As time passed, the Genin taking the Chūnin Exams gradually understood the true nature of the test.
It wasn't about academic knowledge—it was about a shinobi's ability to gather information.
The proctors were all experienced Chūnin, and while they easily noticed the examinees' tricks, as long as a method wasn't too clumsy, it was allowed. But those who resorted to crude tactics, especially passing notes, were immediately exposed and eliminated.
"You're eliminated! Get out!"
The examiner's cold voice echoed through the room, adding even more pressure to the tense atmosphere.
Naruto, however, sat calmly. He watched the room with steady eyes, not a shred of nervousness in him. His composure made more than one examiner regard him with newfound respect.
Before long, time was up. Those who failed were escorted out, leaving the rest of the examinees waiting in silence.
Then, the proctor in charge stepped forward—Morino Ibiki.
His face was a map of scars, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room. A suffocating aura rolled off him, making many of the Genin instinctively lower their heads.
Ibiki was no ordinary shinobi. As the head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Division, his reputation alone struck fear into many. Few could endure his methods.
"Very good," Ibiki said at last, his gravelly voice carrying through the room. "You've all completed the written portion. Now, I will announce the tenth question."
The entire room tensed.
"However," Ibiki continued, "this question has a restriction. If you choose to answer and fail… you will never be allowed to participate in the Chūnin Exams again. Not only you, but your entire team will be barred for life."
Gasps spread across the room.
"If you withdraw now, you may try again next year. Choose wisely."
The weight of his words crashed over the examinees. For shinobi from smaller villages, failing here meant the end of their advancement. A shinobi's rank wasn't just a title—it was status, respect, survival.
Around the room, faces paled. Some clenched their fists, others bit their lips in hesitation.
Team 7, however, remained calm.
Naruto leaned back in his chair, utterly unbothered. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but his confidence never wavered.
Sakura, at first anxious about dragging the others down, steadied herself as she remembered her teammates' strength and her own hard work. Seeing that Ino and the others hadn't withdrawn either, she sat tall in her seat.
The oppressive silence thickened. Without Naruto's fiery encouragement from the original story, more and more Genin began to falter. The number of withdrawals far exceeded what had happened the first time around.
Ibiki's lips curved into a chilling smile.
"Very well. You've all chosen to stay. That shows resolve. But I'll say this one last time—don't gamble with your future. Those who leave now still have a chance."
His voice was like a blade slicing through the room. More shaky hands rose. More teams withdrew.
Naruto shook his head slightly. As expected. Ibiki knows how to cut straight into a shinobi's mind. This test isn't about knowledge—it's about willpower. The resolve to face a mission, no matter the risk.
When no one else moved, Ibiki finally spoke.
"Then I will announce… the content of the tenth question."
He paused, letting the silence drag.
"You all… pass!"
For a moment, the room exploded with disbelief. Genin who had stayed through the trial sat stunned, while those who had left likely cursed themselves in regret.
Shikamaru, however, only slouched deeper in his chair, muttering under his breath. He had seen it coming.
Bang!
The sound of shattering glass rang out, and a figure leapt through the window in dramatic fashion.
Mitarashi Anko.
Her fishnet outfit and curving figure drew every eye in the room, though her wild, aggressive smile made Naruto arch a brow.
Does she think that's supposed to be cool?
The rest unfolded much as it had in the original story.
Anko took command, leading the examinees to Training Ground 44—better known as the Forest of Death.
The massive training ground was surrounded by towering fences and barbed wire, designed to keep the dangerous creatures inside from escaping.
Once again, Naruto's eyes swept the gathered teams. His gaze lingered briefly on one group in particular—the Grass-nin. Orochimaru was hidden among them, wearing a stolen face.
But what drew Naruto's true attention was the red-haired girl at their side.
Uzumaki Karin.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
This girl carried the Sage Body of the Uzumaki Clan, her talent wasted in a place like Kusagakure. Treated as nothing more than a tool, she was used like livestock—a living medical kit.
A single bite of her flesh could heal wounds, but each time, it consumed her own vitality.
Naruto knew her story. Karin's mother had possessed the same gift, and the Grass-nin had bled her dry.
The Uzumaki were long-lived and brimming with chakra, their life force nearly unmatched. In Karin, that vitality shone brightly.
With proper guidance, with training as a true medical-nin, who knew how many lives she could save?
In Kusagakure's hands, however, she was nothing but a goose that laid golden eggs—slowly killed by those too shortsighted to see her true worth.
Naruto's gaze hardened.
He had no fondness for the Grass Village. Fence-sitters, opportunists—vermin who survived by clinging to the stronger powers. Seeing them abuse an Uzumaki only deepened his disdain.
One by one, the genin teams entered the Forest of Death. The place was vast and suffocating with danger, rumored to have been shaped long ago by the First Hokage's Wood Release. The very thought inspired awe and dread in equal measure.
…Inside the forest, Naruto warned Sasuke. "Orochimaru is after you—be careful."
What Orochimaru likely hadn't expected was the level of Sasuke's current strength.
Though limited by his age, Sasuke had already reached the level of an Elite Jōnin—far beyond the standard of most shinobi his age—and he still had hidden trump cards to rely on. Years of relentless, almost desperate training, combined with Naruto's constant guidance, meant that Sasuke had avoided countless detours. His growth had been rapid and frightening.
By comparison, Sakura hadn't put in even a fraction of the effort Sasuke had.
Elsewhere, Rock Lee, Neji, and the other prodigies were also close to their limits, their strength already formidable as they quickly secured scrolls of their own.
And then there was Gaara—whose power was nothing short of terrifying.
The Forest of Death itself was brimming with killing intent.
Naruto effortlessly dealt with a band of opportunistic shinobi who had tried to ambush them. But when he checked their loot, he discovered that the scroll they carried was identical to his own—an Earth Scroll.
Under the shade of a massive tree, Naruto sat down and closed his eyes. He expanded his Kagura's Mind Eye to its maximum range, covering the entire forest in an instant.
Before entering, he had already memorized Uzumaki Karin's chakra signature.
His sensory perception was sharper than he had imagined, but instead of keeping it broad, Naruto narrowed the scope, searching carefully and precisely.
At last, he opened his eyes, stood, and said to Sasuke, "Found her. This way."
Naruto led the way, already aware of Karin's location.
…Meanwhile, on Karin's side, several Grass Ninja glared at her with cruel intent.
A day had passed, and hunger and exhaustion gnawed at them.
To them, Karin was no comrade—only a tool. A convenient medical pack they could drain whenever they wished.
"Get over here! We took you in, so be useful!" one of them barked.
Two of the Grass Ninja grabbed her, sinking their teeth into her arm. Chakra surged into them immediately, restoring their stamina and wiping away their fatigue. Both let out satisfied sighs, as if Karin's suffering meant nothing at all.
...
TN:
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