The strength Lock had just displayed left the other Genin shaken. A few minutes ago, they had looked at him as a quick source of money—easy prey to snatch scrolls from. Now, after watching Noda Kazuhiro fall in seconds, those same opportunists shrank back into silence.
Greed still lingered in some eyes, but no one dared to step forward.
Lock raised his voice calmly.
"Anyone else? If not, I'll withdraw here."
He already had all three scrolls. But the rules demanded more—two victories minimum before the banker could step down.
Earlier, when he had announced his willingness to fight, half the crowd had surged forward. Now, with Kazuhiro humiliated and bleeding from the neck, the same group hesitated, none willing to be the next example.
Just as Oguri Katsuki prepared to close the match, a voice rang out.
"I'll fight."
The crowd stirred.
"It's him!"
"He already won a match earlier."
"Stronger than Noda… maybe he has a chance."
The challenger stepped into the ring. His presence carried more weight than Kazuhiro's—he had proved himself once already.
Lock didn't bother with introductions. His tone was flat.
"Which scroll do you want to stake?"
"Earth Scroll," the boy answered without hesitation.
Lock pulled out his Earth Scroll, and the boy raised his Sky Scroll. Both were handed to Oguri, who signaled the start of the match.
It was over in moments.
The challenger rushed in, hand poised for a strike—only for Lock's figure to vanish. A blur, a whisper of displaced air. The boy staggered as cold steel kissed the side of his neck.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Again… in just seconds?"
"I didn't even see him move."
The challenger lowered his weapon in defeat, jaw tight with frustration. He hadn't even forced Lock to reveal more than the bare minimum of his strength.
Oguri raised his hand. "Fujiwara Lock wins."
Two clean victories. Two opponents were erased in less than ten seconds combined.
The rest of the Genin faltered. The hunger for scrolls that had burned so fiercely minutes ago was gone. Where they had seen a sheep, they now saw a tiger—silent, efficient, and merciless. No one else dared to test him.
And so Lock became the second to secure his promotion, alongside Aburame Shisui. The two stood apart, ignored but untouchable, while the rest of the candidates tore each other apart for the final slot.
The last battle grew desperate. Scrolls changed hands over and over—one Genin completing a set only to be hunted down minutes later. Exhaustion piled up until, finally, a single survivor emerged, clutching his scrolls with trembling hands.
Oguri Katsuki clapped his hands together, smiling broadly.
"Congratulations. The three advancing from this Chūnin Exam have been decided!"
He was pleased. All three were products of his shadow tournament, proof that his methods worked. More importantly, there had been no open disruptions, no uncontrollable disasters.
The group was escorted from the Forest of Death. As was tradition, the surviving candidates gathered their measurements for the flak jackets reserved for Chūnin and above. Lock brushed the fabric between his fingers, faintly amused. To others, it was a symbol of pride. To him, it was merely another step forward.
But peace did not last.
At the forest's gates, all surviving participants—thirty-six out of forty-seven—were gathered. Eleven had perished. It was a grim number, though not unprecedented. What made the air heavy was something else entirely.
The Hyūga Clan.
Dozens of them stood waiting, pale eyes focused with a cold intensity.
Lock's heart tightened, though his expression remained composed. He knew immediately what this was. The Hyūga he had killed in the forest had been discovered. That the clan moved so swiftly… he had underestimated them.
The atmosphere turned suffocating as the Hyūga barred the way, refusing to let anyone leave. Whispers of unease spread among the Genin.
Then, hurried footsteps. The Third Hokage himself arrived, robes flowing, Danzo Shimura at his side.
The Hokage's face was set in stern lines as he approached the gathering. His eyes settled on the stern, middle-aged man leading the Hyūga.
"Hyūga Clan Head," Hiruzen said gravely, "what is the meaning of this? Why block the exam grounds?"
The Clan Head inclined his head respectfully, but his voice was sharp with grief.
"Hokage-sama, I mean no disrespect to the village. But my youngest son has been killed within the Forest of Death. I will not leave until I have answers."
A stir swept the onlookers.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "…Your son?"
This was news even to him. The Chūnin Exams were meant to be dangerous, yes, but the death of the Hyūga Clan Head's own child? That was no trivial matter.
Already, he could sense the storm brewing.
"What exactly happened?"
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