Mori Ibiki

As Kiba Inuzuka taunted Naruto with his usual swagger, a silver-haired figure quietly stepped into view. He walked forward at an easy pace and said in a gentle voice, "It'd be better if you all quieted down a little. You're nine rookies, fresh out of the Ninja Academy, aren't you? You're all so cute, yet you're making such a racket. Honestly, this isn't a field trip."

Ino was already in a bad mood because Sakura had pulled her away. Now she demanded loudly, "Who are you? What gives you the right to act so superior?"

The silver-haired figure smiled faintly. "I'm Yakushi Kabuto. This is my seventh time taking the Chunin Selection Exam, so you could say I'm your senior."

His words left everyone looking astonished, as if they'd just heard an unbelievable story. Seventh time? Just how difficult was the Chunin Exam? Or was Yakushi Kabuto simply that weak?

Shikamaru felt that this was getting even more troublesome.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Beneath his sunglasses, his Six Eyes quietly activated, seeing through Yakushi Kabuto's calm exterior and peering straight at the Chakra coursing through him.

He found that Yakushi Kabuto's Chakra reserves were exceptionally vast, far beyond what a Genin could possess. His failure to become a Chunin couldn't be because he was weak. Curious about his motives, Naruto became deeply interested in this seemingly mild-mannered man.

A sudden cloud of smoke silently spread, quickly engulfing the entire classroom.

As the smoke gradually cleared, Mori Ibiki's figure emerged through the haze. A group of examiners in matching black uniforms stood beside him, and their arrival instantly silenced the room.

Mori Ibiki stood at the front of the group, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce everyone's soul. He wasted no time. "Quiet down, you worthless losers."

Then he shifted to a tone that brooked no argument. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Mori Ibiki, the examiner for the first round of the Chunin Selection." As he introduced himself, everyone's eyes were drawn to the two conspicuous scars on his face. Like marks left by time, they spoke of the battles and experiences he'd lived through, lending him an air of authority and menace.

"Now, the first round of the Chunin Selection Exam begins!"

With Mori Ibiki's announcement, everyone learned what the first round of the Chunin Selection Exam entailed.

The first round was a written test, and it was extremely strict: if even one member of a three-person team scored zero, the entire team would fail.

The Genin all showed off their skills, employing one cheating method after another.

Sakura and Sasuke were thoroughly familiar with the theoretical material and had no trouble with the test.

Naruto, meanwhile, had been seated beside Hinata. The Naruto of this world had never understood ninja theory, and the Gojo Satoru from before his rebirth certainly couldn't have known anything about the knowledge taught in the ninja world.

But none of that mattered. Beneath Naruto's sunglasses, his Six Eyes could see Hinata's answers clearly. She even shifted her test paper to make it easier for him to copy.

Sakura and Sasuke were terribly anxious, afraid Naruto wouldn't pass. But when they saw him writing furiously, they felt a little more at ease.

Sasuke realized he'd been worrying for nothing, while Sakura smiled. That was Naruto for you.

During the test, Mori Ibiki kept putting the examinees under psychological pressure, claiming that anyone who got the final, tenth question wrong would be permanently barred from taking the Chunin Exam.

In truth, all they had to do to pass was stick with the test and not give up. But the examinees didn't know that. The thought of being permanently barred from taking the Chunin Exam was enough to make anyone suffer.

Under all that pressure, Naruto remained completely at ease. He quickly copied down all the answers, then turned his attention to drawing out the Power of the Nine-Tails.

The exam ended without a hitch. As expected, every Genin who stayed in the examination room until the end passed.

The successful examinees then made their way to the venue for the second round.

Training Ground Forty-Four—the Forest of Death.

At the edge of the second-round venue, the sun dappled the path before the Forest of Death's foreboding entrance.

Amid the shifting light and shadows, three small figures crept closer. They wore strange cardboard boxes over themselves and shuffled forward, hoping to use them as disguises and escape everyone's notice.

Naruto stood nearby, his Six Eyes sweeping the surroundings beneath his sunglasses. Just then, the three "cardboard boxes" stopped, trembling slightly, as if they were nervous. A playful smile tugged at Naruto's lips. He'd already seen through their clumsy disguise.

"Hey, what are you three doing here?" Naruto asked, his voice tinged with amusement but also warm toward the little ones.

At once, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon exchanged smiles, then quickly lifted off their cardboard boxes and struck three adorable poses. Laughing, they ran toward Naruto.