Written Exam Ends

"As long as we passed information along this way, everyone could make it through..."

Neji continued speaking. Though he claimed he wanted everyone to pass the exam, he had not proposed this plan at the start. He had only stepped in after some people had finished answering the questions. Clearly, he had not intended for everyone to pass.

Moriyue remained seated, unmoving. With one leg crossed over the other, he watched the examinees gathered by the wall from afar, raising his opinion of Neji by another notch.

"Neji's a smart man. The real purpose of this exam is to help Gaara solidify his position, so naturally more Sunagakure ninja have to pass. Stepping in now both shows his own worth and curries favor with Sunagakure. Brilliant. Truly brilliant."

Some things might seem insignificant from outside the game. Only after entering it could one understand the deeper meaning behind the actions of those within.

But what did any of that have to do with Moriyue? He was not from Konoha, so why should he consider Konoha and Sunagakure's interests? They did not think much of him as a Kumogakure ninja either. If he still worried about them, that would be downright pathetic.

"Sure enough, one's position affects the way one thinks. If I were in Konoha right now, I'd probably cooperate with Neji. But..."

Moriyue shifted his body slightly. Lightning flickered beneath his skin, and crackling sounds continuously came from his body, like popcorn popping.

"You're right..."

"Thud~"

"But what do we get out of it?"

The Sunagakure ninja from before appeared again and punched the wall. They had already finished communicating; they were certain to pass this time. Why should they let others pass and create more competition for themselves?

He had wanted to see Neji's furious expression, but unfortunately, Neji's face remained calm as he explained leisurely, "One extra knock doesn't matter. Our side can get fifty points, while the other group gets fifty points and zero points."

The Sunagakure ninja was unwilling to give up and threw several more punches at the wall. Neji followed with several palm strikes. The two sides remained locked in a stalemate, unable to break Neji's setup.

"Looks like I have to do it..." Moriyue left his seat. The Lightning Torment brewing within him was nearly ready. An invisible static field formed around him, and everyone instinctively kept their distance, afraid they would accidentally get electrocuted into having an afro.

Neji and the Sunagakure ninja were no exception. By the rules, Moriyue was merely training his own body-strengthening ninjutsu, which did not count as attacking others. As Moriyue approached, only one person remained by the wall.

Lightning gathered in Moriyue's hands and spread from him across the entire wall. His body continuously crackled with "pop-pop-pop" sounds as sizzling currents wrapped around the whole wall. Blue arcs of electricity kept everyone outside, leaving only Moriyue—also surrounded by currents—sitting by the wall.

"This guy's breaking the rules, isn't he? How is this not attacking other people?!"

"Isn't he electrocuting himself too? Is he trying to see who lives longer? Damn, what the hell is this kid trying to do?"

"This... really doesn't seem to violate the rules. I remember those Kumogakure guys often trained their bodies in dangerous places to temper themselves. But training by mutilating yourself like this... no matter how you look at it, this isn't body tempering anymore, is it?"

"Damn! His hair's smoking! This is just a Written Exam, is that really necessary?!"

Neji, who had originally intended to go over and communicate, stopped in his tracks as well. Moriyue's display was far too eye-catching. If he did nothing, that was one thing—but once he acted, he looked ready to risk his life.

Kumogakure had plenty of battle-crazed lunatics. Neji did not dare gamble on whether Moriyue would suddenly go mad and ignore the rules to fight him here.

In any case, he had already expressed the attitude he wanted to convey, and that was enough to save face. He had no intention of getting involved any further.

On the other side of the room, the examinees who had just been secretly delighted to receive the information were all equally dumbfounded. The knocking had been going fine, so why had it suddenly stopped?

"No, there still seems to be some sound... crackling and sizzling. Why does it sound like an electrical leak? What's going on?"

Everyone looked at one another. Something seemed to have happened over there.

Kazeki and the other person, who had already finished their questions, also heard the strange electrical noise. For no apparent reason, they both thought of Moriyue at the same time.

"The captain wouldn't have turned himself into some Lightning King just to stop them from passing information, would he...?"

"No way, no way. Even the captain wouldn't risk his life over something this trivial, right...?"

"..."

Thus, amid the uneasy worry of the two and the gloomy faces of the other examinees, the Written Exam came to an end.

Perhaps Shikamaru could not stand watching any longer, or perhaps he had some other reason. After the exam time expired, he suddenly added a bonus question.

"Anyone who passes the bonus question will pass along with their entire team, regardless of their previous score." A malicious smile appeared on Shikamaru's lips; even through the screen, his ill intent could be felt.

"If your team encountered an enemy attack during a mission and needed to send out a decoy certain to die, write the person you would choose on the back of your answer sheet. The person with the most votes will be eliminated."

Moriyue clicked his tongue and withdrew the rampant lightning. He simply disliked people who did not respect the rules. Seeing that too few people had passed, they forcibly added a bonus question. But this was, after all, a joint exam between Konoha and Sunagakure. They were the hosts, so naturally they could do whatever they wanted.

"A mighty dragon can't overpower the local snake." Moriyue picked up his pen and casually scribbled down a name on the back.

Once everyone had finished writing their names, the corners of Shikamaru's mouth lifted slightly.

"Everyone who wrote down a teammate's name may leave. Those who abandon their comrades on the battlefield are unfit to become Chunin."

"What? So that was the test...?"

"Damn it, I got all the earlier questions right. I was so close..."

All those who had written down their companions' names were eliminated. Yet Moriyue, who had clearly written a name on his paper, remained seated without moving.

"Hey, I saw you write a name on your paper just now. Are you planning to stay here and refuse to leave?"

"After all that scheming, you still got eliminated, didn't you? What a clown."

Moriyue remained unmoved and stretched lazily. Only after Shikamaru's warning came through the small television did he rise to his feet.

"Please leave in an orderly manner if you have been eliminated. The Written Exam has ended..."

Everyone's eyes turned toward Moriyue as he stood. He did not hesitate, directly displaying the name on the back of his answer sheet before everyone.

That name was none other than "Nara Shikamaru"!

"I don't know why you came up with such a Poisoned Chicken Soup question. Is staying behind supposed to let the entire team get wiped out?"

"Back then, Sakumo Hatake failed a mission to save his companions, and Konoha's villagers and higher-ups drove him to his death. Yet now you're preaching the importance of companions."

"Don't you think that's a little hypocritical? The ninja world is cruel. Everyone needs to be prepared to make sacrifices."

"We're not protagonists. People like you who persuade others to stay behind are either stupid or malicious, and can only squander the goodwill of those willing to die."

"I'm afraid you're not suited to be the chief examiner."