Silence. A deathly still silence.
With Tenzo's straightforward and unreserved explanation, the true content hidden within the two rounds of seemingly incomprehensible exams finally surfaced. Coupled with the brand-new, pristine scroll he unrolled in front of everyone, the entire crowd instantly turned to stone—frozen in place, eyes wide, utterly stunned.
Everyone had assumed that to reduce the number of examinees to less than half after two rounds, the exams must have been absurdly complex and difficult. But when Tenzo revealed the actual questions, the contrast between their wild guesses and the reality was so stark that it felt like night and day—the real difficulty was shockingly simple.
As Tenzo explained, the level of difficulty was the same for everyone. Strength and emotional control were merely the most basic qualifications any competent ninja should possess—simple entrance tests at best.
The overwhelming crowd during the first test? That was meant to simulate roadblocks often encountered during missions. Jumping across rooftops to cut through the line? A test of adaptability and problem-solving under pressure.
In the second exam, those who lost control of their emotions and blindly followed others—spurred on by the examples set by parents or peers—and chose to expose their worst traits without restraint, were naturally disqualified. Their parents, too, were eliminated alongside them.
Of course, just like in the first exam, Tenzo had set up a small verbal trap following Naruto's plan. His opening line had been a declaration that the exam was over, immediately followed by announcing the results of the second round. But not once did he say which round's time had ended. In truth, the second exam only began the moment Tenzo theatrically unfurled the blank scroll and started scanning the crowd for "lucky" candidates.
Once the test's true nature was revealed, even the father and son Tenzo had personally thrown out at the gate—now just struggling to get up with venom in their eyes—fell silent. All the disqualified candidates, who had been loudly yelling about cheating and unfairness, shut their mouths and quietly exited, red-faced and humbled.
If the exam had truly been something outrageous and beyond the mental capacity of children, they might've used it as ammunition to rile up public opinion, stir unrest, and pressure the school. But now that the test had been exposed for the laughably simple challenge it was—something that only required a bit of effort and attention—they had no choice but to swallow their shame and retreat with their tails between their legs.
After all, it was Naruto—the same "Nine-Tails brat" everyone mocked—who had shown textbook-perfect performance in the second round by calmly asking Tenzo what the exam had really been about.
Unlike the failed candidates who mocked Naruto the moment he appeared, Naruto hadn't retaliated with insults or shown any emotional disturbance. He'd kept his smile throughout, setting a shining example of emotional control under provocation—the very essence of the second exam.
And now, with the truth laid bare, if they kept throwing tantrums, they wouldn't just lose public sympathy. They'd embarrass themselves so badly they'd be forced to shut up out of sheer humiliation. One by one, these once-arrogant parents led their children away in silence.
"Whew… Looks like that's finally settled. Hmph, at least they had enough decency to walk away before things got ugly. Any more nonsense, and I might've caused trouble for Gramps Hiruzen."
At the same time, Naruto, who had quietly slipped back into the crowd the moment Tenzo revealed the blank scroll, exhaled in relief. Seeing the failure group lose their venom and leave obediently, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow… only to suddenly freeze in place.
His body tensed up as more sweat trickled down his face, and he muttered quietly:
"Wait… have I been too irritable lately?"
Now that he had calmed down, Naruto realized just how dangerous the fleeting thought he'd had about dealing with these villagers really was.
He'd considered letting others—people even more extreme than Tenzo—deal with these dissenters. People who didn't believe in reason or restraint… people who knew only one way to make someone shut up.
If he had actually given that order, even with a mere foot tap of thought, Naruto knew exactly what kind of blood-soaked chaos would've followed. Those Root-trained ninja lived in darkness and only knew one method: permanent silence through death.
In their minds, only the dead can keep a secret.
And if Naruto had truly gone that far… it wouldn't be a prank. It would be indiscriminate slaughter—exactly the kind of cruel repression someone like Danzo would resort to in the name of "order." The very idea that he, Naruto, had even approached that kind of thinking—even unconsciously—was a terrifying warning.
'After a year of intense training… I immediately ran into Orochimaru again. Sure, it was just a clone, but these past few days I've been so on edge, wondering if the real one noticed me…'
Taking deep breaths to calm his racing heartbeat, Naruto forced a composed look on his face as he walked toward Fugaku and the others, silently re-evaluating his plans.
'Yeah… it's been way too much lately.'
'Pervy Sage was right. You can't keep your nerves wound tight all the time—it's not healthy. Maybe it's time I took a break…'
'Once this mess is over, I'll stop thinking for a few days. Just be the underachieving Naruto going to class… and let myself rest.'