The first stage of the Chunin Exams—the written test. Ibiki's infamous tenth question placed crushing psychological pressure on every genin in the room.
Then, without warning, an eerie voice that didn't sound human echoed through the classroom:
[Question: During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the commander-in-chief of the Allied Shinobi Forces once said, "After the war is over, you can come and take my head," in order to protect which 'person'?]
The sudden voice startled not only the genin taking the exam, but even Ibiki and the other proctors.
The Fourth Great Ninja War?!
Even a prank had its limits! The aftermath of the Third Great Ninja War hadn't even fully settled yet—where did a Fourth war come from?!
[Rules:]
You have three chances. All living beings within the domain may answer.
Any living being who answers incorrectly will immediately have their life signs stripped away.
After three independent living beings lose their life signs, the Q&A event ends and the domain barrier will automatically open.
If the correct answer is given within the allotted chances, the domain barrier will automatically open, and the respondent will receive a corresponding reward.
Lines of text appeared one after another on the blackboard, forming out of thin air. The already tense atmosphere was dragged into something downright surreal.
Ibiki signaled to a jonin proctor near the window. Carefully, the jonin pushed the window open—
The window opened, but no matter how hard he tried, his hand couldn't extend outside. It was as if an invisible wall blocked the way.
Some of the examinees noticed. The two genin closest to the door were from the hidden Grass Village. They immediately stood up and shoved the classroom door open to check—
Blocked. Another invisible wall.
"Hey, hey, is this part of the exam too? Proctor-san?"
One of the Grass genin at the door called out to Ibiki.
"No, I—" Ibiki hadn't finished speaking when the strange voice sounded again:
[Incorrect answer.]
Boom!
The genin who had spoken was seized by an unseen force, compressed to the limit—and then exploded into a spray of blood and gore. The stench of blood instantly filled the classroom. Those nearby were splattered head to toe—
All except Gaara. His sand shielded him, keeping the filth away.
These were genin who had never experienced real war or slaughter. Someone like Sakura immediately threw up.
Even the boys weren't spared—some vomited outright, and even those who didn't were pale as ghosts, shaken by how close they'd just come to death.
Naruto Uzumaki clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, forcing the sour bile back down. He instinctively looked toward Sasuke and Sakura.
Sakura was hunched under her desk, retching. Sasuke had been too close—his body was splattered with blood.
His face was deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down as his dilated pupils trembled wildly, like he'd been dragged into a nightmare he never wanted to remember again…
"Dad… Mom…"
They had completed a B-rank mission in the Land of Waves, but this was different. They'd never faced something this bloody.
Back then, Kakashi-sensei had always been there to protect them.
The jonin proctors snapped out of their shock and quickly covered the mouths of any examinees about to scream.
Ibiki made a sharp hand signal, ordering everyone to stay silent.
His scarred, terrifying face carried undeniable authority. Most of the genin realized this was far beyond anything planned for the Konoha Chunin Exams.
Trembling, they pressed themselves against their desks, praying for this nightmare to end.
[Reward—]
The voice sounded for the third time. Naruto flinched hard.
He wasn't the only one. Even the jonin proctors stiffened, instinctively assuming defensive stances.
On the podium, a pale-white ninja blade appeared, floating in midair—
[Reward 1: Chakra Blade. The ninja blade of the elite jonin known as Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo.]
Konoha's White Fang?!
Some Leaf ninja who had taken the Chunin Exams countless times yet remained genin had heard that name before.
A legend from the Second Great Ninja War—someone whose brilliance supposedly surpassed even the Legendary Sannin.
Of course, there were also those in Konoha who spat at the name, calling him trash for failing to uphold the ninja code.
Naruto stared in shock, hand still over his mouth. Hatake? The same surname as Kakashi-sensei?
[Reward 2—]
There was more?!
[For the respondent's ninja village, ten deceased ninja will be randomly selected. The respondent may freely choose one of them—]
[—to be resurrected.]
What?!
Everyone froze.
Was that even possible?!
Resurrection—real resurrection?!
In a world forged by endless wars, every ninja carried regrets.
Hatake Sakumo's blade alone—a legendary weapon forged from chakra-infused metal—was already worth more than the lives of three unknown genin.
But this second reward was something people would willingly gamble their lives for.
Even if only one person could be chosen from a random pool, as long as the selection was limited to deceased ninja, there was a real chance of pulling an exceptional fighter—someone like Hatake Sakumo himself. If he were brought back, Konoha's standing in the ninja world would instantly rise to a new level.
And what if they drew a former Kage?
But… what if the answer was wrong?
The bloodstains near the door were still fresh.
No one dared to answer lightly.
Ibiki shifted his gaze to a genin with a high spiky ponytail.
A child of the Nara clan—Shikamaru Nara. Son of Nara Shikaku, the current clan head. The Nara were famous for their intelligence; their average was said to be over eight, and no direct descendant had ever fallen below the theoretical cap of ten.
Could Konoha's hopes be placed on him?
But if he answered wrong…
He was the next heir of the Nara clan.
After a moment of deliberation, Ibiki quietly scribbled a note and passed it to Shikamaru while making his rounds.
—Tell me the answer you believe is correct.
Shikamaru read the note and immediately understood Ibiki's intent. His respect for this unfamiliar Leaf jonin rose a notch.
What a pain… but I guess I'll think it through.
So troublesome…
Staring at the clouds outside the window, Shikamaru let out a silent sigh.