Inside the Hokage Office, smoke swirled in the air.
The Anbu had already delivered Hinata's test paper into the hands of the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held the test paper covered in "works of art," his brow furrowed into a tight knot.
The Crystal Ball beside him was still glowing, but at this moment, he wished it had never lit up.
"Cough, cough..."
He cleared his throat, attempting to use his Hokage dignity to mask his inner bewilderment as he pushed the test paper toward Danzo Shimura, who sat opposite him with an equally sour expression.
"Danzo, you take a look too."
Danzo expressionlessly took the paper, his single eye scanning the drawings and words. One second, two seconds... the muscles on his face seemed to twitch imperceptibly.
"Struggling to cross, struggling to cross, backhand Body Flicker to Kangzhu?"
Danzo whispered the first line, his tone full of incomprehension.
"What does this 'Kangzhu' mean? Is it a new sealing technique? Or some kind of Taijutsu stance? Combined with the Body Flicker Technique? I know the Body Flicker Technique well enough."
He looked at Hiruzen, only to find the other man wearing a "don't ask me" expression.
Hiruzen pointed at the drawing.
"Look at this, this is drawn to look like Shisui, right? Although a mustache was added... but this expression, this hairstyle... yet what does 'Kangzhu' have to do with Shisui? Shisui's Body Flicker Technique is famous throughout the Ninja World, but I've never heard it called 'Kangzhu'."
Danzo stared at the drawing in silence for a long while before squeezing out a sentence.
"Could it be... some unknown, Advanced Body Flicker Technique that requires a specific posture to activate? A secret technique researched privately by the Uchiha Clan?"
His conspiracy-minded brain began to work subconsciously, but after a long while, he couldn't find any corresponding intelligence, so he could only categorize it as an "unknown secret technique."
The two stared at each other, both seeing the same confusion in the other's eyes.
They continued reading.
"Forehand or backhand, always Susanoo; even a Nao-Can can show off a bit."
Danzo:... "...Nao-Can? Is it some kind of Summoned Beast? Or does it refer to... a species of insect with a bad temper? What does it have to do with Susanoo?"
He felt that his entire Ninja knowledge System was being challenged.
"Uh... I don't think that's a summoning, it might just be a simple insult."
Danzo:... "Humble in position, yet never forgetting the nation's plight; Substitution backhand into Great Shinra."
Danzo's single eye lit up.
"The first half is actually quite interesting, it has the flavor of a poet. But what is this 'Great Shinra'? Is it some unknown, powerful Ninjutsu? The Substitution Technique combined with a backhand... to form 'Great Shinra'?"
He tried to construct a model of this technique in his mind and failed.
Hiruzen stroked his beard.
"Hmm... the first half of the verse does have some integrity, but this second half... I really can't fathom it."
"Cloud Qi swirls light around the body; double-sided Water Release, I-Le-Ding."
"I-Le-Ding? Is it an onomatopoeia for the sound of Water Release hitting a target? Or some kind of Water Release Cursed Seal?"
Hiruzen sighed.
"Perhaps... she just thought it sounded catchy for the rhyme?"
By the time they saw "Collar pulled to the highest point, only then are we truly committed" alongside a simple line drawing of a fat man, the brows of the two Konoha big shots were nearly tied in knots.
Finally, their gaze settled on: "Jiang is my surname, Handsome is my disease, my name is Jiang Shuai, I have a Surname Disease."
A long silence fell over the office.
Danzo slowly lowered the test paper, his single eye filled with unprecedented confusion, and even a hint of doubt that shook his confidence in his own intelligence network.
"Hiruzen... this 'Jiang' surname, in the Land of Fire, or even the entire Ninja World, are there any well-known families or powerful individuals? I've never heard of this surname."
Hiruzen picked up his pipe, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled. His expression looked somewhat weathered amidst the smoke.
