"Gaara!"
Seeing this, Kankuro hurriedly grabbed Gaara's hand, stopping him from attacking.
As his older brother, Kankuro knew Gaara's methods all too well. Once he made a move, it would be about far more than just drawing blood!
This Chunin Ninja Exam was being jointly held by their village and Konoha. If someone died before the exam even began, it would inevitably affect relations between the two villages!
"Let go."
Gaara turned to look at Kankuro, his gaze ice-cold, like that of a killing machine devoid of all emotion.
His eyes seemed to hold no trace of familial affection.
"Gaara, put away the gourd!"
Kankuro's tone was firm. He had clearly made up his mind to stop Gaara from attacking.
"Hmph!"
Gaara snorted without a word. The sand rushing toward Ye Fan from his gourd changed course and headed for Kankuro instead.
From the looks of it, he intended to kill Kankuro first, then Ye Fan.
When he saw the sand flying toward him, Kankuro's face changed dramatically. He hadn't expected Gaara to attack him without the slightest hesitation.
In his younger brother's eyes, it seemed that even his own older brother was no more than a complete stranger.
"Gaara!"
Seeing him about to attack Kankuro, Temari immediately shouted.
At her words, Gaara slowly turned to look at Temari, then silently put away his gourd and stopped moving.
"Phew... Phew..."
Kankuro was now panting heavily, drenched in sweat.
Just a moment ago, he had truly felt the presence of death.
That suffocating feeling still sent a shiver through him.
Ye Fan had seen every one of Gaara's movements.
So this was what it meant to be a big sister's boy. He'd witnessed it firsthand today.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the classroom, blowing many people off balance.
Ibiki appeared with a group of examiners, giving everyone present a show of force the moment he arrived.
The hideous scar on Ibiki's face made some of the Genin feel terrified.
"By the time I count to three, each of you will find a seat. If you still haven't found one by then, come back next year."
Ibiki swept his gaze across the room. His voice was low and imposing.
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom descended into chaos.
Those who hadn't found seats hurried to locate their teammates as quickly as possible.
Sasuke casually chose an empty seat and sat down. Sakura hurried to sit beside him. Naruto was just about to sit next to Sakura when someone from another village beat him to it.
Ibiki's voice echoed in his ears. With the deadline fast approaching, Naruto still hadn't found a seat.
Just then, a very gentle voice sounded beside him.
"Naruto, you can sit over here."
Following the voice, he saw Hinata, her little face flushed as she buried her head deep in the desk.
She must have summoned tremendous courage to say those words.
With time running out, Naruto didn't have a moment to spare. He rushed over at once.
"Ye Fan, quit standing there and hurry over!"
At that, Ye Fan shook his head. There was no way he was going to be a third wheel.
Ye Fan glanced toward Sakura and strode over.
The first exam was all about cheating.
As far as he remembered, Sakura could answer every question.
Since that was the case, he might as well take the nearest seat and save himself the effort.
"Ye Fan, there aren't any seats over there! Hurry over, or you'll be disqualified!"
Seeing him head toward Sakura, Naruto shouted anxiously.
Ye Fan ignored him and walked straight to Sakura's side. With a casual wave of his hand, he tossed the person sitting next to her out of the seat.
Seated in his place, Ye Fan looked perfectly calm, not a hint of emotion on his face.
"You!"
"You dare treat me like that!"
The person who'd been thrown out shouted furiously.
Ye Fan sat in his seat, rubbing his chin, and paid him no mind.
"You just wait—"
Before he could finish, Ibiki cut him off sharply. "Get out. You've failed the exam!"
The people sitting in front of and behind him were ordered out as well.
"Just you wait! We'll be waiting outside for you!"
As the three left, they made throat-slitting gestures, their hostility plain to see.
Ye Fan didn't take their threats seriously in the slightest.
Forget them—even if Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi at the height of his power, came here, Ye Fan wouldn't fear him either.
The Genin in the classroom watched this unfold, looking bewildered.
You could do that?
Was forcibly taking someone's seat not against the rules?
Chief examiner Ibiki gave Ye Fan a long, piercing look.
Sitting beside Sakura, Ye Fan made her heart race. She began daydreaming again, lost in her own thoughts.
He was willing to offend a ninja from another village just to sit next to me. Does he like me?
What should I do if he really does like me?
He and Sasuke are both so handsome. How can I choose?
But he and Sasuke are enemies. If I accept his confession, will Sasuke stop hanging out with me?
Before she knew it, a blush spread across Sakura's face. She shyly sneaked a glance at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan frowned when he saw her. Did she take an aphrodisiac? She looks so infuriating.
"Everyone, the Chunin Ninja Exam began the moment you walked through the door."
"Unfortunately for you, you ran into me. That means many of you are bound to fail!"
Ibiki spoke expressionlessly from the podium, placing a stack of exam papers on the desk.
"Before you begin, let me tell you that the rules for this Chunin Ninja Exam have changed a little."
"Previously, you had to take the Chunin Ninja Exam in teams of three."
"But things are different this year. After discussions between the Hokage-sama and the Kazekage-sama, anyone who signed up alone can also take this Chunin Ninja Exam."
"One team in this exam is made up that way." Ibiki pointed at Ye Fan. "He's a team of one: Uchiha Ye Fan."
"What? He's a member of the Uchiha Clan?!"
"I never thought there'd be a third Uchiha in the world!"
The room erupted in astonishment at those words.
Most of the people present hadn't known Ye Fan's identity. Now that they did, they were shocked.
In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to Ye Fan as they looked him up and down.
The Uchiha bloodline was renowned throughout the entire ninja world.
The Sharingan was something they all dreamed of possessing.
At that moment, each of them had their own thoughts and plans.
"He's just an Uchiha without a Kekkei Genkai. Nothing but a loser."
Just as everyone was expressing their surprise, a sudden voice rang out, full of disdain.
Before you continue