Chapter 8
This was the day the results were posted.
A dense crowd gathered in front of the bulletin board.
Obuya and the others struggled their way through, searching for their names.
"Rin, look! There's your name."
Obuya immediately spotted the three characters: Nohara Rin.
Obito laughed heartily. "Rin really passed!"
But the next moment, his smile twisted into shock and anger. "What? Impossible! That bastard Kakashi's name is on here too?!"
Before he realized it, Kakashi was already standing behind him.
Seeing his own name, Kakashi's eyes for once showed a rare hint of joy. He wore a proud expression. "I passed. That's only natural."
"Don't get too cocky! It's just the written exam, and soon you'll see my name too."
Obito's anger flared at Kakashi's smugness.
"Obuya, here's your name—you passed! That's great!"
Rin excitedly grabbed Obuya's arm.
Almost at the exact moment he saw his name, Obuya's system chimed:
[Ninja Exam Side Quest Completed: +20 Demon Points]
[Fruit Abilities 'Barrier: Human Reassembly' and 'Cardiac Shock' upgraded to Level 2.]
"My fruit abilities leveled up!"
Obuya was overjoyed.
He quickly activated the demon mark, summoned the system, and checked his Ability Attributes.
Sure enough, the descriptions of his two fruit abilities had changed.
Barrier: Human Reassembly—its range had doubled. Previously, when fully charged, it only reached fifteen meters; now, it extended to thirty.
The bigger barrier meant he could trap enemies over a wider area, and his own strength could be applied on a larger scale.
But what truly excited Obuya was his second ability: Cardiac Shock. Its description read:
Cardiac Shock Level 2: Under a high-frequency voltage of one million volts, the electricity undergoes a transformation, evolving into a spiritualized form, producing a significantly stronger offensive effect.
Obuya's excitement grew.
Previously, he had already knocked down Kirito in one strike, proving the ability's power. Now, at Level 2, the strength was enough to potentially reduce opponents to charred remains in an instant.
Just as he was reveling in this thought, Obito's desperate shout pierced the air.
"How… how did I not pass?!"
Obuya froze.
"No way… our answers were the same. How could you have failed?"
He couldn't believe it.
Obito muttered to himself, his face paling.
"When I was copying at the end, I noticed an extra answer with no place to put it. I was in such a hurry to submit that I ignored it. Could it be…"
Obuya's expression grew strange.
"When I copied, there was no extra answer—one slot for one answer. It seems you copied wrong, filling one answer twice, which caused all subsequent answers to be misaligned."
Obito's face drained of color.
"Idiot."
Kakashi gave him a sideways glance, mercilessly mocking him.
Rin, ever kind, stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Obito, it's okay. You just missed this time. There will be other opportunities."
Obito, head hung low, was too disheartened even to respond to Kakashi's ridicule.
"Eh? Obito, look—"
Rin suddenly shouted in surprise.
At that moment, someone approached and posted another slip on the bulletin board. It had three names, the last of which was Uchiha Obito.
"A waitlist! Obito, you're on the waitlist—you passed too!"
Rin raised her hands in delight.
Obito's gloom vanished immediately. His face lit up. "Hahaha! I knew I passed!"
"Waitlist qualifier." Kakashi sneered sarcastically.
Obito bristled and glared. "Kakashi, the next stage is the team combat. Don't slow me or Rin down."
"I return that remark to you exactly as it is."
Rin hurriedly stepped between them. "Alright, enough arguing."
At that moment, a middle-aged ninja stepped forward.
"All genin who passed have seven days to prepare. After seven days, the preliminary team matches and individual finals will take place. Those judged excellent will be promoted to Chunin."
No sooner had he finished announcing than Obuya's system chimed again:
[Demon Mission Side Quest]: Participate in the Chunin Exam, defeat your opponents, and be promoted to Chunin.
[Mission Difficulty]: High
[Mission Rewards]: Completion level varies; full victory grants +40 Demon Points.
[Failure Penalty]: None
"A new mission! Promotion to Chunin?"
Obuya was startled.
Previously, without Level 2 fruit abilities, he would have had little confidence. But with these upgrades, he felt more assured.
"My techniques are strong, but my physical ability and combat skill still lag behind Kakashi and others. I'll need these seven days for intense training."
As he pondered this, the same middle-aged ninja who announced the Chunin Exam approached him.
"You must be Obuya, right?" the ninja asked without revealing any emotion.
Obuya glanced at him and nodded slightly. "That's me."
"Follow me. The Hokage wishes to see you."
"The Hokage?"
Obuya was shocked.
"The current Hokage should be Sarutobi Hiruzen. He wants to see me… could it be because of my abilities?" Obuya wondered silently.
"Wow! Obuya, the Hokage himself wants to see you. He must be about to officially grant you Konoha ninja status. Go quickly!"
Rin was even more excited than Obuya.
Obuya nodded. "Lead the way, sir."
Kakashi, watching them walk away, looked slightly puzzled.
Rarely speaking, rarely curious about others, he asked Rin, "Rin, you're saying this Obuya is going to join Konoha?"
Rin nodded firmly.
"Kakashi, don't underestimate Obuya. He's extremely skilled and possesses a rare Kekkei Genkai. I saw him with my own eyes: he knocked down Kirito in one strike, then severed his arms and legs, and in a single breath, reattached them. Everyone was stunned."
Kakashi's expression showed mild surprise.
Obito stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I heard about it too. Kirito was treated pretty harshly—his limbs were completely reversed. I saw from afar—it looked terrifying…"
"Apparently, his father is still searching for a medical ninja to restore his limbs. But ninjas who can perform severed-limb restoration are extremely rare—it won't be easy to find one."
Kakashi nodded slightly. "From what you're saying, he really is a amazing person. The Hokage's decision is correct. Allowing someone with this Kekkei Genkai to join another village would be dangerous."