Time passed as swiftly as a fleeting steed. In the blink of an eye, an hour had already gone by.
The shinobi from various clans, having received prior information, were able to quickly make decisions and choose which exam they would participate in.
In stark contrast, the majority of civilian shinobi turned their attention to the law enforcement exam. Compared to other exams, the law enforcement exam had relatively lower requirements for knowledge and placed greater emphasis on physical strength and combat ability.
Moreover, civilian shinobi typically had very limited access to books, making it difficult for them to compete with clan shinobi in terms of knowledge. Therefore, it was better for them to rely on their strong physical abilities and take their chances.
Of course, a small number of civilian shinobi chose the civil service exam, hoping to change their fate through this method. Although the probability of success was extremely low, they were willing to try and fight for even the slightest hope.
At the law enforcement exam site, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. Uchiha Kiyoshi, Uchiha Ippū, and a group of temporary staff stood ready, their Sharingan fully activated, leaving no detail unnoticed.
Such strict monitoring was intended to ensure the entire exam process was fair and impartial, with no one daring to violate the rules or secretly use chakra to cheat.
On the other hand, the civil service exam was personally overseen by Uchiha Ryun. To ensure the exam proceeded smoothly, he specifically set the exam venue at the Konoha Academy.
Since it happened to be a rest day, no students were present, providing a quiet and suitable environment for the exam. Prior to this, Uchiha Ryun had already given a detailed report to the Third Hokage and received his approval and support.
Each exam room was staffed with two or three officially appointed civil service personnel as proctors. They remained fully focused, their Sharingan activated, keeping a close watch on every corner of the exam room to ensure no one cheated during this critical exam.
The proctors in each exam room read the carefully designed questions clearly and loudly: "Please explain how you would properly handle the complex relationships between villagers." "When the law conflicts with human sentiment, how should you balance the two?" "What are your views on the persistent issue of corruption in society, and what measures would you take to address it?"
These questions were diverse, covering a wide range of topics and deep lines of thought, aiming to thoroughly examine the candidates' political awareness, values, and ability to solve practical problems.
In the first exam room, Uchiha Ryun personally took charge. He sat alone on the podium, his cold gaze as sharp as an eagle's, seemingly capable of seeing through everything.
At this moment, many candidates in the exam room furrowed their brows, lost in deep thought. Some wrote furiously, while others paused occasionally, seemingly organizing their thoughts and carefully choosing their words.
Uchiha Ryun sat leisurely on the podium, looking down at the entire exam room. Watching the candidates answer seriously, the corners of his mouth curled slightly as he thought to himself: "Hmm, this feeling of controlling everything is indeed unique. Being a proctor has its own charm."
Just then, Uchiha Ryun's sharp eyes suddenly caught an anomaly—almost all the candidates in the room wrote intermittently, except for two candidates with pineapple-shaped hair in the corner, who maintained a steady writing speed without pause.
His interest piqued, he raised an eyebrow slightly and decided to stand up and patrol the exam room to investigate further.
When he reached one of them, he checked the name—Nara Seifū. The surname was correct! Then he looked at the content. His eyes lit up. The arguments were well-reasoned, with thorough analysis and even counterpoints. Excellent!
Then he looked at the other pineapple-head—Nara Meigetsu. The surname was correct. The content had a unique perspective but hit the mark perfectly. The wording was plain, yet every sentence was on point. Damn, this guy even posed a question for me?
Uchiha Ryun gave Nara Meigetsu a strange look. Nara Meigetsu rested his chin on his hand and tapped the question he had written with his pen, signaling Uchiha Ryun to answer.
Uchiha Ryun's mouth twitched. The audacity! Absolutely outrageous! He snorted coldly and continued proctoring, though inwardly he was secretly pleased. Seifū and Meigetsu each had their own distinct style, and their policy essays were top-notch.
He could consider giving these two more opportunities for experience! The Nara clan members really had sharp minds. After some time, he would ask the Hokage to expand recruitment and bring in more smart people from the Nara clan!
Half the allotted time had passed. Those who knew the answers were still writing, while those who didn't were already scratching their heads and looking around. But the moment they turned their heads, they were met with a handsome face and a pair of Sharingan eyes.
They shuddered and immediately turned back, continuing to write with bitter hearts. This was terrifying! Turning around only to be met with the Sharingan—even if no genjutsu was used, those red eyes were intimidating enough!
Uchiha Ryun, this bastard, opened the teacup he had brought and took a sip, his eyes scanning the candidates below. Just as he was wondering if his own teachers had once felt this relaxed during exams, a voice called out:
"Minister, I'm submitting my exam!"
Uchiha Ryun looked toward the source. Oh? Wasn't that Nara Seifū? Uchiha Ryun nodded. "If you're submitting, come up here. Place your exam paper on the desk, and you may leave."
"Minister, I'm submitting too!" This time, it was Nara Meigetsu. Uchiha Ryun nodded at him and gestured at the desk with his teacup. Nara Meigetsu placed his exam paper on the desk and pointed at the question he had posed, signaling Uchiha Ryun to answer it.
Uchiha Ryun's mouth twitched again. This guy had some personality!
The exam room was silent, filled only with the scratching of pens against paper. However, when the two figures submitted their exams early, the tense atmosphere was instantly broken. The other students looked up, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
"Only half the time has passed. How are they already submitting?" a female student screamed internally, her voice laced with anxiety. She gripped her pen tightly, her palms sweating.
A male student nearby was equally stunned, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His originally neat handwriting had become somewhat messy due to his nervousness, as if the words themselves could sense his unease.
Some of the girls' eyes began to moisten as they bit their lips, trying to hold back tears. The boys, meanwhile, kept wiping sweat from their brows, inwardly groaning in distress.
Uchiha Ryun, sitting in the corner, shook his head slightly. He seemed to recall experiencing a similar situation before—that suffocating feeling of pressure still fresh in his memory.
Every class had a few top students who seemed born for exams, always finishing their papers early and leaving with ease.
This behavior inevitably put immense psychological pressure on the remaining students. Watching others submit their exams so effortlessly while they struggled to come up with answers was an awful feeling.
Uchiha Ryun picked up his teacup and took another sip, trying to calm himself. He let out a long sigh and thought to himself: "Thank goodness I don't have to take exams like this anymore."
——————
This reminded me of exams.