Even though everyone understood the logic, the naked threat of death still made many uneasy.
After all, no one wanted to end up as an unclaimed corpse in this dark forest.
Every participant here was an elite carefully trained by their village.
They might not be strangers to killing—but being killed was a fear they had never truly faced.
After a fierce internal struggle, a few teams whose resolve crumbled chose to withdraw.
But the vast majority gritted their teeth and signed their names. Their pride as elites wouldn't allow them to back down.
Once all the waivers were collected, the gloom on Anko's face faded, replaced by a cheerful smile as she began explaining the rules.
Only after hearing the full details did everyone realize why she had said yesterday that at least half would be eliminated.
The rules were practically designed for a large-scale purge.
Akira remained completely unfazed. To him, this level of difficulty was no different from a children's game.
With a harsh creak, the iron gate slowly opened.
Anko crossed her arms and shouted, "Get in there! The central tower is ten kilometers away. You have five days. No restrictions—just collect both Heaven and Earth scrolls to pass!"
The air grew tense.
For ordinary genin, this was comparable to a B-rank mission.
No—perhaps even worse.
Because hidden in the forest were dozens of ninja watching, ready to take your life.
Akira's team entered last, taking their time.
As they passed Anko, she suddenly leaned in and whispered teasingly, "Hey, kid… go easy on them. Leave some dignity for the other villages. Don't turn this into a slaughterhouse."
Akira paused slightly, glancing at her with clear, calm eyes. "I'm not that bored."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished into the depths of the forest.
The meaning was obvious—
He had no interest in monopolizing the exam or snatching everyone's scrolls. That would only make him a target and achieve nothing.
A true strong person didn't need to prove themselves by crushing the weak.
Watching him disappear, Anko licked her lips with interest. "Interesting kid. A bit too cold, though… and he's grown way too well for his age."
At 173 cm, Akira stood out among his peers like a crane among chickens.
His physique wasn't exaggeratedly muscular, but well-proportioned and explosive.
Even Anko, at 167 cm—tall for a kunoichi—had no real advantage standing next to him.
---
Deeper in the forest, the light dimmed instantly.
Akira walked leisurely behind Sakura and the others, as if strolling through his own backyard.
That calm presence alone was enough to make any lurking teams abandon thoughts of ambush.
Along the way, they didn't encounter a single opponent.
Clearly, other candidates had chosen to avoid them altogether.
Even Gaara, who craved bloodshed, seemed to instinctively steer clear of Akira's area.
Half a day passed—no battles, not even a single person in sight.
As night fell, the group stopped by a clear stream and started a fire, roasting fish.
This was true survival.
Except the forest didn't just contain wild beasts—it held enemies who could strike at any moment.
One mistake, and even a chūnin could lose their life here.
The campfire crackled, casting flickering light across their faces.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Sakura sat close to Akira, comforted by the unmatched sense of security he provided.
But Naruto and Sasuke looked frustrated.
With Akira around, no one dared approach—they couldn't even find opponents to fight.
The two exchanged glances.
After finishing his fish, Naruto wiped his mouth and finally spoke up.
"Akira… those cowards are all avoiding us. How about you go solo? Once we get the scrolls, we'll meet you at the tower."
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. After what you showed in the first exam, no one's going to come near us."
Sakura frowned immediately. "What? We're a team! If no one comes to us, we go find them. Why are you trying to push Akira away?"
To her surprise, Akira simply smiled and nodded.
"That's actually a good idea."
For him, it didn't matter either way.
With his sensory abilities, chakra signatures within ten kilometers were as obvious as candles in the dark.
He hadn't intended to babysit them the entire time anyway.
Kakashi's purpose for this exam was clearly to train Sasuke and Naruto—not to have him carry the team.
Sakura misunderstood, thinking he was upset, and quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"No! Absolutely not! We move together!"
She wasn't worried about safety—she was worried he'd feel excluded.
Akira gently patted her hand and said calmly, "Don't worry. I'm not bothered."
"Besides, the Third Hokage already promised I'd be promoted this year. I'm just here for the experience."
"If I stick with you the whole time, it's basically cheating. It won't help you grow."
"That's settled. Rest well tonight—we split up tomorrow."
Naruto and Sasuke's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, Akira!"
He waved it off casually.
Only Sakura looked down, her expression filled with quiet disappointment.
Akira noticed—but remained calm.
---
The next morning, mist lingered in the air.
