Kiyoshi turned and continued walking toward the right at the end of the corridor.
"Wait for me, Kiyoshi!"
Yūhi Kurenai hurried after him.
Sarutobi Asuma scratched his head, wondering—was Kiyoshi really that smart?
Why hadn't he figured it out instantly?
Uchiha Tetsuka and the two clan members beside him exchanged glances.
The Uchiha had produced a truly terrifying genius.
...
"Yo, your hand still hurting?"
After testing the strength of the Inuzuka clan ninja, the two examiners let their team pass.
"That kid's no ordinary one."
The ninja who had taken Kiyoshi's Lightning Finger raised the back of his hand.
The metal plate on his glove now bore two clear dents.
That plate was made of sturdy metal—strong enough to withstand large projectiles like Fūma shuriken.
Yet now, it carried visible damage.
Even accounting for his slight carelessness, among all the examinees he had tested so far…
Only Kiyoshi had reached this level.
...
Step. Push.
Kiyoshi opened the door and entered the lively examination room.
Quite a few people were already inside.
As the door opened, several curious gazes turned toward him.
"Oh? It's the handsome boy from yesterday."
Terumi Mei stood ahead, turning back as she recognized him.
"So what if he's here? He won't last a move against us."
Hōzuki Reigetsu glanced at Kiyoshi dismissively.
An Uchiha, huh?
Within the Land of Water, the Hōzuki clan's reputation was no less than the Uchiha's.
Their clan had produced the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, and possessed the secret technique Hydrification Technique, passed down through generations.
A body turned liquid—immune to physical attacks.
"A clan that plays with flames… tsk."
Reigetsu clearly looked down on the Uchiha.
To him, their only real threat would be Lightning Release specialists from Kumogakure.
Those were the opponents he truly needed to be wary of.
"An Uchiha…"
Yakura cast a glance over, observing Kiyoshi.
What puzzled her was that after their eyes briefly met—
Kiyoshi kept staring at her.
Yakura turned away awkwardly.
That perverted brat… he must be staring at my back!
She wore a sleeveless, backless outfit—practical for the scorching, arid climate of the Land of Wind.
"Did an Uchiha set his sights on you?"
Maki asked, puzzled.
"Did you have some conflict with him?"
"No. It's my first time in Konoha. I've never seen him before."
Yakura shook her head.
"Then it's probably…"
Maki seemed to realize something.
His head was wrapped in white cloth, his face partially covered, protecting him from the sandstorms of their homeland.
Only Yakura, with her Scorch Release, could ignore such harsh conditions.
"What is it?"
Yakura glared at him.
Maki closed his mouth, saying nothing further.
"The younger generation of ninjas sure is lively."
A hoarse voice echoed.
Orochimaru stepped to the front of the classroom, followed by two assistant proctors.
"Quiet. The first stage of the Chūnin Exams is about to begin. Submit your application forms in order."
"Take your number tags and sit in your assigned seats. The written test will be distributed shortly."
The assistants quickly restored order.
Before long, everyone was seated.
Kiyoshi sat in the center.
Kurenai ended up seated next to Yakura.
Asuma was placed to Tetsuka's left.
Seating was randomized—teams were deliberately split apart.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Orochimaru."
After saying that, he offered no further explanation.
The assistant proctors exchanged glances and began explaining the rules.
They wrote key points on the board:
Full score: 10 points.
Example 1: All correct answers = 10 points.
Example 2: 3 wrong answers = 7 points.
"This exam is graded in teams of three. The total score determines your result."
"Additionally, any improper behavior—such as cheating or being suspected of cheating—will result in a deduction of 2 points per offense. Zero points means elimination."
The entire room erupted.
Each person only had 10 points.
That meant being caught five times would instantly eliminate you.
And no one even knew how many questions they could answer correctly!
"Heh… crude cheating is no different from digging your own grave. You've heard of my name, haven't you? I don't tolerate sand in my eyes."
As soon as Orochimaru said that,
some candidates who had planned to cheat turned pale.
This was one of the legendary Sannin—
a hero of the Second Great Ninja War.
No one dared show off tricks under his watch.
"This is bad…"
Asuma scanned the questions—he barely understood any of them.
Especially the bizarre tenth question, which would only be revealed 45 minutes into the exam.
"The difficulty is insane…"
Much of the knowledge wasn't even taught. It was obscure and tricky.
Only those with vast reading and solid theoretical foundations could answer them.
After thinking for a moment, Asuma secretly glanced at Kurenai.
Even from behind, he could see—
her pen hadn't moved.
"Even Kurenai can't answer!"
Without even looking at Kiyoshi, Asuma could already imagine their outcome.
Even if Kiyoshi succeeded, with two teammates failing…
their total score wouldn't be enough.
"So this is Konoha's exam…"
Yakura frowned slightly.
The difficulty was no joke.
Even she couldn't answer many of the questions.
"Konoha… Kirigakure… Takigakure…"
She subtly scanned the room.
Even Konoha's own candidates looked troubled.
So… was this really just a test of knowledge?
Yakura felt something was off.
But under Orochimaru's constant gaze, she suppressed the thought.
Even if she wanted to cheat—
Orochimaru was right there.
Orochimaru's golden, slit-like pupils swept across the room with interest, capturing every expression.
Anyone he looked at quickly lowered their eyes, avoiding eye contact.
Until…
Uchiha Kiyoshi.
Orochimaru noticed that Kiyoshi met his gaze calmly, without fear or submission.
Confidence?
Orochimaru found it intriguing.
The two assistant proctors also noticed the Uchiha crest on Kiyoshi's back.
The arrogance of the Uchiha…
they thought.
"Alright. The exam begins."
Orochimaru spoke.
For a long moment, silence filled the room—
until finally, the faint sound of pens scratching against paper began to echo.
(End of Chapter)