Chapter 43 - 43. The Test

While the exam was held, Shiroken was talking to various villagers. He could feel deeper anxiety in their hearts. But he didn't know if these people could be trusted, as they didn't mind killing children and whole clans. Even by mindless human standards, this was too much, as if they lacked basic feelings.

So he knew he needed to make sure good policies were in place that could change them into their better selves. ​​

Haku's identity of being from the Yuki clan was never told to them. But, even if it was now, who was going to dare touch him? Since Shiroken was seen walking around and buying gifts for the kid.

"Shisui, why don't you buy yourself some fake eyes? Look, they are made of stones I think." Shiroken suggested.

"No, I'd rather look blind and be blind than look normal and turn out to be blind." Shisui denied the suggestion wholeheartedly.

"But think about the possibilities, you can fool your enemies. While looking straight you will be attacking your left and right." Shiroken said while thinking about this scenario.

They waited an hour and then Shisui collected all the paper. But, before everyone could stand up, Shiroken spoke, "Stay seated, I need to disqualify some of you first."

He went to the sword and talked, "Tell me, who cheated."

Tenken started revealing, "That guy in the 2nd-row third column, the one in the last of the third row, this guy in the first seat of 1st row, two guys from 3rd and 4th row 4th column. They were all cheating. Hmm, oh, that one poking his nose in the back too."

"Are you sure?" Shiroken asked.

"Yes, my lord. You chin... faithful servant would never lie to you." Tenken said. Although he was a very proud being, the power balance was very clear here and he knew he could not mess around with Shiroken too much.

"All those named and unnamed who cheated get out of the lines right now, or I will be very harsh with you in the next test," Shiroken warned them.

Soon, in shame, about 10 ninjas left the lines. Next, Shiroken started to evaluate the test papers.

The first question was, "Would you save 1000 Kirigakure villagers if it meant failing your inconsequential mission?"

About 50 per cent of the answers were No. Some even added a remark, saying the mission is supreme. Each one of them failed their test.

The next question was, "Would you let a thousand of your villagers die if it meant catching a tailed beast?"

Again, anyone who answered yes was sent away with the papers thrown to the dustbin and an angry look from Shiroken.

"Would you give your food to a hungry child and stay hungry for the night?" was the next question.

Anyone who denied it was sent away. By the end of all the questions, only 5 candidates were left there. There was Ao, Mei, and three more Shinobi who seemed decent enough. There was a husband-wife couple and another female shinobi.

"Congratulations, you have shown the features that 99 per cent of the shinobi who took the exams couldn't. It is empathy. I understand you are supposed to be ruthless and merciless. But, come on, you were ready to let thousands of your citizens die for some pointless reason. If this is the level of Shinobi in Kirigakure then as the Supreme Daimyo I will have to think about reducing your yearly budget allocation for the defence expenditure.

"Ah, enough wasting time. All five of you, fight me." He ordered them.

But, the five of them just stared at his face in confusion. Mei coughed and voiced, "Are you sure?"

He sighed, "You just saw me take down the whole Shinobi forces of this village, so of course, it's fine. You should be worried about yourself. I will move the moment I finish speaking, so you be prepared."

*WOOSH*

True to his words, it happened. Without showing any mercy, he disappeared from his place, as if a wave of air, just leaving some dust slowly settling back into the calmness of the earth.

Shiroken was nowhere to be seen, nobody had an idea, was he so fast they couldn't see? or was he not even there?

*BAM*

Ao was the first victim of Shiroken, as the loud thump resounded and his body was thrown a few metres in the air with his body now being curved like a bow. The blow was on the stomach that was obvious enough.

Mei quickly ran to him and helped, "You okay?"

Ao nodded and groaned in pain, but he slowly stood up. Shiroken had not used much of his power, or else Ao would have been in pieces.

Shiroken was still invisible. But suddenly his voice resounded in the air, "You can never win against me like this."

*BOOM*

*BAM*

*PA*

The husband and wife and the 5th woman shinobi also faced the same fate and were thrown into the air like ragdolls. Their eyes widened and their mouths gasped for air.

