Shikaku glanced at Saki, who was sitting in the first row. He did not think about anything else and walked directly to the podium.
At this moment.
There was a stack of papers on the podium.
These were the examinee's papers in classroom 304.
This time.
He did not ask the proctor.
He had already guessed what the answer would be.
Saki did not cheat and also did not see how she got the information!
It was like a ball of mystery!
Shikaku's gaze fell on the top of the stack of papers on the podium. The paper placed on the top was Saki's paper.
"Now, I will start marking the test papers that you have answered. Those whose numbers have been read by me come to receive the test papers I finished marking. Then, take the test papers back to classroom 301 and wait for the final instruction."
After Shikaku finished speaking, his eyes focused on Saki's test paper. The first answer he saw was exactly the same as the answers of Aoba and Rin.
'Sure enough!'
'I knew it!'
When Shikaku saw the answers on the test paper, he understood that even though the three people were in three different classrooms, they had completed the transfer of information.
'Did Aoba do it?'
He immediately thought of Aoba. After all, not everyone knew the special method of transmitting the information.
At least...
He did not think that Saki and Rin could do so.
But...
He also did not think that Aoba would have such an ability.
This became complicated.
After a short period of thought, Shikaku did not come to any conclusion. But he did not think about this anymore and continued to look at Saki's paper.
10 questions.
All of them were correct answers!
It was the same as what he expected!
Instantly.
Shikaku looked in Saki's direction. He directly called out Saki's number plate without asking too many questions.
"No. 1!"
As soon as Shikaku said this, all the examinees immediately looked toward Saki.
In particular, the three Iwagakure ninjas were also in this examination room.
All three of their eyes fell on Saki. Their eyes were flashing with curiosity. Obviously, they were curious about Saki's results.
Saki stood up, held the number plate in her hand, and walked toward Shikaku.
Her mood was similar to Rin's.
She also wanted to know what score did she get. This involved Aoba's intelligence-gathering ability. After all, she could not get a piece of information in this classroom under the proctor's biased watch.
What she could do...
She could only believe in Aoba!
"'10 points!"
Shikaku directly said a score that shocked Saki. All the people in the examination room looked at Saki, and their eyes flashed with envy.
The sound of discussion slowly followed.
After all, this was a full-mark test paper!
"Thank you!"
Saki hid all the surprise in her heart under her calm appearance. She tried her best to make herself appear as calm as possible.
When she walked in front of Shikaku.
She directly took the test paper that Shikaku handed over and did not say another word of nonsense. She directly stepped out of the room and walked toward classroom 301.
Shikaku had been watching Saki leave. After the full-mark test paper came out, Saki's team reached a full score of 30 points. This kind of result could be said to be the top in the first round of Chunin Exams and would advance to the next round without any suspense. Moreover, they even broke the record in the Chunin Exams' first round.
"Sigh..."
Shikaku slowly sighted.
He began to look at the next paper. Now, he was calm and accepted the result. After all, even if he was the chief examiner, there was no way for such a team that had achieved full marks to be rejected to advance to the second round.
...
After Saki entered classroom 301 with the test paper, she immediately looked at where they were formerly seated. She immediately saw Aoba and Rin.
She walked over without hesitation. After that, she sat in the place where she had been sitting before.
"Aoba, how did you do it?"
Saki blinked her big eyes and asked with a puzzled face. She was shocked when she heard Shikaku say that her score was 10 points. Even now, she was still in a state of shock. She had no idea how Aoba got such an answer.
"I also want to know!"
Rin nodded repeatedly. There was a similar surprise on her face. She had asked Aoba just now, but Aoba did not tell her. This made her always have a sense of curiosity in her heart.
All of a sudden.
The eyes of the two girls all fell on Aoba.
Their eyes were filled with confusion.
"This..."
Aoba helplessly spread out his hands. It seemed that he had to think of a reason. Otherwise, if he did not give the two of them a reasonable explanation, there was no way to get over it.
"I am the last person to leave classroom 301."
Aoba slowly opened his mouth. His brain was working quickly, constantly thinking of all kinds of methods. After all, he believed that there was no problem with his ability to adapt to the situation.
