Page 80
Page 80
Based on the timeline, the Chunin Exams should have already officially begun by now.
However, despite all the overt and covert patrols over this period of time, no unusual signs have been found.
This time, that dream was probably inaccurate.
There shouldn't be any problems with this exam.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a smoke ring, trying to relax.
However, the lingering unease in my heart did not completely dissipate.
Just then, with a soft whooshing sound, a dark figure suddenly appeared outside the window.
"Who goes there?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted, and he turned around abruptly.
However, when he saw who it was, his expression relaxed. "Kakashi, it's you."
Kakashi's expression turned solemn: "Hokage-sama! We've made progress on Orochimaru!"
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was greatly surprised and sat up abruptly: "What? You really found it?"
Kakashi said no more, leaped into the house in a few bounds, and pulled out detailed information from his ninja tool pouch: "Please take a look, Hokage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly took them and looked down to see that they were three registration forms for the upcoming Chunin Exams.
In the photo section, there were pictures of Yakushi Kabuto, Kensuke Misumi, and Akado Yoshimi, each wearing a Konoha headband, and their names and village affiliations were all written as "Konoha Village".
Chapter 85: Sasuke got the MVP this time, Naruto just got carried to victory.
"Kabuto Yakushi?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated the name in a low voice, his gaze falling on the boy's slightly immature face on the registration form. He nodded slightly, "I remember this child. He was an orphan and lived in the Konoha orphanage when he was young."
Changing the subject, he frowned and held up the other two registration forms, examining them closely: "But these two... Kenmei Sumi? Akado Yoroi? I've never heard of these two names before. I have a general impression of almost every registered genin in Konoha, but I've never seen these two before!"
“That’s right.” Kakashi nodded, pointing his finger firmly at the two registration forms. “These two people are not Konoha ninjas at all.”
Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in." Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately composed himself and said in a deep voice.
A ninja dressed in an Anbu uniform and wearing an owl mask flashed into the office, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Hokage-sama! We just found the bodies of three Kusagakure examinees in the woods not far from the village. As the intelligence indicates, their faces... were completely peeled off."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi shuddered, nearly dropping his pipe.
He and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both seeing the undisguised seriousness in each other's eyes.
"Orochimaru……"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with determination and heartache.
He gripped his pipe tightly and said in a low voice, "He really did sneak in!"
……
Classroom 301.
The first round of the Chunin Exams began soon.
The chief examiner, Ibiki Morino, stood in front of the podium, his cold gaze sweeping across the entire room, and announced loudly: "The first exam—the written exam—is now beginning!"
The three students from Class 7 were scattered and seated in different parts of the classroom.
Naruto unfolded the test paper and saw that it was filled with extremely difficult questions that he had never heard of before. His eyes widened instantly.
"What...what is all this?!"
Naruto stared blankly at the exam paper, feeling a chill run down his spine.
He scratched his head, racking his brains, but couldn't come up with an answer no matter how hard he tried.
Gradually, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Oh no, I can't answer a single question! What should I do?
If you can't answer any of them, not only will you be eliminated, but you'll also drag Sasuke and Sakura down with you...
"No, I can't panic!" Naruto pinched his cheek hard, trying to calm his anxious heart.
He looked around, wanting to exchange a glance with his companion, but all he could see were candidates buried in their books and proctors patrolling the aisles. He dared not make a move.
Suddenly, Naruto felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, a strange sense of lightheadedness washing over him.
He blinked subconsciously, and then looked again—clear handwriting gradually appeared on the originally blank test paper, dissecting the complex problems layer by layer, with the solution and correct answer for each question clearly written on the paper.
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then realized: Sasuke was using his Sharingan to help him!
He felt a sense of relief and couldn't help but smile. He immediately picked up his pen and scribbled down the answers.
A few rows away, Sasuke slowly lowered his hands, which were forming hand seals. The two tomoe in his crimson Sharingan slowly rotated before dimming.
He took a slight breath, rubbed his slightly swollen eyes, and his gaze returned to his exam paper.
He had already filled the entire test paper with the answers he had copied from Sakura, word for word.
Meanwhile, Sakura, sitting in the other corner of the classroom, had already confidently answered all the questions.
She breathed a sigh of relief and glanced casually in the direction of Naruto and Sasuke, only to see Naruto engrossed in writing, seemingly doing very well.
Sasuke remained calm and composed as he wrote.
Sakura couldn't help but smile. As expected of Sasuke.
Time passes bit by bit.
The final test, the 'tenth question,' by the chief examiner, Ibiki Morino, has begun.
If you quit now, you can still participate in the next exam, but if you are eliminated this time, you will only be able to become a junior ninja in the future.
Under such harsh conditions, many candidates could not withstand the psychological pressure and withdrew from the exam one after another.
