Just like in the original story, before announcing the tenth question, Morino Ibiki presented a choice: challenge the final question, or give up.
If you chose to challenge it, then no matter how you did on the previous nine questions, a single mistake on the tenth would lead to instant disqualification—and you'd never be allowed to take the Chūnin Exams again for the rest of your life.
If you chose to forfeit, you'd still be disqualified, but you could try again next time.
Upon hearing this rule, many test-takers who had finally filled in their answer sheets through cheating began to panic. But under Ibiki's overwhelming pressure, the room gradually quieted as they began to waver.
"I give up!"
It didn't take long before someone shut their eyes, clenched their teeth, and raised their hand.
"I'm out too. I'll just come back next time."
"I'm not betting my future on this!"
...
Once one person broke the ice, more and more followed, each giving themselves some excuse to justify it.
Since if one teammate was eliminated, the whole squad was out, every individual forfeit meant three more people left the room.
Soon, the already sparse room lost about a third of the remaining examinees.
Resting one hand on his cheek and the other secretly holding Hinata's hand under the desk, Izayoi couldn't help but wonder what kind of expression Naruto was making. He was curious how the guy was holding up under pressure.
If Izayoi turned his head—or activated the Tenseigan—he'd see Naruto sitting with arms crossed and a confident, relaxed expression.
And unlike in the original timeline, Naruto's exam paper wasn't blank. With Sasuke now as his desk partner, Naruto didn't need to do a thing. All he had to do was hold the pen. Sasuke, using his clan's expert wire control skills, was essentially puppeteering Naruto to write down the answers for him.
Naturally, Naruto had zero stress.
Without Naruto giving his usual "inspirational" speech, this version of the exam saw even more participants eliminated than in the original. But not everyone left.
Many of the outsiders quickly realized the trick.
Just because you failed the Chūnin Exams didn't mean you couldn't become a Chūnin. After all, they weren't Konoha shinobi—if they were skilled enough, their village leaders would likely promote them anyway.
If they gave up now, they'd disappoint their own village's higher-ups, even if they got a second chance later.
So many held their ground and weathered Ibiki's psychological game.
As the clock ticked down, and no more examinees raised their hands, Morino Ibiki—whose face had been stern this entire time—finally revealed a rare smile.
"Congratulations," he said. "You've all passed the first exam."
"Whaaaat?!"
Gasps of shock and disbelief filled the room.
Those who had mentally prepared themselves for a near-impossible final question were completely dumbfounded.
Many couldn't accept it.
"What... What do you mean by that?!"
In response, Morino Ibiki calmly explained the true nature of the first exam.
The first nine questions weren't just about knowledge—they tested your intelligence-gathering and teamwork skills. The final question was designed to evaluate your squad's cohesion and willpower.
Even so, many were still in a daze.
Bang!
Before they could fully process this, a kunai shattered the window, drawing everyone's eyes toward the disturbance.
Anko Mitarashi made her entrance in dramatic, over-the-top fashion—so flashy, in fact, that Naruto felt like he was looking into a mirror.
Many examinees stared in exasperation, black lines practically forming on their foreheads.
But when Anko began speaking with Ibiki, the room's mood quickly shifted.
"Ibiki, what the hell? Why are there still so many people left?"
"This year's batch of Genin is unusually talented."
"Tch... Whatever. I'll make sure at least half of them are gone by the next round."
Anko's wicked grin, so reminiscent of Orochimaru, along with her confident, elite presence, sent a chill through many of the Genin. They no longer dared to underestimate this woman.
As with Ibiki, it was clear now that being a proctor meant you were no pushover.
"All of you—show up at Training Ground 44 tomorrow by 3:00 PM sharp. Anyone late will be treated as disqualified."
With that, Anko left the room, signaling the end of the first exam.
…
"Yo, long time no see."
As Teams 7 and 8 left together, a familiar voice called out in the hallway.
Turning around, they saw Shikamaru Nara walking over with his hands behind his head, accompanied by Chōji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka.
"Sasuke! It's been forever!"
Ino lit up and immediately tried to pounce on Sasuke—only for him to dodge her with a sidestep.
"Ino-pig, what do you think you're doing to Sasuke?!"
Sakura shouted furiously.
"Forehead girl, it's none of your business! Wanna fight?!"
The former besties slammed forehead to forehead, glaring daggers at each other and ready to brawl.
Everyone else ignored the two and greeted Shikamaru and Chōji.
"I honestly thought you wouldn't show," Izayoi teased. "This kind of thing sounds way too troublesome for a guy like you."
"I didn't wanna come," Shikamaru sighed, "but Asuma-sensei and my dad forced me. And Ino was determined to sign us up too... I bet you all figured out the exam was suspicious when you saw the applications, right?"
"Yeah." Izayoi nodded.
And just like that, the reimagined "Nine Rookie Genin" exited the building together.
As they walked, Ino suddenly slid up beside Hinata and gave her a once-over, smiling.
"Hinata, you look great in that new outfit. Totally suits your vibe."
"Thanks," Hinata replied softly with a smile.
"Hey..." Ino leaned in and tugged at Hinata's sleeve, glancing at the boys ahead. She whispered, "Can I ask you something?"
Sakura subtly drifted closer, pretending not to listen while eavesdropping like a pro.
"What is it?" Hinata asked, confused.
"This," Ino whispered, glancing down at Hinata's impressive figure—one that not even a flowing kimono could hide—and then at her own... modest curves. "Hinata, what's your diet?!"
Hinata's cheeks turned bright red. She lowered her head and murmured, "I... I don't know. I just eat more than most people."
"So just eating more works?"
Ino wanted to believe that. But then she looked over at Chōji, who was calmly eating chips like Shino observing the boys ahead... and her heart sank.
"Yeah, this method probably won't work for me after all."
Because while Ino may be the "Pig" in Ino-Shika-Chō, she absolutely refused to become one for real.
~~~
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