The door to the real Classroom 301 was heavy and forbidding. The moment it swung open, a wave of tension, hostility, and scrutiny washed over them. The room was far larger than an ordinary classroom, its densely packed seats almost filled with ninja from various villages. Their gazes differed, but an invisible clash brewed in the silence.
The four members of Team 7 found seats near the back. Naruto glanced around nervously, muttering, "We're doomed, we're doomed. There are so many tough guys here." Sasuke folded his arms, his Sharingan slightly activated as he coldly surveyed potential opponents. Sakura took deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. Ling was the calmest of them all, his gaze indifferent, as though he had come for an ordinary test.
Just then, a lively voice tinged with delight rang out:
"Ling! Over here, over here!"
Ino was waving enthusiastically at them. Her Team 10, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, sat nearby. Choji was still crunching through his potato chips, while Shikamaru yawned with a look that said, What a drag.
Ling nodded toward them. Ino immediately dragged a somewhat reluctant Shikamaru and a still-eating Choji over.
"Ling, it's been ages! I heard you went on some really intense mission. Are you all right?" Ino leaned close to him, her eyes sparkling, her voice full of obvious concern and a hint of admiration. Ever since their days at the Ninja Academy, Ling's steady temperament and outstanding abilities had caught her attention.
"Yeah, I'm fine. We completed the mission," Ling answered simply. His tone was mild, but not cold or unapproachable.
"That's a relief!" Ino beamed. "Let's both do our best in these Chunin Ninja Exams! But if you run into Team 10, I won't go easy on you!" She waved her little fist, pretending to look fierce, though she couldn't hide the laughter in her eyes.
Beside her, Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered, "Women are such a drag..."
Choji: "Crunch, crunch..."
This brief, warm exchange eased the tension in the examination room a little. That ease, however, was soon shattered.
A bespectacled man approached, wearing a gentle smile that somehow made people uncomfortable. It was Kabuto Yakushi.
"You all look like Konoha's fresh blood." Kabuto adjusted his glasses and took out his Ninja Info Cards with an amiable smile. "I'm Kabuto Yakushi. You could call me your senior. I've taken the Chunin Ninja Exams several times and collected quite a bit of intelligence. What do you say? Want to learn about your potential opponents? It'll help you prepare."
His offer immediately caught Naruto's attention. "Really? Let me see!"
Kabuto smiled and began displaying his Ninja Info Cards, introducing several well-known Genin, including Gaara's team from Sunagakure-deliberately emphasizing how terrifying Gaara was and that he had never failed a mission-and the Haze Ninja from Amegakure.
Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke were unnerved by what they heard. When Kabuto reached the three distinctly unsettling ninja from Otogakure, he remarked, seemingly offhandedly, "Ah, Otogakure is a small village that was only founded recently, so there isn't much information about it. But I've heard that their Lord Orochimaru was once one of Konoha's legendary Sannin before he defected. He's an extremely dangerous, powerful man with a passion for forbidden techniques..."
At the name "Orochimaru," Sasuke's pupils abruptly contracted!
Ling noticed Sasuke's reaction and understood. In his mind, Tobirama gave an icy snort. Hmph. He's starting to bait the hook. Deliberately revealing information about Orochimaru to provoke the Uchiha boy.
Kabuto's gaze drifted over Ling as though by chance, and he continued, "...Speaking of which, there's some other interesting intelligence. Take Ling Hatake, for instance. Apparently, his mastery of Water Release during a previous mission was so extraordinary that he could even withstand a Jonin's attacks head-on. Quite impressive." It sounded like praise, but he had exposed Ling's information to every candidate listening in.
Immediately, several probing, wary, and even hostile gazes settled on Ling.
Ling's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he tensed. Kabuto really was deliberately gathering and spreading information. He's testing you, and drawing unnecessary attention to you, Tobirama said coldly. Be careful. This fellow is far more dangerous than he looks.
Just then, a powerful sense of pressure suddenly swept from the front of the classroom!
