"I am the proctor for the first exam, Morino Ibiki."
On the podium, the man with a face full of scars radiated a suffocating pressure.
"Next, we begin the first exam—the written test."
As the exam papers were distributed, the sound of people gasping for air echoed through the classroom.
The first question was code decryption, the second was parabolic trajectory calculation, and the third was political analysis... These questions were not at the Genin level at all; even a typical Chunin might not be able to solve them easily.
The surrounding candidates began to get restless, and an atmosphere of anxiety gradually started to spread.
The sound of pen tips tapping on desks, deep breaths, scratching heads, and sighing... various noises intertwined.
Only Naruto sat quietly in his seat.
He pushed up his glasses, his gaze quickly scanning the paper.
"I see..."
Naruto chuckled inwardly.
"The questions themselves weren't designed for candidates to simply answer; they are more intended to use the difficulty to force them to cheat, thereby testing their information-gathering abilities."
"A simple and crude screening mechanism."
However... after Naruto picked up his pen, he didn't look around at all, and his pen tip flowed smoothly across the paper.
During this time, in order to understand Fuinjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu, he had practically devoured every theoretical book in the Konohagakure Library.
Even when he went out on missions, he would leave a Kage Bunshin behind to help him with rote memorization.
Therefore, for him now, exam questions of this level could only be considered the most basic of basics.
Lowering his head, Naruto began to answer the questions rapidly.
Hinata, who was sitting next to him, had been observing Naruto in secret.
At first, Hinata thought Naruto was worrying over the difficulty of the questions and was about to let him see her answers.
Immediately after, she saw Naruto begin to answer the questions almost without hesitation.
"So... so amazing..."
Seeing that Naruto didn't need her help at all, Hinata was a bit surprised, but more than that, she felt relieved and full of admiration.
Time passed minute by minute.
Everyone in the exam hall showed off their special skills.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan to copy the movements of the candidates in the front row, Gaara condensed a Daisan no Me, and Kankuro used Karasu to disguise himself as a proctor...
Finally, the exam reached its final moment.
"Alright, pens down!"
Ibiki returned to the podium and said in a heavy voice:
"Next, I will announce the tenth question."
"But before the announcement, I want to add a cruel rule."
"This is a question where you gamble your life."
"You can choose not to take it."
"But if you choose not to, even if your current score is perfect, you will be disqualified immediately and have to come back next year."
"If you choose to take it but get it wrong..."
Ibiki's voice was chillingly cold:
"You will be stripped of your eligibility to become a Chunin for the rest of your life, and you will forever remain a Genin!"
Boom!
His words were like a thunderclap exploding in the exam hall.
Many people who were already high-strung immediately erupted.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"What kind of rule is that?"
The exam hall was filled with the sounds of protest.
Many people's hands began to tremble, their eyes filled with fear, as they began a violent internal struggle.
"That is the rule."
Ibiki said coldly.
"Now, I'm giving you the chance to choose. Those who want to withdraw, raise your hand!"
Dead silence.
A suffocating dead silence.
Everyone fell into a fierce internal conflict between their ideals and reality.
Some wanted to raise their hands but were afraid of their teammates' feelings and didn't dare to.
Some wanted to persevere but were afraid of the rule about remaining a Genin forever.
Just when people were at their most conflicted, a hand was raised steadily.
Everyone looked over in surprise; the person raising his hand was actually Uzumaki Naruto.
Sasuke and Sakura were both stunned.
"Naruto-kun? You're withdrawing?"
Sakura cried out in shock.
Naruto didn't answer Sakura but slowly stood up and faced the pale-faced candidates.
He wore a concerned smile that felt like a spring breeze.
"Everyone, why don't you think about it carefully?"
Naruto voice was gentle, carrying a power that could soothe people's hearts in the silent exam hall.
"The proctor just said, this is a choice where you gamble your entire life."
"As shinobi, our lives are already full of various difficulties and threats; there is no need for us to fall into an irrecoverable predicament for the sake of a single exam."
"This year's exam rules are clearly full of malicious traps; it's an extreme, abnormal state."
"Is it really wise to gamble all your future possibilities for such an unreasonable exam?"
The candidates were stunned.
Their originally tense nerves seemed to loosen a bit because of these words.
Someone began to nod subconsciously, seemingly finding Naruto words reasonable.
Naruto spread his hands and continued to up the ante:
"A shinobi's life is only once, but there are countless exams."
"We are all still young. There are Chunin Exams next year, and even individual promotion channels within each village."
"When there are clearly better paths, why gamble on probability here?"
"True courage is not blind gambling, but knowing how to... in the face of risk..."
Naruto paused slightly, his gaze sincere:
"...choose a strategic retreat for the sake of a longer-term future."
These words pierced through the final line of defense in many people's hearts.
That's right! This is called a strategic retreat; I'm just doing it for a more stable promotion!
"You... you're right..."
One candidate wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said as if waking from a dream:
"I still have a family to take care of; I can't gamble my career."
He raised his hand:
"Proctor, I withdraw! I want to prepare for next year!"
"I withdraw too!"
Another candidate also stood up.
"This brother is right. The village's recommendation slots are more stable; there's no need for us to risk our lives here!"
"This is also a unique kind of wisdom! I'm out too!"
Whoosh—
It was like opening a floodgate.
The candidates who were still hesitating now found the perfect excuse.
Not only did they lose the shame of withdrawing, but they also felt they had made a rational decision.
Even as they left, many people cast grateful glances at Naruto, thinking he was truly a good person.
In the blink of an eye, more than half the classroom was empty.
Sasuke watched this scene, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Looking at Naruto sincere "I'm doing this for your own good" expression, he felt a chill in his heart.
"This guy... with just a few words, he turned running away into wisdom and cowardice into prudence..."
"He cleared out a massive number of competitors without shedding a drop of blood..."
Ibiki stood on the podium, looking at the empty classroom, and then at Naruto, who had sat back down as if nothing had happened, his eyelid twitching wildly.
In all his years as a proctor, this was the first time he had seen someone who could make "running away" sound so righteous and refined.
If this exam hadn't been designed entirely by him personally, he might have even thought Naruto was a plant arranged by someone else.
Ibiki took a deep look at Naruto, a trace of an appreciative smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Very interesting."
"Since no one else is withdrawing, I will announce the results."
He suddenly tore down the blackboard cloth:
"The tenth question is—everyone who stayed has passed!"
"Eh?!"
The remaining candidates were first in an uproar, and then they let out cheers of survival.
Only Naruto, looking at those cheering people, let out a sigh of ambiguous meaning.
"Those without enough strength would be better off withdrawing now."
This was his honest thought.
He already had a premonition that quite a few people might die in this exam.
Clang!
Just then, the window glass suddenly shattered.
A figure burst in along with a black curtain.
"Now is not the time to be happy! You brats!"
Mitarashi Anko made her entrance with an exaggerated pose:
"I am the proctor for the second exam, Mitarashi Anko!"
"The next exam is waiting for you!"