It was strangely quiet for a room with so many people. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Everyone seemed difficult to approach, especially Gaara, who wasn't even trying to conceal his killing intent. No one wanted to start trouble before the exam.
Daigan glanced around. Karin, the meek-looking girl with glasses, stood nervously in a corner wearing a Kusagakure headband. Lady Saya's team had claimed a spot by the window, looking out with serene expressions while Shira and Sana stood behind them like bodyguards. Toki's squad didn't seem very united and were whispering amongst themselves. Uno, who couldn't stand Daigan, was with a few other Sand Ninja squads.
*The main cast is almost all here. Just waiting on the Konoha ninja now.*
Daigan scanned the classroom's layout, already planning his next move.
Soon, Yakushi Kabuto, Tsurugi Misumi, and Akado Yoroi—the Otogakure spies disguised as Konoha ninja—arrived first, followed by the other Konoha genin. Everyone quietly found a spot and waited for the first phase of the exam to begin. The silence was finally broken by the arrival of Team 7, led by the loud-mouthed Uzumaki Naruto.
"Those guys are something else," Kankuro sneered. "So weak, and they still have the guts to take the Chunin Exam. Looks like the lesson you gave them wasn't enough, Daigan."
"Hmm, maybe they got stronger."
"Stronger? Don't be ridiculous. It's only been a few days."
Temari, who had been observing quietly, watched the noisy group of Konoha rookies with a cold smile. "Kankuro, don't let your guard down. We Sand Ninja can't become a laughingstock like that."
Next, just as Daigan expected, Yakushi Kabuto, tasked with gathering intel on Uchiha Sasuke, successfully befriended Team 7, showed off his Ninja Info Cards, and then got beaten to a pulp by the Sound trio for his insolent remarks.
Daigan looked at the clock on the front wall. Right on time, the proctor for the first test, Morino Ibiki, appeared with a group of Konoha chunin who would be serving as monitors.
***
The first thing the proctors did was stop the fight between the Sound Ninja and Kabuto, then they announced the rules of the exam.
It was exactly as Daigan remembered. The test would last one hour. The final question would be revealed after forty-five minutes. A point-deduction system was in place: points would be lost for wrong answers and for being caught cheating. If any member of a squad scored zero, the entire team would be eliminated.
The rules were simple enough. Both Haruno Sakura and Toki asked a few questions, but received no answers.
Passing the first test wasn't actually difficult. All you had to do was nothing.
However, one could never be too careful. Uzumaki Naruto might have been able to pass with a blank paper, but there was no guarantee others would receive the same treatment. Besides, this was a good opportunity to further solidify his reputation as a reckless troublemaker to mislead his competitors in the upcoming rounds.
The information he knew in advance was a valuable reference, but he couldn't pin all his hopes on just following the "plot."
Having made up his mind, Daigan lazily raised his hand and asked in a flippant tone, "Sir Proctor, if I follow all the rules, can I try to make the other candidates lose more points and get them kicked out of the exam early?"
Low-level cheating would be recorded by the monitors, with two points deducted for each infraction. A well-executed attempt to gather information might be overlooked. But if someone deliberately tried to stop a competitor from cheating, or exposed their methods, surely the monitors wouldn't just turn a blind eye.
The candidates, already tense from the exam rules, immediately turned to look at Daigan's fake smile.
Morino Ibiki's expression hardened. "You must be the Sand puppeteer, Daigan. Just as rumored, a real troublemaker. Are you so confident you can pass my test that you're already thinking about kicking out your competition?"
"You misunderstand, Sir Proctor. I just think that with so many candidates and such a low difficulty level, it's not right to let a bunch of unworthy scrubs slip through. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Interesting," Ibiki sneered. "I will not repeat the rules I have already announced. The monitors' duty is to maintain order. If you can do what you claim, I'd like to see it."
"Then I'll give it a try." Daigan smiled, completely unfazed. The hundred-plus murderous glares in the room couldn't make him back down.
The clock struck 3:30. At Ibiki's command, the exam officially began.
Daigan casually flipped over his test paper and glanced at the questions. They were indeed difficult; even a middle schooler with nine years of compulsory education might not be able to answer them. Given the general level of education in the shinobi world, it was nearly impossible for a genin to solve these problems.
For Daigan, however, they weren't too difficult.
His left fingers twitched. The small puppet on his shoulder sat up, picked up the pencil he had tossed on the desk, and began to write.
*Using a puppet to write the answers? He must be trying to avoid imitation ninjutsu, like…* The monitor, Tobitake Tonbo, glanced with a smile at Uchiha Sasuke, who was sitting two rows behind Daigan to his right. *What a cautious kid.*
What the monitor couldn't see was Daigan's right hand, which rested lightly on the desk, concealing a circle of sand that spelled out a message: "Copy me."
Sitting in a corner in the front row, Yome's pupils dilated as if she'd seen something. A look of joy crossed her face, and she began to write.
Chi, who had been waiting patiently, was suddenly startled by a flash of light, like the glint off a spinning drop of water.
*Right hand, northeast!*
Already prepared, Chi extended her right hand into the empty air and grabbed a thin, invisible thread. The thread ran up her arm to the back of her neck and pierced her skin. She instantly lost control of her right arm.
*Human Puppet Performance! To think he learned a secret technique like this without a teacher, and no one even knew. Did he prepare this in advance, knowing this day would come?*
For most Sand Ninja, the Human Puppet Performance was the most essential puppeteer technique to be familiar with, as it was crucial for coordinating with puppeteers on the battlefield. In truth, the jutsu originated as a tragic technique born from puppeteers being forced to manipulate the corpses of their comrades after their own puppets were destroyed. It wasn't something modern Sunagakure particularly encouraged. Young puppeteers disliked the jutsu; even when controlling a living person, it required the subject's absolute trust, and it was impossible to coordinate without practice. The impatient Sand Ninja of today would never learn such a difficult, thankless, and rarely useful technique, even if it was A-rank.
In less than ten minutes, while other candidates were just realizing it was impossible to answer the questions on their own and would have to cheat without getting caught, Daigan, Yome, and Chi had already finished all nine questions and flipped their papers over to prevent others from peeking.
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