The Perilous Passage

Unlike most of the genin examinees, Daimaru's thoughts had long since transcended the mere decision of whether to answer the question. His hesitant facade was merely a smokescreen, a means to conceal his true intentions and ensure that no one suspected his foreknowledge of the examination rules and the method to pass the written test. It was his way of bringing a proper closure to his actions and style throughout the Chunin Exam.

Aware of the ninja's keen observational skills, Daimaru dared not show even the slightest irregularity under the scrutiny of over a hundred pairs of eyes—an anomaly would only be magnified.

The gambit of indirectly attacking Ino Yamanaka with genjutsu to buy time for Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara's team had already pushed the envelope. Ibiki Morino was an elite of the Interrogation Squad, a true master of mind games, and Daimaru couldn't afford to show any unnecessary flaws while under such close watch.

Any further actions would be counterproductive. Ninjas aren't by-the-book good guys; as soon as Daimaru made a move that disrupted the order of the examination hall, Ibiki immediately announced a change in rules. This flexible approach to achieving goals was a lesson well learned by Daimaru.

For a ninja, rules are secondary when it comes to completing a mission. The overt purpose of the joint Chunin Exam was to select outstanding middle ninjas. The first test was to filter eligible examinees for the next round, and the proctors didn't much care about the examination rules or pass criteria—as long as the clearly incompetent were weeded out, the remaining selection could be left to the proctor of the next stage.

Due to Daimaru's actions, the order of the examination hall was chaotic, but as it didn't affect the overall situation, he wasn't targeted. As long as Daimaru's performance justified his participation in the next stage, the Forest of Death test, there wouldn't be a problem.

But any reckless acts unbecoming of a ninja, like directly attacking other examinees or being suspected of prior knowledge of the questions, would likely sever Daimaru, Yoru, and Senza's ties with the remainder of the Chunin Exam.

Unbeknownst to them, it was already past four twenty, less than ten minutes before the written test would end.

"There are still twenty-six teams left!"

Without even looking up, Daimaru could tell from Yoru how many were left in the examination hall. The total number of examinees hadn't changed, but due to Daimaru's influence, three teams from the Sand had been replaced with stronger teams—Yuno, Shishio, Koji's team, the Sayo, Sana, and Shiro team, as well as Daimaru, Yoru, and Senza's Otogakure team.

With Yuno, Shishio, and Koji's team already out, the remaining Sayo team and the Otogakure team were still holding on. Two unexpected genin teams were still in play, aligning the passing numbers with Daimaru's memory, which meant at least two teams that should have passed were already gone.

The exam wasn't over yet; perhaps more would buckle under the pressure and drop out.

"Naruto Uzumaki hasn't slammed the table yet, but it must be about time!"

Just as Daimaru was pondering, a Leaf genin named Fang Zheng near Naruto raised his hand, declaring his withdrawal. A struggling Naruto slowly lifted his hand.

"Is it over? Twenty-five genin teams qualify. What a pity..."

After some hesitation, Shikamaru Nara ultimately didn't choose to quit. While Daimaru was disappointed, he also felt a measure of respect. If put in the same situation, Daimaru wasn't sure he'd have the same resolve.

Of course, Naruto's unwavering declaration played a significant role—if not for his determination, which gave the remaining examinees a bit more confidence, the outcome might have been different.

Sure enough, Naruto caused quite a stir, and after Ibiki confirmed his intent not to quit and assessed the remaining examinees, he decided there wouldn't be much change if things dragged on. Generously, he announced the results of the first test:

"Congratulations to everyone present, you all pass."

The shocking announcement stunned the diverse-minded examinees, with Naruto being the first to snap out of it and cheer loudly.

"Don't you have any questions?" Ibiki asked, sporting what he thought was a beaming smile, though it only made his scarred face appear more daunting.

Most examinees felt as though they'd been hollowed out, too exhausted to retain any curiosity.

Only a few teams that had finished the test might feel indignant, while the rest were merely relieved.

"Why would you say that?"

Passing the written test was inherently good, but the unclear outcome dampened the spirits.

Sakura Haruno was the first to voice her doubts, and Temari from the Sand also expressed dissatisfaction, feeling that the previous exam was almost meaningless, and the qualifications for passing were far too trivial.

Silencing the examinees' whispers, Ibiki removed his headband, revealing a scalp covered in terrible scars from interrogation, silencing the room.

"After this written test, I believe you all have gained some understanding!

The dangers of the ninja world will reveal their cruel truths once you advance to Chunin. So, ponder the consequences of mission failure."

Re-wrapping his headband, Proctor Ibiki continued:

"From the very start of this test, I told you the rules. After encountering questions that clearly surpassed a genin's ability to answer, you should have quickly realized the true meaning of this written test...

Indeed, it was to test your information-gathering skills. Therefore, we had already arranged sources in the examination hall for you to steal information from..."

Pausing, two Leaf Chunin disguised as genin, Wang Xing and Hayase, stood up.

Naruto, completely unaware of this, was startled and embarrassed, masking his shock with braggadocio that no one believed.

"If your judgment and information-gathering abilities are insufficient, you've already experienced what could happen.

Today, failure means not qualifying for the Chunin Exam; if you fail on a mission, you'd better hope you've died in battle. If captured, the grim fate that awaits you doesn't need elaboration..."

Ibiki's solemn words brought back the image of his scarred head to the examinees' minds.

"Taking the exam in teams of three, with a composite score, isn't meaningless. It allows you to experience trust, cooperation, and determination in advance.

In the future, you'll encounter difficulties far more treacherous than today's, facing insufficient strength, lack of information, disunity, and competitors' interference!"

Especially the last point—Daimaru, who had first pierced that veil of secrecy, now bore the ill will of all the genin present.

"The first nine questions weeded out those lacking basic qualities, poor judgment, or decisiveness. Those remaining have some redeeming features...

Actually, there was no tenth question. If pressed, the choice you just made was the tenth question. It filtered out those with wavering wills, which was the key point of this written test..."

It might seem rash to those in the know, but for the genin present with limited experience, it was indeed one of the most critical decisions of their lives.

"When ninjas are on a mission, they often face tremendous pressure and unimaginable difficulties, but that's no reason to give up. Sometimes, information is more important than life itself, something that must be fought for with one's very existence.

Inaccurate information or being misled by false intelligence can lead to a tragic loss that decimates the cream of a village's ninja.

The enemy's unknown information, numbers, capabilities, and armaments, potential traps, hostages among captured comrades, and the risk of interrogation leading to intelligence leaks..."

Just ten minutes prior, that feeling of despair—knowing there was a problem and a solution but being utterly powerless to act, leading many to act rashly and be eliminated—resurfaced.

"Even so, can a ninja choose not to accept a mission? At such times, showing courage to your comrades, the ability, and the determination to work together to overcome adversity, even at the cost of life, is what we need in a ninja.

Those who cherish their lives and hope for next year, who waver in their hearts, don't deserve to be Chunin.

Those of you who chose to answer made the most critical decision correctly. I hope you will continue to face challenges head-on.

The first stage of the Chunin Exam is over!"

The Chunin Exam is both a selection process and a significant experience. Eliminating the unqualified and elevating the excellent genin is also the proctor's wish,

"Good luck to you all in the exams!"