Just as Araki was pondering, Nankain's voice rang out again, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present and pulling them back to reality.
"My arrangement for those special Kunai be placed on the ninjas of Kumogakure was a well-intentioned act. It wasn't just a preferential treatment for the ninjas of Kumogakure, but also a test for them!"
Upon hearing Nankain's words, a host of questions arose in everyone's minds, expressing strong confusion about the meaning behind her words.
test?!
Is this a test?
Why not give us a test?
There was no resentment in anyone's heart, but after hearing Nankain's somewhat hypocritical words, some of them couldn't hold back anymore, but they remained silent and no one dared to bring it up.
"I will hand over the special Kunai to each group in front of all of you. You will all know which group received the special Kunai. Therefore, for those Kumogakure ninjas who have already obtained the Kunai, they not only receive better treatment, but also become prey in everyone's eyes. If they do not have enough strength to protect the Kunai, they will ultimately be eliminated."
Nankain spoke to herself, completely disregarding the feelings of others.
"The one who gets the Kunai to the end is the winner. Seven days is enough to weed out those who lack the ability and want to pass by luck. That's why I think my approach won't affect the final result. The strong will always be strong, and they will eventually emerge victorious from the test."
Silence remained.
Even some people who were initially emotional have now calmed down.
At first glance, it seems to make a lot of sense.
So much so that no one knew how to refute it.
Do you have any other questions?
Nankain's facial features softened, appearing as if she were smiling. However, this smile did not evoke a sense of comfort; instead, it created a feeling of distance and estrangement in people's hearts.
Silence remained.
Time passed by, minute by minute.
It's so quiet here that you can hear everyone breathing.
No one knew how much time had passed; it could have been three minutes, or it could have been five. The time itself wasn't long, but the process felt incredibly long. It seemed that this waiting was slowly eroding the hearts of everyone present.
"Since you all have no questions, please come with me to the location of the second exam. You will spend the next seven days there, and the final result will depend entirely on your own abilities."
After Nankain finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the entrance of the main hall. As soon as he turned around, the other staff members who were assisting the chief examiner waved to the crowd, signaling everyone to follow him.
In an instant, the crowd filed out. They hadn't been in the main hall for long, only listening to some of Nankain's conversation, but as they left, the expressions on their faces had already changed.
When they entered, everyone felt a sense of high spirits, believing they could stand at the village's level and compete with the elite Genin of the entire ninja world, striving to become Chunin.
Once they arrived at the scene, neither of them would back down.
However, after listening to Nankain's speech, people's mindset changed, and they felt a strong sense of frustration, as if they were weaklings.
"Let's follow."
Minato lowered his voice, his expression slightly gloomy. It was clear that he had been somewhat influenced by Nankain, but not significantly, and was still in the process of self-adjustment.
Araki wasn't worried about this at all. He knew very well that Minato's and Nankain's ideas were completely different, and the influence was only temporary. Minato wouldn't let such ideas shake the foundation of his beliefs.
"Um."
Araki nodded and followed. He gave Kushina a deep look, gesturing for Kushina to walk ahead of him.
Kushina immediately understood. She and Araki hadn't discussed the matter of Kumogakure, since they rarely had a chance to be alone. They were always accompanied by Jiraiya-sensei Minato, so there was no opportunity to discuss the past invasions of Konoha by Kumogakure ninjas.
But with just a glance, they understood each other's meaning: this Chunin Ninja Exams Kumogakure is definitely not going to be easy.
Kushina was well aware that she might be a target of Kumogakure, but she didn't know when they would make their move. Ever since she entered Kumogakure, she had been on high alert at all times.
only...
She didn't feel insecure at all.
When Araki was around, she wasn't afraid of anything, especially after what happened in Sunagakure. She wasn't even so resistant to Tailed Beast Transformation anymore.
She just thought Araki could handle everything!
This was a very strong thought, and she had no intention of overturning it, after all, she was enjoying it and really liked the feeling.
Before long, led by Nankain, the group arrived at a mountain range shrouded in mist, with steep cliffs at the edges that made it impossible to see the depth. Overall, it wasn't a particularly appealing place.
"Arrive."
Just then, Nankain's voice slowly rang out.
Chapter 64 Life and Death Contract
Konoha: Nobody knew I could use Wood Release! Chapter 64: A Pact of Life and Death
After Nankain arrived here, everyone stopped and looked ahead.
After walking for some time, they were no longer just walking mountains, but had reached the back of Valley of Clouds and Lightning. What looked like a valley was not quite a valley. Surrounded by overlapping mountains and covered by clouds and mist, it was clearly a closed area.
What shocked everyone the most was that the area didn't look very big, and surviving here for seven days was clearly not an easy task.
The expressions on everyone's faces became much more somber.
"This is where you will be participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams."
Nankain's voice rang out slowly. After he spoke these words, a profound and unfathomable expression appeared on his face, as if everything happening here was under his control and within his expectations, and even the possible reactions of each person were within his consideration.
