Seven Days Later – Training Ground Number 3
All the candidates had assembled again.
Small clusters of three-man teams scattered across the grass, whispering among themselves about what the mysterious third round of the Chūnin Exam would be. By now, bits of information had reached them, but nothing official. Everyone was tense. Everyone wanted answers.
Then—
someone noticed a familiar figure walking toward them.
"Akira… he's here."
One by one, voices died out.
Conversations halted mid-sentence.
And a clear path formed naturally—
It wasn't out of fear.
It was respect.
The respect earned through overwhelming Genjutsu mastery… terrifying agility… Sharingan brilliance… and a summon beast capable of defeating Gaara.
As Akira walked through the opening, every candidate straightened unconsciously. Even the jōnin supervising the area subtly shifted their stance, acknowledging his presence.
Akira gave a small, easy smile—one that somehow made everyone even more nervous.
He moved to the clearing at the center of the training ground, turned to face them, and spoke:
---
"Congratulations, everyone, on passing the second round."
His voice carried effortlessly through the field.
"I can assure you all—
Anyone who managed to pass the first two rounds already has at least the strength of a chūnin. So be proud of yourselves."
Akira continued calmly:
"Even if you fail in the third or fourth round, it doesn't mean you are weak. It only means you failed the exam—not the strength required to be a chūnin. Remember that."
Some candidates let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding.
---
"Now," Akira said, "let's briefly discuss the past two rounds."
He raised one finger.
"Round One tested your Genjutsu resistance and your observation ability."
"Even if you didn't feel the Genjutsu, you could still analyze the surroundings and notice candidates disappearing one by one. Good perception is a basic requirement for any capable ninja. A chūnin without awareness is a danger to their own team."
Nods spread across the crowd as many remembered how disorienting that round had been.
Then Akira raised a second finger.
"Round Two tested your intelligence and combat judgment."
"Ninja battles are battles of information. If you understand your opponent's strength and patterns, you've already taken the first step toward victory."
He continued:
"In the second round, you had to analyze the summon beasts and choose the one you had the highest chance of defeating—or the one you countered best—then defeat it as fast as possible. Many of you performed extremely well."
The candidates straightened a little.
---
"Now," Akira said, "about the point system."
Everyone leaned forward slightly.
"Defeating a summon beast gives these base points:
Genin Level: 1 point
Chūnin Level: 10 points
Special Jōnin Level: 50 points
Jōnin Level: 100 points
Elite Jōnin Level: 300 points"
Murmurs of surprise rose.
"And if you are defeated by the beast, you get half of those points."
"Meaning," Akira added, "even someone defeated instantly by an Elite Jōnin beast still gets 150 points."
A few participants glanced at Gaara—who simply stared forward with unreadable eyes.
"Now comes the timing multiplier.
This is crucial."
Akira's tone sharpened.
"Anyone who defeats their summon in under one minute gets a ×10 multiplier."
Eyes widened as realization dawned across the field.
"That is why Yugito Nii—who defeated a Jōnin-level beast in seven seconds—received 1000 points."
Whispers spread instantly, but Akira wasn't done.
"Those who defeat their beast within:
5 minutes get ×5
6 minutes get ×4
7 minutes get ×3
8 minutes get ×2
10 minutes or more get ×1"
He glanced toward Naruto and Sasuke.
"Thus—
Naruto, defeating a Special Jōnin beast in under five minutes, earned 250 points.
Sasuke, defeating one in under six minutes, earned 200 points."
"And anyone who defeats their beast after ten minutes gets no multiplier—only ×1."
"For those who were defeated…"
Akira shrugged lightly.
"Their multiplier is always 1."
"So the rankings were decided by a combination of appropriate beast selection, performance, and timing. A simple and fair evaluation."
Many candidates finally understood why Gaara, despite losing, still qualified.
"He challenged an Elite Jōnin beast, meaning he automatically earned 150 points. Combined with his performance and round-one results, he easily passed."
A few gasps sounded. Gaara didn't react—he already knew.
Akira clapped his hands once, lightly, bringing everyone's attention back.
