"Phew—! That was great!"
Naruto finally let go of all the tension and shouted out loud in the classroom.
Other test-takers turned to look at him, while Sakura lowered her head in embarrassment.
Hatake Satoru sat smiling at the front of the class, glancing over the group of relieved students.
Even though Hatake Satoru had taught Naruto and Sasuke a few cheating tricks—
It was still almost impossible for Naruto to use them right under Hatake Satoru's nose.
He barely managed to solve a few problems after squeezing his brain dry, and he wasn't even sure if they were right.
When Hatake Satoru picked up his test paper earlier, he was so nervous he felt like he was going to die.
Luckily, it turned out fine.
Sasuke and Sakura also let out a long breath.
Hatake Satoru didn't seem like the kind of guy who would go easy on them. If they failed, they'd really be screwed.
"That scared me to death. I never want to take another written test in my life."
"This kind of Chunin Exam setup... once is enough."
Suigetsu collapsed onto the desk like he had melted.
The other test-takers just sat there quietly staring at their papers, like they had just survived a disaster.
Some people said that the teacher wasn't even a real ninja, but his abilities and the way he messed with their minds were terrifying.
"But don't relax just yet! You only passed the written part. The real test is in actual combat~"
As Hatake Satoru spoke, he jumped down from the platform and started walking toward the students.
*CRACK!*
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass came from the side of the classroom, and shards of glass flew straight at Hatake Satoru.
He leaned forward slightly, dodging most of the shards without even flinching.
The few that came close to his body suddenly stopped in midair, as if something invisible had blocked them.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
Right after the window broke, a round object wrapped in dark cloth rolled into the room.
Then two kunai flew up and stabbed firmly into the ceiling. The cloth burst open like a flag being raised for battle.
A fierce-looking girl jumped out from the cloth, full of energy. She waved her hand and shouted down at the students like she was declaring war.
"Alright! This is no time to be celebrating!"
"I'm the proctor for the second exam—Mitarashi Anko!"
"Let's go!!! Follow me!!"
As soon as Anko burst in, Hatake Satoru had already plopped himself down in a chair in the front row.
He didn't want to get run over by her.
But he didn't really mind this kind of loud, reckless entrance. Actually, it looked kind of fun. Maybe he'd try it himself someday.
Then he turned around to look at the stunned students behind him, stretched his hand out toward Anko like he was giving live commentary.
"Alright, everyone, take a good look at how Anko-sensei does things."
"She's dangerous, doesn't read the room at all, so make sure none of you copy her~"
As he said that, he gave a wink through the part of his face not covered by his blindfold.
The students looked back and forth between the two teachers, totally confused.
Somehow, looking at them now, it felt like not a single one of the proctors was normal.
Was this exam even legit?
Naruto's face, which had just been full of relief, froze in place.
That good mood didn't last more than a few seconds before it was completely ruined by the arrival of Mitarashi Anko.
A lot of people who had been feeling pretty relaxed or even lucky just moments before now had gloomy expressions.
Sakura couldn't help but look away a little, glancing up at Anko.
"I don't know why… but she kind of reminds me of Naruto."
"She's so cool! I want a big flag like that too!"
After finishing the written test, Suigetsu wandered over to Kimimaro and squeezed in next to him to sit down.
Haku was just about to sit down next to Suigetsu when he heard the sound of glass breaking. He looked up and saw Anko.
"That's really over the top…"
Even Haku, raised in the ways of Kirigakure Village, frowned slightly at Anko's flashy entrance.
This kind of loud and showy entrance probably only happens in Konohagakure.
Anko blushed a little when Hatake Satoru made a comment.
She had been focused on making a strong first impression for the first part of the exam, and hadn't really thought about the mood in the room.
"Don't pick on me like that! Ugh, I should've landed right on top of you."
If you can't solve the problem, just take care of the person who pointed it out—Anko muttered under her breath at Hatake Satoru.
Then she stood tall again and looked down at the students, doing a quick headcount.
"Hmm… sixty-six people, twenty-two teams."
"Well, it's your first time organizing, but the number looks about right."
"Still a bit too many, though. I'm gonna cut half of them in the next round! How exciting!"
She was a teacher, but she sure talked like a villain.
Hatake Satoru rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. He didn't have a strong impression of Anko—she wasn't quite on the same level as Kakashi.
He had met her once or twice as a kid, but their real contact only came a few days before the Chunin Exams, when he was recommended to be the written exam's lead proctor.
"Cutting the group in half... that's pretty harsh."
Kimimaro looked up at Anko. Even though he said it was strict, there was a clear spark of excitement in his eyes.
Satoru rarely took such a gentle approach. If the teachers were really strict, barely anyone would pass.
Maybe they were trying to let more students through this time, which was why they weren't too strict about the cheating in the written exam.
"Heh, the real fight will be way easier than the written test! I'm definitely going to win!"
Suigetsu spoke with full confidence—he totally believed in himself.
He'd been a little worried about the written part, but when it came to fighting? Among the Five Great Nations, Kirigakure was definitely the craziest.
Their students had the most field missions and took on the most dangerous tasks.
They were without a doubt the most experienced. There was no reason for them to lose.
Haku glanced worriedly at the other two. He didn't feel as excited as they did.
As the team leader, he knew better than anyone that their teamwork was probably the weakest part.
And both Suigetsu and his own skills depended a lot on the environment. If they were too far from any water source, they'd be at a big disadvantage.
"We'll talk about the details tomorrow!"
"Ask your jonin teachers about the time and place. That's it—dismissed!"
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