All the examinees took their seats.
Morino Ibiki stood before the podium, looking at the examinees below as he said,
"Now I'll explain the rules for the first round. Listen carefully. The rules will only be stated once."
The classroom was silent. Only the sound of breathing could be heard.
"First, you will start the exam with ten points... Second, whether you pass will be determined by the combined scores of all three members of a team."
The second rule drew startled cries from the examinees.
Tejima Shinichi heard Kobayashi Ken's breathing grow heavier behind him.
Morino Ibiki continued,
"Third, regarding cheating. If you cheat during the exam and are caught once by a proctoring Chunin, two points will be deducted. In other words, each instance of cheating will deduct two points from your team's total score. So it's entirely possible that some of you will have to leave the exam room before even finishing the test."
Low murmurs rose through the classroom again.
Tejima Shinichi saw Uzumaki Naruto's face turn pale. Haruno Sakura covered her mouth.
"Finally," Morino Ibiki raised his voice, "at the forty-five-minute mark, I will add a special question. The score for this question will be calculated separately. The total exam time is sixty minutes."
The examinees' discussions grew louder.
"The rules have been announced." Morino Ibiki swept his gaze across the room. "Now, the test papers will be distributed. Once you receive your paper, you must wait for my signal to begin. Talking and leaving your seats are forbidden during the exam. If you have any questions, raise your hand to signal a proctor."
Several Konoha Chunin began handing out the test papers.
When the paper reached Tejima Shinichi, he gave it a glance.
The questions were difficult. Most Genin would be unable to answer