Passed the First Exam

Shibi Aburame and Tsume Inuzuka both turned to look at Kazan.

"Just to check, Kazan, how are your academic grades?"

Those were no problem.

He had always studied survival skills especially hard.

But that wasn't the point.

This exam wasn't really testing what the candidates knew. It was testing their ability to gather and pass on information.

In the original story, the first Chunin Ninja Exam had seen every candidate use a different trick.

Some had copied answers with the Sharingan.

Some had sent their eyes flying into the air to look around.

Some had simply used the Byakugan to copy the answers.

"Don't worry. I have my own way to pass."

Most likely.

Kazan could probably pass even if he handed in a blank paper.

That was the advantage of being on home ground. Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally chosen him for the Chunin Ninja Exams; he wouldn't let Kazan be eliminated in the first round.

In the end, the examiner, Shikaku Nara, had the final say over the results. There probably wouldn't be a problem.

Of course.

Kazan wasn't about to leave his fate in someone else's hands.

Before entering, he had sent a Shadow Clone into the building as a precaution. Now he only had to wait for it to find the answers.

"Then the first Chunin Ninja Exam begins!"

The candidates took their seats and hurried to read the questions.

Within moments, sharp intakes of breath sounded throughout the classroom.

The questions were too hard!

It was like asking a group of average students to ace the toughest exam in the country. Anyone who passed would have to be a top student.

A few people, though, wrote as if the answers came effortlessly.

Once the exam began, their pens never stopped moving.

Those three, then.

With Observation Haki, Kazan sensed that three people in the classroom stood apart from the rest.

Observation Haki could do more than predict attacks. It could sense other people's emotions, among many other things.

Those three were likely the "information sources" Shikaku Nara had planted for the candidates.

Their emotions were unusually calm. They didn't seem like people taking an exam.

Some of the sharper candidates noticed too.

Kazan's two teammates, for instance, sent their insects and dog to peek at the answers and relay them back.

Kazan stayed still, waiting for word from his Shadow Clones.

He had sent ten of them to search the building. He was sure they would find something soon.

If they didn't, he could wait for Shibi Aburame's insects to help.

Found them!

In an office somewhere in the building, one of Kazan's Shadow Clones found the answers.

After memorizing them all, the clone dispelled itself and passed its memories to Kazan.

Almost at once.

Kazan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, picked up his pen. The proctors noticed, but none saw any sign of cheating.

"Oh, so he's starting."

Shikaku Nara grew interested. He wanted to know how Kazan was cheating.

He watched for a while but couldn't spot Kazan's method either.

Only when the door opened and his assistant came in to report that someone had searched his office did Shikaku realize what had happened.

"Lord Nara, someone searched the office where you hid the answers." A Chunin leaned close and whispered in his ear. "The person on the surveillance footage was Yugito Nii from Kumogakure."

Well, look at that. He even disguised himself.

Shikaku Nara was amused. "Were the answers destroyed?"

"Torn to shreds."

Not bad. That boy had the makings of a fine Ninja.

The Shadow Clone Technique had originally been created to gather intelligence without putting the user at risk.

Kazan had put it to full use.

What Shikaku Nara couldn't figure out was when Kazan had sent a Shadow Clone out of the classroom.

But... it no longer mattered. If Shikaku hadn't caught him, it didn't count as cheating.

"Number forty-four, you're disqualified!"

The proctor seated by the wall spoke up.

A candidate had been caught cheating and immediately disqualified.

"Someone at that level has no right to become a Chunin."

Shikaku Nara watched impassively as the proctors escorted the cheater and his teammates out of the exam room.

The contents of the Chunin Ninja Exams weren't fixed most of the time.

It all depended on how the examiner arranged them.

Examiners had different personalities and specialties, so the tests they set varied wildly.

Shikaku Nara demanded that his candidates be smart.

Fools were often the first to die.

He had planted several perfect "answer sheets" in the building and the classroom. The question was who could find them and "steal" their answers without anyone noticing.

One team had been eliminated.

The classroom grew even more tense.

Those who had already been hesitating were now even less willing to make a move.

Shibi Aburame had planned to help Kazan through this round, but after seeing him close his eyes briefly and then start writing with ease, he relaxed.

Tap.

Several dozen minutes passed. Time was up.

Shikaku Nara rapped on the desk, and every candidate stopped.

"Time's up. Everyone, put your pens down."

Kazan had already set his pen aside and was waiting for the exam to end.

"Stay in your seats. The results will be out soon."

There were only a few dozen candidates, and the questions were multiple-choice. Grading wouldn't take long.

Less than thirty minutes later, the proctors returned with the results.

Shikaku Nara looked them over.

As expected, everyone who had proved skilled at cheating had passed.

"True Kazan, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka—you pass!"

At Shikaku Nara's announcement, Tsume Inuzuka finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She stroked her beloved dog, Kuromaru, affectionately.

"Great job, Kuromaru!"

"Woof!"

Kuromaru narrowed his eyes in pleasure.

"Don't let your guard down, Tsume. The exam isn't over. We've only passed the first round." Shibi Aburame kept his hands in his pockets.

"You really know how to spoil the mood. When you're happy, you ought to smile. Right, Kazan?"

"If you're happy, that's what matters."

The candidates who passed breathed sighs of relief. Those who failed could only leave with their heads hanging.

Some Genin argued with the teammates who had dragged them down. Others encouraged one another and vowed to pass next time.

"All right. Now that they're gone, it's time to meet your examiner for the second round."

Bang!

The door opened again. Kazan didn't recognize the person who came in this time.

"Thanks for your hard work, Shikaku!"

"It was no trouble. I'll leave the rest to you, Senior Mitarashi."

The newcomer merely nodded.

Then he turned to face the remaining candidates. His first words put them all on edge.

"In the second exam, I'll eliminate more than half of you."

What?!

More than half?

A chill ran through the candidates. There had been over sixty of them, and more than twenty had already been eliminated in the first round. Around forty remained, and now over half of those would be cut.

"Only about twenty of us will be left!"