As Aoba spoke.
Saki and Rin focused their eyes on Aoba.
Both of them stopped talking.
They just stared at Aoba.
They just blinked their big, curious eyes.
They were afraid that they would miss even a little bit of content.
"When I handed the registration form to Brother Shikaku, he said a few words to me. It was these words that helped me greatly." Aoba said, keeping her in suspense.
"What words?"
Saki immediately became spirited. Her thoughts were very simple, and she instinctively thought Shikaku was helping them.
But...
Such thoughts were contradictory!
After all, it could be seen from her sitting on the first row that Shikaku did not intend to let her pass the first round.
"Brother Shikaku told me that the proctor standing in front of me. He had the answer on him and asked me to ask for the answer from the proctor. This way, I could cheat five times in a row and get zero points, and then the three of us would be eliminated together." Aoba said with a smile. He did not make up these words but actually happened. This gave him a lot of inspiration and could throw the matter on Shikaku.
"I knew it..."
Saki pursed her lips. She had thought that Shikaku had done it out of kindness. Now, it seemed that it was not the case at all. It was completely different. Not only did he not give Aoba the answer, he also asked for their agreement to continue.
"Is there any connection?"
Rin was confused. She was not that smart, and her reaction was not that fast. Aoba said it so clearly, which made her unable to react.
All of a sudden.
The two girls stared at Aoba again.
They seemed to be eager to hear what Aoba following words.
"I didn't listen to Brother Shikaku."
Aoba looked at Saki, then looked at Rin. After he said this, he spoke again.
"However, through Brother Shikaku's words, I obtained an important piece of information. That is, there is an answer to this exam on the proctor's body in front of me."
"After entering the examination room, I quickly found the proctor. Moreover, I saw the word 'answer' on his ninja pouch."
"Then..."
When Aoba said this, he deliberately dragged his tone a little longer; his purpose was to attract the attention of Saki and Rin.
And under the gaze of the two girls, he slowly continued.
"I used our Yamanaka clan secret technique..."
"Shintenshin no Jutsu(Mind Body Switch Technique)!"
"I took control of the proctor's body, who had the answer, and then took the answer from his ninja pouch. After reading the content, I removed Shintenshin no Jutsu(Mind Body Switch Technique)."
"Next, I write down these answers and then pass them to you through the seal I prepared for you. Then, through Shindenshin no Jutsu(Mind Body Transmission Technique), I pass the content to you so you can get the correct answer."
"This is the whole process!"
After Aoba finished speaking, he pursed his lips. He had slightly changed the matter, but it was still the same pattern. Of the ten sentences, nine were true, just to hide that one lie.
And that lie.
It was the key to the matter!
"It's actually like this!"
Saki cried out in alarm. She felt that it was very inconceivable. According to the picture Aoba had drawn for her, it could be said that Shikaku had lifted a rock and smashed his own foot. He had directly made a mistake. Not only had he failed to instigate Aoba to cheat, but he instead helped Aoba obtain the answer.
This was too exaggerated!
She felt this kind of thing was outrageous, but it was something that Shikaku could do.
After all, not long ago, Shikaku went to look for Aoba and asked him to drag them down in the Chunin Exams.
"It seems that Brother Shikaku has made a mistake. I would not put the real answer on that proctor if I were him. This way, I can still leave a backup plan." Saki narrowed her eyes and said indifferently. Her thinking was still quite clear, "This will not leave any loopholes. Even if you get the answer, the final answer will be wrong, causing us to be unable to pass the test."
"Wow! Saki! You are so awesome!" When Rin heard Saki's words, she couldn't help but give him a thumbs up. She felt from the bottom of her heart that Saki's way of doing things was far more ruthless than Shikaku's.
"Maybe... Brother Shikaku... doesn't want to lie to me!"
Aoba smiled awkwardly. The biggest loophole in the explanation he weaved was the authenticity of the answer.
He didn't read the answer from the proctor because he felt that Shikaku would not be so kind.
Shikaku had definitely considered this matter. After all, Aoba was a Yamanaka clan ninja. If he is not careful, he may overturn this.
