"Time's up. Collect the papers for the first question and hand out the second."
Exactly sixty seconds had passed, neither more nor less. Almost perfectly on the one-minute mark, Ibiki Morino's cold voice rang out.
The Chunin examiners who had been standing nearby moved faster than the eye could follow. In the blink of an eye, the answer sheets on the candidates' desks had been collected, and their papers had been replaced with a brand-new second set.
The Kusagakure ninja who had just lost nine points had sweat covering his forehead, and the hand holding his pen was trembling.
He swore he had never worked his brain this hard in his life. If talking had been allowed in the exam room, he would have practically begged the examiner to let him off. He really couldn't solve it! Why not just send him to that small nation to fight their war for them? He would even take dying on the battlefield!
Anything would be better than this torture!
"The second question is the same. You still have ten minutes to answer. However, during those ten minutes, we will grade your first papers. Anyone whose score reaches zero will be eliminated immediately."
Ibiki Morino added this clarification.
Everyone who had just been adjusting their mindset, reassuring themselves that they should let the first question go and focus on the second, felt a sudden jolt.
So that's it. No wonder they only hand out another question every ten minutes... This is psychological warfare.
Sasuke froze, then realized this was a scheme—a tactic designed to torture them psychologically.
Once the papers were collected, there would be no chance to change their answers. The papers would be graded on the spot, and once their score hit zero, both they and their teammates would be eliminated...