Ringo Ameyuri

Three months later, in a large indoor training arena in Kirigakure, a stern-faced middle-aged Mist ninja read the contents of a scroll in his hands. Before him stood a row of young shinobi, while the spectator stands and the podium were packed with people.

"I shall now state the specific rules for the third test of the 4th Kirigakure Chunin Exams: First, this test consists of one-on-one duels. Candidates may choose their opponents at will; combat begins once both parties agree. Candidates have the right to refuse, with no limit on the number of refusals. Second, candidates may freely choose or negotiate the method of combat with their opponent. Third, the exam is under the full supervision of the proctor; candidates must not intentionally harm an opponent who has ceased resistance, and the proctor has the authority to terminate the exam at any time. Fourth, candidates are prohibited from using the Seven Ninja Swords or other unconventional weaponry. Fifth, all participating candidates must sign the relevant agreement; failure to sign is considered an automatic withdrawal. In the event of accidental injury or death, neither the candidates nor their families may hold the village responsible. Sixth, the exam will be witnessed by the Third Mizukage, the Mizukage's aides, and other officials, who will judge whether the candidates possess the qualifications to become Chunin. That is all."

These were interesting rules. Essentially, the format of the exam was left to the students to decide, allowing them to fully utilize their strengths, as everyone excelled in different areas. However, the implication was clear: since the Mizukage and others were the ones judging one's qualifications, one could certainly refuse a challenge from someone they felt they couldn't defeat. One could keep refusing, but in the eyes of the judges, such a candidate's score would be abysmal, making it impossible to pass.

The proctor lowered the scroll, clasped his hands behind his back, and asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"

"None!"

"Agreed."

Not a single candidate withdrew from the exam. This was to be expected; every person here had fought their way out of the graduation exam. Unlike the generation of Naruto Uzumaki in Konoha, these students had already stained their hands with blood and were long prepared for the possibility of casualties.

In fact, the rules for this exam were stricter than in previous years, far less arbitrary. The ninja world held Chunin Exams twice a year, and excluding large-scale joint exams or special circumstances, Kirigakure had already hosted four. However, the rules of previous years had always carried a cruel undertone: life or death did not matter. As long as an opponent did not concede, or lacked the capacity to do so (such as being beaten into unconsciousness), the proctor would never terminate the match unless the candidate's teacher personally intervened.

According to data from previous years, a significant portion of Genin would fight to the death without retreating during the exams! Even their parents and teachers supported this behavior. Honestly, Kanna truly couldn't imagine what kind of history had forged such a ferocious village.

Were the ninjas of Kumogakure fierce? Certainly, but that was due to climate and geography—the people of that region simply had short tempers. But Kirigakure's ferocity was manufactured; it was forced upon them, compelling them to kill or be killed. In this, Kanna seemed to see the shadow of the Spartans from Earth.

It is said that at birth, Spartan infants were brought to the elders for inspection. If the elders deemed them unhealthy, they were abandoned in the wilderness. Mothers would bathe their infants in strong wine; if the baby had a seizure or lost consciousness, they were deemed weak and incapable of growing into a qualified warrior, and thus left to die. At seven, boys were trained to be fearless of tears, picky eating, noise, darkness, or loneliness, and were placed under militarized management. They were required to show absolute obedience to their leaders and to cultivate courage, physical strength, and cruelty. They practiced running, discus throwing, boxing, fencing, and brawling. To train their obedience and endurance, they were whipped once a year during religious festivals. They would kneel before the temple as the stinging lashes fell like rain, yet they were forbidden from begging for mercy, crying out, or even making a sound.

Applied to Kirigakure, the philosophy was: either kill the other, or be killed. Begging for mercy was a disgrace!

These were cruel rules. The ninjas cultivated this way were like cold combat machines. Compared to the general education approach of Konoha, the former held a significant advantage in low-level ninjas, while the latter allowed for a hundred flowers to bloom, with all sorts of talents emerging. After all, some were late bloomers, while others faded into obscurity; it was hard to say which was superior.

However, everything had changed. This examination system in Kirigakure had been shaken for the first time. Momochi Zabuza, a ninja of only nine years, had killed almost all the other candidates in his cohort, shocking Kirigakure to its core.

