Main Arena

Ryōken arrived at the center of the main arena, his expression calm.

He briefly surveyed his surroundings, and a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He stood in a rather small training ground with somewhat complex terrain and dense trees.

Sensing several gazes focused on him, Ryōken looked up and saw several people sitting or standing on a distant platform.

At the very front sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in the Hokage Robe.

At the peak of his strength, he naturally carried an imposing aura even without showing anger.

Behind and beside him stood three familiar figures, as well as a white-haired ninja with his arms folded across his chest.

Seeing these famous figures, an imperceptible gleam flashed through Ryōken's eyes, and he grew a little excited.

The peak figures of this world!

He clenched his fists. One day, he would certainly be among those standing up there.

However, the Three Sannin of this time were still somewhat immature.

Though Ryōken was interested, that was all.

What attracted Ryōken the most was the white-haired ninja. He looked like an ordinary man.

Yet Ryōken could clearly sense a special aura from him.

Like a short blade hidden in its sheath, its restrained yet unyielding sharpness gave Ryōken an extremely dangerous feeling.

That aura convinced Ryōken that this had to be Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha.

Such profound blade intent was unique in all of Konoha.

Besides, being able to stand beside the Hokage like that also showed just how extraordinary he was.

While Ryōken looked up at the platform, the people on it were also carefully observing him. Those seated were either elite Jonin or Kage-level experts.

Each had fought countless battles and seen much of the world. With only their eyes, they could glean a great deal of information.

"His eyes are good, and his temperament isn't bad either."

Tsunade examined Ryōken and spoke lazily.

Being able to remain calm and composed under the gazes of so many powerful people was the mentality expected of a qualified ninja.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said with a smile, "It seems this child is particularly interested in you, Sakumo."

Hatake Sakumo glanced at Ryōken's eyes and replied casually, "Not bad. Let's see how he performs next."

He had seen plenty of geniuses. They were nothing special.

As they observed one another, the second child to qualify appeared. This time, there was no surprise—it was Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze entered the main arena with a calm expression. At a glance, he spotted Ryōken, who had qualified before him, and could not help showing a trace of surprise.

He knew Ryōken, though not for any good reputation.

He had never expected it to be Ryōken.

Though puzzled, he said nothing. He simply stood there calmly and waited for the other contestants to enter.

"Look, Minato's mental fortitude is excellent too!"

Seeing Minato's performance, Jiraiya immediately started shouting excitedly, displaying none of a Jonin's dignity. The veins on Tsunade's forehead bulged as she watched, and she dearly wanted to punch him, but she ultimately decided against it. Punching him would probably be even more embarrassing.

More and more people entered. Aside from those from the third division, nearly everyone was extremely surprised to see Ryōken here. However, the students who had made it this far were all exceptionally talented. Even if they had doubts, they kept them to themselves.

The students who had come here were all eligible to apply for graduation.

The battles in the main arena merely determined who was the strongest of this year's class.

It was worth mentioning that Hiwa Hyuga had also successfully qualified, which surprised Ryōken quite a bit.

As if she had noticed Ryōken's lack of confidence in her strength, Hiwa Hyuga wrinkled her little nose and waved her small fist at him, indicating that she was strong too.

Ryōken could not help but laugh.

That was true. After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan, so it was not surprising that she had qualified.

A moment later.

All the students had arrived, eight in total. At the same time, some Chunin, Jonin, and defeated students had gathered around the main arena to watch with great interest. From time to time, voices of surprise over Ryōken's qualification could be heard, along with explanations from students of the third division.

Looking at the eight energetic students below, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction.

These children were Konoha's future pillars.

"Lord Hokage, all the children have arrived."

A ninja came before the platform and reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, about to have them begin.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man wrapped in bandages appeared on the platform. He was the Hokage's advisor, Shimura Danzō.

"I didn't expect you to come too, Danzō."

"As the Hokage's advisor, I naturally need to personally observe the village's future."

