160. A Survival Test

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Sakura asked Ibiki.

"Wait, what do you mean? Where is the tenth question?"

"Hehe, actually, there is no tenth question. Or you can assume the two options earlier as the tenth question." Ibiki's expression turned cheerful by answering Sakura's question.

Ino was also surprised that she passed on the first test, but what surprised her even more was, Izumi told Luffy who was sitting beside her not to have to answer questions. What did that mean? That meant Izumi already knew that in order to pass the first exam, they didn't need to answer those questions.

Ino ventured to ask.

"Then what are the previous nine questions for, aren't they pointless?"

"They were not pointless. They had already served their intended purpose. To test your individual information gathering ability. And also to show one's intelligence."

Ibiki began to explain that those questions weren't questions that the Genin-level ninjas could answer. So like it or not, in order to get points, they have to cheat. And the cheating targets were already prepared beforehand, in which Ibiki had two or more Chūnin-level ninjas mixed in the crowd.

"Regarding the two options, imagine if you have become a Chūnin-level ninja. Your mission is to steal a secret document. But you don't know what dangers you will face. Neither the number nor the strength of the opponent will stand in your way. Of course, there are many traps as well."

Everyone listened carefully to Ibiki's words to which no one made a sound.

"Since you don't want to die, because you don't want your comrades to get hurt, can you avoid the mission? The answer is no!" Ibiki was silent for a moment while taking a breath. Then carried on.

"Whatever the danger is, there must be a mission that cannot be avoided. Courageous, and able to face hardship. It was something a ninja should have.

Now, the first test ends here. Good luck with the next exam."

When Ibiki finished speaking, he turned his head towards the window.

*crash*

The glass window was shattered by someone who seemed to enter as if to steal the show.

What appeared was a young woman who has light brown, pupil-less eyes. Her violet hair is styled in a short, spiky, fanned-out ponytail.

"You guys! This is not the time to celebrate. I am Mitarashi Anko, the examiner in the second exam. Now Let's go and follow me!"

Seeing Anko's appearance, Izumi clicked his tongue and murmured.

"Tsk, it smells like a troublesome woman."

Even though what Izumi said was very quiet, Anko could still hear which made her turn to Izumi.

"What did you say?"

Instead of answering, Izumi looked back. Anko became even more irritated to see his behavior.

"Why did you look back? I'm asking you!"

"Oh me? What did I say? I didn't say anything, you know." Izumi pointed at himself while looking at Anko.

Anko's expression darkened. She said with a grim.

"Hoo, this kid has guts."

"I only have a pen though." Then, he picked up the pen that was on the table. Anko twitched her cheek. She couldn't be less than irritated by Izumi's attitude.

Without warning, Anko moved swiftly and appeared behind Izumi with a Kunai pinned to his neck.

However...

*puff*

Izumi dispersed into smoke. It turned out that what Anko was attacking was only a shadow clone. Anko twitched her brows, then she felt something on her shoulder. It was Izumi's sword that lay on Anko's shoulder while he was squatting on the table.

All the examinees... no, everyone in the room was stunned. Izumi's ninja level still hadn't been raised to the Chūnin-level. But as a Genin, he was even able to trick Anko who was a special Jōnin-level ninja. A ninja rank below the Jōnin-level ninja.

"What a tempered woman you are. Be careful, don't underestimate someone just because their ninja's level is lower than yours. They can bite you back, you know."

"Quite skilled aren't you?"

"Well, my observation is too good. I could understand immediately what you wanted to do."

"But, you know. Don't sneak behind me, brat! Unless you're tired of living."

"Well, I'm just used to reacting like that if someone suddenly attacks me."

Izumi put his sword back into its scabbard. Anko herself was still looking at Izumi thanks to what he had shown earlier.

"Too weird. From his movement alone, it was clear that this boy was used to fighting. And I'm pretty sure that his strength is above Genin-level ninja. To think a youngster from the new village is this strong." Anko said in her mind. She glanced at the other examinees from Kaiyougakure village who were not surprised by Izumi's strength. This showed that Izumi's strength was already considered normal to them.

Anko jumped back to where Ibiki was standing. She glanced at the other participants and found that there were still quite a number of participants left.

"Ibiki, did you ease the test earlier? Why are there still so many examinees left?"

Ibiki turned to Anko and answered.

"There are a lot of talented Genin-level ninjas this year."

Hearing Ibiki's words, Anko just hummed while holding her chin.

"Hmmm." She looked at Izumi who he felt was indeed talented. In Konohagakure, there were two excellent kids who took the Chūnin exam this year, Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke. But after seeing Izumi's strength, Anko doubts whether they could stand in front of Izumi without cooperating.

"Well, never mind. All of you, follow me!"

— — — —

Ibiki, who was picking up the exam papers one by one on the table, was surprised.

"It turns out that there are also those who pass without answering any questions. Uzumaki Naruto, huh? What an interesting youngster."

After a while, Ibiki picked up the other exam papers.

"Eh, one more with another blank paper? Monkey D. Luffy? What a surprise, hahaha."

— — — —

Izumi and his group, along with the examinees, had arrived at the open field. In front of them, iron fences covered the huge and shady trees behind it, in other words, a forest. The forest, which was overgrown with large trees, looked dark and eerie.

"Welcome to the stage for the second test. A Forest of Dead. You'll find out later why it's called the Forest of Death."

"You think that scares me? That's nothing, I'm not afraid!"

*swoosh*

The Kunai flew towards Naruto and scratched his cheek when he finished speaking.

Anko appeared holding Naruto in her arms.

"A brat like you is the easiest to kill, hehehe."

Then, Anko licked the blood that was on Naruto's cheek. "Fresh blood from young people tastes good."

Naruto shuddered at that words.

Meanwhile.

Kuroneko who saw Anko from earlier started to whisper.

"Don't you think that woman looks like Miyamura?"

Kazuma who was beside Kuroneko turned his head.

"Similar? Similar how?" Asked Kazuma.

"Sadistic nature."

"Oh."

Kazuma nodded in confirmation. But then.

"Hey, I can hear you guys whispering. So you think I'm a sadist huh? How about I try it on you, Kazuma?"

"Hey, hey. Stop Izumi. The exam is about to start, okay!"

Kazuma pointed at Anko who started to give the agreement forms. The form was to agree that the life and death of the examinees were not Anko's responsibility.

In the second test, the examinees must survive in the Forest of Death. In addition, they must get a different scroll than they have by snatching the scroll from the other teams.

After they got the scrolls, they could go to the tower in the middle of the forest to pass and move on to the next test. If they opened the scroll while the exam was still in progress, they would be automatically disqualified.

Half of all the examining teams will each get a scroll with Heaven written on it, and the other half with Earth written on it. Anko also explained that the time limit to survive was 5 days.

After each team gets one scroll. Anko declared.

"The second test begins!"