"Now, let's get down to business."
Watching Kankuro, who had barely made it in at the last moment, as well as the crucial part of Sunagakure's Puppet Jutsu that he had long since seen through—the examiner disguised as Kankuro's puppet—Ibiki Morino shifted his gaze. After sweeping his eyes around the room, he spoke.
Tch! He solved every question in twenty minutes, and somehow informed his teammates using a method even I don't understand.
Even under such tight surveillance from me and the other examiners, we didn't notice a single clue. Whether it's his intelligence-gathering ability or his methods, this Hada Ichiba has Chiba's shadow everywhere.
Not just in appearance, but in this astonishing talent as well.
They're practically identical.
Yet although he appeared to be looking at everyone, Ibiki Morino's peripheral vision remained fixed on Hada Ichiba, who had opened his eyes upon hearing his words.
To be honest, perhaps because of the resemblance, he had kept a close eye on Hada Ichiba throughout this exam. Every single movement of his had been within Ibiki Morino's sight.
And yet, he had failed to discover how Ichiba had silently delivered information to his teammates, the two equally eye-catching children. After all, among those taking the Chunin Exams, those two were the youngest. Though nothing about them seemed especially remarkable, anyone capable of taking the Chunin Exams at such a young age could not be ordinary.
That was why those two children had drawn quite a bit of attention as well.
Of course, they were nowhere near as conspicuous as Hada Ichiba.
And based on Ichiba's performance, it was clear that both his intelligence-gathering ability and his means of transmitting intelligence had long surpassed the scope of a Genin.
His true strength could only be described as unfathomable.
As for whether he