It wasn't that Kirigakure couldn't afford the loss of those hundred-plus candidates, but rather the subsequent ripple effects! After the Momochi Zabuza incident broke out, not only did he not face condemnation from the villagers, but he actually received much praise. Everyone felt he was a rare talent, born for battle. But the high-ranking officials of Kirigakure keenly sensed that the younger students in the academy seemed influenced by this public opinion. If this trend wasn't curbed, it was easy to imagine that future candidates, in pursuit of the glory Zabuza had achieved, would likely trigger similar situations.

If only one or two Genin could be produced each year, the village would be finished!

Therefore, the Third Mizukage defied public opinion and broke the system that had persisted for over forty years, making the Chunin Exam in the early spring of this year more humane—or at the very least, much better than before. Furthermore, he was planning to reform the graduation exam in June, absolutely forbidding a repeat of last year's situation.

This was no secret; Kanna Tokiomi had explained it to Kanna. Thus, when news of the Chunin Exam arrived, Kanna had begged his father for a spectator's spot. Since it wasn't a joint exam, it wasn't open to everyone. Kanna wanted to carefully observe the strength of Kirigakure's Chunin to consider his future development, so he had to seek his father's help.

Now, Kanna stood motionless behind Kanna Tokiomi, hands clasped behind his back, acting as his attendant.

"The final exam is about to begin. Watch closely," Kanna Tokiomi's voice reached his ears. Kanna nodded and replied, "I will, Father. That is one of my purposes here."

"Then! Everyone, since there are no objections, please sign the agreement."

After receiving confirmation from the Mizukage and the others, the proctor presiding over the exam made the announcement.

There were six candidates in total. After they signed one by one, the proctor asked if anyone needed a rest. Upon receiving the answer "No," he announced the start of the exam on the spot.

"Who will step out first to choose their opponent?"

As soon as the words fell, a young girl with her hair in twin buns, dark red locks framing her ears, and wearing a brown robe stepped out and pointed to the side.

"Hayashinaka Shigure, what are you waiting for? Come out!"

Everyone followed her finger. A young boy opened his right eye, stepped out without hesitation, and without a word, simply nodded to the proctor to signify his agreement. He then stood opposite the girl.

The boy's left eye seemed to have been injured; he wore a black eyepatch over it, and a long scar stretched from his head down to his chin, making Kanna's brow twitch.

One could tell from the scar that this guy had been slashed across the face by a blade, from his eyebrow all the way to his chin. To have survived that was truly extraordinary.

"If there are no objections, then choose your method of combat," the proctor said indifferently.

"Heh, Hayashinaka Shigure, what do you choose?" the girl sneered.

"Whatever," Hayashinaka Shigure closed his right eye again and said faintly.

"Then, Ringo Ameyuri versus Hayashinaka Shigure. No restrictions. A final reminder: do not intentionally attack an opponent who has lost the ability to resist. Now, begin!"

"Hm?" Kanna's expression turned solemn. If that wasn't just a coincidence of names...

Ringo Ameyuri, the second wielder of the Lightning Blade among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, known as the "Talented Lightning-Style Ninja." Her recorded achievements included the Fourth Shinobi World War, where Kabuto resurrected the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Ringo Ameyuri had single-handedly fought a division of the Allied Shinobi Forces, causing them to collapse and flee. At the time, Kakashi and Might Guy had evaluated her by saying she was too strong, and that a hundred Chunin couldn't defeat her.

The later Ringo Ameyuri was an incredibly powerful ninja. Kanna estimated she was on the same level as Kakashi, belonging to that group just below the Kage.

Thinking of this, Kanna subconsciously looked at Ringo Ameyuri's weapon: an ordinary katana, not the pair of Lightning Blades that made enemies tremble with fear.

"Come to think of it, the exam rules forbid the use of the Seven Ninja Swords," Kanna thought, deep in contemplation. "Does this mean candidates in previous years borrowed the Seven Ninja Swords? Or perhaps one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen used those weapons during their own Chunin Exam?"

This wasn't impossible. The Seven Ninja Swords were earned step by step. As the first generation of wielders, they only needed to show sufficient talent. Unlike Ringo Ameyuri now, who, despite having super-strong Lightning-Style talent, had to wait because the Lightning Blade already had a master. Unless Raiga Kurosuki died or voluntarily gave it up, she could only wait.

"It's starting!" Kanna Tokiomi reminded Kanna.

In the arena, the proctor jumped back, clearing enough space. Then, Hayashinaka Shigure extended his hands from his sleeves and began to weave hand seals.