"YOU WILL NEVER WIN!" Shiroken again tried to agitate them. Now, this test seemed less like a Mizukage recruitment test and more like a genin exam.

Mei and Ao helped the other three. Ao quickly created a field of water around himself, thinking Shiroken would have trouble over it and they could see where the footsteps were. But Shiroken could fly high.

Mei knew this, she used her fire release abilities to create a cover for themselves so they could gather around.

"Only together we can be of any challenge to him, come, and let's join hands everyone," Mei advised them.

They all grouped together, back to back, looking in each direction. But, poor them, they didn't think something could happen from underground.

"AAAAAaaa..." All of a sudden a hand came out of the ground and pulled the 5th female ninja into the ground.

Everyone felt slightly scared. This was now giving them a very ghostly vibe. They could not rely on anything, Byakugan didn't work, their eyes couldn't see, their ears couldn't hear him.

"WHAT IS HE?" one of them muttered in frustration. They had forgotten they were even in an exam. They just wanted to beat Shiroken.

"AAAAA..."

The next victim was the wife among the couple. She was dragged to the ground, agitating the husband. He angrily shouted, "DON'T FIGHT LIKE A COWARD!"

*PAT PAT*

A hand suddenly pressed that man's shoulder, "I was always here, you were just too slow."

"WHERE IS NAMIKO?!" He screamed and raged after Shiroken.

Shiroken politely slapped away all the attacks from the man. But when the man refused to stop his rage, Shiroken slapped him on the face, *SLAP*

"Hold yourself, you just proved you can not be the Mizukage, not with such a weak mental state. But you can be useful," he said with a scary smile.

*BAM*

He punched the man and locked him with his arm so that his body restricted the view of Shiroken's body.

Shiroken looked at Ao and Mei, "Your last chance. The only way for you to be Mizukage is to plunge your kunai through this man and stab me. Or, you can save him by giving up the Mizukage seat. You only have 10 seconds to decide."

The man in Shiroken's arms got scared and tried to get freed. Shiroken just knocked on his head and whispered in his ears, "You fool, this is a test. Just act scared now, I'm not really killing you. Your wife is also safe."

This calmed him down. But Shiroken overestimated the man's ability to act. Instead, he started doing the opposite.

"HEEEELP! SAVE ME! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I STILL WANT TO GROW OLD!..."

*BAM*

Shiroken again knocked on his head and scolded him, "Cut this overacting, you are as bad at acting as being headstrong. Now just cry silently."

Meanwhile, Ao and Mei were going through a dilemma. They didn't know what the other one was going to do. Both of them looked at each other and nodded.

Mei took out her Kunai, waited for a second and threw it on the ground.

*BOOM*

Just as that happened, Ao dashed to Shiroken, with the full aim of killing his own comrade.

Shiroken let him come till arm's length, "YOU FAILED!"

Shiroken's arm swung with ease and slapped the Kunai away from Ao's hand. "Becoming Mizukage is more important to you than the people? How do you expect them to trust you? Remember, those who betray their own comrades are worse than crap."

He called Mei, without even sparing a glance at Ao, "Congratulations on becoming the next Mizukage."

"MY WIFE!" The man still in Shiroken's clutches cried.

"Oh, yes, here you go." He used Earth release and quickly an underground cave's mouth appeared. The two women were inside it.

Shiroken spoke to the wife of that man, "You had tumours in your stomach."

She turned sad and replied, "I know, Lord Supreme Daimyo. We've known about it for a while now."

"Now you don't have them. I've healed you. Good luck." Shiroken shocked them and left to talk to Mei about her new job.

"This... does this mean we can have kids now?" The man cried and hugged his wife in tears of joy.

Everyone saw this kind gesture, and some fell in love with their handsome Supreme Daimyo that day. But Shiroken's work was not finished. Saiken was still yet to be found. However, just then he got a letter from Monari.

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STONE ME TO HEAVEN!

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Special thanks to *Douglas Flower* *Umar Latif* *Julian Rocamora* *Darrien Steely* *Franklin Walley*

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