The chief examiner swept his gaze over the crowd. Seeing that no one had withdrawn, he nodded in satisfaction and said,
"Since no one wishes to withdraw, I hereby declare the third round of the exams officially underway."
As he finished speaking, a Chunin walked over carrying a wooden box.
The examiner then reached into the box and drew two cards. After glancing at them, he read out,
"Aoki Soda, Yōtai."
At their names, two candidates stepped out of the group.
The others went up to the corridor on the tower's second floor to watch the fight below.
The examiner shouted, "Begin!"
Aoki Soda and Yōtai drew their kunai and clashed.
The constant clang of metal rang out. The two were evenly matched, making it difficult to decide a winner quickly. It came down to their use of ninjutsu and their aptitude for combat.
In the end, Yōtai proved the better fighter. Accepting an injury in exchange for a lethal strike, he forced the examiner to step in and stop the fight. Yōtai was declared the winner.
There was little worth watching in this fight, and neither combatant particularly shone. Only the ending held any interest, when Yōtai traded an injury for a killing blow and secured his advancement.
"Next match: Takakura Ran and Uchiha Ye Chen, enter the arena."
Yechen paused slightly at the announcement. He had not expected his turn to come so soon.
Still, that was fine. The sooner he finished the fight, the sooner he could rest.
He hopped lightly onto the railing, then launched himself high into the air. Upon reaching the center of the arena, he floated down to the ground.
Gasps rose around the arena. Those with discerning eyes could tell there was more to that move than met the eye.
When Yechen