Under the pressure of Morino Ibiki's intense psychological warfare and intimidating aura, all the candidates sat stiffly in their seats, trembling with tension.
Ibiki scanned the exam room with satisfaction. Looks like they're all intimidated by my speech... as expected.
Suddenly, Ibiki noticed a calm, unblinking gaze directed straight at him.
His eyes locked with Haruto's.
"...This brat again. He's definitely up to sothing."
Haruto smirked inwardly. The atmosphere Ibiki created is perfect... Might as well make full use of it.
In contrast to Haruto's composure, Naruto looked like he was about to turn green from nerves.
"Why does it have to be a written test?! I suck at written tests!"
Haruto glanced over at the panicked Naruto with a mischievous grin. He's still that bad with pressure... I should spice things up.
Just then, Naruto, who was staring blankly at his paper in a cold sweat, suddenly felt a heavy smack on his back.
"!!!"
He nearly wet himself from the shock and leapt up with a loud yelp.
"You there, candidate—do you have a question?" Ibiki's sharp voice cut through the silence.
"N-no! No question!" Naruto stamred and sat down hastily, face pale.
He wanted to see who had hit him but didn't dare look around.
On the other side of the room, Tenten, who was adjusting the angle of her hidden mirror for cheating, suddenly gasped. The thread in her hand had snapped—again.
What's going on?! Soone's interfering! She quickly reattached it, only for it to snap once more. Tenten began scanning the room carefully, but she couldn't locate the culprit.
Gaara released a tiny stream of sand like a sensor line, guiding it toward the suspected interference.
But just as it neared its target, the sand dispersed unnaturally and drifted away in another direction.
Neji, having activated his Byakugan to trace suspicious movents, was suddenly caught off guard by the drifting sand. His vision was blocked, and his expression darkened.
What the hell is this?! Are you playing gas with , Gaara?!
Neji turned to glare at Gaara, his eyes full of irritation. Gaara, noticing the stare, didn't flinch—he glared right back.
Fierce sparks flew between the two prodigies across the room, invisible but undeniable.
anwhile, a small insect from Shino's colony, ant to deliver answers discreetly, was knocked off course and flew straight into Akamaru's nose.
"Gyaaah!" Akamaru sneezed violently and tumbled off Kiba's head.
"Akamaru?! What the hell!?" Kiba caught him mid-air in a panic.
The cheating network among the genin had descended into chaos—thanks to one quiet troublemaker in the center of it all.
Haruto, hiding a grin behind his hand, calmly continued answering his paper.
Haruto was having far too much fun stirring up trouble in the exam room. Watching all the chaos unfold made him want to burst out laughing. For those he was on friendly terms with, he went easy—maybe just ssed with them once. But for strangers, like Temari, he didn't even give a chance—no support, no answers, nothing.
As for Gaara, Haruto only managed to prank him once when he was distracted. After that, even trying to target him again proved useless.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Haruto's expertly concealed chakra threads—dense, thin, and guided with precision—and his mastery over sealing techniques.
But when he turned his attention to the group from Kumogakure, he found all of his attempts blocked. Soone in their team has excellent sensory perception and skill... Haruto thought, frowning slightly.
Kirigakure's team wasn't any easier to ss with. Clearly, they had capable shinobi as well.
These people aren't your average Chūnin candidates... No, with that level of ability, they're closer to elite Chunin or even jōnin-level. Sending them to the exams ans they must have a separate agenda, Haruto analyzed.
As Haruto increased the intensity of his subtle attacks, those teams not only blocked him but began to strike back. A silent war had started—covert sabotage, disrupted cheating thods, traps within traps.
The result?
Utter madness.
—A water balloon burst mysteriously over a candidate's crotch.
—Another examinee fell flat to the ground for no reason.
—One Genin's sabotage ended up affecting soone from their own village.
The proctors didn't interfere. In fact, they seed to enjoy it. To them, this kind of "natural selection" was the true exam.
By the ti it was over, Naruto hadn't written a single word.
He was soaked in sweat, his hands trembling, clothes sticking to his body. His nerves were shot.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto clenched his fists. Only the tenth question left... If I screw this up, it's over for —and for Haruto and Sasuke, too.
Up front, Morino Ibiki finally spoke.
"You now have a choice. Take the tenth question... or not."
Gasps and murmurs spread across the room.
"If you choose not to take the question," Ibiki continued coldly, "you'll receive zero points and fail the exam imdiately."
"But if you do take the question and answer it incorrectly... you'll never be allowed to take the Chūnin Exams again."
A wave of stunned silence hit the room like a shockwave.
