NOVEL NEXT Ch91- Tricking the System
Join my Discord!
Double Chapter, because why the hell not!
--
The classroom buzzed with a silent tension as the Genin focused on their papers. Horyu watched as Sasuke subtly activated his Sharingan, preparing to mimic the answers from the smartest student in the room. 'Typical,' Horyu thought, his gaze then shifting to others.
Gaara's sand subtly shaped itself into an eye, floating just above his desk. The sand eye, seamlessly connected to Gaara, acted as an extension of his vision, providing him with a discreet means to survey the answers of his peers. Horyu observed this tactic with a detached interest, noting the ingenuity of the Sand ninja.
Around the room, other Genin employed their unique methods of cheating. Karin, seemingly focused on her paper, was actually utilizing her sensory abilities to mimic the pen movements of the smarter students. Her technique was subtle, almost undetectable, unless one was specifically looking for it.
Suigetsu's approach was more audacious. His left arm, apparently missing, had transformed into a puddle on the ceiling. The puddle acted like a mirror, reflecting the answers of a nearby student onto his paper. Horyu had to give him credit for creativity.
Chōjūrō's method was even more unorthodox. He released a thin mist across the room, far less dense than Zabuza's infamous technique. This mist, however, had a sensory quality to it; every pen stroke and paper rustle within it translated into information that Chōjūrō decoded into his own answers.
Omoi's strategy brought a smirk to Horyu's face. The Cloud ninja wrote blatantly incorrect answers in large letters on the edges of his paper, while the correct answers were discreetly written in the middle. Anyone attempting to copy from him would be led astray.
As the exam neared its end, a sudden commotion disrupted the focused silence. A student at the front of the classroom vanished in a puff of smoke, revealing a shadow clone. Whispers and murmurs rippled through the room as the Genin speculated about the creator of the clone.
Horyu, leaning back in his chair, allowed a self-satisfied smirk to play across his lips. The disappearing clone was his own creation, transformed to look like another student. Before the exam, he had formed the clone, using his advanced Henge no Jutsu skills to alter its appearance. Now, as the clone dispelled, all the answers it had gathered were transferred to Horyu's mind.
His gamble was simple yet effective—if the System deemed this method as not being 'caught', he would secure the 'Crafty Ninja' reward without arousing suspicion. Horyu waited patiently, allowing the commotion to subside before he began to write down the answers. His movements were deliberate and unhurried, calculated to avoid drawing attention.
As he penned down the answers, Horyu's thoughts drifted briefly to the other Genin. 'These kids are resourceful, but they lack subtlety,' he mused, his eyes scanning the room once more. The level of talent was undeniable, but Horyu couldn't help feeling that many of them were too obvious in their approaches. It was a trait that could be exploited in the future stages of the exams.
As the 45-minute mark was reached, Ibiki announced, "Drop your pens. It is time to answer the tenth question." The Genin, already informed about this through their exam papers, braced themselves for what was to come.
"Before revealing the tenth question, I am adding another rule," Ibiki declared, silencing the immediate protests from the Genin. "Let me explain, this rule is absolute. First, you must choose whether to accept or reject the tenth question."
Temari scoffed from her seat, "Choose? What happens if we don't accept it?"
Ibiki responded, his voice firm, "Then you lose all your points, and you and your team are out."
A Genin from the back shouted, "Who the hell would reject then?"
With a smirk, Ibiki dropped the bombshell, "For the other rule. If you decide to answer the question, and answer it wrong, you will never be permitted to apply for the Chunin Exam ever again."
Horyu chuckled under his breath, 'Naruto is not here to give a speech about not giving up. I reckon more teams will fail.' He observed as several Genin raised their hands to reject the question, standing up to leave. The room filled with a sense of panic and uncertainty as more and more Genin chose to forfeit, unwilling to risk their future over a single question.
As the room emptied, Horyu leaned back in his chair, a smug expression on his face. He wasn't worried about the ultimatum; the stakes were high, but so was his confidence. He glanced at Hinata and Shino, who remained seated, their faces set in determined expressions.
Ibiki, satisfied with the thinning crowd, finally revealed the tenth question. "Those of you who chose to stay, have already passed the first test. The tenth question was a test of your resolve and willingness to face the unknown. You've proven your determination to be a Chunin."
A murmur of surprise and relief swept through the remaining Genin. Horyu's smirk widened, 'Typical psychological trick. Works every time.'
At this pivotal moment in the Chunin Exams, another unexpected turn occurred. Two more Genin in the classroom vanished with puffs of smoke, revealing themselves to be Horyu's clones. The students, already on edge from the psychological rollercoaster of the written test, were visibly shocked. Yes, these two were part of Horyu's intricate plan.
Horyu, sitting calmly amidst the confusion, had a simple yet clever reason for deploying three clones. Firstly, the number of Genin in the classroom had to be multiples of three for the teams to align correctly. Secondly, and more importantly, Horyu was playing a game of maximizing his gains from the System Quest, which had presented him with two mutually exclusive subquests. The first required him to complete the test flawlessly on his own merit, while the second demanded successful cheating without detection.
His primary focus was on the second subquest, hence the creation of a Shadow Clone that discreetly gathered answers from other Genin. Upon dispelling the clone, all the answers it had collected were transferred to Horyu. The second clone, meanwhile, diligently worked through the test without resorting to any cheating, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the first subquest. And the third clone? It was an experiment, answering the questions based on the plethora of fictional knowledge stored in Horyu's mind from his previous life on Earth. Horyu was curious to see whether this approach would be considered using his own knowledge or cheating since the information was already embedded in his mind.
As the clones disappeared, Horyu awaited the outcome of his elaborate strategy. A few moments passed in silence before his system interface lit up with a notification:
[System Notification: Quest Update - "The Chunin Exams Challenge"]
**Sub-Quest: "The Silent Prodigy" - Completed
Reward: "Sage's Tome" (Permanently increases Intelligence stat by +10), +200 XP.
**Sub-Quest: "The Crafty Ninja" - Completed
Reward: "Master of Illusions" Perk (Enhances Genjutsu capabilities), +200 XP.
Horyu suppressed a smirk. Both subquests had been successfully completed, proving the effectiveness of his unconventional strategy. He leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the outcome. The rewards, particularly the "Master of Illusions" perk, were valuable additions to his arsenal, reinforcing his growing mastery in Genjutsu.
--
Please rate and review! Much appreciated! Leave a comment, tell me what you think!
To Read up to 50 advance Chapters (25 for each novel) and suppot me...
Please drop a comment and like the chapter!