I am targeting the proctor himself

What a coincidence.

The two people standing by the stairwell included Asuma, whom Kisame had just met a few days before. Today, Asuma had shed his delinquent’s suit for the green flak jacket and standard shinobi attire of a chunin, with a mask covering half his face. Ever since his mouth was injured by the cigarette Kisame had handed him—teeth knocked out, lips split—he’d been too embarrassed to show himself, hence the mask.

The other person was a girl of eleven or twelve, with wavy black hair, red eyes, and a cherubic face that made her look innocent and easily deceived. She was Asuma’s early love—Kurenai Yuhi.

The two were currently discussing the upcoming exam.

“Kurenai, don’t worry. With me here, you’re guaranteed to ace it,” Asuma promised, thumping his chest with utter conviction.

“But that would be cheating. Asuma, you can’t do that.”

Kurenai shook her head, biting her lip, her large, dewy eyes fixed on him.

“Relax, the first written test is all about intelligence gathering. With your genjutsu, you’d pass even without my help. I just want you to conserve your chakra and save your strength. The real battles are in the second and third rounds, and I won’t be able to help you then,” Asuma explained hastily, hoping she wouldn’t misunderstand.

His attentiveness warmed Kurenai’s heart, filling her with gratitude.

For a moment, the air was thick with the scent of young love.

Unfortunately, their tender moment was quickly interrupted by an unwelcome voice.

“Well, Asuma, we meet again. You really should be more careful with your smokes. How’s the injury?” Kisame appeared, acting as though he and Asuma were old friends.

“Asuma, is this your friend? You got hurt? Why didn’t you tell me?” Kurenai exclaimed, concern evident.

“Well, it’s like this—” Kisame began to explain, but Asuma cut him off in a panic.

“Ahem. Kurenai, why don’t you head to the exam room? I need to have a word with this genin from the Hidden Mist Village,” Asuma said, feigning a cough.

Kurenai looked worried, sensing that Asuma was hiding something, but she obeyed and left.

“Let’s talk in private.”

Once Kurenai had left, Asuma shot Kisame a cold glare and led the way into the restroom.

Kisame checked the corridor to ensure no one was coming, then followed.

“Hoshigaki Kisame, when you ambushed me, you didn’t expect to see me here, did you? Don’t think you’ll pass this exam—I’ll be watching you every second,” Asuma sneered as he turned to face Kisame.

Kisame looked at him, puzzled. “You’re just someone I’ve beaten. What makes you think you can talk to me like that?”

“What do you mean? I’m the proctor. You’re asking why I have the right to talk to you this way? Are you stupid or just clueless?” Asuma nearly laughed out of sheer disbelief. He’d never met anyone so brazen in his life.

“You’re the clueless one.”

Kisame calmly flexed his fingers, and a chakra thread shot out, whipping behind Asuma and slamming the restroom door shut.

Seconds later, the restroom erupted in the sounds of fierce struggle—blows landing, objects breaking, and muffled grunts.

The commotion lasted only a short while before all fell silent.

The door creaked open.

Inside, several urinals were smashed, tiles littered the floor, and a nearby pipe had burst, spraying water everywhere and soaking most of the room.

Asuma lay unconscious, his face battered and bruised, bound from head to toe with chakra threads. His mask had been removed and replaced with tape over his mouth.

Kisame opened a stall at the far end, hefted Asuma, and tossed him inside with a thud, then used his chakra threads to lock the door from within.

Next, he formed a hand seal to create a shadow clone, and had the clone transform into Asuma’s likeness.

At last, Kisame and “Asuma” exited the restroom one after the other, heading for the exam room.

Kurenai was waiting outside the classroom. She saw Kisame approach, who nodded politely before entering the room.

Asuma arrived a moment later.

“Asuma, you didn’t do anything to him, did you? You’re a proctor now, representing the Leaf. You can’t just do as you please—you have to consider the consequences,” Kurenai whispered, clutching his arm.

She knew Asuma’s character all too well and feared he might revert to his delinquent ways.

“Don’t worry, Kurenai. You saw Kisame go in yourself, didn’t you? Did he look like he was in trouble?” Asuma smiled, patting her shoulder and urging her to take her seat.

Once Kurenai sat down, every one of the hundred-plus candidates was present. The proctors lined up at the front of the classroom.

The chief examiner for the first written test was Inoichi Yamanaka, a newly promoted jonin of twenty-two, master of mind control and thought detection—a formidable intelligence shinobi.

After Inoichi announced the rules, he glanced to either side and frowned.

“Where’s Kakashi? Why isn’t he here yet?” he asked his colleagues.

Besides Inoichi, eight chunin proctors would patrol the room, tasked with identifying and eliminating clumsy cheaters.

“I’ll check,” Asuma volunteered near the door. Stepping outside, he spotted Kakashi at the end of the hall, strolling over at a leisurely pace.

Yes, Kakashi walked slowly. Upon entering, he folded his arms and leaned against the wall, exuding an air of cool indifference.

A wave of swooning swept through the classroom, mostly among the girls, while boys like Obito looked on with jealousy and competitive spirit.

In short, when Kakashi appeared, nearly every eye in the room—male or female—was fixed on him.

Kakashi’s gaze swept across the room, pausing for a moment on Kisame, giving him a long, searching look before moving on.

At that moment, Asuma joined Kakashi.

“Kakashi, I heard you were beaten by Hoshigaki Kisame. Same thing happened to me. That guy must have used some underhanded trick on you, right?” Asuma murmured, patting Kakashi’s shoulder and gritting his teeth. “Don’t worry. If you’re not up to it, just stay here. I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t pass the first test.”

Before Kakashi could reply, Asuma gave a cold chuckle and took up a position behind Kisame, watching him like a hawk.

The exam began.