"As far as I know... no. 'Surname Disease'... what is this? Could it be some unknown illness? For example, people with this surname suffer from a certain condition? Similar to a Bloodline Limit?"
He rubbed his temples, feeling more tired than if he had handled a full day's worth of official documents.
"The Anbu reported that her behavior in the examination hall was normal, except for... constantly drawing these things. No cheating, no passing of information."
Danzo looked at the flamboyant, confident handwriting on the test paper and those "poems and drawings" that completely exceeded his range of understanding, remaining silent for even longer.
Eventually, he stood up, leaning on his cane.
"Hiruzen, perhaps... this is just simply... a child's strange interest?"
Saying those words seemed exceptionally difficult for him. He would rather believe it was some profound code, but reality seemed otherwise.
Hiruzen nodded in deep agreement, glanced at the test paper again, and laughed helplessly.
"A poet?" the Third Hokage murmured.
"I don't think so," Danzo replied.
"Haha, it seems we overthought it. We'll just continue with normal surveillance. The focus should still be on her actual performance in the Forest of Death."
Danzo said no more, his figure disappearing into the shadows.
The Third Hokage sat alone in the office, looking at the test paper for a long while before finally shaking his head with a laugh, chalking it up to a child's exaggerated imagination.
In all his years, this was the first time he had encountered "intelligence" that even he and Danzo together couldn't understand at all... On Hinata's side, the exam had been declared over, and everyone had passed.
As soon as Morino Ibiki's voice announcing their success fell, the extremely tense atmosphere in the classroom suddenly relaxed, like a punctured balloon.
Relief from surviving the ordeal, unbelievable joy, and deep exhaustion were intertwined on the faces of the surviving examinees.
"That's... great!"
Sakura almost slumped into her seat, clutching her chest and letting out a long sigh of relief.
Naruto, on the other hand, waved his fist triumphantly.
"Haha! See! I told you there'd be no problem!"
Although Sasuke still maintained his cool posture, his clenched fists slowly relaxed, and an imperceptible trace of ease flickered in the depths of his eyes.
However, before everyone could enjoy this moment of peace for long—
Boom!!
A loud bang suddenly rang out! A window on one side of the classroom shattered, glass shards flying everywhere! A figure, accompanied by unrestrained laughter, crashed through the window in an extremely flamboyant manner, flipped in mid-air, and landed steadily on the podium, right next to Morino Ibiki.
The newcomer wore a black mesh bodysuit under a beige short-sleeved coat and a short skirt, outlining a hot figure.
She had a wild and energetic smile on her face, and her headband was tied behind her head. It was the proctor for the second exam—Anko Mitarashi!
"Whoa!"
This sudden entrance startled many people.
"Now is not the time to be happy! Little ones!"
Anko stood with her hands on her hips, her voice loud and full of pressure.
"I am the proctor for the second exam, Anko Mitarashi!"
Her gaze swept over the startled examinees below, her smile becoming even more flamboyant and even a bit malicious.
"Look at you all... Ibiki, you guy, did you go overboard again in the first round? There are still quite a few people left."
Ibiki remained expressionless.
"There are quite a few promising talents this time."
"Hmph, whatever."
Anko looked back at the examinees and licked her lips, a gesture carrying a hint of danger.
"In the second exam, I'll help you filter them properly. I might even eliminate more than half of you!"
Her words made everyone who had just relaxed tense up once again.
"The... the second exam is going to eliminate more than half?" Sakura's face turned pale.
"Ask your Jonin instructors for the specific location. Gather on time tomorrow."
Anko waved her hand dismissively, being very direct.
"Dismissed for now. I'll tell you the detailed rules once you get there!"
After saying that, her figure flickered and she disappeared from the doorway.
The examinees looked at each other.
Hinata's expression remained calm.
She knew where they were going next—Training Ground 44, also known as the "Forest of Death."
That was the place that truly tested strength, wisdom, and survival skills, and it was also the stage where she planned to start showing her brilliance and acquire a large amount of System points.