Under the watchful eyes of a massive crowd, the joint Chunin Exams, organized by Konoha and bringing together ninjas from nearly every corner of the ninja world, finally began.
The Chunin Exams were a three-stage selection process: a written exam, a team survival test, and an individual match. Seventy villages, with approximately one hundred and eighty genin teams, had already departed from a huge plaza, making their way to the written exam venues.
"Idiot, last-minute cramming is useless. Someone as simple-minded as you will never pass a written exam," Sasuke sneered, his usual sarcasm directed at Naruto, who was muttering over a piece of paper.
Yota poked Sasuke's arm, his face a picture of worry. "The first two rounds are team-based; if he fails, we both fail!"
"What?!" Sasuke's eyes widened, and he glared at Naruto. "If you hold us back, you'll regret it."
He snatched Naruto's paper, wanting to see what he was cramming. Yota leaned in, equally curious.
"Three long, one short, choose the shortest. Three short, one long, choose the longest. Uneven lengths, choose B. Inconsistent, choose D."
Seeing the words, Sasuke and Yota exchanged a look of utter dismay.
"No way, we need to find new teammates. With Naruto, we'll be genin forever!"
Their shared despair was evident.
Soon, it was their turn for the written exam. They entered the examination hall with the grim expressions of those attending a funeral.
Opening the exam, their initial apprehension morphed into despair. The questions were incredibly difficult, challenging even for Sasuke and Yota, let alone Naruto, who was academically challenged.
Worst of all, there were no multiple-choice questions. Naruto couldn't even guess.
However, Sasuke and Yota quickly understood the exam's true purpose: testing information-gathering skills. They began strategizing how to obtain answers. Naruto sat blankly, staring at the test.
"Sensei was too much! I even bought him grilled horse mackerel," Naruto muttered.
Naruto's cheat sheet came from Kabuto, Konoha Research Institute's Vice-Director, a highly knowledgeable ninja. Knowing about the written exam, Naruto had pestered Kabuto for tips.
But Naruto was too dense; Kabuto gave him this useless advice to get rid of him.
The first round tested information-gathering skills. Using jutsu to cheat was tacitly permitted. Examiners would turn a blind eye unless the cheating was too clumsy.
Teams were in the same room to rely on each other; some ninjas were purely fighters, lacking information-gathering skills. Otherwise, to prevent cheating, they would have separated the teams.
The exam began; ninjas showed off their cheating skills: Gaara's Sand Burial, Neji's Byakugan, Kirigakure's Water Mirror Technique. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, and kekkei genkai were all employed.
Time was running out. To help Naruto, Yota used Wind Release to blow answers to Naruto, allowing him to copy.
But Naruto didn't understand; he thought he had to answer the questions himself. Remembering ninjas expelled for clumsy cheating, he didn't copy.
Watching Naruto struggle, Sasuke and Yota were frantic. They were helpless.
Unbeknownst to them, Yakumo Kurama, a girl in the back row, noticed their plight.
"What a dunce. I'll help him!"
She activated genjutsu, subtly controlling Naruto.
Naruto suddenly wrote furiously. Sasuke and Yota were bewildered.
Yakumo released the genjutsu just as the bell rang. Naruto's consciousness returned. Seeing the completed test, he scratched his head, bewildered.
"Thanks, God!"
He attributed it to divine intervention.
Nearly half the participants failed the first round. This wasn't high, as ninja skill varied greatly between villages. The round weeded out weaker genin. Most from the Five Great Nations and stronger villages passed.
The first round took a long time due to the large number of participants. There was a day's break before the team survival test. Those who failed stayed to watch. They couldn't see the whole survival test, but the final individual matches would be open to the public—a good chance for smaller villages to see other villages' strengths.
The next morning, about ninety teams arrived at the Death Forest east of Konoha.
The Death Forest was vast, with dangerous creatures. But these weren't a problem for ninjas.
In the original, the survival test was a small area at the forest's edge. Now, with far more participants, the exam area was greatly expanded.
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