Classes at the Ninja Academy continued as usual.
Chen Fan’s fame skyrocketed once again.
As the son of the White Fang, Kakashi had often been held up by countless teachers as the ultimate example of ‘someone else’s child’ when educating their students.
Now that Chen Fan had pinned him to the ground and beaten him senseless, that halo had completely faded!
Moreover, whether he was fighting Kakashi, Asuma, or Shisui, Chen Fan had never changed his fighting style at all.
He simply charged straight in!
Charge at you, chop you down, and I win!
Simple, direct, and overwhelmingly domineering.
But it was also exactly the kind of fighting style that passionate young people were most likely to admire!
There were even rumors that some lower-grade students had asked their teacher during lessons on infiltration techniques,
“Teacher, Senior Chen Fan seems to have said that as long as you chop down everyone you encounter, it counts as a perfect infiltration…
How am I supposed to chop down everyone I encounter?”
The teacher was so furious that he nearly had another heart attack.
That brat was actually going to corrupt all the other promising students too?
Fortunately, Chen Fan was about to graduate and leave!
Meanwhile, the atmosphere throughout the academy gradually shifted toward the graduation exam.
When it came to the graduation exam, even students in the Elite Class, who were almost guaranteed to graduate, could not help but pay attention.
“I wonder what they’ll test us on this time,” one student said.
“I heard there are going to be some changes.
Apparently, some big shot is going to take charge…” A well-informed student’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I wonder if he’ll take on disciples.
If he does, do you think he might choose me?”
“No matter what the exam is, I’m confident!” an arrogant student declared proudly.
“You sure about that?” The student beside him glanced at him.
“What if it’s an exam like the Blood Mist’s?”
In an instant, the lively discussion around them came to a complete halt.
The Blood Mist’s graduation exam was infamous.
Students killing each other was the sort of thing only the village hidden in the sea dared to play around with.
And this time, the Blood Mist had made even bigger headlines!
A student named ‘Zabuza’ had single-handedly killed every other student in his entire graduating class!
Even the higher-ups of the Mist Village, who had always been unfazed by bloodshed, had been startled.
They had no choice but to decide to change the exam the following year.
Although the Blood Mist’s graduation exam was bloody and harsh, its fundamental purpose was to replenish the village’s manpower.
They were not stupid enough to genuinely want to watch their students slaughter each other!
Of course, they would definitely use this ‘news’ to boast about their village.
A student who could kill an entire graduating class by himself.
Did any of your ninja academies have a genius like that?
And this kind of news had indeed intimidated quite a few leaders from other villages.
But in Konoha…
Students killing each other?
What kind of joke was that?!
“We’d all get chopped to death by that guy!”
No one had any doubts about it, nor did anyone think they had even the slightest chance.
Thank goodness!
Thank goodness Konoha wasn’t as bloody as the Mist Village!
Thank goodness we lived in peaceful Konoha!
The Third Hokage had a gentle personality and was not extreme at all…
This was simply wonderful!
Long live the Hokage!
At this moment, even the rebellious Asuma rarely gave his old man a thumbs-up in his heart.
Chen Fan, however, completely ignored everyone else’s thoughts.
He calmly stood in a horse stance, fists clenched, and continued his physical training.
Digesting food wasn’t limited to fighting.
Training was effective too, although the results were much weaker.
And even with his cheat ability, Chen Fan had never neglected training his body.
In a certain sense, his enthusiasm for muscles and training made him rather similar to a certain thick-eyebrowed classmate.
Just then.
“Attention!”
The teacher walked into the classroom.
“The graduation exam has been decided.”
In an instant, every student’s gaze focused on the teacher.
“Students, I don’t need to explain how important the graduation exam is.
You should all understand that yourselves.” The teacher cleared his throat.
“And this time, the graduation exam is going to be even more unusual.”
“Orochimaru-sama has decided that he will personally come to the examination site that day!”
“Make sure you seize this opportunity!”
The entire classroom erupted.
“Orochimaru-sama!”
“You mean one of the Legendary Sannin?”
“He’s actually coming to watch our exam?”
Tsunade had already left the village several years ago.
Jiraiya was completely unreliable.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was the most charismatic of the three Sannin!
Although the Third Hokage had not yet revealed any intention of choosing the Fourth Hokage, almost everyone had already regarded Orochimaru as the Third Hokage’s successor!
Minato?
Sorry, but although Minato was very talented and had already made a name for himself, there was simply no comparison between him and one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru!
For someone of that caliber to come and watch their exam…
Almost instantly, all the ninja students became excited.
“Ahem.” The teacher cleared his throat.
“Quiet!”
“As for the format of this exam…”
The teacher paused before continuing.
“This time, the exam will be conducted in teams.”
“You will choose your own teammates and face the Chunin instructors assigned by the academy.”
“The results of your battle will determine your examination scores.”
Teams?
The students erupted into discussion once again.
In previous exams, although the subjects being tested had varied, hadn’t they always been conducted individually?
The teacher did not know why either, but this was an order personally issued by Orochimaru, so they could only obey!
“Remember, choose excellent teammates.
This concerns whether you can successfully graduate!” the teacher reminded them.
“It may even affect your future prospects!”
After all, this graduation exam would determine who became your supervising Jonin based on your performance!
There was no room for fooling around!
Hearing this, the students were all stunned.
Excellent…
teammates?
Almost simultaneously, everyone turned their eyes toward Chen Fan.
This wasn’t merely an ‘excellent teammate.’
It was a ‘teammate who could carry you to victory’!