A group of Konoha Ninja wearing Chunin vests filed in. At their head stood a bald man with vicious scars across his face and an utterly ferocious expression. He radiated the cold ruthlessness of an interrogator, instantly making the air throughout the examination room seem to freeze.
"I am the chief examiner for this written test, Ibiki Morino." The man's voice was low and intimidating. "Find your assigned seats by number and sit down immediately! Cut the chatter, or you'll be disqualified on the spot!"
His overwhelming presence silenced every Genin, and they hurried to follow his instructions.
The papers were handed out, and the rules were read aloud: "Anyone caught cheating five times will be eliminated, along with their teammates."
The exam officially began.
Only the scratch of pen tips over paper and the sound of heavy breathing remained in the classroom. Aside from a few candidates like Sakura, whose theoretical knowledge was solid, most of the Genin looked troubled. Naruto stared blankly at a paper that might as well have been written in an alien language, cold sweat streaming down his face.
Ling quickly scanned the paper. Most of the questions were indeed beyond their curriculum, but with the vast theoretical knowledge Tobirama had instilled in him and reasoning skills far beyond those of his peers, he could just about answer some of them. Still, he knew the answers themselves were not the key to this exam.
He began quietly observing his surroundings. Sharingan and Byakugan activated discreetly throughout the classroom, while all sorts of strange cheating methods appeared one after another-reflecting images with mirrors, passing information through insects, creating tiny water mirrors with Water Release...
Naruto fidgeted frantically, trying to peek at the papers beside him, only to be repeatedly forced back by the Chunin proctors' fierce glares.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun furiously as he tried to copy Sakura's pen strokes from a distance. Sakura deliberately wrote slowly and clearly, but the distance and awkward angle made it extremely difficult.
Ling chose no particularly conspicuous method. Whenever necessary, he formed an extremely tiny, almost invisible droplet of water at his fingertip, using its lens effect to refract the answers from farther away-mainly Sakura's-while also doing his best to solve the questions himself. His movements were exceptionally discreet, and thanks to Pure Water's almost nonexistent chakra fluctuations, he successfully escaped the proctors' notice.
Third one in the upper-left corner, from Amegakure. He's using strands of hair to control senbon and pass answers. That's his third time. He's about to be caught.
That Sunagakure fellow behind you on the right, the one carrying a gourd, made an eye out of sand above the classroom. It's looking all over the place.
Like the most precise radar, Tobirama continually fed Ling observations and analyses of the examination room, helping him avoid risks.
Time ticked by. Candidates were repeatedly expelled for exceeding five instances of cheating, taking their teammates with them. The atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly oppressive.
Finally, as the time limit approached and Naruto was almost desperate enough to give up, Ibiki announced the final "multiple-choice question"-an ultimate test of courage and the choices they would make for their teammates.
Under Ibiki's powerful psychological assault and the atmosphere of despair, quite a few candidates broke down and chose to withdraw.
But Naruto slammed a hand on his desk and roared, "Don't underestimate me! I won't run away! I'll keep taking the Chunin Ninja Exams until I pass! Even if I stay a Genin for the rest of my life, it's no big deal! I'll keep moving toward becoming Hokage! I'm not afraid of you!"
That hot-blooded, idiotic declaration unexpectedly heartened those who remained. In the end, everyone who held on until the last moment passed this first written test, which appeared to assess knowledge but actually tested intelligence gathering and mental fortitude.
Ibiki looked at the remaining candidates, a barely perceptible smile seeming to cross his scarred face.
"Congratulations. You have passed the first exam."
The group had only just breathed a sigh of relief when the classroom window abruptly shattered! A figure burst into the examination room amid countless shards of glass!
"It's too early to celebrate, little ones!"
A female ninja wearing a red Chinese-style qipao appeared, her figure voluptuous and her hair arranged in two enormous buns. Her smile was bold and brimming with energy.
"I'm the chief examiner for the Second Exam, Mitaraishi Anko! The next exam starts right away! Follow me!"
Before you continue