"Ahhh… still held back too much strength, huh? That guy barely flew any distance. Not nearly enough to vent my frustration…"
At the exact moment the noisy, arrogant man was flung far beyond the gates of the Ninja Academy, a blur of motion flickered. Before the gathered villagers below the platform could even register it, the previously vanished Examiner had reappeared atop the platform, left hand raised to his brow like a sunshade as he calmly surveyed the scene. He furrowed his brows and muttered in a tone that sounded almost dissatisfied with the outcome he himself had caused.
"Can't kill them outright, and I can't hurt them too badly either… Dealing with people like this is just a pain. And getting that close to them? Ugh. Disgusting. I swear, once this is over, I'm washing this hand a hundred times at least."
'Hmm? Wait… if I remember right, weren't there quite a few more who were making noise earlier?'
With a look of distaste, the Examiner forcefully shook the same right hand he had just used to toss the father and son. Then, after a brief pause, the corner of his lips curled upward as if remembering something. He tilted his head slightly and looked down with interest at the group of villagers below, who had been shocked into stammering silence by the earlier public display of force. With a smile on his face, he asked slowly and softly:
"Almost forgot… that guy was just the appetizer, just a little warm-up. As long as I'm careful, I shouldn't make that kind of rookie mistake again, right?"
While he spoke, he began preparing to throw out the rest of the stubborn villagers one by one. He swung his arm up and down, adjusting for the force he had used in the previous toss as a reference point. After a slight pause, a playful gleam crept into his eyes — the look of a hunter sizing up his prey. He rubbed his hands together eagerly and teased:
"So then… who wants to be next?"
"This… This…"
To the eyes of these powerless commoners, the Examiner's actions were as fast as lightning. In what felt like a blink, just as they caught a glimpse of his silhouette reappearing, the first pair — that overly vocal father and son — were already sent flying. They had earned the "honor" of being personally ejected from the academy grounds.
They had imagined failing their protest. They had even fantasized about walking out with dignity, then venting their anger in the alleys by spreading malicious gossip about the Examiner, just like they used to…
But none of them ever expected that — in front of everyone — the Examiner would truly ignore his own reputation and future, and personally toss the loudest troublemaker and his kid straight out! And now, the two were still lying there like corpses, completely motionless, unable to get up!
And judging by his tone… this bold, iron-fisted Examiner didn't show a hint of regret — in fact, he was annoyed he hadn't thrown them harder!
He looked like he was just getting started, eager to toss a few more for practice. That was enough to silence the entire crowd. One by one, the villagers clammed up. Whatever disdain or contempt had once filled their eyes quickly vanished, replaced by fear — the kind of fear that made people shrink their necks and avert their gaze, terrified they'd be next.
"Hey now, weren't you all acting so tough earlier? All eager to rush in? Why the silence now? Cat got your tongues?"
Of course, what these villagers didn't know was that the Examiner's eager expression… was mostly for show.
Not because he wasn't willing to throw more of them — oh no. But because just tossing one of them had already made him feel gross. If he had to throw a few more, he was genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to restrain the urge to kill. And then it wouldn't be about "throwing" them anymore. It would be elimination — the real kind.
After all, having only recently returned from the darkness, he was still far more comfortable with solving problems through action, not talk.
"Anyone else want to object? Anyone at all? If not, I'll take that as your silent agreement to stay quiet and do as you're told."
Looking around at the crowd of now-docile villagers, the Examiner secretly let out a sigh of relief. He crossed his arms and stood tall once more. After a brief pause, he chuckled and shook his head, mimicking the earlier protester's tone with mocking amusement:
"See? Wouldn't things have been easier if you'd just acted like this from the start? Did I really have to lay hands on someone before you realized who's boss here? Hmph. Don't say I'm heartless. If there's anyone too weak to walk on their own and wants me to help carry them out… speak now. I'd be more than happy to help."
They couldn't beat him. Their plan to rely on numbers and pressure didn't work either. Faced with this shift in momentum, the villagers were at a total loss. Though they clenched their fists and gnashed their teeth in frustration, their rage turned inward — tamed by the cold, hard reality before them.
"What? You won't leave, but you won't speak either… What's that supposed to mean? Are you really waiting for me to personally drag you out before you feel like you've been heard?"
After a long, awkward silence, and under the Examiner's growing impatience, the villagers had no choice but to grit their teeth and accept defeat. Some of the ones in the back even began to quietly shuffle their feet, preparing to slip away unnoticed, shrinking beneath the gazes of curiosity, mockery, or disdain from the rest.
"Sigh… There we go. Was that so hard? A simple little thing like this, and you just had to be stubborn. Delayed everyone's test for this nonsense — what was the point? Calling people names like 'spineless dogs'... Don't you think that term fits you better? Idiots."
From his higher vantage point, the Examiner could see the subtle movements of the crowd below — their guilty retreat fully exposed to his line of sight. His smirk widened. He reached into his robes and pulled out another finely wrapped scroll, continuing his cutting remarks with unrestrained sarcasm.
"Ahem, alright, alright. Forget about them. Let them roll out on their own."
Maybe it was the long delay that had made him anxious, but seeing the villagers finally begin to leave seemed to lighten his mood. After airing his grievances with a bit of sarcasm, he cleared his throat with a few coughs, then prepared to open the scroll and officially announce the names of those who had passed — and the next stage of the exam.
"Now then, I hereby announce that the—"
Unfortunately, fate didn't seem to want things to go smoothly for the Examiner.
Just as his mood began to improve… the last thing he wanted to hear suddenly rang out beside his ear.
"Examiner, sir! I object—!"