Chakra metal was incredibly expensive, and Jie Uchiha doubted Hiruzen Sarutobi would be generous enough to equip standard Anbu with such high-grade weaponry.
He casually picked up a short sword from the rack. Sure enough, while the forging technique was excellent, the material was nothing more than ordinary refined iron.
Still, Jie took one anyway. It was free, after all, and it would serve as a perfect test for his Hatake Kenjutsu during the upcoming exam.
A day passed in a flash.
Now dressed in the standard Anbu uniform and a blank porcelain mask, Jie followed the crowd of applicants into a dense, sunless jungle.
"Here, we have two types of scrolls: Heaven and Earth," Anbu Captain Kenzaki announced, gesturing to a massive pile of scrolls on a wooden table. "Later, each of you will choose one."
Kenzaki surveyed the assembled Anbu trainees. "At the very center of this jungle lies a tower. The first ten people to collect both a Heaven and an Earth scroll and reach that tower will become official Anbu."
Jie nodded in understanding. This exam format was strikingly similar to the Chunin Exams Naruto would eventually take. It was a bit old-fashioned, but undeniably effective.
"Lord Hokage is paying close attention to this selection," Kenzaki continued. "The top ten will each be rewarded with a new jutsu. Whatever the result, it all comes down to your own abilities. Once you grab your scroll, your exam officially begins."
With his piece said, Kenzaki used the Body Flicker Jutsu, vanishing from the spot in an instant. Clean, direct, and completely devoid of fluff—classic Anbu style.
Jie didn't overthink it. He strolled toward the table, planning to grab a random scroll and establish a target before making his next move.
But right at that moment, chaos erupted.
A trainee Anbu bolted toward the table, completely bypassing the rules, and scooped up dozens of scrolls at once. Before anyone else could even process what was happening, the trainee hugged the massive bundle to his chest and dove straight into the thick foliage.
"Hahaha! You trash! The scrolls are mine, and those jutsu are mine too!" His voice echoed back through the trees. "In this exam, only I, Zane, am worthy of becoming a true Anbu!"
Slowly, Zane's arrogant laughter faded into the distance.
Thanks to his little stunt, the already limited pile of scrolls was reduced to barely a handful. With Zane hidden deep in the jungle and impossible to track down immediately, the remaining applicants went rabid over the scraps.
A chaotic brawl broke out instantly. A few skilled—or incredibly lucky—trainees managed to snatch a scroll in the frenzy and immediately plunged into the forest, mimicking Zane's escape. The rest were left beaten, bruised, and empty-handed. Most hadn't even gotten a good look at the scrolls before they were gone.
'So, we can play it like this?' Jie mused. 'As long as we get the scrolls and reach the central tower, there are no rules?'
A faint, excited smile crept onto his face beneath his mask. 'If that's the case, then I won't hold back.'
Despite failing to secure a starting scroll, Jie felt no panic. Glancing toward the center of the jungle, he vanished into the treeline.
"The newcomers are quite interesting this time around. That Zane kid has some guts, though I doubt he'll live long enough to bring those scrolls to the end."
Perched on a hidden branch at the edge of the forest, Kenzaki and another Anbu captain observed the fallout at the entrance.
"Yeah, it's been a while since we had such an entertaining batch," Kenzaki noted slowly, his eyes tracking Jie's departure into the brush. "But this exam isn't as simple as it looks. There's a true monster hiding among these rookies."
"You mean that Uchiha brat who supposedly beat Kakashi?" The Anbu captain scoffed. "Just a rumor. Kakashi didn't use his real strength."
"If you don't believe it, just wait and see," Kenzaki replied.
With a flicker of movement, Kenzaki disappeared, leaving the other captain alone to watch the distant trees.
"Jie, huh?" The captain muttered. "I'll be waiting at the central tower. Let's see if you can even make it to me."
Time crept by, and night cast a heavy shadow over the jungle.
Jie sat calmly beside a crackling campfire, his attention entirely focused on the wild rabbit roasting over the flames. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a nearly imperceptible shift in the shadows to his back right.
He stifled a sigh.
'Here we go again.'
Pretending he hadn't noticed a thing, Jie continued to slowly rotate the spit. After about five minutes, he stood up, casually leaning in to check if the rabbit meat was tender yet.
Swish!
A sharp slicing sound cut through the quiet night air from directly behind him.
Jie merely tilted his body a fraction of an inch to the side, his right hand sweeping fluidly past his waist.
A flash of white light illuminated the darkness. Clang! The incoming refined steel kunai was instantly and cleanly severed in two, the broken halves clattering uselessly into the dirt.
Seeing his flawless sneak attack neutralized so effortlessly—and in such a terrifyingly casual manner—the hidden trainee-Anbu turned pale. He bolted upright from his hiding spot and scrambled frantically into the dark woods.
"Why must you have a death wish?" Jie murmured.
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