Hearing his name, the pale boy rose elegantly, his long black hair swaying lightly behind him. His examination had been nearly perfect—the Transformation Technique flawless, the Clone Technique producing five solid clones, every shuriken hitting its mark, and his opponent subdued in just three moves during taijutsu sparring.
"As expected of a genius..." Waves of admiration rose from the stands.
When Orochimaru returned to his seat, Tsunade leaned over and whispered, "That theory about cellular activation you mentioned last week—I checked the clan records, and there really were similar accounts. How did you come up with it?"
"I read it in a book," Orochimaru replied blandly, though his gaze casually swept over Neji.
The shadow clone pretended not to notice their interaction and focused on the examination in the arena. Soon, Teacher Nakajima called his name.
"Neji!"
The entire venue instantly fell silent. Although Neji had deliberately kept a low profile, the talent he had occasionally displayed over the past five years had left a deep impression on his classmates—whether it was his precise taijutsu guidance or his unique insights into various ninjutsu theories, he far surpassed the level of an ordinary student.
"Transformation Technique!"
After forming the hand seals, the shadow clone transformed into Nakajima's appearance. The details were perfect, though he deliberately left an inconspicuous crease at the collar.
"Clone Technique!"
Two solid clones appeared at his sides, their movements perfectly synchronized with the original. It was a precisely calculated performance—just below excellent, but somewhat above passing.
"Shuriken throwing, eight hits." Nakajima recorded the score, a trace of regret in his tone. "Taijutsu sparring, Neji versus Uchiha Ryota!"
A stir ran through the stands. Uchiha Ryota was widely recognized as one of the top students in the class. He had already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and his taijutsu