Ninja Academy Graduation Assessment Arrives

Unlike before, this time there was not the slightest repulsion or instability between the wind and fire; they blended together perfectly.

Propelled by the wind, the flames became more condensed, their temperature rising sharply until they even emitted a faint, high-pitched hum.

"Wind-Flame Spiral... peak C-rank, approaching B-rank standard."

Ling Xuan muttered to himself; this was merely the result of his initial application of what he had learned today.

He then attempted to recall the contents of In-depth Analysis of Basic Sealing Techniques, combining it with the vague memories he had of witnessing the Nine-Tails sealing, and began to deduce some simple, small-scale sealing arrays for binding or defense.

Just as Ling Xuan was immersed in an ocean of knowledge, his strength advancing by leaps and bounds, subtle changes were occurring within the Ninja Academy due to his presence.

The former dead-last, Naruto Uzumaki, began training even harder after witnessing Ling Xuan's power and Hinata's comeback.

Sasuke Uchiha viewed Ling Xuan as his primary rival; beyond his daily frantic training, he began to think more deeply about combat strategy and technique, no longer relying solely on his clan's glory and talent.

After receiving affirmation from Ling Xuan and the encouragement that "you will be stronger," Hinata Hyuga seemed like a different person.

She remained shy, but her eyes now held a confidence and radiance that had not been there before.

She began to take the initiative to ask Iruka questions, her training became more focused and diligent, and she would even secretly practice the Gentle Fist in the small woods, all just to get a little closer to that figure.

Ino Yamanaka, meanwhile, had completely turned Ling Xuan into an object of interesting challenge. Abandoning her old habit of only focusing on Sasuke, she began to observe Ling Xuan's every move, whether intentionally or not.

She tried to find flaws in him, or perhaps simply wanted to compete with him.

Ino even began to seriously study her clan's secret sensory arts and mental attack techniques, all for the sake of one day being able to fairly defeat the boy who appeared calm and unruffled, but was actually unfathomable.

Toma's private tutoring for Ling Xuan continued, but the content had long since evolved from one-sided instruction into nearly equal discussion, or even reverse consultation.

Several times, the insights Ling Xuan offered regarding the efficiency of chakra usage in a specific ninjutsu or the optimization of tactical combinations left Toma, an experienced chunin, suddenly enlightened.

The theoretical depth of this kid seemed to have surpassed his own in certain aspects!

In his most recent report, Toma explicitly mentioned to the Hokage that Ling Xuan's theoretical knowledge and self-learning ability had completely exceeded the scope of guidance for an ordinary chunin.

Time flew by, and several months had passed since the eye-catching comprehensive skills assessment.

Konoha welcomed the spring, a season of renewal, and the cherry blossoms at the Ninja Academy bloomed brilliantly, signaling that the academic career of this class of students was nearing its end.

As the graduation exam drew closer, the atmosphere at the Ninja Academy became increasingly tense.

In class, Iruka repeatedly emphasized the importance of the "graduation trio"—the Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique—as well as the mindset and qualities a qualified ninja should possess.

The day of the graduation exam finally arrived amidst great anticipation.

The training ground of the Ninja Academy was filled with a solemnity and tension quite different from the usual days.

On the high platform, Iruka wore a serious expression. Beside him stood several unfamiliar Konoha jonin and experienced chunin who would serve as the joint chief examiners for this graduation exam, ensuring its fairness and authority.

"Students, today is the moment to test the results of your years of study!" Iruka's voice echoed across the entire training ground.

"The graduation exam consists of three parts: a written test, comprehensive taijutsu and shuriken practicals, and finally, the most critical ninjutsu assessment!"

"Only by passing all three can you receive a Konoha forehead protector and become a true ninja! Do you all understand?"

"Yes!"

The students' voices were loud, yet they could not hide the nervousness within.

The first part: the written test.

The questions covered everything from ninja world history and basic tactical theory to ninja tool identification, map reading, and code breaking.

For most of the prospective ninjas who relied on intuition and physical fitness, this was undoubtedly a difficult hurdle.

Inside the classroom, some scratched their heads, some wrote furiously, and others, like Naruto Uzumaki, had long since started drawing turtles on their papers, drawing the angry glare of the proctor.

Ling Xuan, however, was calm and unhurried. After receiving his paper, his gaze swept across it quickly; every question and every option was laid bare under the analysis of his Eye of Truth.

The seemingly tricky and bizarre questions were as simple as a child's play in the face of his vast knowledge base.

In less than half an hour, Ling Xuan put down his pen and was the first to hand in his paper and leave, leaving behind a classroom full of envious or jealous gazes.

The second part: comprehensive taijutsu and shuriken practicals.

On the spacious training ground, students were required to demonstrate basic taijutsu sparring and throw shuriken and kunai under various distances and conditions.

Sasuke Uchiha's performance was as dazzling as ever; whether it was the fluidity and speed of his taijutsu or the precision and lethality of his shuriken, he displayed the talent and pride of the Uchiha clan.

Ling Xuan was more restrained. His taijutsu movements were simple and unadorned, without any unnecessary flair.

Yet, every punch and kick contained perfectly timed power, always able to easily neutralize an opponent's attack and counter in the most efficient way.

Finally, it was time for the most critical third part: the ninjutsu assessment.

Students were called one by one into a closed examination room, where only Iruka and two other jonin examiners were present.

One of them was none other than Mizuki, the teacher who was always smiling and seemed to "take special care" of Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto took a deep breath and walked in nervously. "Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, hello examiners!"

Iruka nodded. "Naruto, perform the Clone Technique. You must produce at least three effective physical clones."

"Yes!" Naruto quickly formed hand seals, gathered his strength, and shouted, "Clone Technique!"

Poof...

The result remained regrettable; on the ground, there appeared only a crooked, listless "defective" clone that looked as if it would draw its last breath the very next second.

Iruka sighed helplessly and shook his head.

Mizuki, standing to the side, said with feigned pity, "Oh dear, Naruto, still no luck? What a shame."

Naruto lowered his head in dejection, his eyes rimmed with red.

Following this, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and the others all successfully completed the Clone Technique; some were more refined and others rougher, but all met the minimum standard for graduation.

Hinata Hyuga also overcame her nervousness, and on her second attempt, she successfully produced two slightly translucent yet stable clones, earning the examiners' approval; she was so moved she nearly burst into tears.

"Next, Ling Xuan!"

As Ling Xuan walked calmly into the examination room, the gazes of the three examiners focused on him in unison.