After understanding the rules, you quickly move to catch up with the team ahead. Thanks to your exceptional strength, you pass through the crowded and chaotic group effortlessly.
Looking up—
The closer you get to the opening at the top of the shaft, the narrower the passage becomes. What starts as a corridor wide enough for two people to walk side by side gradually shrinks until only a single person can squeeze through sideways. Beyond that, even the handrails on either side of the suspended walkway disappear entirely!
Without mastery over chakra wall-walking, all one can do is cautiously trail behind a stronger shinobi, inching along in a clumsy shuffle. Otherwise, there's only one outcome—plummeting from great height.
Even so—
The closer you are to the front, the fiercer the competition becomes. People fall from the suspended passage constantly. The lucky ones manage to grab hold of lower railings, saving their lives though losing their ranks. The less fortunate? They remain at the bottom of the shaft forever.
This is Root's selection ritual.
As you weave through the crowd, occasionally tossing aside clueless fools who block your way, your gaze flickers upward. Most of the Root candidates rely purely on brute strength and stubborn grit, or clutch short kunai to barely hold their place in line by force.
Clearly, most of these participants are civilians and orphans with no backing.
Yet, at the very front, a few individuals display remarkable shinobi skills—like precise chakra control under their feet, allowing them to move across the narrow path as if walking on solid ground, some even running. Others throw ninja tools to hinder those behind them or launch surprise attacks on those ahead...
The two nearest the shaft's exit stand out the most.
One wears a visor that hides everything but his mouth and nose. Behind him, black specks dance in the air—clearly kikaichū, the parasitic insects of the Aburame Clan.
Following closely behind is a young shinobi with long, bright orange hair. Though lacking obvious external features, when the third-place candidate attempts a surprise leap from behind, a single hand sign locks them midair. Their chakra drained, the attacker drops lifelessly into the shaft.
Parasitic insects, Mind Body Switch Technique—Aburame and Yamanaka Clans.
You didn't expect that even clan heirs like these have to undergo such a brutal selection just to enter Root. Though they possess secret techniques and superior shinobi training, they still risk their lives.
If even clan scions must endure this…
Then Danzo sending you to the very bottom—he clearly doesn't plan to give you any special treatment at all.
You had to use your Sharingan to interrogate someone just to learn the rules.
You know full well—whether it's your talent or aptitude, it's nothing special. You're only where you are now because of your Uchiha bloodline and the cumulative results of multiple [Simulations].
If you want to stand out—if you want Danzo to recognize you as a true genius, to gain Root's support and grow strong—then you can't reveal your full strength all at once.
So, after overtaking the clueless civilians and under-trained heirs of minor clans, you settle into a spot right behind the true elites—roughly 20th place—creating a clear gap between you and the rest of the group.
Soon, you and the other promising newcomers charge out of the vertical shaft and pour into the training field.
...
"Stop!"
A harsh voice, full of authority, echoes from the shadows.
Everyone immediately ceases their fighting and scrambling. The crowd straightens into formation. You follow suit and find your place in line.
Once everyone is in place, a shadowy figure steps forward and yanks someone from the end of the line—the very last-ranked participant. Though this person hadn't fallen from the shaft, they now face a ten-on-one gauntlet.
Thud!
A blinding spotlight clicks on. The last-ranked candidate is thrown onto a ten-meter-wide circular platform by a Root operative.
Then, someone at the back raises their hand and steps forward, signaling a challenge.
Neither of them has any real training—they fight in the most primitive way: fists and grit. But the one on the platform holds a kunai and, driven by the desperation to survive, ultimately turns the tables and kills his challenger.
Soon, more raise their hands to challenge him—mostly those ranked at the bottom, all targeting that kunai in his hand.
The top-ranked candidates don't even move. After all, even if they win, all they'd get is a single kunai—not worth the effort.
You watch the scene unfold and notice the higher-ranked candidates are already well-equipped. Some even carry ninjatō or similar weapons, and most have their eyes closed, calmly conserving energy.
(T/N: The ninjatō is typically depicted as being a short sword)
You deduce that another brutal battle is coming soon.
You, on the other hand, are empty-handed. No weapons. A newcomer. Likely to become a prime target.
So, when the man on the platform finishes his ninth fight, covered in wounds but shouting in triumphant madness—you step forward to challenge him.
As expected, it takes just one strike.
You kill him instantly and claim the kunai as your prize.
...
With that phase concluded, two Root shinobi carry a massive burlap sack into the training field.
Then, they call out the top three candidates to receive their rewards.
The Aburame at the top accepts a ninjatō. The Yamanaka receives a scroll. The third place takes a sack of fresh ninja tools and three explosive tags.
Next, the Root operatives rip open the burlap sack and dump out a pile of worn, damaged ninja tools, forming a small hill. At the base of the pile, you spot a half-torn scroll.
This is the reward for the top thirty—including you.
But unlike the top three, what you get depends entirely on how much you can seize.
Life or death—it's all fair game.
As the whistle blows, you spring into motion.
Your movements are nimble and sharp—you weave left and right, dodging ninja tools from behind and slipping past competitors in your path.
When the first person lunges at the pile, frantically scooping up any semi-usable tools, you draw your kunai.
One clean slash—an enemy drops.
You kick the body backward, using the force to propel yourself upward.
Your Sharingan activates.
With kunai spinning in your hands, you swat away incoming tools and land lightly behind the pile.
Using the Sharingan, you quickly select several relatively intact kunai and strap them to your belt. Then, gripping two kunai like digging tools, you start excavating rapidly.
With the tool pile blocking most challengers' view, you're able to focus on digging undisturbed.
Occasionally, you flick a shuriken to take out anyone foolish enough to sneak around the back—then toss the corpse out to scare the others off.
Soon, the front of the pile becomes a chaotic brawl. Blood is spilled. Bodies fall.
Behind the pile—your area—four or five corpses lie scattered, not yet removed.
Finally, as your arms begin to ache from digging, a flash of yellow paper catches your eye.
You dig furiously, fingers clutching the scroll's spindle.
With a powerful yank, the parchment unfurls before you, and its contents come into view—
C-Rank Jutsu: Fire Style — Flame Bullet!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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