chsdbacks Chapter 395 Lord Shura, what exactly is your purpose?
Chapter 395 Lord Shura, what exactly is your purpose?
Chapter 395 Lord Shura, what exactly is your purpose?
In a corner of the classroom, three genin from Iwagakure were observing the entire examination room with an almost bored expression.
Deidara, with his long golden hair tied in a ponytail and his left eye covered by his bangs, was casually twirling a pen in his hand, looking down on the "petty squabbles" of the Konoha genin around him.
In his eyes, these guys were nothing more than a bunch of frogs in a well who had never seen real "art".
However, when Hinata's Byakugan unleashed its terrifying power that made everyone present tremble, Deidara abruptly stopped twirling his pen. "Oh?" Deidara muttered to himself, a hint of interest playing on his lips. "This Byakugan girl—is rather interesting."
That oppressive aura wasn't just chakra; it was also mixed with bloodline limits, something he had never seen before.
Although Deidara couldn't explain what it was, as Onoki's disciple and a genius of Iwagakure, he had a keen intuition for powerful auras.
That seemingly delicate Hyuga girl is definitely not simple. I don't know if it's because of those Byakugan eyes, or because of this person—
Then, Ibiki Morino's appearance interrupted Deidara's thoughts.
Watching the man with a scarred face and a powerful aura walk onto the stage, Deidara stroked his chin with interest and murmured, "Pretty cool entrance, huh?"
He was already conceiving a new artistic plan: what if I used clay bombs to create smoke, and then appeared out of the smoke—with lighting effects—hmm, that should be even more spectacular!
Sora and Kirara, sitting next to Deidara, were quietly observing the Star Country ninjas on the other side of the classroom, silently gathering information on the new generation of Star Country ninjas.
As Ibiki Morino announced the start of the exam, the dozen or so Chunin examiners from the Torture Division scattered.
They each found a chair in a corner of the classroom and sat down. Some held scoreboards in their hands, while others crossed their arms and wore ambiguous smiles on their faces, as if they were enjoying a good show that was about to unfold.
Several Chunin examiners began assigning seats to the examinees.
They shuffled the seating arrangements of each squad in a seemingly random manner, having ninjas from different villages sit alternately, to maximize the difficulty of cheating.
Mianma looked at his seat number: third row, fifth column.
He walked over and sat down, then noticed that Naruto had been seated next to him in the third row, sixth column.
"Phew—" Naruto let out a long sigh of relief after sitting down, wiping the sweat from his forehead: "Thank goodness that I was forced to study so many academic subjects by Menma-nii before, it's finally coming in handy now."
During his years at the Ninja Academy, Naruto's theoretical grades were consistently below average, but not to the point of being hopeless.
This is all thanks to Mianma who often tutors him, although there are occasional punishments, such as not being allowed to eat ramen if he doesn't finish his homework.
Menma gave Naruto a disapproving look and said in a low voice, "Don't get too excited. The first exam probably won't just be about the questions. Pay close attention."
He certainly knew the real purpose of this written test: to examine the ability to gather and transmit information, that is, the art of "cheating".
But he couldn't say it outright, so he could only offer this subtle hint.
Naruto nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Just as Mianma was about to say something, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted over.
A figure darted to the seat next to him.
"Menma-nii!" Xiang's eyes lit up as if she had discovered a treasure, and she pounced on Menma again. "We're sitting at the next table! What a coincidence!"
She made no attempt to hide her excitement, grabbing Mianma's arm and rubbing her face against it like a spoiled kitten.
boom!
A muffled thud came from behind.
Everyone turned to look.
Hinata, the leader of the group, sitting in the fourth row, slammed her hand hard on the table.
She nearly smashed the sturdy desk in two.
She raised her head, her whites gleaming, veins bulging at the corners of her eyes, as she glared angrily at Xiang.
The temperature in the entire classroom seemed to drop a few degrees.
