Scene 32: The Exam Begins

On March 15, at noon, outside a training building in Kirigakure, staff members stood high atop the wall and unfurled a huge banner.

"Kirigakure's 81st Chunin Exams," it read, followed by three giant exclamation marks. Inside and outside the building, signs hung everywhere: "Candidates Only," "Keep Out," "Silence," and the like.

The street was bustling. Rows of teenagers of all shapes and sizes stretched into the distance, their eyes occasionally turning toward the clock atop the building as they waited for the exams to begin. Their parents stood on either side of the line, cheering them on.

With an hour to go before the exams, Kanna stood in line, waiting quietly.

"Isn't this nearly twice as many candidates as in previous years?"

Thanks to the Chunin Exams reforms, even Genin who lacked confidence in themselves and feared being injured or killed because they weren't strong enough now saw a chance. So they'd signed up in droves. No one knew how many years the new system would last. It might even be changed again in the second half of the year.

To Kanna, the candidates were a mixed bag. Some had the sharp, imposing air of hawks and wolves, brimming with confidence and looking down on everyone around them. Others were hunched and shifty, timid to the point of seeming spineless.

As Kanna watched, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He tapped the person behind him, Amayuri, on the shoulder and whispered, "Hey, look over there!"

Amayuri followed his gaze, then frowned.

"Zabuza? Are people from the Anbu taking the Chunin Exams too?"

In another line, a black-haired boy with thin eyebrows stood a head taller than those around him. A long sword was strapped to his back, and he stood with his arms crossed and eyes closed, calmly resting.

"Heh. Since the Lord Third proposed these reforms, his direct forces naturally have to support them," Kanna said with a cold snort.

The Anbu, Intelligence Department, and Medical Department were special divisions, each with its own promotion system. For example, Anbu members usually had to conceal their faces and abilities so their identities wouldn't be revealed during missions. Taking part in the village's Chunin Exams would obviously be inappropriate. But Zabuza was already famous; everyone knew he'd joined the Anbu, so there was no identity left to hide. To support the Mizukage's policy, the Anbu had sent Zabuza to compete. It would make his promotion look more legitimate, and it was also what Zabuza himself wanted. Like Kanna, he wanted to sweep the competition.

Someone like Zabuza was actually among the more conspicuous members of the Anbu, much like Kakashi of Konohagakure. When he used techniques such as the Sharingan or Chidori, his enemies could identify him immediately. But there was nothing to be done about it. He'd made such a splash in his graduation exam two years earlier.

Kanna and Amayuri were no ordinary Genin. Their eyes were far sharper than most people's, and as soon as they looked over, Zabuza sensed them and spotted the pair.

"Hm?" Zabuza first looked surprised, then smiled faintly, unbothered.

"So this is Momochi Zabuza, the one who almost killed you back then?" Amayuri looked away and said coolly. "He doesn't seem like much."

"Maybe not. But we won't know who's stronger until we fight," Kanna said, narrowing his eyes.

Soon, Kanna reached the front of the line. After a staff member checked his exam permit, he was allowed through.

Kanna and Amayuri entered the building together, found their exam room, and took their seats according to their assigned numbers.

The people of Kirigakure all had a defiant air about them, but everyone knew the candidates in these Chunin Exams were a mixed lot, with hidden talents among them. So no one went out of their way to provoke anyone else. Everyone sat quietly in their seats, displaying a ninja's discipline.

At 11:45 a.m., a group of ninja entered the exam room. The young man at the front, who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, walked straight to the podium, set down a stack of papers, and began surveying the candidates. The others closed the doors, drew the curtains, and searched the room inside and out. Once they were satisfied everything was in order, they nodded to the young man.

Kanna observed the proctor. He had blue hair, a square face, and an upright build. He wore a Kirigakure Jonin uniform, and his right eye socket was empty.

The proctor checked his watch, then lightly tapped the desk.

"Ahem. There are 135 candidates, and everyone is present. The exam is about to begin. I'll explain the rules now. First, I'd like the proctors to check the candidates' permits."

More than ten Chunin proctors scattered around the room, comparing the photos on the candidates' permits with their faces. The proctor at the front continued, "First, let me introduce myself. I'm Ao, an intelligence officer in the Intelligence Department. I'll be proctoring the written portion of this Chunin Exam. While I'm explaining the rules, don't interrupt with questions. Once I'm finished, you may raise your hands."

