"Put your paper down. Now for the tenth question," Ibiki said, his voice slicing through the air like a kunai.He scanned the room. "More than half are still here... not bad."
"Before I give you the final question, listen carefully—because this one is different."
He raised one finger, pausing for dramatic effect.
"Rule one: You may choose not to answer. If you choose that... you and your entire team are disqualified. But hey—you can always try again next year."
A few whispers rippled through the hall.
"Rule two," he continued, his tone sharpening, "If you choose to answer and fail... You and your team will never be allowed to take the Chūnin Exams again. Ever."
Eyes widened. Jaws dropped. Palms got sweaty. Mom's spaghetti-level panic.
"Rule three: Once the question is given, you cannot leave the room. If you stay, you're accepting the risk."
The room fell into a pressure-cooker silence. Some Genin started shaking. A few exchanged nervous glances with teammates. One even bolted.
And another. And another.
Soon, the room's numbers dwindled to about a quarter of the original size.
Ibiki smirked.
"So... you've all decided to stay," he said, tone low and weighty.
The remaining Genin just stared, too stunned to reply.
He leaned forward, eyes cold.
"Alright then... You pass."
"HUHHHHH?"
That reaction hit like a mass Shadow Clone Jutsu explosion.
"Did you just say... pass?" one confused Genin from the front row blinked like he just got hit with a Genjutsu.
'Definitely a first-bench student,' Naruto thought, suppressing a smirk.
"Yes. You all pass." Ibiki confirmed again, voice cool as ever.
Still no movement. Still disbelief in the air.
Naruto stood up, yawning like it was just another Tuesday.
"C'mon, guys. Let's bounce," he said casually, hands behind his head.
That was enough to get the others moving. As people began rising and leaving, relief bloomed across the room like spring after a brutal winter.
They were in.
Back inside the hall...
Ibiki went through the test papers one by one. Nothing caught his attention—until he picked up a particular sheet.
"Naruto Uzumaki," he read aloud, flipping to the answers.
What he saw made his left eyebrow twitch. The answers were written in some kind of ridiculous coded language.
But no, that wasn't the worst part.
At the bottom of the page was a doodle—tiny Naruto, sticking his tongue out.
Underneath it read:
"Decode this, Ibiki Morino 😉"
Ibiki's eye twitched so hard it could've done a Rasengan.
"Cocky little brat..." he muttered darkly. "If I ever catch him slipping, he'll learn what mental torture really means..."
Meanwhile, outside in the academy courtyard...
"Achoo!" Naruto sneezed.
"Naruto-kun, did you catch a cold?" Hinata asked sweetly.
"Nii-san!" Karin scurried over, worried.
"Naruto!" Sakura frowned.
"Naruto..." Ino grumbled in her trademark sulky tone.
"Naruto!" Tenten chimed in, arms crossed.
He waved them off, smirking.
"Don't worry, guys. I think Ibiki just cursed me."
"What?!" the girls chorused.
He casually recounted the story about his doodle stunt, complete with the tongue-out drawing.
They burst into laughter.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
"You drew what on his paper?!" Tenten wheezed.
"He might've had a heart attack!" Sakura joked.
"You really made fun of the scariest man in Konoha and survived. That's a win!" Ino grinned.
Even Hinata giggled behind her hands, blushing.
Just then, they reached the new venue. Two Chūnin were standing on a small platform.
"You all have a lunch break now. After you've eaten, report to the entrance of the Shinobazu no Mori," one of them announced.
Naruto's stomach growled right on cue.
"Lunch break?! Now that's the real first prize!" he cheered.
"Let's eat!" Tenten shouted, already pulling out food.
The Genin scattered joyfully—at least until they realized what horror was waiting for them in that forest.
After lunch, the Genin made their way to the next venue. The sun hung low, casting long shadows as they approached a massive iron gate guarded by two Chūnin. Tents were set up nearby, buzzing with hushed voices and tense energy.
In front of the gate stood the proctor—Anko Mitarashi. Wild hair, trench coat fluttering, and that iconic snake-like grin.
She scanned the crowd of young ninjas with a raised brow.
"Fourteen teams, huh? More than a quarter survived... not bad. Guess Ibiki didn't totally crush your spirits."
She took a step forward, clapping her hands once, loud and sharp.
"Alright, brats, listen up. This next part of the Chūnin Exams is not for the faint of heart. You're entering the most dangerous training zone in all of Konoha—the Shinobazu no Mori."
Some Genin flinched. Others tried to play it cool. Naruto grinned like it was a field trip.
Anko smirked. "Let me lay down the rules before any of you get eaten alive."