"Hehehe~" Xiang turned around and made an exaggerated face at Hinata, the eldest sister, then turned to Menma and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Brother~ She's so fierce~ Unlike me, I only feel sorry for brother~"
Mianma shuddered, goosebumps rising on his skin.
He forcefully pulled his arm out of Xiang's arms: "Be normal, you're giving me goosebumps."
On the podium, Ibiki Morino's brow twitched slightly.
Having served as an examiner for so many years, he has seen all kinds of candidates: nervous ones, arrogant ones, and those who cried and begged for forgiveness after being caught.
But this is the first time I've ever seen people openly flirting and vying for attention in the exam hall.
"Quiet down, all of you!" Ibiki's voice boomed like thunder in the classroom, carrying the authority of an examiner: "Anyone whispering again will have points deducted!"
Xiang pouted, then finally sat up straight obediently.
She wasn't afraid of Ibiki, but mainly afraid that Menma would really hate her.
Hinata, the leader of the group in the back row, saw that Xiang had calmed down, but her right fist was still clenched so tightly it was cracking.
She leaned forward slightly and said coldly behind her bald head in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You'd better explain to me properly later what this red-haired 'little sister' is all about."
The chill in that tone made Naruto, who was next to Menma, involuntarily shrink back.
Menma turned his head to Hinata and gave her a somewhat embarrassed smile: "Let's take the exam first, then we'll talk about it."
Hinata, the eldest sister, gave a soft snort.
Naruto wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered under his breath, "How scary—Hinata is even scarier than Iruka-sensei when she gets angry—"
'
The exam has officially begun.
After the hair was curled, the classroom was filled with the sparse sounds of turning pages and writing.
The nine questions were indeed very difficult, covering multiple fields such as cryptography, trap identification, geographic intelligence, and tactical analysis. An average genin would be lucky to solve two or three of them.
But soon, some astute test-takers realized the true purpose of the exam.
This isn't testing whether you can solve the problem; it's testing whether you can "cheate."
Thus, the time has come for everyone to show their unique abilities.
Sakura sat in the second row, looking at the questions on the test paper, a confident smile on her face.
As a top student in the theory class at the ninja academy, these questions, though difficult, were not a challenge for her.
She picked up her pen and began to answer the questions seriously.
Sitting diagonally behind her, Ino quietly watched Sakura's back, a sly smile playing on her lips.
She estimated the time, and when Sakura finished the first few questions, she secretly formed a hand seal under the table.
The art of turning your mind around.
An invisible spiritual force extended out like a thread, silently invading Sakura's consciousness.
Sakura's body stiffened slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.
To outsiders, it appeared as if she had simply paused to think about the question.
In reality, it was Ino who was controlling Sakura's body at that moment.
She quickly scanned the answers Sakura had written down, memorized them, and then dispelled the ninjutsu.
The whole process took less than ten seconds, completely unnoticed, and when Sakura regained consciousness, she only thought she had been distracted for a moment.
Sasuke was sitting in the fifth row.
He glanced at the exam paper, didn't even frown, and immediately activated his double-tomoe Sharingan.
A crimson light flashed in his eyes.
His gaze was fixed on a candidate in front of him, a Konoha genin who wore glasses and looked very scholarly, and was seriously answering questions with his head down.
Sasuke's Sharingan's dynamic vision allowed him to clearly capture every subtle movement of the other person holding the pen.
The trajectory of the pen tip on the paper, the duration of pauses, the angles of transition —
All this information was quickly transformed into corresponding answers under the analysis of the Sharingan.
Sasuke began copying—no, imitating—with a blank expression.
Shino sat in the sixth row, in the corner of the classroom.
He pushed up his sunglasses, and a few tiny parasites quietly flew out from his sleeve, silently spreading to the surrounding examinees.
The insects cannot speak, but they can fly around like flies, looking at the answers written by the examinees, and then fly back to Shino's body. Through the special connection between the insect swarm and the Aburame clan, the information is fed back into Shino's mind.
He closed his eyes, quietly "listening" to the insect's report, and then began to answer the questions.
