The Demon

Qi Shuang's sudden withdrawal left many candidates hoping to pick on an easy target feeling disappointed.

They had originally planned to obtain their graduation qualifications by succeeding against this unlucky classmate.

Now, it seemed all their hopes had come to nothing.

But disappointment was disappointment; they still had to continue with the upcoming Ninja graduation exam.

There was only one unlucky fool, and they hadn't placed all their hopes of graduating on him.

In the end, Ninja qualifications still had to be earned through real strength.

Even if they took a shortcut and killed their opponent, they couldn't guarantee that they themselves wouldn't become someone else's graduation target.

Meanwhile, the poisoned Qi Shuang was quickly sent to Kirigakure's hospital under the teacher's care.

"I still have matters to deal with at the examination grounds. I'll leave this boy to you!" the teacher told the two medical personnel.

"Understood! Please rest assured!" one of the medical personnel replied with a nod.

Then, after glancing at the unconscious child, the Ninja Teacher quickly turned and left.

After examining Qi Shuang's injuries, one of the medical personnel teased his companion, "This boy is really something. He actually injured himself with his own Kunai!"

"Aside from those newcomers who just enrolled, this is the first time I've ever seen someone this stupid!"

"How amusing!"

"Enough. Hurry up and remove the poison! If we're too late, this boy will suffer!" the other medical worker said indifferently.

The two then began the Poison Removal procedure in an orderly manner.

While Qi Shuang lay unconscious from the poison, a tense and thrilling Ninja graduation exam began at Kirigakure's examination grounds.

It was less an exam than a life-or-death battle among the candidates.

Only candidates who remained alive after killing a classmate were qualified to graduate!

This was the rule established in Kirigakure since the First Mizukage's time.

He had said that only ruthless people could become outstanding Ninja!

It was precisely because of this rule that Kirigakure's number of Ninja was far lower than that of the other Four Great Villages.

Even Sunagakure, with its sparse population and scarce resources, had more Ninja than them.

Perhaps benefiting from this ruthless rule, which cultivated Ninja through a gu-like survival process, Kirigakure's total number of Ninja was not large, but its overall military strength was not weak. Even among the Five Great Villages, it was at a moderate level.

Therefore, no one had ever questioned this ruthless rule. Or perhaps someone had once done so, but faced with the collective, they were too insignificant and could only fall silent.

Today, that rule, which had been followed for nearly a century, met a silent challenger.

"Re... report... Mizukage-sama!"

A hurried and panicked voice shattered the silence of the Mizukage's office.

"What are you panicking about? Were we defeated, or has Konoha withdrawn its troops?" A man in blue clothes quickly stepped in front of the newcomer, his face full of indignation.

This is the solemn Mizukage's office. These young people are far too rash! he thought.

After sizing up the newcomer, he asked in surprise, "If I remember correctly... aren't you a teacher at the Ninja Academy?"

"Today is also the day of the Ninja graduation exam. Why aren't you watching over the examination grounds? Why did you run here in such a panic, shouting at the top of your lungs?"

The man in blue furrowed his brows and loudly questioned the newcomer.

"Let him finish what he has to say first," a man wearing a Water-Character Hat said slowly from behind the desk.

That was the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure.

"Yes, sir!"

After hearing his superior speak, the man in blue could only retreat sullenly.

"Speak. What happened that has you so panicked?" the Mizukage asked, looking at the newcomer.

"The examination grounds... the examination grounds are awash with blood. Only one candidate is still alive!" the newcomer said fearfully.

Whenever he recalled the child standing alone in the pool of blood with an indifferent expression, he felt a chill run down his spine!

"Explain clearly. What exactly happened? Were you attacked by enemies?" The Mizukage raised his brows, inexplicably growing irritated.

If an enemy had truly invaded, then things would be extremely troublesome!

"No, no!"

The newcomer waved his hands repeatedly.

"That's good!" The Mizukage secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as the village's defenses hadn't failed and allowed enemies to infiltrate unnoticed, everything could be dealt with.

"It was... it was a candidate. He killed all the classmates taking the exam with him!" the newcomer revealed another astonishing piece of news.

"What?!"

"What?!"

The man in blue and the Mizukage present both thought they had misheard.

"What are you talking about? A child of barely ten killed all the candidates at an examination site?" the man in blue asked in disbelief.

"My lord, I'm not making this up!"

The newcomer grimaced and said with a slight tremble, "We counted the bodies. Aside from the lucky one who withdrew at the beginning, every other candidate was killed by that man!"

"Are you certain he killed them?" the Mizukage asked calmly.

The newcomer gave another bitter smile and said, "When we discovered that he was the only one left at the examination grounds, we immediately questioned him."

"He said that aside from a small number who were killed over the graduation qualifications, he had killed everyone else!"

At that, the two men fell silent.

After a long while, the Mizukage finally asked, "What is that child's name?"

"Zabuza, Momochi Zabuza!" the newcomer replied with his head lowered.

"All right. You may leave," the Mizukage said, waving him away.

"Th... then what should we do with that child?" the newcomer asked again.

"He is still only a child!"

The Mizukage let out a quiet sigh and continued, "Let him graduate normally!"

"Killing to graduate was a rule established by the previous Mizukage. He has done nothing wrong!"

"We have no right to make things difficult for a child who isn't even ten years old!"

After hearing this, the man in blue beside him was clearly still unwilling to accept it.

"But..."

"No more buts! Could it be that the dignified Kirigakure doesn't even have the capacity to accommodate one child?" the Mizukage demanded with a frown.

"Yes! I understand!"

The Ninja who had come to report immediately turned and left.

After the sound of his footsteps faded, the man in blue said to the Mizukage, "My lord, if you indulge that child like this, and others follow his example later, I'm afraid our Kirigakure will sooner or later be destroyed by its own people!"

The Mizukage gave him a deep look and said, "Don't you think this is precisely a good opportunity to revise the graduation rules of the Ninja Academy?"

"Hmm?" The man in blue froze.

The Mizukage behind the desk slowly stood and continued, "Our total number of Ninja is already lower than that of the other Four Great Villages."

"But because every one of them is an elite who kills decisively, our overall combat strength is not weak."

"Normally, the problem isn't apparent. But once war breaks out, the drawbacks emerge!"

"If students from the other villages fail their graduation exams, they can withdraw and repeat their studies. But our Ninja students die directly in the examination grounds!"

"As a result, we replenish our combat personnel far more slowly than the other Four Great Villages!"

"And now, our front line is already under immense pressure! Yet something like this has happened in the rear as well. If this continues, we simply won't be able to fight the war!"

"Then what do you mean, my lord?" the man in blue asked tentatively.

"Go notify those old fellows immediately. Tell them I intend to convene a meeting of Kirigakure's higher-ups!" the Mizukage said with a firm expression as he gazed at the dense white mist outside the window.

At the end, he added silently in his heart,

Some outdated rules need to be changed!

That year, because Zabuza had killed all the candidates, Kirigakure's higher-ups unanimously approved revisions to the examination system for Kirigakure Ninja graduation.

Momochi Zabuza thereby gained the title of Demon.

A man who seemed to have been reincarnated from an evil spirit!