"You're sure about this?" Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "Once you fail this exam, you'll be stuck as a Genin for life — no chance of promotion ever again!"
"I'll take my chances as a Genin for life if that's how it ends up," Naruto said firmly, locking eyes with Ibiki. "To a ninja, whether you're a Genin or a Jonin doesn't matter at all. What really counts is never giving up and pushing forward no matter how tough the choice. That's what it means to be a ninja, right? This is my Ninja Way!"
Naruto's words instantly lightened the heavy tension in the room. Those who were thinking about giving up quietly put their hands back down. Seeing this, a faint smile flickered in Ibiki's eyes, though he kept his face expressionless.
"Congratulations. You've passed."
After a long pause, Ibiki's face finally broke into a rare smile. "All examinees present here have successfully completed the first stage of the exam. Your results are passing, and you may now proceed to the second exam!"
"What?" Temari suddenly exclaimed in disbelief. "But we haven't even answered the tenth question yet!"
"Actually, everyone has already answered the tenth question," Sakura explained casually, still flipping through Make Out Tactics. "That so-called tenth question wasn't really a question at all — it was the decision we just made. The first nine questions tested your ability to gather intelligence, which is why you were allowed to cheat only a limited number of times. As for the tenth question, it tested a ninja's willpower."
"That's right," Ibiki continued. "As ninjas, we often face difficult decisions. Whether to move forward bravely and persist, or choose escape — these choices belong solely to us! A ninja's willpower is critically important, especially when facing interrogation and torture. Will you endure pain to protect your village's secrets, or will fear of pain drive you to betray your Village Headman and comrades? This all depends on the strength of a ninja's personal willpower!"
Ibiki's words left many examinees stunned, especially those few who had nearly chosen to give up earlier. Deep shame clearly showed in their eyes — without Naruto's words just now, they would have truly chosen to abandon themselves.
"Hey, Sakura, why did you make me stand up and cheer them on?" Naruto quietly asked. He'd been confused when Sakura suddenly made him speak earlier.
"I didn't really have a choice," Sakura sighed helplessly. "I'm a ninja from Konoha, after all. Among those who chose to give up, many were Konoha ninjas. If I let things go on like that, I felt like we would have completely disgraced Konoha. Having you stand up and encourage everyone helped recover some dignity for Konoha."
"Now then, since you've all passed the test, allow me to invite the examiner for the second stage to take you all to the location for the next part of the exam!"
Ibiki glanced at Naruto and Sakura. He was surprised by Naruto's earlier actions, but even more impressed by what the kid had said. There's no denying it—he really *is* the Fourth Hokage's heir. That kind of willpower capable of inspiring others really does resemble the Fourth.
Still mulling it over, Ibiki tapped his earpiece and contacted the second exam's proctor. She was none other than Anko Mitarashi—an infamous Konoha jōnin known for being unreliable and having a sweet tooth.
"Crash!"
Accompanied by a dramatic musical tune, a figure carrying a giant weapon suddenly burst through the classroom window. The huge Qinglong Yanyue Blade (Guan Yu blade) resting on the figure's shoulder left everyone in the room stunned with wide-open mouths.
"Do all Konoha jōnin act this weird?" Temari muttered under her breath. The first examiner was already super aggressive—was this second proctor actually mentally unstable too?
"No. Actually, only she's like that. Don't lump us together with her!" Ibiki shot back with a dark expression. Anko's entrance really did surprise him—and embarrassed him terribly, as if all of Konoha's dignity had been thrown out the window.
"Brats! Be quiet for a minute!"
Dressed in a fishnet bodysuit that showed off her curves and a flowing cape, Anko Mitarashi slammed the Qinglong Yanyue Blade into the ground and pointed forward with her left hand. "I'm your main proctor for the second exam—Anko Mitarashi, a Konoha jōnin. Now, everyone follow me to the test site immediately!"
The entire room fell silent after Anko's grand entrance. Witnessing this, Sakura buried her face in her hands. She shouldn't have given in and suggested this idea when Anko kept pestering her. She had only mentioned the Qinglong Yanyue Blade jokingly—who knew Anko would actually go through with it seriously?
"Eh? Why are there still so many people here? Shouldn't there be only a few left?" It was only now that Anko Mitarashi realized just how many test-takers were still in the room. She frowned slightly.
"You must be living in a dream world!" Ibiki gave her an annoyed look and took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with this scatterbrained woman—it'd just make him lose his temper. "This time around, we actually have a large number of candidates—they're all elites. It's normal that many remain!"
"Forget it, doesn't matter how many you leave behind anyway. Trust me, the second exam will thin them out plenty soon enough!" Anko Mitarashi grumbled discontentedly before yelling at the group: "Come on, quit spacing out! Time to get moving!"
"Anko-senpai, quick question—I thought I heard multiple crashes of broken glass just now. Why is that?"
Suddenly, Sakura raised her head to ask.
"Uh..." Anko Mitarashi, who moments ago had looked like a total badass, froze completely on the spot, then let out an awkward laugh. "Ahahaha... Well, there are several exam sites here. I sent some Shadow Clones to the other classrooms, and they used the same method to enter. What you heard must've been the sound of glass breaking in those other exam sites!"
Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Nine: Anko, Burdened with Debts [Lower]
"Anko-senpai," Sakura murmured softly, "if I recall correctly, according to Konoha law, damaging public property means both compensation and a fine, doesn't it?"
"Just look at all these broken windows, Anko-senpai," Sakura went on. "Have you even calculated how much you'll owe in damages?!"
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