"The exam begins!!"
Ibiki Morino wrote the exam rules on the blackboard.
Put simply:
Whether they passed would be determined by the combined score of their three-person team.
Everyone started with ten points. The written test had ten questions, each worth one point.
Each wrong answer cost one point, and getting caught cheating cost two.
Yemu Hyuga had it pretty easy.
With the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, his memory was naturally beyond that of ordinary people.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki Clan weren't humans. They were alien superhumans.
However...
Quite a few Genin understood what this written test was actually assessing, even if they couldn't answer the questions.
They began using their kekkei genkai and all sorts of ninjutsu.
By cheating.
That was how they obtained the correct answers.
"Number 25, eliminated! You've been caught cheating five times! Take your teammates and get out!!"
Izumo Kamizuki from the Interrogation Department hauled a ninja out of the exam room on the spot.
The ninja being dragged out had resentment in his eyes.
But once he felt the pressure coming from Izumo Kamizuki, a Chunin...
He immediately behaved himself.
He was the one who had dragged his team down.
If anyone on a team scored zero, the entire team would be eliminated.
And after being caught cheating five times, he had lost all ten points.
Hehe, let's see what answers Yemu put down.
Sitting behind Yemu Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka noticed that he had already stopped writing.
She immediately selected Yemu as the target for her Mind Body Switch Technique.
She couldn't help it. Yemu had always ranked first in academic classes.
Besides, her answers would decide her team's fate.
Behind her, there was also a hungry little fatty, Choji Akimichi, waiting to be fed her answers.
With that thought...
Ino Yamanaka discreetly formed hand seals.
Mind Body Switch Technique!!
This ninjutsu was her clan's secret technique. It allowed her mind to occupy someone else's body and take control of them.
But a moment later...
When Ino Yamanaka's mind struck Yemu Hyuga...
Something terrifying happened in an instant.
Ino Yamanaka saw a massive phantom pair of terrifying, fathomless blue eyes take shape over Yemu Hyuga's body.
The instant her mental attack reached Yemu...
It was violently forced back at her.
"Mmph..."
Ino Yamanaka covered her mouth, her face twisting as an intense wave of nausea surged through her.
What on earth was going on??
The Mind Body Switch Technique actually failed!!
Ino Yamanaka felt as though her mind had crashed into a solid iron wall.
Her consciousness collapsed in an instant.
The principle behind the Mind Body Switch Technique...
Was essentially to compress the mind into a bullet, then shoot it into an enemy's body to take control of their mind.
But now...
Not only had her mental bullet failed to penetrate Yemu's mental defenses, it had caused her own mind to collapse instead.
"What's going on?"
Shikamaru Nara noticed something was wrong with Ino Yamanaka beside him.
Worry stirred in his heart.
He glanced a few more times at Yemu, who had already stopped writing, and immediately understood what had happened.
Did Yemu have some sort of countermeasure against mental attacks?
Yemu Hyuga also noticed that he had been attacked.
But when he sensed Ino Yamanaka slumped over her desk, looking half dead...
He realized Shikamaru Nara's team might not even get through the simplest first stage, the written test.
His Tenseigan could condense a tangible green Spirit Ball and directly control other people.
Needless to say...
Among the mental attacks in the shinobi world, Kotoamatsukami was the only one Yemu needed to be somewhat wary of.
Other mental-attack ninjutsu had essentially no effect on him.
After all, even several years ago...
Yemu had been immune to Tsukuyomi, the genjutsu cast by Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
And now, Yemu's strength was on an entirely different level.
As for a Genin like Ino Yamanaka attacking his mind with the Mind Body Switch Technique, it was practically no different from tickling him.
Faced with such an act, Yemu could only conclude that Ino Yamanaka was seriously gutsy, choosing to take the Tenseigan's mental rebound head-on.
I overlooked this!!
Cold sweat appeared on Shikamaru Nara's forehead.
Had he known, he would have warned Ino Yamanaka before the exam.
Told her not to target Yemu.
And to target Sakura Haruno instead.
After all, Yemu Hyuga was far too mysterious and powerful. One wrong move could spell trouble.
Unfortunately, Shikamaru Nara had thought giving her a warning was too much trouble, so he hadn't bothered.
"Ino, what's wrong with you?"
Sitting behind Ino Yamanaka, Choji saw her sprawled over her desk, looking miserable.
He thought it might be that time for her.
If he remembered correctly, girls had certain special days when their tempers became particularly strange and irritable.
Fortunately...
Shikamaru Nara finally stepped in, using the Shadow Possession Jutsu to control Ino and Choji and complete nine questions.
What a drag!
Shikamaru Nara grumbled inwardly.
If it weren't for his father and Ino Yamanaka wanting him to take the Chunin Exams, he wouldn't have come.
The tenth and final question was presented on the spot.
It was a choice between "accept the challenge" and "give up."
If they chose to accept the challenge and failed, they would be eliminated immediately and barred from ever taking the Chunin Exams again.
As for choosing to give up...
They would only fail this time and could still take the next Chunin Exams.
After all, the Chunin Exams were held twice a year.
Hearing this...
Quite a few Konoha Genin who had already finished their papers wore expressions that practically screamed, What the fuck?
"What kind of question is this?! I give up."
Many of the Genin had taken the Chunin Exams several times in a row, and the final question on the written test had been different every time.
There was no need for them to take a risk on this written test.
Once one team left...
A second followed.
Soon, the classroom, which had still held two-thirds of the Genin, was down to only half.
Hinata Hyuga had been a little worried.
But when she saw how relaxed Yemu seemed beside her, she immediately gained a great deal of confidence.
Yemu swept his gaze across the room.
He noticed that Naruto wasn't panicking the way he had in the original story.
It turned out that, with Sasuke's help, he had also finished his paper ahead of time.
Without Naruto's Talk no Jutsu working its magic...
A few more people left.
Of course, the ninjas from other villages didn't care about this issue and certainly wouldn't give up on the written test.
This was only a Konoha exam. What did it have to do with them?
Those who were Chunin would remain Chunin.
They were only taking these Chunin Exams to gauge the differences in strength between the nations.
Crash!!
Just as the written portion of the Chunin Exams ended, a window shattered, and a smiling female ninja appeared before everyone.
"What's this? There are still this many left?" Mitaraishi Anko surveyed the classroom, wearing a sinister grin much like Orochimaru's.
Everyone had initially looked wary, but once they heard what she said next, they immediately understood.
That was why she was so bold.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Mitaraishi Anko, the examiner for the second stage. In the next test, I'll cut your numbers by more than half again!"
"Gather at the entrance to Konoha Training Ground 44 before two tomorrow afternoon. Anyone who's late will be disqualified!!"
"One word of warning: if you're afraid of dying, don't bother coming."
Before you continue