Impossible. How Could He?

Neji Hyuga had exceptionally pure Byakugan, and his chakra flowed steadily and smoothly. He was a true genius.

Rock Lee's chakra pathways were unlike those of ordinary people. Nearly all his energy was concentrated at key points in his body. That had to be the Eight Inner Gates.

The Otogakure shinobi's body had been extensively modified, and his chakra flowed in a bizarre way. Was that Orochimaru's handiwork?

Ling Xuan silently marked all the subjects he needed to keep an eye on in his mind.

Soon, Ibiki Morino, the scarred man serving as the chief proctor for the first exam, stepped up to the podium.

His oppressive presence instantly silenced the entire classroom.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Chunin Exams." Ibiki's voice was deep and cold. "I'm Ibiki Morino, the chief proctor for the first exam. Now, I'll explain the rules."

The rules were simple. Each person had a test paper with nine questions. The exam used a point-deduction system: one point was deducted for each wrong answer, and if anyone on a team scored zero, the entire team would be eliminated.

The most important part was the tenth question.

It would be announced forty-five minutes after the exam began, and everyone would have to choose whether to answer it.

If they chose not to answer, they and their teammates would be eliminated immediately. If they chose to answer but got it wrong, they would lose the right to take the Chunin Exams forever!

"You have one hour." Ibiki swept his sharp gaze over every candidate in the room. "The exam begins now!"

At his command, the candidates immediately opened their test papers.

The classroom was filled at once with sharp intakes of breath.

The questions were far beyond what a Genin could understand: codebreaking, calculations, strategic terrain analysis...

Not only Genin, but even experienced Chunin—and perhaps even Jonin—might not be able to answer every question correctly.

It was obvious that the exam wasn't meant for candidates to "answer" the questions using their own knowledge.

Instead, it tested whether they could obtain information from answer-holders hidden among the candidates without being caught by the proctors—in other words, whether they could cheat.

The exam room grew turbulent beneath the surface.

All kinds of bizarre cheating methods began to unfold in secret.

Kiba Inuzuka had his Ninja Dog, Akamaru, perch on his head and secretly watch other people's answers.

Shino Aburame used his tiny Kikaichū to crawl silently onto other candidates' test papers.

Ino Yamanaka planned to use her clan's secret Mind Transfer Technique to take control of someone else's body.

Sasuke waited for the right moment, ready to use his Sharingan to copy someone else's writing movements.

Naruto stared at the test paper, which looked like a book written in another language, sweating profusely. He couldn't understand a single word.

The exam room had become a silent war of information and counterintelligence.

Yet amid all the undercurrents, one person stood out as completely out of place.

Ling Xuan.

He made no unnecessary movements from beginning to end. He simply picked up his pen and began answering the questions.

His pace wasn't fast, but his writing was remarkably smooth. He never paused or hesitated, as if these tricky questions were as simple to him as one plus one equaling two.

Sasuke was about to activate his Sharingan when he caught sight of Ling Xuan's movements from the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but freeze.

He was... answering the questions? Impossible. These questions...

Sasuke was baffled. He knew Ling Xuan was strong and intelligent, but knowledge of this level was beyond what "smart" could explain.

Sitting not far from Ling Xuan, Neji quietly activated his Byakugan. He saw Ling Xuan writing down answers with effortless fluency, and for the first time, a grave expression appeared in his eyes.

Standing on the podium, chief proctor Ibiki took everything in. Naturally, he had noticed Ling Xuan, the odd one out.

Oh? Someone's actually answering with his own ability? Ibiki sneered inwardly. Has he given up? Or is he...

He gestured to a Chunin proctor beside him.

The proctor understood and silently walked behind Ling Xuan, then looked down at his test paper.

The instant he glanced at it, his pupils contracted sharply!

Ling Xuan hadn't merely written the correct answer to every question. Beside each answer, in even smaller writing, he had also added a detailed explanation of how he had solved it, along with suggestions for improving the questions themselves.

For example, for the ballistics question, Ling Xuan had not only calculated the result but also added: [This calculation does not account for the effects of humidity and crosswinds on the reduction in a kunai's rotational speed. If applied in actual combat, the margin of error will be unpredictable. The corrected model should be...]

For another example, in the codebreaking question, he had not only cracked the code but also written: [This is Konoha's third-generation encryption method. Its key-generation logic has a vulnerability that can be exploited through reverse engineering. I recommend upgrading to the fourth-generation spiral encryption method to improve information security.]

Cold sweat appeared on the proctor's forehead. He wasn't looking at an exam paper; it looked more like an evaluation report issued by Konoha's highest-level strategic analysis department!

Who... was this boy?

He didn't dare look any further. He hurried back to the podium and shot Ibiki a deeply astonished look.

Ibiki's brow furrowed as well. He realized he might have seriously underestimated one of this year's candidates.

Time passed, second by second.

More and more candidates were caught cheating and disqualified. They were escorted out along with their teammates, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

At last, forty-five minutes passed.

Ibiki looked at those still in the classroom and spoke with a sneer. "All right. It's time to announce the tenth question."

Everyone's heart leaped into their throats.

"Before I reveal the question, you have to make a choice." Ibiki's voice brimmed with temptation and pressure. "Will you answer or give up? Anyone who answers and gets it wrong will lose the right to take the Chunin Exams forever. Those who want to give up may raise their hands now."

An immense pressure fell over the classroom.

Lose the right forever! The price was too steep!

Some candidates began trembling under the pressure and raised their hands. Their numbers were recorded, and then they left the classroom dejectedly with their teammates.

One, two, three...

More and more people left.

Naruto's palms were slick with sweat. He hadn't been able to answer a single question, and if he chose to answer, he was almost certain to get it wrong. But if he gave up, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ling Xuan would all be dragged down with him...

Just as he was torn between his choices and was about to raise his hand,

a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.