After touring the first floor, the group took the rune elevator to the second floor. The elevator doors opened, revealing a reception desk, with the testing entrance on the left and the testing exit on the right.
The clan leaders rushed into the test entrance and started running at top speed. The first thing they encountered was the damp scent of vegetation—a primeval forest. The entire floor was divided into Jūni different terrain simulation areas, each with a transparent barrier: behind the primeval forest was a desert area with endless yellow sand, each area containing copper runes to monitor speed; beyond the desert was a shimmering body of water; and there were also tracks simulating various terrains such as mountainous areas and bamboo forest areas.
As ninjas traverse the track at full speed, the speed values for each area are detected. Upon exiting the track, runes detect the ninjas' physical characteristics, determining their endurance values. The results show that only six of the clan leaders have reached Kage Level speed, while the others are mostly at the Elite Jonin, with one even only reaching Jonin standards. Everyone's expressions are grave—the testing standards here cover the entire terrain.
Tsubasa laughed and said, "As you clan leaders have probably felt, this is how difficult the standards are, but from now on, this will be the standard for Konoha ninjas. Let's move on to the next testing area."
The group arrived on the third floor, where runic lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space as if it were daytime. To the left, in the evasive zone, stood one hundred and eight dragon-shaped pillars, each engraved with runic lotus pods, continuously spewing forth thumb-sized blue water spheres—condensed from Water Release Chakra, instantly soaking to the touch. The ground was engraved with a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram; when a ninja stepped into a specific location, the water spheres would attack in seventeen different trajectories, such as fan-shaped or circular. The attack standards, speed, power, and density of the water spheres corresponding to each assessment level could be adjusted.
The attack zone on the right is even more impressive: the honeycomb-shaped rune matrix sprays out dense white earth balls every time it is activated. Ninjas can choose their preferred weapon when entering the testing area (there is a retractable weapon rack outside the testing area, with everything from Kunai to Kubikiribōchō ). Seven crystal plaques on the wall are particularly eye-catching, displaying tests from Genin to Kage Level, with a video panel showing the real-time score embedded under each plaque.
The clan leaders tested each other one by one, and the speed and density of the attacks, which were of Kage Level strength, were despair-inducing. In the end, only the Uchiha Clan Head and the Hyuga Clan passed the test perfectly, while the rest looked terrified—such attacks were definitely not something an ordinary person could withstand.
Seeing everyone's concerns, Tsubasa said, "The evaluation of a ninja's level is based on the final result. After completing the entire process, a conclusion will be drawn, and you will also know your weaknesses, which will allow you to train better and break through."
Thirty Chakra pillars, each ten feet tall, stood in the center of the fourth floor. The pillars were made of rock, and their surfaces flowed with galaxy-like patterns of light. A ninja only needed to place his palm on the moonstone at the base of the pillar, and a beam of light corresponding to the amount of Chakra would rise from the pillar—the lowest being a foot of faint light for Genin, and the highest being a ten-foot-long star river for Kage Level ninja. This time, all the clan leaders had reached the ten-foot-long star river, Chakra levels had all reached the Kage Level.
The adjacent control area was ingeniously designed: the walls were inlaid with 360 Xingchen runes, each connected to Spiderweb of fine silver threads. Ninjas had to use Chakra to condense hair-thin threads and light up the runes one by one, in a sequence that perfectly matched the movement of the Xingchen. The slightest deviation would cause the silver threads to buzz. The more runes lit, the more precise the Chakra control. However, during the test, everyone failed miserably. Even the Uchiha Clan Head only lit up 348 Xingchen runes, while the standard for Kage Level was 350.
The group rode the runic elevator to the fifth floor. The entrance was eerie: two stone doors were carved with two snakes devouring each other, and white mist carrying the scent of wisteria drifted from the cracks. Gate of Opening, one hundred and eight bronze demon-revealing mirrors came into view. The mirrors were covered with a thin layer of water vapor, and the reflections of the world in the mirrors were faintly visible. The Genjutsu testing area consisted of lotus-shaped stone platforms in front of each mirror, with complex runes engraved on the platforms. When a ninja stepped onto the platform, a demonic illusion would appear in the mirror; the Genjutsu ninja had to cast Genjutsu on the mirror, and the mirror would reflect the mental level of the Genjutsu.
The Genjutsu resistance zone was even more sinister, with thirty-six stone pillars entwined with runes formed from Genjutsu Chakra, each rune linked to a different genjutsu puppet. The test began, with the puppets releasing Genjutsu of the corresponding level. Ninjas had to break the Genjutsu within Genjutsu; the shorter the time, the higher the resistance score. The clan leaders tested it again, and still, very few passed at the Kage Level.
The entire sixth floor is a high-temperature barrier, with a giant Five Elements and Eight Trigrams diagram engraved on the floor. At the center is a circular furnace with a diameter of five zhang (approximately 10 meters). The Chakra attribute testing area contains countless giant rune-enhanced ceramic jars. Ninjas can activate various attributes of the jars by inputting Chakra. Each change in form and nature will be materialized within the jar—the ninja only needs to manipulate their perception and Chakra within the jar to unleash its power, and the numerical value will appear on the jar. The rune jars can withstand Kage Level explosive attacks, effectively preventing personnel injury during testing.
Upon reaching the seventh floor, the group immediately sensed that this was the area for testing weapons. At the entrance, weapon racks displayed seventy-two types of standard weapons from the Shinobi World for the ninjas to use. Ninjas entering the rune puppet room would need to use their weapons to defeat rune puppets of equal strength.
Upon entering the eighth floor, you'll find yourself in the personal combat zone. The rune puppets are proficient in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and Genjutsu, making ninjas feel as if they're on a real battlefield. When the test begins, "enemy troops" will randomly descend from the sky—they could be Earth Release ninjas from Iwagakure or assassination squads from Kirigakure. Various ninjas will attack the test taker. The puppet's strength level can be adjusted, with the highest-level puppet possessing the strength of an elite ninja.
The ninth floor is the team battle mode, a training ground for testing ninja team combat. The core of the test is the formation of puppet teams. Team battles have a minimum of three-person teams and a maximum of eighteen-person teams. Teams must win in battles against puppet teams of the same level. Puppet teams are proficient in various team cooperation operations.
The final tenth floor is a circular platform suspended in the air, with rolling clouds below and a panoramic view of Konoha in the distance. The core of the leadership ability test is "sand table simulation": a giant sand table features models of five ninja villages. Test takers must act as battlefield decision-makers, defeating the rune mirror image of the Tsubasa with equal forces. The rune mirror image will lead the ninja armies of various hidden villages into battle, including unexpected events such as the invasion of the Sunagakure's puppet army and the sneak attack of the Kumogakure's lightning ninja. This tests wisdom and command ability. In the virtual world, test takers can choose to lead various types of ninjas, with forces ranging from thousands to millions. The number of troop types chosen is the same as the number of troops selected by the rune mirror image of the Tsubasa. Defeating the Tsubasa is required to pass the test.
This time, none of the clan leaders passed the test, and even the best performer Shikaboshi Nara, was defeated.
As the last rays of the setting sun swept across the rooftop of the assessment building, all the runes on the entire building lit up, resembling a dazzling lighthouse suspended in the air. Tsubasa stood on the tenth floor, gazing into the distance at the ninjas arriving one after another for the test below, a smile playing on his lips.