As soon as those words were spoken, the ones who weren't chosen for the first match felt their hearts sink.
"Alright," the jōnin overseeing the exam announced, his tone calm yet commanding. "Before we begin drawing lots for the next matchups, I'll ask one last time does anyone wish to withdraw? If you want to forfeit, now's the time. No one will blame you for it."
Silence followed. No one spoke or moved. Everyone who had made it this far had already steeled their resolve. Even if they were to die here, they wouldn't complain.
"Very well," the jōnin said, raising his hand. "The third phase of the Chūnin Exams begins now!"
The moment his words fell, two holographic panels appeared before Shane Mountain, names flashing rapidly across the glowing screens.
A few seconds later, the scrolling stopped.
The first match: Shane Mountain vs. Morinaga Shozo.
"Huh? I'm up first?" Shane murmured, a little surprised but soon his expression turned indifferent.
It didn't matter to him whether he was first or last. After all, at this point, he was practically unbeatable.
If this had been before he met his counterpart the Lab Coat Shane in the "Brotherhood Space," he might have worried about how much force to use. But now, after merging the abilities of a god-tier being, Shane could only think one thing: I'm invincible. Do your worst.
That was his level of confidence.
"The rest of you, move to the stands," the jōnin ordered. "Only Shane Mountain and Morinaga Shozo will remain."
Soon, the field was cleared.
Across from Shane stood a boy with shoulder-length brown hair, a few years older than him, smiling with the kind of arrogance only experience or ignorance could bring. His gaze was filled with disdain, as though he already saw the fight's outcome.
Shane could guess what the guy was thinking. To him, Shane was just a rookie fresh out of the academy. Who would take a rookie seriously? Shozo was probably celebrating in his head, thinking, Lucky me! First match and I get an easy win.
But what he didn't know was that the opponent standing before him wasn't just any genin.
He was a pirate who had mastered both forms of Haki.
A god-tier mutant from another world.
A ninja who had inherited multiple sealing arts and divine-level abilities.
He was Shane Mountain, the convergence of countless versions of himself.
So when Morinaga Shozo silently thanked his luck, he had no idea he was actually the unluckiest man in the entire exam.
"Begin!"
The jōnin's shout cracked through the arena, and in the next instant, Shane's hands blurred. He pulled out a scroll from his weapons pouch, unrolling it in one fluid motion.
"Sealing Technique: Unleash All Armaments!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The scroll erupted with blinding light as countless weapons materialized, launching out at impossible speed!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before Shozo even understood what was happening, a massive spiked meteor hammer nearly half a meter wide slammed straight into his face.
He didn't even have time to scream. His eyes rolled back, and he hit the ground with a heavy thud.
"Morinaga Shozo is unconscious," the jōnin announced flatly. "Winner: Shane Mountain."
He didn't sound particularly impressed. In his mind, the match was a disappointment.
Shozo had already graduated from the academy two years ago. This was his second attempt at the Chūnin Exams. Last year, he'd lost to Hyuga Hizashi, a prodigy from a renowned clan that was understandable. But this year, he'd lost to a commoner, a fresh graduate, simply because he underestimated his opponent.
The jōnin sighed inwardly. This guy was done for. He might become a mid-level ninja someday, but his ambitions ended here.
As for Shane well, opening with a barrage of ninja tools was fine, but shouting "All armaments, unleash!" while doing so? That didn't exactly scream genius.
Medical staff rushed in to carry Shozo away. Meanwhile, Shane hopped onto the stands, wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow and sighing dramatically.
"Phew, that was close," he said with mock exhaustion. "I almost lost."
Beside him, Minato Namikaze twitched at the corner of his mouth. Almost? You crushed him in two seconds.
The next match began almost immediately.
Minato versus Yamanaka Haiichi.
"Oh, Minato, be careful," Chōza warned from the sidelines. "Haiichi's no pushover."
The Yamanaka clan was known for its secret Mind-Transfer Technique a terrifying jutsu that allowed one to take control of an opponent's body. If Haiichi managed to land it, the fight would be over instantly.
Minato nodded, sharpening his focus.
The two jumped down into the arena, standing face-to-face with barely five meters between them.
"Match two Minato Namikaze versus Yamanaka Haiichi! Begin!"
In a blur, the supervising jōnin vanished. Both combatants moved simultaneously, instinctively pulling back to gain distance.
Minato flicked three kunai into the air, sending them streaking toward Haiichi like flashes of black lightning.
Haiichi's hands moved just as fast, throwing his own projectiles to intercept.
Clang!
The kunai collided midair, deflecting each other in a flurry of sparks.
Then, both ninjas reached for their pouches again, hurling another wave of shuriken.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The weapons clashed repeatedly but two of Minato's shuriken slipped through the barrage, slicing toward Haiichi.
"He's faster than me!" Haiichi realized, leaping aside just in time. His hands flew through a sequence of seals.
I'll have to use that technique…
But Minato wasn't about to give him the chance. Months of training under Mito Uzumaki had sharpened his instincts.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
He exhaled sharply, releasing several invisible wind projectiles that shot toward Haiichi with explosive force.
Haiichi had no choice but to cancel his jutsu and roll out of the way.
Minato pressed the attack, hands flashing through seals as he charged forward.
"Wind Release: Spiral Dance!"
In less than a second, he was upon Haiichi, his entire body wrapped in a violent spiral of churning chakra. The sheer pressure struck like a hurricane.
Haiichi's eyes widened then he was flung across the arena like a ragdoll, crashing into a concrete wall hard enough to leave a crater.
Boom!
Dust filled the air.
When it cleared, Haiichi's face was swollen and misshapen, and Minato stood frozen in surprise.
That technique his modified version of the Rasengan wasn't supposed to be that strong. He'd developed it himself, coating his body in spiraling chakra to create a moving shield and weapon in one. It was similar to the Hyuga clan's Rotation technique, though he didn't know it yet.
Still, he hadn't expected it to be this destructive.
"Uh… what did Chōza warn me about again?" Minato muttered, scratching his head as medics rushed in.
The spectators were speechless.
And up on the stands, Shane Mountain smirked.
Now this is getting interesting.
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