Dosu stood up, appearing not seriously injured. He had underestimated Kaguya, thinking she was just a pretty face, but had suffered because of it.
He lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, and let out a chilling laugh, sending shivers down the spines of those around him. It was clear Kaguya had angered him.
Just as Dosu prepared to teach Kaguya a lesson.
"Boom!"
"Quiet down, you bunch of trash."
Suddenly, a puff of white smoke exploded at the front of the room, obscuring everyone's vision.
As the smoke cleared, a bald head was revealed.
Oh, correction, it was a bald head surrounded by a dozen Konoha ninjas standing in a row at the front of the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," said the scarred bald ninja, "I am the proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Selection Exam, Morino Ibiki."
Ibiki scanned the ninjas in the room, his gaze falling on the corner where the Oto-nin stood, his expression unfriendly. "You Oto-nin, you'd better behave before the exam starts. Do you want to be disqualified immediately?"
"Sorry," Dosu turned and said, "I'm just excited because it's my first time."
"Hmph," Ibiki then turned to Kaguya, "You too, got it?"
"Mm, mm," Kaguya shrugged nonchalantly.
"Now is a good time to clarify the rules," Ibiki said sternly. "No fighting without the examiner's permission, and even with permission, you must not kill your opponent. Anyone who defies these rules will be immediately disqualified, understood?"
"Now we will begin the first stage of the Chunin Selection Exam. Hand in your application forms and receive your number cards. Sit in the assigned seats according to your numbers. The test papers will be distributed next."
The first stage was a written exam, just like in the original story.
Kaguya received her number card and felt a bit annoyed. The number on her card was 38.
Was this a joke on her?
She went to her seat and sat down. Soon, the test papers were handed out. Kaguya picked up her paper and skimmed through it.
As expected, it was difficult.
Kaguya usually focused on practical training, neglecting theoretical study. She found theory less important, thinking that even Naruto, who had terrible grades, ended up as one of the strongest.
But she couldn't ignore the exam. Knowing the plot, she didn't worry too much and started spinning her pen idly.
At this time, Ibiki began explaining the rules from the front. People's reactions varied, but some had already noticed the hidden agenda.
This exam wasn't just a test of knowledge; it was an exercise in information gathering, testing the ninjas' abilities to cheat without getting caught.
"Begin."
At Ibiki's command, everyone started their tests, though few began writing immediately. The questions were too difficult for most of the ninjas present.
Over time, the ninjas began to understand the true nature of the exam and started using their cheating methods. Sasuke used his Sharingan, Neji used his Byakugan, and Kiba used his dog to view the questions.
As for Kaguya, she simply lay down on her desk and fell asleep.
Ibiki glanced at Kaguya, his eyes narrowing.
This girl is completely unaffected by the commotion, remaining very calm. For a newcomer, this is quite impressive.
As the exam progressed, people who were caught cheating five times were expelled from the exam room, and their two teammates also lost their qualification to continue.
"Now, I'll announce the tenth question," Ibiki said solemnly from the podium.
Everyone's eyes focused on Ibiki. Especially Naruto, who clenched his fists and stared intensely at the front, because he hadn't answered any questions and was relying solely on the final question.
"First, I need you all," Ibiki began, "to choose whether to answer the tenth question or not."
"Choose?" Temari asked hurriedly. "What happens if we choose not to answer the tenth question?"
"If you choose not to answer, your score will become zero," Ibiki said, a smirk playing on his lips, "which means you'll lose the right to continue the exam, and your teammates will also be disqualified."
"What does that mean?"
"Of course we'll choose to answer!"
"This is just too much."
"Additionally, there's another rule," Ibiki said solemnly, "if you choose to answer but cannot correctly solve the question, you will lose the qualification to ever take the Chunin Exam again."
Kaguya woke up at this point, yawning as she looked at the anxious genin around her. Clearly, Ibiki was messing with them, but they all seemed to believe him.
"Now, begin."
The atmosphere in the room became tense immediately.
"I-I choose to give up."
"Candidate 50 is disqualified, along with candidates 130 and 111."
Finally, someone couldn't bear the pressure and chose to give up. After him, more people raised their hands and chose to give up.
Kaguya rested her chin on one hand, spinning her pen with the other, looking quite bored.
These foolish people, don't they realize that Chunin, Jonin, or even Kage are just titles? What truly determines their status is their own strength.
If one's strength is great, even if they remain a genin forever, no one would look down on them. For example, Naruto remained a genin for a long time but eventually became Hokage.
Sensing something, Ibiki glanced at Kaguya sitting at the back, his eyes narrowing.
This girl had remained relaxed since the beginning of the exam and still showed no signs of pressure even at the final question.
Was it because she was alone and thus felt no need to worry about dragging down teammates? Or had she seen through the true purpose of the exam?
Ibiki furrowed his brow as he saw Kaguya turn her head and wave at him lightly.
As expected.