"I've already stated the rules: you will survive here for seven days. We will not provide you with food or water, but I can assure you that there is food and water here, but you will need to find it yourself. In addition to facing other competitors in the Chunin Ninja Exams, you will also have to contend with the harsh environment, extremely ferocious wild beasts, and the traps we have set in advance."
After everyone repeated this statement, the crowd fell even more silent, and everyone's expression became strange.
trap?
A big question mark popped into everyone's mind.
Could it be that in this Chunin Ninja Exams, besides facing other opponents, there are also traps set by the Kumogakure? Wouldn't that be too difficult?
They initially thought the Chunin Ninja Exams would be relatively easy, but after Nankain spoke so much and laid so much groundwork, they realized that this was an exam for the strong. The weak had little say and little decision-making power; they could only drift along with the tide, like duckweed in a storm, helplessly following the swaying current.
They already found this situation extremely difficult to bear, as the slightest mistake could lead to death, which put them on high alert. Yet, even under these circumstances, there was still a trap set by the Kumogakure.
In an instant.
More questions arose in people's minds.
Judging from Nankain's expressed feelings...
They weren't sure if the other side would inform the Imura ninja of the traps they had set beforehand.
After all, there was no fairness involved in this Chunin Ninja Exams to begin with.
If the ninjas from Kumogakure who are participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams all know the locations of the traps in advance and can effectively avoid them, then these traps will be a major obstacle for these ninjas from other villages who have come to Kumogakure to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams, enough to affect their success rate.
Moreover, if the ninjas of Kumogakure knew in advance, they could lure them into a trap during their pursuit, making them the most powerful helpers who had been prepared in advance.
Many questions arose in people's minds, and there were many things they didn't understand, but even so, no one dared to raise any doubts at this time.
Nankain's domineering image has deeply impressed people, making them afraid to deal with such a situation and leaving them no choice but to silently accept it.
Do you have any further questions?
Nankain looked around again, scanning each person's face. His actions revealed no sign of perfunctoriness; it was clear he genuinely wanted to see everyone's reaction.
Whether the person's reaction is positive or negative, it gives him a very strong sense of accomplishment and puts him in a state of extreme comfort.
After all, in such a state, he could say whatever he wanted and do whatever he wanted, regardless of anyone's thoughts. Even if others had any opinions, they wouldn't dare to voice them. He was intoxicated by the feeling brought about by this powerful strength.
only...
Nankain was unaware of was that many people at the scene actually held him in utter contempt.
After all, Nankain wasn't showing off his strength on his own level, but rather he went among these Genin ninjas to display his power. It was just a misplaced way of demonstrating his strength.
Of course, people only dared to complain in their hearts and didn't dare to say these things out loud. After all, Nankain's strength was undeniable, and no one wanted any trouble before the Chunin Ninja Exams began. This was still the Kumogakure, especially since the Jonin instructors who led them here were no longer around.
"Is everything alright?"
Nankain then looked away and beckoned to her assistant, signaling the latter to bring the items over.
Just then, under everyone's watchful eyes, several other ninjas from Kumogakure took out a thick stack of papers.
Immediately, everyone's eyes were drawn to those papers.
"If you have no objections, please sign the form."
Nankain gestured to her assistant to distribute the forms to everyone present, and then said nothing more.
Nankain's meaning was very clear: she wanted the people present to see the contents of the list for themselves.
certainly.
The contents of the form are very simple.
Anyone can easily see the meaning behind this.
Araki also received the order. When he got the order, he immediately looked at it and saw that there was only a very simple line of text on it.
I voluntarily participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams held by Kumogakure, and any accidents that occur during the exams, including death, will be solely due to my own abilities and have nothing to do with Kumogakure.
The last part is where you need to sign your name.
"This is a death contract!"
Araki's lips curled up slightly, revealing a helpless smile. This was something he had only ever seen in TV dramas. However, remembering that Naruto had signed similar forms when they participated in the Chunin Ninja Exams, he understood that this might be a tradition of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
"This is..."
One of the Genin ninjas, Tong Kong, shrank back violently, his eyes flashing with intense fear. He knew very well that once he signed this form, it would be a given that he would die here.
"This is something everyone has to sign. If you're unwilling, please withdraw from the Chunin Ninja Exams."
Nankain's voice slowly rang out. He didn't intend to explain at all, but instead stated the problem directly and bluntly.
"Hiss..."
Everyone present gasped in shock. They all knew very well that signing such a life-or-death agreement meant that if they died here, it would have nothing to do with the Kumogakure, and no one from the village would come to avenge them.
The Jonin the various villages hadn't mentioned this before they came out.
The reason is very simple: if the instructors of the Jonin had said these things, many people might not have had the courage to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams. After all, improvement is one thing, but life is the most important.
Many ninjas underwent brainwashing training before leaving the village. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the village, but that was all. Their values favored meaningful sacrifices over meaningless ones.
If the village were facing a life-or-death situation, every one of them would not hesitate to go to the battlefield, even at the cost of their own lives, to fight the enemy to the end. However, if they were to die during the Chunin Ninja Exams because they were not strong enough, they would feel that such a death was meaningless.