"Ha! Trash!" Ringo Ameyuri let him perform, making no move herself.

Hayashinaka Shigure acted as if he hadn't heard, steadily completing his seals. With a stomp of his foot, he rushed in front of Ringo Ameyuri in the blink of an eye, drew his blade with a backhand grip, and delivered a vertical slash!

"Waste of space!" Ringo Ameyuri still didn't move, a mocking smile on her face as she spoke again.

Bang! Another Hayashinaka Shigure appeared behind Ringo Ameyuri, one hand forming the Tiger seal, the other reaching out into the void.

With a gurgling sound, the water vapor in the air was instantly gathered, forming a water sphere the size of a person, directly encasing Ringo Ameyuri within it.

Using his real body to lure the enemy, a Water Clone to cast the Water Prison Technique to trap the opponent, and then a finishing blow!

The three-foot-long blade descended, pressing against the water prison and carving a visible dent into the sphere. It was clear that Hayashinaka Shigure's tactic was to instantly release the Water Prison Technique to deliver a lethal strike to Ringo Ameyuri!

"Hahaha! How naive!"

Suddenly, Ringo Ameyuri, trapped within the Water Prison Technique, burst into laughter. She didn't even look at the blade above her head, letting the water prison dissolve naturally. A second before the blade could strike, rings of electric light appeared around her body.

Crackle! Lightning surged violently! With a thunderous boom, a blinding silver radiance illuminated the entire arena, forcing even Kanna, who was standing outside the safety line, to squint his eyes.

The lightning exploded like a frenzied dance of silver serpents, shattering the arena floor into gravel. A charred, smoking human figure was sent flying, tumbling through the air several times before crashing down right in front of the proctor.

A nauseating scent of charred flesh permeated the air. The ninjas watching in the stands stood up in unison, the entire arena erupting into an uproar!

"What!"

"How terrifying!"

"What happened to Hayashinaka Shigure?"

Even the proctor's expression turned grim. He had explicitly stated beforehand that intentionally attacking an opponent who had lost the ability to resist was forbidden, but it was clear that Ringo Ameyuri had exploited a loophole; she had killed Hayashinaka Shigure in a single strike.

However, rules were rules. Though the proctor felt a sense of helplessness, after checking Hayashinaka Shigure's condition, he announced straightforwardly: "Hayashinaka Shigure is dead. Ringo Ameyuri is the winner!"

"Amazing!"

"A genius!"

The crowd began to murmur. According to the customs of previous years, those who fought in the first and last matches were usually the ones most confident in their own abilities, making those bouts the most spectacular. No one had expected that what was supposed to be a fierce dragon-and-tiger struggle would end in such a fashion, leaving everyone stunned.

Kanna Tokiomi nodded in acknowledgment, then asked: "Well? If it were you, how much certainty would you have against her?"

"Certainty, you ask..." Kanna closed his eyes and pondered carefully, calculating based on three times the strength Ringo Ameyuri had displayed.

"If it's a direct confrontation, given my current fighting style and techniques, getting close to her is too dangerous," Kanna admitted honestly. Just as Kanna Tokiomi thought he was about to concede, his tone shifted.

"However, while I might not be able to defeat her, I will not be defeated either."

With Shinra Tensei and the Flying Thunder God technique in his arsenal, regardless of which one had been transplanted on the Highland, he had one hundred percent confidence that he would not lose!

"Oh?" Kanna Tokiomi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "Not defeated? If you cannot be defeated, then it doesn't mean you are much weaker than her; it only means you are countered by her. How much certainty do you have?"

Kanna smiled slightly and replied immediately: "Absolute! One hundred percent!"

"Very good!" Kanna Tokiomi couldn't help but slap his thigh, feeling quite gratified.

He understood his son's character very well. Judging from Kanna's past behavior and his performance during this period, his son would absolutely never lie, nor would he fail to see the gap between himself and others. Therefore, if he said he had absolute certainty, then he would absolutely not be defeated!

Although he could not yet defeat his opponent, everyone had just seen Ringo Ameyuri's performance. Hayashinaka Shigure, who was among the best of the examinees, had been killed in a single strike before the proctor even had a chance to intervene. She was definitely another Zabuza! Perhaps even stronger than Zabuza!

"Not bad, very good. I have seen your hard work; keep it up!"

"Of course! I will!"