"Bang!"
With a deafening crash, the puppet knocked the contestant from the second match off the stage with a single blow. The entire school fell silent.
"This thing is terrifying. It's practically a monster..."
The contestant who had been knocked off the stage spoke fearfully. Medical staff hurried over, lifted him onto a stretcher, and took him to the infirmary for treatment.
"Third match, number 95, Uchiha Matsuzaki..."
The chief examiner looked at the names on the roster, then called out loudly to the students below the stage.
"Matsuzaki, it's your turn!"
"Be careful."
"Be extra careful, squad leader."
Chestnut Snow and the other three spoke to Uchiha Matsuzaki.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure we all get into the Anbu!"
With that, Uchiha Matsuzaki stepped forward and slowly walked into the training ground.
Just as Uchiha Matsuzaki got ready and took his place in the middle of the arena, several staff members suddenly came in. They carried out the puppet used in the previous match and brought in a new one.
"Do you replace it after every match?"
Uchiha Matsuzaki asked.
"No. That puppet had already taken part in two exams in a row. If we used it again, I'm afraid it wouldn't hold up!"
One of the staff members replied with a smile.
"Heh, like I'd believe that. You prepared this one specifically for me, didn't you? And now you're trying to feed me some nonsense."
"Now I'm even more curious about what's really going on."
"Looks like there's only one way to find out: make it through the exam and get into the Anbu."
Uchiha Matsuzaki thought with a smile.
"Third match, begin!"
The chief examiner shouted.
Uchiha Matsuzaki looked at the puppet before him, then loosened up with a few quick stretches. He was about to face a tough battle!
The puppet had now been activated. Its eyes suddenly glowed red, and it looked considerably stronger than the one before.
"Here I go!"
Uchiha Matsuzaki didn't want to sit back and wait. He launched an attack, drew his weapon, and charged at the puppet.
As he got close, the puppet quickly retreated.
As expected, a puppet at Kage Level was in a league of its own.
Uchiha Matsuzaki stayed alert and pursued it. The two began to clash. Their movements were incredibly fast; ordinary people couldn't even make out their attacks.
"Damn, so this is just below Kage Level? It's seriously strong! But you think that's enough to beat me?"
As he spoke, Uchiha Matsuzaki activated his Sharingan.
Once his Sharingan was active, everything he saw seemed to slow down by half. His attacks grew a little faster.
"Crackle, crackle..."
Uchiha Matsuzaki gradually gained the upper hand in speed. His weapon repeatedly struck the puppet's surface, sending up showers of sparks.
"Bang..."
Uchiha Matsuzaki spotted an opening and kicked the puppet back a meter.
"This isn't working. I can't do a thing to this puppet at this rate. Looks like my weapon can't inflict any serious damage."
Uchiha Matsuzaki glanced at the faint scratches on the puppet and muttered.
Then he put his weapon away.
"Chidori..."
His right hand was instantly covered in crackling lightning.
Once he was ready, Uchiha Matsuzaki charged at the puppet again. The puppet ran toward him at the same time.
Before you continue