consciousness space," Izuna added.

Qingyu gave a wry smile. "...Yes."

He struggled to his feet, returned to his room, showered, and collapsed onto his bed.

He fell into a half-dreaming, half-waking state almost instantly.

In his consciousness space, he was still throwing shuriken, over and over again.

In the real world, the moon gradually sank toward the west.

There were seventy hours left until the second exam.

Qingyu did not know what that exam would entail.

He only knew that he had to become stronger.

To survive.

To uncover the truth of this world.

And to... not let down the two souls from the Warring States period in his head, who, despite bickering all day, were truly teaching him with sincerity.

"Goodnight..." he murmured to himself.

In his mind, two voices spoke in unison:

"Goodnight, brat."

"Rest well; we continue tomorrow."

Qingyu smiled.

This feeling wasn't half bad.

Three days later, early in the morning, at Konoha's Training Ground 44.

Qingyu stood among the crowd, looking at the complex cluster of buildings surrounded by high walls before him.

The venue for the second exam, codenamed "Labyrinth City."

"When was this place built?" he asked in a low voice.

"Two years ago," Tobirama's voice came from his mind.

"Judging by the weathering of the architecture and the growth of the vegetation, its purpose should be an advanced tactical training ground, simulating urban street fighting and intelligence warfare."

Qingyu: So that's how you figured it out; that's amazing...

Izuna snorted. "All flash and no substance. There was no such fuss during the Warring States period. A battlefield is a battlefield—forests, plains, valleys. Whoever survives is the winner."

"Which is exactly why you died so quickly," Tobirama retorted coldly.

Qingyu rubbed his temples, automatically tuning out the latter half of the argument.

Thirteen teams, totaling thirty-nine examinees, had gathered around after passing the first round.

The atmosphere was even heavier than it had been in the Forest of Death.

After all, those who had survived until now were no weaklings.

Qingyu noticed several gazes landing on him.

Gaara of Sunagakure remained with his eyes closed, resting, but Temari and Kankuro beside him clearly cast several extra glances his way.

The team from Kirigakure that had been scared off by the Steam Technique shot him a hostile look.

Kirikage: Watch the copyright! Use steam again, and you'll be the first one I settle the score with.

Qingyu: Can you bring some teammates you actually trust to come find me then?

Obito: There are three wishes hidden in that one sentence of yours.

Over at the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Shikamaru nodded at him, a gesture of greeting.

As for Sasuke Uchiha... that black-haired youth stood alone in a corner, arms crossed, his expression cold and stern.

His gaze paused for a fleeting second as it swept over Qingyu, then shifted away, as if looking at an insignificant clansman.

"That brat," Izuna said suddenly, "his chakra reeks of resentment. So young, yet his heart is burdened with too much."

"A common ailment of the Uchiha," Tobirama commented. "Their emotions are too intense; they lean toward extremes easily."

Qingyu didn't respond.

Resentment? It was probably more like, Why hasn't my brother come to practice shuriken with me yet?

The Uchiha brother-complex was a real thing.

Besides, in this current world, Itachi Uchiha hadn't even started his slaughter yet.

He was probably just posing...

"Examinees, assemble!" Anko Mitarashi's signature booming voice rang out.

The proctor for the second round had changed her attire for the day; she wore a tight black combat suit with a green tactical vest over it, making her look much more capable.

She leaped onto the temporarily constructed high platform and grinned:

"Congratulations on surviving the first round! But don't get happy too soon; today's exam... will be much more interesting!"

She snapped her fingers, and two Chunin behind her carried up a massive tactical board.

"The second round: Simulated Combat! The rules are simple!"

Anko used a kunai to carve three terms onto the board:

[Intelligence Gathering]

[Base Defense]

[Opponent Elimination]

"See this 'Labyrinth City'?" She pointed to the complex of buildings behind her.

"There are thirty-nine target points inside, each hiding an encrypted intelligence scroll.

Your mission: within six hours, collect as many scrolls as possible and defend your team's starting base."

"Rule details:

One, each team will be randomly assigned a starting base as your 'Headquarters'.

Two, collected scrolls must be returned to the headquarters to count as valid points.

Three, you may seize scrolls from other teams and attack them, but lethal attacks are forbidden. We will monitor the entire field with ninjutsu; violators will be eliminated immediately.

Four, if your headquarters is occupied by another team and they plant their team flag, the entire team is eliminated.

Five, after six hours, teams will be ranked by points, and the top eight teams will advance to the final round."

A buzz of discussion rose from the crowd below.

"Isn't this just an upgraded version of Capture the Flag?" someone whispered.

"More complicated than that," Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his chin. "You have to balance offense, defense, and intelligence gathering simultaneously... what a drag."

Anko waited for the chatter to die down before continuing: "Additionally, there are two special rules:

First, there are twenty 'Supply Crates' scattered throughout the exam site, containing various ninja tools, military rations, and even simple trap materials. You may use them, but you cannot take them out of the exam site.

Second, every two hours, three 'High-Value Target Points' will randomly appear in the exam site. The scrolls inside are worth double points, but they will emit a conspicuous beam of light, exposing your location. If you want a high score, you have to take the risk."

Anko sneered: "Don't think it's just about elimination. We are monitoring for lethal attacks, but if you accidentally die in the exam site, you'll truly become a corpse."

She paused, her voice suddenly dropping, whispering as if into everyone's ear:

"One final warning: within these six hours, if anyone on your team is too severely injured to fight, or if you voluntarily tear up your SOS Talisman.

We will drag you out within three minutes. Remember: being dragged out is the same as admitting you are trash."

"Any questions?"

Naruto raised his hand: "Anko-sensei! If I snatch all the scrolls, does that mean I'm automatically in first place?"

Anko sneered: "Kid, try surviving for six hours first. Don't go gallivanting outside only to find your base camp wiped out."

The silence beneath the stage was terrifying.

Another ninja from Amegakure raised his hand: "What happens if a team loses members?"

"As long as someone is still alive, the team continues to compete. But if the entire team loses combat capability or chooses to forfeit, they are eliminated," Anko said.

"By the way, the way to forfeit is to tear up the SOS Talisman you received upon entry. Our people will arrive within three minutes."

Someone else asked: "Is the content of the scrolls important?"

"They're encrypted; you wouldn't understand them anyway," Anko shrugged. "But different scrolls have different point values, ranging from one to five points. It depends on your luck."

After a few more detailed questions, the drawing began.

Qingyu whispered to the two in his mind: "These rules... they're even more devious than the Forest of Death."

Izuna was excited: "Now this is how it should be! Back in the Warring States period, there was no such bullshit rule as 'no lethal force' on the battlefield."

Tobirama was calm: "The more complex the rules, the more they test intelligence and decision-making. Qingyu, remember: the base camp is your lifeline. Prioritize defending it, then consider scoring points."

Qingyu looked toward the drawing box and took a deep breath.

The drawing began.

Anko's voice rang out again, like the countdown of a grim reaper:

"Group drawing! Luck is also a part of strength. I wish you all... don't die too miserably."

Qingyu reached his hand toward the box, his heart drumming like a war drum.

The second stage officially began.