Graduation Exam

In the early morning, flags bearing Konoha's emblem snapped in the wind over the training ground.

The Graduation Exam officially began, and the atmosphere around the field was tense.

Iruka stood on the raised platform with a roster in hand, looking several times more serious than usual.

"The rules for this Graduation Exam have been adjusted at short notice."

"The basic Clone Technique will account for thirty percent, and combat adaptability will account for seventy percent."

"There will be simulated surprise attacks by rogue ninja throughout the exam. Repel your opponents or remain undefeated for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and you pass."

The moment he finished, the entire field erupted.

"What?! Didn't they only test the Clone Technique in previous years?"

"Fighting rogue ninja in actual combat? That's way too hard!"

"Wasn't graduation supposed to be a formality? Why has everything suddenly changed this year?"

The students turned pale, panic spreading among them.

Sasuke's brows knitted tightly, and a trace of agitation flashed in his eyes.

His bloodline had been damaged, his Sharingan had gone completely dormant, and his strength had plummeted. A combat exam put him at an extreme disadvantage.

Naruto's face fell even further. He couldn't even get the Clone Technique right, and now he had to fight?

In the shadows of the stands.

The Third tapped his pipe lightly against the railing, his gaze somber.

"Isn't changing the exam rules so suddenly a little too rash?"

Kakashi stood beside him, his tone carrying some misgivings.

"Root proposed it. They said they wanted to select a new generation capable of shouldering responsibility and test their combat abilities early."

The Third spoke slowly. "I considered it at length and agreed."

Despite what he said, he knew better.

There was something indescribably strange about this sudden change in the rules, as though an invisible hand were pushing Konoha in this direction.

He had gone along with it, also wanting to see exactly where Lin Chen's limits lay.

Kakashi remained silent.

His Sharingan could faintly sense that the rules of heaven and earth around the training ground were several times more tightly stretched than usual.

This exam wasn't that simple.

On the field, Lin Chen stood at the back of the crowd, his expression calm.

Inwardly, however, he sneered.

Here it comes, just as expected.

This so-called rule adjustment and simulated rogue ninja attack are, at their core, a death trap the Heavenly Dao has set for me through Konoha's Root.

An exam in name, but in reality, they've arranged for elite fighters to openly suppress me, an aberration in the plot.

It satisfies Konoha's desire to probe me while also letting the Heavenly Dao correct the plot. Two birds with one stone. A clever scheme.

Unfortunately, no matter how clever their calculations, they can't stop me from taking everything.

The basic Clone Technique test began first.

The students took the field one after another, forming hand seals and summoning clones, their abilities varying widely.

Sasuke barely managed to summon three acceptable clones, but his face grew a few shades paler.

After the damage to his bloodline, even performing basic release techniques had become considerably more difficult.

Iruka frowned but still gave him a passing grade.

Naruto strained for ages, his face flushed red, before summoning a crooked, limp afterimage clone that collapsed on the ground.

The entire field burst into laughter.

Naruto scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

Iruka sighed and shook his head.

At this rate, Naruto definitely wouldn't graduate.

Soon, it was Lin Chen's turn.

He walked slowly to the center of the field and raised a hand, without even needing to form hand seals.

Poof-

White smoke burst outward.

A full ten identical clones stood neatly in place.

Their chakra was condensed, and they looked remarkably solid, no different from the original.

Every clone had a steady presence and evenly distributed chakra, far exceeding the limits of an ordinary Clone Technique.

The entire field fell deathly silent.

Iruka's eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.

"Is that... the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique?!"

Producing three solid clones in an ordinary Graduation Exam was considered excellent. Lin Chen had produced ten at once, every one fully formed and condensed.

This wasn't merely a passing performance. It exceeded the exam standards dozens of times over!

Up in the stands, the Third's pipe paused.

"The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique... isn't that a forbidden technique?"

He couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.

That ninjutsu scroll wasn't in the Scripture Repository's intermediate section at all. Where had Lin Chen learned it?

Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.

He could clearly see that every clone's chakra was frighteningly stable.

Even a Chunin specializing in the Clone Technique might not possess that degree of control.

"He has far more hidden cards than we imagined."

Kakashi's tone was grave.

Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged as he dismissed the clones.

To him, this was merely the most basic secret technique in the Scroll of Seals.

After a trip through the Scripture Repository, combined with the precise chakra control he had plundered, producing ten clones took no effort at all.

He passed the basic test with full marks, without any suspense.

The basic test had only just ended.

Boom-

The training ground's perimeter wall suddenly exploded!

Dust billowed, and shattered stones flew everywhere.

Three figures wearing black windbreaker robes and demon masks slowly emerged from the smoke and dust.

The chakra surrounding them was cold and savage, their killing intent chilling.

"Rogue ninja attack! The combat test begins immediately!"

A hoarse, icy voice rang across the field.

The students instantly fell into chaos, screaming as they scattered backward.

"They're really here?!"

"Such powerful killing intent! Is this really a simulation?"

Iruka immediately stepped forward to shield the students, his face taut.

He hadn't expected the combat portion to begin so suddenly or with such ferocity either.

The three "rogue ninja" swept their gazes across the field and instantly locked onto its most conspicuous figure, Lin Chen.

Without a single unnecessary word, all three moved at once.

One attacked head-on with surging Fire Release; one circled from the flank with a barrage of kunai; the third moved behind him for a surprise Earth Release attack.

Their coordination was seamless, their assault fierce, every move aimed straight at a vital point.

This was clearly the strength of Root's elite Jonin candidates!

How was this an appropriate difficulty for a Graduation Exam?

