Kurenai had changed into a fresh black and red kimono when she finally began outlining her ideas.
"The Chunin Exams are nothing more than a means to assess the leadership, judgment, and strength of Genin."
"Only those who meet both criteria—intellect and ability—are eligible to lead a squad and receive missions."
"In terms of combat ability, I'm afraid Anko's second exam will be hell-level difficulty."
"In that case, I can't afford to fall behind when it comes to the written test."
Her reasoning was solid, and after listening, Uchiha Hikaru nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"You're right... but what kind of test are you thinking of?"
"Just make sure the difficulty isn't too unreasonable. If no one makes it through, the whole exam becomes meaningless."
Kurenai rolled her eyes at Uchiha Hikaru, a look that seemed to say, "Are you seriously questioning the Red Queen?"
"The first section will be a basic written exam—but the difficulty will be high enough that most participants will only score between 0 and 30 points."
"Then, I'll plant two teams in the exam room, disguised as regular examinees. Each team will only fill in half of the correct answers."
"Only those who can gather enough clues, piece together the correct information, and score above 60 will pass."
Faced with such a mind-bending setup, Uchiha Hikaru could only call her a true expert.
If you wanted to pass purely on your own ability... honestly, there weren't many Genin in all of Konoha capable of that. Maybe only Sakura could manage it.
The trick was brutal: even though the answers were technically right there in the room, each version was only half-correct and half-wrong. Anyone who blindly copied a full answer sheet thinking they could coast through would fail hard.
There might not be a final trick question like in Morino Ibiki's version—no psychological trap to test resolve—but this format was more than enough to assess a Genin's intelligence-gathering and theoretical foundation.
But Kurenai wasn't done. She continued.
"Since the Chunin Exams are team-based, all three members must pass."
"Even if your team's total score exceeds 180, if just one of you fails, the whole team fails."
"If an invigilator catches someone cheating more than three times, the whole team is disqualified."
"And the final bonus question... Each person only gets one chance to answer."
"If all three answer correctly, one member of the team will still fail—at random."
"If they answer incorrectly, no one on the team will be allowed to take the Chunin Exam again for ten years."
"But if one person opts not to answer, the whole team is eliminated from this exam... but can retake it next year."
By the time she finished explaining, Uchiha Hikaru was completely stunned.
"Wait... what?"
"Are you seriously going through with this?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
Kurenai just scoffed, twice.
"After becoming a Chunin, every decision you make during a mission can determine the outcome of the entire squad."
"Anyone can complete a routine mission. But once complications arise, the team leader's choices decide whether you succeed or fail."
"And when the difficulty spikes beyond what was commissioned, whether you press forward—or how many of your teammates survive—falls on you."
"It's no different from our business world. The bigger the waves, the higher the price of the fish."
Her words made Uchiha Hikaru feel like he was staring at a whole different Kurenai.
"Ms. Kurenai, you're right."
"Risk represents opportunity—but it also brings danger. Succeed, and you soar; fail, and you're nothing but bones on the battlefield."
His words made Kurenai think back on everything she'd endured these past three years.
Yes... she had seized the opportunity Uchiha Hikaru gave her. And she had risen, hard and fast—transforming from a mere special Jonin into Konoha's infamous Red Queen.
Her mood lightened noticeably.
"Hmph~ If they fail, they can always retake it next year. I'm being very accommodating, okay?"
"Am I not being cooperative enough?"
Kurenai kicked her legs playfully where they rested on the desk, glancing over at Uchiha Hikaru with a smirk.
Hikaru just sighed and nodded helplessly.
"Cooperation's important. With so many people involved, it's natural that it'll be tough."
But deep down, he had to admit—her plan was brilliant.
This wasn't a Chunin-level written exam anymore. It was practically an exam for Special Jonin—or even Jonin.
You could throw in extra decoys, plant more answer keys in the room... but none of that helped if your answers were half-wrong from the start!
Honestly, if Morino Ibiki saw this setup, he might call her a genius, shake his head, and resign on the spot—offering to hand her the position.
Maybe Kurenai should run Konoha's Interrogation and Torture Division. The way she thought? She was the real devil of the Hidden Leaf.
"Man... I really hope the Genin this time bring their A-game."
"Otherwise... there might not even be ten people left for the third round."
Hikaru groaned softly.
Kurenai seemed amused by his concern.
"No need to worry. My design for the first round is intense, sure—but the second round is still the Forest of Death, right?"
"I estimate around a thousand Genin are participating. My test will eliminate three-quarters to four-fifths of them."
"And with Anko handling the second round? The pass rate will probably drop even further. Expect between three-quarters and four-fifths eliminated again."
"Any problems?"
Uchiha Hikaru recalled Anko's setup: the Heaven and Earth Scrolls could now be consumed and traded for Human Scrolls. The healing potions stored within them were now usable during combat...
He told Kurenai all of this.
She blinked, stunned.
"Anko really came up with something like that?"
"Well... it's still manageable. It's under control. There should still be at least twenty or so people left for the third round."
"Don't overthink it. There are a lot of Genin this year... and some are clearly Chunin-level pretending to be Genin."
At her words, Uchiha Hikaru flinched a little.
"Haha... yeah, they're mostly Genin... maybe a few hidden Chunin mixed in... nothing major..."
"Anyway—I should get going. It's getting late~"
(It's over… Hikaru's probably going to blow up the whole fishpond...)
Just as he opened the window and prepared to leap out, Kurenai called after him.
"Wait!"
"Come to my place tonight."
Uchiha Hikaru turned, surprised, and stared at her with raised eyebrows.
His expression said clearly: "Are you sure? That bold?"
Kurenai blushed and looked away, lowering her head. Her voice turned quiet, embarrassed.
"I... I can't walk anymore..."
"You started this, and now you have to take responsibility!" (///▽///)
...
...
-------
Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
---------------------
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early chapters before anyone else! 🔥
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your Support is Truly Appreciated 🫂