When the mermaid legend began to spread in the ninja world in the form of strange stories, and only a few high-level officials knew that it was indeed not groundless, the annual chuunin exam in the ninja world was approaching.
Shiro, Yayoi and Konishi, who signed up at the last moment, temporarily put aside the strange tasks they experienced not long ago and fully prepared for the upcoming exam.
"You two are so nice, but I can't. I am obviously older than you, but my basic knowledge is so weak."
Yayoi had a grimace on her face, complaining to Shiro and Xiaoxi while reviewing her lessons that she had almost forgotten.
Due to her childhood experiences, Yayoi's physical and mental development is relatively slow. Even though she is about the same age as her teammates, she is actually several years older.
After all, her childhood experiences had an impact on her growth. Even after good treatment under the rule of the Gushan family, her body's depleted body would not be able to make up for it for a while.
In terms of learning ability, Yayoi's long-term memory ability is obviously much weaker, so he needs to review frequently to deepen the imprint of knowledge in his mind so that he will not forget it quickly.
In addition, it also had some negative effects on her body's reaction speed.
Yayoi's own IQ is still very high. Some deficiencies caused by acquired skills can be made up for by diligence and hard work. It will not affect her strength very much, but it will take more time to consolidate the foundation.
This actually brought some benefits. A large number of repetitions deepened the memory, resulting in the completion of Yayoi's chakra properties change much faster than Xiaoxi, and only slightly weaker than the talented Shiro, which is very rare. .
Yayoi, who unintentionally achieved the achievement of "the stupid bird flies first", in the eyes of outsiders, is a stupid girl who is stupid and blessed, but in fact, she rarely makes mistakes in judging right and wrong. Although she is clumsy, she has always been on the right path. Up, faltering, but still moving forward steadily.
This is very rare.
"Stop complaining. Your performance is very important to whether you can pass the first test smoothly."
Xiaoxi held a small bamboo stick in her hand and gently tapped Yayoi's distracted forehead.
"You can also say a few words, Bai...eh?"
When he heard his companion calling him, Bai loosened his hand holding his chin, turned around, and said with a smile:
"What's wrong? Are you arguing again?"
"No! What's happened to you recently? Since you came back from the Land of Waves, you've been distracted all the time. Have you been affected by something bad? Could it be a curse from the evil god? Why don't you go find Mr. Hayama and have a look!"
"No, I just can't figure it out."
"What is there to worry about? Our mission has been completed anyway. As for whether there will be any trouble later, that is not our responsibility. You and I are just genin, do we need to worry about these things all day long?"
"That's right!"
Bai Zhan showed a smile and said with relief,
"Maybe I'm overthinking it!"
Since returning from that mission, nothing major seemed to have happened.
Logically speaking, this incident was the end for this genin team.
There was just one thing that made Bai very concerned.
Over the past month or so, the amount of chakra in my body has been increasing at an abnormal speed, and my ability to control water escape and ice escape has increased extremely rapidly. Even the secondary attributes such as wind escape have been improved. Great progress.
If such progress is all based on his own training, then there is nothing to worry about. The key is that Bai himself feels that it is a little too fast.
According to Shiroun Hayama's estimation, Shiro's team has a great chance of reaching the third trial this year. As long as Konishi and Yayoi don't hold them back too much, there will be almost no obstacles for Shiro himself to become a chuunin.
Judging from the current registration situation, there is no one who can pose a threat to him.
A few people worked hard to finish the study meeting, and on their way back, they happened to meet Hyuga Neji and others who were returning from a mission.
"Eh? Neji..."
Yayoi, who greeted a familiar face from afar, shouted carelessly. Two men, a woman, and three genin on the opposite side also came over after hearing the news.
Hyuga Neji, who had just bid farewell to the jounin leader, led two teammates and greeted the seniors.
"You are a bit of a talker, Neji! I heard that your teacher is the famous 'Blue Beast'. Although his personality is a bit unpleasant, his strength is still quite good."
"Yeah! Physical skills are indeed very strong... terrifyingly strong."
As if he felt that simple adjectives were not enough to explain, Hyuga Neji added,
"Others are hard to comment on."