Of course.
Aoba clearly knew about this matter, so he could not say it out loud. After all, he still needed to use this reason to trick Saki and Rin.
"I think it might not be as simple as not wanting to lie to you..." Saki held her chin with her right hand and quickly thought about many things in her mind at this time.
"What do you mean?" Rin asked very timely.
"If we give Brother Shikaku a chance, he will definitely find a way to eliminate us. The reason why he didn't do this may be that the exam requires that there should be no inductive wrong answers. After all, in the first round of the Chunin Exams, the content of the assessment is the acquisition of information, so if you get a ninja pouch with 'answers' written on it, and if there are wrong answers, it will be too misleading!"
"Makes sense!"
Aoba immediately agreed with Saki's words. Even he himself was shocked. She was really amazing. She helped him cover the loophole. As expected of a Nara clan member, her brain was really flexible!
Step, step, step, step...
At this time, footsteps sounded outside classroom 301. These sounds clearly entered the ears of the people in the classroom, causing the originally noisy classroom to become quiet instantly.
Immediately after.
The Chief Examiner, Nara Shikaku, pushed open the door and walked in.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Shikaku cleared his throat. His gaze swept across the examinees in the classroom. He looked extremely serious.
"Now, each of your scores is in your hands!"
"All of you already have a clear understanding of your scores. Similarly, you should know the scores of your team."
"Now, let's talk about the first round!"
After Shikaku said this, his tone suddenly became serious. As his posture changed, the eyes of everyone present also became nervous.
"In the first round of Chunin Exams, only 10 teams will pass, totaling 30 people. Your personal score is no longer important. As long as your team is ranked in the top ten, you can enter the second round. The rest will, unfortunately, be eliminated! "
Shikaku said coldly.
He did not decide these things at the last minute.
It was the result that had already been confirmed before the examination began!
No matter how many people participated in Chunin Exams, in the end, only 30 people could pass the first round.
"Ah!"
After Shikaku said this, the scene immediately burst into an uproar. Almost every examinee's expression changed.
This was no longer a simple matter!
These people have gone through a series of eliminations and finally stayed here. Many participants have been caught cheating and their points deducted or expelled from the examination room. The people who were able to sit here now seem to have just experienced a storm.
But...
Before the storm could subside.
The other storm began just like that!
"Only 30 people?"
"10 teams!"
"I only know how many points my team has. I don't even know about the other teams!"
"This is too difficult!"
"It's over; it's over. I don't know if I can advance myself!"
"..."
Discussions immediately rang out in classroom 301. Their voices began to occupy the classroom. Everyone was anxious to enter the second round.
Of course...
There was one group that was not worried.
That was Aoba's group.
"Saki, we will definitely advance, right?" Rin stared at Saki and asked. She already knew the answer, but she did not give her conclusion. Instead, she wanted to hear Saki's conclusion. After all, she was used to asking Saki about everything.
"Of course!"
Saki immediately nodded. The corners of her mouth slightly curled up, revealing an excited smile and a sly look.
"The three of us have a full score, which adds up to 30 points for the team!"
"Even if this result does not break the record of the Chunin Exams First Round, it will be tied with the past record!"
"There is no reason for such a record not to enter the top ten!"
"Unless there are 10 teams who all have 30 points!"
"No..."
"Even if there are 10 teams with 30 points, we will still be tied for first place. We will still be able to advance!"
Saki immediately analyzed. She knew more about Chunin Exams.
There were some changes in the details of the exam every year.
That depended on the habits of the chief examiner to a certain extent, but the overall changes were not that big.
Because of this.
So the Chunin Exam still has some records.
For example, the highest scores in the first round of Chunin Exams, and the fastest time to finish in the second round of Chunin Exams...
These records would be recorded in the history of Chunin Exams.
Saki was very clear.
For them being recorded in the Chunin Exams historical records. There was absolutely no problem!
"Actually, I was also quite surprised!"
Saki took a deep breath. Her gaze looked toward Aoba, and her eyes flickered with a complicated light.
