He even managed a slight smile. "Very good. All of you who chose to answer the question... have passed!"
For a moment, the classroom was completely silent, and then a wave of disbelief washed over them. "What?!"
Ibiki Morino then explained the purpose of the written test. "There are three levels to this test. If you could answer all the questions on your own, that would be truly impressive. If you couldn't, you needed to find the answer yourself. This tests your intelligence-gathering capabilities. The third level was the final question, which tested not only your will to never give up, but also your team's cohesion. Only by working together could you have a chance to pass."
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Ibiki glanced at the results with satisfaction. "Twenty-six groups, seventy-eight people, passed the first test? That's much more than I expected..." With nearly two hundred participants, only seventy-eight passing was actually quite brutal, but it was still a more optimistic outcome than Ibiki had imagined. He understood that many of them had only stayed because of Naruto. If Naruto hadn't made his bold declaration, perhaps more would have given up. Sure enough, he noticed some of the teams giving Naruto grateful looks.
Just then, a figure suddenly burst through the window, startling everyone. "There are still so many left, Ibiki! You went easy on them this time, didn't you?!"
Ibiki smiled slightly. "There's nothing I can do. This year's candidates are very outstanding."
The newcomer was a female ninja with a bright, outgoing smile. She stood with her hands on her hips, her gaze sweeping over everyone with a dangerous aura. Despite her bright and sweet appearance, she seemed like a venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment.
"My name is Anko Mitarashi, and I am the examiner for your second exam!" she announced. "Now, everyone follow me!" With that, she leaped back out of the window in a flurry of motion. The others hurriedly followed.
"What's wrong with her? She's acting crazy," Naruto complained.
Hinata chuckled. "That's wonderful, Naruto. We both passed the first test. And speaking of which, it's all thanks to you."
Sasuke scoffed. "Just lucky."
Naruto retorted, "Oh yeah, Sasuke? You couldn't even answer those questions, could you?!"
"I don't need to know how," Sasuke shot back. "My Sharingan is the answer."
Naruto was speechless.
Soon, everyone had landed on the ground, not far from the boundary of Konoha Village. Anko introduced the next stage with a dangerous smile. "Just ahead is the Forest of Death. As the name suggests, this place is extremely dangerous and could cause injury or death at any time. The second test is also very simple. Each team will receive a scroll, either 'Heaven' or 'Earth.' You need to collect both scrolls within five days and successfully reach the tower in the center of the forest to pass!"
Sasuke frowned slightly. "Collect two scrolls? This setup is intentionally designed to force all teams to fight each other..."
Anko's smile widened. "You got it! Aside from the terrifying environment of the Forest of Death, all other teams are your enemies! Suspicion, doubt, fear, worry... you'll have to choose your own fate between killing and being killed!"
Naruto muttered, "...This woman is really crazy."
"Huh? Kid, you're not convinced?" Anko suddenly threw a kunai directly at him, clearly intending to make an example of him. But the Naruto of today was not the hapless loser he once was. He reacted instantly, kicking the projectile out of the air.
*Bang—* The kunai plunged into the ground beside him.
"Oh? Quick-witted, impressive kid!" Anko exclaimed in admiration.
A mysterious figure wearing a straw hat then stuck out a long tongue, rolled up the kunai, and handed it back to Anko. He said in a hoarse voice, "Your kunai."
Anko smiled nonchalantly. "Thank you. Now, all teams, please collect your scrolls and enter the Forest of Death from your designated entrances. The assessment begins!"
The three members of Team 7 quickly received their scroll. Naruto, seeing that no one was around, took a closer look. It was a scroll with the character for 'Heaven' (天). "That means we need to find at least one scroll with the character for 'Earth' on it," he declared. "Here we go, Team 7! Don't forget, we are the strongest team!" Brimming with confidence, Naruto put the scroll away and flew through their assigned entrance, finally entering the Forest of Death.
On the other side, the man with the eerie long tongue licked his lips, his snake-like pupils glinting with a chilling aura that made even his own subordinates shudder.
"The mission is confirmed," he hissed. "The target is... Uchiha Sasuke!"
His two subordinates nodded hurriedly. "Yes! Let's go!" The three of them rushed off and entered the Forest of Death. The five-day assessment had officially begun, and the shadow of death loomed over Konoha.
Team 7 quickly ventured into the forest. The cold, damp, dark, and cramped environment was unnerving, and the terrifying atmosphere made even Hinata and Sasuke feel a sense of unease. Naruto, however, was his usual self, his personality too boisterous to be suppressed.
"Hinata, Sasuke, there's no need to be so tense!" he said. "We are, after all, the strongest Team 7! Other teams won't provoke us unless they have no other choice!"
Hinata and Sasuke exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. Indeed, Team 7 had gained some renown not just in Konoha but throughout the ninja world. Killing Zabuza Momochi was by no means a trivial matter.
Naruto was overjoyed and supremely confident. "Right now, we are the hunters, and the other teams are the prey! It's time to search for an Earth Scroll! Our goal is to be the first to complete the mission!"
Seeing Naruto so energetic greatly boosted their morale. Hinata smiled sweetly. "Okay, Naruto!"
Although Sasuke didn't say it, he felt a surge of confidence as well. *That's right,* he thought, *Team 7 is by no means weak. They are the ones who should be afraid.* Thinking about this, all three of them felt an eagerness to begin.
"Hinata, I'll be counting on you to search for the enemy's trail!" Naruto said.
"I understand," she replied. "Byakugan!" She immediately activated her eyes, using their powerful perception to scan the entire area, taking in almost everything that was happening. The Byakugan might not be as effective as the Sharingan in one-on-one combat, but it possessed immense strategic value on the battlefield.
Soon, Hinata spotted a target within her field of vision. "Naruto, Sasuke, an enemy squad has been spotted eight hundred meters to our left! We can devise a strategy to seize their scrolls!"
Naruto, however, just burst into laughter. "Our tactic is offense!" He immediately sprinted forward, charging straight at the enemy team.
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