The First Day's Scroll Grab Battle: The Curtain Falls

Before long, Kenta hurried back to the two of them. The three quickly regrouped, their trust in one another as solid as a rock, ready to unreservedly entrust each other with their backs.

"This time, we may have to start over from scratch. Are you ready?" Minghui's voice carried a hint of resolve as he gave them one last pep talk.

To be honest, he wasn't confident. From what they'd learned in their exchanges with Hayato, his strength far surpassed anything they'd imagined.

Hayato had a technique that let him escape his Shadow Possession Technique without forming hand seals.

That alone completely shut down both his and Koichi's abilities.

On top of that, Hayato wasn't just fast. He also had a long-range attack technique he could use without forming hand seals.

Their original plan to use ranged attacks to keep him at bay had been completely foiled.

How were they supposed to deal with such a powerful opponent?

Meanwhile, Hayato and the others made no move. They simply crossed their arms and waited in silence.

"Giving up? I was looking forward to seeing what new tricks you'd come up with." Hayato sounded amused. He seemed to be enjoying the fight, using it to hone his tactical awareness.

"Never mind. Let's end this." Hayato spoke calmly, then swiftly formed hand seals and called out, "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

In an instant, three dragons wreathed in roaring flames shot toward the trio.

The three darted apart, deftly dodging Hayato's attack. They slid some distance before coming to a steady stop.

But Hayato's assault didn't end there. He used the Shadow Clone Technique and instantly created two shadow clones.

"Three against three. Fair enough!"

The three Hayatos each locked onto a target and launched a fierce attack.

"Flying Thunder God: Second Stage!"

"Rasengan!"

A Rasengan roared through the air and slammed into Kenta, knocking him to the ground.

Fortunately, Kenta was tough as nails. Though injured, he was still able to fight.

Elsewhere, one of the shadow clones went straight for Minghui.

"Baji: Twenty-Four Postures!"

Elsewhere, one of the shadow clones went straight for Minghui. Faced with Hayato's fierce hand-to-hand Taijutsu, Minghui, a fragile long-range fighter, was powerless to resist and was knocked to the ground.

The other shadow clone also knocked Koichi down.

Though all three were injured, their eyes were full of defiance and resolve. Through sheer force of will, they struggled back to their feet.

"We can't fight him separately. That way, we won't stand a chance." Minghui wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed gravely on Hayato.

The three regrouped. Koichi quickly used the Mind Transmission Technique to closely link their consciousnesses.

Kenta used the Super Multi-Size Technique, instantly swelling in size before charging at Hayato like a truck.

Sensing the tremendous force bearing down on him, Hayato had to slide backward some distance before regaining his balance.

Kenta pressed the attack, raining down punches like a storm and forcing Hayato to retreat again and again.

Just then, Minghui swiftly formed hand seals and called out, "Secret Technique: Shadow Summoning!"

He gathered the shadows cast by the trees Kenta had knocked down earlier and drew them around Hayato, trapping him firmly.

But that wasn't nearly enough. Minghui called out again, "Secret Technique: Shadow Sewing!" The shadows stabbed into Hayato like sharp blades, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

"Now! Koichi!" Minghui shouted.

Without hesitation, Koichi used the Mind Body Switch Technique and successfully connected to Hayato's consciousness.

"It worked!" Minghui thought, his heart leaping with joy.

It's up to you now, Kenta!

But just then, something went terribly wrong. Kenta, who should have been attacking Hayato, suddenly turned and charged at Koichi, who was now nothing but an empty shell, like a beast gone wild.

"Kenta, what are you doing?" Minghui roared, his voice full of shock and confusion.

But Kenta seemed not to hear him. He charged straight into Koichi.

"Come back, Koichi!" Minghui cried out in desperation. He couldn't understand why Kenta had suddenly betrayed them.

But it was too late. Kenta's massive body slammed into Koichi, spraying blood everywhere. Koichi collapsed to the ground, utterly weakened.

"Ah!" Minghui let out a furious roar. His eyes turned red, filled with anger and resentment.

Kenta, back to his normal size after reverting from his human tank form, stared down at the badly injured Koichi. Terror and disbelief flooded his face.

"What did I just do?" he murmured.

The two rushed to Koichi's side. Minghui held him tightly in his arms and asked in a trembling voice, "Are you okay, Koichi?"

Blood kept pouring from Koichi's mouth.

"This is all my fault. It's all because I came up with this stupid plan!" Minghui's face was full of guilt and remorse.

Kenta's legs gave way, and he slumped to the ground.

Just then, the corners of Koichi's mouth curled into a strange smile. He said coldly, "That's right. It's all your fault."

With a wet squelch, Kenta looked up and saw the dying Koichi plunge a Kunai into Minghui's chest.

"W-why?" Minghui let out a low growl. His face was full of disbelief and despair.

He stared at the teammate in his arms who had betrayed him, his heart filled with confusion and pain.

"What happened?"

Then Minghui's body slowly slumped to the ground.

"Why did it end up like this? This is only an exam. Why do we, from the same village, have to go through something like this?"

Kenta's consciousness began to grow hazy too. His body slowly fell to the ground.

Hayato slowly deactivated his Sharingan and approached the three of them.

"It's over!"

He looked at the three of them lying on the ground, their faces twisted with pain, and felt not the slightest ripple of emotion.

He casually searched the three of them and took their scrolls, one by one, then left.

A quarter of an hour later, the three slowly opened their eyes. Minghui stared at his hands in shock and said in disbelief, "I... I'm not dead?"

"Koichi! Kenta!" he shouted their names. The other two were staring at him in equal bewilderment.

"Then what was it that we just experienced?" Koichi's face still held a trace of fear and shock.

"It was an illusion! That guy is too strong!" Minghui finally understood. Realization dawned on his face.

Hayato, meanwhile, had no idea what the three of them had experienced. He was dashing back and forth through the forest with Jiro, searching for people.

Unfortunately, it seemed they'd run out of luck. They'd been running for three or four hours without encountering a single person.

As the sky grew darker, Hayato stopped and sighed helplessly. "Never mind. Let's call it a day."

Jiro stopped when he heard Hayato. He wagged his tail, seeming to regret that they'd come up empty-handed today.

"Today's been exhausting. Let's eat and get some good rest." Hayato placed a hand on Jiro, and the boy and dog vanished from the spot in an instant.

When they reappeared, they were already in Hayato's room.

A lavish spread prepared in advance by the Kazama brothers sat in the room.

"Who said taking part in the Forest of Death exam meant you had to stay cooped up in there the whole time? Rather than roughing it in that dangerous forest, it's far more comfortable to come home." Hayato spoke as he ate.

"Besides, the rules never said you couldn't leave the Forest of Death to rest." He glanced at Jiro, who was lying on the floor, and added.

Then Hayato took a Military Ration Pill from his bag and placed it in front of Jiro. "I almost forgot about you. I didn't prepare anything for you today. I'll give you something tasty tomorrow. For now, you'll have to make do with this."

After eating his fill, Hayato patted his bulging stomach and lay back on the bed contentedly. "There's nothing like lying in your own bed!"

Forest of Death · The First Day's Scroll Grab Battle · The Curtain Falls