Chpater 23: Preperations

On the top floor of the Academy...

"There's nothing to do when the subordinates are gone, huh?" Kakashi sighed. "Well, it'll get busy soon enough" Asuma assured.

"Why?"

"This year's first proctor..."

"I hear it's that Morino Ibiki" Asuma said.

"Well then, passing the first exam already seems iffy" Kakashi commented as he felt a headache coming on.

"Of all the people, that sadist...."

"Sadist?" Kurenai inquired

"Kurenai, you're a new Jounin so you wouldn't know," Asuma said.

"Who is this person?" Kurenai asked.

"He is a professional" Kakashi replied.

"Professional? Professional of what?"

Meanwhile, Asuma inhaled a cigarette and expelled smoke as he turned towards Kurenai and said "Of Torture and Interrogation."

"Well, there may be no physical torture in the exam itself"

"But he's sure to use his skills as an interrogator to torment them psychologically"

"That is... Leaf village ANBU's torture and interrogation Unit Marshall..." "Morino Ibiki!"

"You see, Ibiki completely understands how the human psyche works" "and the most horrifying part is..."

"that by cornering people psychologically, he controls their psyche and...reveals the fundamental weakness of a human," Asuma explained.

...

...

...

Back at the exam hall.....

("Why?Why?Why?... Is this my punishment for getting regressed?....")) Naruto thought as he was frantically thinking of a plan.

"Mmmm... You there what is your number?" Ibiki asked as he pointed towards Sakura.

At this point, Sasuke also saw Sakura standing up.

Sasuke almost fell off his desk from receiving such a shock

("What the hell is Sakura thinking, even my sharingan is useless against this kind of stupidity__ fucking Bitch!")

Sasuke thought as he looked towards Naruto.

Naruto at this instant stood up

"Is This a Joke?" He asked.

Ibiki turned towards Naruto who faced him with a glare. "What do you mean?" He asked with a grim expression.

Sasuke and Sakura were both stunned at this new development.

"What do I mean?" Naruto asked as he gave a one-eyed look towards Ibiki.

"Look at my answer sheet" Naruto showed proudly to Ibiki.

"It looks complete...."

"What about it?" Ibiki asked with a puzzled expression.

"It's way too easy ya know" Naruto complained.

"Is that all?" Ibiki asked feeling irritated.

"I don't want the tenth question to be too easy...It's like all of you are underestimating me!"

"So don't you dare underestimate me!"

"Because I won't quit, After all, I'm gonna become Hokage ya know."

Naruto declared.

Meanwhile

Sakura also sat down quickly realizing that she had almost committed a major blunder.

("Good thinking Naruto.....You literally saved us from a major disaster") Sasuke screamed in his head almost feeling all of his burdens lifted away.

"I'll ask once again"

"It's a choice that will alter your life."

"If you want to quit, now is your chance!" Ibiki asked once again.

Meanwhile, Naruto thought

("I have seen him do interrogations as a Hokage before, but damn it this guy is really good, he almost forced me out of the exam without doing a damn

thing...") Naruto looked at Ibiki with confidence.

Ibiki looked around seeing everyone in high spirits.

("What a kid... He raised up everyone's morale just by saying a few words") ("78 huh? Much more than I expected") Ibiki said as he walked forward.

("Looks like, it's going to be the same no matter how I push it...")

Ibiki then looked towards the Sentinels all nodding towards him, trying to convince him to move to the next stage.

"I like Your Determination!" Ibiki announced

"Then for those who are all here. The first exam...."

"YOU HAVE PASSED IT!"

"Wait a minute!" Sakura stood up at this moment.

"What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked curiously.

"hehe"

"hehehe....There wasn't a tenth question in the first place!"

"In fact, your decision of willing to stay back was the tenth question"

"Wait" Temari interrupted.

"Then, what were all those nine questions for!"

"It was just a waste of time!" Temari argued.

"Not a total waste though..."

"The objective of the nine questions was already accomplished."

"To test your individual ability to gather information!"

"Ability to gather information?" Temari asked.

Ibiki to explained all the people present in the room, the meaning of the test and why he came up with it,

He then removed his full headband protector as he revealed his burnt head, which looked like, it had nerves protruding on its surface.

Ibiki recounted his past explaining how information gathering was vital for missions and how much of a great role it played.

Ibiki continued

"For those of you who chose to take on the question..."

"You can say that you have successfully answered the difficult 10th question!"

"You shall be able to take on the adversity that may lie in your way."

"You've passed through the gates"

"The first exam for the Chuunin Exam has been completed."

"I wish you all well" Ibiki concluded.

(CRASH!)

A window broke upon which a huge ball entered the hall opening up to reveal a woman who

then threw Kunais to all four corners creating a screen out of the ball of cloth.

The screen revealed the words Welcome to Stage 2 of the Chunin Exam.

"This isn't the time to be celebrating!"

