C23 First Round of Exam

Morino Ibiki announced the exam rules, sparking a wave of commotion among the examinees.

Despite their dissatisfaction, the Low Ninjas had no choice but to voice their complaints briefly before embarking on the test.

Some of the Low Ninjas quickly grasped the real purpose of the exam.

They showcased their best techniques, scouring for answers from other examinees who were diligently working nearby.

Initially, Hong considered using Ice Escape to swipe the answers.

But upon reviewing the questions, he found them too trivial to warrant the effort.

"I've had a higher education; these high school-level questions are no challenge for me!"

The questions were indeed on the simpler side, which explained why even Sakura managed to work through them. Hong grumbled under his breath, yet his pen flew across the paper, completing the exam with ease.

After finishing, Hong, out of sheer boredom, turned his attention to the other examinees' antics.

Seeing Gaara's sandy eyes made him feel nauseous.

In the anime, it hadn't bothered him, but in real life, it was quite off-putting.

Hong quickly averted his gaze.

"Ah, Miss Hinata remains impressive, answering questions without even using her Byakugan. A true academic ace."

"Seriously, this mirror? Do the proctors not see what's happening?"

But the most outrageous was Ino. What in the world was she thinking?

Hong witnessed Ino casting the Mind Body Switch Technique on Sakura, and he couldn't help but picture Ino, in Sakura's body, acting all cutesy towards him.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the thought.

And Kankurō, having a crow impersonate an examiner to escort him to the restroom? Absurd. How could the proctors not notice an extra person?

Hong critiqued the examinees' shenanigans, pointing out every detail.

Throughout the exam, several were caught cheating five times and consequently lost their eligibility, with their teammates also paying the price.

At last, as time wound down, Morino Ibiki introduced his tenth question.

After his threatening spiel, a few faint-hearted youngsters raised their hands, forfeiting their chance to continue. Their teammates followed suit, exiting the room in silence.

Not long after, several teams had departed.

Under the immense strain, Naruto chose that moment to make his stand.

Naruto's hand shook as he raised it. When it seemed like he was on the brink of giving up, he brought it down with a resounding thud on the table.

"Don't underestimate me. I won't back down when it counts!"

With conviction, Naruto declared, "I'm going to take the exam! Even if I remain a Low Ninja all my life, I will still strive to become Hikage!"

"Bring on the questions. I'm not scared of you!"

Watching Naruto's fervent declaration, Hong laughed warmly, recalling how moved he was the first time he witnessed this moment. It was the first time an anime character had ever moved him.

Even when Morino Ibiki offered Naruto a chance to reconsider, he remained steadfast.

Instead, he proclaimed, "Speak your mind..."

Hong had never really understood what that meant as a ninja way. He always thought that 'practice what you preach' might be a better translation.

Inspired by Naruto, no other examinee considered dropping out.

Ibiki waited a moment, and seeing that no one was retreating, reluctantly declared that everyone had advanced.

The strongest Mouth Escape was not an empty title!

Confronted with the examinees' confusion, Ibiki explained the real intent of the exam.

The usually stoic Ibiki turned into a loquacious orator, launching into a lengthy speech.

Thankfully, he was interrupted by a figure crashing through the window.

"She's here, she's here, she's finally here!" Hong thought to himself with a grin.

As Ryuuno Iroha unfurled a banner, she surveyed the classroom, "I am the proctor for the second round of the exam, Ryuuno Iroha!"

Yet, the Low Ninja examinees were so taken aback by her dramatic entrance that they paid her no mind.

Ibiki seized the moment to quietly ridicule her.

"Hmm? Why are there 79 people?" she wondered aloud, puzzled by the odd number.

"Are you senile? Didn't the Third Generation Lord mention that the Kakashi Class is a four-person team?"

Ibiki couldn't resist mocking her forgetfulness.

"Hmph, that still leaves twenty-six teams. Did you go easy on them? How else could so many have passed?"

"Well, the candidates this time around are exceptionally strong..."

When faced with Hong Doudou's skepticism, Ibiki could only respond in kind. He certainly couldn't admit that his plan had been foiled by an unreliable Low Ninja—that would be even more humiliating!

Hong Doudou voiced his skepticism about Ibiki's statement, "I'll cut the number of participants in half!"

With that, he summoned the candidates to the second examination site.

After Hong Doudou led everyone away, Ibiki also caught sight of Naruto's blank test paper...

Upon reaching Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death, Red Bean began to describe the exam site. Confronted with the ominous and fearsome Forest of Death, some Low Ninjas were already feeling a shiver run down their spines.

But Red Bean had no intention of letting these unfortunate Low Ninjas off the hook so easily.

He embellished the terror of the location and the rules of the exam.

Now, some Low Ninjas were so frightened they even considered withdrawing.

However, Naruto shone brightly once again, loudly accusing Red Bean of trying to scare them!

Bathed in Naruto's glow, the Low Ninja candidates found their spirits steadied.

Hong observed Naruto and mused to himself that Naruto wasn't just skilled in Mouth Escape; he seemed to have inherited some of his father's radiance as well!

Like something out of a play, Red Bean tossed a kunai at Naruto.

But hitting Naruto was nearly impossible, and he effortlessly caught the kunai thrown by Red Bean.

"How can you, as an examiner, attack the candidates? That's going too far!"

Red Bean didn't respond, her expression slightly dazed. Her intention had been to make an example of one to warn the others, but she hadn't anticipated that Naruto was no pushover, despite his unassuming appearance.

Regardless, as a special Upper Ninja, it was quite embarrassing for a Low Ninja to catch a kunai she had thrown casually!

"Hmph, you got off easy this time. If you interrupt me again, I'll have no choice but to eliminate you!"

Hong held back Naruto, who was ready to talk back, signaling him to remain silent.

Naruto complied, though his gaze toward Red Bean remained unfriendly.

Relieved that Naruto had quieted down, Red Bean let out a sigh. This kid named Naruto was truly a handful.

Red Bean handed out consent forms and explained the function of the Heaven and Earth scrolls, as well as the fact that killing was permitted in the examination hall. Gaara's excitement was palpable upon hearing this.

He fixed Hong with a fierce glare, one that Hong felt immediately. Turning to meet Gaara's gaze, Hong saw the murderous intent on his face but responded with a warm smile. "It's best not to provoke me, otherwise..." he said with a chuckle.

Kankurō noticed Gaara's odd behavior and followed his stare. He caught sight of Hong's curved smile and eyes that appeared warm but were, in fact, icy cold. A chill ran down Kankurō's spine, prompting him to call Gaara over to the entrance they were supposed to head to.

"Mr. Hirome, we should be on our way!" Naruto called out, and the four of them made their way to their designated entrance.

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