---
Akira's expression turned serious as he looked over the sea of candidates gathered before him.
"Now," he said, "let's talk about Round Three."
A ripple of anticipation went through the assembled genin.
"For the third round, we will test two things that every excellent ninja must possess:
Taijutsu capability…
and the Will to Endure."
Some candidates straightened, others swallowed nervously.
Akira continued:
"The rules are simple."
He pointed to the ground beneath his feet.
"I will stand here, at the center.
All of you will stand 200 meters away from me."
He raised a hand.
"Your task is to walk 100 meters toward me.
Just 100 meters."
A wave of confusion spread across the field.
"Anyone who reaches 100 meters automatically passes Round Three.
After that, every additional meter you walk earns you 10 points, with a maximum of 1000 points—the same as the previous round."
Whispers spread.
"Walking? Seriously?"
"Even children can walk 100 meters…"
"How is this difficult?"
Akira heard all of it.
He only smiled.
Then—
His eyes began to change.
1 Tomoe.
2 Tomoe.
3 Tomoe.
The air thickened.
Then his pupils twisted—
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Then Yatagarasu on Akira shoulder chirped.
Kraa!
A deep, echoing CHIRP rang out as a surge of chakra erupted around them.
From nowhere—
Black feathers began swirling.
A tornado of Yatagarasu feathers spun violently around Akira, forming a dark storm that blotted out the light.
"Kraa——!"
A deafening cry echoed through the grounds.
The feather storm burst outward with explosive force—
And then it cleared.
The genin stared in shock.
Akira had changed.
His height increased slightly—
his posture sharpened—
and his eyes…
His eyes were no longer red.
They were pure void, as black as a collapsing star.
Like looking into a hole that swallowed reality.
Behind him—
Two enormous black wings unfurled, feathers dripping with unnatural darkness.
Gasps erupted across the candidates.
Even the jōnin watching trembled.
Akira spoke:
"My Mangekyō Sharingan possesses an ability:
Space Freezing…
and Time Dilation."
A chill ran down every spine present.
"Of course," Akira continued calmly, "I won't use their full power. But even partial strength is more than enough."
He pointed to the circular field around him.
"The 200 meters around me will be filled with both Time Dilation and Space Freezing.
Inside that zone, you will be fighting against space itself with every step."
Silence.
No one dared breathe too loudly.
Akira continued:
"I will activate this domain for five minutes in the outside world."
The genin straightened.
"But inside…
those five minutes will be equal to three days."
Eyes widened.
Jaws dropped.
"You will have full three days inside my domain to walk 100 meters toward me."
His voice remained calm, almost gentle.
"If you reach 100 meters within those three days, you pass.
If you cannot, you fail."
He raised a finger.
"And one more rule:
You cannot use chakra inside the domain."
Shocked whispers broke out immediately.
"If you use even a trace of chakra," Akira said, "your pressure will increase tenfold. Instantly."
You could hear the fear settling among the candidates.
"So this round," Akira concluded, "tests only two things:
Your Body…
and your Will."
Not your ninjutsu.
Not your summons.
Not your tailed beasts.
Only your body and your mental strength.
---
"I ask everyone to move back and stand 200 meters away from me."
The candidates nodded silently and moved back quickly, forming a massive ring around Akira.
Their faces were pale.
Their breathing slow.
Their bodies tense.
They understood very well:
This round was more terrifying than any round before it.
No chakra.
Only raw physical endurance.
And time itself turned against them.
All the jōnin supervising the exam activated seals and formations, helping mark the distances.
Ten jōnin stepped forward, weaving hand signs.
Circular boundaries formed around Akira at:
20 meters
40 meters
60 meters
80 meters
100 meters
120 meters
140 meters
160 meters
180 meters
200 meters
Concentric rings—each marking a stage of the test.
From above, it looked like a massive bullseye with Akira at the center.
At the outermost ring—200 meters—a large metal stand was placed.
On it:
A giant stopwatch.
The timer displayed:
5 minutes.
When the domain activated…
five minutes outside…
Three days inside.
Everyone felt their throats dry.
They were ready.
Or rather—
They had no choice but to be.
---