Whether it was through mission contributions or personal strength, Kisame Hoshigaki was undoubtedly the most outstanding among the new generation of Kirigakure shinobi.
If not for Hiruzen Sarutobi extending an invitation to Kirigakure for the Chūnin Exams, he would have already received approval from Yagura Karatachi and officially become a Chūnin by now.
There would have been no need for him to participate in such an exam.
Due to Kisame Hoshigaki's strength and reputation, he was naturally recognized as Kirigakure's trump card in this year's Chūnin Exams.
At this moment, one of Kisame's genin teammates, a boy named Itō Uto, pointed toward a member of Konoha's Hyūga Clan and said:
"Kisame, Yuki, that's a member of Konoha's prestigious Hyūga Clan."
"His eyes are just like Yuki's Ice Release—they are a Kekkei Genkai."
The girl referred to as Yuki was Yuki Minazuki, a wielder of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai from the Yuki Clan of Kirigakure.
"So that's the Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan? One of Konoha's two great dōjutsu bloodlines."
Hearing Itō Uto's words, Yuki Minazuki followed his gaze, her enchanting phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.
Undoubtedly, the team consisting of Kisame Hoshigaki, Itō Uto, and Yuki Minazuki was Kirigakure's strongest lineup for this year's Chūnin Exams.
Kisame's sharp gaze scanned the Konoha genin wearing forehead protectors, his mind quickly assessing the competition.
"Ino-Shika-Chō… The Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara Clans."
"Inuzuka, Aburame, and the Sarutobi Clan… and then the Hyūga and Uchiha, the two most powerful noble clans."
"It seems Konoha is taking this Chūnin Exam very seriously."
Seeing all of Konoha's famous clans gathered, even Kisame was secretly surprised.
"This just makes things more interesting, doesn't it?"
As he muttered this to himself, Kisame noticed someone sitting quietly in the exam hall, waiting for the test to begin—Veigar.
At the same time, Kisame's sharp instincts told him one thing:
This person is dangerous!
Noticing Kisame looking his way, Veigar turned his head and met Kisame's gaze.
With Kisame's unmistakable shark-like features, Veigar had already been keeping an eye on him.
Just then, the large exam hall doors, which had remained closed for a long time, swung open once more.
The Konoha proctors had arrived.
"I am Ibiru Morino, a jōnin of Konohagakure and the chief proctor for the first round of the Chūnin Exams."
"Now, everyone, return to your seats."
A middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Ibiki Morino, a future Chūnin Exam proctor, stood at the podium, his voice commanding the attention of the entire hall.
At the same time, a powerful, oppressive aura enveloped all the genin present.
"So this is a Konoha jōnin?"
"He's strong… Stronger than our teacher!"
Whether from Konoha or other villages, the majority of examinees, except for a select few—including Veigar—were visibly shaken.
One such individual, Uchiha Shōgetsu, the only Uchiha genin in the room, instinctively activated his Sharingan in response to the pressure. His crimson eyes, each adorned with a single tomoe, spun momentarily before evolving into two-tomoe Sharingan.
This was the legendary Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha Clan—the Sharingan, renowned across the ninja world.
Once, the Senju and Uchiha Clans had co-founded Konohagakure. Now, with the Senju Clan mostly retired from the public eye, the Uchiha were undoubtedly the strongest clan in Konoha, possibly in the entire ninja world.
Their Sharingan was even hailed as the greatest Kekkei Genkai in existence.
It was this immense power that filled the Uchiha with pride.
And it was that very pride that allowed Uchiha Shōgetsu's Sharingan to evolve under the weight of Ibiru Morino's pressure, transforming from a single-tomoe into a two-tomoe Sharingan.
Soon, all examinees took their assigned seats, and silence fell over the hall.
Seeing this, Ibiru Morino prepared to begin the exam.
"Now, I will announce the test."
Hearing that the rules were about to be revealed, the genin in the room displayed various reactions, but all of them listened intently.
Ibiru Morino turned to the blackboard behind him and wrote down the name of the first test.
"Written Exam!!!"
Gasps of surprise echoed through the room.
Turning back to face the examinees, Ibiru Morino spoke sternly:
"This is the first test of the Chūnin Exams."
"There are a few important rules you must know."
"Rule One: The test consists of ten questions. Each correct answer earns you one point. Each incorrect answer deducts one point. Unanswered questions receive zero points."
"Rule Two: This test is taken as a team. Your final score will be the sum of your team's points. The maximum score is 30, and those with higher scores advance to the next round."
"Rule Three: Any improper actions, such as cheating or being caught attempting to cheat, will result in a two-point deduction for each violation."
Upon hearing this, many examinees instinctively glanced at the proctors stationed around the room.
"And finally, Rule Four: If a participant's score drops to zero at any point during the exam or if their final score is zero, their entire team will be disqualified and will not advance to the next round."
Immediately after, test papers were distributed to each examinee. Under the watchful eyes of the chief proctor and numerous exam monitors, the participants began reading their papers.
Ibiru Morino then raised his voice again:
"Listen carefully!"
"Anyone caught using clumsy cheating methods is only dooming themselves. If you truly wish to become a Chūnin, act like a real shinobi."
"The exam will last one hour."
"Now, begin!"
As soon as the test started, many genin were left dumbfounded. The questions were far beyond their comprehension, making it impossible for those lacking in intelligence to solve them.
However, the smarter ones quickly realized the true purpose of the test—it was an assessment of their information-gathering abilities.
Even getting caught cheating wasn't an immediate disqualification—they had four chances.
"So then… which ones are the planted fake examinees?"
Veigar closed his eyes and activated his chakra sensory technique, no longer needing to rely on sight.
After all, aside from the fake examinees strategically placed within the room to answer the questions, the rest of the genin were either still analyzing the test or searching for someone to copy from.
"Found them!"
Within moments, Veigar locked onto three genin who were diligently writing, each seated in a different corner of the exam hall.
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