webnovelvip Chapter 212, Examination Room 2
Chapter 212, Examination Room 2
Wait a minute! No, no... it seems like I'm opening it completely wrong!
Naruto suddenly realized—the core of this exam wasn't the written test itself at all!
He looked around and saw that Hinata Hyuga had quietly activated her Byakugan, with veins bulging beside her clear eyes. Not far away, Satsuki's eyes had already transformed into crimson Sharingan, with the three tomoe slowly rotating.
Aburame Shino's parasitic insects were silently transmitting messages between the tables and chairs, Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru were spying on them, and Gaara was monitoring them with his Sand Eyes...
In the entire examination room, the only one who seemed to be truly "answering the questions" was Sakura Haruno, who was writing furiously.
This exam truly tests intelligence gathering ability—that is, the core reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance skills of a ninja.
Naruto's gaze locked onto his fellow examiner, who was posing as a test-taker but actually "performing" his answers. He was the target he needed to investigate. After all, what legitimate exam only results in points being deducted for cheating?
Although he knew that according to the original story, he could pass the test even if he submitted a blank paper, Naruto still decided to go through the motions.
With a slight thought, a golden figure visible only to him—[Golden Experience]—quietly appeared behind him. It floated lightly above the "actor examiner," its gaze perfectly aligned with the exam paper. The next moment, the examiner's answers were clearly projected into Naruto's vision.
Thankfully, we didn't get the Silver Chariot...
After copying down all the answers, Naruto organized the test papers while watching several genin who had been "asked" to leave the exam room because they had cheated too many times and had all their points deducted.
That said, blatantly activating the Byakugan and Sharingan, isn't that considered cheating? Maybe that's the effect they wanted—cheating with the Bloodline Limit or something…
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"Now, you need to make a choice—whether to answer question ten."
Ibiki Morino's deep voice echoed in the silent examination room, carrying a heavy sense of psychological pressure.
"If you choose not to answer, you will receive a score of zero on the spot, and the entire team will be disqualified."
"If you choose to answer but fail to do so... you will be permanently disqualified from participating in the Chunin Exams."
Under Ibixi's persistent psychological offensive, many candidates, dominated by fear, eventually raised their hands to give up and left the examination room with dejected expressions.
However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Ibiki's statement is utter nonsense. Once someone reaches the level of a Special Jonin, how could the village possibly jeopardize their advancement based on a single exam?
In the original work, Naruto's direct rise from genin to Hokage was an exception, but like Jiraiya, when one's strength, reputation, and trust reach a certain level, one might even be forcibly pushed into the position of Hokage.
When Ibixi finally announced that all the remaining candidates had passed, nearly half of the people in the examination room had already been eliminated.
Strange... Naruto remembered that more people should have passed the first test.
Just as the tense test takers were about to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Bang!"
The classroom window shattered with a crash! Amidst Ibishi's somewhat helpless gaze, a figure nimbly leaped into the room. A woman deftly unfurled a huge black scroll, upon which were written in a flamboyant, calligraphic style.
[Second Examiner - Mitarashi Anko]
"Kids! Now is not the time to relax!" Her energetic voice instantly broke the solemn atmosphere of the examination room. "I am the examiner for the second exam, Mitarashi Anko! The next exam is about to begin—everyone, follow me!"
Naruto instinctively looked away—don't look at what you shouldn't see… This examiner's attire was far too daring; he was wearing something resembling a fishnet as a top.
Then, all the candidates were taken to a completely different place—the entrance to a "forest" training ground, shrouded in huge trees and dimly lit. The trees here towered into the clouds, their canopies blocking out the sun, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth and humus.
In another world, many people online speculate that this forest is a remnant of the First Hokage's battle, given that its ecology is completely different from the outside world, filled with an unnatural grandeur and ancient feel.
Just as Mitarashi Anko stood before the crowd, energetically explaining the rules of the second exam, Naruto's gaze was fixed on an inconspicuous examinee in the crowd—the person had long black hair, wore simple cloth clothes, and had a conspicuous thick hemp rope tied around their waist.
...No way, this guy really hasn't changed his ways, he just sneaked in like that?
Naruto recognized it at a glance; it was Orochimaru's classic skin.
Red Bean continued explaining the rules. Simply put, each group would randomly receive a scroll—either the "Heavenly Scroll" or the "Earthly Scroll." The candidates' task was to collect a complete set of both scrolls within five days and successfully reach the tower in the center of the Death Forest to pass.
Before receiving the scroll, everyone must sign this waiver of liability. The core of this test is competition; there will be no mercy in the battle, and casualties are highly likely.
After receiving the scroll, Satsuki keenly noticed Naruto's unusual behavior. Following his gaze, she noticed the strangely dressed long-haired examinee.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Satsuki asked softly, with concern. "Is there something wrong with that person?"
A nameless unease gripped Naruto's heart. Looking at Orochimaru's disguised figure and recalling that dark period in the original work, he almost subconsciously asked that unsettling question.
"Sasuki..."
"Yes, I'm here."
Satsuki immediately responded obediently, her focused and submissive attitude enough to shock anyone who knew the proud nature of the Uchiha clan.
"If... I mean if. One day, someone appears who tells you that if you follow him, you will gain immense power... powerful enough to fulfill all your ambitions and dreams. Would you... abandon me for that?"
"...?"
Satsuki was completely stunned. Abandonment? Ambition? These two words sounded so abrupt and contradictory coming from Naruto's mouth.
Naruto's question is completely contradictory. His dream... isn't it to be with Naruto Uzumaki forever?
The word "abandon" stirred up a strong sense of unease within her.
Why would he ask such a question? Does he think I'm the kind of person who would easily give up on him for the sake of power?
"Alright, if that person can truly give me the power to kill everything that tries to get close to you, to make you see only me, then I might consider it. But before that, I will first kill the person who tried to tempt me with power, the one who tried to separate me from you. That way, no one can take me away from you anymore, right?"
But she immediately suppressed that dangerous answer, knowing it was not the answer Naruto wanted to hear at that moment. She raised her head and looked deeply into Naruto's blue eyes with her dark pupils.
"Absolutely not. No matter what kind of power or temptation, nothing can compare to having you by my side. My ambition and my dreams, from beginning to end, have only ever been related to you."
So please stop asking questions that will make me sad, okay? I will never, ever abandon you, and please... never abandon me too.
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(Many readers complained about the padding, so the author fast-forwarded to an exam scene... Sorry, it was a bit slow, but the author just couldn't help writing in such detail. The author will try to control the pace and speed things up.)
(Why isn't Gaara gender-swapped? If we followed the outline and Gaara was a woman, this female protagonist storyline would be impossible to write.)