"Your team is not good at ninjutsu and illusion. That's enough. The teacher only assists in training, and you mainly rely on yourself."
"Um!"
Hyuga Neji looked at Shiro's two teammates, Yayoi and Konishi. They were all acquaintances. They had fought side by side when they went to Yuqi Island to participate in the "King of Fighting" competition.
Looking at his teammates again, Rock Lee, who has thick eyebrows and even thicker brains, is pretty good, but Tiantian is a nymphomaniac from time to time. The overall evaluation is actually pretty good. His current strength is a bit worse, but his potential is not necessarily inferior to Xiaoxi's. and Yayoi.
As far as teammates are concerned, Hyuga Neji is not far behind. The key is that his strength does seem to be inferior to Shiro, and he may not even be able to beat Uchiha Saosuke and Karin who are one grade below.
"This year...are you not going to take the Chunin Exams either?"
"Well, it's better to settle down for a year!"
Hinata Neji said with some reluctance.
How could he not be tempted by the rare opportunity to compete with Shiro? However, his two teammates were still too immature. Regardless of whether Mr. Metkai would agree to it, Hinata Neji himself felt a little weak.
Tiantian greeted Bai warmly. Girls of this age really lack resistance to boys who are good-looking, handsome and strong. However, Bai doesn't seem to be very interested in her and just treats her as an ordinary person. Just a junior.
Locke Li, a hot-blooded young man who didn't know what awe was, glared at Bai Ji very forcefully.
"Are you Haku, who is known as the strongest genin?"
"Huh? When did I have this title..."
Seemingly not used to Rock Lee's somewhat abrupt movements, Bai was stunned for a while and responded with a chuckle,
"The strongest genin is just a genin. It doesn't mean much. Besides, I may not be the strongest. If you don't take the chuunin exam this year, you will face off against another arrogant guy next year."
Hinata Neji said calmly:
"Don't you want to have a fight with him? I heard that he was suppressed by Xiang Phosphorus again after his application for early graduation failed."
"Zaosuke! If things go smoothly for him, I won't be afraid. After suffering setbacks, he can calm down and patiently make up for the basics. The genius is the most terrifying."
Hinata Neji also nodded empathetically.
"Are you sure he will participate as a newcomer in advance next year?"
"He... can bear it?"
Bai Junxiu's face showed a rare narrow smile,
"If he hadn't graduated early, he would have made his debut this year."
"That's true, then I'll wait and see. I missed the contest with you, Uchiha Sasuke is not bad either."
"Eh? Don't ignore me, can't you see?"
Seemingly a little unbalanced by the self-centered conversation between the two, Rock Lee eagerly demonstrated his presence.
"you?"
Bai looked at Locke Li seriously, and he was careless at first, but after carefully feeling it up and down, his eyes lit up.
"What a strange body. The chakra activity is so poor, and it is too closely integrated with the muscles and bones. Not to mention the use of Ninjutsu, even the Three Body Jutsu is enough, right? How did you become a ninja..."
"I know that my qualifications are relatively poor and I am not worth mentioning compared with a genius like you. However, I have the strength to work hard and I will definitely not lose to you in the future."
"Bad? It depends on the situation!"
Bai shook his head and laughed,
"When you meet a good teacher who can develop your potential, it's hard to say whether your situation is a good thing or a bad thing. Good luck to you, kid. I hope to see your performance in the Chuunin Exam next year."
After patting Locke Lee on the shoulder, nodding and saying hello to Hyuga Neji and Tenten, Bai led his two friends straight to the training ground.
It is inevitable for members of the same team to train regularly and develop a tacit understanding.
Watching the three seniors disappear around the corner, Rock Lee pointed at his nose and asked Hinata Neji:
"What does he mean, that I have talent?"
"Probably! You should go to the hospital first. I don't want you to be unable to participate in the team's understanding training tomorrow because of soft tissue contusion."
"This little injury won't bother me. I will do another two thousand squats later."
"Idiot, there must be a limit to how hard you practice. Your body's recovery ability is indeed very good, but you must also pay attention to scientific work and rest, and balance work and rest. Otherwise, your body will collapse before you get stronger."