However, all three members of Team 7 had already completed their respective tests, and Naruto and Sasuke had great confidence in Sakura's theoretical knowledge.
Completely unfazed by Morino Ibiki's threats, they remained seated as steady as rocks.
Seeing that no one else had chosen to give up, Ibiki Morino nodded in satisfaction and announced loudly, "Now, I declare—everyone who remained has passed the first test!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the classroom, followed by a burst of cheers and sighs of relief.
Many of the examinees who had just been dejected collapsed in their seats with delight, and Naruto also let out a long sigh of relief, so excited that he almost jumped up from his seat.
"Great, we made it!" Naruto cheered softly, clenching his fist.
His previously anxious heart finally settled down, and his face was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.
Sasuke crossed his arms and smiled slightly. Sakura said to Naruto with a beaming smile, "Don't get too excited yet, this is only the first match!"
"Hehe, you're right." Naruto scratched his head and grinned. "But our Team 7 will definitely pass with everyone!"
The three were secretly pleased, thinking they could use the break time to discuss their next move, when suddenly there was a loud crash and the glass window at the back of the classroom was smashed to pieces.
"Varied--?!"
Naruto was startled and instinctively stepped in front of Sakura.
Shattered glass clattered to the ground, and a lithe figure flew through the window, flipped once in the air, and landed steadily in front of the podium.
The person was a tall female ninja, wearing a beige long coat, a tight mesh top that outlined her hot curves, and short purple hair that fluttered in the wind, looking radiant.
As soon as she appeared, she put her hands on her hips, threw her head back, and laughed loudly: "Hahaha! Congratulations everyone on passing the first exam! But don't get complacent, now I, the proctor of the second exam, will take you to the location of the next round of exams!"
The candidates were stunned by this sudden and dramatic appearance, and for a moment they were completely silent.
"Let me introduce myself!" The female ninja smiled brightly. "I am Mitarashi Anko, a special Jonin from Konoha Village, and the chief examiner for the second round of the Chunin Exams!"
Many test takers gasped upon hearing this.
The incredibly audacious woman in front of me is actually the examiner for the second exam?
"What are you all standing there for?" Hongdou scanned the room and waved towards the door. "Those who passed the first exam, gather around and come with me. The second exam won't be held here."
Urged swiftly by the examiner, Hongdou, the dozens of candidates who had passed the first exam barely had time to rest and adjust before they hurriedly assembled and followed her out of the classroom, heading towards the outskirts of Konoha Village.
Half an hour later, the group arrived at a vast forest on the outskirts of Konoha Village.
A huge barbed wire fence completely surrounded the forest, and a wooden sign at the entrance read "Exercise Field No. 44" in black letters.
Behind the wooden sign, towering ancient trees stretched into the distance, the lush forest seemingly endless.
Strange rustling sounds occasionally emanated from the gloomy, dark forest, as if concealing countless unknowns, inspiring fear.
The damp, decaying earthen floor, piled high with rotting branches and leaves, exuded a stench of decay. A chilling mountain breeze swept by, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood that sent shivers down one's spine.
The examinees stood outside the wall, surveying the deadly forest before them, many of them breaking out in a cold sweat.
Welcome to the Forest of Death!
Hongdou stood in front of everyone with her arms crossed, a smile of excitement on her face. "The second exam will be held here."
As she spoke, she took a stack of documents from an assistant beside her, held them up high and waved them, "This is a life-or-death agreement! If you want to take the exam, sign your name first. Entering this forest might cost you your life, and you will bear all the consequences."
Many new test takers couldn't help but swallow hard when they heard the words "lose their lives".
But after the first round of selection, the remaining people were clearly determined and none of them backed down.
On Team 7's side, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura nodded to each other, their eyes filled with eager fighting spirit.
The three people took turns receiving the consent form and signed their names on the spot.
Red Bean collected all the agreements and then loudly announced the rules for the second round: "Each team will enter the forest from a different entrance. The test is to seize scrolls. Each team will randomly receive either the 'Book of Heaven' or the 'Book of Earth' before setting off."
"Only teams that manage to acquire the other scroll and reach the central tower in the forest within five days will pass! Conversely, if a team fails to collect both scrolls or reach the finish line by the end of the five-day period, then I'm sorry—they will be eliminated."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.
"Are we going to snatch the scrolls from other teams? Wouldn't that mean a head-on battle?"
"Five days to survive, and we still have to be wary of enemy ambushes. That's too harsh!"
On Team 7's side, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained calm when they heard the exam rules.
Because this is exactly the same as the rules in dreams.
They were already mentally prepared.
"And one more thing—" Hongdou's gaze swept over everyone present, she licked her lips, and her smile was somewhat cruel, "Every year during the second exam, someone always dies in there. This year… I hope you kids can pull through and fewer of you die!"
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