The first round of assessments concluded.
Might Duy's appearance had truly taken everyone by surprise.
Among the twelve Ninja Beast Eggs, the final one had been placed in an area just three miles from the finish line. This location was contested by many upperclassmen and clan children.
Yet Might Duy managed to break through the fierce competition.
Now, standing there in his earthy green jumpsuit,
Might Duy was drenched in sweat, his clothes torn, looking as though he had just crawled out of hell. He was the last participant to complete the first round.
In truth, Might Duy was quite old, having only enrolled late after pleading with the Third Hokage for a long time.
Hiruzen vaguely remembered this person—he was actually around the same age as the White Fang and had spent many years in the Ninja School without graduating.
Despite his disheveled appearance, the burning determination in his eyes was blindingly bright.
"Finally! I've finally reached the finish line!!"
He leaped high into the air, landing steadily under the astonished gazes of the crowd.
Even as he gasped for breath, he flashed a radiant, sun-like smile.
Might Duy raised the Ninja Beast Egg he had protected with every ounce of his strength, his hand stained dark with mud and blood.
"Lord Hokage! I've completed the challenge!!"
He held the egg high against his chest!
It was at this moment that the Ninja Beast Egg began to resonate!
Compared to the other eleven eggs, its shell was exceptionally dazzling.
Engraved on its surface were fiery crimson patterns intertwined with swirling golden clouds, forming a strikingly powerful design.
Crimson flames, golden clouds!
In the Land of Rain, Shiroishi unexpectedly saw the evaluation data for this egg through his glasses system.
The Power of Belief...
It was no less than Yahiko's.
It wasn't even recorded in the information of the nine-person group.
However, as Might Duy and the Ninja Beast Egg continued to resonate, Shiroishi's World Tree could sense this pure, intense will.
Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes and exhaled a soft puff of smoke: "...Not bad."
The upperclassmen and clan heirs present exchanged glances,
"How did he manage that?" someone whispered.
"Even Fugaku Uchiha seemed to have struggled in that area..."
But Might Duy paid no attention to the murmurs.
He straightened his back, thrust his thumb up, and flashed his trademark confident grin:
"The power of youth knows no limits!!"
His shout echoed across the forest's finish line.
Even as some students couldn't help but laugh, all attention was drawn to his peculiar smile and actions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him, then turned his gaze to the twelve Ninja Beast Eggs laid out before him.
The sunlight bathed the row of eggs, their twelve distinct patterns leaving even Hiruzen in awe.
"The first round of exams ends here."
He raised his hand in a gentle wave, and silence fell instantly.
Sarutobi's eyes swept over all the students present,
"The second round will take place one month from now."
Only those who successfully hatch their Ninja Beast will qualify for the next assessment.
"Additionally, the second round will be held concurrently with the final selection of this year's Chunin Exams."
This announcement sent waves of shock through the crowd.
"What? The Chunin Exams?!"
"Doesn't that mean we'll be competing against real ninjas?"
"But we're still just students!"
Discussions rose and fell like waves, the atmosphere suddenly heating up.
Yet the Hokage's voice rang out again, suppressing all the noise:
"The second round will have fifteen participants."
"These twelve students possessing Ninja Beast Eggs will compete alongside the three qualifiers from this year's Chunin Exams."
He exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression calm yet striking awe in everyone's hearts:
"You all already have the qualifications to become true ninjas."
Might Duy listened with boiling passion: "This is the trial of youth!"
His exaggerated pose made surrounding students stifle laughter, with many even looking at this strange green-clad man with disdainful eyes.
After concluding the second round arrangements, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately sought out Jiraiya.
"Old man, what do you need me for?"
"Have a match with me. Let me witness your strength with your Ninja Beast."
Jiraiya looked somewhat stunned: "Well now, this is rare. You're actually initiating a fight with me?"
Several minutes later, the ground was arranged into a massive circular Barrier.
Tsunade and Orochimaru also arrived at the observation platform.
"The old man's curiosity about the Ninja Beast got the better of him. He's preparing an assessment."
Tsunade crossed her arms.
Orochimaru smiled without speaking.
On the field, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood facing each other.
Beside Jiraiya's feet, as ripples spread across the ground, a charmingly clumsy Marshtomp slowly emerged.
Its round, innocent eyes blinked guilelessly, appearing adorably simple-minded.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone low: "Jiraiya, begin.""
"Then I'm really going for it, sensei."
Jiraiya pressed his palms together, Chakra surging abruptly within him.
Simultaneously, Marshtomp opened its mouth, a golden light formation instantly spreading from its jaws.
Silent, soundless, yet covering the entire arena in the blink of an eye!
"Defense Barrier?"
This was more than just defense.
It was a multi-layered energy field formed from crystallized Chakra, the outer layer refracting light while the inner layer possessed high-density sealing properties,
And the very center actually began continuously contracting!
"Solid Rock Formation!"
Jiraiya murmured sharply.
The entire barrier appeared like a hemisphere composed of countless transparent crystals, shimmering faintly in the air as it completely enveloped Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Then, the crystalline region began compressing!
Each contraction of the barrier squeezed the air and suppressed his Chakra flow.
He formed hand signs, unleashing rolling flames that were instantly absorbed by the barrier!
The fire transformed into a faint golden light that instead reinforced the enclosing structure.
Hiruzen squinted while analyzing.
...The composition method of this Chakra closely resembles Dust Release,
Capable of decomposing energy flow...
The barrier continued shrinking.
Is this brat Jiraiya trying to kill me?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's movement space was compressed to five meters, three meters, one meter.
The golden light walls nearly pressed against his body.
"Sensei!"
Jiraiya shouted, his hand signs shifting again.
Marshtomp opened its mouth, several golden energy threads intertwining to form an energy spiral,
Sealing the space while beginning to suppress Chakra flow.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened, his staff materializing in hand!
The Golden Staff suddenly expanded, transforming into a towering pillar,
Forcing the barrier open through sheer force!
The energy wall's surface rippled violently, shockwaves cracking like thunder.
Hiruzen seized the moment to leap out, his Golden Staff sweeping to unleash violent air currents.
Dust billowed as Jiraiya quickly retreated, with Marshtomp leaping onto his shoulder and making strange bubbling sounds.
After landing, the Third Hokage took a deep breath.
But by this time, the surrounding environment had already been completely altered by Jiraiya!
Soon, both Jiraiya and Marshtomp were enveloped in a faint golden crystalline defense barrier.
Seeing this move, the Third Hokage felt a headache coming on.
This guy Jiraiya had truly mastered this technique, deploying it in ever-changing variations.
In fact, Jiraiya had developed other lethal techniques using Wide Guard, but they were too brutal, so he dared not use them against his own elder.
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Orochimaru were greatly surprised—Jiraiya had grown so strong.
Especially this unique Earth Release Crystal Technique, which seemed to have reached a profound level of jutsu comprehension.
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