At noon the next day, in Konoha Ninja Academy's first examination hall.
The vast lecture hall was packed with more than four hundred Genin from Konoha, Sunagakure, and a handful of other allied ninja villages.
The air was stifling. The only sounds were the scratch of pen tips across paper and the heavy, nervous breathing of a few examinees.
The first round: a written exam.
The examiner was Morino Yuichi, a Special Jonin with a scar across his face and a sinister air about him.
He stood at the podium, coldly surveying the room with eyes that seemed able to see into people's hearts.
"The rules are simple." Morino Yuichi's voice was hoarse and cold. "The test has ten questions, and you have one hour.
The total score is 100 points. You need 60 to pass.
You lose 2 points for each instance of cheating.
If one member of a team is caught cheating, the entire team loses 5 points. When the exam ends, anyone with a score below 60, along with their teammates, will be eliminated."
"Also..." He paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a cruel smile. "The final question will be announced forty-five minutes after the exam begins.
If you choose not to answer, your entire team gets zero and is eliminated.
If you choose to answer but get it wrong... your entire team will be permanently barred from taking the Chunin Ninja Exams."
"Now, begin."
The papers were handed out.
Uchiha Ryūha took his test and glanced over it.
The questions covered ninja theory, tactical analysis, wilderness survival, decoding intelligence, and more.
The difficulty was well beyond Genin level. Even many Chunin might not be able to answer every question.
The final few tactical problems in particular demanded sharp logic and extensive combat experience.
To him, of course, it was all Greek.
He could hardly be bothered to pick up his pen.
Uchiha Ryūha pushed up his glasses and calmly looked toward Morino Yuichi at the podium.
Complete Hypnosis, activated without a sound.
This wasn't large-scale hypnosis, but an extremely precise, imperceptible nudge to the senses.
Like a small pebble tossed into a still lake.
By the time the ripples reached the edge of Morino Yuichi's perception, they had weakened until they were almost nonexistent.
But deep in Morino Yuichi's subconscious, a thought was quietly "planted" and fixed in place:
"Uchiha Ryūha's test is entirely correct.
His handwriting is neat, his logic is clear, and there's no sign of cheating. Full marks."
With that done, Uchiha Ryūha leaned back in his chair at his leisure.
He folded his hands on the desk and began to observe the varied expressions around the examination hall with interest.
A short distance to his left, Namikaze Minato was answering at astonishing speed. His pen barely stopped, and he wore a relaxed smile.
Uzumaki Kushina, on the other hand, was scratching her head and grinding her teeth over several theory questions.
But there was a sly glint in her eyes, as if she were plotting some "unconventional" approach.
To the right and in front, the four-person Sunagakure team—all of them seemed to be puppeteers—looked troubled.
Unlike a Jinchūriki like Gaara, who came along later, these four seemed to belong to a puppeteer clan within their village.
Across the room, Yotsuki Kagura of Kumogakure sat with his legs planted wide, not even looking at the test.
As an observer, his only task today was to help maintain order.
He swept his gaze challengingly across the Konoha ninja in the room, especially the Uchiha.
When he saw Ryūha sitting there so casually, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Among the Konoha examinees, Genin from the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans were each using their own methods.
Byakugan to see through things, Ninja Dogs to pass messages, insects to steal answers... There was no shortage of tricks, though most were used cautiously.
At Team Seven's seats, Haruno Kazuya's face was pale and sweat beaded on his forehead. The questions were clearly too difficult for him.
Fujiwara Itsuki was even frantically tugging at his hair, sneaking glances at Uchiha Ryūha now and then.
But seeing his own "big shot" lost in thought only made him more anxious.
Matsumoto Ryūichi couldn't enter the hall as their instructor, so he paced anxiously in the corridor outside.
He had pinned all his hopes on Ryūha.
Uchiha Ryūha took it all in, as if enjoying an entertaining play.
Forty-five minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"Time's up." Morino Yuichi's icy voice rang out. "I will now announce the tenth question."
He surveyed the room, looking at the faces before him—some tense, some fearful, some resolute.
"For the tenth question, you may choose to answer or not.
If you choose not to answer, your entire team gets zero and may leave now.
If you choose to answer but get it wrong, your entire team will be permanently barred from taking the Chunin Ninja Exams."
The room fell utterly silent.
Many faces turned deathly pale, and bodies began to tremble.
"You have five minutes to consider. Make your choices now."
The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating.
One after another, several teams buckled under the pressure. They chose to give up in tears and left in disarray.
Over among the Sunagakure teams, the four puppeteers exchanged glances. They were all prepared to answer.
