A barren wasteland stretched out in all directions, with a massive crater at its center. And within that, a smaller crater.
Kihana Sakiya stepped lightly into the center, her gaze fixed on the one-meter-wide sphere of compressed matter resting there.
She studied it thoughtfully.
The density of this thing had to be incredibly high—after all, it contained the entire volume of the crater she had just created.
But the technique…
It wasn't perfect yet.
So far, it only triggered the breakdown reaction of oxygen and nitrogen—the two most abundant gases in the air—before it reached a near-vacuum state.
In theory, this technique should be far more destructive than a nuclear bomb.
Unlike a normal explosion, which blasts outward, her technique imploded inward, creating a vacuum explosion instead.
She reached out and pressed her hand against the pitch-black sphere.
This thing… would make an incredible weapon.
With such extreme density, it had to be unbelievably strong.
Curious, she gave it a firm push—
It barely budged.
If it were even a few hundred times denser, she'd have to use some serious strength just to move it.
Based on the volume of the crater, she estimated the sphere's weight to be several hundred tons—at least.
Just as Sakiya was about to continue her research—
Cracks began forming on the surface of the sphere.
She smirked.
"Took long enough."
She wasn't surprised.
A substance this dense was already nearing a pseudo-degenerate state.
Without external pressure to keep it stable, the planet's air pressure and gravity were already causing it to expand—
And that expansion would happen instantly.
In other words, the sphere should have exploded the moment it was compressed.
But Kihana Sakiya had made some adjustments to hold it together.
Because if this thing detonated freely, the results would be worse than a small nuclear bomb.
---
It might not be as powerful as a nuclear bomb, but its destructive potential was certainly comparable.
If this thing detonated, it would cause a massive explosion.
Kihana Sakiya smirked and pulled out a sealing scroll.
"Something this valuable deserves proper storage."
The sealing scroll—a staple of any well-prepared ninja.
To Sakiya, this tool was indispensable.
She pressed the scroll against the sphere.
"Seal!"
A surge of chakra burst from her body, the sheer output taking an effort.
It took several chakra reserves' worth to finally seal the sphere inside.
Sakiya let out a satisfied exhale.
"I'll call you the Demon God's Briquette. Next time I run into an annoying enemy, I'll just chuck this at their face."
As soon as she finished speaking, a light shimmered beneath her feet—
And in an instant, she vanished.
Sasuke, watching from a distance, gasped and immediately tried to follow—
But she was already gone.
He stood at the edge of the massive crater, staring into its depths, his expression slowly shifting to excitement.
"I was right about you, Kihana Sakiya... I have to uncover the secret of your strength!"
---
Time flowed like water…
In the blink of an eye, the Chunin Exams had arrived.
Sakiya, Tsukami Tsuchiya, and Sakuragi made their way to the exam venue.
After a smooth journey, they entered a classroom-like hall, already filled with examinees.
They were late—most participants had already gathered.
Even the main characters of the original story were present.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed with intrigue as he noticed Sakiya entering the room.
Naruto, on the other hand, rushed over excitedly.
"Sakiya-chan!"
He was promptly ignored and left hanging.
Sakiya, however, was focused on something else. She scanned the crowd carefully, searching—
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. A mischievous grin spread across her face.
She lunged forward.
"The Dark Emperor! Ino! I found you!"
Her sudden outburst caught everyone's attention.
Ino, already anticipating this, sighed and rubbed her forehead. Without missing a beat, she raised one hand and placed it firmly on Sakiya's forehead, holding her back.
Sakiya flailed wildly, trying to reach Ino—
But she was just an inch too short.
"You're too loud, kid."
A cold voice suddenly interrupted the scene.
Both Ino and Sakiya froze.
Ino's expression darkened as she instinctively stepped in front of Sakiya, her gaze locked onto a group of foreign ninja.
The one who spoke, a tall and arrogant-looking ninja, stepped forward aggressively.
Chiba Yoroi sneered.
"You're annoying me."
Ino's fists clenched—she was just about to retaliate when—
A few figures suddenly stepped forward.
Shikamaru and Choji emerged from behind her.
"That's a pretty unreasonable thing to say." Shikamaru muttered lazily.
Naruto marched forward as well, glowering at Chiba Yoroi.
"Are you trying to bully Sakiya-chan?!"
Hinata, seeing the situation, followed close behind.
And finally—
Sasuke stepped up coolly, hands in his pockets, his gaze cold and sharp.
"Hah. Looks like they'll let just about anyone take the exam these days."
A bead of sweat formed on Chiba Yoroi's forehead. He was surrounded.
In front—Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.
Behind—Kiba, Shino, and Sai.
To the left—Naruto.
To the right—Sasuke.
"You… you…" Yoroi stammered.
Sasuke's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Get lost."
Yoroi gritted his teeth, fists clenched in frustration—
But he had no choice. Without another word, he stormed off.
As soon as he was gone, Sakiya peeked out from behind Ino.
"Hah! And that's what happens when you mess with me!"
Before she could gloat any further—
Flick.
Ino flicked her forehead.
"Ow!!"
Sakiya clutched her forehead, eyes welling up with tears.
"Damn it! That was a sneak attack!"
Ino grinned smugly.
"Well, you shouldn't have popped out from behind me like that."
"Grrr! You'll pay for that!"
With both hands raised like claws, Sakiya lunged at Ino—
And just like that, the chaos continued.
Suddenly, the playful shouting of Sakiya and Ino echoed through the exam hall.
This time, however, no one dared to stir up trouble.
Sasuke watched the two bickering from the sidelines, his expression unreadable—
Until a calm voice spoke beside him.
"Ah~ Those two… they're not easy to deal with."
Sasuke turned his head, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You know them?"
The young man beside him, Kabuto, adjusted his glasses, a faint smile on his lips.
"For this Chunin Exam, I've gathered intel on almost every participant."
Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "Intel?"
Kabuto smirked and pulled out a card.
"Of course. Shinobi Info Cards."
He placed one down, and with a surge of chakra, Sasuke's profile appeared:
---
Sasuke Uchiha
Missions Completed:
D-rank: 255
C-rank: 0
B-rank: 0
A-rank: 0
S-rank: 1
Primary Specialization: Fire Style
---
Kabuto raised an eyebrow.
"An S-rank mission already? Impressive."
Sasuke, too, was slightly surprised by his own record.
He pointed toward Sakiya Kihana.
"What about her?"
Kabuto activated another card, revealing similar mission stats.
His expression stiffened slightly.
"The ninja world is seriously raising its standards these days…"
Just like in the original story, Kabuto proceeded to analyze fighters like Rock Lee and Gaara.
But at that moment, a realization struck Sasuke.
His eyes flickered with determination.
"Aside from Sakiya… none of them are even worth fighting."
---
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