"I'm the proctor for the second exam!"

"Mitarashi Anko!"

"Let's move on to the next stage!"

"Follow Me!" Anko commanded only to see a bunch of people staring at her as though she was an idiot.

"You're early once again..." Ibiki said as he stepped from behind the screen. "78?" Anko counted.

"Ibiki, you let 26 teams slide"

"Either the first exam this time around was too easy or You've grown soft..." Anko commented while facing Ibiki.

"It seems like this time there are a lot of excellent candidates...

"Huh! Well, all right...."

"I'll drop more than half of them in the second exam!" Anko announced.

"More than half?" Sakura was shocked.

"I'll give you the details tomorrow."

"We'll be changing locations so get information from your Jounin about the location and the time."

"That's it. You're dismissed."

...

...

...

Outside the exam hall.....

"What was that? Sakura?" Sasuke asked as he approached her.

"What was what?"

"You almost had us thrown out..." Sasuke complained.

"I thought Naruto would have not answered the paper at all..."

"It doesn't matter now. You'd better not slow us down in tomorrow's exam. Sasuke said as he left the place

Sakura felt Dumb

Later that evening in the exam hall

Ibiki went around collecting papers.

"Hmm....This one is the yellow-haired kid's right?" "Uzumaki Naruto..."

At this moment Ibiki's hands started trembling. "This...This...

Ibiki ran to the exam department.

"Call in the sentinel for the 3rd Row immediately" "Yes sir" The man announced as he ran inside.

"Morino-san what is it?" Aman in a white dress came out.

"Manabu...do you have the paper in which noted down those who cheated?" "Yes...."

"Does it contain the name Uzumaki Naruto?"

"No."

"Okay, also bring me the paper of the decoy examinees that we deployed at once" Ibiki commanded.

...

...

...

About an hour later.

In the Hokage's office.

(Knock)

(Knock)

(Knock)

"Come in..." Hiruzen said.

The door opened revealing a tall man in a Black long coat.

"Ibiki, what is it?"

"Hokage-sama, This is the paper of a particular Examinee by the name Uzumaki Naruto, and here is the paper of the decoys that we had placed in the hall," Ibiki said as he handed over the two papers.

"Hmmm..." Hiruzen compared the two papers.

"Naruto's answers are a bit advanced with a good depth to it."

"None, of the examinees were able to provide such answers," Ibiki added.

"I understand," Hiruzen said as he handed over the papers.

"What should I do?" Ibiki asked.

"Just continue the exams for now, I'll see if it requires my attention in the future..."

...

...

...

The Next day

The team got the information from Kakashi and reached the location of the second stage of the exam.

Anko faced the group of ninjas as she started explaining

"This is the location for the second exam"

"The 44th training field also known as...

"The forest of death."

"Before we start the second exam, I have to pass this out to you!"

Anko said as she took out a bunch of papers.

"These are.."

"Consent forms"

"Before you can take part in the test you have to sign this."

"Because from here on out...."

"corpses are going to come out"

"And, I have to get your consent to that!"

"Or, it'll be my responsibility"

"hahahhaha" Anko laughed causing some teams to become nervous.

"Well, I'm going to start the explanation for the second exam."

"In a word, the limits of your survival will be challenged," She said as she started to hand out the consent forms.

"First I'll give you step-by-step instructions on the terrain of this training field."

"Training Field No.44 is surrounded by 44 locked entrance gates..." "There are rivers and a forest and also a tower in the middle..."

"It's about 10km from the towers to the gate..."

"In this confined area, you will go through a certain survival program." "The contents of which are ...

"anything goes, scroll battle"

...

...

"There are two types of scrolls namely the Heaven and Earth scroll"

"There are about 26 teams. 13 teams will get the Heaven scroll and the other 13 the Earth....."

"Only those teams that have one of both Heaven and Earth scrolls will be allowed to enter the tower..."

"For this second exam, the time limit is 120 hours or five days"

"It's a survival exam, so be self-sufficient.."

"According to the rules, you cannot give up mid-way."

"I want you to spend your five days in the forest" Anko smiled

"Moving on...."

"Here are the conditions for disqualifications"

"No.1 If all three members of the team can't make it to the tower with Heaven and Earth scrolls within the time limit"

"No.2 If a team loses a member or if a member became incapacitated."

"No.3 Absolutely do not look at the contents of the scrolls until you have reached the tower"

"That is all for the rules, though I do have one more thing to say..." "DON'T DIE!"

"Submit your consent forms by the collection stalls and pick your gates," "All the gates will open simultaneously at 2:30 pm"

"That is all."

Anko concluded upon which everyone went to fill up and submit their forms.

...

...

...

Soon it was 2:29 pm

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had assembled at Gate NO.12

And Exactly a minute later Anko announced "We now start the second test of the Chuunin

Exam!"

Upon which all gates had Simultaneously

OPENED.....

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A/N Here is the Second chapter