In Kirigakure, Chojuro sat in the fourth row, engrossed in answering questions.
He pushed up his glasses, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. These questions were indeed quite difficult for him, given his background in the "Bloody Mist Policy" era.
Hinoka Uzumaki was one person away from him, her brows furrowed, biting her pen, trying hard to recall what she had learned, her expression quite distressed.
Hozuki Suigetsu sat in the last row, slumped in his chair, looking utterly hopeless.
He scratched his short white hair, his cheek twitching slightly, and muttered under his breath, "What's going on?! Do we have to take exams to become ninjas? Isn't it just about being able to fight?!"
In the area of Hidden Cloud Village, Omoi scratched his short white hair, cautiously observing his surroundings.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw his teammate Karui had already started answering the questions, and carefully picked up his pen.
Aziy, holding his pen, stared blankly at the incomprehensible questions on the exam paper, completely unsure where to begin.
He looked to Omoi for help, but the other was focused on answering the questions and didn't notice his gaze at all.
Back in Iwagakure, Deidara glanced at the exam paper, scoffed, and threw his pen on the table.
"Boring," he muttered, then took a small lump of clay from his ninja tool pouch and began to knead it in his hand.
Sora and Mica, on the other hand, remained silent as they answered the questions.
The two were not fast, but they were very steady, so these questions were obviously not too difficult for them.
In the center of the classroom, Pharmacist Kabuto adjusted his glasses and quietly observed everything in the examination room.
As the head of the intelligence unit of the Anbu of the Land of Stars, Kabuto's strength far surpasses that of an ordinary Jonin.
At this moment, the subtle movements of all the examinees in the examination hall—Ino's Mind Transfer Technique, Sasuke's Sharingan copying, Shino's insect detection—all these were clearly visible.
Even Deidara kneading clay under the table couldn't escape his eyes.
Compared to the petty antics of ninjas from other villages, Gaara, Temari, Kaori, Kurotsuchi, and others from the Land of Stars were all seriously answering the questions.
Kabuto picked up the test paper on the table, glanced at the questions briefly, and a smile appeared on his lips.
These questions might be difficult for genin from other ninja villages, but for the ninjas of the Land of Stars—
It's a piece of cake.
The Land of Stars promotes a completely new education system. Ninja schools not only teach ninjutsu and physical skills, but also provide systematic cultural education.
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, History —
Nine years of compulsory education has given the genin of the Star Kingdom a knowledge base far exceeding that of traditional ninjas.
As Kabuto looked at these questions, he recalled his textbooks from when he studied at the Ninja Academy in the Land of Stars.
These test questions are only basic sixth-grade courses in the Star Kingdom's education system.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over an inconspicuous ninja in the Sound Village team. It was an ordinary-looking, thin boy who was answering questions intently with his head down.
But Kabuto knew that it was Orochimaru in disguise.
As the person who communicated between the Land of Stars and Orochimaru in this operation, Kabuto Yakushi was very curious about Orochimaru's purpose in disguising himself as a genin to participate in the Chunin Exams.
Is it for the sake of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?
Or was it for Uchiha Sasuke's precious Sharingan?
or----
Is it for making the dough sesame?
Orochimaru, don't let us down—" Kabuto's glasses reflected the classroom lights, making it impossible to see his eyes.
On the rooftop of a secluded street outside the ninja academy.
Jiraiya groggily opened his eyes, stretched, and yawned.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes and saw young Sasuke standing on the edge of the roof, staring motionlessly at the ninja academy not far away.
From their angle, they could vaguely see the scene inside the classroom through the third-floor window, and the figures of the candidates bent over their desks answering questions.
"Ugh... what time is it?" Jiraiya muttered, feeling something pressing down on his shoulder.
He turned his head and saw that Boruto had one leg draped over his shoulder.
Boruto was lying sprawled on the ground, fast asleep, with a little drool still dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"This kid—" Jiraiya smiled helplessly and gently nudged Boruto's leg.
