Konoha Ninja Academy.
The first test of the Chunin Exams was still in full swing inside the building.
Hokage's Office.
Danzo leaned on his cane, looking at the Third Hokage with a grim expression. "Sarutobi, I am determined to have this child. A position has already been reserved for him in Root."
Hearing Danzo's unquestionable tone, the Third's face darkened with anger. "No! That child is the only remaining hope of the Hatake clan! We already owe them too much. Think of the White Fang! It is impossible for me to hand him over to you!"
A shadow passed over Danzo's eyes. He knew that with Hiruzen's resolute tone, getting the boy through direct means was now impossible.
"Hmph!" He slammed his cane heavily on the ground and left with a flick of his sleeve.
"Sarutobi, you are old, after all. Shackled by the trivial sentiments of the village. Only I am the future hope of Konoha!"
"Teacher should have passed the title of Hokage to me back then."
"Since that's the case, this old man will have no choice but to accept Orochimaru's condition."
With these deep thoughts, Danzo paused at the bottom of the Hokage Tower, looking off in the direction of the Ninja Academy. A cold smile hung on the corner of his lips. Then, he walked towards an unknown dark corner and vanished.
...
"Time's up!"
"Everyone, stop writing immediately!"
Ibiki Morino timed his roar perfectly. It was like a clap of muffled thunder that made many of the candidates jump. He scanned the faces of the genin below. Those who had done well were full of confidence; those who had done poorly were dejected, their heads hanging low.
"And now, it is time for the tenth question!"
"But before that, I'll explain the specific rules to you bunch of losers. Then, you can choose whether or not to answer!"
The moment Ibiki said this, the classroom erupted in low murmurs. What kind of exam question lets you decide whether or not to answer? We came here to participate in the Chunin Exams, are we supposed to just give up?! Many of the more conceited genin had mocking smiles on their faces, looking at the proctor on the stage as if he were an idiot.
However, soon, they were no longer smiling.
Ibiki explained the consequences of the tenth question.
The entire room fell silent.
All three members of a team had to answer correctly. If even one person got it wrong, the entire team would be implicated and barred from participating in the Chunin Exams for life, forever stuck at the genin level.
Immense pressure bore down on everyone's backs, making it hard to breathe. They had never expected the tenth question to be so twisted right from the start. The atmosphere in the room instantly became incredibly heavy. Every person's heart was burdened with unparalleled pressure, and for a moment, they didn't know whether to advance or retreat.
At this moment when everyone was struggling, Naruto suddenly stood up and gave a speech that was both chuunibyou and passionate, instantly boosting everyone's morale and confidence. This performance won the attention of many of the proctors, who nodded in silent approval.
Ibiki, who had taken in everyone's performance, suddenly put on a terrifying expression. The hideous scar on his face seemed to radiate a frightening aura. This was an aura honed from his long years in Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force, and now it was directed fully at the candidates below.
"One minute! After one minute, anyone who has not withdrawn will be considered to have participated in answering! If you answer incorrectly, your entire squad will be stuck as genin for life!"
The ultimatum had been delivered.
This time, many people could no longer bear the pressure and withdrew from the exam hall one after another. Even if their teammates were desperately signaling them, they didn't dare to stay. The consequences of failure were not something they could afford.
In the end, less than half of the people remained in the classroom.
Hatake Kusuo sat as still as a mountain, quietly watching Ibiki's performance from his seat. He was confident that Naruto and Hinata could withstand this pressure. Not just them; all of the Konoha 12 were still present.
"Good!" Ibiki, who had been stern the whole time, suddenly broke into a smile. He said to those remaining, "I now declare that you have all passed the first test."
After all the candidates had left, the proctors collected the papers. When he saw that Naruto's paper was completely blank, Ibiki didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Thinking back on Naruto's performance, he wasn't sure if the boy was just dense or if he was truly confident.
"There's another blank paper here!" Just when he thought Naruto's was the only one, another proctor suddenly held up a test paper and shouted.
Hm? Ibiki's brow furrowed. If he remembered correctly, that seat belonged to the boy in red. He took the paper and looked. Sure enough, the answer section was completely blank.
"Interesting. To have seen through the truth of the exam at such a young age?" He chuckled to himself, shook his head, and filed the test paper away with the others.
After returning home, Kusuo was busy in the kitchen with Hinata. After he had simply prepared the vegetables and meat, the rest was completed by the skillful Hinata. Looking at the girl who was gradually maturing, her figure becoming more graceful, he quietly walked up behind her and suddenly made his move.
"Ah!" a sweet cry was heard. The girl's face turned red and hot at an astonishing speed.
"Kusuo!" she called out, her voice a mix of shyness and playful complaint.
Only Hatake Kusuo wore a doting smile, enjoying the amazing tactile sensation.
-------
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