Ibiki spoke about the importance of intelligence to a Ninja and displayed his head, which was covered in scars.
He then began to explain the painful lessons learned from a lack of intelligence.
However, this silence, heavy with the weight of painful lessons, did not last long.
Crash!
A sudden sound of shattering glass abruptly broke the tranquility of the examination hall!
A tall window on one side of the examination hall shattered, glass shards flying in all directions.
A vigorous figure, accompanied by scattered fragments of sunlight, burst through the window in a highly impactful manner.
The newcomer was extremely fast, her movements fluid and full of wild beauty.
The moment she leaped into the air, she raised both hands—
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two Kunai with things tied to them whistled through the air and were accurately pinned into the ceiling in front of the examination podium.
At the same time, a pre-prepared, thick dark-red curtain was pulled by thin lines connected to the ends of the Kunai, snapping open with a "swish" in front of the podium, blocking Ibiki from view.
On the curtain, several large characters were written in eye-catching white paint with a flamboyant flourish:
「Second Proctor Anko Mitarashi has arrived!」
The handwriting was bold, the strokes carrying an air of uninhibited heroism.
That figure was indeed the proctor for the second exam, Anko Mitarashi.
Like a nimble swift, she landed right in front of the newly unfurled curtain.
She stood firm, wearing a black mesh skin-tight combat suit suitable for movement, with a beige trench coat over it, and her deep purple short hair looked sharp and capable.
Anko's gaze swept over the dumbfounded candidates below with sharp excitement.
Next, she raised her right hand and slapped the curtain with the large characters behind her forcefully, with a touch of showmanship, making muffled "thump-thump" sounds.
"Don't celebrate too early!"
Anko Mitarashi's voice was loud and penetrating, carrying an unquestionable dominance, "I am the proctor for the second stage, Anko Mitarashi!"
She paused deliberately, seemingly enjoying the attention brought by such a flashy entrance.
"Now, stop dazing around here!"
She waved her hand grandly.
"Follow me! For the next stage of the exam, follow me!"
As she spoke, she raised her right hand high again, fingers spread wide, as if summoning ten thousand troops or leading a carnival.
However... below the stage, there was dead silence.
The expected cheers, responses, or at least a commotion, did not appear at all.
The candidates, who had just experienced Ibiki's "Hell-level" mental interrogation, were still immersed in the trance of "all passed," reflecting on the rules just now, and feeling lingering fear from the scars on Ibiki's head.
Facing Anko Mitarashi's highly theatrical, even somewhat... exaggerated entrance now, most people's reaction was: bewilderment, astonishment, and a kind of numbness that asked, "What kind of act is this now?"
No one moved, and no one responded.
The enthusiastic call hit a silent wall composed of fatigue, vigilance, and confusion.
The scene was once very awkward.
Anko Mitarashi's raised arm froze in mid-air, and the smile on her face was becoming hard to maintain.
She blinked, seemingly not expecting this kind of cold reception.
Naruto looked at the current "Anko Mitarashi" who was not yet "Anko Sweet Potato," thinking that Ikemoto really should go to the national highway to scare some trucks.
Just then, from the edge of that dark red curtain, half a head peeked out silently.
It was Mori Ibi-ki.
He had wrapped his scar-covered head with a bandana.
At this moment, from behind the side of the curtain, he spoke in a low voice to Anko Mitarashi with a tone of helplessness and reminder that could only be heard up close:
"Read the room..."
The implication was: I just finished a serious test of will, and everyone hasn't recovered yet, and you pull this hot-blooded stunt... the timing is wrong, hey.
Anko Mitarashi instantly understood Ibiki's subtext.
She snapped her head around, meeting Ibiki's eyes which were filled with the look of "you're such an idiot," then looked back at the confused faces below the stage.
However, she quickly regained her composure and then looked at Ibiki.
"How come 78 people passed this time? That's 26 teams."
Ibiki walked out.
"Because there are many excellent fellows this year."
"Fine."
Anko Mitarashi turned to look at the students with a smile, then coldly tossed out a sentence.
"Well then, for the second stage of the exam, I'm going to eliminate more than half."
More than half?
Is it that cruel?
"Details tomorrow. Ask your Jonin teachers for the specific time and location when you get back. That's all for today. Dismissed!"
As her words fell, she no longer looked at the candidates with their varying reactions. Her figure flashed, and as abruptly as she had come, she leaped out through the broken window gap, disappearing into the sunlight outside.
Leaving only the dark red curtain that said "Anko Mitarashi has arrived" still swaying slightly on the Kunai, along with a floor of mess, witnessing her whirlwind-like arrival and departure.
Inside the examination hall, there was another brief silence, followed by a burst of discussion even noisier than before.
After learning the time for the second exam from Kakashi, the trio watched as Karin smilingly pulled Kakashi away.
"This time, be prepared to spend the night in the Forest of Death. I'll use Sealing Techniques to prepare more food and water."
Before parting, Naruto left his two companions with a piece of advice and then hurried home.
He didn't know how Dahuang and Karin were doing at home.
When Naruto returned to the front door, he instantly sensed that there were more than just the auras of Dahuang and Karin inside.
He pushed the door open vigilantly, his left hand reaching into his ninja tool pouch to grip the hilt of the wooden sword.
It would hurt his heart if the Hinokagu-tsuchi Sword broke, but the wooden sword was renewable, so he wouldn't mind if it broke, and its Chakra conductivity was no worse than the Hinokagu-tsuchi Sword's.
Pushing open the door, Naruto froze for a moment.
In the living room, Karin was standing next to the sofa, her small face slightly puffed up, her purplish-red eyes carrying a trace of imperceptible anger and helplessness, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
And on the sofa... a woman was sitting leisurely.
She was draped in a magnificent cyan cloak, the edges of which were embroidered with exquisite snowflake patterns.
Her smooth, ink-black long hair cascaded down. Her face was beautiful, and her temperament was noble yet carried a bit of the calm and agility of someone who had seen much of the world.
At this moment, her eyes were curved with a bright smile... as she held Dahuang, her slender, fair fingers gently stroking Dahuang's furry little head.
Dahuang seemed to enjoy it very much, squinting his eyes and letting out a comfortable purr from his throat, looking like he was having too much fun to think of home.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the woman on the sofa and the standing Karin both turned their heads together, looking at Naruto who was stunned at the door.
The woman draped in the cyan cloak looked at Naruto and spoke softly:
"Welcome back."
She paused, a flash of mischievous light in her eyes.
"Mr. Yoya."