Konoha.
Tsunade sat in the Hokage Office, holding a report that had just arrived from the Anbu.
She read it three times to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
Twelve candidates from Konoha, nine promoted.
Two of those who hadn't been promoted were Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Sakura Haruno hadn't been promoted either, but that was because Team 7 had failed the teamwork round, leaving her without a proper chance to perform in the individual matches.
So, strictly speaking, Team 7 had suffered a complete wipeout.
Tsunade set down the report and rubbed her temples.
"What? Kakashi's Team 7 was the only team that didn't get promoted?"
The Anbu knelt on one knee before her desk, his voice devoid of emotion behind his mask.
"Yes. All the other candidates passed the assessment."
Tsunade frowned and tapped the desk twice.
"Give me the details."
The Anbu reported.
"During the written exam, Sasuke Uchiha used his Sharingan to copy the answers of a candidate in the row ahead. However, that candidate's answers... were all wrong."
Tsunade's frown deepened.
"Who was the candidate in front of him?"
"A Sunagakure genin named Kotaro. Our investigation confirmed that he ranked dead last among all candidates in the written exam."
The corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched.
"What about teamwork?"
"Team 7 drew three elite jonin from Sunagakure as their opponents. Sasuke was singled out, and Naruto was injured protecting him before being knocked unconscious. Sakura was taken out instantly. They failed the team assignment."
The Anbu paused, then added.
"It is worth noting that the other Konoha teams all drew genin as their opponents. Their difficulty was far lower than Team 7's."
Tsunade stopped tapping her fingers.
She fell silent for a moment, then drew a deep breath.
"The individual matches?"
"Sakura