Elsewhere, Shintoki was running from branch to branch, his movements silent save for the soft *shush* of leaves brushing against his sleeves. He was following a team of Taki.
One of their members has a bloodline.
While he had yet to see what the latter can truly do, when dealing with a team previously, he noticed some sharp particles in the air before the enemy fell—a faint *hiss* like needles slicing through wind, followed by the wet *thump* of bodies collapsing.
Because he was far away and didnt want to alert them, he didn't fully see what happened.
His goal was to gather information that could be useful for the rest of the exam, he will wark thing fast and return to his team.
He would also share these discoveries with Anko.
The one who created sharp needle-like particles to deal with her enemies was a blue-haired girl from Taki Village.
-----
With the Taki team.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her equipment pouch, the leather creaking softly under the pressure.
She was enjoying the scenery around her so much that her mind started to wander—to memories long buried within her mind.
She could still remember the mist.
A place where strength meant survival—and bloodlines meant fear.
She never forgot that night.
The way her father didn't look back, his footsteps fading into the damp silence.
The way her mother held her hand too tightly, knuckles white, pulse racing against her palm.
The way the mist swallowed everything behind them, thick and cold like a living thing.
They found their new home in Taki, but because they were outsiders, it was hard for them to be integrated into the village. With the Third Ninja War breaking out, her parents were the first to die for the village, leaving her alone. She remembered all those nights without anyone to rely on—the hollow echo of an empty house, the crushing weight of isolation pressing down on her chest.
---
"You okay?" asked a teammate with care.
She nodded with a smile.
"…Yeah."
Then she say softly
"Just thinking."
He smiled faintly his worry eased.
"Its alright, we should just cocus on the exam for now" she finished.
-----
In another part of the forest, A team of Konoha was running.
Their faces were distorted in terror as they fled, breaths ragged and sharp.
Their faces contorted in fear.
Panic could be seen all over them—wide eyes, trembling limbs, the frantic *pound* of their hearts echoing in their ears.
Whatever they encountered, one could only wonder how horrible it must have been.
A beast whose presence alone must be utterly crushing and beyond terrible.
They kept moving at full speed and only stopped after their legs gave out, muscles screaming in protest.
They dropped to the ground, propping themselves up on trembling arms, breathing heavily, having burned through their strength.
*Bang.*
Finally stopping to catch their breath, the sound of their own gasping filled the air.
They were running from another team.
Whatever they used, it was pointless.
In the end, they had no other choice but to run.
Yet the team didn't catch back up to them for some reason.
They were tired—bone-deep exhaustion that made their limbs feel like lead.
The air was saturated with pressure, thick and suffocating, pressing down on them like an invisible weight.
They felt cold all over, sweating at an alarming rate, their soaked clothes clinging to their skin.
"I really am not ready for this."
"I want to leave now."
"Damn it," the three members cried in unison, their voices cracking with desperation.
"If I knew things would be like this, I wouldn't have taken part in it."
"Those monsters were ready to kill us."
"We need to get out of here," said the one who was catching his breath just now, his voice trembling.
"Baka, you should have thought about that before coming here."
"It seems the team that was chasing us ran into someone else."
"Hopefully, this can shift their attention entirely"
----
Taki team location
"You—who are you?"
"Hoh, I was found out" Shintoki made a panicked face, his eyes widening in feigned surprise.
The Yuki girl and her teammates surrounded Shintoki, their footsteps crunching softly against the forest floor.
"Took you kong enough, calm down, seem like you guys are not that bad." joked Shintoki, raising his hands in mock surrender.
They looked at him—baby face, looking younger than them, likely an unfortunate kid who was unlucky to run into them.
For an instant, their eyes flashed with disdain.
"What is someone like him doing alone in the forest?"
"He murst be participating too like us, I remember now, we did see him in the writing exam but hia presence was barely worth of note"
"Ha, itsnt he part of the faoua team that barely survived last exam? "
Looking at Shintoki, the Yuki girl, after her casual inspection, said nothing. She left things for her teammate who were voicing their opinions.
" Well, it doesn't matter."
"Since you are here, Give us your scroll and you can go."
"Sorry, I don't have it with me." he say but his eye betrayed his anticipation.
"If you dont mind I would realy love to test myself against you three"
"Then we'll capture you."
Instantly, her teammate attacked, the air whistling with the speed of his approach.
"Ah, sorry, can't have that"
One of them charged at Shintoki, not even bothering to use his weapon, his fist cutting through the air with a dull *whoosh*.
"Don't worry, it'll be fast. I won't hurt you badly."
With how Shintoki appeared—unimpressive, unassuming—the team of Taki really didn't view him as a threat.
But when he was finally close, mere centimeters away from Shintoki, his hand aimed for a punch met nothing but empty air. A dull *thwack* echoed as a kick landed on his side, sending him flying faster than he had charged backward.
