Chunin Exams (4)

Namikaze Yin Xiang's redirection of hatred proved effective; many immediately abandoned their focus on Naruto and turned their eyes toward him.

"Shall we move?" Dosu asked.

"Let's do it," Zaku replied. Following this, Dosu, Zaku, and Kin instantly appeared at Yin Xiang's side, having utilized the Body Flicker Technique.

Dosu pulled back his sleeve, preparing to strike Yin Xiang with his weapon. Zaku immediately threw a kunai. Yin Xiang raised his hands, catching both kunai mid-air, just as Dosu threw a punch.

Yin Xiang knew Dosu's weapon was peculiar, designed to inflict damage through sound waves. He grabbed Dosu's arm directly, causing the man's eyes to widen in shock that his opponent could actually catch his limb.

Yin Xiang then applied pressure, crushing the bones in Dosu's arm. As Dosu let out a cry of agony, Yin Xiang stood up, grabbed the man's arm, and swung him into Zaku, who was preparing to attack. Both of them went flying, crashing into a table.

Kin then launched her own attack, but Yin Xiang's figure vanished from before her. When he reappeared, he already had two kunai pressed against her throat, drawing a thin line of blood—the very same kunai Zaku had thrown earlier.

"I don't really want to hurt a pretty lady," Yin Xiang said, resting his chin on Kin's shoulder and whispering into her ear. Kin was too terrified by the kunai to move. The entire sequence had taken less than five seconds.

"Such speed..." Naruto stared, dumbfounded.

"It's not a speed the naked eye can track..." Sasuke clenched his fists.

Seeing this display, the other ninja felt a wave of cowardice and averted their gazes, realizing this was a man not to be trifled with.

"This guy... he really is strong," Gaara watched Yin Xiang, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Ah, Yin Xiang is showing off again," Tenten and her teammates sighed helplessly.

"Is that Namikaze Yin Xiang? So cool!" Ino's infatuation flared up instantly.

"Let... let me go," Kin stammered from within Yin Xiang's grasp. Yin Xiang shrugged, then tossed the two kunai away, pinning them directly into Zaku's thighs. Zaku let out a howl of pain. Yin Xiang released Kin and returned to his seat.

"Quiet down, all of you! You bunch of losers!" Just then, a cloud of white smoke appeared on the podium. As it cleared, a group of ninja stood there.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Exams, Morino Ibiki," Ibiki said, looking down at the genin. The three Sound Ninja helped each other up and retreated from Yin Xiang's vicinity.

"You Sound Ninja!" Ibiki pointed at them. "Don't you dare cause trouble before the exam even starts. Do you want to be disqualified immediately? And Yin Xiang, that was too heavy-handed!"

"Is that so? If it weren't for the fact that we still have an exam to take, those three would be dead already. I really hate the Sound Ninja, as you know," Yin Xiang said, looking indifferent. He hadn't seen a Sound Ninja since the one he encountered a year ago.

However, he still hadn't found that specific ninja, and Ibiki was one of the people searching for information on him.

Yin Xiang's words made the scalps of Dosu and his team tingle, while the other examinees secretly rejoiced that they hadn't provoked him.

"This is a good opportunity to make things clear: no private combat is allowed without a proctor's permission. Even with permission, you are not allowed to kill your opponent. Anyone who dares to defy me will be disqualified immediately. Do you understand?" The room fell into silence.

"Now, the first stage of the Chunin Exams begins. Submit your applications and take a number plate." Ibiki held up a placard with the number one on it.

"Take your seats according to your numbers, and then I will distribute the written test."

"A written test? A test... a test..." Naruto looked confused until a chunin held up a stack of papers.

"A written test!" Naruto shouted upon seeing them, his head beginning to ache.

Everyone submitted their applications and took their numbers. Interestingly, Yin Xiang remained in his seat, and the other genin watched him, not daring to move.

"What are you looking at?" Yin Xiang stood up helplessly, submitted his application, received the number one seat, and sat down. Only then did the others follow suit to submit their forms and find their seats.

Then, the test began.

Looking at the paper in his hand, Yin Xiang sighed. How long had it been since he had written anything? Now he had to take a test, though the questions were simple enough for him, and he began to answer them immediately.

The others, however, were having a much harder time, staring at the questions with growing headaches.

"There are a few very important rules for this first exam. I will not answer any questions later, so listen carefully," Ibiki said, tapping the blackboard with a piece of chalk.

He began to write on the board. "Everyone starts with ten points. There are ten questions in total, each worth one point. We will use a deduction system: one point off for every wrong answer. If you get three wrong, you'll only have seven points left."

"Second rule: whether you pass or fail will be determined by the total score of your three-man squad."

Thud! Sakura's head hit the desk. "Wait a minute! What do you mean by the total score of the three of us?" If Naruto failed, did that mean she was out too?

"Shut up!" Ibiki barked at Sakura. "There is a reason for this. Keep your mouths shut and listen. If you understand, I'll tell you the most important rule."

"During the exam, any cheating or behavior resembling cheating discovered by the proctors will result in a two-point deduction per instance. In other words, some of you might be forced to leave before the grading even begins."

"Those who resort to shameful cheating are only digging their own graves. Remember that; I will be watching you at all times," a proctor sitting on the side added.

"You are all aspiring to be chunin. Since you are ninja, take this exam like elite ninja," Ibiki continued. "Furthermore, if one person in a squad gets a zero, the entire squad fails!"

Sakura had just been thinking that even if Naruto got a zero, she and Sasuke could make up the points, but Ibiki's words shattered that hope.

"Ugh!" Naruto froze, then felt two killing auras radiating from Sakura and Sasuke.

"Also, the final question will be given forty-five minutes after the start. The exam lasts one hour. Begin!" Ibiki announced, and everyone scrambled to start.

"Wait a minute," Yin Xiang raised his hand, and everyone looked at him. "My team only has one person."