The group exited the dungeon, only to be greeted by an instructor.

  —Congratutions on passing the first stage —said the instructor. —Your instructor will meet you shortly, the next stage will begin in a few hours —he added before returning to his post.

  The group exchanged gnces when a voice was heard.

  —You passed the first stage better than expected, I suppose your training wasn’t in vain —said Miyuki, who suddenly appeared, surprising the group.

  —Sensei! —The group excimed.

  —It was easier than expected —Hiroshi said.

  —We expected something more complicated —Aiko added.

  Akihiro nodded at his teammates’ comments.

  Miyuki shook her head.

  —It’s not that the test was easy, it’s that you’re very well-prepared. For an average Genin, any of the tests would be deadly.

  —The insects would be the biggest problem, not many people have senses as sharp as your teammate’s. Many would die in the first part, just focusing on the traps.

  —Let’s not even talk about the formation, any Genin without care would detonate the room along with their teammates —she continued. —But there are many ways to bypass those tests; the formation itself can be triggered by a conventional clone. Even casting an earth jutsu in the room would ruin most of the structure.

  —Oh, there was that solution? —Akihiro said, surprised. As a Fuinjutsu apprentice, he had intermediate knowledge on the subject, so he had used traditional methods to deactivate the formation. He never would have thought of using such... unconventional methods.

  Miyuki nodded.

  —It’s to be expected, there are very few sealing masters. Most only learn the basics to detect such formations, so expecting a Genin to know how to deactivate it is simply foolish.

  —Wait, but even with that, won’t many die? —he wondered.

  Miyuki nodded.

  —Of course. But don’t worry about that, there’s a sealing master operating the technique, so it looks more dangerous than it really is. In the worst case, they’ll just be a little crispy when they come out, but their lives are safe —she said while closing her fist and giving a thumbs-up in a confident gesture.

  The group shuddered at the thought of their bodies being completely burned by the explosion, only to soon see a group of Genin emerge with their skin charred and third-degree burns.

  —Oh, looks like some didn’t have such good luck. Well, there’s a practical example —she said simply.

  —Anyway, there’s still some time before the second test begins. Let’s go, Kosetsu is waiting for us —she added, turning around.

  The group followed her, and soon after, the second test began.