The target had been locked in, and Veigar had begun answering the exam questions.
"What kind of god-tier questions are these?!"
After scanning through all the questions, Veigar was momentarily stunned.
Despite having achieved perfect scores in every subject back in the Ninja Academy, these questions left him completely dumbfounded—let alone the other struggling genin in the room.
"So this really is just a test of cheating skills, huh?"
"So exhausting..."
Veigar sighed in frustration, realizing that he had no choice but to resort to cheating.
Many other examinees shared his thoughts. They, too, found these questions impossible to answer on their own.
Without hesitation, Veigar once again activated Chakra Sensory Jutsu, but this time, his focus was not on the exam proctors scattered throughout the room. Instead, he set his sights on the Hyūga clan genin.
If anyone in the room had the strongest cheating ability, the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan easily outclassed everyone else.
"Byakugan, activate."
Hyūga Nanaki, a genin from the Hyūga clan, silently uttered the command in his heart. Immediately, veins bulged around his eyes as his vision expanded into a 360-degree, no-blind-spot perspective.
Within moments, Nanaki pinpointed the correct target and began copying their answers.
Having sensed Nanaki's actions through Chakra Sensory Jutsu, Veigar, with his eyes still closed, started filling in his own answers—copying everything that Nanaki wrote down, word for word.
Ignore the surroundings. Focus only on copying the answers.
As Veigar continued writing, one by one, the other examinees who failed to cheat discreetly were caught. With each failed attempt, an entire team was disqualified and escorted out of the examination hall.
Ibiru Morino remained composed as he observed the numerous candidates before him. The moment the one-hour time limit expired, he immediately called out:
"Time's up! Put your pens down!"
His commanding voice sent a jolt through the remaining examinees, forcing them to stop mid-writing.
The Konoha proctors, who had been overseeing the exam, swiftly moved in to collect the papers from each participant.
Once all the answer sheets were stacked neatly in front of him, Ibiru spoke again.
"Remain in your seats. The results will be announced shortly."
Ibiru, who had already memorized the correct answers, quickly graded the exams. Soon, the papers were sorted into two piles: pass and fail.
Lifting the pile of failed exams, Ibiru looked up and declared:
"I will now call out the names of those who have failed this exam. Congratulations—you will not be moving on to the next round of the Chūnin Exams."
Some nervous genin immediately broke into a cold sweat, stealing worried glances at their teammates.
"Asakusa Toruto, zero points. You and your teammates are dismissed."
The trio from the Hidden Grass Village, including Asakusa Toruto, sighed in defeat and stood up to leave the room.
"Shimizu Heitarō, zero points. You and your teammates are dismissed."
"Takenouchi Genta, zero points..."
One by one, the disqualified candidates were eliminated, leaving only 43 examinees, comprising 15 teams, still in the competition—including Veigar.
"Congratulations," Ibiru announced, "you have successfully passed the first phase of the Chūnin Exams."
"Now, prepare yourselves... for a nightmare."
The moment the remaining candidates started feeling relieved, Ibiru's chilling words immediately dampened their excitement.
At that exact moment, the tightly shut doors of the examination hall swung open with a heavy creak.
A man wearing a Konoha jōnin flak jacket, with pale skin and an eerie presence, stepped into the room.
"Oh? So many of you still remain?"
"Looks like this year's candidates are quite competent."
One of the Legendary Sannin, known as the Cold Lord, Orochimaru, had arrived.
Ibiru, recognizing the figure standing at the entrance, respectfully greeted him. "Orochimaru-sama, I leave the second phase of the exam in your hands."
Orochimaru's signature sinister smile spread across his face as he nodded. "Leave it to me."
Turning to face the examinees, he introduced himself.
"I am Orochimaru, your proctor for the second phase of the Chūnin Exams."
"Now then, follow me."
"I will lead you to your next challenge."
At this point in time, Orochimaru had not yet fully descended into the twisted darkness he would later become infamous for. However, his presence was still as charismatic and unnerving as ever.
"O-Orochimaru… one of the Legendary Sannin… the Cold Lord himself?"
"That aura… just standing near him is terrifying."
"And he's our next proctor?!"
Whispers spread throughout the room as the remaining candidates exchanged wary glances.
Walking ahead, Orochimaru subtly shifted his attention toward a solitary figure at the back of the crowd—Veigar.
A glint of intrigue flickered in his serpent-like eyes as he studied the young ninja's calm and composed demeanor.
"One of Minato's two prodigy students… Veigar Koshima, is it?"
"An exceptional seedling indeed."
"But what is it about you that has caught the attention of both Hiruzen and Danzo?"
"This second round... might just be very interesting!"
A silent chuckle escaped Orochimaru's lips as his anticipation for the second phase of the exam grew.
Veigar, with a ninjatō strapped to his waist and a small backpack of rations on his back, followed the rest of the examinees to their next destination.
Stopping before a massive forest entrance, Orochimaru turned to face them once more, flashing another eerie grin.
"This is where your second test will take place."
"This place has a name—the Forest of Death."
His gaze swept across the candidates, taking in the mix of emotions reflected in their faces—some anxious, some determined, some downright terrified.
A twisted amusement played in his expression as he continued.
"Before we begin, there's one more thing you all need to do."
"Anyone who wishes to participate in the second round must first sign a waiver of liability."
A waiver…?
The moment the words registered, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over the candidates.
From the phrasing alone, it was clear—this was a life-or-death exam.
In other words, those who chose to continue… would be responsible for their own survival.
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON