After the first written exam, it was almost identical to the original work, with examiners mixed among the examinees. These examiners would write out answers they already knew.
As for how the others copied, it all depended on their own abilities.
Apart from a larger number of people, it was almost the same; everyone was showing off their skills.
However, the pressure from Yamato, who looked dull, was not small for the examinees this time. Despite his calm eyes, they had heard plenty about the legend of Wood Release in recent years.
But unlike the original work, there was no hardest tenth question in this exam; the difficulty of the first written exam was directly lowered by Uchiha Yoru.
This was for the later stages.
"Alright, I now announce that all the Genin who stayed have passed the first round of assessment."
"What!"
Facing the shock of the examinees, Yakushi Kabuto, with a gentle smile on his face, pushed up his glasses and began to explain to everyone.
"The first written exam is essentially an assessment of your information gathering abilities, as well as your teamwork."
"In a team, there are those who are combat-oriented and those who are supportive. But in various complex missions, gathering information is the most important issue. In your teams, after you obtain information, is that information true or false?"
"And for those in your team who are poor at gathering information, how do you help them…"
Yakushi Kabuto, with a gentle smile, explained the content of this exam to everyone, and squinting his eyes, he said, "There were quite a few of our people hidden among you during the exam, but there were also deliberately false pieces of information."
"For those who were just expelled from the exam room, I can only say their level was too poor. And the standard for this assessment is very simple, just the ability of an ordinary Genin."
"This time, we will not collect your test papers; they are for you to see. You should each see for yourselves who collected true information. In a mission, a single piece of false information can not only kill you but also your teammates…"
Just then, a cold light flashed outside the window, followed by a dark shadow flashing in. Many Genin showed serious expressions.
"This is not the time to be happy! I am the examiner for the second round, Mitarashi Anko!"
The black cloth opened, revealing the words 'Second Round Examination.' This high-profile and passionate scene left countless Genin below dumbfounded.
And for the ninja of Konoha, it was extremely awkward.
"Hey, hey, there's also me, Lord Guren."
Another female ninja excitedly shouted, feeling not the slightest bit of embarrassment.
"Biwa Jūzō." The third figure, after being silent for a while, still lowered his voice and reported his name, feeling very awkward.
"All Genin, let's begin our second round of exams in the Forest of Death!"
Although countless Konoha and Mist ninja already understood, every time they saw the bold and brash Mitarashi Anko, they were still extremely embarrassed.
Yakushi Kabuto, looking at Guren, sweated a drop and muttered to himself, "She just came to Konoha and already found a companion, but it's really outrageous."
Forest of Death.
When nearly six hundred examinees arrived at the entrance of the Forest of Death and saw the towering trees, they all showed shocked expressions.
The trees and animals in the ninja world were already outrageous, but the forest in front of them was even more so.
"It is said that the Forest of Death underwent earth-shaking changes after the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sama, used Wood Release."
As someone shared this information, many people showed shocked expressions.
The terrifyingly huge forest in front of them made humans seem like ants, and its range was so vast, how much chakra would that require?
"Alright, now everyone sign…"
Mitarashi Anko, with a face full of innocent smiles, explained the rules of the second exam, but numerous Genin showed shocked expressions.
This exam is basically about making them kill each other in the forest.
But the examiner's indifferent demeanor made it seem like such a normal thing.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you, this is just the first half of the second exam."
"The first half?"
Countless people looked at their examiner in shock, and at Mitarashi Anko's smiling face.
"That's right, you have 24 hours in the Forest of Death to fight for the scrolls. Only the teams that collect both the Heaven and Earth scrolls can advance. Of course, even if you collect them before time is up, you need to be careful."
"Half an hour of rest and consideration time, the timer starts now."
…
Half an hour passed quickly, and no one withdrew. Everyone signed the consent form, and then the drawing of lots and distribution of scrolls began.
No one knew what scroll others had drawn, and the Genin teams were somewhat suspicious of the lots in their hands.
According to the draw, ten teams were grouped together randomly, which made many Genin ponder deeply, wondering if the groups were to be decided by the draw for a battle.
While everyone was in doubt, Guren smiled, formed hand seals, and then struck the ground forcefully.
Summoning Jutsu.
The huge cloud of smoke from the Summoning Jutsu dissipated, revealing several strong and massive eagles.
"Listen up, everyone," Guren announced. "According to the draw, you'll get on the summoned eagles. You will be randomly dropped from high altitude, so your landing spots will be random."
Beneath the confusion, some faces turned pale. Being dropped from high up, even though the forest below might cushion the fall, still made some weaker Genin nervous.
However, some of the calmer Genin had already thought of a solution.
The dense sound of eagles resounded over Konoha. In an instant, nearly a hundred eagles appeared, each with numerous ninjas on their backs.
Flying in the sky, Mitarashi Anko, smiling widely, patted the eagle beneath her. "Guren, you're not leaving this time, right?"
"Yes, I'm not leaving," Guren, wearing a forehead protector with a 'God' character, responded with a satisfied and happy smile.
Most of the Genin above the Forest of Death showed nervous expressions.
"What do we do, Sasuke? Are they really going to drop us from high up?" asked a terrified Naruto, looking down at the ground from a great height, an experience he had never had before.
Not just Naruto, even Sakura showed signs of nervousness, while Sasuke snorted coldly in response.
"Think about what our ninja school teachers said about reducing falling speed in mid-air."
Sasuke snorted coldly, took off his shirt, and fashioned it into a makeshift parachute to slow his descent.
Seeing this, Sakura quickly understood and got excited. "I get it now," she said. "The teacher once mentioned that a brief burst of chakra, filling the clothes, can create a temporary barrier...''
