All 68 trainees scattered quickly across the desert dunes.
Takeshi Sensei and other instructors moved behind them, spreading out to keep watch and ensure no trainee was seriously harmed during the competition.
Many students immediately took advantage of the environment, hiding themselves within the soft sand.
Kaiji did the same, burying himself partially and beginning to formulate a plan.
'It's obvious that I can't defeat many of them and take their scrolls,' he thought, assessing his capabilities relative to the class.
Renji, Kohaku, Taichi, Maki, and several other students were significantly stronger than him.
'It would be better if I just stay away from them.'
He knew that a mere ten days of focused training had not elevated his strength above that of most of his classmates.
'Then I should focus on the weaker ones,' he decided, mentally listing them.
'Like Sakura, Shin, Daiki, Mukade, and others.' He nodded to himself.
'Alright, I will attack Sakura and others and try to maintain distance from Renji and the stronger ones.'
With this plan set, he began to move stealthily and silently beneath the sand.
He remained highly alert, making sure not to fall victim to a surprise attack from others doing the same thing.
He was not a sensor type ninja, so vigilance was crucial. His goal was to find his intended targets.
After approximately half an hour of silent movement, he spotted two figures fighting in the distance.
They were Mukade and Daiki.
Kaiji smirked and thought, 'I will attack whoever wins,' he thought, 'and take their scrolls.'
While looking at Mukade, he thought, 'If I kill him now, how much will this change timeline, maybe not even slights.'
Before their fight could even reach a conclusion, a loud voice roared across the dunes.
"Wind Style: Twister Shot!"
A figure, hands crackling with spiraling balls of wind, launched them as projectiles towards both Mukade and Daiki.
The attack was swift and decisive, knocking them both out, smoothly and quickly.
The figure was Taichi.
He strode up to the downed students, took their scrolls, and sneered. "Weaklings," he muttered contemptuously.
Kaiji, already hidden, sank even lower into the sand. He had no desire to engage in a fight with someone like Taichi.
After Taichi departed, Kaiji sighed in relief. 'Good thing he didn't notice me,' he thought.
He then changed direction, opposite of where Taichi gone, moving to find a different trainee he could contend with.
After Some more time later, Kaiji located Sakura.
She was hiding in the sand just like him. However, Kaiji noticed her immediately.
He smirked, 'My first target,' he thought.
Kaiji didn't hesitate for even a moment. He attacked Sakura quickly with a Taijutsu strike.
Sakura, positioned directly in front of him, had not detected his approach.
His punch landed squarely in her gut.
"Aww." Sakura groaned, looking up at Kaiji in surprise.
Kaiji did not waste the moment and continued to strike her with more Taijutsu techniques.
After knocking her out, he smiled and took her Black empty scroll.
'Are all Sakura in this world, useless?' he thought.
He knew that adult Jonin Sakura is not same useless one from her young academy one.
But the young version of her was obviously useless and irritating.
He then looks at his classmate, Sakura, and shook his head, to let go of such unproductive thoughts.
He was about to start hiding in the sand again when he sensed another figure behind him.
He reacted instantly, whipping out his Kunai and blocking an incoming strike.
The figure was Maki. Her Kunai attack was blocked by Kaiji's own.
He quickly recognized her, particularly her distinctive purple markings on her face.
'I really don't want to fight her,' he thought inwardly.
But knowing this was an open spar among trainees in the desert, and now his opponent was Maki, a skilled student, running away would be difficult.
He had to fight.
Maki spoke, her tone accusatory. "I see how bravely you beat Sakura," she said.
"She is a weak girl. You should go easy on her, don't you think so?"
Kaiji shrugged, already starting to form hand signs, Tiger, then Rabbit, then Serpent.
"I believe in gender equality," he stated.
As he spoke, he completed the hand signs.
"Wind Style: Dust Cloud Jutsu!"
A dense cloud began forming from the surrounding desert sand, rapidly expanding and obscuring Maki's vision.
Even though his current focus wasn't on improving his Ninjutsu and his Dust Cloud Jutsu was limited by his low chakra reserves, the desert environment provided a crucial advantage.
By manipulating his wind chakra, he could quickly gather the nearby sand of desert, forming this cloud thick enough for obscuring Maki's vision.
"Do you think this will work against me?" Maki called out, her voice slightly muffled by the sand, as she tried to peer through the Dust Cloud surrounding her.
But Kaiji had not wasted a moment after using the jutsu.
He rushed towards the direction where Maki's voice had come from.
He punched her in the face. He struck her a few more times with Taijutsu and then quickly retreated back out of the Dust Cloud.
Maki, reeling from the unexpected hits, shouted angrily. "How can you hit a girl on the mouth like that?!" she yelled.
"I will beat you up good today!"