"The written exam has fifteen questions, and you'll have two hours. The first ten questions are worth five points each, with no penalty for wrong answers. The last five questions are worth ten points each; a wrong answer costs ten points, and a blank answer costs five. Stop writing when the two hours are up. The proctors will collect your papers and grade them on the spot within fifteen minutes. You need a total of 60 points or more to pass."

"Also, since this is a written exam, the usual rules apply: no cheating. Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified immediately!"

"Sounds strict."

"They take points off for wrong or blank answers? So you have to get at least one of the big questions right to pass?"

"That's so hard!"

The candidates below began whispering among themselves. Ao didn't stop them. Raising his voice, he continued, "Once the proctors finish checking, you'll have five minutes to prepare. Then the exam will begin."

"Ao?" Kanna murmured to himself, studying the proctor's face. "So it's him..."

By tradition, the first exam tested not only the candidates' fundamentals but also some of the knowledge required of a Chunin. This knowledge mostly concerned intelligence, so the person who set the questions—the chief proctor—was usually a senior official from the Intelligence Department.

The chief proctor for this written exam was Ao, a bodyguard to the future Fifth Mizukage and the captain of the sensory unit during the Fourth Shinobi World War. At present, he was a senior member of the Intelligence Department.

The rules of this written exam could put most candidates at a serious disadvantage. Kanna was no exception, so—

Did I have to cheat? Kanna wondered.

No one here was a fool. Everyone could tell what Ao meant: anyone caught cheating would be disqualified. In other words, if you were skilled enough at stealing "intelligence" to evade the proctor sitting nearby, then cheating was perfectly acceptable.

Of course, some methods might fool a Chunin proctor but wouldn't get past Ao, a Jonin who specialized in intelligence work. But gathering intelligence had always been a hidden part of the written exam, and the chief proctor wouldn't be too strict about it. As long as the candidates weren't too blatant, he'd turn a blind eye. In the original story, for instance, Gaara cheated with his sand eye, and the chief proctor at the time, Morino Ibiki, saw it clearly but did nothing. Even the Chunin proctors let some candidates off when they saw clever cheating methods.

Cheating with a Ninja Dog, goggles, or signals were all old tricks in the Intelligence Department. How could experienced proctors fail to notice them? Even when the chief proctor caught Kankuro cheating with the Puppet Technique, he didn't expose him. There was no other reason: the method was clever and well-executed, and it had impressed the proctors.

There was one thing to keep in mind, though: this exam in Kirigakure was clearly different from the one in Konohagakure in the original story. Intelligence gathering wasn't the main focus. From the rules, Kanna could tell that since points were awarded or deducted based on the questions, and anyone caught cheating would be kicked out immediately, the risk was fairly high. So the questions themselves had to be the main focus.

Since we have five minutes to prepare, then... Kanna handed his permit to the proctor checking them. At the same time, he secretly bit his finger, slipped his hand beneath his collar, and began smearing blood across his chest.

Of the ninjutsu he knew, two could be used to cheat: the White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Ten Puppets and the Shadow Possession Jutsu. But since he'd never made any puppets specifically for it, the former could only be used to control people's bodies. He could use that to exchange signals with Amayuri, but the chakra threads would be too obvious and easy to detect. The latter, however, could be used in reverse. After using the Shadow Possession Jutsu on someone, he could release his control and let them pull his body along, allowing him to copy their answers.

With a few quick strokes, Kanna inscribed the Shadow Possession Jutsu's formula onto his Highland. He was fully prepared.

"Five minutes are up!"

Ao spread out the exam papers and began handing them out.

Kanna focused his gaze and turned to look at Amayuri, three rows behind him.

Amayuri's lips curled into a smile, and she gave a slight nod. They'd reached an understanding.

Cheating! The two of them would work together, using their respective skills!

Amayuri gently pulled out a few strands of her long hair, twisted them into a long thread, and held it in her hand.

One of them planned to use the Shadow Possession Jutsu in reverse, letting the person he controlled guide his body as he copied their answers. The other planned to send Lightning Release Chakra through the thread, using Lightning Release to stimulate the connected person's muscles and convey signals and hints. The two were in perfect sync, ready to go all out in this exam!