Morning thunder rolled faintly through the mountains surrounding Kumogakure.
The academy training grounds had been cleared again.
Only one ring remained at the center of the field.
Everything else—
Gone.
Students gathered along the outer railings, whispering quietly.
They all understood.
This was the final phase.
Instructor Takeshi Aran stepped forward.
The other elite-class instructors stood behind him, silent, observing.
"After evaluating all previous trials," Aran said calmly, "we have selected the candidates for the leadership duels."
The courtyard went still.
Then he began reading.
"Raizen Tenrai."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
"Rei Kisaragi."
"Akari Mizuta."
Two more names followed.
Five total.
Five potential leaders.
Daigo leaned against the railing and grinned.
"Well… look at that."
Akari exhaled lightly.
"Stay quiet."
But her eyes didn't leave the arena.
The first duel began without ceremony.
Masato Igaru stepped into the ring.
A taijutsu specialist.
Broad shoulders. Coiled energy.
His opponent barely had time to settle.
The match started—
And Masato surged forward.
Relentless.
Step after step.
Strike after strike.
No hesitation.
No pause.
Within seconds, his opponent was driven out of bounds.
"Match."
Aran's voice cut cleanly through the air.
The instructors made notes.
Pressure.
Control.
Dominance.
Leadership through force.
"Akari Mizuta."
She stepped into the ring calmly.
Across from her stood Kenta Mori.
Fast. Close-range fighter.
The moment the signal came—
He rushed.
Direct.
No hesitation.
Akari moved.
Backward.
Side step.
Angle shift.
Again.
He closed distance quickly.
Too quickly—
Or so he thought.
Her bow snapped upward.
Not to fire—
To intercept.
The reinforced frame struck his arm aside.
Kenta blinked.
Too late.
Akari twisted her grip, hooked his arm, and shifted her weight.
Her leg swept his base cleanly.
He hit the ground.
Before he could recover—
An arrow tip rested against his chest.
Still.
Precise.
"Match."
Akari stepped back without a word.
Control.
Distance.
Efficiency.
"Rei Kisaragi."
The air changed.
Even before he moved.
His opponent stepped into the ring—
Already tense.
The signal came.
Rei moved.
Then—
He wasn't where he had been.
A shift.
A gap.
A blind spot.
The opponent turned—
Too slow.
Rei stood behind him.
A hand resting lightly against his neck.
"Match."
The reaction this time was louder.
Even Daigo blinked.
"…yeah. I don't like that."
Akari didn't respond.
She was watching carefully.
"Raizen Tenrai."
The murmuring returned.
Raizen stepped into the ring.
Calm.
Unrushed.
Across from him—
Masato Igaru.
The pressure fighter.
Masato rolled his shoulders.
"Let's see if you can fight."
Raizen said nothing.
A single kunai rested in his hand.
The signal came.
Masato exploded forward.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Punch.
Kick.
Follow-up.
No gaps.
Raizen moved.
Not fast—
Efficient.
Step.
Redirect.
Shift.
Each strike met just enough resistance to change its path.
Masato pressed harder.
Faster.
Trying to overwhelm.
The watching students leaned forward.
Because Raizen wasn't attacking.
He was reading.
Inside his mind, Astra spoke.
"Pattern detected. Repetition in second sequence."
Raizen's stance adjusted slightly.
I see it.
Masato lunged again.
Same rhythm.
Same pressure.
This time—
Raizen stepped forward.
Not back.
Inside the attack.
His kunai slid along Masato's strike.
Redirected.
His foot hooked.
Timing perfect.
Masato lost balance—
Just for a moment.
Enough.
Raizen's blade stopped at his shoulder.
Still.
Controlled.
Final.
Silence filled the arena.
"Match."
Aran's voice was steady.
But the shift in the crowd was clear.
Raizen hadn't overpowered him.
He had understood him.
The instructors gathered briefly at the platform.
Low voices.
Short exchanges.
Evaluation sheets shifting hands.
No one else spoke.
The students waited.
Finally, Aran stepped forward again.
"The Leadership Trials are complete."
A collective breath held.
"The five Elite Class Leaders will be announced tomorrow."
Groans followed immediately.
But the instructors were already turning away.
Decision made.
Not yet revealed.
As the crowd dispersed, Rei Kisaragi stopped beside Raizen.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Rei spoke.
"You don't fight like them."
Raizen glanced at him.
"Neither do you."
Rei nodded once.
That was enough.
Then he walked away.
That night, Raizen stood on the dormitory balcony.
Storm clouds rolled above Kumogakure.
Lightning flickered in the distance.
Inside his mind, Astra spoke quietly.
"Leadership outcome probability: favorable."
Raizen rested his arms on the railing.
Tomorrow would decide everything.
Not just strength.
Not just skill.
But position.
Influence.
Authority.
And once it was decided—
The academy would never feel the same again.