The Second Exam

"Something related to the soul..." Kakashi recalled the strange glimmer that had flashed in Qingyu's eyes earlier that day.

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

"Should we investigate further?"

"Not for now." Kakashi closed the file.

"The Fourth Hokage once said we should be... cautious with the Uchiha Clan. As long as he doesn't threaten the village, we'll wait and see."

"Yes, sir."

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

He walked along the quiet streets and glanced toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.

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

"Sensei, Obito..." he murmured.

"If you were still here, what would you think of this junior?"

No one answered.

Only the night breeze stirred.

Qingyu knew nothing of this.

He had just finished four hours of grueling training and was sprawled on the training ground, drenched in sweat.

His chakra was depleted and his muscles ached, but his mind was unusually alert.

[Daily Training Complete]

[Uchiha Style Shuriken Proficiency +3%]

[Senju Style Chakra Control Proficiency +2%]

[Water-Fire Rotation Proficiency +1%]

[Consciousness Coordination Slightly Improved]

"That's enough for today," Tobirama said. "Rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Before bed, spend three minutes reviewing today's shuriken trajectory calculations in your mental space," Izuna added.

Qingyu gave a bitter smile. "...Yes."

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

He slipped into a half-dreaming state almost instantly.

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

Meanwhile, in the real world, the moon sank slowly toward the horizon.

The second exam was seventy hours away.

Qingyu had no idea what the exam would involve.

He only knew that he had to get stronger.

To survive.

To uncover the truth about this world.

And to avoid letting down... the two Warring States-era souls in his head, who bickered all day but were genuinely trying to teach him.

"Good night..." he murmured.

Two voices rang out in his head at the same time:

"Good night, brat."

"Get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

Qingyu smiled.

It wasn't a bad feeling.

Three days later, at dawn, at Konoha's Training Ground No. 44.

Qingyu stood among the crowd, looking at the sprawling complex of buildings enclosed by high walls.

The site of the second exam was codenamed "Labyrinth City."

"When was this place built?" he asked quietly.

"Two years ago," Tobirama replied from inside his head.

"Judging by the weathering of the buildings and the vegetation, it was probably intended as an advanced tactical training ground, simulating urban combat and intelligence warfare."

Qingyu thought, So that's how he figured it out. Amazing...

Izuna snorted. "All flash and no substance. In the Warring States era, no one bothered with such fancy setups. A battlefield was a battlefield—forest, plains, or valley. Whoever survived won."

"That's why you died so quickly," Tobirama replied coldly.

Qingyu rubbed his temples and tuned out the rest of their argument.

Thirteen teams who had passed the first exam had gathered around him, thirty-nine examinees in all.

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

After all, none of those who had made it this far were weak.

Qingyu noticed several people watching him.

Gaara from Sunagakure was still resting with his eyes closed, but Temari and Kankuro beside him had both given Qingyu more than a few glances.

The Kirigakure team that had been frightened off by the Steam Technique shot him hostile looks.

Kirikage: Watch the copyright! If you use steam again, I'll be the first to settle the score with you.

Qingyu: Then why not bring some teammates you trust and come find me?

Obito: There are three wishes in that sentence.

Over with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Shikamaru nodded at him in greeting.

And Sasuke Uchiha... The black-haired boy stood alone in a corner, arms crossed and expression cold.

His gaze paused on Qingyu for a moment before moving away, as though he were looking at some irrelevant fellow clan member.

"That kid," Izuna said suddenly, "has a hint of resentment in his chakra. He's young, but he's carrying too much inside."

"A common Uchiha flaw," Tobirama remarked. "Their emotions run too deep, and they're prone to extremes."

Qingyu didn't respond.

Resentment? He's probably just wondering why his big brother hasn't come to practice shuriken with him...

Typical Uchiha big-brother complex.

Besides, Itachi Uchiha hadn't started his massacre in this world yet.

Maybe he's just trying to look cool...

"Examinees, gather up!" Mitaraishi Anko's trademark booming voice rang out.

The chief examiner for the second exam had changed into a new outfit today: a black, form-fitting combat suit under a green flak jacket. She looked much more professional.

She jumped onto a makeshift platform and grinned.

"Congratulations on making it through the first exam! But don't celebrate too soon. Today's exam... will be even more fun!"

She snapped her fingers, and two Chunin behind her carried over a huge tactical board.

"Second exam: simulated combat! The rules are simple!"

Anko used a kunai to write three phrases on the board:

[Intelligence Gathering]

[Base Defense]

[Eliminate Opponents]

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

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

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

"Here are the details:

"First, each team will be randomly assigned a starting base to serve as your 'headquarters.'

"Second, scrolls only count toward your score once they've been brought back to your headquarters.

"Third, you may steal scrolls from other teams and attack them, but lethal attacks are forbidden. We'll monitor the entire area with ninjutsu. Anyone who breaks the rules will be disqualified immediately.

"Fourth, if another team occupies your headquarters and raises their team flag, every member of your team will be disqualified.

"Fifth, after six hours, the top eight teams by score will advance to the final round."

The crowd below broke into chatter.

"Isn't this just an upgraded capture-the-flag game?" someone whispered.

"It's more complicated than that." Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "You have to balance offense, defense, and intelligence gathering... What a pain."

Anko waited for the discussion to die down before continuing. "There are two more special rules:

"First, twenty supply boxes are scattered throughout the exam grounds. They contain various ninja tools, Military Ration Pills, and even materials for simple traps. You can use what's inside, but you can't take anything out of the exam grounds.

"Second, every two hours, three 'high-value target points' will appear at random around the grounds. The scrolls there are worth double points, but they'll also emit conspicuous beams of light that reveal their locations. If you want a high score, you'll have to take the risk."

Anko sneered. "Don't assume disqualification is the worst that can happen. We're watching out for lethal attacks, but if you happen to die inside the exam grounds, you'll end up a real corpse."

She paused, then lowered her voice until it seemed to whisper in everyone's ear:

"One last reminder: if anyone on your team is so badly injured they can't fight, or if they choose to tear up their SOS Talisman, we'll drag your team out within three minutes. Remember: being dragged out is the same as admitting you're useless."

"Any questions?"

Naruto raised his hand. "Anko-sensei! If I steal all the scrolls, do I get first place automatically?"

Anko sneered. "Kid, try surviving the full six hours first. Don't come crying to me after your headquarters gets taken while you're out wandering around."

The crowd fell ominously silent.

A ninja from Amegakure raised his hand. "What happens if a team loses a member?"

"As long as someone is still alive, the team stays in the exam," Anko said. "But if everyone is incapacitated or gives up, the team is disqualified."

"Oh, right. To give up, tear up the SOS Talisman you received when you entered. Our people will arrive within three minutes."

Someone else asked, "Does the contents of the scrolls matter?"

"They're encrypted. You won't be able to read them." Anko shrugged. "But different scrolls are worth different amounts, anywhere from one to five points. Guess it's up to luck."

After a few more questions about the details, the drawing began.

Qingyu quietly asked the two in his head, "These rules... are even nastier than the Forest of Death."

Izuna sounded excited. "Now that's more like it! On a Warring States battlefield, there was no stupid rule against lethal attacks."

Tobirama remained calm. "The more complicated the rules, the more they test your intelligence and judgment. Remember, Qingyu: your headquarters is your lifeline. Defend it first, then think about scoring points."

Qingyu looked at the lottery box and took a deep breath.

The drawing began.

Anko's voice rang out again, like a countdown from the Grim Reaper:

"Team assignments! Luck is part of your strength, too. I hope you... don't die too pathetically."

Qingyu reached for the box, his heart pounding.

The second exam had officially begun.