They were clearly intent on severely injuring Lin Chen, if not crippling him!

"Watch out!"

Iruka cried out involuntarily and tried to rush forward to help, but it was already too late.

Every student on the field turned deathly pale with fright and held their breath.

Sasuke stared fixedly at the field, a trace of complicated anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He wanted to see whether the supremely arrogant Lin Chen would fall here.

Naruto clenched his fists even tighter, his face full of tension.

Up in the stands.

The Third sat upright, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Root's men are going too far."

He had intended to test him, not cripple him.

Yet every move in these three men's assault was lethal, completely exceeding his instructions.

It was as though an invisible force were driving them to kill.

Kakashi instantly tensed, ready to intervene.

But a second later, he stopped.

On the field, Lin Chen stood where he was without moving an inch.

Facing a lethal attack from three sides, he showed not the slightest panic.

Instead, a faint smile flickered in his eyes.

Here it is.

The Heavenly Dao's enhancement really does pack a punch.

The three Root elites were already strong, and with a slight push from the Heavenly Dao's rules, their killing intent surged and their strength temporarily rose a notch.

Even an ordinary Jonin would have found such an encirclement troublesome.

But to him, there was no reason to refuse high-quality nourishment delivered right to his door.

[Ding! Three elite Root Jonin candidates detected!]

[Temporary Heavenly Dao killing intent buff detected!]

[Available to plunder: mastery of the Three Basic Techniques, advanced Fire and Earth Release, battlefield combat instinct, Heavenly Dao Killing Intent Rule Fragment!]

[Critical multiplier: tenfold!]

Plunder.

The thought settled in Lin Chen's mind.

An invisible devouring force surged outward, instantly enveloping all three.

The next second.

The three blindingly swift attacks abruptly froze in midair!

The surging Fire Release instantly died out, the flying kunai clattered to the ground, and the raised earth of the Earth Release shattered outright.

The three imposing "rogue ninja" shuddered as though struck by lightning.

"What's happening... my chakra!"

"My combat instincts... they're gone!"

Turmoil surged through all three men's hearts, leaving them utterly horrified.

They could clearly feel the ninjutsu foundations they had painstakingly cultivated for years, their instinctive intuition from battlefield slaughter, and that inexplicably enhanced, ferocious killing intent draining away at a frantic pace.

In the blink of an eye, everything had been stripped away.

Their strength plummeted until they were weaker than ordinary Chunin!

Only then did Lin Chen slowly raise his hand.

He delivered three light palm strikes in succession.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three muffled impacts rang out one after another.

The three figures flew backward like kites with snapped strings, slammed into the ruined wall, and lost consciousness completely.

Their masks shattered, revealing the standard face coverings of Root ninja.

The entire field fell deathly silent.

Not a sound could be heard.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Three vicious "rogue ninja" comparable to Jonin had just... been sent flying by three palm strikes?

They hadn't even lasted a single exchange?

Iruka's mouth hung open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.

The anticipation on Sasuke's face froze completely, replaced by even deeper despair and resentment.

The person he couldn't catch up to even with all his strength was actually this powerful.

Naruto was even more dumbstruck, his eyes filled with admiration.

Up in the stands.

The pipe in the Third's hand nearly fell to the ground.

"Three moves... to take down three Root elites?"

In all his many years, he had never seen such an outrageous performance in a Graduation Exam.

How was this a student about to graduate?

With that strength, he would be someone of note even among Jonin!

Kakashi was utterly stunned.

He had been ready to step in and rescue him at any moment, but in the end, he hadn't even had a chance to act.

What unnerved him even more was that he had not seen at all what means Lin Chen had used.

He had only sensed a strange power flash past, and the three elite ninja had been utterly crippled.

"Lord Hokage."

Kakashi's voice was dry. "We... may have underestimated him by far."

The Third remained silent for a long time before heavily exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"Yes."

"I'm afraid this child's depths are unfathomable."

He had originally thought he could control the situation.

Only now did he realize that, from beginning to end, he had never stepped outside Lin Chen's chessboard.

The exam results held no suspense.

With perfect scores in every subject and an overwhelming lead in practical combat, Lin Chen took first place in this year's Graduation Exam.

He donned his Konoha Forehead Protector without a hitch, officially becoming a Konoha genin.

No one objected. Everyone was thoroughly convinced.

After everyone dispersed, Lin Chen lightly rubbed his fingertips over the Konoha Emblem on his Forehead Protector.

There was not a ripple in his heart.

A mere genin status was nothing more than a stepping stone for him to leverage.

[Ding! Graduation Exam completed. Plundering fully accomplished!]

[Obtained: advanced fire and earth release, battlefield combat instinct, Heavenly Dao Killing Intent Rule Fragment!]

[Host's foundations greatly strengthened. Successfully crossed the jonin threshold!]

[Current combat strength: ordinary jonin level!]

[Warning: the Heavenly Dao's corrections have suffered repeated crushing defeats. Its fury is surging. A major plot correction event is imminent!]

[Notice: the Chunin Ninja Exams storyline has begun ahead of schedule. Unusual activity within the Akatsuki is intensifying!]

System notifications sounded one after another.

Lin Chen raised his eyes and looked toward the horizon.

Clouds churned, and the cold sensation of being watched felt like needles against his back.

So much fury?

That's exactly right.

The game has only just begun.

The Chunin Ninja Exams, the Akatsuki, the Great World of Merged Heavens.

There were plenty of opportunities.

He would see just how much the Heavenly Dao still had in reserve, and how long it could withstand his repeated plundering.