"Hmm—?" Boruto woke up groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Is it afternoon? Are the exams over?"
"It's still early." Jiraiya stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders. "The first written exam has only just begun."
After the mission in the Land of Waves was completed, young Sasuke and Boruto returned to Konoha with Jiraiya.
During this time, they worked with Jiraiya in secret to protect Naruto and guard against the movements of Urashiki Otsutsuki.
Strangely, since being severely injured by Menma in the Land of Waves, Urashiki has vanished without a trace.
Today is the Chunin Exams, and young Sasuke brought Boruto here early in the morning to observe the activities of the Ninja Academy from afar.
Jiraiya followed, worried that the mysterious enemy might suddenly appear in a crowded place like the Chunin Exams and cause large-scale damage to Konoha.
Jiraiya was also worried that something big might happen during the Chunin Exams because of what Sarutobi-sensei said a few days ago.
Boruto also stood up, walked to the edge of the roof, and stood side by side with young Sasuke.
He squinted at the distant school building and suddenly asked, "Master, do you think Urashiki will appear at this time?"
Young Sasuke remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I don't know."
He really didn't know.
In his original timeline, apart from Orochimaru disguising himself as the Kazekage to launch the "Konoha Crush Plan," no other mysterious enemies appeared during the Chunin Exams.
But now this spacetime is completely messed up.
With Sunagakure defeated by the Land of Stars and the Fourth Kazekage imprisoned, it remains to be seen how Orochimaru will make his appearance.
Not to mention that Otsutsuki Urashiki from the future.
"How are the next few exams arranged?" Young Sasuke suddenly asked Jiraiya.
Jiraiya stroked his chin, thinking for a moment: "According to the exam plan, the first written test will eliminate most of the candidates. The second test should be a survival challenge in the 'Forest of Death,' where teams that pass the written test will be placed in a closed forest and forced to compete for the 'Heaven and Earth Scroll,' reaching the central tower within a limited time."
He paused, then looked at the young Sasuke: "Are you worried that guy might attack Naruto at this time?"
Young Sasuke did not answer, but the seriousness in his eyes said it all.
Just then, Boruto suddenly pointed into the distance and said, "? Are those people—ninjas from the Land of Stars?"
Young Sasuke and Jiraiya both turned to look at the same time.
A group of people were seen walking towards the Hokage Building from the other end of the street.
Leading the group was Uchiha Shisui, who was wearing a dark blue stand-up collar uniform from the Land of Stars, with the Uchiha fan emblem prominently displayed on his back.
Following behind him were a group of Star Country ninjas. Apart from some unfamiliar people, young Sasuke also noticed Hyuga Neji, Kaguya Kimimaro, Haku, Miyagi Chino, and — Otsutsuki Toneri in the group.
Young Sasuke's pupils suddenly contracted.
These people—
Neji already knew that he had defected from Konoha with his father, Hyuga Hizashi, and joined the Land of Stars.
But Kaguya Kimimaro should have been Orochimaru's loyal subordinate at this time, so how did she end up in the Land of Stars' team?
And then there's Haku. In the original timeline, Haku should have died in the Land of Waves along with Zabuza.
But now, that boy with the gentle smile is not only alive, but has also become a ninja of the Land of Stars. No wonder we didn't see him during the previous mission to the Land of Waves.
The appearance of Chino Miyajo suggests that the Blood Pond Clan may have joined the Star Country as a whole.
What shocked young Sasuke the most was Toneri Otsutsuki.
The last survivor of the Otsutsuki clan on the moon has now appeared in the Land of Stars' army?
How many things in this time and space are still unknown to me?
"Those people—" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes: "They're all bloodline limit geniuses recruited by the Land of Stars, Uchiha, Hyuga,..."
Kaguya, the Yuki clan, the Blood Pond clan—they've all been subdued by them.
His tone carried a complex mix of emotions: surprise, wariness, and a hint of worry.
The rise of the Star Kingdom is happening too fast.
