The morning of the Chūnin Exams arrived with an eerie stillness.
Naruto stood outside the Academy building — the very place where his journey began — staring up at the entrance with a strange mix of excitement and anxiety churning in his stomach.
He glanced to his side.
Sasuke: calm, arms folded, eyes scanning everything.
Sakura: focused, holding a notebook of last-minute facts she'd drilled into her brain.
And Naruto?
He was trying not to explode with anticipation.
> Main Quest: Chūnin Exams – Phase I
Location: Academy – Written Test
Objective: Secure passing score by any means
Secondary Objective: Avoid penalties
Hidden Objective: Impress Proctor
Difficulty: High (non-combat)
Timer: 60 minutes upon entry
Status: Ready
"You think we'll fight right away?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke smirked. "Not a chance. This is Konoha. They'll start with something boring."
They entered the building.
Sasuke was right.
---
Inside a large room on the third floor, dozens of Genin had already gathered.
Teams from every major village — Suna, Kiri, Kumo, even Ame.
All crammed into identical desks, silent under the watchful eyes of multiple Chūnin-level examiners stationed along the walls.
In the center of the blackboard: Chūnin Exam – Phase I: Written Assessment
Naruto's stomach dropped.
"A test?!" he hissed.
"Keep your voice down," Sakura snapped. "You can't just wing this!"
"Yeah, I can," Naruto whispered back — though even he wasn't so sure.
> System Alert:
Intelligence Challenge Detected
Intelligence Score: 11
Assessment: Below average for exam type
Recommended Action: Deception, assistance, or clone-based stealth
Optional Subsystem Available:
→ "Silent Thought Link" (Clone Coordination)
Duration: 60 mins
Cooldown: 6 hours
Use this ability? [Yes] [No]
Naruto pressed Yes immediately.
A wave of subtle chakra pulsed across his nervous system — and he felt his mind lightly tethered to a waiting clone he had secretly created in a side alley before entering the building. That clone was now carefully positioned outside, with a perfect view of the answer sheets from the window.
His lips didn't move.
But the knowledge began to stream into his mind.
It was like hearing himself think in stereo — both inside and out.
Sakura narrowed her eyes, glancing at him.
"You're… oddly quiet."
"Thinking," Naruto replied.
"…Oh no," she muttered.
---
Ibiki Morino, the proctor of the first exam, stood before them all like a grim specter. Bald head, trench coat, scars, and a presence that sucked the heat out of the room.
"You're here to become Chūnin," he said. "Leaders. Operatives. Assassins. You need more than brute force."
He walked down the aisle slowly.
"You need to gather intelligence. From enemies. From allies. From impossible situations."
A pause.
"Which is why you will be penalized for cheating poorly — not for cheating itself."
A ripple passed through the Genin.
"But if you're caught five times," he said, voice cold, "you and your team are out."
---
The timer began.
Naruto stared at the paper.
Ten questions.
All stupid.
All impossible.
Equations that barely looked like math.
Historical trivia only a clan scholar would know.
Tactics scenarios based on missions he'd never heard of.
No way I can do this.
But the System helped.
His clone's shared thoughts came in steady bursts.
One question at a time.
And whenever the proctors looked away, Naruto jotted down answers with subtle strokes, pretending to sweat just like everyone else.
One Genin was pulled from the room within five minutes, wailing.
Another soon after.
The atmosphere became thick with fear.
---
> System Ping:
Observation Bonus: Passive Perception Check Passed
Detail Spotted:
– Gaara of the Sand isn't writing
– Yet his paper is filling in
– Suspected ability: Sand Eye or remote sensory construct
Countermeasure: Ignore. Too risky to mimic.
Naruto gave the redhead a glance.
Gaara sat silently. A trickle of sand curled up from beneath his sleeve, extending toward his paper like a second hand.
Creepy.
System or not, Naruto thought, I'm glad he's not my enemy… yet.
---
At the forty-five-minute mark, Naruto had all ten questions filled in.
Some answers had come through the clone. Others — surprisingly — had come from his own deductive thinking.
> INT +1
Current INT: 12
Trait Progress: "Tactical Growth" – 38%
A single stat point.
But it meant something.
He was evolving.
Without a punch being thrown.
---
Then the final twist came.
Ibiki smiled cruelly.
"The tenth question," he said, "is optional."
Murmurs spread.
Ibiki continued. "If you choose not to answer, your team fails. If you do answer… and get it wrong… your team will be banned from ever taking the Chūnin Exams again."
Gasps.
Sakura's hand trembled.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Ibiki scanned the room.
"Those who don't wish to take the final question… raise your hand."
One by one, hands rose.
Team after team stood and left.
Naruto felt the fear clawing at his gut.
What if I fail? What if I ruin this for Sasuke and Sakura?
Then—
> System Pulse:
Emotional Anchor Triggered
[You've never quit. Not when you were hated. Not when you were alone.]
[Reminder: Your dream is to be Hokage. A leader never backs down.]
Naruto shot to his feet.
"LIKE HELL I'M QUITTING!"
Every eye turned to him.
"I don't care what your trick is! I'm not backing down — even if I fail ten times, I'll still become a Chūnin, and then Hokage!"
Ibiki studied him.
And smiled.
"…Pass."
The room froze.
"What?" someone whispered.
Ibiki's voice rang loud.
"All of you still here… pass. That was the tenth question."
He folded his arms.
"The real test was your resolve. Your willingness to take risk under pressure. Chūnin must make those decisions daily."
Naruto's jaw dropped.
Sakura laughed softly in relief.
Sasuke… actually looked impressed.
---
> Phase I Complete
Bonus Objective: Pass without detection – ✅
Hidden Objective: Impress Proctor – ✅
Rewards:
– +1 INT
– +1 WIS
– Temporary Trait: "Mental Fortitude" (3 days)
Ibiki Morino: Favorability +10
---
As the teams began to file out of the exam hall, the ceiling above them suddenly shattered.
A banner exploded down from above:
"The Real Fun Begins Now!"
Standing above it was a purple-clad woman with a wild grin, her long black ponytail fluttering behind her.
"Hey, brats! I'm Anko Mitarashi, your next examiner!"
"Try not to die in the Forest of Death, okay?"