Uproar

January 14, Konoha Year 43.

Feng Ye graduated from the Ninja Academy with perfect scores in every category of the graduation assessment, receiving the rank of genin and ninja registration number 010034.

The news spread through the Ninja Academy, drawing plenty of astonishment. Though he could not compare to Kakashi, who had graduated at five and become a chunin at six, achieving perfect scores in every category was no ordinary feat. Feng Ye, who had accomplished it, was more than worthy of being called a genius!

Inside the classroom.

Nearly all the students who heard the news began discussing it excitedly.

"Perfect scores in every category... Feng Ye is incredible."

"With Feng Ye's level, he should have been able to graduate early long ago, right? Maybe he can reach Kakashi's level too. He just never chose to do it."

Girls such as Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara almost all wore admiring expressions.

A genius!

Handsome enough!

Sunny and gentle in personality, mature and dependable.

All sorts of virtues were gathered in Feng Ye. It could be said that there were scarcely a few people in the entire class who could ignore his brilliance. At most, they felt inferior and lacked the courage to pursue him.

"What's there to be so proud of..."

Listening to the discussions all around him and seeing Rin Nohara's expression, Obito Uchiha immediately felt irritation rise within him and could not help muttering a complaint.

A boy beside him also said indignantly, "Hey, hey, don't you think you're praising him too much...? If he could have graduated early long ago, why did he stay in the Academy and keep studying until now? Isn't that just a waste of time?!"

"Exactly."

Some of the others chimed in.

Hearing the voices from this side, one of the girls snorted and looked over disdainfully. "If you're not convinced, then apply to graduate early yourselves and compete with Feng Ye."

Ever since Feng Ye had defeated Hokumon Hyuga last time with an almost crushing gap in strength, his power had also become something capable of shutting people up.

Ino Yamanaka's words left quite a few boys, including Obito Uchiha, speechless. They held back their frustration but found it difficult to offer any response.

Just then.

Kiba Inuzuka suddenly rushed into the classroom, instantly breaking the atmosphere within. In a voice that was nearly a shriek, he shouted, "...I just heard the teachers talking over by the office. Feng Ye actually applied for the Chunin Exams three days from now!!"

"Huh?!"

Kiba Inuzuka's words silenced the classroom for a moment, followed by a huge uproar.

Many people turned to look at him at once.

"He applied for the Chunin Exams? You didn't mishear, did you?" Shibi Aburame frowned at Kiba Inuzuka, clearly unconvinced.

What kind of nonsense was that, the Chunin Exams?

Feng Ye had only just passed the early graduation assessment. Was he crazy to immediately register for the Chunin Exams, or was he so confident in his own strength that it bordered on blindness?!

Kiba Inuzuka glared at Shibi Aburame. "How could I have misheard? You can question my grades, but you can't question my hearing!"

As a member of the Inuzuka Clan, those words carried considerable credibility.

Since the news Kiba Inuzuka had overheard could not possibly be wrong, that meant Feng Ye had truly applied for the Chunin Exams immediately after passing his early graduation assessment!

"Is he trying to surpass Kakashi?"

"But applying for the Chunin Exams right after passing the graduation assessment is way too outrageous, isn't it? And I heard from my family that ninjas from other villages are participating in these Chunin Exams. This isn't some simple test—it could even be extremely dangerous!"

Quite a few people wore incredulous expressions.

They could not understand how Feng Ye dared to apply for the Chunin Exams.

Obito Uchiha could not help asking Kiba Inuzuka, "If he applies under these circumstances, the higher-ups should reject it, right?"

"No."

Kiba Inuzuka shook his head. "For some reason, they didn't reject it. I specifically went to confirm it. Feng Ye's name is on the newly announced list of participants for the Chunin Exams."

Hearing Kiba Inuzuka's confirmation, someone drew a sharp breath. "That guy has way too much nerve. Does he even know what the Chunin Exams are? Even if he got perfect scores on the early graduation assessment, that doesn't mean he can just casually enter the Chunin Exams."

"He's too confident in his own strength."

Everyone, including Obito Uchiha, was shaken by the news and could not stop discussing it. Meanwhile, Kurenai Yuhi and the others who had admired Feng Ye for earning perfect graduation assessment scores all had their expressions change.

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Kurenai Yuhi's expression shifted. She could not help taking a breath and said, "Why would Feng Ye register for these Chunin Exams...?"

Ordinary Chunin Exams held within Konoha were almost never dangerous. They simply tested a ninja's abilities in various aspects. But joint Chunin Exams involving other villages were different. Ninjas from different villages would not hold back when fighting each other, and there would be casualties every time!

These Chunin Exams were especially dangerous because they were being held while the ninja world was in a tense situation. Their danger would be no less than that of a war!

"This..."

Rin Nohara hesitated as well, then said uncertainly, "Feng Ye should have considered all that, right? Maybe this was a choice he made after thinking it through?"

Kurenai Yuhi looked grave. "No, he may not know that ninjas from other villages are participating in these Chunin Exams. No, I have to find him and make him give up this exam..."

At this point.

Kurenai Yuhi could no longer hold herself back and rushed out of the classroom.

The reason she knew these things was because her father, Shinku Yuhi, was the chief examiner for these Chunin Exams. He had mentioned the matter during dinner yesterday!

"Kurenai!"

Seeing Kurenai Yuhi run out of the classroom, Rin Nohara called after her. When Kurenai ignored her, Rin hesitated briefly before chasing after her.

Outside Feng Ye's home.

After listening to Kurenai Yuhi's breathless, anxious string of reminders and warnings, Feng Ye could not help smiling. "You came all this way just to remind me about that...?"

"Everything I said is true!"

Seeing that Feng Ye still looked relaxed, as though he had not taken it in, Kurenai Yuhi could not help saying urgently, "I heard this from my father. My father is the chief examiner for these Chunin Exams, so the information can't be wrong..."

Rin Nohara also looked at Feng Ye seriously and reminded him, "I know your strength probably isn't inferior to a chunin's, Feng Ye, but these Chunin Exams are still too dangerous. There's no need for you to take such a risk. You should wait and take the Chunin Exams half a year from now."

"All right, all right, I understand. Come in and let's talk."

Looking at the two of them, Feng Ye shrugged helplessly and gestured for them to enter.

Kurenai Yuhi did not go inside. Unable to bear it any longer, she stomped her foot and said, "Ah... Feng Ye, do you even understand what I'm saying?!"

"..."

Feng Ye did not answer. Instead, he glanced down both sides of the street. Seeing no one around, he suddenly reached out and pulled Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara directly into the entryway, then shut the door with a bang.