The training ground had been cleared by the time the instructors stepped back into the center of the field.
The wooden targets used for the shuriken drill had been carried away, leaving the sparring circles drawn earlier in the dirt as the only marked areas on the ground. Students gathered along the outer edge of the field while the instructors stood beside a clipboard filled with names.
The lead instructor raised his voice just enough to carry across the yard.
"Next evaluation: taijutsu."
A ripple moved through the students immediately. Some straightened with anticipation while others shifted their weight uneasily. Physical sparring was the one test that exposed every weakness quickly.
The instructor continued once the noise settled.
"Matches will be conducted under academy rules. No weapons. No jutsu. Instructors will stop the fight when necessary."
He glanced down at the list briefly.
"This will be an elimination format. Winners advance."
The words spread through the gathered students with quiet excitement. There were dozens of them standing around the field. That meant dozens of matches before the results began narrowing down to the stronger fighters.
The first names were called.
Two civilian students stepped into the circle.
Their fight lasted less than a minute. One rushed forward with more enthusiasm than control, throwing wide punches that were easy to read. His opponent backed away at first before finally stepping inside the opening and pushing him to the ground with a clumsy tackle.
The instructor stopped the match and called the winner.
Another pair followed. One student froze halfway through the exchange, clearly overwhelmed by the attention of the watching class. His opponent pressed forward awkwardly until the instructors ended the fight.
The early matches moved quickly.
Roen watched from the edge of the field, his attention moving between the students and the instructors rather than focusing on the fights themselves. The sparring circles would reveal skill, but the instructors watching the results were just as important.
A new pair of names was called.
"Uchiha Izumi. Yamanaka Aoi."
Aoi stepped into the circle first. She adjusted her stance quickly, glancing once toward her classmates before focusing back on her opponent. Izumi entered the ring with quieter confidence, her movements steady as she settled into position.
The signal was given.
Aoi attacked first, pushing forward with quick strikes that carried more determination than precision. Izumi slipped around the first punch easily and answered with a short counter to Aoi's shoulder that forced her off balance. Aoi recovered quickly and tried to reengage, but Izumi stayed composed, stepping around the second exchange before landing a clean sweep that sent Aoi to the ground.
The instructor ended the match there.
"Winner: Izumi."
Aoi stood up with a small frustrated sigh while Izumi offered her a quick hand to help her back to her feet before leaving the circle.
Another pair stepped into the circle.
"Nara Kagehiro."
Kagehiro walked into the circle with the same relaxed posture he carried everywhere else, though Roen noticed the change in his footing the moment the fight began. Kagehiro allowed his opponent to take the initiative, shifting backward with careful steps that kept the distance controlled. Each time the other student tried to close the gap, Kagehiro angled his body just enough to redirect the movement rather than meeting it directly.
The exchange lasted longer than the earlier fights.
Finally Kagehiro stepped inside an overextended strike and hooked his opponent's leg from behind, guiding him to the ground in a clean takedown.
The instructor called the result.
"Winner: Nara."
Several other matches passed quickly, the instructors stopping exchanges as soon as a clear advantage appeared.
"Hyūga Kazuma."
Kazuma entered the sparring circle with calm precision, his posture straight and balanced as he faced his opponent. The moment the fight began his movements showed the difference in training. His strikes were short and controlled, each one landing exactly where it needed to before withdrawing immediately.
The exchange ended quickly.
Kazuma's final strike stopped just short of his opponent's chest as the instructor stepped forward to signal the end.
"Winner: Hyūga."
The gap between the stronger students and the rest of the class had become obvious by that point. Conversations among the watching students quieted as they began paying closer attention to the remaining matches.
The instructors continued calling names, the field gradually narrowing as winners moved aside while the defeated stepped out of the line.
Finally the lead instructor raised his voice again.
"The remaining matches will determine the top twenty."
A murmur passed through the gathered students.
Roen remained where he stood, his attention drifting briefly across the field.
Itachi was still waiting as well.
Neither of them had been called yet.
And the matches that remained would decide who stayed in the competition.