Inside the Hokage Office.
As soon as Shikaku Nara finished speaking, the scene before their eyes changed.
Everything suddenly went black, and then a speck of golden light flashed into existence.
The golden light expanded from a small point into a giant light screen, completely covering one wall of the office.
An image appeared on the screen: above the clouds, a majestic palace emerged.
The palace was grand and magnificent, shimmering with golden light.
Then, the camera zoomed in to reveal the opulent interior of the palace.
Dragons and phoenixes were carved onto four massive supporting pillars, looking as if they were alive.
The dragons roared, and the phoenixes sang clearly.
The walls were covered in incomprehensible runes that flickered with a faint light, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone who saw them.
In the center stood a long table with a chair behind it.
A figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but at first glance, it felt as if he had been there all along.
The figure wore a long black robe and a feathered crown; his aura was refined and elegant, appearing like a transcendent being.
This person was, of course, Ye Chen. He had used the system's power to add a layer of disguise that could not be seen through.
"Who is it?"
Minato Namikaze was the first to react, shouting out a challenge.
In an instant, Shikaku Nara and Kakashi Hatake moved to shield Minato Namikaze.
Seeing the three of them looking at him as if facing a formidable enemy, Ye Chen smiled slightly.
"It seems the entrance effect was quite good; a great start."
From their reactions, it was clear they viewed Ye Chen as an extremely dangerous enemy.
They were proceeding with extreme caution.
Ye Chen ignored Minato Namikaze's questioning.
This was partly due to system restrictions; as the Quiz Examiner, Ye Chen was limited.
He could not interact directly with Minato Namikaze and the other two examinees; his speech was restricted to the content defined by the system.
He could select five questions for the three examinees and speak appropriately during the quiz process.
Seeing the once-unreachable Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze treating him with such caution gave Ye Chen a sense of satisfaction.
A small surge of pride welled up within him, and he almost let it go to his head.
After a brief moment of posturing, Ye Chen composed himself, slowly sat in the chair, and spoke:
"Welcome to the Quiz Space."
"I am the Chief Examiner for this session."
The Quiz Space, as the name suggested, existed for the purpose of answering questions.
Ye Chen had deliberately used the system to alter his voice.
It became the voice of a somewhat elderly man as it reached the ears of the three examinees.
"Wait! Your Excellency should first explain your identity and origins."
"What are your intentions, intruding into Konoha Village and using a barrier to trap the Hokage?"
Shikaku Nara asked.
He was always the calm one and felt that the priority was to understand Ye Chen's objective.
However, Kakashi Hatake on the other side did not have such patience.
Kakashi Hatake pulled the forehead protector covering his left eye up to his forehead, revealing a blood-red Sharingan.
His face was full of killing intent as he threatened:
"Your Excellency, infiltrating Konoha Village and taking action against the Fourth Hokage-sama is already an unforgivable crime."
"Now, deactivate this barrier and surrender!"
"Otherwise, face the consequences!"
As the captain of the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad, Kakashi Hatake's responsibility was to protect the Hokage.
He would not allow any enemy to harm or threaten the Hokage.
In Kakashi Hatake's eyes, Ye Chen's act of trapping the Hokage in the Quiz Space was equivalent to a declaration of war.
Facing Kakashi Hatake's threat, Ye Chen remained indifferent and let out a cold sneer.
With the system's support, Ye Chen was an invincible existence within this Quiz Space.
In the entire Ninja World, from Uchiha Madara down to the common people, anyone in the Quiz Space was just a dish on his table.
He could manipulate them however he pleased.
A mere Kakashi Hatake dared to show his thorns before him?
"I said, no nonsense!"
*Squelch!*
With a crisp sound, Kakashi Hatake's arm, which was holding a Kunai, was severed at the shoulder.
It was as if an invisible blade had sliced through his shoulder in an instant.
The entire arm fell to the ground, and a large amount of blood sprayed from the wound.
Kakashi Hatake let out a muffled groan and instinctively clutched the wound with his intact left hand.
He was filled with fear and uncertainty; just as he had finished speaking, an extremely dangerous signal had pulsed through his entire body.
In the next moment, before he could even react, his arm had been completely severed.
There was no warning, no way to dodge, and he didn't even know what method the opponent had used!
"Kakashi!"
Minato Namikaze cried out in shock, shielding Kakashi behind him at top speed and pulling out bandages to stop the bleeding.
He had seen it clearly just now; the enemy hadn't used anything like a wind blade or any other sharp weapon.
It was as if an invisible sword had chopped off Kakashi Hatake's arm!
Forcing himself to stay composed, Minato Namikaze asked in a heavy voice:
"Your Excellency, if this is a quiz, then so be it. Why resort to hurting people?"
Meanwhile, Shikaku Nara immediately began dressing Kakashi Hatake's wound.
None of the three present knew Medical Ninjutsu, so in this emergency, they could only use traditional methods to stop the bleeding first.
Hearing Minato Namikaze's angry questioning, Ye Chen shook his head and said coldly:
"I have brought you into the Quiz Space to grant you an opportunity."
"Do not be ungrateful. This is just a warning. If there is a next time, face the consequences."
"I ask, you answer. Correct answers get rewards. The rules are that simple."
"No more nonsense. Once the quiz is over, I will naturally leave."
Just moments ago, Kakashi Hatake had righteously told Ye Chen to face the consequences.
Now their roles were reversed, and it was Ye Chen's turn to tell them to face the consequences.
Chuckling inwardly, Ye Chen felt that being the mastermind behind the scenes was quite satisfying.
No wonder Uchiha Obito wore that crappy mask all day acting like a big shot.
It really did feel great.
Shikaku Nara finally finished stopping Kakashi Hatake's bleeding and asked seriously:
"May I ask, Your Excellency, what kind of quiz is it? And what are the rewards?"
"Since there are rewards, there must naturally be punishments. What are the punishments?"
Ye Chen had only mentioned rewards, but Shikaku Nara was not naive enough to think there wouldn't be punishments.
Hearing the question, Ye Chen smiled and replied:
"Given that this is the first quiz, punishments will not be counted this time. They will start from the next session."
There was going to be a next time?
Minato Namikaze's heart tightened.
He and Shikaku Nara exchanged a look, both appearing deeply worried.
Ye Chen's appearance was too sudden, and everything he said defied their understanding.
How could a mysterious person suddenly appear and drag people into a quiz?
And there were rewards for correct answers? What exactly was his goal?
These questions swirled in their minds, but no matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't find an answer.
After all, something as miraculous as a system was completely beyond the imagination of the Ninja World natives.