Chapter 49: Test

Nowadays, the Ninja School's graduation exam is divided into three major categories: written test, ninjutsu, and practical combat.

As for the written test, it naturally covers some basic ninja knowledge—hand signs, secret codes, some ninja insights, tactical formations, and also mixes in some history, cultural knowledge, physics, and mathematics, although the score weight for this part is not high.

With Teacher Qingshan leading the way, they entered the building specially prepared for the Ninja School's graduation exam. Finding the teacher in charge of the test, they received a number plate.

According to the number marked on the number plate, go upstairs to find your classroom and seat, and prepare for the written test!

The teacher in charge of issuing exam number plates handed Dong Shilang a wooden plate six to seven centimeters wide and fifteen centimeters long, glanced at him expressionlessly, and then ignored him.

As for Teacher Qingshan, who had brought him here, watching the student about to enter the exam hall, he couldn't help but say: 'Dong Shilang, do your best! Teacher and classmates all believe you will surely succeed!'

Thank you, Teacher Qingshan! No problem!

While saying that, he also gave him an OK hand gesture.

【Usually I never see Teacher Qingshan paying him this much attention. I didn't expect that, just as graduation approaches, he would give him this…】

While thinking about these things, somehow or other, while walking toward the stairwell at the corner, he also lowered his head to glance at the number plate in his hand.

This is……

Just a glance at Dong Shilang left him slightly stunned. The number plate had two rows of numbers: the top row read 201, the bottom row 12. That should be seat 12 in Room 201 on the second floor. But what the hell……

Just a glance, and Dong Shilang noticed the subtlety. This wooden number plate had been set up with a simple confusing genjutsu.

This genjutsu is quite simple.

So simple it can't even be called a genjutsu; it only produces a mild confusing effect. Even if a Ninja Academy student merely gazes at it with slight concentration, they can discover its intricacy.

This is also one of the questions prepared by the Ninja School for them. If even such a simple confusing genjutsu can fool them, then becoming a ninja is hardly different from walking to one's death.

【I never expected the Ninja School's graduation exam to give me such a surprise!】

【It's somewhat reminiscent of the Chunin exam in the original work, wonderfully so!】

After going upstairs, I found that directly to the left was Room 201, while to the right were Rooms 202, 203, and so on. Moreover, quite a few people had already gathered inside Room 201, and several were arguing over seats.

【It looks like these idiots are going to be eliminated. They didn't even notice the obvious loophole of duplicate seat numbers. What a bunch of low‑IQ fools!】

I paid no attention to Room 201 directly opposite the stairwell. Instead I turned right and entered Room 202. Opening the door and walking in, I saw that quite a few people were already there—roughly forty.

I found the corresponding seat 21; the desk already had a blank sheet of paper and a pencil laid out—presumably the prepared exam supplies.

The seat's left side was against the wall, and on his right sat a white‑haired, masked brat who looked somewhat familiar.

Yo! Kakashi, long time no see! I never expected to run into you here in the exam hall!

""

Hearing someone call his name, Hatake Kakashi turned his head slightly, said nothing, and with a dead‑fish stare gave Dong Shilang a brief glance.

That counted as a greeting.

He had a slight impression of the person beside him—probably someone he'd run into a few times on the street—but what of it? Just a familiar stranger…

【Does this guy really have such an expression now?】

【It must be the effect of what happened to Hatake Shigematsu. It's worse than I imagined!】

He wasn't angry at Kakashi's cold expression; come to think of it, this guy is also a pitiful soul—he lost his parents at a young age.

He started his ninja career at five or six, finally found a good friend with great difficulty, only for that friend to die while trying to save him.

Afterward he even killed with his own hands the companion he had sworn to protect for life. Even his teacher, renowned as the Ninja World's fastest with a golden flash, ultimately died on the night of the Nine‑Tails.

One could say that all the death, slaughter, pain, and tears that a ninja experiences, he had already gone through in his childhood.

He didn't have to wait long—only about ten minutes—when a line of five people entered the classroom. Four of them took the four corners along the walls, each holding a clipboard, adopting the posture of proctors.

Alright, now I'll announce the exam rules: anyone caught cheating will have their exam eligibility revoked immediately!

Now we'll start handing out the exam papers; please pass them around.

The remaining teacher also didn't waste words. After a brief explanation of the exam rules, he handed out the test papers.

【Indeed, it's a simple and brutal exam rule—if cheating is discovered, you're expelled outright. Hmm! Now letting everyone help pass the papers—is that giving cheaters an opportunity?】

Looking at the students in the classroom—some forcing calm, some showing worry, others with indifferent faces—Dong Shilang couldn't help but think.

【Ninjas really are a profession that produces academic underachievers!】

Staring at the vast blank spaces on his exam paper, Dong Shilang sighed. It looks like there's quite a lot to be tested on.

First he roughly scanned both sides of the test paper, getting a sense of the questions, then Dong Shilang picked up his pencil and began solving them.

Given a certain momentum and angle, neglecting wind speed, calculate the flight trajectory of the sword in hand?

Please list all the lethal parts of the human body?

Please indicate the temperatures of the following colored flames?

Looking at the individual different questions on the exam paper, Dong Shilang felt somewhat as if he had returned to the high‑school exam hall of his previous life, pen flying across the page.

Think of those sun‑less days. Even though separated by another world and another lifetime, he could still deeply feel that torment.

In less than thirty minutes he had filled every blank on both sides of the exam paper. After checking his name and answers once more, Dong Shilang rose and turned in his paper early.

At this point the exam had barely reached the halfway mark. Only a handful of students had completed half the questions, yet he managed to finish the entire paper in such a short time, drawing considerable attention.

On some exam papers only a few strokes had been filled in, and those students stared at him, grinding their teeth.

He paid no heed to the glares of the underachievers. What surprised him was that, less than a minute after he left the classroom, a figure appeared who had likewise finished the exam questions and turned in his paper early, walking out of the room.

The one who emerged was none other than Hatake Kakashi, who, at under six years old, had taken part in this ninja exam.