When Sakura woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, the spot beside her was already empty—only a trace of lingering warmth remained.
"He left without even saying goodbye… Naruto and Sasuke must've hurt him yesterday."
A pang of guilt filled her chest.
She believed that with Akira's strength, they could have taken the initiative—but he clearly didn't want to put pressure on them.
Meanwhile, Akira had already crossed half the forest, heading in the opposite direction.
---
Inside the Hokage's office—
Watching through the Telescope Jutsu, the Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled.
"That child is very thoughtful. He understands that this exam isn't meant for him."
Kakashi and the others nodded.
"He knows the stage is for Sasuke and the others. For someone at his level, this exam is meaningless," Kakashi said lazily.
Asuma flicked ash from his cigarette. "So that's your prodigy? His speed is impressive."
Kurenai added, "And he's quite handsome. No wonder Hinata's so taken with him."
Guy flashed a bright grin and gave a thumbs-up. "Among this year's candidates, aside from that gourd-carrying kid, no one can even make Akira warm up, right?"
Though fiery, Guy had sharp judgment.
He had already sensed the terrifying power within Gaara—easily elite chūnin, possibly jōnin level.
But even so… he doubted Gaara would stand a chance against Akira.
Aside from Kakashi, however, no one present truly grasped Akira's full strength.
They only knew he was strong—perhaps jōnin level, maybe even approaching Kage.
If they knew he had mastered Flying Raijin and refined Wood Style…
They'd be completely stunned.
The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "That Sunagakure boy is indeed unusual. As the Fourth Kazekage's son, he inherited Magnet Style—his starting point is far above others."
"The three siblings are all talented."
In truth, Gaara and his siblings were practically overpowered for this exam.
Anko watched Akira's figure in the crystal ball, her eyes gleaming like a hunter spotting prey.
After a while, the Third Hokage dispelled the jutsu.
Maintaining long-range surveillance consumed too much chakra—even for him.
---
Back in the forest—
Akira slowly stood up.
Earlier, to accommodate the Hokage's observation, he had deliberately sat by the fire, pretending to rest.
Because of the faint pressure radiating from him, nearby teams had already fled in terror.
He had become the most relaxed "participant" in this life-or-death trial.
For an entire day, he had simply meditated.
In truth, his power was constantly growing.
His physique now rivaled Kushina Uzumaki—a near-perfect foundation for a Sage Body.
His mental energy was immense, surpassing ordinary Kage-level shinobi.
And his chakra reserves…
Were terrifying.
Even greater than Naruto's current reserves plus half of the Nine-Tails combined.
Another night passed in the forest.
---
At noon on the third day, Akira—who had been resting with his eyes closed—suddenly opened them. His gaze was sharp as lightning.
Five kilometers away, two powerful chakra signatures were violently clashing.
After sensing for a moment, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"So it's him… interesting. Looks like that snake has finally made his move on Sasuke."
Before his words even finished, his body transformed into a streak of blinding lightning and vanished.
This was his self-developed Lightning Body Flicker Jutsu—several times faster than the standard version, with far greater range and endurance.
In a single breath—
Five kilometers crossed.
Akira appeared silently atop a towering tree at the edge of the battlefield, looking down at the fight dozens of meters below.
Anko stood there, her expression resolute, preparing a reckless attack—ready to drag Orochimaru down with her.
Akira shook his head and sighed softly.
"Still too naive. As his former student, don't you understand what kind of monster he is? Something like that could never kill him."
The next instant, the afterimage on the treetop faded.
"Bang!"
Akira appeared beside Anko out of thin air, his fist wrapped in overwhelming lightning force as it slammed into Orochimaru's pale face.
"Crack!"
The sound of bone fracturing rang out.
Then—
BOOM!
Orochimaru's body exploded into fragments of mud.
Behind him, a massive tree that required three people to encircle shattered into splinters, unable to withstand the force that passed through him.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
A sharp whistling cut through the air as countless invisible wind blades surged forward like a grinder.
Akira reacted instantly, grabbing Anko by the waist as his body turned into a streak of blue lightning and vanished.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The spot they had just occupied was torn apart, the ground shredded into pieces.
Dozens of meters away, Orochimaru rose intact from the earth, golden slit pupils flashing with surprise.
Akira held Anko with one arm, while his other hand formed seals so fast they blurred—
with a single hand.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"
Rumble—!
A massive fireball over two meters in diameter roared forward, engulfing Orochimaru before he could evade.
