58.Ninja's decision?

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After Sosuke released them from the hypnosis state, the three examiners responsible for writing the "standard" answers widened their eyes in disbelief. They looked at their desks one after another.

How could this be? The completed papers were switched! Or rather, the words on them disappeared?!

Shocked as they were, they remained silent in the exam room, continuing to silently rewrite their answers.

When Dai saw his desk filled with completed answers, he was also greatly shocked. However, he quickly realized that it must have been Sosuke's doing and felt relieved.

On the other hand, when Jiraiya saw the desk in front of him covered with written answers, his eyes almost popped out of his head!

In an instant, he was on the verge of shouting, ready to exclaim in surprise!

But at the critical moment, he stopped himself and pondered for a moment. Jiraiya believed that someone was helping him and relaxed.

As for who had such skills? Jiraiya happily looked up at the calm figure sitting to his right and a hint of gratitude flashed in his eyes.

Hehe! Sosuke, my boy! Well done!

Soon, the time for the written exam came to an end.

Under the stern gazes of the examiners, everyone put down their pens.

This arduous written exam had forced the examinees to rack their brains and resort to any means possible to copy the correct answers.

The middle-aged chief examiner didn't collect the papers right away. He stood on the podium, his gaze sharp as he looked at everyone present, solemnly saying,

"Although the written exam is over, there is still a crucial question that will determine whether you can proceed to the next round of testing!"

His words immediately caught the attention of the examinees, who were already slumped over their desks.

Everyone was slightly startled upon hearing his words.

Could it be... the exam isn't over yet? There's another critical question?

Even though the examinees were exhausted and in a poor mental state, the middle-aged chief examiner paid no attention. He continued in a resolute tone.

"Listen carefully. I'm going to tell you that for the next exam, we will only select candidates who scored above 80% on the written exam. In other words, you need to answer at least eight questions perfectly!"

"Now, it's up to you to decide whether you want to participate in the next exam! If you choose to participate but your written exam score doesn't reach 80%, then I have unfortunate news for you: you will lose the qualification to participate in the Chunin exams for the rest of your life!"

"If you choose to withdraw now, the scores of your teammates in the same group will also be invalidated, but you can come back next year to try again."

With that, he paused for a moment and glanced sharply at the numerous examinees present.

"Now, tell me, what is your choice?"

Upon hearing this cruel rule, the faces of all the examinees tightened!

Choosing to take the exam meant losing the qualification permanently if they didn't reach 80%.

But giving up the exam would also affect their entire team, rendering their scores invalid.

This excruciating choice was now blatantly presented before them, and the examinees hesitated and wavered.

Jiraiya gulped and swallowed his saliva, his face pale and sweating profusely as he looked at his paper, as well as Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the others.

He had an unpleasant look on his face, glancing at Sosuke from time to time, feeling conflicted.

Sosuke, can I really rely on these answers?

Tsunade also had a very serious expression as she looked at her paper, but in the end, she placed it on the desk. With her delicate and fair hand, she firmly pressed it down.

One by one, disheartened individuals began choosing to leave the classroom, and their teammates could only reluctantly follow suit.

As the people in the exam room sat there, their faces were filled with seriousness. Until the final results were announced, no one knew what would happen.

Sosuke, on the other hand, smiled with a hint of admiration as he watched everything unfold.

Hidden behind his thick glasses, he carefully observed the ninjas leaving the room and those who stayed behind.

In his mind, he couldn't help but praise the cunning calculation of this exam.

If he wasn't mistaken, this written test was probably just a preliminary condition of psychological suggestion.

The real exam was likely the decision they were facing right now.

A true ninja needed to face various difficult decisions, and many problems might not have reasonable solutions.

However, as a ninja, one could only choose the most suitable way to make a decision.

This was not a simple arithmetic problem but a comprehensive challenge that tested a person's capacity to endure, analyze, and judge.

Therefore, in this final question, the person who could make the right judgment and firmly hold their own will was the one who truly succeeded.

At this point, less than half of the examinees remained in the classroom. Seeing that nobody else was leaving, the middle-aged chief examiner emphasized once again,

"I will ask once more, is there anyone who chooses to give up? If not, once the exam scores are determined, there will be no more chance to withdraw!"

This time, although everyone looked nervous, they all firmly held onto their beliefs!

No one chose to leave!

Tsunade glanced sideways at the calm Sosuke, then looked at the chief examiner with a determined gaze.

Dai did the same. It seemed that seeing Sosuke's calm demeanor gave him great assurance.

Although Jiraiya was somewhat worried, he had made up his mind to give it his all!

Even if it meant being a lower-level ninja for the rest of his life!

Sosuke smiled with a hint of amusement as he looked at the middle-aged chief examiner, eagerly awaiting his next words.

The middle-aged chief examiner looked at the examinees on the field with a serious expression and loudly proclaimed,

"Congratulations! You have passed the exam!"

As soon as his words fell, the examinees who remained in the room showed expressions of astonishment!

Their faces were filled with confusion and puzzlement!

Sosuke nodded slightly, smiling to himself.

Indeed, it turned out to be like this. This exam was quite unexpected.

As if understanding the confusion of the examinees, the middle-aged chief examiner, for once, softened his expression and spoke slowly.

"The scores of the written exam don't matter anymore. You have already met the requirements to pass the exam."

Upon hearing these words, the examinees below became excited! Joyful expressions appeared on their faces, and the middle-aged chief examiner continued with a smile.

"As ninjas, what you will face in the future are not just enemies, but also difficult decisions to make."

"Just like what you experienced today, both choices were difficult to make. In the future, as ninjas participating in missions, you will undoubtedly encounter similar problems, and perhaps even multiple choices!"

"When that time comes, the ability to make decisions will be an essential skill for a ninja. You must have the courage to stand firm in your own will, even in the face of an unknown future!"

"All of this is what you have learned from this exam, and it is also the reason why you passed."

Upon hearing these words, the examinees below showed thoughtful expressions. At their age, they already felt the weight of the responsibilities of being a ninja.

What the chief examiner said was something they would encounter in the future, which left this group of young individuals feeling a sense of confusion about their future.

However, the temporary joy of passing the exam quickly washed away their confusion.

Excitedly, they walked out of the classroom one by one, ready to proceed to the next exam venue.

Sosuke, together with Dai, Tsunade, and the others, slowly left as well.

In the classroom, the middle-aged chief examiner remained, while the younger examiners relaxed and chatted.

"This year, we really have some terrifying prodigies, don't we?"

The middle-aged chief examiner found it interesting and asked, "What do you mean? Is it the Uchiha kids? Or the Hyuga clan's child? I think that guy named Orochimaru, who is the disciple of the Hokage, seems pretty good too."

Upon hearing this, the young examiners shook their heads, feeling a bit uneasy, and said,

"I don't know who it was, but someone managed to switch my paper without me noticing while I was doing the questions."

Another young examiner quickly added, "You got your paper switched too? So did I!"

"And me!"

Upon hearing their words, the middle-aged chief examiner couldn't help but be shocked!

Someone managed to switch their papers without being noticed among this group of elite Chunin!

This... Is this still a Genin exam?!

For some reason, the image of that young man with glasses, who was kindly smiling and was specially mentioned by the Third Hokage, came to his mind.

Sosuke... Right... Could it be him?