"When I was answering the questions, I was still thinking about changing one of the answers so that our papers didn't look so identical. However, considering that I didn't know how many of the questions in this answer were correct, I finally decided not to change the answers!"
When Saki said this, she raised her hand and patted her chest, which had just begun to show its size, as if she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, I just thought about it and didn't really do it!"
Saki grinned and looked very proud. She never thought that not long ago, she might not be able to participate in Chunin Exams, but now she directly broke a record.
This was too comfortable!
It was simply wonderful!
The more Saki thought about it, the happier she became. At her age, she still valued these false reputations very much. Even if her final result in the Chunin Exams was a failure, getting 30 points in the first round of the Chunin Exams was enough for her to brag about for a few years.
...
Classroom 301.
Apart from Aoba's team, almost everyone had a bit of worry on their faces. No one wanted to end up failing because of the difference in scores after finally reaching this step.
Although Shikaku read out each person's score when he called their number, everyone was very nervous at that time and did not have much energy to remember other people's scores.
Most importantly...
These people were divided into three different examination rooms. Not every team was in the same examination room.
For example, Aoba's team.
The three people were divided into three different examination rooms!
This way, when announcing the scores, no matter which examination room it was, there was no way to know how many points Aoba's team had completely.
It was indeed not easy for one person to get 10 points!
But...
This did not mean that the other two team members could also get 10 points!
After all, obtaining information was a kind of ability, and delivering information was another kind of ability. These were completely different subjects.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
After the examinees discussed for a while, Shikaku cleared his throat. Through this method, he gestured to the examinees here that he was about to speak.
In a split second.
The classroom immediately fell silent.
All the gazes, including Aoba's team, fell on Shikaku. They all understood that it was time to announce the results.
All of a sudden.
Everyone became nervous.
"Now I have finished assessing the scores of each team. The teams in the top ten will enter the second round of Chunin Exams!"
Shikaku's voice slowly sounded. His tone had become much calmer. Although it was his first time as the chief examiner, it was not his first time coming into contact with Chunin Exams.
"The examinees whose names I will read from now on will be the ones to enter the second round of the Chunin Exams!"
"As for those whose names haven't been read out..."
"I hope you won't be discouraged!"
"Work harder at the next Chunin Exams!"
Shikaku looked at the examinees in the classroom. He knew that most of the people here would be eliminated.
But there was no other way.
This was the rule!
After that, Shikaku picked up the list that had been tallied by the proctor, which listed the scores of each team.
On the list.
Three names in the first place.
He didn't need to look to know who it was.
"The first team to pass has a score of 30 points. Members: Nara Saki, Akimichi Rin, and Yamanaka Aoba!"
Shikaku's voice suddenly rang out, clearly entering the ears of every examinee. His words just now had directly shocked everyone who had passed!
A wave of discussion immediately arose in classroom 301.
Almost everyone was surprised by the ridiculous score of this team.
"Isn't 30 points a perfect score?"
"Is this a score that people can get?"
"Each person has 10 points?"
"This score is too much!"
"This is too exaggerated!"
"Is it really full marks?"
"..."
Almost everyone was amazed. After all, they were people who took the exam together. After seeing the exam questions, they could still sit here and not be eliminated. This meant they already knew that this exam tested their ability to obtain information.
But...
They were even more aware of how difficult it was to obtain this information.
A large distance separated each person, and there were so many proctors watching the examination room. Most importantly, many of their teams were not in the same classroom.
"Something worth mentioning is..."
Shikaku's voice sounded again, pulling the examinees back from their shock. Almost everyone looked astonished, feeling that this kind of ridiculous score was inconceivable.
"The three of them had broken the record of Chunin Exams first round highest score. Before this, no team had been able to obtain a full score of 30 points. We were all very lucky to witness history. We were all witnesses!"
When Shikaku said this, his mood was extremely complicated. Even he did not know how to deal with his feelings.
For Saki and Rin, excluding Aoba, to be able to break the Chunin Exams record and set a new one for themselves was a great honor for their clan. Shikaku sincerely felt proud of Saki and Rin.
But...
On the other hand...
