"Next, I will announce the contents of the tenth question, but before that, you must make a choice..."
Just like in the original story, Morino Ibiki, before revealing the tenth question, gave the examinees a choice: whether to answer or not. If they chose to answer and got it wrong, they would never be allowed to become Chunin. If they chose not to answer, they would automatically forfeit, and their entire team would be eliminated.
This choice immediately caused a stir throughout the room. Some examinees, who had gone through great lengths to cheat, stood up angrily in protest.
However, when Morino Ibiki removed his headband to reveal his scarred and bald head, coupled with his menacing Jonin aura, the entire room fell silent, intimidated by the head of the interrogation unit.
The heavy, silent atmosphere began to mentally torment those examinees who were weak-willed or lacked confidence in their abilities.
"I... I quit!"
Soon enough, a candidate, unable to bear the psychological pressure, raised his hand to forfeit. As he left, he justified his decision, "I'm still young, I can always try again next time. I won't risk my ninja career on an unknown question."
That statement became the final straw for several other candidates, who also raised their hands and forfeited.
Seats that had been completely filled quickly began to empty as more candidates lost confidence and quit.
Seeing more and more people dropping out, both Sasuke and Sakura, who had little faith in Naruto, fixed their worried gazes on Naruto's back, fearful that the class clown would raise his hand as well.
As the clock neared the final five minutes, Naruto, trembling all over, slowly raised his hand under Sasuke and Sakura's worried stares.
Bang!
But in the next moment, Naruto slammed his hand down on the desk, drawing everyone's attention.
"Don't underestimate me! I'm not going to run away! Even if I have to stay a Genin for life, I'll still work hard to become Hokage! That's my ninja way! Bring it on, tenth question!"
His loud and determined voice filled the room, shaking everyone.
The candidates who had been filled with doubt and hesitation suddenly felt a spark of inspiration. In that moment, they were infected by Naruto's sheer willpower, and the fear in their eyes was replaced with determination.
The atmosphere in the exam room changed in an instant.
Seeing this, Morino Ibiki and the proctors were stunned, their gazes filled with disbelief as they looked at Naruto.
Yagyu, resting his chin on his hand, smiled as he watched Naruto's back.
So this is the power of persuasion jutsu? It's really impressive how it can inspire others!
For Yagyu, this was good news.
He wasn't sure if Asura's chakra contained the consciousness of Otsutsuki Asura himself. But now, Yagyu was quite certain that any trace of Otsutsuki Asura's will remained with Naruto. The Asura chakra that Yagyu had acquired was purely energy.
This meant that there were no hidden tricks from the Sage of Six Paths tied to his Asura chakra.
The game system's level far surpasses that of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Time's up. I hereby announce... all of you have passed the first exam!"
Seeing that his psychological test had failed, Morino Ibiki didn't waste any time and immediately declared that everyone had passed.
This announcement caused another uproar in the room.
Many of the candidates who had steeled themselves to risk their ninja careers for the tenth question were left stunned.
Several of them even broke down, standing up to angrily question Morino Ibiki, "What was the point of all our effort just now?"
Even though Ibiki explained that the first exam was meant to test their qualities as a ninja, many of the candidates still struggled to accept it.
Only Naruto, who had just stabilized everyone's resolve with his persuasive speech, was beaming with joy.
Did we just pass the first exam like that? Naruto thought, overjoyed.
Even Hinata, sitting next to Naruto, looked at him in disbelief. She knew very well that Naruto hadn't answered a single question on his test sheet apart from writing his name.
Passing the exam with a blank paper—how amazing! Hinata thought. She made a mental note to bring this up later when talking with Yagyu and Ino.
Crash!
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass rang out as a kunai flew into the room.
The proctor for the second exam, Mitarashi Anko, made a flashy, dramatic entrance, successfully diverting the candidates' attention.
"Ibiki, why are there so many left?" she asked.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'll make sure at least half of them are gone in the second exam."
Even though no one responded to her dramatic entrance, Anko wasn't embarrassed. After taunting Ibiki, she scanned the room like a hunter eyeing prey.
Hearing her words, many of the examinees felt a chill run down their spines.
Anko quickly announced the time and location for the second exam, which would take place at 3:00 PM the next day at Konoha's 44th training ground, also known as the Forest of Death.
After the exam was dismissed, Ino and Sakura immediately parted ways with their teams and headed over to Yagyu.
Ino, always bold and outgoing, looped her arm through Yagyu's with a smile, prompting jealous glances from Hinata and Sakura. "Yagyu, can I come over to your place for dinner? It's been so long since I've tasted your cooking."
"Of course, you're all welcome to come," Yagyu replied, using his height to ruffle Ino's hair playfully before smiling at the three girls.
The sight of Yagyu surrounded by three cute girls attracted the attention of many, both from older Konoha shinobi and from shinobi from other villages. They all looked at Yagyu with envy and jealousy.
Handsome, powerful, and surrounded by so many girls who like him…
Which novel did this guy step out of as the main character?
The female shinobi were just as envious, particularly of Hinata, who drew several hostile stares.
Some of the girls even muttered quietly, "There's no way they're that big at her age. She must be stuffing something in there. Shameless!"
But Yagyu and the others were unaware of these thoughts and wouldn't have cared even if they had known. They were used to such reactions.
After leaving the academy, the four of them—who hadn't spent time together for months—headed to the market to buy groceries and then returned home to cook.
Like in Yagyu's previous life in Japan, women in this world were mostly expected to become housewives after marriage, rarely taking on missions. To have a man cook was seen as shameful.
However, the three girls—who were likely to become good wives and mothers in the future—never stopped Yagyu from entering the kitchen. In fact, they only ever assisted him, because Yagyu's cooking was entirely different from what they were used to at home or from what was available outside.
That's right, Yagyu was cooking Chinese food.
Today was no exception.
After preparing a feast to satisfy Ino and Sakura's taste buds, Yagyu didn't quiz them on their progress but instead took out a deck of cards. They played and chatted, sharing their experiences from the past few months.
When Yagyu, Sakura, and Hinata talked about encountering high-level Jonin from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Ino gasped in shock, her face filled with fear at the thought.
But when she and Sakura heard that Yagyu had actually killed the Jonin-level swordsman Raiga Kurosuki, they both looked at him with admiration, their eyes practically sparkling.
Sakura, in particular, knew all too well the vast gap between a Genin and a Jonin after witnessing Zabuza's strength firsthand.
Even with Naruto and Sasuke teaming up, they had only managed to evade Zabuza's water clone.
Yet Yagyu had killed someone at that level.
He really is amazing, just as expected from Yagyu!
None of the three girls realized that they were becoming blindly infatuated with Yagyu's strength and talent.
Looking at the three girls who were practically melting under his influence, Yagyu felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
Once his plan succeeded, the only barrier left between him and the three girls would be their age.
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