Life Is Like This, I Refuse To Accept Fate

Separated by only a single wooden partition, Uchiha Matsuzaki could hear their conversation with perfect clarity.

"Will this ever end? What is going on these past two days? How does everything somehow manage to involve me?"

"And this 'Four-Man Squad,' what the hell is that supposed to be?"

"They just mentioned puppets. Does that mean we aren't fighting people this time? And they actually tuned the difficulty to Kage-level. Seriously, I didn't think they'd take me this seriously."

"Don't they ever consider my feelings? I'm still just a kid!"

Uchiha Matsuzaki stood inside the restroom stall, venting his frustrations wildly.

"Things have been truly suspicious these past few days. And every time I complete a sign-in mission, I end up overhearing this kind of information."

"Even though I can't make sense of it, I know for sure now that the Anbu recruitment is just a front."

Uchiha Matsuzaki began to organize everything he knew while inside the restroom, but he remained completely at a loss.

"Ding! Sign-in successful. Reward: Rasengan Fusion..."

"Fusion? What does that mean?"

"Simply put, the host can infuse any elemental chakra into the Rasengan, causing it to undergo various transformations."

Uchiha Matsuzaki was incredibly excited. Thinking about it, the Rasengan was already a decent ninjutsu, and now that he could add any elemental chakra to it, its power would surely be extraordinary.

"In the end, I'm still living under someone else's arrangements. That's just how life is, but I refuse to accept my fate!"

"Whatever this Four-Man Squad is, whatever their plan is, I only want to overcome anyone who stands in my way. They will all become my enemies."

Uchiha Matsuzaki's gaze suddenly turned cold as he spoke with newfound resolve.

Feeling that it was about time to return, he slowly pushed open the stall door and, after confirming no one was around, stepped out of the restroom.

"Matsuzaki, you're back!"

"You have no idea, this exam is really different from the usual ones."

"Oh? How so?"

"This time, we aren't fighting examiners, but puppets. These puppets are genuinely strong; there was absolutely no chance of winning in the previous round."

"They only lasted two minutes before being knocked out of the arena."

Yamamoto Takeshi said excitedly as soon as he saw Uchiha Matsuzaki return.

It seems what they were saying in the restroom just now was indeed correct, Uchiha Matsuzaki thought to himself while looking at the puppets in the arena.

"Is that so? That makes it even more interesting. If I'm dealing with puppets, I won't have to hold back at all."

Uchiha Matsuzaki looked at the puppets in the arena and said with a smile.

"Matsuzaki, I don't think there's any chance of winning this second round either. You should get ready; it'll be your turn soon."

Chestnut Snow came to Uchiha Matsuzaki's side and whispered to him.

Uchiha Matsuzaki nodded gently.

The eyes of the four of them were now fixed on Uchiha Matsuzaki, all of them hoping he could secure a victory.

Uchiha Matsuzaki noticed their anticipation and flashed a smile.

"Alright, don't worry. I will definitely succeed. Besides, I don't want to stay in this school anymore; it's just too boring."

Uchiha Matsuzaki offered them a few words of comfort.

Upon hearing Uchiha Matsuzaki's words, the four of them instantly regained their confidence. They had been quite worried after seeing the puppets in the arena earlier, but after hearing what he said, they began to look forward to the match again.