Just as Chiba expected, the moment Nawaki finished answering the test paper, he immediately fainted.
Seeing this, Chiba seized the opportunity to glance at Nawaki's test paper. With his extraordinary speed, he quickly filled out his own paper.
...
Before long, the exam time was over, and Orochimaru spoke.
"Alright, time's up. Everyone, stop writing and hand in your test papers."
At that moment, Nawaki woke up upon hearing Orochimaru's voice.
"It's over?! Why did I fall asleep? I haven't even answered the questions yet!" Nawaki exclaimed in shock.
Chiba nudged Nawaki and gestured for him to look at his test paper.
Confused, Nawaki glanced at the paper, expecting it to be blank. However, what he saw left his mind in a brief state of shock. The once-empty test paper was now completely filled out.
"Chiba, what's going on?" Nawaki whispered.
"Haiichi wrote it for you. Make sure to thank him properly after the exam, alright?" Chiba replied in a low voice.
Realizing the truth, Nawaki nodded. He was aware of the Yamanaka clan's secret technique, and it dawned on him that Yamanaka Haiichi must have been the one who fell asleep earlier.
Chiba ignored Nawaki and walked up to the podium with his test paper. Nawaki quickly followed suit, placing their papers in front of Orochimaru.
As Chiba handed in his paper, he noticed something odd—Orochimaru seemed to smile at him. A suspicion formed in Chiba's mind: perhaps Orochimaru had seen him copying Nawaki's test paper earlier.
After collecting all the test papers, Orochimaru addressed the room again.
"Please wait here for a moment. Those who pass the exam will receive their promotion notifications."
Although Orochimaru didn't explicitly state what would happen to those who failed, it was clear to everyone that failure meant immediate elimination from the exams.
Once Orochimaru left, Chiba turned to Nara Shikaku and the others. "Haiichi, thanks a lot for earlier."
Nawaki, standing behind him, nodded as well. "Yeah, if it weren't for you, Chiba and I wouldn't have made it past the first round."
Yamanaka Haiichi waved his hand dismissively. "It was actually Shikaku's idea. He figured from the start that you two would struggle with the written test, so he asked me to help."
Hearing this, Chiba turned to Nara Shikaku and lightly punched his shoulder. "Thanks, Shikaku. Nawaki's treating you to dinner after the exam."
"Hey, why me?! If we're inviting Shikaku and the others to dinner, we should do it together," Nawaki protested.
"Oh really?" Chiba smirked. "How many times have I treated you to dinner? Have you ever treated us even once? Don't you think it's your turn now?"
"..."
Nawaki thought for a moment and realized Chiba was right. In the past, Chiba had always been the one treating them, even cooking for them himself.
Sighing, Nawaki relented. "Fine, fine! But why do you always have to bring up the past?"
Changing the subject, he turned to Haiichi. "By the way, are you sure the answers you wrote will be enough for us to pass?"
Haiichi scoffed. "Are you doubting my title as a top student? Do you realize that I've ranked first in every theory test since we were in school?"
Chiba sighed, shaking his head. "Seriously, Nawaki… that was a dumb question."
Realizing his mistake, Nawaki bowed deeply. "Alright, alright, I was wrong."
Haiichi waved it off. "Forget it. Since you're treating us to dinner, I'll let it slide."
...
Time passed quickly.
When Orochimaru returned to the exam room, the previously noisy space fell silent.
Without any preamble, Orochimaru read the names from his list.
"Yamanaka Haiichi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Hizashi, Uchiha Chiba..."
"Those whose names I called, follow me to the next examination room."
At his words, many examinees let out disappointed sighs. However, Orochimaru ignored them and exited the room with those who had passed.
...
Forest of Death.
Orochimaru surveyed the reduced number of candidates before beginning his explanation of the next phase.
"Passing the first exam proves you're not idiots, but this next test will be different."
Taking two scrolls from his subordinates, he continued. "The objective of this exam is to collect the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. Each team will start with only one of these scrolls. To obtain both, you'll have to battle other teams. Once your team collects both scrolls, you must reach the designated location marked on the map you will receive. Completing this task will mean you've passed."
"Do you all understand?"
"Yes!" the candidates answered in unison.
Satisfied, Orochimaru nodded. He had no intention of repeating himself.
Then, as if remembering something, he pulled out a thick stack of papers. "Before we begin, you must sign this 'waiver form.' By signing, you acknowledge that accidents may occur during this exam, and you alone are responsible for your safety."
A Genin from Iwagakure hesitated before raising his hand. "Examiner, are you saying that participants can die in this exam?"
"Yes," Orochimaru replied coldly. "Deaths are possible. However, this exam is not just about combat—it also tests your survival skills in the wild."
Upon hearing this confirmation, the tension in the air grew. Many candidates, despite being Genin, had never experienced a real-life battle.
Ignoring their unease, Orochimaru continued, "Now, form your teams and come forward to sign the waiver."