They had performed nearly perfectly in every previous test, and everyone was eager to see how he would do.
The Clone Technique was the most basic jutsu, but it was also the one that tested chakra control the most. What kind of performance would he give?
"Ling Xuan," Iruka said, his voice full of anticipation. "Please perform the Clone Technique. Create at least three effective, solid clones."
Ling Xuan gave a slight nod, his expression unchanged.
Unlike the others, he didn't make a series of elaborate Hand Seals. He simply raised his right hand and pressed his index and middle fingers together.
With a mysterious yet simple gesture, he instantly replaced the seals.
"Clone Technique." His voice was calm and even.
In an instant!
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Seven faint bursts rang out almost simultaneously!
Seven figures identical to Ling Xuan suddenly appeared inside the examination room!
They weren't illusions. They had clear, solid forms. Their clothes, hairstyles, and expressions were exact replicas—even the distinctive calm and indifference in their eyes had been perfectly recreated!
The seven Ling Xuans stood quietly in place, each giving off a faint chakra signature indistinguishable from the original. It was as if each one were an independent living being.
The entire examination room fell into dead silence.
Iruka's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. The pen in his hand slipped to the floor with a clatter.
The smile on Mizuki's face froze completely, and disbelief mingled with deep-seated greed in his eyes.
"Th-this is..." One of the jōnin examiners struggled to swallow, his voice dry.
"Seven... and every one of them is... unbelievably perfect..."
Without thinking, he turned to the nearest "Ling Xuan clone" and asked, "Can you... answer my question?"
The clone calmly replied in a voice identical to Ling Xuan's. "Examiner, what would you like to ask?"
Ling Xuan's original spoke coolly. "Examiner, is this quantity and quality sufficient?"
"Su-sufficient? It's more than sufficient!"
"This is... this is a textbook example of the Clone Technique! No, it's beyond the textbook! Your chakra control and understanding of the Clone Technique have reached an utterly unimaginable level!"
Iruka finally came to his senses. His face flushed with excitement as he clapped Ling Xuan on the shoulder.
"Excellent! Just excellent! Ling Xuan, you really haven't let me down!"
Clone Technique, E-rank. Core principle: Divide chakra evenly and give each portion an independent form.
Optimization: Inject synchronized spiritual energy to improve the clones' autonomy and stability.
Compress and circulate chakra to extend the clones' duration...
Given Ling Xuan's current control, maintaining seven perfect clones capable of basic replies and simple movements at the same time—
And giving them the rudimentary beginnings of "independent thought"—was already the most "reasonable" limit he could show in public.
Ling Xuan thought to himself that if he wanted to, he could make even more, but that would be far too astonishing.
Without a doubt, Ling Xuan passed the ninjutsu examination with an outstanding, perfect evaluation.
That afternoon, Iruka stood on a raised platform on the Ninja Academy grounds and announced the graduates' names.
Most of the familiar names were called, and their owners received the Konoha Headbands that marked them as Genin.
But Naruto Uzumaki's name never came.
When the last name had been called, Naruto sat dejectedly on a swing in a corner of the grounds, head bowed and figure forlorn. In the end, he had failed after all.
Ling Xuan stood not far away, watching quietly.
The Eye of Truth detected Naruto's profound disappointment and resentment, along with a deep-seated yearning for recognition.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, Ling Xuan spotted Mizuki-sensei approaching Naruto, who was all alone, wearing his trademark gentle smile.
Ling Xuan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
[Target: Mizuki. State: Slightly excited, elevated heart rate, a faint glimmer of scheming in the depths of his eyes... Chakra flow is steady, but mental fluctuations are abnormal...]
What an interesting coincidence.
Ling Xuan understood. Was the plot about to begin? The theft of the Scroll of Seals...
This was a chance to observe advanced Sealing Jutsu up close—and perhaps even learn some of the interesting techniques within.
He discreetly looked away, the corner of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile. It was time to begin his own plan.
Night fell over Konoha, where the day's bustle had begun to fade.
Scattered lights shone like fallen stars, but they couldn't illuminate the schemes taking root in certain shadowy corners.
Ling Xuan moved soundlessly across rooftops and through alleyways, his presence blending perfectly into the darkness.
Even experienced ninja would have great difficulty detecting him.
This wasn't merely a technique taught by Toma-sensei. It was also a stealth method he had perfected for himself through the Eye of Truth's minute analysis of the surroundings, airflow, and interplay of light and shadow.
Not far ahead, Mizuki's figure, visibly excited, was leading the dejected Naruto Uzumaki toward the woods behind the village.
"Naruto, don't be discouraged! Iruka's just too stubborn!" Mizuki's gentle voice rang especially clearly in the quiet night.
"Actually, there's another secret make-up test. If you pass, you can become a real ninja!"
[Target: Mizuki. Mental state: Highly excited, with greed and malice. Speech pattern: Typical manipulative deception, exploiting the target's (Naruto Uzumaki's) disappointment and desperate longing for recognition...]
[Target: Naruto Uzumaki. Mental state: Disappointed and resentful. The hope of a "secret make-up test" has reignited his spirits, and his judgment is greatly impaired...]
The Eye of Truth calmly analyzed the scene unfolding before Ling Xuan.
"Really, Mizuki-sensei? What kind of test is it?" Naruto asked excitedly, as if he'd just grabbed a lifeline.
"It's simple," Mizuki said, lowering his voice and making it sound enticingly mysterious. "Go to Lord Hokage's office and secretly take the biggest scroll in his study—the Scroll of Seals."
"Then learn one of the jutsu written in it at the designated location. It's an S-rank secret mission, you know. Complete it, and you'll be a hero!"
The Scroll of Seals!
Those four words represented Konoha's most profound and dangerous forbidden jutsu!
The legacy of the First, the knowledge and wisdom of countless powerful ninja...
If Ling Xuan could catch a glimpse of it—no, even if he could analyze just one or two jutsu—his strength and knowledge would improve immeasurably!
"Mizuki's move has given me an unexpected gift." Ling Xuan smiled coldly to himself, taking even greater care as he continued to move stealthily.
Ling Xuan watched Naruto's face flush with excitement and nerves, watched as he clumsily—but with a touch of the protagonist's luck—
Managed to sneak into the relatively laxly guarded Hokage residence—perhaps by deliberate arrangement of the plot—and finally came stumbling out with an enormous scroll in his arms.
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