Shikaku was depressed that Saki and Rin could pass the first round and enter the second round.
The next test.
It was already a test of strength!
For the two strong ones, it could be said that they had passed the most difficult part and came to the field they were good at.
"The second team that passed has a score of 28 points. Members: Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru!"
Shikaku continued to announce the names of the people who passed the exam. The team following behind Aoba's team was Iwagakure's team. From the score they obtained, they were still very strong.
The examinees in the classroom immediately looked at the three Iwagakure ninjas. Each of them had a serious look in their eyes.
When they heard these unknown three names, they knew they were the three people from Iwagakure.
After all, other than the two Iwagakure teams...
The rest were all Konohagakure's teams.
"These three people are very powerful!" Saki said in a low voice. She did not know why, but she hated those three people very much. However, she had to admit that these three people were very strong.
"What are you afraid of? Our scores are higher!" Rin waved her hand and said. She did not care about the three people. In her heart, they were a team that had broken the record. They should not be afraid of others!
"Rin, we can not be careless at any time. It's thanks to Aoba we can achieve such a result!" Saki immediately said. Her expression had changed from excitement to heaviness. After that, she said, "The reason why Aoba could get the answer was because of luck. Therefore, our 30 points result is not a problem to the public, but it is better not to take it too seriously here!"
"Oh~," Rin pouted.
"We are more good at intelligence gathering, and those Iwagakure ninjas are obviously not intelligence gathering-type ninjas. However, their ability to get intelligence has reached 28 points. If Aoba did not get the answer, they would be the first in the first round of this Chunin Exams. Therefore, we must be careful of them. Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not easily fight them!" Saki warned in a low voice. She did not know Aoba's strengths or how Aoba got the information. Therefore, she used the safest way to warn Rin.
"I understand. I won't underestimate them..." Rin nodded. However, in her heart, she silently added, 'They should not underestimate them either.'
Aoba quietly listened to Saki's advice. He felt that there was nothing wrong with being careful. After all, being careful was the right thing to do.
As the two of them spoke.
Shikaku had already announced the list of names that passed the first round of Chunin Exams. Other than Aoba's and Iwagakure's teams, Uchiha Kaede and Hyuga Hanamichi's teams had also entered the top ten without any accidents.
"The examinees that I called out..."
Shikaku's voice still echoed in the classroom. Now, every word he said would make the examinees who had not been named feel extremely sad.
They all had a rough idea in their minds.
A team passed.
Then the remaining quota was reduced by one until the names of the ten teams had been read out.
"Congratulations!"
Shikaku's voice had already become much softer, no longer as serious as before. Moreover, a smile had already appeared on his face.
"All of you have passed the first round of this year's Chunin Exams!"
"What awaits all of you next will be the second round!"
"I hope that all of you will still have good luck accompanying you!"
"As for those examinees whose names have not been read..."
"I'm sorry to tell you!"
"All of you have been eliminated!"
After Shikaku officially announced the list of teams that advanced, his mood also relaxed. Everything he could do had been completed, and the rest had nothing to do with him.
Originally, he was the Chunin Exams Chief Examiner!
But...
With the addition of Iwagakure ninja!
His identity had changed into the chief examiner of the first round of the Chunin Exams!
Next, he would hand it over to the chief examiner of the second round!
"The eliminated examinees, you can leave the room with me!"
After saying this, Shikaku nodded to the ninjas responsible for supervising the exam. He used his eyes to indicate that everyone had worked hard. Now that they were all done, it was time to leave it to the next person.
Then.
Shikaku took the lead and walked toward the classroom door.
With his departure.
The proctors and the eliminated examinees also left one after another...
After a while, there were only 30 people left in the room.
"What's going on?"
"What about the second round?"
"Where is the examiner?"
"What kind of trick is this?"
"Don't tell me the second round has already begun?"
"What the hell?"
"\..."
The examinees who had passed the first round all stayed in the room. However, it was like they were doing a self-study because no proctor appeared.
"???"
Even Aoba had a lot of question marks on his head. Now, he could clearly see that Shikaku's work had been completed. Now, he handed the task to the chief examiner of the second round.
