Chunin Ninja Exams 2

People from the Land of Lightning were generally straightforward and decisive.

The Chunin Ninja Exams held in Kumogakure reflected that style.

After a simple verification of the candidates' identities, the written portion of the first exam began. There was none of the excessive official pre-exam ceremony or speeches.

The first exam focused on calculations.

The Land of Lightning's technology was advanced; even in this era, its beginnings were already apparent.

All sorts of electrical equipment could often be seen on the streets. Compared to it, aside from having more people, Konoha was utterly outclassed in terms of modernization.

Unsure how his two companions were doing on the test, Kakashi recalled how, upon learning that the first exam would be written, he had analyzed its likely true purpose for them.

To assess a ninja's ability to gather intelligence.

Keeping Kakashi's pre-exam analysis firmly in mind, Aburame Haru and Inuzuka Kawa observed where each other was seated and identified the possible "answer holders" around them before taking action.

Aburame Haru used tiny insects to peek at the answer key and began filling in her paper.

After she finished, she discovered that Inuzuka Kawa's method of having his dog cheat by scent seemed to have failed. Just as he was panicking.

She silently sighed, had her insects crawl up from underground onto Inuzuka Kawa's body, and began helping him cheat through their seductive movements.

The moment he noticed the insects, Inuzuka Kawa's eyes lit up. Nice one, Haru!

As for Kakashi, Aburame Haru was not worried about him. Not long after the papers had been handed out, Kakashi, seated in the front row, had lowered his head and started writing furiously.

Middle school geometry... fortunately, he had not forgotten all of it.

He had originally intended to use his sensory abilities to observe an "answer holder" filling out their paper, then imitate them. But he found the questions were not difficult, so Kakashi began solving them himself.

By the halfway point of the exam, candidates who could not answer the questions and attempted to cheat, only to use methods that were far too clumsy, were successively disqualified.

The procedure was similar to Konoha's in later years.

As for the final "last question," it did not appear.

Although the Shinobi World was not currently embroiled in large-scale war, small-scale conflicts never ceased. This was not the peaceful era of later years, so staging some self-sacrificial test would have been completely meaningless.

Those sent by their respective villages to compete and represent their ninja villages might differ in strength, but they were all at least people of firm resolve.

After the first exam ended.

The candidates gathered into groups by village. Konoha had arrived with twenty-four people and still had twenty-one left; only one team had been eliminated. The pass rate was decent.

While waiting, some candidates in the classroom tested one another with their auras, while others cautiously conversed and tried to form alliances.

But everyone remained fairly restrained and did not use any special methods.

Presumably, they all knew the people of Kumogakure were rather reckless. No one dared provoke the hosts lightly.

Less than half an hour later, the classroom door opened, and the second examiner entered.

"Candidates whose names I call next, congratulations on advancing to the second exam. Follow me shortly to the next testing ground."

"Kumogakure: Ross, Asui, Tomu..."

"Sunagakure: Shoya, Huoyeyuan, Sasori..."

"Konoha: Inuzuka Kawa, Aburame Haru, Hatake Kakashi..."

"Iwagakure: Kitsuchi, Chikuro, Guren..."

"..."

Kakashi and the other two gathered in a corner, listening as the examiner read out names. Whenever one of theirs was called, they raised a hand in acknowledgment.

Taking the opportunity, Aburame Haru pointed out the noteworthy opponents she had identified during her reconnaissance that day, introducing them to Kakashi and the others one by one.

Among all the candidates, the ones who caught Kakashi's attention most were undoubtedly Sasori and Kitsuchi.

Just as Kakashi looked toward Sasori, Sasori happened to turn his head and look toward the Konoha group as well.

"Hmph, that Sand ninja brat's gaze is really unpleasant."

Someone from Konoha noticed Sasori's movement and could not help complaining. Their companions followed the direction of his gaze.

They saw a handsome red-haired youth from the Sand Village group. He was lean and not very tall, yet carried an imposing presence. At that moment, he was looking at them with murderous intent.

Kakashi glared back without yielding.

My old man could kill your parents, and I can chop you down too. He said nothing, conveying the message with his eyes. He hoped Sasori understood.

Next, the candidates who had passed the first round followed the second-round examiner to the outskirts of Kumogakure's restricted grounds.

Gazing at the many towering spires of Cloud Thunder Gorge, quite a few foreign ninja were deeply amazed. Nature's creations were truly wondrous.

"The second exam is simple. Within the designated area of Cloud Thunder Gorge's twelve mountain peaks, there are fifty-six scrolls in total. You are fifty-six teams. For every scroll obtained, one candidate may enter the third round, which is also the final round. The exam lasts two days. When time is up, a cannon will sound here, and all candidates must cease attacking."

"This competition places no restrictions on the tactics, techniques, or tools you use. Once you enter Cloud Thunder Gorge, all that matters is obtaining a scroll. If someone dies, their ninja village may not retaliate before leaving the Land of Lightning. Otherwise, it will be treated as a provocation against Kumogakure."

As he spoke, the examiner casually activated the Lightning Release chakra within his body, and crackling sounds instantly rang out around him.

He was an Elite Jonin.

In an instant, the knowledgeable candidates reached that conclusion.

"Of course, if the situation becomes fatal and one side wishes to surrender, the other examiners and I will do our best to save them. If we cannot make it in time, then you can only blame your bad luck." After demonstrating his Lightning Release specialization and sufficient speed, the chief examiner pointed to the rescue squad made up of twelve Jonin standing beside him.

Hearing the chief examiner from Kumogakure, some candidates who lacked confidence in their strength relaxed slightly.

"When the cannon sounds, you may enter Cloud Thunder Gorge by these three suspension bridges. Every mountain peak is connected by suspension bridges. There is only one special rule for this exam: do not damage the bridges, or you will pay ten times the compensation."

"Any questions?"

Having said that, the chief examiner quietly waited for the candidates to ask questions.

"There are more than a hundred of us, but only fifty-six scrolls? Isn't the pass rate too low?"

"Can the scrolls be destroyed?"

Ignoring the first question outright, the chief examiner looked at the person who had asked the second.

"Sand Village brat. As long as you can ensure you have one scroll to pass the exam, you can do whatever you want with the rest."

After waiting a while longer and seeing that the candidates had no further questions, the chief examiner signaled to the staff beside him to prepare the cannon and begin the competition.

At that moment, before the suspension bridges of Cloud Thunder Gorge, the Jonin leading each ninja village were giving their candidates pre-exam instructions.

The leaders from the major ninja villages mostly instructed their candidates that if they encountered an enemy they could not overcome, they could choose to surrender.

The candidates from smaller ninja villages were more conflicted. To increase their pass rate, they were bound to use a strategy of supporting one person with many. They would work together to seize scrolls and secure a place for the more promising candidates from their villages.

"You need to watch your stamina distribution. The time limit is two days, after all. The battles will definitely become more intense toward the end. It would be best to advance in formation after entering, then spread out after you become familiar with the terrain."

Because Shimura Ran had failed to act, Vice Captain Hirano Mio had no choice but to take over the task and provide the pre-exam guidance.

After giving several more instructions in succession, the staff signaled for the candidates to line up in an orderly fashion and prepare to begin the second round.

Meanwhile, the twelve examiners had used this time to enter Cloud Thunder Gorge in advance. One Jonin was stationed on each mountain peak, responsible for humanitarian rescues.