Seeing that it was almost time for the final question, Ibiki signaled to the other proctors.
"Now… it's time for me to give you the final question of this exam," he said, his eyes sweeping across the remaining Genin in the classroom.
Almost half of the original candidates had already been eliminated, but he wasn't satisfied, he needed to weed out even more.
"But before I give you the final question," Ibiki continued, "there's something you all need to hear. The tenth question is unlike the others.
Once I give it to you… you must answer it correctly. Otherwise, you will fail."
Gasps echoed around the room.
"And if you fail to answer the tenth question correctly," Ibiki added with a chilling calm, "you'll be stripped of your eligibility to become a Chūnin for the rest of your life. This might be your only chance.
So… tell me now—are you ready for your final question?"
Gulp.
Most of the remaining Genin swallowed hard. The pressure was real. If they got it wrong, they could be stuck as genin forever. For most, that was simply unacceptable.
Then, Ibiki made his next move, offering an olive branch while simultaneously breaking them down mentally, forcing them to make a choice in an impossible situation.
"If any of you quit now, you'll be allowed to take the exam again next time after you've prepared. But it's up to you. Remember, if you quit… your entire team will be disqualified.
But all of you will be eligible to take the next Chūnin Exams."
Those words landed like hammers.
It was like being forced to choose between drowning and burning.
"That's impossible! You can't do that!" one of the genin suddenly shouted. "I participated in the last Chūnin Exams. There was nothing like this! You can't make a rule like that!"
Ibiki's gaze grew colder at those words, and his voice dropped several degrees in an instant.
"They didn't have me last time, did they? If you don't like it, go ahead—try me."
A chill ran down the spine of the Genin who had just questioned Ibiki. He truly felt that Ibiki wasn't joking around.
Everyone began glancing at their teammates, desperate for answers… but all they saw were the same panicked, uncertain faces staring back at them.
Eventually, under Ibiki's relentless psychological pressure, someone finally cracked.
"I... I give up. Sorry, Takeshi, Maika… I just can't. We can try again next time."
A trembling genin rose to his seat, head bowed. He was sorry for his teammates, but he just couldn't take a risk like that.
His teammates had no choice but to follow him. They were also eliminated on the spot.
after the first team gave up it was like a chain reaction, more and more teams began giving up one by one, until the room grew visibly emptier.
Still… many remained.
Ibiki tried once again to rattle their nerves but this time, it didn't work.
More than I expected stayed… but they're not showing any signs of giving up. That's fine. I'll let them pass.
"Good," Ibiki finally said, giving a faint smile. "So you all really want to try the tenth question. You've got guts."
He let the moment stretch… until it felt like a breaking point.
Then—
"The tenth question is…
At that moment, they all leaned in, hearts pounding, waiting for the tenth question.
But the question never came. Instead of a question, they were met with congratulations from Ibiki himself.
"Congratulations. You've all passed the test," Ibiki said, a rare genuine smile forming on his scarred face as he glanced around at the remaining genin.
"Huh?"
All of them were confused by what Ibiki had just said. Murmurs spreading among the remaining Genin. just a moment ago, he claimed it was the final question, yet he never actually asked anything. And now he was saying they had passed? It was mind-boggling for them.
"Wait, what about the tenth question? How can we all pass when you didn't even ask anything?" Temari raised her voice, clearly just as bewildered as everyone else.
Ibiki turned toward her, his gaze steady. "The tenth question wasn't about theoretical knowledge. It was meant to test something else your courage, your resolve and the fire in your heart. Whether you had what it takes to be a ninja. That was the real exam."
He removed his head covering slowly, revealing the gruesome scars and puncture wounds on his scalp burn marks, holes, signs of torture and survival. The sight made the genins flinch. These weren't just scars—they were a testament to pain, to endurance.
"Being a genin is just the first step," he continued. "Becoming a chunin means more than just strength or intelligence. It means leadership. It means the ability to command a squad and shoulder the responsibility of lives yours and others."
"A chunin must be decisive. They must be able to make difficult decisions sometimes without knowing what lies ahead. Sometimes... even if it means pain or death." Ibiki's voice was low, but it struck like a hammer. "That's what makes a chunin different."
He looked around the room once more. "When I gave you the choice earlier—stay or quit—it wasn't about answering a question. It was a test to see if you could endure uncertainty, if you could trust your team, and if you were ready to take a leap of faith despite the risks. And all of you passed."
"Heh, I knew I'd pass," Kiba boasted, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He'd nearly given up a few minutes ago. Thank god he hadn't otherwise he would've failed such a deceptively simple test.
Now about a quarter of the original genin remained in the room those who hadn't broken under the pressure. Ibiki gave them a small nod of approval.
But the moment didn't last.
Ibiki's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of something hurtling toward them at high speed, straight through the window. After watching it for a moment, he realized what it was, but that only left him more dumbfounded. Why was she here so early?
BOOM!