Anko clutched Akira's arm tightly, her eyes wide in shock.
"You… how are you here?"
And… one-handed seals?!
How was that even possible?
As the flames dissipated, only charred, hardened earth remained. Orochimaru himself was gone.
"Earth substitute… not bad. As expected of one of the Sannin—your survival skills are impressive."
Akira spoke calmly.
The same technique, in different hands, produced entirely different results.
That was the gap of experience.
Even someone like Kakashi could be suppressed by Orochimaru's presence—let alone ordinary shinobi.
Though Orochimaru neglected taijutsu in favor of research, he was still a veteran forged through war. His combat instincts were ingrained in him.
Watching Orochimaru slip out of the flames unharmed, Akira's battle intent only grew stronger.
He gently set Anko down.
Despite her rough personality, her figure was striking—and even in her current disheveled state, she carried a wild charm.
But Akira had no time to dwell on that.
His full attention was locked onto the snake.
Anko snapped back to her senses, shouting urgently, "Why did you come here?! Get out of here! That's Orochimaru—the legendary Sannin! You're no match for him!"
Akira didn't even look at her. His gaze remained fixed on a tree in the distance.
"I sensed a disgusting chakra… and yours. So I came to take a look. Didn't expect to run into one of the Sannin. Not bad luck."
Anko stomped her foot anxiously.
She didn't want to see this prodigy die here.
"Stop talking and run! While you still can! He's Kage-level—you'll be killed!"
Akira let out a soft laugh and glanced at her.
"Run? Against a Sannin who intends to kill? At this distance, running is meaningless."
"Either I kill him—or he kills me. There's no third option."
Anko felt like this kid had gone insane.
"Kill him? Do you even hear yourself? That's a monster even the ANBU can't handle!"
"I already said—if I want to leave, he might not let me," Akira interrupted calmly.
Anko clenched her kunai again. "Fine! Then be careful. We'll stall him together—I've already sent a signal. ANBU will arrive in ten minutes!"
A faint smile curved Akira's lips.
"You're shaking. Scared?"
Anko shot him a glare. "Shut up! Watch out for his snakes!"
Before she finished—
Akira suddenly flicked a specially made kunai toward a distant tree.
Anko blinked.
Did he miss?
The next instant—
Akira vanished.
At the same time, he reappeared beside the kunai like a phantom.
Flying Raijin Jutsu.
Anko's pupils shrank. "Th-that's the Fourth Hokage's space-time ninjutsu?!"
The moment he appeared, lightning erupted in Akira's palm, accompanied by the piercing sound of a thousand birds.
No hand seals required.
"Chidori!"
Crack—!
Thrust!
A flash of lightning—
Akira's arm pierced straight through Orochimaru's chest like a spear. Blood burst outward instantly.
It was too fast.
Too precise.
Too ruthless.
For a brief moment, both Anko and Orochimaru froze.
Anko covered her mouth. "That's Kakashi's Chidori… how can he use an S-rank thrust jutsu like that? And this speed…"
Orochimaru looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, lightning still crackling, the smell of burnt flesh mixing with blood.
The pain didn't frighten him.
Instead, it reminded him of a certain golden figure.
"This speed… it's like Minato has come back to life…"
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
His neck suddenly extended like a snake, twisting around Akira's arm as his jaws opened wide, aiming for Akira's throat.
If that bite landed—
The curse mark would take hold.
Life and death would hang by a thread.
But Akira didn't move.
Didn't even try to dodge.
His voice was cold.
"Your vitality is disgusting."
The next moment—
The chakra within him erupted like a volcano.
Lightning burst from every pore, forming a devastating net centered on his body.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Net!"
Each arc of electricity became a thick, serpent-like bolt, carrying annihilating force.
In an instant—
Orochimaru's extended head was obliterated.
RUMBLE—!
A storm of lightning raged outward, turning everything within dozens of meters into a sea of destruction.
Trees. Rocks. Orochimaru's body—
All reduced to ash upon contact.
When the lightning faded, only a massive crater remained—dozens of meters wide and over ten meters deep.
The ground was scorched black, smoke rising into the air.
Orochimaru's body had been completely carbonized—reduced to an unrecognizable corpse.
This was Akira's S-rank jutsu, developed from Chidori Stream—
An all-around killing art.
Touch it, and you die.
---
In the distance—
Anko stood frozen, staring blankly at Akira, who stood calmly atop a shattered tree stump at the edge of the crater.