The Fourth Testing Ground was shrouded in silence, the tension so heavy it could almost be felt in the air. Every Genin seated at their desks gripped their pens nervously, sweat dampening the paper beneath their hands.
Neji's brush moved swiftly, his strokes sharp and precise as he filled in the written exam answers with an ease that startled even himself. His mind was razor-sharp, each calculation and theory flowing naturally as though the answers had been carved into his memory beforehand.
After finishing a row of problems, he paused and let his pale eyes sweep across the room. His gaze fell on his two teammates—Darui and Karui—seated at different corners. Their positions were deliberately spread apart, a precaution the proctors had arranged to minimize the possibility of collusion.
Neji's lips curled into a faint smile. The proctors' vigilance was impressive, but for him, it was trivial. None of them had caught him cheating, and yet, their suspicious gazes shifted toward Darui and Karui. The two bore the brunt of the scrutiny, becoming unknowing scapegoats for Neji's unseen actions.
---
Darui's Anxiety
Darui scratched his head, his laid-back demeanor starting to crack. The proctors were staring holes into him, and he could feel the pressure mounting. Normally calm under fire, the thought of failing the first exam unsettled him deeply.
The rules were cruelly clear—if even one member failed, the entire squad would be eliminated.
Darui's throat tightened. If he ruined this, Neji wouldn't just be disappointed; he might tear him apart. After all, the Amber Purifying Pot—the legendary treasure—was still in their care. The thought of Neji's wrath chilled him more than any punishment Konoha could enforce.
---
Karui's Unease
On the other side, Karui sat with her arms stiff and her brow furrowed. She tapped her pen lightly against the desk, biting her lip in frustration.
Damn Konoha… she cursed inwardly, her fiery temper simmering.
"Stop cursing."
The sudden voice in her mind made her jolt violently, her entire body trembling. It was so clear, so commanding, that she froze where she sat.
Her sudden reaction immediately drew the attention of several proctors. Their sharp eyes bore into her like blades, and she was forced to plaster an awkward smile on her face, though it was uglier than crying. Slowly, she straightened her back and gripped her pen.
But inside, her heart was pounding.
"That voice… Hyuga Neji?" she whispered in her thoughts, startled. None of the proctors reacted, which meant they hadn't heard it.
Am I imagining things because I'm too nervous?
Yet before she could calm down, the voice echoed again.
"Karui, don't resist. Don't panic. I'm going to control your body and answer the questions for you."
---
The Curse Wheel
"??"
Karui's eyes widened in shock. Every word was clear as day. This was no hallucination.
She tried to turn and glance at Neji in the back row, but the sharp glares of the proctors forced her still.
"Don't move. I'll move for you," Neji's voice whispered again.
A strange sensation washed over her. Her arm stiffened, then moved without her will. Her hand clenched the pen tightly and began to fly across the page, writing neat, flawless answers in rapid succession.
Inside, Karui was in turmoil.
He's… controlling my body? What kind of jutsu is this?
Neji's calm reply came instantly. "Curse Wheel Heart Sealing Technique."
Karui blinked in recognition. Her mind flashed back to earlier that morning, when Neji had placed faintly glowing blue chakra spheres into her and Darui's bodies. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it. Now, realization struck her like lightning.
"So… you planned this from the beginning?" she muttered internally.
---
A Terrifying Jutsu
Neji's technique was undetectable. Even the proctors—many of whom were sensory-type ninja—couldn't sense a thing. The control was seamless, precise, and hidden beneath layers of chakra suppression.
Karui's awe deepened into fear. "Does this jutsu have other uses besides body control?" she asked hesitantly.
"It does," Neji answered coldly. "But it's better if you never experience them."
The words made her blood run cold. Her body shivered involuntarily. If controlling her body wasn't the scariest part, then what was the true extent of this jutsu?
Without giving her time to dwell, Neji guided her hand to finish the last line. The paper was filled flawlessly. Then, without pause, he shifted his focus and linked to Darui, repeating the process until both teammates' exams were perfect copies.
---
Elsewhere – Danzo's Encounter
Far away, in the shadowy Root Base, another scheme unfolded.
Danzo Shimura sat in his dimly lit office, his single visible eye narrowing as it fixed upon the man standing before him.
A masked figure with only one eye exposed—a crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan—stared back.
"Sharingan… You're an Uchiha?" Danzo's voice was low and dangerous. Root possessed extensive records on the Uchiha clan, especially those who had awakened the Three-Tomoe. But nowhere in his files was there mention of a one-eyed Uchiha.