Ibiki stared speechlessly as the window exploded into fragments. Glass shards flew across the classroom, drawing gasps and startled cries from the remaining genin.
With a dramatic crash, Anko Mitarashi made her grand entrance by breaking through the window.
"Alright, everyone!" she shouted, full of energy. "Now that the first test is done, let's move on! I'm Anko Mitarashi, your proctor for the second phase of the Chunin Exams! Shall we begin?"
"Good! Follow me to your next—" she paused, realizing something was wrong.
Silence.
"..."
Everyone just stared at her deadpan. Her over-the-top entrance and speech had left the room dumbfounded.
This proctor seemed... kind of lame.
Anko looked around, frowning at the lack of excitement.
"Anko, you're early again. I wasn't even finished," Ibiki said, stepping out from behind the flashy banner Anko had set up just to make her entrance look dramatic.
(;⌣̀_⌣́)
Anko turned back to the genin and blinked. "Wait, how many are still here? Ibiki, did you let all of them pass? Was the test too easy this time?"
Yeah, it was way too easy for us poor Genin (ￗ﹏ￗ). At this point, go ahead and whip us if you want.
"Or maybe," Ibiki smirked, "this batch is just stronger than the rest."
Anko gave a wicked grin. "Heh, whatever. By the time I'm done with them, only a few will be left anyway."
"So few…" Sakura muttered, shocked at the thought of more than half being eliminated in the next round.
"Alright, you brats can go home for now!" Anko clapped her hands. "Your second phase of the Chunin Exams starts tomorrow. You'll be informed of the location in the morning, right here."
She waved them off. "You're dismissed for today. Go do whatever. Just don't die before tomorrow!"
After leaving the building, the first place Naruto went was the weapon shop. There was a good chance that tomorrow's phase would involve actual combat, maybe a battleground or a survival round—so he had to be prepared.
He bought everything. Kunai, shuriken, exploding tags, smoke bombs, wire, senbon—anything remotely sharp or throwable. Naruto had never understood the phrase "don't spend it all in one place." If money could be turned into firepower, he was practically a walking armory.
By the time he was done, he had filled three large storage scrolls with supplies. If needed, he could unleash all of them with a single hand seal.
"Hmm… Money really is a fighting style," Naruto muttered, admiring his scrolls.
He patted his dear frog wallet which was miraculously, was still heavy despite the massive purchase. Thanks to one generous soul, Naruto was truly living the rich man's fantasy: spending without limits.
With his gear prepped, Naruto returned home to rest.
But the streets of Konoha weren't quiet tonight.
In one of the shadowy corners of Konoha, a strange-looking man dressed in plain clothes stood over an unconscious Genin. Orochimaru stared down at the body Kabuto had just brought to him—the identity he would assume for the next phase of the Chunin Exams.
"Did you see him, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked, a glint of curiosity in his serpentine eyes as he glanced at his assistant.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. I did see him. He is also participating in the Chunin Exam, just as we had expected," Kabuto replied respectfully, bowing slightly.
"Oh? That's wonderful." Orochimaru chuckled darkly, his laughter was cold and spine-chilling. "I'll test this container myself tomorrow. I want to see Sasuke Uchiha's capabilities with my own eyes."
With that, Orochimaru turned his attention to the unconscious body before him and began performing a jutsu to assume the Genin's identity for the upcoming exam.
"Kabuto, summon the Sound Trio," he commanded, his tone laced with malicious intent. "Also, give them the order to target his team once I've placed the seal on him."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said respectfully before disappearing into the shadows, leaving Orochimaru alone as he continued performing the jutsu.
Everything was going according to Orochimaru's meticulous plan.
Tomorrow, he thought, would mark the beginning of everything.
He couldn't afford to let his prey escape—this was the perfect opportunity.
Sasuke Uchiha might just be the ideal vessel he needed.
With the power of the Sharingan, Orochimaru believed he could finally achieve his dream: to learn every jutsu in existence, more easily than ever before.
And it would also aid him in his pursuit of immortality.
After experimenting with the First Hokage's cells—particularly when he implanted an arm for Danzō Orochimaru had discovered something… new. Something very interesting.
He was desperate to test his theories right now. Just the thought of obtaining a Sharingan thrilled him. The obsession burned deeper than ever; he had to acquire it, no matter what.
The Next Morning
Forest of Death
All of the Genin stood outside the entrance, waiting for Anko to arrive. They glanced around at the dense forest surrounding them. This zone was thick with towering trees, making it lush with greenery and shadows.
The front gate of the forest was shut tight, secured with numerous seals and locks, adding an ominous air to the already mysterious setting.
Naruto and his team were also standing there, waiting for the second phase to begin.
"How long is she gonna take to get here, man? I'm getting bored just standing around," Naruto complained, glancing around impatiently as Anko still hadn't arrived.
"Oh, did you miss me?"
At that moment, Naruto heard a voice from behind and felt the cold touch of a kunai against his neck.
Anko stood just behind him, grinning creepily as she leaned in.