While she was resting, others could not afford to. Besides, it was broad daylight—an unusual time for anyone to be sleeping.
The ninja who had made it through The Forest of Death had already gathered in the central arena of the tower.
Here, they would receive the next set of instructions for the Chunin Exams.
Chapter 139: The Reason for the Exam
"Since so many have passed the second exam this year, we must eliminate a portion here," explained a Tokubetsu Jonin whom Shiki didn't recognize. His expression was calm, as if this were perfectly normal, standing on the training ground.
"Why not just let everyone who passed the second exam move on to the third one?" Sakura asked doubtfully, spreading her hands wide.
"Yeah, isn't the rank of Chunin based purely on skill? Are participants limited in number each year?"
After Sakura voiced her concern, other ninja also began to grumble.
Actually, they had a point. If numbers mattered most, then in years when the overall skill level of examinees happened to be low, even some weak Genin might pass the Chunin Exams.
And besides, the high number of this year's successful candidates was precisely because the participants were unusually strong—many Chunin-level ninja were eliminated by even stronger opponents.
"This question—" The Tokubetsu Jonin was about to respond when suddenly an aged voice came from behind him.
"Let me explain."
All eyes turned toward that spot. In the center of the Jonin and Chunin stood a large empty space.
Only the old man stood there—calm, unassuming, neither exuding menace nor appearing kind.
Like any ordinary serious old man, yet no one treated him like an ordinary elder.
On his straw hat was the kanji symbol for "Fire," and he wore the white ceremonial robes of the Hokage.
One of the strongest and most powerful figures in this world, and regardless of their Ninja Village origins, everyone had to show respect before this man.
"I'll begin with the purpose of holding this exam," he said. "As allied nations, the reason we jointly hold the Chunin Exams is..."
By now, just about everyone had calmed down. One, out of reverence for this man before them; two, because they truly wanted to understand this reason.
Truthfully, although each village differed in its circumstances, hosting individual Chunin Exams within one's own village wasn't difficult at all. In fact, they'd much rather do it that way. It minimized how much they revealed about the talents within their own villages.
Even among allied nations, revealing your strengths like this should never be taken lightly.
"The reason—" Whether or not the Third had mentioned this part in the original story was unclear to Shiki, but it didn't stop him from listening attentively now.
"The fundamental reason for this exam is to strengthen relations among our allied nations and improve the overall power of ninja. I hope none of you will misunderstand its true purpose."
Hearing this, many ninjas showed signs of disappointment. They had originally thought that the old Third Hokage would reveal some hidden secrets. However, they never expected him to only speak official-sounding words.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed not to notice the expressions on people's faces. His face remained serious.
In such formal situations, he had never once lost the dignity befitting a Hokage.
Only when he returned to being the old man known as Hiruzen Sarutobi would he show a warm smile, chatting casually with children about things unworthy of a Hokage's status.
His voice resumed slowly—measured and powerful, though never loud. Nobody dared to make even the slightest sound while he was speaking.
Only after he paused would murmurs arise from the crowd below.
"In reality, the essence of this exam is..."
At this point, the Third's eyes stilled. His sharp gaze forced everyone present to subconsciously take his next words with utmost seriousness.
"...a microcosm of war between allied nations."
Everyone hesitated for a moment, stunned by this unexpected answer from the Third.
Earlier hadn't he said the purpose of this Chunin Exams was to promote friendly exchanges among allied countries?
Why now had it suddenly become a reflection of war? Sweat began to form on everyone's foreheads.
Shiki frowned, vaguely trying to recall something important—though most of what stuck in his memory were either the most thrilling or heartbreaking moments from the original story.
"A microcosm of war, huh?"
"If you look at their shared past, it'll make sense. Every one of these so-called allied nations used to be rival countries—neighbors locked in constant competition. To prevent unnecessary consumption of strength and mutual destruction, this place was selected as the battlefield."
The Third didn't stop speaking, giving those present absolutely no time to deeply reflect. He only left them in shock.
"What's decided here determines which nation earns more high-value missions. These are extremely important to the rise of a country. A nation performing excellently will naturally receive more commissions, while an underperforming one will get fewer. There's more to it, of course—but in short, that's how it works."
At this moment, the Third paused momentarily. Finally, those who were confused could spare a bit of time for thought.
"So, during the third phase of the exams, we will invite numerous important figures from various nations to observe. Therefore, every one of you bears the honor of your homeland on your shoulders as you fight."
Tenten bit her lip, then couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "If that's the case, then what friendliness are we talking about?"
"From the beginning, I never wanted you to misunderstand his intentions. Compared to the ninja world where power reigns supreme, benefits often intertwine and depend on each other. If we truly maintained so-called friendships, many nations would lose hope of receiving missions. Then, when they grow strong, the benefits they gain won't match their power, causing long-standing grievances which eventually erupt into war.
In the end, this system turns out to be the 'peaceful' solution most acceptable to everyone involved."
"Listening to this, Shiki couldn't help but recall a declaration from Germany during the First World War in that world.
'The time when other countries divided continents and oceans while we Germans remained satisfied with blue skies has passed. Now we demand our place under the sun.'
Those words sounded so familiar.
'But ultimately, this is just an inferior method of restraint. A powerful nation won't decide whether to halt its advancement based on the victories or defeats of mere genin,' Shiki thought silently.
'Alright, the rest I'll leave for the Examiner of this additional test to explain.'"
Immediately afterward, the Tokubetsu Jonin who had spoken earlier stepped forward again. "Now I, Sekaya Ryuunosuke, will explain the remaining details to you. As Lord Third already mentioned, during the official third exam, many important figures from various nations will come, and their time is extremely precious. However, too many candidates have passed so far, so we'll add another screening round to narrow down the numbers."
At this point, Ryuunosuke raised his head and scanned the crowd.
"Now then, surely no one has any objections?"
Chapter 140: The First Screening?
By now, no further complaints could be heard from anyone. Especially Naruto, who clenched his fist tightly and waved it enthusiastically.
"No matter what it takes, I'm gonna make it all the way to the finish!"
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