REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!Chapter 212: The Second Exam Hall
Wait! No, no... This approach seems completely wrong!
Naruto suddenly realized—the core of this exam wasn't the written test content itself at all!
He looked around. Hinata beside him had already quietly activated her Byakugan, veins bulging near her clear eyes. Not far away, Satsuki's eyes had transformed into crimson Sharingan, three tomoe slowly rotating.
Aburame Shino's insects were silently transmitting information between desks and chairs. Kiba Inuzuka was using Akamaru for reconnaissance. Gaara was monitoring with his Sand Eye...
In the entire exam hall, the only one truly "answering questions" seemed to be Sakura, writing furiously.
What this exam truly tested was intelligence gathering ability—the core shinobi skills of reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance.
Naruto's gaze locked onto that examiner colleague disguised as an examinee, actually "performing" answering. He must be the target needing reconnaissance. After all, what proper exam only deducts points for discovered cheating?
Though knowing that following the original development, even turning in blank papers could pass this test, Naruto still decided to go through the motions.
With a slight mental shift, a golden figure only he could see—Gold Experience—quietly materialized behind him. It floated lightly above that "actor examiner," its vision perfectly aligned with the test paper. In the next moment, the answers the examiner wrote projected clearly into Naruto's vision.
If only I'd gotten Silver Chariot instead...
After synchronously copying all answers, Naruto organized his test paper while watching several genin who'd cheated too many times, had their points deducted to zero, and were "invited" out of the exam hall.
Come to think of it, both Byakugan and Sharingan were activated so blatantly—didn't that count as discovered cheating? Probably that's the intended effect... using kekkei genkai to cheat and all...
---
"Now, you must make a choice—whether to answer the tenth question."
Morino Ibiki's low voice echoed through the silent exam hall, carrying heavy psychological pressure.
"If you choose not to answer, you're immediately judged as scoring zero, and your entire team loses qualification."
"If you choose to answer but fail to answer correctly... you'll forever lose the qualification to take the Chunin Exam."
Under Ibiki's continuous psychological offensive, quite a few examinees dominated by fear ultimately raised their hands to give up, leaving the exam hall with dejected faces.
But thinking carefully, Ibiki's words were complete nonsense. As long as strength reached special jonin level, how could the village possibly end your promotion path over one exam?
In the original, Naruto going directly from genin to Hokage was a special case, but like Jiraiya, when strength, reputation and trust reached a certain level, one might even be forcibly pushed into the Kage position.
When Ibiki finally announced all remaining examinees passed, nearly half the exam hall had been eliminated.
Strange... In Naruto's memory, the number passing the first exam should have been higher.
Just as the nerve-wracked examinees were about to breathe a sigh of relief—
CRASH!
The classroom's glass window shattered! Under Ibiki's somewhat helpless gaze, a figure nimbly flipped inside. A woman swiftly unfurled a massive black scroll with bold writing:
[Second Stage Examiner - Mitarashi Anko]
"Little ones! Now's not the time to relax!" Her energetic voice instantly shattered the exam hall's solemn atmosphere. "I'm the second exam's examiner, Mitarashi Anko! The next exam starts immediately—everyone follow me!"
Naruto instinctively averted his gaze—see no evil... This examiner's attire was far too bold, actually using fishnet-like clothing as a top.
Subsequently, all examinees were led to a place with a completely different atmosphere—the entrance to the "forest" training ground shrouded by massive trees with dim lighting. The trees here towered into clouds, their canopies blocking out the sky. The air permeated with the damp scent of soil and humus.
In another world, many online speculated this forest was left from the First Hokage's past battles. After all, the ecology here differed completely from outside, filled with unnatural grandeur and ancient feeling.
Just as Anko stood before everyone, energetically explaining the second exam's rules, Naruto's gaze remained locked on an inconspicuous examinee in the crowd—that person had long black hair, wore plain cloth clothing, with a conspicuous thick hemp rope tied at the waist.
...No way, this guy really is unchangeably stubborn, just directly mixing in like this?
Naruto recognized at a glance—this was precisely Orochimaru's classic skin.
Anko was still explaining rules. Simply put, each team would randomly receive one scroll—either a 'Heaven Scroll' or 'Earth Scroll.' The examinees' mission was to gather a complete set of 'Heaven' and 'Earth' scrolls within a five-day time limit and successfully reach the tower at the Forest of Death's center to pass.
Moreover, before receiving scrolls, everyone must sign this liability waiver. This exam's core was mutual contention. There would be no mercy in battle—injuries were extremely likely.
After receiving their scroll, Satsuki keenly detected Naruto's unusual state. She followed his line of sight, noticing that strangely dressed long-haired examinee.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Satsuki asked softly with concern. "Is there something wrong with that person?"
An inexplicable unease gripped Naruto's heart. Looking at Orochimaru's disguised figure, recalling that dark segment from the original, he almost instinctively asked that unsettling question.
"Satsuki..."
"Mm, I'm here."
Satsuki immediately responded obediently, that focused and compliant attitude sufficient to shock anyone who understood the Uchiha clan's proud nature.
"If... I'm just saying if. One day, someone appeared who told you that by following him, you could gain incomparably powerful strength... strong enough to realize all your ambitions and dreams. Would you... abandon me for that?"
"...?"
Satsuki was completely stunned. Abandon? Ambition? These two words coming from Naruto's mouth seemed so abrupt and contradictory.
Naruto's question was completely self-contradictory—her dream was [wanting to be with Uzumaki Naruto forever], wasn't it?
And the word "abandon" stirred intense unease in her heart.
Why would he ask such a thing? Did he think she was someone who'd easily give him up for power?
"Sure, if that person could truly give me the power to kill anyone who approaches you, leaving only me in your eyes, I might consider it. But before that, I'd first kill for you that person attempting to tempt me with power, trying to separate me from your side. That way, no one could ever take me away from you again, right?"
But she immediately suppressed this dangerous answer, knowing this wasn't what Naruto wanted to hear. She raised her head, gazing deeply with those pitch-black eyes into Naruto's blue ones.
"Absolutely not. No matter what kind of power, no matter what kind of temptation, nothing could compare to you being by my side. My ambition, my dreams, from beginning to end, have only ever involved you alone."
"So please, don't ask questions that would make me sad anymore, okay? I will never, ever abandon you, and please... never abandon me either."