Danzo spoke without expression, his voice utterly calm. "Konoha needs roots in the darkness."

Hearing that, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. Though somewhat dissatisfied, he could not say much. He had tacitly permitted Root's existence; as long as they did not go too far, he would not interfere much.

"Begin!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke lightly to the examiner below.

"Yes!"

Having received his orders, the chief examiner stepped into the field.

"The fact that you have made it here proves that you possess exceptional talent."

"You are now under Lord Hokage's watchful eye. Do your best."

"Next comes the final assessment. The rules are as follows."

This year's rules were somewhat different. Previously, contestants fought in pairs to determine the champion, but this year was different. This assessment was similar to a king-of-the-hill challenge.

The last person standing in the ring would be the winner of this assessment.

As such, the timing of entering the ring was extremely important.

Of course, the rest time between each battle was ample, and everyone had only one chance to challenge.

Once the rules had been explained, the field fell silent.

Amid that silence.

Ryōken calmly stepped out from the group and walked to the center of the main arena, standing tall.

The crowd froze briefly before breaking into hushed discussion. Most felt that Ryōken was being foolish.

In this kind of king-of-the-hill battle, those who entered later naturally held the advantage, as they could thoroughly observe their opponents' methods and strength.

Yet Ryōken had actually stepped out first without the slightest hesitation. That truly was not a wise decision.

"Is that the first child to qualify this year? He may be a little foolish, but his courage is commendable."

"I heard he has grasped Sword Intent. He's gotten arrogant just because he has a little strength."

This scene also drew the attention of all the Jonin, whose scrutinizing gazes fell upon him.

The students who could make it to the main arena went without saying—they all possessed ninja talent and ranked among geniuses. Thus, what the Jonin cared about more was their character.

Only geniuses who grew up were truly geniuses. Without a qualified temperament, they would die too early on the path to becoming strong and would be no better than those with steadfast minds.

Most Jonin did not approve of Ryōken's reckless behavior. They sighed inwardly. His talent was good, but his temperament was still lacking.

Hiwa Hyuga looked at Ryōken worriedly. She had not expected him to go up first. Even if Ryōken was strong, Minato Namikaze was no weakling, and there were other students as well. Yet Ryōken was being so overconfident.

"He really makes people worry."

Up above, even Danzo glanced over, somewhat surprised.

Jiraiya said with a grin, "See? He's still just a child. He's so impatient, unlike Minato, who's very calm."

As he spoke, he began to look rather pleased with himself.

"Excessive confidence becomes arrogance. I hope he doesn't disappoint us."

Tsunade ignored Jiraiya's idiocy and stepped forward, speaking lazily.

A strange glint flashed through her eyes. This direct style was unexpectedly eye-catching.

But if he did not have the strength to match it, then he was just an idiot like Jiraiya.

Orochimaru merely watched calmly the entire time, and no one knew what he was thinking.

As for Hatake Sakumo, he stared intently at Ryōken, as though he had discovered something interesting, and smiled with great interest.

Ryōken stood quietly at the center of the field, waiting for a challenger.

He was a little excited, a little thrilled. Since coming to this world, he had yet to experience a truly satisfying battle. He could not miss this chance.

Battle was the true shortcut for a swordsman to improve his strength.

At last, a student below could no longer hold himself back and stepped forward first.

He was Kouichi Uchiha, the strongest student of the Uchiha clan in this year's class and a genius second only to Minato Namikaze.

The moment he stepped onto the field, Kouichi Uchiha, his face full of arrogance, said disdainfully, "I don't know how you qualified from the third division, but this is as far as you go. The strength of the Uchiha is something a commoner like you will never understand."

His words overflowed with a sense of superiority.

Ryōken was somewhat speechless. Another kid going through a chuunibyou phase. Still, Ryōken was broad-minded and could not be bothered to argue with a child.

"First match: Ryōken versus Kouichi Uchiha!"

Seeing the two take the field, the chief examiner shouted loudly.