But...
Where was the chief examiner?
As time passed...
Gradually.
Ten minutes passed.
Although ten minutes was not a long time for the examinees waiting here, it could already be considered a relatively torturous period of time.
Step, step, step, step...
All of a sudden.
Fine footsteps sounded from outside classroom 301.
Suddenly.
The eyes of the examinees in the classroom became serious. Everyone focused their eyes on the door. They realized that the person who was about to enter was the chief examiner for the second round.
Creak...
At this time.
The classroom door was pushed open. A chubby figure walked in. He had reddish-brown hair and wore a Konohagakure ninja forehead protector on his head. His ninja uniform also had the word "food" printed on it.
Aoba recognized this ninja!
Besides him, Saki and Rin also knew him!
Akimichi Clan, Akimichi Choza!
"Hello, everyone!"
Choza walked in with a smile. He seemed to be at a loss as he scratched his head. Coupled with that seemingly harmless smile, it instantly relaxed the hearts of the examinees.
No matter how they looked at it...
This person looked kinder than Shikaku!
"Let me introduce myself."
With a smile on his face, Choza walked to the podium in the classroom and saw the words written by Shikaku on the blackboard behind him.
"I am the chief examiner for the second round of this year's Chunin Exams!"
"My name is Akimichi Choza!"
"You don't have to be so nervous!"
"I know you have just passed the first exam, and many people have been eliminated. In the end, only 30 of you are left."
"Don't worry!"
"There won't be so many people eliminated in the second round!"
"I think more than half of you can advance!"
Choza was all smiles as he spoke. However, what he said caused the examinees to fall into silence.
30 people became 15 people.
From the elimination rate, it was only 50%. It was less exaggerated than the first round.
"I know that you may have a lot of questions in your mind, but now is not the time to answer them. Now, come with me. I will take you to the Chunin Exams' second-round venue!"
Choza had no intention of answering these people's questions.
Some questions were only temporary questions.
Now you don't understand.
But when you get there, you will naturally understand.
As Choza walked out of the room, the examinees, including Aoba, all walked out together.
Many people had question marks in their minds.
Of course.
This was also the kind of question that Choza was unwilling to answer and would soon know the answer to...
For example, where should they go now?
...
Half an hour later.
Aoba and the others who had passed the first round arrived at the depths of Konohagakure Forest under Choza's lead.
This was a training ground.
There was a tall tower inside.
It was similar to the map of the secret base Aoba was in, but it was not the training ground where Aoba's secret base was.
In fact.
The training ground where Aoba was at.
From the tower situation, it was almost certain that it was abandoned. As for when it would be used again, no one could say for sure!
Choza walked to the edge of the forest. There were barbed wire fences here. The fences formed a circle and surrounded the area.
Where they were now.
There was an iron gate.
The iron gate was wrapped around by thick chains and had a wooden signboard. The big red word "Forbidden to Enter" was painted on the board.
"This is the Chunin Exams' second round venue!"
Choza's voice slowly sounded, clearly transmitted into the ears of the 30 people who had followed him here.
"This is Konohagakure training ground!"
"Of course..."
"It has another name."
"It's called the Forest of Death!"
"We are now in the Thirty-Eighth Training Ground!"
"You will be taking the second round here!"
Choza said loudly. When he finished speaking, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, and he looked serious.
"Chief Examiner, I have a question!"
At this time, a figure in the crowd broke the silence, causing everyone to look at him.
"Hold it in!"
Choza said grumpily. He hated people asking him questions the most, especially answering the questions that might be mentioned.
This...
As soon as Choza said this.
The crowd was all stunned.
No one expected that Choza would speak like this. It could be said that everyone was shocked.
"Before I finish explaining the rules, none of you should ask any questions. This is my rule. Can you understand?" Choza said coldly, "If you don't understand, you can withdraw from the second round at any time!"
After these threatening words were spoken, everyone who wanted to ask a question shut their mouths!
"That's more like it!"
Choza looked at the crowd that had already quieted down and revealed a satisfied smile. He had a new assessment of his deterrence power...