In fact, if Metkai hadn't secretly used some precious wound medicine on him and silently supported Rock Lee, he would have been paralyzed long ago with his reckless character.
He is a poor man, rich in martial arts, has no money, and is a shitty ninja. It takes three days for a small injury, and five days for a major injury. This is the norm. Rock Lee's life-threatening method, without sufficient logistical support, cannot wait for him. When you reach adulthood, you will be disabled.
The two friends may not know each other, but Hyuga Neji has seen Xiang Phosphorus use the same potion, which is a good thing that is hard to buy even with money.
In this world, there is no such thing as casual success!
At the same time, far away in the Hokage's home office, Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his telescope technique and gave instructions to the dozen ninjas in front of him.
"That's almost it. That's it for this year. Do you... have anything to add?"
"No objection, let's start preparing. The candidates from other villages are coming soon..."
After everyone retreated, Sarutobi Hiruzen said to Baiyun Yeshan who was left alone:
"The performance was good. Their strength exceeded the upper limit of my expectations."
"This is not all due to me. The third generation, Haku's talent is indeed top-notch. Xiaoxi is also one of the top female ninjas in the village. Yayoi, who is not showy, is actually very talented. Under Haku's cover, It seems inconspicuous, but..."
"I understand that it is very rare to be able to keep up with Bai's footsteps, not hold back, and even provide important assistance."
The Bronze Four have already penetrated the Golden Twelve Palaces, and the other miscellaneous fish are still working hard to advance to Silver. If you let them follow and fight for their lives against the twin gods of the underworld, it's already good if they don't get in the way.
Do you really think that the graduation groups of the Konoha Ninja School are randomly divided according to their grades?
Each team member went through countless assessments before they were finally determined.
"Master Gusugi, where did you find these monsters? Kimimaro, Shiro and the others are already amazing. The little girls who were accidentally rescued from the robbers' den all have this kind of talent. It is Gu Is the Sugi family just too lucky, or are they really unique in cultivating talents?”
"Sandaime, I personally feel that the Furusugi clan is far inferior to the Ninja School in terms of training ninjas, but they are still very experienced in cultivating talents who can stand alone."
"This is a small gap in educational philosophy. After all, we are a ninja village. What we need most is masters who can successfully complete the entrusted tasks and win the war in the ninja world. This is not the case for the Fusagi family."
To describe it simply, it is like the difference between vocational high school graduates or junior college students and undergraduates. The former are technicians who have mastered one skill, while the latter are reserve cadres who have broad knowledge, are proficient in theory, and have sound ideas.
Can the small Konoha Village really accommodate such a relatively all-round management talent?
The Furugi family is different. There are so many positions that need to be filled in the entire Fire Country and even the Ninja Continent. Among other things, the finances of the Konoha Headquarters, which are proficient in calculation, have never been full.
If Shiro's performance wasn't already obvious, when Yayoi and Konishi encountered problems they had never encountered before, the former behaved more appropriately than the latter.
In fact, after realizing that the Furusugi family was squeezing the influence of Konoha Village and began to fight back, Sarutobi Hiruzen discovered some differences in the way Konoha ninjas and secular people behave.
It is not obvious when it is small, but when it is magnified into a game between two interest groups, a small advantage will cause irreversible deviations.
"Always respond passively, with no foresight at all. Waiting until the end is done and then trying to resolve it, you will get twice the result with half the effort!"
The Konoha ninjas were interestingly imitating what the Gusugi family did, and Gusugi Bushui also knew about it, but he never stopped them.
What do Konoha ninjas have to be afraid of when they give up their own strengths and compete with Gusugi Bosui in areas they are not good at?
The Konoha ninjas probably have to suffer a few losses before they truly understand the power of institutions and systems.
After chatting with Shirayun Hayama for a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was about to take a break after getting off work, received an unexpected visit.
"Asuma? Didn't you go to the Fire Temple to visit friends and you came back so soon?"
"Well! I chatted with Master Dilu for a while, catching up on old times, and then came back. In addition..."
Sarutobi Asuma said with a somewhat unhappy expression,
"From him, I overheard a very strange rumor. Maybe it will be useful to you..."
