Just like in the original story, Ibiki Morino presented the "challenge or give up" choice before revealing the tenth question.
If one chose to challenge the tenth question, regardless of whether the previous nine questions were answered correctly, failing the tenth question would result in immediate elimination and a lifetime ban from the Chunin Exams.
If one chose to give up, they would also be eliminated but could participate in the next Chunin Exams.
Upon hearing this rule, the candidates who had barely managed to fill their answer sheets through cheating couldn't accept it.
However, under Ibiki Morino's imposing presence, they quickly quieted down and began to struggle.
"I give up!"
Soon, a candidate closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and raised his hand.
"I give up too. I'll just try again next time."
"I'm not going to gamble with my future!"
"..."
Once someone took the lead, more candidates raised their hands one after another, each finding an excuse for themselves.
Since one person's elimination meant the entire team would suffer, each candidate who gave up caused three people to leave.
In no time, the examination room, which already had many empty seats, lost another third of its occupants.
With one hand propping up his cheek and the other secretly holding Hinata's hand under the table, Izayoi was curious about Uzumaki Naruto's expression, wondering how the guy was feeling at the moment.
If Izayoi had turned his head or activated his Tenseigan, he would have seen Uzumaki Naruto sitting with his arms crossed, looking relaxed and confident.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that Naruto's answer sheet was completely filled.
Unlike the blank sheet in the original story, Naruto, who was seated next to Uchiha Sasuke, didn't have to do anything except hold a pen. The rest was handled by Sasuke.
Using the Uchiha Clan's Manipulating Shuriken Technique, Sasuke transformed into a puppet master with wires, controlling Naruto to answer the questions.
Naruto, of course, wasn't worried at all.
Without Naruto's morale boost, the number of candidates eliminated in the first exam was naturally higher than in the original story.
But that was all.
Many foreign candidates had discovered a loophole.
Being unable to participate in the Chunin Exams didn't mean they couldn't become Chunin.
After all, they weren't ninjas from the Leaf Village. As long as they were outstanding enough, the higher-ups in their villages would surely promote them specially.
Choosing to give up now, even though they could participate in the Chunin Exams in a major ninja village next time, would disappoint their village's higher-ups.
Thus, many candidates withstood Ibiki Morino's psychological pressure.
As time was about to run out, seeing that no one chose to give up or would choose to give up, Ibiki Morino, who had been tense, finally revealed a smile and said, "Congratulations, you've all passed the first exam."
"Huh?!"
Sounds of surprise and astonishment immediately filled the room.
The candidates who had prepared to challenge the tenth question were dumbfounded.
Many who couldn't accept this asked, "What... what do you mean by this?"
In response, Ibiki Morino began to explain the purpose of the first exam.
It turned out that the first nine questions were only to test the ninjas' knowledge and information-gathering abilities, while the tenth question was to test the team's cohesion.
Even so, many candidates were still in a daze.
Bang! Before they could recover, the sound of a kunai breaking through the window drew their attention.
Anko Mitarashi made a flashy entrance in a way that felt eerily familiar to Uzumaki Naruto, as if he were looking in a mirror.
Many of the examinees couldn't help but sweatdrop at the sight.
However, the conversation that followed between Anko Mitarashi and Ibiki Morino caused all the examinees to change their expressions. "Ibiki, what's going on? Why are there still so many people left?"
"This year's Genin are quite exceptional."
"Tch... whatever. In the next exam, I'll make sure at least half of them are eliminated."
As she finished speaking, Anko Mitarashi scanned the room like a hunter.
Unlike her exaggerated entrance, her sinister smile, reminiscent of Orochimaru, and the aura of a Special Jonin made many examinees shudder, no longer daring to underestimate this woman.
Just like Ibiki Morino, those who could become examiners were clearly no ordinary individuals.
"Everyone, assemble outside Training Ground 44 of the Leaf Village by 3 PM tomorrow. Anyone late will be considered to have forfeited."
With those words, Anko Mitarashi left the examination room, marking the end of the first test.
"Yo, long time no see."
Team 8 and Team 7 left the examination room together.
However, before they could even enter the hallway, Izayoi and the others heard a familiar voice in the corridor.
Turning around, they saw Nara Shikamaru with his hands behind his head, accompanied by Akimichi Choji and Yamanaka Ino, walking towards them.
"Sasuke, long time no see!"
Yamanaka Ino enthusiastically tried to pounce on Uchiha Sasuke, but he sidestepped to avoid her.
"Ino-pig, what do you think you're doing to Sasuke?" Haruno Sakura angrily retorted.
"Forehead-girl, what's it to you? Want to fight?" Yamanaka Ino shot back without backing down.
Then, just like the previous scuffle between Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, the two former best friends bumped foreheads, ready to start a fight at any moment.
"Long time no see, Shikamaru, Choji."
Izayoi and the others ignored the two girls and greeted Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji instead.
Izayoi teased, "I thought someone as lazy as you wouldn't bother taking the Chunin Exams."
"I really didn't want to, but Asuma-sensei and my father forced me to," Nara Shikamaru shrugged. "And Ino wanted to take the Chunin Exams too. I'm sure you all noticed something was off from the application forms."
"Yeah."
Izayoi nodded, and the new version of the Nine Rookie Ninja walked out of the school building together.
On the way, Yamanaka Ino, who had already stopped bickering with Haruno Sakura, had somehow made her way to Hinata's side. She looked at Hinata's white kimono and smiled, "Hinata, your new outfit is really beautiful. It suits your temperament perfectly."
"Thank you," Hinata smiled softly.
"Um..."
Yamanaka Ino tugged at Hinata's sleeve a little shyly, glanced at the group of boys, and then leaned in to whisper in Hinata's ear, "Hinata, how did you do it?"
Haruno Sakura's ears twitched slightly as she subtly moved closer to the two girls.
"Do what?" Hinata looked confused.
"This, how did you do it?"
Yamanaka Ino first glanced at Hinata's astonishingly ample figure, which even her loose kimono couldn't conceal, and then looked down at her own modest assets, which, while not exactly flat, couldn't be considered impressive either. She asked again, "Hinata, what do you usually eat?"
Hinata's face instantly turned bright red, as if she had thought of something, and she slowly lowered her head, murmuring softly, "I... I don't know. I just eat more than others."
"Eating more is enough?"
Yamanaka Ino took her words at face value, but when she glanced at Akimichi Choji, who was quietly munching on potato chips nearby while watching Nara Shikamaru and Izayoi chat with Aburame Shino, she immediately felt disheartened. "It seems this method won't work for me," she said with a sigh.
Although in the Ino-Shika-Cho Form
ation, the Yamanaka Clan represents the "Ino" (boar), Yamanaka Ino certainly didn't want to actually become a boar.
Not only that, she also really hated it when people called her "Ino the Boar."
(End of Chapter)