He was moving so fast that not even his other teammates could catch him as his body flew past them before finally dropping to the ground—cold and unconscious, the impact sending a dull *thud* through the earth.
"What???"
"How is this possible? I didn't see him move."
The Yuki girl, who hadn't interfered until now, finally spoke, her voice serious. "Be careful. Don't underestimate him."
The Taki genin sent flying finally got his back up, immense pain flaring through his spine.
He was genuinely pissed.
"Damn you!" he roared in anger, his voice echoing through the trees. "We underestimated you. You hid yourself well."
The Yuki girl gave her order, her tone sharp and commanding. "Both of you, charge at him together instead."
As if responding to her order, they launched shurikens—the metal *zing* of their blades cutting through the air—but they only grazed Shintoki's afterimage. The two Taki nin's eyes shrank to pinpoints.
*Such speed,* they thought with alarm, their hearts lurching in their chests.
Shintoki then reappeared on another side, and when they looked across, a vast wave of dread crept in. They suddenly froze, unable to move, muscles locked in place.
Seeing what happened to her teammate, she ran to assist, her feet pounding against the earth.
"Heeey, I'm really sorry. What if we stop here? Also, you guys have no ill intent, so there's no need for me to go too far."
"You bastard, you can't just come and beat up my teammate and leave."
"I will take care of you now."
"Oh shit, I seem to have pissed her off."
Seeing the rising chakra around her, Shintoki's eyes focused, his body tensing in anticipation.
The Yuki girl created a small gale of wind by swinging her weapon, the air *howling* as it surged forward.
---
The gale touched the tree Shintoki was on, and it froze completely—the *crackling* sound of ice spreading through the bark. The grass on the ground was frozen solid, glistening like shards of glass. Cold air of around seven meters formed, causing leaves to also turn to ice, their brittle forms *snapping* under their own weight.
Traces of cutting appeared on the necks of the fallen Shintoki.
But suddenly, it started to dissolve into water, droplets *dripping* softly to the ground.
---
"You... you can't hide from me."
"I know you're there."
*Insistent. Shintoki grows impatient.*
"Your bloodline... this must be the Ice Release of the Yuki clan."
Hearing Shintoki, her face remained cold, a mask of frozen fury.
"You won't be able to get away from me."
But no matter how she aimed, her attacks couldn't land on him. Each strike *whistled* past empty space, shattering against trees and earth.
It was like fighting a ghost—no one could touch him.
"Water Release—Water Dragon Jutsu!"
*What the hell? Ice on such a ridiculous scale?* He was genuinely impressed, his mind racing—his memory didn't count the Yuki clan being able to do this.
His water dragon, a roaring torrent of liquid, was frozen solid by her frost arrows, the *crackling* ice encasing it in a glittering prison.
Human Tempest
He casually unleashed hia chakra, but he had no intention to harm her.
All the frost burst apart, shattering into a million glittering fragments as the shockwave erupted. She was sent flying before collapsing unconscious, her body *thudding* softly against the forest floor.
A tap on the neck and the person fell asleep—the *gentle thump* of her body settling. She possessed the Hyōton Release.
---
A team from Yugakure were resting when dozens of snakes fell from the atop tree over them, their scales *slithering* against the leaves, and some came out from hiding between plants to bind them.
"What the hell is this mad girl?"
Everyone was shaken, their hearts pounding with fear. Even Anko's own team flinched.
*Such sadism—what rotten luck to run into her.*
When Anko finally caught up to them, she took the scroll—and thankfully, it was the one she needed.
Anko's team had been pursuing this team for two hours now. And when they found out their location, she set up a trap for them, the *hiss* of snakes and the *snap* of binding coils filling the air.
---
An Ame nin was standing in the way of a Konoha team.
"Who is that guy?"
"He's after our scroll."
"Standing in our way like that—he's looking down on us. HEY... You think you can take on us alone?"
"Maybe we should take his scroll instead."
"If he's alone, then the scroll must likely be with his teammate."
"We shouldn't waste our time on him."
Still, looking at the newcomer, his heart was filled with unease, a cold knot tightening in his stomach.
"Be careful, he might be dangerous."
"Give me your scroll, and I might decide to spare your life."
"Oh," the newcomer finally said, his voice dripping with mockery. "So, you want to resist me?"
Sensing the murderous intent—a palpable weight pressing down on them—Ryoma Uchiha didn't hesitate.
He pulled out several weapons and launched them simultaneously, the shurikens *whistling* through the air. They ricocheted and changed trajectory mid-air, targeting the Kusa nin's blind spots with deadly precision—the *clink* of metal against metal echoing through the clearing.
Yet when they struck, they found only empty air, *thudding* harmlessly into the earth.
The enemy had moved very fast to another side of the field, a faint *whoosh* marking his passage.