The masked man's hoarse voice dismissed the suspicion. "Who I am is unimportant. What matters is that I can help you."
Turning away, the man placed two objects on Danzo's desk: a scroll and a glass vessel. Without another word, he stepped back, and his body dissolved into a swirling spatial vortex.
Danzo froze. The ability to vanish into space unsettled even him, a man rarely shaken. He waited, tense and ready for an ambush. But after several long minutes, the room remained still.
Only then did he approach the desk.
Inside the glass vessel was a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, a right eye. Danzo's own scarlet gaze flickered. He already possessed several such eyes, collected since the Third Great Ninja War. Yet the offering still piqued his curiosity.
He unrolled the scroll. Four bold characters leapt out at him: Izanagi.
His eyes widened as he read the description.
A forbidden dojutsu… At the cost of permanently losing one's eyesight, it turns unfavorable reality into mere illusion.
Danzo's hand trembled slightly. "A mere Three-Tomoe Sharingan can do this?" he whispered, astonished. "The creator of Izanagi was a true genius."
But wonder soon twisted into cold calculation. He mentally tallied the number of Uchiha who still possessed such eyes. A dark gleam flared in his pupil, and his killing intent seeped into the air.
"Such evil power… can only be used for good in my hands," he muttered. "This gives me one more reason to bury the Uchiha."
---
Back to the Exam
In the Fourth Testing Ground, tension peaked as a proctor suddenly stood and barked, "You—Rain Ninja! Eliminated!"
The accused Genin froze, pale as chalk. The proctor seized a slip of paper from him, then turned to the Rain squad.
"According to the rules, if one is caught cheating, the whole squad is eliminated. Leave."
The three Rain Ninja exchanged dark, resentful looks. Their steps were heavy as they exited, their dreams of promotion shattered.
The atmosphere grew heavier. Proctors prowled like hawks, eager to strike down the next offender.
One by one, more Genin were caught. Seats emptied quickly. Darui and Karui exchanged silent relief—without Neji, they might have joined the fallen.
Neji, meanwhile, calmly listened to the footsteps outside the corridor. He could tell from the chaos that the other testing grounds were also filled with eliminations.
Of fifty squads—about one hundred and fifty Genin—less than seventy remained. More than half had been cut down in this first trial.
---
After the Exam
Namikaze Raidō, the chief proctor, finally called time. Unlike the original Chunin Exams Neji remembered, there was no sudden last-question twist. Instead, the results stood as they were.
Neji thought carefully. This was logical. Allowing Genin who couldn't answer a single question to pass would be meaningless. There was only one Naruto Uzumaki—an exception among exceptions.
The remaining Genin filed out of the Academy. The tension among them was palpable. Everyone eyed each other warily. Those who survived this round were no longer weaklings.
Deidara crossed his arms, grumbling. "Hmph. The written test was the only hurdle that could've tripped me up. What a pity I didn't get to use my clever tricks."
Beside him, Uchiha Itachi tilted his head curiously. "Why cheat? Wasn't the exam simple?" he asked with genuine sincerity.
Deidara nearly exploded. "You bastard! I'll remember you. See you in the next round!"
Itachi blinked, confused. To him, the test had indeed been simple. Guren, watching quietly, sighed. "Sharingan brat… What's simple for you is like climbing to the heavens for others."
---
Neji's Private Mission
Back at the inn, as soon as Neji stepped inside, Yugito grabbed his arm and pulled him into her room.
"Neji, I've confirmed Hyuga Hiashi's movements," she whispered. "But are you really going to strike now, at such a critical time?"
Neji sipped water calmly. "You're worried his death will put Konoha on high alert?"
"Of course! If he dies, every ninja in the village will be mobilized. How will we continue our mission then?"
But Neji shook his head. "Chaos makes it easier to act. And killing Hiashi isn't just vengeance—it's bait. I need that traitor in Konoha to appear."
Yugito's eyes widened. "You mean…?"
Neji nodded. "Yes. That traitor hates the Hyuga clan deeply. Hiashi's death will draw him out."
He unsheathed a long Konoha-style sword, polishing it with deliberate care. His tone was cold. "Once I complete the assassination, inform our people. Release the contact message immediately."
Yugito frowned. "And if the traitor still doesn't come?"
"He will," Neji said firmly. "Because he hates the Hyuga as much as I do."
Yugito wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Neji… do you still treat me as an outsider?"
Neji sighed softly, holding her wrists. "You're the most important person in my life. But my father's revenge—I must carry that alone."
"Why?"
"Because it's my mission. My burden. No one else can bear it."
Yugito fell silent, her heart aching at his stubbornness.
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