On the clearing before Forest Training Ground Three, three people had already been facing off for a long time. There was no precise timing method here, so no one could tell how long they had been locked in this stalemate, but it had to have been at least fifteen minutes.
"Gulp—" One of the candidates swallowed hard, clearly on edge. This graduation exam was not only important to the students, but to them as well. After six years of hard study, no one wanted to be defeated at the final hurdle.
Three was a stable number, and the situation was nearly identical for all three students. They remained wary of one another, holding each other in check. No one dared move, yet the immense pressure beneath the calm surface made them deeply uncomfortable.
After remaining on high alert for so long, the three of them began to lose their edge. The clearest sign was that their movements became slightly uncoordinated, while their gazes were no longer as focused as before, gradually beginning to wander.
This is taking too long. I could take a nap! Mirai hid in the bushes, unwilling to do anything yet. He needed the three "enemies" to fight each other. Only then could he gain the greatest benefit. Otherwise, if this dragged on too long, no one knew what might happen. For the person with the greatest advantage at the moment, any change was unpredictable.
"Whoosh—" A kunai shot out of the forest, flying straight at someone's chest.
"Clang!" The attacked candidate blocked it with his right hand. Yet this small provocation did not intensify the standoff between the three. Instead, they exchanged glances and leaped toward the direction the shuriken had come from.
This entire sequence occurred in an instant. The three leaped into the bushes