"It seems pretty simple. If that's the case, we just need to defeat one team to pass the exam," Obito said after hearing the rules. He felt this exam was much easier compared to the previous one.
"That might be possible if you're lucky," Kakashi nodded and replied.
A ten-kilometer distance is not long for ninjas. The core of this exam is to seize the scrolls.
"After this exam, at least half of the participants will be eliminated," Rin analyzed the rules.
Last time, there were only three teams that either cheated or had insufficient scores, so the majority of the teams passed the first exam.
"Not just that; by the end of this exam, at most a third of the participants will remain," Kakashi said, shaking his head slightly.
To pass the exam, all teams will actively attack other teams, but the problem is that they might not get the matching scroll. If they don't, they'll continue attacking.
Kakashi felt that even a third was conservative. Some people who like to cause trouble might not stop even after collecting all the scrolls, further increasing the number of eliminations.
"If we're relying on luck, this could be a problem. We won't be able to smoothly find the matching scroll. With Kakashi around, there are bound to be accidents," Obito was already prepared for the possibility of winning five times in a row with nothing to show for it.
Kakashi: ...
"Maybe you'll be the unlucky one. After all, we've always been in the same team," Kakashi retorted.
"How could I be unlucky? I've always been looking forward to encountering the enemy. If they really show up, it should be a sign of good luck for me," Obito thought Kakashi was making excuses.
"Each team must send a representative to collect the scrolls," announced the Chunin in charge of distributing them.
Kakashi looked over; the scroll collection area was a wooden hut with only front and back doors and no windows.
"Rin-chan, you go and collect the scroll. Once you have it, put it away immediately and don't show it," Kakashi decided on the spot.
He realized the second stage of the Chunin exam had already begun, starting from the moment the scrolls were distributed.
If they knew beforehand whether a team had the Heaven or Earth scroll, they could then plan their battles accordingly.
"Obito, you stay here with me and keep an eye on those coming out. If someone hasn't hidden their scroll, note down their face and the type of scroll. You haven't forgotten how to distinguish the scrolls, have you?"
"Yumi-sensei just said that; how could I forget? The white one is the Heaven scroll, and the dark one is the Earth scroll," Obito felt seriously underestimated. Even a fool wouldn't forget something right after it was mentioned.
However, Obito also understood the importance of the task and didn't continue to argue with Kakashi about it. Instead, he and Kakashi watched the wooden hut's exits from two different directions.
"Heaven scroll, Earth scroll, Earth scroll..." After observing five teams, Kakashi found that the distribution of scrolls was random, with no discernible pattern.
Other ninjas also noticed Kakashi and the others' actions, but they didn't make a fuss. They merely alerted their teammates and quietly gathered information using peripheral vision.
Ninjas with special abilities used their powers to gather intelligence directly. Hyuga Clan ninjas used their Byakugan to check everyone's scrolls, while Aburame Clan ninjas released a small bug to enter the hut.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Jutsu!" When it was Terumi Mei's turn to collect a scroll, she immediately performed the Hiding in Mist Jutsu, enveloping the hut in thick mist.
"Our scroll is the Earth scroll. Come and try to steal it if you can," Kurosawa announced, holding up the scroll for everyone to see.
Kurosawa's arrogance sparked a discussion among the students.
However, no one explicitly expressed a desire to steal Kurosawa's scroll, as doing so would reveal their own team's scroll information.
Kisame remained unmoved. Kurosawa's actions were not mindless; their mission was to make a significant impact during Konoha's Chunin exam.
The nine-year-old Zabuza was a ruthless killer who eliminated his peers upon graduation. The thirteen-year-old Kurosawa had already become a Chunin three years ago, making him an experienced young Chunin. The eleven-year-old Kisame possessed extraordinary Chakra and strength. With such a configuration, the Mist Village Elders would naturally not let them participate in the exam normally.
After obtaining the scroll, Rin immediately placed it in her ninja tool pouch and then met up with Obito and Kakashi.
Kakashi led the two to an unoccupied area on the edge and began speaking softly.
"We have the Heaven scroll," Rin said quietly.
"So we need the Earth scroll," Kakashi began recalling the teams with Earth scrolls. Besides the openly publicized Kurosawa, he knew of five teams that possessed Earth scrolls.
Kakashi looked at those teams with Earth scrolls and memorized all their members.
While Kakashi was observing the other teams, he noticed that many teams were also focusing on them. Most of these were from outside villages, predominantly from the Mist Village.
Kakashi wasn't surprised by this, as their team did seem easy to target, being all children under ten years old.
"They seem to be recent graduates," a Mist Village ninja thought.
In the ninja world, one-on-one duels or not picking on the weak are rare; rather than challenging tough opponents, many prefer to pick on easy targets.
Not only was Kakashi's team treated this way, but so were Guy and Asuma's teams.
Even more attention was drawn to them, as several ninjas from the same village were also focused on them.
Kakashi was somewhat well-known in Konoha. Some of the ninjas participating in this Chunin exam were senior students when Kakashi entered the academy, while others were Genin who had previously taken the Chunin exam with him.
Although they didn't know why Kakashi was participating in the Chunin exam, those aware of Kakashi's strength certainly wouldn't consider his team as their primary target.
"This isn't good," feeling the malicious gazes around them, Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses with his middle finger and felt a bit of cold sweat on his forehead.
Although he hadn't noticed and taken action as quickly as Kakashi, he had managed to keep up and protect the scroll information.
But seeing the situation, Ebisu realized that those teams were intent on grabbing any scrolls from them and treated them as if they were easy targets to be dealt with.
Facing those who had graduated three or even five years ago, Ebisu admitted he was starting to sweat.
Genma couldn't maintain his relaxed smile any longer; the pressure was significant.
"It's alright, believe in your youth!" Guy encouraged, placing his hands on their shoulders.
Looking at the brilliantly smiling Guy, Ebisu felt much more at ease. With such a strong support, their chances of advancing were quite high.
Fifteen minutes after the scrolls were distributed, Mutsuki began making the next arrangements, leading the examinees to their respective entrances.
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