For the next hour, the only sound in the classroom was the scratch of pens. No one looked up; every student was hard at work.
The exam seemed to pass quickly. Before long, Ibiki Morino's deep voice rang out. "Time's up! The exam is over!"
Everyone immediately dropped their pens and leaned back, exhaustion written across their faces. They sat waiting for their papers to be collected, but Ibiki made no move to do so.
Confused, the students began to mutter among themselves. Ibiki simply watched them with a cold expression.
Only when the Genin could no longer sit still did he speak. "Congratulations. You've passed the written exam!" The Genin froze for a moment, then burst out, "You haven't even looked at our papers! How can we have passed?"
Ibiki Morino gave a rare smile. "This written exam wasn't just a test of your basic knowledge. It also tested your observation skills and your ability to work as a team. As long as you didn't give up, you could pass! Of course, anyone who used the crude cheating methods we saw earlier had no reason to stay."
The students breathed a sigh of relief. Then one complained, "If we'd known that, why did we work so hard? Writing all that stuff nearly killed me!"
Ibiki responded with an unusually playful remark. "If you want me to grade your paper that badly, I can do it right now. Fail, and you're out!"
The speaker shuddered and sprang upright. "No need, no need! Thank you, sir!"
His cowed expression sent the room into laughter. Even Ibiki's lips curved upward. "The written exam is over. You may head to the next exam now!"
He stepped aside to let the candidates leave. Ino hurried over to Sakura and Hinata, her face bright with