Is This Question Really Not Beyond the Syllabus??

Just as the kunai closed in on Kiba Inuzuka, Shino and Kanami moved at the same time.

"Insect Summoning." "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."

Countless insects wrapped around Kiba, forming something like a bulletproof vest.

Kanami, meanwhile, blew a gale powerful enough to qualify as a Category 8 hurricane from his mouth at the incoming kunai.

The wind was incredibly powerful! Even the kunai were blown away!

The kunai with Explosive Tags instantly flew back toward the three people from earlier.

"How is that possible?!"

The three were horrified.

They discovered that they, too, had been blown away by the gale and smashed hard into the classroom wall, plastered there so firmly they practically could not be peeled off.

The Explosive Tags detonated right in front of them the next second!

Boom!

When the black smoke dispersed, several huge cracks had appeared in the wall, while the three lay neatly on the floor without moving.

The faint rise and fall of their chests showed that they were still breathing.

The people around them hurriedly changed seats, afraid the wall might collapse at any moment.

Seeing Shino and Kanami step forward for him, Kiba was so moved that snot ran from his nose.

"Kanami!"

With snot and tears streaming down his face, he threw himself at Kanami.

Kanami decisively dodged and returned to sit beside Hinata. He did not want Kiba's snot getting on him.

"Shino!"

Kiba lunged at Shino Aburame instead. The moment he pounced, he got a mouthful of bugs.

Shino had already silently appeared somewhere else.

The people who had been watching coldly were all stunned, thinking that if they encountered these people in the team matches, they absolutely had to take a detour.

The noisy classroom instantly fell into an unusual silence. It did not last long before the chatter gradually rose again.

As they looked him over, everyone tried to match him with Konoha's recently famous young geniuses.

"Is he the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan genius, Neji, or Sasuke?"

"How could he be the Byakugan genius Neji? Just look at his eyes. He obviously isn't."

"Then he must be Sasuke, right? They say Sasuke is incredibly handsome. Seeing him today, he really is as handsome as the rumors say!"

"Idiot, Sasuke has black hair!"

"Then who is he? How have we never heard of someone this powerful among Konoha's younger generation?"

Hearing all their various guesses, Kanami was speechless.

Especially the ones guessing that he was that pretentious Sasuke.

Am I really that showy?

Their guesses were far too outrageous, but it was understandable. The only Konoha geniuses people from other villages had heard of were probably those two.

Most of them had never even seen them before, which was why they could mistake Kanami for Sasuke.

Hinata chuckled softly when she saw Kanami's awkward expression.

"You're laughing at me, aren't you?"

Kanami pinched Hinata's little nose.

Hinata pouted and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Actually, I think you're even stronger than Brother Neji and the others."

Kanami teased, "Oh? Hinata finally caught on? You've even learned how to flatter people?"

Hinata lowered her head and said somewhat helplessly, "I mean it."

"Kanami, thank you."

Yuzuki walked over from nearby and thanked Kanami.

Just as Kanami was about to say it was nothing—

There was a bang from the classroom podium, drawing everyone's attention.

As the smoke dispersed, a group of ninja appeared on the podium.

"Hello, everyone. I am Ibiki Morino, the proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams."

After seeing the fierce-looking man in the black trench coat standing at the front, everyone sucked in a breath. The noisy room immediately became completely silent.

Since Kanami had told Hinata and the others about this beforehand, they handled it much better mentally than everyone else.

That made Ibiki Morino take notice of Hinata and the others.

This year might be interesting.

After that, Ibiki Morino explained the examination rules. Then the test rooms were assigned, and the silent ninja standing behind him led everyone to their respective classrooms.

Whenever he explained a rule, Hinata and the others would look at Kanami in surprise.

Because what Ibiki Morino said was not exactly the same as what Kanami had told them, but it was pretty much identical.

If Kanami wanted to, he could even describe Ibiki Morino's movements and expressions.

But there was no need to do something that unnecessary.

Before long, after the rules had been explained, everyone arrived at their assigned test rooms.

Kanami's luck was pretty good. He did not even have to change classrooms and remained seated in the corner of Room 301.

Hinata sat directly in front of him.

Kanami's gaze was fixed firmly on the blond-haired Naruto beside Hinata.

But Hinata probably would not lend Naruto her paper this time. After all, Kanami had already intercepted the story between the two of them.

The papers began to be handed out.

Kanami was also curious about what the questions would test.

After looking them over, he nearly began doubting his life.

"Question One: Calculus..."

What did calculus have to do with a ninja exam?

He was not the only one with that question. Everyone else in the test room felt the same way.

This is beyond the syllabus, isn't it?

Everyone rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

Some even pressed their faces right up against the paper.

"Why can I recognize every one of these characters separately, but the moment they're put together, they feel so unfamiliar?"

"I reviewed all kinds of ninjutsu principles and basic ninja qualities, and you're telling me not a single question tests them?"

Chatter gradually rose in the classroom.

Ibiki Morino swept his fierce gaze over the examinees below.

"Quiet! Anyone who makes another sound will also be treated as cheating and lose two points."

Some dissatisfied people were about to say something, but when they looked up and saw the terrifying Scar on his face, they silently lowered their heads again.

"As a diligent Ninja Academy graduate with excellent character and conduct, not talking back to the teacher is one of my basic qualities."

As time passed, more and more people gradually discovered the exam's real rules.

They all turned into masters of copying.

Especially one Sound Ninja wrapped head to toe in bandages, who actually cheated by identifying words through sound.

Even if someone shoved a camera right in his face, he would not be the least bit afraid.

Kanami lay comfortably on his desk, watching everyone display their various talents.

He shook his head from time to time.

If he had been the proctor, at least ninety percent of the ninja would have been eliminated in the written exam.

Kankuro's trick of disguising his puppet as a proctor left him especially speechless. Could they not even keep track of the number of proctors?

Clearly, the proctors were turning a blind eye. As long as they displayed different abilities to cheat, it was acceptable. Unless someone blatantly copied, they would not be caught.

When Kanami looked over at Naruto, he saw that Naruto was in exactly the same state as when the papers had first been handed out—completely frozen.

Kanami held his forehead.

Has this idiot still not figured out the exam rules?

Naruto was clutching his hair in extreme agony.

"Time is passing second by second. It would be fine if I were eliminated alone, but I'll drag Sasuke and Sakura down with me."

"Sigh, do I have no choice but to cheat?"

Though Naruto was unwilling, when he thought of Sasuke and Sakura possibly being eliminated because of him, he still decided to cheat.

"Good thing the academic genius Hinata is sitting beside me!"

He secretly rejoiced, glad that a genius-level test ace was seated next to him.

This one's in the bag!