Kazuhiko Uchiha had been assigned number 39, so he was among the last wave of ninja to enter the Lota Mountains.
Ever since learning the details of the second round, Kazuhiko Uchiha had already decided what to do. Rather than rush to find a clearance token like most teams, he got his bearings and took the shortest route straight to the Cloudrock Platform in the northern Lota Mountains.
Kazuhiko Uchiha planned to reach the platform before everyone else and lie in wait, intercepting the teams that came to submit the clearance tokens they had found and taking those tokens from them.
Of course, this plan had one absolute requirement: strength surpassing that of the other examinees. Kazuhiko Uchiha naturally met that requirement.
"Roar!"
Just as Kazuhiko Uchiha passed through a valley, a tremendous roar erupted from the nearby forest. The ground shook a moment later as a giant gray bear, four or five meters tall, charged at him with a bellow.
This was an examination site, after all. The beasts here were ferocious creatures the organizers had raised using drugs. They were clearly much larger than ordinary wild animals, and their strength was undoubtedly greater than that of beasts raised in the wild.
"Heh, looks like dinner is taken care of."
Watching the giant bear charge toward him, Kazuhiko Uchiha's eyes gleamed with eagerness. He took the Bloodwing Black Blade out of System Space and, with a touch of excitement, unleashed the most basic single-target sword technique in the Wind Spirit Sword Art.
"Gale Wind Slash!"
Fierce wind-type primal energy coated the blade. One straightforward slash tore through the giant gray bear's thick hide and cleaved it in two. The attack continued unabated, leaving a deep gouge in the ground.
Kazuhiko Uchiha was somewhat surprised by the power of Gale Wind Slash. Studying the giant gray bear's wound and the gouge in the ground, he estimated that, with the Bloodwing Black Blade's enhancement, this move already had destructive power comparable to an A-rank ninjutsu.
Plunging the Bloodwing Black Blade into the giant gray bear's corpse, Kazuhiko Uchiha activated the weapon's innate skill-Dark Siphon.
A black mist shrouded the giant gray bear's corpse. Blood began flowing toward the blade, which absorbed it and instantly converted it into primal energy, replenishing the energy and stamina Kazuhiko Uchiha had expended.
Only after Kazuhiko Uchiha had returned to peak condition did the Bloodwing Black Blade stop absorbing the giant bear's blood. The black mist dispersed, leaving behind a corpse almost completely drained of blood.
"The Bloodwing Black Blade really is a treasure."
Kazuhiko Uchiha clenched his fists, feeling the abundant energy and stamina within his body, and a faint smile curled his lips.
From now on, as long as he did not encounter enemies far stronger than himself, he would not have to worry about being surrounded, no matter how many opponents there were. He could fight a battle of attrition without hesitation.
After cutting off the giant gray bear's paws and storing them in System Space, Kazuhiko Uchiha set off again toward the Cloudrock Platform.
Ten minutes passed in a flash. Thanks to the freedom of traveling alone, Kazuhiko Uchiha had already caught up with the team that had set out in the previous wave.
It was a Konoha team. His appearance startled them, but once they realized he was from the same village, they breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're a ninja from the Uchiha Clan, right? There are plenty of enemies here. How about we travel together?" The Konoha ninja leading the team approached Kazuhiko Uchiha and extended an invitation.
"Sorry, I have something to do, so I'll be going on ahead."
Kazuhiko Uchiha had no intention of teaming up with these weaklings who would only hold him back. A few leaps through the trees put distance between him and the Konoha team.
A few minutes later, Kazuhiko Uchiha reached the edge of the forest. He had just jumped down from a tree and was about to continue along the slope when several ninja tools whistled through the air from the hilltop nearby. More than a dozen kunai and shuriken hurtled toward different parts of his body.
Poof!
Kazuhiko Uchiha activated the Substitution Technique, evading the attack in the simplest possible way, then sized up the team of Grass Ninja who had revealed themselves.
The Grass Ninja came from Kusagakure, a small ninja village caught between the great nations.
The original story had said little about the Grass Ninja. All he knew was that they had few ninjutsu of their own and chiefly developed new techniques by studying those of other nations. Living in such an environment had left them with an extreme hunger for ninjutsu.
"Not bad. You actually dodged our attack."
Three Grass Ninja in garishly colored uniforms swaggered out from behind the slope. Looking down at the lone Kazuhiko Uchiha, they threatened him smugly, "Kid, there are three of us. If you don't want to die, hand over every ninjutsu you know."
Kazuhiko Uchiha nearly laughed aloud at their arrogant threat. These three were not even at Chunin level, yet they dared threaten him. Did they really think battles between ninja were decided by numbers?
"A bunch of trash."
Unable to be bothered with wasting words on them, Kazuhiko Uchiha stood motionless, mercifully granting them the chance to launch the last attack of their lives.
"Damn you, you lousy Konoha ninja! How dare you look down on us!"
Ever since arriving in Kumogakure, they had been treated with contempt whenever they encountered ninja from the major villages. The proud Grass Ninja captain had been seething with anger.
Kazuhiko Uchiha's words acted like a fuse, igniting the Grass Ninja captain's fury. He glared at Kazuhiko Uchiha, his face full of rage, only to be startled by the cold look in Kazuhiko Uchiha's eyes.
"Aah, die!"
Recovering his senses, the Grass Ninja captain grew even more furious at his own humiliation. With a roar, he charged at Kazuhiko Uchiha.
"Fire Release: Heavenly Prison Flame Sword!"
Fire-nature chakra enveloped the Grass Ninja's right hand, forming a sword that he thrust toward Kazuhiko Uchiha's chest.
Kazuhiko Uchiha sneered. Opening only the first gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation, he raised his right leg and drove it into the Grass Ninja's chest like a blur.
"Aah!"
A piercing scream rang out. Every rib in the Grass Ninja's chest was pulverized, and blood sprayed freely from his mouth. He flew backward even faster than he had charged and slammed into the rocky face of the slope.
Boom!
The impact left a human-shaped indentation in the rock face. The Grass Ninja dropped to the ground like a dead dog, blood pouring from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He could not move so much as a finger.
Seeing their captain already dead, the remaining two Grass Ninja nearly had their eyes pop out of their heads. Then their legs gave way, and they collapsed to the ground.
"If you aren't going to attack, let me send you on your way."
Looking at the terrified Grass Ninja, Kazuhiko Uchiha lost all interest in toying with them. With a shift of his feet, he appeared beside the pair in an instant. One punch and one kick sent them to hell to join their captain.
Having dealt with the team of Grass Ninja clowns blocking his path, Kazuhiko Uchiha continued toward his destination.
After crossing several steep mountains, Kazuhiko Uchiha reached the outskirts of a valley. Just as he was about to enter, his expression suddenly grew grave.
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