My Answer

Ibiki Morino stood on the podium like an iron tower, the jagged scar running across his rugged face adding to his fierce demeanor. With the oppressive gaze of a man scrutinizing criminals, he swept his eyes over the restless examinees below.

Test papers were collected by his subordinates and stacked neatly on the podium before him. He picked up a bundle and began to grade them rapidly. Most of the papers were riddled with errors or left largely blank, which was exactly as he had expected—these questions were far beyond the level of a genin.

His grading speed was blistering, the tip of his red pen carving out one mark after another to signify errors and point deductions.

Until... he flipped to the next paper.

The name signed on the paper was: Kakashi Sakuya.

Ibiki's brow twitched imperceptibly. He had some recollection of this name; wasn't this the connection Kakashi had shoved into the exam? With a hint of undetectable disdain, he cast his gaze toward the answer section.

However, the very next second, the muscles in his face tightened instantly!

Question one, correct. Question two, correct. Question three... correct! It wasn't just correct; the answers to almost every question were as precise as if they had been copied from a textbook! He had even provided perfect, concise solutions to several extremely tricky extension questions involving ancient sealing theory and complex intelligence analysis!

How could this be?! This knowledge was not something a genin of this age should possess! Unless...

Ibiki jerked his head up, his eyes—honed by countless interrogations and capable of seeing through lies—shooting toward the black-haired, purple-eyed boy below like a hawk.

The boy remained in his nonchalant posture, leaning back in his chair as if completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him. But Ibiki's gaze was far too sharp; he instantly caught an anomaly—the air around the boy held traces of extremely faint, yet exquisitely precise chakra fluctuations. They were the subtle imprints left behind by the use of high-intensity, high-precision ocular jutsu! When combined with the surname "Kakashi" and the background of that man, Kakashi...

A startling conjecture rushed into Ibiki's mind!

He hadn't cheated through ordinary means... could this kid have used the Sharingan?! And it was certainly no simple replication! This level of information processing and comprehension...

Ibiki's gaze fell back onto the nearly perfect paper, his fingers holding the red pen pausing slightly. The scar on his face seemed to burn from the internal shock.

He remained silent for several seconds, and finally, he firmly drew a red circle on the perfect paper, signifying a pass.

But his eyes became even deeper and sharper, locking firmly onto the boy named Kakashi Sakuya.

This kid was definitely no ordinary connection hire. It seemed a formidable "crocodile" had slipped into this Chunin Exam...

He looked at the final tenth question. On a typical paper, a tenth question used as filler like this would be marked as an automatic fail if the second option wasn't checked. But Ibiki wanted to see what kind of answer a child like this would write... His pupils contracted sharply.

Tenth question: Please make your choice.

◯ Answer this question (This option was clearly, unhesitatingly circled.)

Answer section:

"I choose to answer."

"This rule is meaningless. To give up out of fear of implicating others only proves one's own weakness and incompetence. A true powerhouse never pins their hope on the choices of others, nor will they become a burden to them."

"If my teammates are eliminated because of my answer, it only proves they lacked the qualifications to be Chunin and were unworthy of being by my side. As for me, I will pass."

"Writing any answer is a redundant performance. My will itself is the answer."

He muttered to himself involuntarily: "Who exactly is this child..."

Ibiki Morino forced down the shock in his heart regarding Kakashi Sakuya's astonishing paper, took a deep breath, and continued grading. His fingers flipped to the next paper.

Nadeshiko Haku.

The name was written with grace and strength, carrying a hint of coldness. Ibiki's gaze swept to the answer section.

Once again, his pupils contracted slightly.

Correct, correct, correct... The accuracy was almost on par with Kakashi Sakuya, reaching a terrifying level! But looking closely, one could find subtle differences. Her solutions, especially on questions regarding tactical analysis and terrain utilization, carried a unique, sharp perspective outside the Konoha system. Her logic was clear and meticulous, and in some segments, she even proposed solutions more optimized and efficient than the standard answers. This was not something achievable by mere copying; it was a manifestation of truly understanding the core of the questions and integrating the wisdom of her own school!

"Nadeshiko Village..." Ibiki whispered to himself, a look of gravity appearing on his rugged face. The strength and intellect of this exchange student from a foreign land far exceeded his expectations. She hadn't relied on a Kekkei Genkai, but had achieved this result through pure wisdom, observation, and a reservoir of knowledge.

With a growing sense of caution, he flipped to the next one. Kakashi Lian.

The accuracy of the answers was equally frightening! Although he was slightly inferior to the previous two on some extension questions requiring strong divergent thinking and subjective judgment, his answers were impeccably precise on all basic questions and most analytical ones. What caught Ibiki's attention even more was that the boy's paper was incredibly neat, the handwriting tidy and clear, as if he weren't taking an exam but performing a precise art of calligraphy. This near-obsessive rigor and control also hinted at some extraordinary traits.

A fine bead of sweat seemed to seep from Ibiki's temple. If one Kakashi Sakuya was an accident, what about three in a row? This could no longer be explained as a coincidence!

He suddenly accelerated his grading speed, almost with the mindset of seeking verification, and quickly dug out the papers from the other students of the "Genin Preparatory Class."

Shikano Nara—showed astonishing talent in strategic reasoning questions; his answers were often incisive, hitting the core, and he even reverse-engineered some of the examiner's intentions. Although some rote-memorization questions were left blank, he nearly aced the strategy section! Chiba Akimichi—unexpectedly, he had extremely high accuracy on questions regarding medicinal herbs, poison identification, and physical exertion calculations, clearly extending his love for food into related fields. Kazamatsuri Yamanaka—performed excellently on intelligence code-breaking and psychological analysis questions, with answers that were meticulous and nuanced. Himawari Uzumaki—her paper might not have been the most top-tier, but it was extremely balanced, maintaining a high level of accuracy in every subject, especially in questions related to teamwork and medical first aid, where her answers were filled with empathy and practicality, a warm wisdom shining between the lines.

Paper after paper, the more Ibiki read, the more alarmed he became!

The overall quality of this "Preparatory Class," overseen by Kakei Sumire, secretly monitored by Kakashi, and even including the son of the Seventh, far exceeded his imagination! They might not have had the terrifying, near-perfect scores of the Kakashi brothers and Nadeshiko Haku, but every single one of them displayed solid foundations, special talents, and immense potential far beyond that of ordinary genin!

They weren't rookies here to try their luck; they were a group of carefully polished, distinct elites!

Ibiki slowly put down the last paper from the Preparatory Class and looked up, once again gazing at that area below. His eyes swept over the young faces one by one: Sakuya, Haku, Lian, Shikano, Chiba, Kazamatsuri, Himawari...

The fierce aura on his face was gradually replaced by a complex emotion—it was surprise, scrutiny, and even a hint of undetectable... anticipation.

So that's how it is... No wonder that guy Kakashi was so at ease this time.

This generation of genin, especially this Preparatory Class...

"Heh." The corners of Ibiki Morino's mouth twitched upward in a rare, strained expression that was almost a "smile."

"It seems this time, things are going to be very interesting." He muttered to himself, his voice raspy but tinged with a hint of excitement.