That Kid Really Was Using Me to Scare Off the Other Genin

"The final hidden question!" Morino Ibiki said. "You may now choose whether to answer the tenth question. If you refuse to answer, all three members of your team will be eliminated together."

"What the heck? Refusing means elimination? Do we even have a choice?" a Genin spoke up.

"Yeah, who would choose to refuse?" another Genin chimed in.

"Heh heh." Morino Ibiki explained, "If you choose to answer the tenth question but get it wrong, you will be permanently barred from the Chunin Ninja Exams!"

"What—" The entire room erupted in an uproar, everyone stunned.

"What kind of rule is that? That's ridiculous!"

"I've taken the Chunin Ninja Exams several times, and I've never heard of a rule like this!"

"I refuse to accept this! Absolutely not!"

"If you want someone to blame, blame your bad luck for having me as this year's chief examiner." Morino Ibiki said with a sinister smile. "I make the rules. Either accept them, or forfeit."

"If you forfeit, you can still participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams next year. But if you answer the tenth question and get it wrong, you'll be a Genin for the rest of your life."

"Damn it." Many of the Genin at the scene gritted their teeth and glared at chief examiner Morino Ibiki with hostility.

At that moment, Hinata also showed a worried expression. Naruto quickly moved closer to her and said brightly, "Don't worry. Being a Genin for life isn't so bad either."

Hinata's face turned even redder. She did not respond, nor did she know how to respond. All she could think was, Is Naruto-kun worried about me...?

"Being a Genin just means lower pay. You'll also earn much less from missions, but there'll be fewer troublesome matters and more free time." Naruto leaned close to Hinata's ear and whispered, "Besides, I'll support you in the future."

"Huh?" Hinata wondered if she had misheard. She seemed to have heard something incredible just now. What had Naruto said?

Naruto's blood surged as he looked at Hinata, finding her more adorable the longer he looked. He shouted inwardly, I practically won at the starting line! Good thing that when I was very young, I once stepped in like a hero to save little Hinata from injustice... That tiny act back then has blossomed into these hidden feelings today...

By now, Naruto had forgotten that he was actually a transmigrator. He had nearly completely overlapped Naruto's identity with his own.

"Hmph." Chief examiner Morino Ibiki snorted. "This is a choice that stakes your entire life. Once you choose, there is no turning back. If you want to give up, do it now."

Among the remaining Genin, most had already begun to panic. Some had their teeth chattering; some clutched their heads in distress; some were trembling all over...

Seeing Hinata so flustered by his teasing, Naruto chuckled twice and stopped making things difficult for her. He first swept his gaze around the room and found that there were still far too many Genin examinees left. He cleared his throat and said, "The tenth question must be difficult, right?"

The moment he said that, everyone present became even more anxious.

"Ah." Chief examiner Morino Ibiki said smugly, "It's harder than questions one through nine combined."

"I give up!" A Genin examinee ran out of the classroom in tears.

"I give up too."

"Ahhh..." Some Genin examinees were on the verge of mental collapse, their extreme nervousness throwing their thoughts into disarray.

Naruto glanced around and saw that the number of Genin examinees had immediately been cut in half. Still not quite satisfied, he continued, "There probably isn't any way to cheat on the tenth question, right?"

The Genin examinees throughout the room were once again shocked. Even Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Gaara, and the other most outstanding ninjas felt the pressure intensify.

"That's right." Chief examiner Morino Ibiki looked at Naruto with puzzlement as he said, "There is virtually no possibility of cheating. You must rely entirely on your own genuine ability to answer the tenth question. Answer correctly, and you can advance to the next round. Answer incorrectly, and you will be barred from the Chunin Ninja Exams for life."

Morino Ibiki thought inwardly, Naruto Uzumaki... he's unusual... It seems like he's cooperating with me to scare the other Genin examinees... Is that just my imagination? If he really is using me to frighten off the other examinees, then this kid is truly remarkable... Can there really be someone like this among the Genin?

"I can't take this anymore!" Another Genin examinee ran out of the classroom in a near-breakdown state.

"Bleurgh—" Some Genin examinees were even so nervous that they vomited on the spot.

"I'd rather die than stay here any longer." A whole group of examinees withdrew from the test.

Naruto nodded at that moment. Just two simple sentences had eliminated so many Genin and reduced so many competitors. It had simplified the situation considerably.

Naruto continued, "Hmph! So what if only the tenth question is left? If you've got the guts, add two more questions."

It was confirmed! This kid really was using me to scare off the other Genin! He was using this to eliminate competitors! Morino Ibiki cried out inwardly, Someone like this has emerged among the Genin... Truly incredible... Naruto Uzumaki, I remember the file said he was from Team 7, Kakashi's student... I'll remember you...

Sakura was furious. In her heart, she cursed Naruto inside and out more than a hundred times.

Sasuke was covered in cold sweat as he thought, What exactly is Naruto doing? The atmosphere is getting more and more oppressive. I feel like I can barely breathe...

Rock Lee's eyes shone brightly. Neji stared at Naruto without saying a word, while Gaara glared at Naruto with a vicious look.

Clearly, Naruto's final remark had offended every Genin examinee present. Even the more than thirty Chunin proctors in the room noticed that the atmosphere had turned strange.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata, who sat beside him, was worried about Naruto. Gathering her courage, she reached out and tugged lightly at the corner of his clothes.

Naruto merely gave Hinata a confident smile, putting her somewhat at ease. He then looked around and said, "Tch, the people left are pretty good at handling pressure. Fine, I'm done playing."

"Hmph." Chief examiner Morino Ibiki knew the final moment had arrived, so he said, "Congratulations to everyone who persisted until now. You have passed the first round of the exam."

"What!" The Genin examinees were shocked again. Someone asked, "What about the tenth question? What is the tenth question?"

"The tenth question is very simple. As long as you could withstand the pressure and remain seated here, you passed the tenth question." Morino Ibiki explained, "By now, I'm sure you understand what this test was examining: your ability to gather intelligence."

"The questions on the written test were extremely difficult. There was no way Genin could solve them, so I arranged for Chunin who knew the answers to disguise themselves as examinees and mingle among you, allowing you to obtain the answers through cheating."

"The tenth question tested your perseverance as ninjas. As ninjas, you will sometimes face many difficult dilemmas, but you must make your choices with courage. Without even that much resolve, how could you possibly become Chunin?"

"Therefore, everyone still here has passed the test."