Akihiro found himself in a dark space, a pce where the ground was a mirror of water stretching infinitely beneath his bare feet. His naked body remained motionless, eyes closed, as if trapped in a deep sleep.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes and let out a soft sigh. — It's much harder to maintain control than I expected — he murmured, raising his gaze.

  Above him, a burly man covered in scars hung suspended in the air, trapped by chains that coiled around him like steel serpents.

  A mocking smile crossed Akihiro's face. — How’s it going, idiot? Enjoying the view from behind the barrier? — he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  The chained man lifted his head with effort. His face was pale and exhausted, but there was still a hint of hope in his voice. — Let me go. I swear I'll leave the Land of Grass and never return.

  Akihiro let out a cold ugh, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. — Do you really think someone like you deserves to be free? No, let’s make this more entertaining. How about we take a little tour through all the things you've done so far?

  With a simple wave of his hand, images began to appear around them, floating like projections on the water’s surface. Each scene revealed the man’s crimes: vilges reduced to ashes while he and his band of marauders looted and massacred without mercy; merchant caravans ambushed, their members sughtered without remorse; kidnappings, rapes, extortions—an endless catalog of atrocities.

  Akihiro watched in silence, his expression reflecting a mix of disdain and disgust. — You're a disgusting piece of trash, you know that? — he finally said, locking eyes with the chained man. — I was originally just going to kill you after testing the jutsu, but oh, man… what I found here. A mine of filth and atrocities. Killing you would be too merciful on my part, so instead, I’ll keep you alive until I get bored.

  The man's eyes widened in terror at those words, but before he could respond, Akihiro continued: — I don’t consider myself a good person. The blood on my hands is no less than yours. But at least I don’t involve civilians in this. Not that I really care whether they’re good people or not... as long as it’s part of a mission.

  Akihiro extended his hand toward the chained man, and the space around them began to tremble. The chains tightened further, digging into the prisoner's flesh and drawing a strangled cry of pain.

  — For now, you’ll be my test subject. I hope you love solitude because you won’t see anything else for a very, very long time — his voice was ice-cold as his body began to fade. — You're lucky I have to leave your body for now, so you’ll get some rest.

  With those words, Akihiro left Rokuro’s body and returned to his own.

  A wave of intense disorientation washed over him for a moment before he managed to stabilize himself. — Switching bodies is weirder than I expected — he murmured, standing up and taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

  His real body had remained safely sealed inside a scroll, ensuring his protection from any harm. He also discovered that while inside the scroll, he wouldn’t receive any damage. This was likely because the bond between his real body and his soul was severed while in the independent space of the seal.

  It was an interesting discovery—one that could prove very useful in the future. — I don’t like this body… but being taller is an interesting experience after so long — he reflected, looking down at Rokuro’s lifeless form on the ground.

  — Are you done? — Miyuki asked.

  The rest of his companions waited patiently on the forest floor. They were a few hours away from the vilge.

  Akihiro nodded, stretching slightly to ease the tension in his muscles. Then, he sealed Rokuro’s body into a new scroll and carefully pced it in his weapon pouch. — Alright, we can go now.

  ===========

  A few days had passed since their return to Kusagakure when Miyuki gathered them at the training field and, without preamble, handed each of them a form.

  Akihiro, Aiko, and Hiroshi took it with confused expressions, while Kosetsu, standing beside their teacher, already seemed aware of the situation. As they read through the document’s contents, their reactions varied—some were instantly excited, while others simply sighed, fully aware of the challenges ahead.

  Miyuki observed them with a slight smirk before making her announcement:

  —You are strong enough to leave the nest, so I have nominated you for the upcoming Chūnin Exams.

  I guess that time has come, Akihiro thought, sighing internally.

  —Anything we should know? —Aiko asked.

  —Nothing major. With your training, you’ll pass easily. Just be cautious of some genin groups with particur techniques. As long as you don’t let your guard down, there won’t be any problems.

  —And Kosetsu? —Hiroshi asked.

  —She doesn’t have the necessary skill or training to participate yet, so she won’t be competing. Besides, she doesn’t seem too interested in becoming a chūnin either —Miyuki replied, casting a gnce at Kosetsu, who remained indifferent to the side.

  We won’t have a healer. Perfect, Akihiro thought sarcastically.

  —So, when will the Chūnin Exams take pce? —he asked.

  Miyuki smiled and replied:

  —Oh, you have time… about a week.

  Upon hearing that, they all couldn’t help but roll their eyes. A week was neither too long nor too short, but to prepare properly, it certainly felt like a tight deadline.

  —I would’ve preferred if you had told us earlier —Akihiro said.

  Miyuki shrugged.

  —Life has unexpected surprises. For now, we’ll do some simple training to prepare —she said as she cracked her knuckles—. Of course, I’ll be a little rougher than usual. After all, I don’t want you losing in the first round.

  She grinned mischievously, and immediately, everyone felt a chill run down their spine. Without a second thought, Kosetsu vanished in an instant, avoiding getting caught up in what was about to come.

  Akihiro cursed under his breath as he watched his teammate flee.

  The rest of the day was a training hell, ending with the group being dragged by Miyuki to the medical area.

  The week passed quickly, and finally, the Chūnin Exams began.