"Not just you," Ibiki added. "If you fail the tenth question, your entire squad will be disqualified. There will be no cheating allowed. No second chances."
"Wh-what?!" soone shouted.
"Are you serious?!"
Voices rose in protest, but Ibiki ignored them, continuing to radiate unshakable authority.
"If you lack confidence, I suggest walking away. You'll live to try again."
A handful of candidates stood up, pale-faced, quietly choosing to forfeit rather than risk their futures—and their teammates' hopes.
Naruto's body trembled under the pressure. Every second dragged like an eternity. The responsibility was crushing.
Haruto sat silently, not interfering.
If I wanted to, I could've helped him cheat. I could've made it easy... But I won't.
Because I want to know... if he's still the sa Naruto I knew. The one who never gave up.
Finally, Naruto raised his hand. With a loud smack of his palm against the desk, he stood up and shouted: "Don't underestimate —I won't back down!"
"I'm taking the test! Even if I stay a Genin forever, I'll still work hard to beco Hokage! Bring it on!"
Morino Ibiki stared at him, cold and heavy.
"This decision will affect your entire life. If you regret it, now's the ti to walk away."
Naruto stood firm. "I won't quit. Just say the question already. This is my way of ninja!"
His words echoed through the room like thunder.
In that mont, a flicker of courage lit up in the hearts of many. One after another, those who had been on the verge of quitting tightened their fists. No one else walked away.
From his seat, Haruto watched in silence, nodding.
That's the Naruto I know. Unshaken, stubborn, and bright as ever.
But he glanced around the room, and his expression turned colder.
Still way too many people left.
Ibiki's threat worked well on Konoha Genin—but those from other villages weren't so easily rattled. The room still had well over a hundred candidates.
Haruto slowly stood and drew Murasa with a faint tallic whisper.
"If you don't have the strength, you'd better quit now. The next round won't be so kind."
"There are limited spots. I won't hold back. I'll eliminate anyone who's just here to gamble their future."
The candidates froze.
The atmosphere turned sharp.
Those who were on friendly terms with Haruto—or who simply didn't fear him—remained calm. But the rest? Their faces turned pale.
Whispers swept through the room. Quiet footsteps led several more candidates to walk out.
When it settled again, only 84 remained.
Mostly Konoha ninjas.
Ibiki raised an eyebrow slightly at the reduced number, but said nothing.
Haruto sheathed Murasa without a word. That should help keep the Konoha casualty count lower...
Let the higher elimination rate co from the next stages instead. Although... with that red bean woman running things next, who knows what chaos she'll bring?
Ibiki stepped forward and addressed the remaining Genin.
"I now declare—"
"You've all passed the first stage."
Gasps.
Bewildered expressions.
Before anyone could speak, Ibiki's previously cold deanor shifted. A sharp smile appeared as he looked toward Misaki, the cloaked figure from Kirigakure.
"The decision between the two choices... was the tenth question."
The room went silent.
Ibiki began pacing slowly.
"You should have figured it out—the true test was about information gathering. How well you could gather intel without being caught."
He gave a dark chuckle.
"And more than that—sotis, you'll be forced to take missions that put your life on the line. You won't have the option to refuse."
"In such monts, being able to encourage your teammates, keep calm under pressure, and push forward despite the odds..."
"That's what we're looking for in a Chūnin. A squad leader. A commander."
"Those who gave up, those waiting on hope for another chance... they're not fit. The exam isn't just about strength. It's about spirit."
But before he could finish—
CRASH!
A black shadow burst through the window, sending glass flying.
A figure flipped through the air, landing on the desk in a crouch.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
There, wearing a revealing sh outfit, a long coat, and an eye-catching attitude, stood the woman who would lead the next test.
Mitarashi Anko.
With a wide grin and a twinkle of madness in her eyes, she declared:
"You think this was hard?! Hah! The real fun's just starting!"
"I'm the examiner for your second exam—Mitarashi Anko! The next test is ready! Follow !" Anko shouted, raising her left hand high with a fierce grin.
Silence fell across the room.
Anko couldn't help the twitch at the corner of her mouth as she glanced at Ibiki.
"Eighty-four people... Ibiki, your exam's a bit too easy, don't you think?"
Ibiki's gaze stayed cold but he replied, "The candidates this ti are stronger than usual."
Anko interrupted him with a confident smirk: "Forget that. Watch —I'll cut the number down by more than half."
"More than half???" The candidates shuddered at the psychological blow, the pressure ramping up before the next stage had even begun.
Haruto's eyes drifted away, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.
Are we really going to et Orochimaru now?
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