The stadium was silent.
Not quiet—silent.
Even the wind held its breath.
The proctor's voice trembled as he announced:
"F-Final Round… Kaelen of the Leaf… versus… the unidentified competitor…"
The masked figure stepped into the arena with calm, measured footsteps.
The same rogue Kaelen had sensed since the Forest of Death.
The same one who left without fighting.
The same presence that had been watching all along.
The audience whispered:
"Who is he?"
"Why's his chakra so strange?"
"Did the Hokage approve this?"
Kaelen's grip tightened on his sword.
So it's finally you…
---
The Stranger Speaks
The masked man stopped a few meters away.
"…You've grown," he said quietly.
His voice was distorted—young, but unnervingly calm.
Kaelen narrowed his eyes.
"You were watching me even before the Exams. What do you want?"
The Stranger tilted his head slightly.
"To see if you're worth killing."
Gasps exploded through the audience.
"No killing!" the proctor yelled. "If either combatant attempts a lethal—"
A single flick of killing intent from the Stranger made him choke on his words.
The man was no genin.
No chunin.
Not even jonin.
He felt… wrong.
Sharp. Heavy. Old.
Like something wearing human skin.
Kaelen raised his sword.
I can't hesitate.
---
The Battle Begins
The proctor swallowed hard.
"…Begin."
The Stranger vanished.
Not blurred.
Not dashed.
Vanished.
Kaelen reacted instantly—Observation Haki flared, Sage Mode instinct twitching—
CLANG!
He barely blocked a kick that cracked the arena floor.
Kaelen stumbled back, arm shaking.
The Stranger landed lightly, hands still in his pockets.
"You did well to block that. Most jōnin can't."
The crowd went silent.
---
Kaelen Fights Back
Kaelen lowered his stance.
Wind chakra rushed along his blade.
"Wind—Blade Flow!"
He dashed forward, fast enough to distort the air.
The Stranger slipped aside like a drifting shadow, tapping Kaelen's wrist with two fingers—
Pain shot up Kaelen's arm as his sword nearly slipped.
"Your form is good," the Stranger murmured. "But your heart is still too soft."
Kaelen gritted his teeth and swept low—
WHOOOM!
Wind blade ruptured the floor, sending debris everywhere.
The Stranger hopped back, unfazed.
---
Kaelen Activates Sage Mode
Kaelen exhaled.
He had no choice.
Ten seconds… that's all I get.
His eyes shifted.
Orange pigment around them.
His senses exploded outward—
SAGE MODE: ON
The arena's air pressure changed instantly.
The Stranger's mask tilted.
"Oho… interesting."
---
Sage vs. Something Else
Kaelen moved—
And the world bent.
He appeared behind the Stranger, sword descending—
CLANG!
The Stranger caught the blade with two fingers.
Two.
Fingers.
Kaelen's heart spiked.
What IS he—
A knee slammed into Kaelen's chest—
He flew across the arena, crashing into the wall.
The stadium roared.
"Is he a monster?!"
"How is Kaelen still alive?!"
"What rank is this man?!"
Kaelen coughed, forcing himself up.
I'm not… losing… here!
He sprinted forward, Sage Mode pushing his body to its limit.
---
Wind Burst – Final Strike
He compressed wind around his entire sword—
A roaring, white-blue edge of pure slicing force.
"WIND BURST—CUTTING SKY!"
He swung with everything he had.
The Stranger didn't dodge.
Didn't block.
He simply… stepped forward.
Kaelen's blade cut through the mask—
A crack spread—
Half of it fell away, revealing a sharp, youthful eye beneath.
A human eye.
The Stranger placed a hand on Kaelen's chest—
And pushed.
Just pushed.
Kaelen was blown back like a ragdoll.
His Sage Mode timer died.
He hit the ground, gasping.
---
The Stranger Ends It
The Stranger approached him slowly.
"You're not ready… not yet."
He raised a hand—
Not to strike—
But to stop the match.
"I forfeit."
The entire stadium froze.
Even the Hokage stood up in shock.
"I've seen enough," the Stranger said. "Kaelen will reach me eventually. Today is not that day."
He turned away.
"But when you're strong enough… come find me."
He vanished in a swirl of black wind.
--- Winner
The proctor stuttered before shouting:
"W-WINNER… KAELEN OF THE LEAF!
KAELEN BECOMES CHŪNIN!"
The crowd erupted into a storm of cheers.
Kaelen lay on his back, breathing hard, staring at the sky.
He's not unbeatable…
I just need to grow.
Faster. Stronger. Smarter.
This was not an ending.
It was a beginning.
---