Chunin Exams (4)

Yin Xiang's attempt to redirect the others' hostility worked. Quite a few people gave up on Naruto and focused on Yin Xiang instead.

"Should we make a move?" Dosu asked.

"Let's do it," Zaku replied. Dosu, Zaku, and Kin then appeared beside Yin Xiang using the Body Flicker Technique.

Dosu rolled up his sleeve, preparing to attack Yin Xiang with his weapon. Zaku threw a kunai at him first. Yin Xiang raised his hand and blocked both kunai, then Dosu swung a punch at him.

Yin Xiang knew that Dosu's weapon was unusual and inflicted damage with sound waves. He simply grabbed Dosu's arm. Dosu's eyes widened, astonished that his opponent could catch him.

Yin Xiang then tightened his grip and crushed the bones in Dosu's hand. Dosu cried out in pain. Yin Xiang stood up, grabbed his arm, and flung him into Zaku, who was about to attack. They both went flying and crashed into a desk.

Kin attacked next, but Yin Xiang's figure vanished right before her eyes. When he reappeared, he had two kunai pressed against her neck, drawing a little blood. They were the 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 leaning close to her ear. Frightened by the kunai, Kin didn't dare move. The whole thing had taken no more than five seconds.

"Th-that was fast..." Naruto stared in shock.

"He moved too fast for the naked eye to follow..." Sasuke clenched his fists.

"That guy really is someone we shouldn't mess with." The other ninja grew apprehensive and looked away after seeing what Yin Xiang could do.

"That guy really is strong." Gaara watched Yin Xiang with a complicated expression.

"Ah, Yin Xiang's showing off again," Tenten and the others said helplessly from the side.

"So this is Namikaze Yin Xiang? He's so cool!" Ino immediately swooned over him.

"L-let me go," Kin said, trembling in Yin Xiang's arms. Yin Xiang shrugged, then tossed the two kunai. They struck Zaku in the thighs, and he let out a pained scream. Yin Xiang released Kin and returned to his seat.

"Quiet, all of you! You useless fools!" Just then, a cloud of white smoke appeared on the platform. When it cleared, a group of ninja stood there.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Morino Ibiki, the proctor for the first Chunin selection exam." Ibiki stood on the platform and addressed the assembled Genin. The Sound Ninja Trio helped one another as they moved away from Yin Xiang.

"You Sound Ninja!" Ibiki pointed at the trio. "Don't start any trouble before the exam. Do you want to be disqualified right away? And Yin Xiang, you went too far!"

"Did I? If we weren't taking an exam, those three would already be dead. I hate Sound Ninja, as you know." Yin Xiang spoke without a care. He hadn't seen any Sound Ninja since encountering one a year ago.

But he still hadn't found that Sound Ninja. Ibiki was one of the ninja searching for information about him.

Yin Xiang's words made Dosu and the others break out in a cold sweat. The other examinees silently congratulated themselves on not having provoked him.

"This is a good opportunity to make things clear. No fighting without the proctor's permission. Even with permission, you may not do anything that could kill your opponent. Anyone who disobeys me will be disqualified on the spot. Understood?" The ninja present fell silent.

"Now, the first Chunin selection exam begins. Submit your applications and take one of these number tags." Ibiki held up a tag marked with the number one.

"Take your seats according to your numbers. Then I'll hand out the written exam."

"A written exam? A questionnaire... a questionnaire..." Naruto looked confused, until one of the Chunin held up a test paper.

"A written exam?!" Naruto shouted when he saw it. This was going to be a real headache for him.

Everyone submitted their applications and took a number tag. Interestingly, Yin Xiang stayed where he was. The other Genin looked at him, too afraid to move.

"What are you looking at?" Yin Xiang stood up helplessly, submitted his application, then took seat number one. Only after he sat down did the others come forward to submit their applications and find their seats.

Then the exam began.

Looking at the test paper in his hands, Yin Xiang sighed. How long had it been since he'd written anything? Now he had to take a test, too. Still, the questions were easy for him, so he immediately started answering them.

The others weren't so lucky. They stared at the questions in frustration.

"There are several important rules for this first exam. I won't answer any questions from now on, so listen carefully," Ibiki said, tapping the blackboard with a piece of chalk.

He began writing on the board. "Everyone starts the exam with ten points. There are ten questions, each worth one point. Points are deducted for wrong answers. Get one wrong, and you lose one point. Get three wrong, and you'll have only seven points left."

"Second, whether you pass depends on the combined scores of your three-person team."

Bang! Sakura's head hit the desk. "Wait! What do you mean, our scores are combined?" If Naruto did badly, would she be disqualified, too?

"Shut up!" Ibiki shouted at Sakura. "There's a reason for this. Keep quiet and listen. If you understand, then listen to the next, most important rule."

"If the proctors catch you cheating or doing anything similar during the exam, you'll lose two points for each offense. That means some of you may have to withdraw before your papers are even graded."

"Anyone shameless enough to cheat will only bring ruin upon themselves. Remember that. I'll be watching you at all times," said one of the proctors seated along the side.

"You're supposed to become Chunin, so take the exam like capable ninja," Ibiki continued. "And if even one person on a team gets zero points, the entire team will fail!"

Sakura had just thought that even if Naruto got zero, she and Sasuke could make up the difference. Then Ibiki said exactly that.

"Uh!" Naruto froze, then felt two murderous glares directed at him—from Sakura and Sasuke.

"One last thing: the final question will be given forty-five minutes after the exam begins. You have one hour. Begin!" Ibiki announced. Everyone hurried to start answering.

"Wait," Yin Xiang said, raising his hand. Everyone looked at him. "There's only one person on my team."

The End