The exam hall was packed—every seat filled, but aside from chief examiner Nara Shikaku, not a single proctor stood watch. It was a stark contrast to the old Chunin Exams, where both aisles overflowed with supervisors.
Why the change?
Back then, the written test's real purpose was to gauge genin's intelligence-gathering skills. Ninjutsu cheating was not only allowed—it was expected.
But this Grand Tournament was different. Every participant here was the pride of their village, the best of the best. Intelligence-gathering? That was already a given.
So there was no need for games or tricks. No hidden tests. This round was about one thing: your knowledge of the Otsutsuki and your ability to adapt under pressure.
And as for cheating or identical answers? Impossible. The questions were tailored to each ninja's personal circumstances—their profiles all recorded in detail. Copying someone else's answers would only get you burned.
These were smart people. No one was going to waste their shot.
Tonjin spun his pen between his fingers, thinking through his answer. Just as he was about to write, a flash of vibrant red caught his eye. He glanced up—just ahead and a little to the left sat a girl.
Almost everyone here was an adult, many with reputations that echoed across nations. This girl was different—like Tonjin, one of the few kids in the hall. And she had red hair, too. He found himself watching her a moment longer.
She seemed nervous… or maybe something else. Her eyes looked dry.
He watched as she took off her glasses, fished a bottle of eye drops from her pocket, tilted her head back, and aimed the pointed tip above her eye. She squeezed the bottle, coaxing out a single shimmering drop. It trembled at the tip, refusing to fall.
Tonjin silently urged: Come on, drop already…
Plop.
It finally fell—but the girl, startled, instinctively shut her eyes. The drop landed squarely on her eyelid, soaking her lashes until she could barely open them.
"Ugh…" she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
Tonjin couldn't help it—a laugh burst out before he clapped a hand over his mouth.
She turned, pale-skinned and delicate, and caught him staring. Realizing he'd seen her little mishap, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and a touch of annoyance. She turned back to her test, determined to ignore him.
Tonjin thought, She still hasn't screwed the cap back on…
He felt a pang of discomfort, but shook his head, pushed away the distraction, and focused on his own paper.
A minute later, a man in a green jumpsuit stood up. He strode straight to the examiner's desk, ignoring the stares and whispers, handed in his answer sheet with both hands—then proceeded to cartwheel out of the room, leaving on his hands.
Predictably, murmurs rippled through the hall.
"That guy again…"
"Konoha's taijutsu prodigy, Rock Lee. He's strong, but he's failed the first round eight times…"
"Bet his answer's just 'hard work' again."
"If hard work worked, I wouldn't still be a genin…"
Tenten, Lee's teammate and now his wife, could only sigh in exasperation.
Just like that, the first round of the Grand Tournament ended—no drama, no surprises.
As Tonjin left, he glanced at the front desk. The eye drop bottle's cap was finally screwed on tight. He felt a wave of relief, and caught a glimpse of the girl's name on her paper.
Uchiha Sarada… huh.
The first round didn't tax anyone's stamina; they could've held the second round the same day. But Kakuzu, ever the businessman, stretched the schedule for "economic benefit"—the next round would be tomorrow.
That night, Shikaku sat under his lamp, grading papers.
The one in his hands was covered in elegant, flowing script—every inch filled. The answer detailed how to use signature ninjutsu for feints against the Otsutsuki duo, how to coordinate with other ninja to suppress the enemy, even listing hand seal sequences step by step.
Clearly, this was a ninja with solid fundamentals.
But there was a fatal flaw. The test included portraits of two Otsutsuki—images published in the Book of the Gods. Anyone who'd read it would know: Kinshiki and Momoshiki, and their abilities.
This test-taker either hadn't read the Book of the Gods or hadn't paid attention to the questions, trying too hard to show off. Too clever for their own good.
"Momoshiki can absorb ninjutsu and throw it back even stronger. Attacking without preparation would only make things worse…"
Shikaku stamped the sheet—FAILED.
Plenty of others made the same mistake. All failed.
He flipped to Rock Lee's test.
Just one line: Hard work, hard work! Using my only skill—taijutsu! I'll keep attacking until either I fall or the enemy does!
Under the lamp, Shikaku smiled wryly. "Not the smartest strategy, but not wrong either. Lee… this time, you pass."
Stamp—PASS.
After nine tries, Rock Lee finally cleared the prelims—thanks to hard work.
What else could he do? Taijutsu was all he knew.
Then Shikaku found another answer—"Uzumaki Tonjin."
"Oh, Naruto's son. Didn't use the 'green channel,' went through the normal process. Looks like Naruto has high hopes for him. Let's see what he's learned…"
The handwriting was a little childish, but neat—good first impression.
Tonjin's answer read:
If Kinshiki and Momoshiki appeared before me, my first choice would be to run away!
Reason: I'm no match for them. My best ninjutsu would just get absorbed. If I got caught, I'd only be a burden to the adults!
Shikaku's eyes lit up. "Unexpected… but he's nailed the key point."
He read on.
Escape plan: The enemy has Byakugan. I'd use smoke bombs and flash bombs to block their vision and try to get away.
But in battle, anything can happen—escape might work, or it might not.
If I succeed, I'd help the adults evacuate non-combatants. That's what I can do.
If I fail and rescue can't come, I'll do everything I can to buy time!
How? I'd act weak, make them think I'm just a harmless kid. If they drop their guard, I'd use Sharingan-backed ninjutsu for a surprise attack—especially on Kinshiki. Unlike Momoshiki, Kinshiki can't absorb ninjutsu directly. A surprise attack might work.
But if escape and counterattack both fail, and I'm truly cornered, I'd end my own life rather than become a burden.
That's my real answer, based on who I am.
Shikaku smiled, deeply impressed. "If this was out of 100, I'd give him 99. As for that missing point…"
He picked up his red pen and wrote:
—Remember, never throw your life away lightly. As long as you're alive, anything is possible.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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