Uchiha Kaedei's words seemed to carry some hidden meaning.
Mikoto didn't understand at first—but soon she realized what Kaedei had been hinting at.
At the front of the classroom, the examiner for the first stage of the Chūnin Exam stepped forward.
"My name is Morino Iko."
"I am the proctor for this stage of the Chūnin Exams!"
"The exam will begin now."
"As long as you don't harm your teammates…"
"Answer the questions however you like!"
Bai Xing rested his chin on his hand and silently complained.
Why is this uncle the proctor again?
Did your whole family inherit the right to supervise the first stage of the Chūnin Exams?!
He glanced sideways.
A Hyūga branch family boy sitting beside him had his hands clasped together, praying nervously.
"Father, Mother… please bless me to pass this exam!"
Bai Xing stared at him with dead fish eyes.
You're this eager to go die on the battlefield?
Having seen brutal war documentaries, Bai Xing already felt a generation gap between himself and these naïve kids who had never seen a battlefield.
Soon the exam papers were distributed.
And unsurprisingly—
They were extremely difficult questions that even someone who mastered the Ninja Academy curriculum would struggle to score above 90 points on.
There was only one realistic solution:
Cheat.
Specifically, copy from the planted candidates in the exam hall who already knew the answers.
Usually there were two such teams.
Bai Xing glanced at a few familiar faces—people who had appeared in the exam the past two years.
Same actors again…
Next to him, the Hyūga boy read the paper and collapsed into his chair.
"It's over…"
His soul seemed ready to leave his body.
Bai Xing: "..."
I really want to roast you.
Above them, a monitoring camera rotated slightly, observing every candidate's reaction.
Monitoring Room
"Little Ming… what is that kid doing?"
Inside the monitoring room, a Hyūga jōnin from the branch family rubbed his temples while watching the screen.
The boy in the exam was his cousin's son.
At this rate, the kid would definitely fail.
After all, the Chūnin Exam evaluated more than just strength—it assessed whether someone was a well-rounded ninja.
Also—
There were limited promotion spots.
With the current number of candidates, at most two teams could pass.
That meant only six new chūnin.
"He's probably just too nervous," said another jōnin instructor.
"He only graduated recently but already came to take the Chūnin Exam."
"Still," said Yūhi Shinku, watching Ryūun write smoothly on the screen.
"There are sixteen teams taking the exam."
"I wonder how many will be eliminated in the first stage."
"They've all realized the exam isn't just about answering questions, right?"
"Ku ku ku…"
"My Team Two will definitely pass," said Sarutobi Shinnosuke, focusing proudly on his students.
The famous Ino–Shika–Chō trio were already cooperating.
Yamanaka Taiji spotted a few planted examinees writing confidently.
Once they finished writing perfect answers—
He used Mind Body Switch Technique.
Swapping into one of their bodies, he copied the answers.
Then he returned and secretly helped Nara Hane and Akimichi Yumi cheat.
A New Visitor
"Orochimaru."
"What are you doing here?"
Hiruzen spoke without turning around, glancing slightly behind him.
Leaning against the wall was a tall man with a cold expression.
His lips curved faintly.
His eyes looked like those of a venomous snake lurking in the forest.
"I heard there's a Uchiha prodigy girl taking the exam this year," Orochimaru said calmly.
"So I came to take a look."
"And apparently she's studying under that genin instructor Bai Xing…"
"That makes things rather interesting."
At this moment, Uchiha Keishin, the jōnin instructor of Kaedei's team, turned around.
His three-tomoe Sharingan spun as he stared directly into Orochimaru's snake-like gaze.
"The Uchiha clan doesn't need your concern, Orochimaru."
"We will raise our own geniuses."
Orochimaru raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I'm simply interested in talent."
"Besides, I already have a disciple I favor."
"And my mission schedule is quite full."
"Hmph."
Keishin closed his Sharingan and turned back to the screen.
Around them, other instructors exchanged awkward glances.
The political tension between the Hokage faction and the Uchiha clan never stops…
Back in the Exam Hall
"Answers are done."
"Now it's time to start eliminating people."
"So troublesome."
Shinnosuke had instructed his team to demonstrate their teamwork.
Not just answering questions.
From the fifth row, Nara Hane had a perfect angle to observe the proctors.
He quietly formed hand seals.
The proctors noticed—but pretended not to.
Several of them even smiled slightly.
The real fight among genin has begun.
And surprisingly—
The new graduates started it.
There were six rows of desks.
Under the tables, Hane's shadow stretched forward.
It connected with the shadow of a genin sitting in the fourth row.
Suddenly—
"I—I can't move!"
"Candidate #31. First warning!"
"But my body suddenly stopped moving!"
A proctor wrote another mark.
"Candidate #31. Second warning."
"One more violation and you are eliminated."
The genin fell silent.
Helplessly watching his own body reach toward the desk in front of him.
Hane clenched the air.
The controlled ninja grabbed the exam paper.
Sorry, Hane thought.
Teacher's orders.
Rip—
The paper was torn in half.
The genin stared at his hands in despair as control returned.
"Candidates #10, #31, and #45…"
"Eliminated!"
"What?!"
"He tore the paper—why do we fail too?!"
"I already finished my answers!"
On the stage, Morino Iko spoke coldly.
"You three are teammates."
"Would you abandon your companion and become chūnin alone?"
"If that's the case—"
"You are even less qualified to become chūnin."
The three froze.
Under the gaze of the entire classroom, they lowered their heads and walked out.
They hadn't expected such bad luck.
Eliminated before even reaching the second stage.
The Next Elimination
Now it was Yamanaka Taiji's turn.
"Sorry."
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
In an instant, he possessed another examinee.
Lowering his head to read the exam—
The answers were mostly correct.
Hmm…
Wrong target.
Then—
A voice sounded beside him.
"Body swap?"
"I don't remember his teammates being from the Yamanaka clan."
"And there's only one Yamanaka examinee here."
Bai Xing.
The possessed boy turned his head slightly.
Taiji stared coldly.
"Mind your own business."
"I didn't control you because Teacher Shinnosuke wants us to beat you badly in the second and third rounds."
"Otherwise…"
Bai Xing yawned.
He didn't care at all.
That guy wasn't his teammate.
Right now he was just waiting for Ryūun in the front row to cast a hypnosis genjutsu so he could pretend to barely pass with just over 60 points.
Suddenly—
"I… withdraw!"
The possessed boy suddenly stood up and raised his hand.
Taiji was stunned.
Did someone just use a technique on me?!
"Candidates #7, #21, and #30…"
"Eliminated!"
Third Row
Kaedei finished writing her answers and turned toward Mikoto.
"Time for you to leave the exam, Mikoto."
"Kaedei."
Mikoto's eyes flashed.
A single-tomoe Sharingan appeared.
Kaedei froze.
Shock and jealousy filled her face.
"When did you awaken the Sharingan…?"
She had only recently awakened her own.
And now this younger girl had already surpassed her.
Even the instructors in the monitoring room were surprised.
Awakening Sharingan at eleven years old was considered genius-level talent.
Many Uchiha didn't awaken it until 14 or 15.
Mikoto scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Uh…"
"I got angry because of my teacher."
Everyone: "?????"
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