It's moving so fast it's unsettling.
In a special reception room of the Hokage Building.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of Konoha Village, and sunlight streams into the room.
A huge circular conference table was placed in the center of the room, and it was already full of people.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in the main seat, wearing the Hokage robe and holding a pipe.
Beside him were two advisor elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, as well as Jonin squad leader Shikaku Nara and several Jonin representatives from Konoha.
On the other side of the conference table sat delegations from various ninja villages.
Uchiha Shisui of the Land of Stars, along with Sato Sagumo, Ita Suke, Hyuga Neji, Kaguya Kimimaro, and others, sat in the most prominent position.
They were the most numerous, and many possessed bloodline limits, naturally becoming the focus of everyone's attention.
Ao, from Kirigakure, was sizing up Shisui and his group.
The several Hidden Mist ninja behind him were also talking in hushed tones, their eyes filled with vigilance.
Akatsuchi of Iwagakure sat there, his massive body making the chair seem somewhat cramped.
His honest face wore a polite smile, but a shrewd glint occasionally flashed in his small eyes.
Samui of Kumogakure, on the other hand, has always been an ice queen.
She sat there expressionless, her icy blue eyes coldly sweeping over everyone present, especially when she saw the bloodline limit ninjas from the Land of Stars, her brows furrowing slightly.
Representatives from other smaller ninja villages kept a low profile, mostly sitting quietly and observing the undercurrents between the five major ninja villages.
"You've all come from afar, thank you for your hard work." Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first, his voice gentle yet carrying the authority of someone who had long held a high position.
"The Chunin Exams are an important opportunity for all ninja villages to exchange and learn from each other. I hope everyone can benefit from this exam."
He paused, then nodded to Shikaku beside him.
Shikaku understood and pressed the button on the remote control in his hand.
A huge display screen slowly descended from the wall in the center of the conference room. After the screen lit up, it was divided into nine screens, which were the surveillance videos of the first written test.
Nine cameras filmed the classroom scene from different angles. Although the specific content on the test paper was not clearly visible, the students' answering state, the examiners' figures as they patrolled, and even some students' small actions when cheating were visible.
"The first exam has begun." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag of his cigarette and said slowly, "According to the plan, this written exam will eliminate about 80 percent of the candidates."
He did a quick calculation: "There are fifty teams and one hundred and fifty people participating this time. That means only about ten teams and about thirty people can advance to the second round."
This remark sparked a murmur of discussion.
An 80% elimination rate is indeed brutal.
But Shisui smiled slightly and said, "Third Hokage, don't underestimate this year's genin. I think the number of people who passed the first exam may exceed 30%."
"Oh?" Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, looking at Shisui: "Shisui, you're that confident?"
Shisui nodded, his gaze falling on a certain image on the monitor screen, which showed Menma's location.
He watched the black-haired boy answer the questions calmly, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
As a high-ranking official in the Land of Stars, he naturally knew Menma's true identity.
He also knew that Naruto, who was next to Menma, was the son of the Fourth Hokage and the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
They also knew that Menma's participation in the Chunin Exams this time was probably not just for a simple promotion.
"Lord Shura—" Shisui murmured to himself, "What exactly is your purpose?"
But he maintained a gentle smile: "I just think that there are quite a few promising talents among this year's genin, whether they are from Konoha, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure—or even from our own Land of Stars."
Shisui paused, then added meaningfully, "Times are changing, and so are the standards for ninjas. Perhaps we need to look at these young people with new eyes."
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.
This year's Chunin Exams brought together the elites from various ninja villages.
The Land of Stars only sent two squads, but both were elite; Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Kirigakure each sent three squads, although two of them were just "filler" squads, but the main squad was definitely not to be underestimated.
On Konoha's side, they deployed their elite forces.
If what Zhi Shui said is true, the pass rate exceeds 30% —
"If there are too many people," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, his gaze sweeping over the representatives from various countries present, "the second exam will probably be quite exciting."
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