"Yeah, yeah, what a huge battle! I've never seen so many ninjas from the outer villages in one place before!" Naruto leaped onto a higher platform, striking a dramatic pose reminiscent of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.
"You're just making yourself look like an idiot, idiot!" Sasuke shot him a glare, immediately distancing himself as if to make it clear he had no association with Naruto.
"Hey, come on, let's just go inside already…"
"Listen up, I'm saying this for your own good. The Chunin Exam is no joke. If you take it lightly, you could die. A Chunin-level ninja is capable of leading a team, and that's a serious responsibility. If you fail, your mistakes could cost your subordinates their lives! Brats like you don't stand a chance of passing, so I might as well save you the trouble and kick you out now!"
As they approached the entrance, they overheard this speech being delivered.
Kazuki, who was already aware of what was happening, smirked to himself. It was just another prank played by some bored Chunin. Usually, Rock Lee and Tenten would be part of this little act, but since everyone was so familiar with them, the trick had lost its effect.
"So, do we have to fight them to get in? Or do we just ignore them and go inside?" Tenten asked curiously.
"Yosh! If it's a fight, then this is the perfect chance to warm up! I'd love to see how strong these two Chunin are!" Lee declared, his fighting spirit igniting.
"They're just Chunin…" Neji muttered indifferently, his expression calm.
However, his gaze shifted toward Kazuki—his true target.
Kazuki, smiling faintly, stepped forward.
"No need. Leave it to me. I told you, sister, I'd escort you to the exam room."
As a Jonin and an examiner for the second phase of the Chunin Exams, Kazuki had no reason to be here. However, seeing that Tenten was a bit nervous, he decided to personally walk her in to ease her worries, bringing Neji's team along.
The moment Kazuki approached, the two Chunin, who had been acting arrogant just moments before, immediately straightened up. Their casual expressions disappeared, replaced by seriousness and respect.
"Lord Kazuki, do you have any orders?"
"My sister is here to take the Chunin Exam. Can they go in?"
"Of course! Please, go right ahead," the two Chunin responded with polite smiles.
Behind them, Lee and Tenten stood frozen, stunned by the sudden shift in attitude.
"…Wait, what? We can just walk in?"
"So that's an option too…?"
Meanwhile, Neji remained calm.
Being from the Hyuga Clan, he was used to seeing this kind of treatment. In fact, he would have been surprised if those Chunin hadn't given Kazuki special respect.
"I'm so jealous…" whispered one of the examinees in the crowd.
The surrounding genin all watched with envy as Tenten's team walked straight through the entrance without any trouble.
Shortly after they entered, the rest of the candidates began making their way inside as well.
At this point, all twelve of Konoha's rookie genin were gathered in the exam hall—Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Tenten, Rock Lee, and Hyuga Neji.
"Phew, good thing that guy isn't taking the exam with us," Kiba muttered, looking relieved.
Hearing this, the others silently nodded.
If someone as strong as Kazuki had taken the Chunin Exam alongside them, he would have wiped out the competition in an instant.
Soon, the first phase of the Chunin Exam—the written test—began.
As expected, Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy answers, Sakura relied on her sharp memory to complete the test quickly, and Naruto… well, Naruto scratched his head in frustration, unable to write a single answer.
Tenten, however, calmly adjusted the glasses Kazuki had given her as a gift.
While not particularly powerful, they were incredibly useful.
With them, she could analyze her surroundings with near-Hyuga-level clarity, allowing her to copy the correct answers effortlessly.
The only downside was the limited observation range of 100 meters.
Otherwise, such a tool would have undoubtedly attracted the interest of many powerful forces.
Finally, after several candidates were eliminated for cheating, Morino Ibiki stood at the front of the room and announced the final challenge.
"For the tenth question, you must choose: 'Take the test' or 'Don't take the test.'"
Immediately, a wave of tension swept through the room.
"What happens if we choose not to take the test?" one of the candidates asked.
"If you choose not to take the test, you will receive a score of zero and be immediately disqualified from the Chunin Exams. Furthermore, your entire team will also be disqualified."
Ibiki Morino swept his sharp gaze across the room before continuing,
"There is one more rule—you may choose to take the test, but if you fail, you will be banned from ever attempting the Chunin Exams again."
His words hit the room like a thunderclap.
A wave of murmurs and uncertainty spread among the examinees. Many began to waver, their determination shaken by the weight of the decision before them.
Observing this reaction, Ibiki smirked slightly and threw out his final push.
"For those who lack confidence, I suggest you leave now. That way, you can try again next year—or the year after that."
As soon as he finished speaking, several candidates hesitated no longer and stood up, leaving the room.
Ibiki remained silent, his expression unreadable, as more unsure examinees slowly followed suit. His sharp eyes lingered on those who stayed behind, gauging their reactions.
Meanwhile, high above in a distant building, Anko Mitarashi stood on a balcony, peering through binoculars. Beside her was Kazuki, an examiner for the second phase of the Chunin Exams.
"That old man Ibiki," Anko muttered, her lips curling into a grin. "He's as intimidating as ever, but you have to admit—he really knows how to play mind games. Every year, at least half of the candidates get taken out in this first written test."
She sighed inwardly.
Who would've thought that her superior, Kazuki, had never even taken the Chunin Exam himself? And yet, here he was—one of the chief examiners.
Kazuki, arms crossed, glanced at the classroom below. "It's for the best. That batch of Takigakure shinobi who backed out just now? Spineless. At least they saved us the trouble of dealing with them in the second round."
Anko blinked in surprise and turned to face him. "Huh? You actually know what's happening down there?"
She had been using binoculars, yet Kazuki hadn't touched a single piece of equipment. The exam room was at least four to five hundred meters away. How could he possibly see what was happening?
Kazuki merely chuckled and didn't offer an explanation.
In reality, he had plenty of tools for this kind of thing—gadgets he had designed over time. His personal arsenal of ninja tools was vast, filled with countless devices for various situations.
The see-through glasses he had given Tenten before? Just one of many.
And the ones he was using now? Another hidden trick up his sleeve.
Anko didn't notice because, well… she had no idea that things like contact lenses even existed in this world.
Inside the examination room…
A sudden, loud thud echoed as a hand slammed down onto a desk.
A bold, defiant voice cut through the tense silence:
"I… I'm staying!"
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.
Ibiki's gaze landed on a blond-haired boy with bright, determined eyes—Uzumaki Naruto.
"Oh?" Ibiki's lips curled slightly. "Are you sure? If you fail, there's no second chance."
Naruto met his gaze without flinching.
"I know that… but I'm a ninja! If I back down now just because I'm scared, I'd never be able to face my big brother again!"
A fire burned in his eyes as he continued,
"I'm still far from reaching his level, but I won't give up! He told me that one day, I'd become an incredible ninja—and I promised him that no matter what happens, I'll keep moving forward! I made my choice, and I'll see it through to the end!"
Naruto's passionate declaration echoed through the room.
His words struck a chord with the other examinees—Sasuke, Ino, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Hinata… one by one, the uncertainty in their expressions vanished, replaced by a newfound determination.
Even if they risked never advancing to Chunin, they couldn't abandon their dreams.
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
For the first time in a long while, Ibiki Morino raised an eyebrow in surprise.
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