The End!

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Their teamwork was excellent. As Li left to attack Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku, Inoichi Yamanaka, who was behind him, immediately used his clan's secret technique to invade Li's mind and take control of him. A person's actions were directed by the "mind," which could be considered the command center of the entire body. As long as you could control someone's mind, you could force their body to obey your commands, such as picking up a Kunai and committing suicide. Of course, the "mind" here didn't mean the heart, but one's thoughts!

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

The Ino-Shika-Cho clans had been allies for generations, and their secret techniques were designed to work together. The three of them were practically of one mind. After Inoichi invaded Li's mind, Shikaku Nara, who had been hiding behind Choza Akimichi, immediately used his shadow technique. In an instant, their shadows overlapped until they were indistinguishable from each other.

"Uchiha Li, I wonder if this test is over now?"

After Li was restrained, Choza took two steps forward and looked at him calmly. He had great faith in the secret techniques of the Yamanaka and Nara clans. If used separately, perhaps their targets could break free, but Choza didn't think Li could escape when both techniques bound him at once.

"What are you talking about?" Li smiled faintly, his hands resisting Shikaku's Shadow Possession. In his inner world, he could clearly sense what seemed to be another personality inside his head.

At Li's words, Choza's expression stiffened, and he frowned slightly. He thought Li was refusing to admit defeat and was about to say something, but just then, Inoichi suddenly cried out. He had been doing fine inside Li's body, but for some reason, a pair of enormous Sharingan suddenly appeared before him, hanging over his head like two blood moons. Inoichi hurriedly withdrew from Li's body and stumbled backward, his eyes wide. Then he fainted on the spot. Just before Inoichi escaped, Li had used a Genjutsu to attack his mind. He had fainted because his mental energy was severely depleted.

"He broke free?"

Choza wasn't the only one shocked. Minato and the others were stunned too. They knew a little about the Yamanaka clan's secret technique. Once caught by it, it was difficult to break free without overwhelming strength, and even then it took time. But Li had escaped in an instant. Just how great was the gap between them? Inoichi was already at the level of an elite Genin, and Shikaku's Shadow Possession Jutsu had helped him, too.

"This pointless fight ends here. From now on, I'm getting serious!" Ignoring their astonishment, Li unleashed a fierce surge of chakra that immediately broke Shikaku's Shadow Possession Jutsu. The forceful escape caused a backlash, and Shikaku's face turned pale as he staggered backward.

"Such powerful chakra. This..." Minato half-covered his eyes with his hand, shielding them from the sand whipped up by Li's chakra. His heart sank. No matter how hard he tried, the gap between them was despairing.

The difference between a Jonin and an elite Genin was like that between a river and the Yangtze—there was no comparison. Once Li got serious, it took less than ten seconds for every test taker to end up on the ground. He went easy on Uchiha Mikoto, merely tapping her foot to take away her ability to move. The only one who surprised him was Minato, whose strength had already reached the level of a Chunin. A nine-year-old Chunin—no wonder he would become Hokage one day.

The spectators erupted in an uproar. They hadn't expected the test to be such a one-sided defeat. If the examiner had been a Jonin, no one would have been this surprised. But the examiner was only a nine-year-old child. Three years ago, he had been a first-year student; three years later, he was only a third-year student. Once the shock wore off, cheers rang out, and everyone grew excited.

"Damn it, is this the gap between us?" Uchiha Fugaku lay on the ground, his face full of frustration. Seeing the almost adoring look on Uchiha Mikoto's face beside him only made him feel worse.

"All right, this test is over. You've all done well, and you're fully capable of becoming Genin. I hereby authorize your graduation." Li glanced over the group, then pulled out a stack of documents and continued, "Take your documents to Lord Hokage and collect your Forehead Protectors!"

They should have been happy, but none of them could manage it. They had been defeated by someone their own age, even though they had all ganged up on him. Ashamed, they struggled to their feet and silently accepted their documents. Then they left with their heads bowed. The cheers around them felt like a cruel taunt, relentlessly battering their hearts.

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully completed the mission. Reward: 1,000 points!"

Hearing the system's notification, Li let out a quiet breath. At last, it was done. Fighting a bunch of elite Genin really wasn't interesting. If he hadn't wanted to complete the system's mission properly, he might have simply declared that they had passed.

Ignoring the excited screams and cheers, Li turned and walked away, leaving the students with only his departing figure.

"Oh? That kid's strength is probably enough to make him a Special Jōnin. What do you think, old man? The Chunin Ninja Exams are coming up soon. Should we send him to win Konoha some glory?"

The test was over, and Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, who had been watching from the shadows, stopped observing.

"Heh, I was thinking the same thing. Since you're back now, I was planning to have you lead a team. What do you think?" The Third Hokage nodded with a smile and looked at Jiraiya.

"Don't joke around. Do I look like the kind of person who could lead a team?" Jiraiya waved his hand and hurriedly declined.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. I know what kind of person you are. That's exactly why I asked you to lead a team. Besides, didn't you take three students in the Land of Rain?" The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and spoke calmly.

The Third Hokage knew about this; Orochimaru and Tsunade had reported it to him. But to protect Jiraiya's reputation, he had told the public that Jiraiya had gone traveling. After all, Amegakure had been Konoha's enemy at the time. If anyone found out that Jiraiya had taught Ninjutsu to orphans from the Land of Rain, they might use it to undermine him.

"The three children I want you to teach are all important to Konoha. I don't trust anyone else, so do this old man a favor." Afraid Jiraiya might refuse, the Third Hokage played on their friendship.