However, what all the examinees in the field didn't know was that, inside a giant enclosed coliseum in Konoha, a huge water orb was showing the scene of the Forest of Death.
Nearly everyone there, from dignitaries and envoys of various countries to leading Jonin and Chunin, stared intently at the orb.
Amidst gasps of surprise, the sky full of eagles turned into smoke and disappeared, and at the same time, numerous figures began to fall from the sky.
In an instant, hundreds of ninjas started showing their skills, though most used their clothes as parachutes to cushion their fall.
The dense forest below also served as a perfect buffer.
Puff~ Puff~
One after another, the figures disappeared into the vast forest, while some unlucky ones screamed and made fighting noises as they landed in the wrong spots.
As each figure disappeared, the water orb fluctuated and split into numerous orbs, each recording the image of every team.
This was made possible through the collaboration of the Barrier Department and Intelligence Department in the empty field.
This unimaginable forest battle excited the dignitaries and many ninjas were secretly shocked.
This method left no room for accusations of cheating.
In terms of numbers and various examination rules, Konoha, Mist, and Sound were at a disadvantage, yet everything was in plain sight with no hint of cheating.
This event, organized by the different ninja villages, made the leading Jonin from each village frown, as it seemed to expose everyone's intelligence.
However, the Jonin of Konoha appeared unconcerned and calm.
Hokage's Office Building.
"This time, are they really emphasizing fairness?" Tsunade wondered skeptically. The so-called fairness was just a facade for outsiders. It would be foolish not to take advantage of their home turf.
Terumī Mei also looked doubtful, but Uchiha Yoru just shrugged and smiled.
"For the excitement of the later events, it's natural that teams with potential are separated."
He's not stupid. If he really goes down immediately, what if the strongest teams happen to be in the same area? That would be unlucky.
By making reasonable use of the rules, the teams with potential are separated, making the later matches more exciting and watchable.
After hearing this, Tsunade and Terumi Mei showed an expression of realization, while Uchiha Yoru just casually shrugged his shoulders.
"The exciting part should be saved for last, and the second half of the second test is when it really begins."
Under Uchiha Yoru's casual smile, there was no hint of worry for the chaos of hundreds of people, as the strong teams were spread out.
If they do encounter each other in the Forest of Death, then it's just bad luck.
Meanwhile, the Chunin Exam in the village is in full swing. In a secluded part of the forest, two figures are having a secret conversation.
"Lord Jiraiya, are you in such a hurry?"
Sarutobi Asuma looked doubtful, while Jiraiya grimaced in displeasure.
"Asuma, I've received intelligence that the militant faction of the Sarutobi clan is planning a coup. Their influence is growing stronger recently."
Sarutobi Asuma's face stiffened with loss upon hearing this.
"I didn't expect that you already knew, Lord Jiraiya."
A cigarette slowly lit up. Sarutobi Asuma, looking worn and defeated, leaned against a big tree, his eyes empty as he exhaled smoke.
After a long pause, Asuma sighed.
"Lord Jiraiya, am I useless? As the head of the Sarutobi clan, I can't even stop this from happening."
Jiraiya's expression also darkened, his voice low and serious, "Asuma, since I'm fully in charge of this matter, the village can't afford any unrest."
Now that the village is peaceful and strong, Jiraiya, despite his reluctance, will not allow anyone to disrupt the hard-won peace.
"Lord Jiraiya, here are the details on the Sarutobi clan's militant faction, along with the layout of the clan's territory."
Sarutobi Asuma silently handed over a document and a map, practically sealing his clan's fate.
"So, Asuma, when is the coup planned?"
Jiraiya asked, to which Sarutobi Asuma sighed with a bitter smile.
"Lord Jiraiya, these people have formed their own faction. If not for my father's lingering influence, I would have lost the position of head of the household long ago."
Asuma, with his cigarette and beard, looked nothing like a man in his twenties, more like a middle-aged man in his forties.
Asuma self-mockingly smiled, "I used to look down on Fugaku, thinking he couldn't even control his own clan. Now I realize how incredible it is to be able to govern a whole clan."
As Jiraiya reviewed the information, his expression grew increasingly grim.
"Asuma, how could so many be involved? Surveillance of the Sarutobi clan was recently relaxed; shouldn't things be improving?"
Jiraiya was equally puzzled, while Sarutobi Asuma sighed, "Lord Jiraiya, what does it matter if surveillance is relaxed? Look at the size of the Sarutobi clan today."
"And how much of the clan's industries and resources remain? The clan can't support such a large population. So, when surveillance relaxed, I thought it was a good start, but someone stirred them up!"
Looking at Jiraiya, Sarutobi Asuma saw him frown, realizing it was because of him.
The Sarutobi clan thought they could win Jiraiya over, as he was the Third Hokage's disciple.
"So, Asuma, is the Sarutobi clan planning anything else?"
Pretending to be nonchalant, Jiraiya calmly asked. Sarutobi Asuma shook his head with a frown.
"They just want to regain their former power through a coup, without any detailed plan."
However, Jiraiya's eyes flashed with killing intent, staring intently at Asuma, causing him to sweat.
"Asuma, I have confirmed intelligence: the Sarutobi clan has betrayed the village."
"How is that possible!"
"The Sarutobi clan, using their familial influence, has allied with the Sand Village to stage a coup!"
Boom! When Jiraiya personally revealed this, Sarutobi Asuma's pupils shrank, his expression one of disbelief.
Jiraiya, however, was utterly cold. Since he dared to tell Asuma, he was confident the information would not leak.
"Now, I will place a seal in your brain. If you even think of leaking information, the seal will activate."
"Also, it's time for you to make a decision regarding the Sarutobi clan."
~~~
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