They had come to this exam to gather information in the first place.
Passing would be ideal, but if they didn't, it didn't matter.
Yotsuki Kagura kept his eyes fixed on Uchiha Ryūha. He had been waiting a long time for their promised match, and he couldn't help growing impatient.
Ryūha didn't even look at him.
Namikaze Minato and Kushina exchanged smiles and raised their hands to answer at the same time. Their calm confidence inspired many of the Konoha Genin.
In the end, more than half the teams stayed.
"Excellent." A trace of approval, almost impossible to detect, appeared on Morino Yuichi's face. "Then I declare..."
He paused, then raised his voice sharply:
"The tenth question was—your resolve to 'answer' just now!"
"As ninja, you will often face difficult choices while on missions—even desperate situations with no right answer.
What determines whether you can complete your mission and survive isn't knowledge or ninjutsu.
It's the courage and decisiveness to take responsibility and keep moving forward in the face of the unknown and fear!"
"Congratulations to every team that chose to 'answer.' You have passed the first round!"
The room was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers and sighs of relief!
Many people slumped into their chairs, cold sweat having soaked through their backs.
Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki hugged each other in excitement, nearly bursting into tears.
Ryūha simply smiled faintly and stood up.
The first round had been a breeze.
The Genin filed out of the examination hall.
In the corridor, Ryūha ran into Yotsuki Kagura, who had been waiting there for some time.
The Kumogakure Jonin had clearly grown impatient.
The moment he saw Ryūha, he bared his teeth in a grin.
"Uchiha brat, the written exam's over.
Now it's time to honor our 'agreement,' isn't it?"
The examinees who hadn't left yet stopped in their tracks and crowded around.
Konoha versus Kumogakure!
And the Uchiha Ryūha who had vowed to trample Yotsuki Kagura underfoot in the first round!
The air grew tense in an instant.
Ryūha pushed up his glasses and looked at him calmly. "Here? Now?"
"What, scared?" Yotsuki Kagura sneered.
"Relax. I'll suppress my Chakra to Genin level, so no one can accuse me of bullying a kid."
"Suppress your Chakra?" Ryūha chuckled. "Do as you like."
He walked to the open space in the middle of the corridor and faced Yotsuki Kagura.
The crowd automatically formed a circle around them.
"Come on." Ryūha rested one hand on the Ninja Blade at his waist. "Let's see how good Kumogakure's prodigy really is."
"You're asking for it!"
Yotsuki Kagura growled and vanished in an instant!
So fast!
Even with his Chakra suppressed, his Taijutsu fundamentals were still terrifying.
He lunged like a tiger pouncing down a mountain, the air whistling around him.
His right hand curled into a claw and shot straight for Ryūha's throat!
But—
Ryūha only shifted slightly to the side.
Yotsuki Kagura's claw skimmed past his collar and found nothing.
"Too slow."
Ryūha's voice came from beside his ear.
Yotsuki Kagura's pupils contracted. He threw a backward elbow without a second thought.
Smack.
His elbow was stopped effortlessly by a pale hand.
Ryūha had somehow moved to his side, his left hand gripping Yotsuki Kagura's elbow joint.
His right hand still rested on the hilt. He hadn't even drawn his blade.
"Is that all you've got?"
There was a note of disappointment in Ryūha's voice.
Yotsuki Kagura roared. His muscles bulged as Lightning Release Chakra burst out again—this time, he no longer cared about holding back!
But it was already too late.
Ryūha twisted the hand gripping his elbow slightly.
A deft force sent Yotsuki Kagura pitching forward, off balance.
At the same time, Ryūha's right hand finally moved.
Clang!
The Ninja Blade slid an inch from its sheath.
It was just an ordinary Ninja Blade.
A flash of steel.
Splurt—
A burst of blood blossomed from Yotsuki Kagura's shoulder.
He grunted and stumbled backward, clutching his wound as he stared at Ryūha in disbelief.
"You..."
"I told you. Too slow."
Uchiha Ryūha sheathed his blade. There wasn't even any blood on it.
"If this had been a real fight, that strike would have cut off your head."
He turned without another glance at Yotsuki Kagura, whose face had turned livid, and strode straight toward the exit.
The crowd parted automatically as he passed.
Every gaze turned toward him, filled with shock and awe.
One move.
He'd injured a Kumogakure Jonin who was holding back with just one move!
Was this Uchiha Ryūha's true strength?!
Yotsuki Kagura stood where he was, blood pouring from his shoulder. His face alternated between pale and flushed.
At last, he gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
His retreat was a sorry one.
Before you continue