Objective:Each team must:
Collect two scrolls – one Heaven Scroll (Ten) and one Earth Scroll (Chi)
Reach the tower at the center of the forest
Do so within five days
With all three team members alive and together
Rules & Conditions:
Each team will be given one scroll at random—either Heaven or Earth.
Your goal is to obtain the opposite scroll from another team—by any means. Battle, trickery, bribery—whatever works.
Do NOT open the scrolls before reaching the tower. Open them early, and boom—instant disqualification.
All three team members must reach the tower. Lose one? Game over.
You'll be eliminated if:
Any team member dies or is incapacitated
You fail to obtain both scrolls
You don't make it to the tower in time
Or, as I said, if you get curious and peek inside the scrolls early.
Anko twirled a kunai around her finger lazily, then stabbed it into a wooden post behind her for emphasis.
"These rules aren't for decoration. People have died in this part of the exam. So if you think this is some kind of walk in the park..." she leaned in, her voice low and dangerous, "...you're already dead."
She grinned widely, like a predator. The Genin gulped collectively.
"Now, if you understand the rules, come forward, collect your scroll, and wait for my signal. The gates open soon... and once you're inside—there's no turning back."
The air turned heavier. Even the wind seemed to hush.
One by one, the teams stepped up, took their scrolls, and retreated to wait—some calm, some nervous, all ready to enter hell on Earth.
Team 7 stepped forward and received their scroll—it was the Heaven Scroll (Ten).
"So we need an Earth Scroll to pass," Sakura noted, already strategizing.
But Naruto? He had other priorities.
"Hey, Anko!" he called out, striding toward her like he owned the place.
She raised an eyebrow. "It's Anko-sensei, brat."
Naruto gave her a dramatic sigh and said with mock reluctance, "Fine, Anko-sensei..."
"What is it now?" she asked, hands on hips, already sensing something ridiculous brewing.
Naruto leaned in slightly, a grin playing on his lips. "What do I get if I finish this part of the exam... in record time?"
The nearby Genin turned, curious. Anko blinked, then chuckled. "Record time? You really like swinging for the stars, huh? Let me think..."
She paused, eyes narrowing as she tried to recall.
"Ah, yeah—it was 5 hours and 37 minutes. Set by Itachi Uchiha. He was nine. And he did it solo."
The moment that name dropped, Sasuke's eyes lit up like a firework. Determination crackled in the air around him. Itachi.
"Tch. I'm gonna destroy that record," he muttered under his breath, fists clenched.
Meanwhile, Naruto grinned wider. "Alright then. If I beat that time... what do I get?"
Anko shrugged. "Your choice."
Without missing a beat, Naruto declared, "Then I want a date. With you. Just us two. After the exam."
A brief silence.
The nearby Chūnin choked on air. Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. Karin facepalmed.
Team 7 stepped forward and received their scroll—it was the Heaven Scroll (Ten).
"So we need an Earth Scroll to pass," Sakura noted, already strategizing.
But Naruto? He had other priorities.
"Hey, Anko!" he called out, striding toward her like he owned the place.
She raised an eyebrow. "It's Anko-sensei, brat."
Naruto gave her a dramatic sigh and said with mock reluctance, "Fine, Anko-sensei..."
"What is it now?" she asked, hands on hips, already sensing something ridiculous brewing.
Naruto leaned in slightly, a grin playing on his lips. "What do I get if I finish this part of the exam... in record time?"
The nearby Genin turned, curious. Anko blinked, then chuckled. "Record time? You really like swinging for the stars, huh? Let me think..."
She paused, eyes narrowing as she tried to recall.
"Ah, yeah—it was 5 hours and 37 minutes. Set by Itachi Uchiha. He was nine. And he did it solo."
The moment that name dropped, Sasuke's eyes lit up like a firework. Determination crackled in the air around him. Itachi.
"Tch. I'm gonna destroy that record," he muttered under his breath, fists clenched.
Meanwhile, Naruto grinned wider. "Alright then. If I beat that time... what do I get?"
Anko shrugged. "Your choice."
Without missing a beat, Naruto declared, "Then I want a date. With you. Just us two. After the exam."
A brief silence.
The nearby Chūnin choked on air. Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. Karin facepalmed.
A few of the older Chūnin nearly walked away in disbelief.
The two separated with smirks.
"I'm holding you to that, Anko-sensei," Naruto said.
"You better earn it, brat," she replied, eyes gleaming.
Then came the loudspeaker buzz.
"All remaining Genin teams, the gates to the Forest of Death are now open. Proceed!"
The moment was over. Reality set back in. The teams were released into the forest, the real trial beginning.
Naruto turned to his team, full of swagger. "Let's get that Chi scroll and beat Itachi's time."