He suddenly pulled out his umbrella and released a devastating attack.
Thousands of needles rained down—a *hissing* storm of metal that pierced the air like a thousand angry wasps.
"Arrrggg..."
The scent of blood filled the air, thick and coppery, and the pressure of dread settled over them like a shroud.
*A few moments later...*
"You—what do you want?"
Ryoma was not alone—he glared at the Ame nin, his two teammates now injured, their groans of pain echoing softly.
His heart was racing, alarm bells ringing in his mind.
This sudden guy appeared out of nowhere and brutally beat his teammates.
Ryoma fought the enemy targeting his team desperately, his movements sharp and precise, kunai *clashing* against the umbrella with a series of sharp *clang*s.
His expression was grim.
For now, they were in a stalemate—a tense pause where neither dared to blink.
"Fire Release—Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring inferno of twelve meters erupted, the earth scorched under its intensity, the air *crackling* with heat. The sphere moved rapidly, aimed at the Kusa nin, its path leaving a trail of shimmering distortion.
Meanwhile, the Ame nin had already completed his own hand signs.
"Water Release—Water Wall Jutsu."
Water poured from his mouth like an endless torrent, a *rushing* cascade that filled the air with a roaring symphony.
The water gathered in fast motion; in no time, the large flood cascaded into waves that reflected the dim light. Its sound—a harmonious rhythm—transformed the air into a flowing river. The water waves solidified into a vast wall before him, the earth becoming a mix of dirt and liquid, *squelching* underfoot.
The fire—a radiant flame—danced through the air, its heat casting a shimmering atmosphere. As it spread, the heat intensified, forming a vortex of vapor that rose from its core.
The moisture of the earth and slashed waters dissipated into the surrounding air, creating a thick layer of mist that lingered, *hissing* and *sizzling*.
*Boom!!!*
The fire, a radiant flame, danced with the water, creating a chaotic merge of heat and liquid—a violent *roar* that shook the very ground.
Both attacks clashed, they battled—the fire trying to overpower and break through before finally starting to yield. The result of the struggle caused a large amount of hot steam and mist to form, obscuring everything in a thick, blinding fog.
Ryoma was in shock—his attack was one of the strongest within the clan; even some chūnin weren't his match.
The tense air was charged with tension as Ryoma stood at the edge after having just witnessed his attack fail, his expression grim with urgency.
His eyes were wide with shock. His breath came shallow, his pulse pounding like a drum in the dark.
His heart raced, and the weight of his past—his genius, his potential—clung like a shadow. The scene was a tapestry of fear and resolve, where every feeling pulsed with the urgency of the moment.
He was a genius that everyone in his clan looked up to—Fugaku-sama had high hopes for him.
Yet this man could easily counter his every move.
*No, I can't fail.* The crisis of the clan, the suppression, the fate of his teammates unknown. If he failed, not only would they die, but the hope the clan had for him would die along with them.
Despite his fear, his eyes became firm with resolve—the black onyx disappeared to give place to crimson eyes, two tomoe spinning within them, a faint *hum* of power emanating from the sight.
*Clang! Clang! Clank!*
What followed afterward was a clash in close quarters—the sharp *ring* of metal meeting metal, the *grunt* of exertion, the *scrape* of blades against each other.
This time, he was able to give more pressure to the Ame nin.
But that was the extent of it. His eyes grew darker and bloodshot, straining under the effort.
He was now fighting at peak chūnin level; a two-tomoe Sharingan is a level that guarantees superiority and absolute suppression against mere chūnin.
For this Ame nin to still keep up even in close quarters meant his strength was at least close to jōnin—a chilling realization that sent a shiver down Ryoma's spine.
Any attempt to cause visual contact failed.
The Ame nin parried and deflected his kunai casually with his umbrella, the *clink* of each deflection echoing with infuriating ease.
The longer they fought, the deeper Ryuma's shock became, his movements growing more desperate and frantic.
Taking advantage of a moment of weakness, the Kusa nin managed to land a kick—a dull *thump* of impact against Ryoma's ribs.
In no time, a kunai had pierced his stomach—a wet, sickening *shhk*—and also injured his left eye, a sharp *crack* and burst of pain.
"Damn it!" cried Ryoma, his voice raw with agony.
*Is this the end?*
A *thud* resonated.
His limp body fell like a sack onto the ground, a heavy, hollow *thump* against the earth. His shock had not yet left his face, frozen in a mask of disbelief.
Before the body fell to the ground.
The young man from Ame looked at the now-fallen Konoha team, his face cold, his gaze flat and unfeeling. The leader of the Ame team, named Haka, stood over them.
His partner responded, "They couldn't even provide enough distraction. Too weak."
He would carve his name in the exam in blood—the weight of his ambition pressing down like a blade.