Naruto quickly shifted his attention to the other candidates.
He stroked his chin, his thoughts swirling.
"Those puzzles that require tools to solve are actually easy to deal with, and those that require listening with your eyes open aren't too hard either. The simplest approach is to take out the Chūnin who already knows the answers," Naruto thought as he constantly adjusted the angle of his forehead protector.
"Found you." He finally locked onto a bespectacled candidate furiously scribbling notes. It seemed this person wasn't receiving any outside help.
"How should I deal with him…" Naruto pondered, and suddenly, a bold idea struck him.
His eyes glowed a deep crimson again, this time with a faint trace of malice lingering around him.
Hinata's eyelids twitched as she turned to look at Naruto. He stared back at her, pale and terrified, his mouth wide open.
"Shh, it's okay, I'm just running a small experiment," Naruto whispered, transforming the Nine-Tails' chakra into a long, transparent ribbon that spread outward.
Every passing candidate was filled with fear. Some of the more timid ones even felt their lower body weaken, or their hands tremble so badly they couldn't write a single word.
Soon, the Nine-Tails' chakra reached the bespectacled candidate. He seemed frozen by some unknown force, his mind filled with boundless malice. For a moment, his eyes glowed faintly red.
Naruto peeked through his forehead protector at the scene behind him.
"There's still hope!" he thought, secretly pleased, and began searching for the next candidate who knew the answers.
He didn't cover the entire exam hall with Nine-Tails' chakra, careful not to make too much noise and draw the attention of Konoha's higher-ups.
As he searched, he tried to justify his actions: "I'm not trying to deceive you. Many will die in the Death Forest anyway. If I remove you in advance, you'll live a few years longer."
"All of this is for your own good!" Naruto thought, feeling the cost he was paying for the genin too high.
But soon, a chill ran down his spine as his gaze met Ibiki's.
"Has he discovered me?" Naruto thought as he saw Ibiki staring at him with a serious expression.
"Yet the Nine-Tails' chakra seems to have greatly enhanced my perception," Naruto realized.
He retracted the chakra, aware that his recent actions had already caused several candidates in the area to abandon their answers.
They suspected some indescribable evil was acting upon them.
As for Sakura, she hadn't started writing either, instead contemplating whether she should let Ino find a way to copy her answers.
According to the original story, Ino would use Mind Transfer Jutsu to obtain Sakura's answers and then relay them to Shikamaru and Choji.
Sakura thought for a long while and still hadn't started writing.
Perhaps it was influenced by the original owner's mood. She didn't want Ino and the others to continue competing in the subsequent rounds, even if it meant Shikamaru might lose his chance to become a Chūnin.
Setting Shikamaru aside, Ino and Choji had no means of self-protection at this point. If this new time-traveling candidate were a psychopath, their lives could be in danger.
"Let fate decide," Sakura sighed softly. She decided to let Ino and the others figure things out themselves.
Time flew, and soon only ten minutes remained.
Ibiki scanned the room, then glanced at Naruto before announcing, "Good! Now I will reveal the question for Problem Ten!"
"But I want to add some additional rules…"
A sinister smile spread across Ibiki's face. "…Rules of despair… hmm?" As he spoke the words "rules of despair," the surroundings suddenly darkened dramatically, then just as suddenly returned to normal.
He couldn't help but glance again at Naruto.
Who was that?
On the other side, Naruto shook his head helplessly. Isn't this just using the Nine-Tails to amplify your oppressive presence? Why did he stumble halfway through explaining? Naruto thought Ibiki's actions were highly unprofessional.
Ibiki coughed and continued explaining the rules. This time he spoke in one go, more fluently. Once he finished, the exam hall was instantly filled with a sense of despair.
Naruto added just the right touch of the Nine-Tails' chakra effect. He even wondered if he should ask Ibiki for a reward afterward.
But who was this guy? A lighting technician? A mood designer?
"Huh?" Ibiki sensed something was off again. This time, he hesitated before finally locking his gaze on Naruto.
This kid… looks familiar… something's not right. How could such a little brat emit such a powerful aura?
Still, the atmosphere Naruto had created was excellent. People eagerly raised their hands to volunteer, and some even queued up for number cards.
Seeing this, Naruto finally suppressed the Nine-Tails' chakra entirely.
"That's enough. Keep going, and something bad might happen," he said, exhaling. He suspected that if he had pushed it a few seconds longer, Hiruzen Sarutobi himself might have been drawn in.
Meanwhile, he continued surveying the room, but still found no anomalies.
The Twelve Strong, Sound ninjas, Sand ninjas, and the Kikaichu… none of them were affected, but the number of smaller characters had decreased significantly.
I hope that time traveler is just one of those minor characters… tsk. If he really got eliminated, does that mean he'll just have to wait at the door?
Naruto's expression suddenly tensed. He picked up his forehead protector and began observing the examinees who were giving up.
Hinata, standing nearby, saw her beloved looking anxious and scanning the room, and her heart ached. She took a deep breath, mustering courage, and gently patted Naruto. "Naruto-kun, are you really okay?"
"I'm fine…" Naruto waved her off, but quickly changed the topic. "Actually, I feel a bit off lately. After the exam, could you use Byakugan to help me out?"
Hinata blushed shyly and nodded.
Ah, Konoha's flower child is really beautiful!Naruto smiled and nodded, planning to get closer to Hinata today.
Meanwhile, Ibiki scanned the classroom and asked again if anyone had left. After receiving a negative answer, he solemnly announced:"Alright, everyone present… I declare that you have all passed the First Exam! "
Everyone was stunned. Some asked countless questions. After Ibiki explained in detail, they finally understood.
But he occasionally cast a glance toward Naruto.
This kid isn't simple… from start to finish he didn't show a trace of surprise, but his eyes were constantly vigilant. Has he not recovered from his exam mode?
Sasuke had been watching Naruto the whole time. He hadn't touched his pen once but had actively created many "accidents." Even in the face of the final, life-or-death question, he neither acted modest nor arrogant, instead appearing completely confident.
"Naruto… what are you hiding…" Sasuke couldn't help but feel curious about him.
Watching Ino and the others pass the exam, Sakura sighed softly. Well, if anything happens later, it can't be said to involve her—Haruno Sakura.
Ibiki: "You have passed the first round of tests. Keep up the effort!"
As he spoke, Naruto suddenly felt something odd under his foot.
Looking down, he saw a small piece of paper crumpled into a ball.
He picked it up and unfolded it. There was only one line:"I discovered your secret, hehe."
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