Naruto: The new beginning

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Nine of them enter the classroom one by one.

Inside, the room is already packed with hundreds of candidates, gathered in small groups.

Some are chatting and laughing, while others seem tense and focused.

As they settle in, a small figure darts over and latches onto Sasuke's back.

"Sasuke, you finally showed up! We've been waiting forever!" Ino pouts playfully, clinging to Sasuke and shooting a glare at Sakura.

Sparks fly between the two girls as they lock their eyes.

Sakura steps forward and grabs Ino's arm. "Let go of Sasuke!"

"No way!" Ino tightens her grip.

"Let go!" Sakura's forehead creases in frustration.

"Not a chance!" Ino sticks out her tongue and makes a face.

Sasuke frowns and pulls away from the two girls, breaking free from their grip.

Ino finally lets go, but the argument with Sakura continues right on the spot.

Naruto can't help but wonder if Ino's more interested in getting Sakura's attention than Sasuke's.

Shikamaru and Choji follow closely behind. The room is filled with experienced ninjas and others from different villages, making the three of them feel a bit uneasy.

"You guys finally made it. This exam is such a drag," Shikamaru grumbles.

Choji continues munching on his snacks and offers his bag of chips to Naruto. "Want some?"

"No thanks," Naruto replies. It's not every day that someone from the Akimichi clan offers to share their food. Choji must consider him a friend.

In return, Naruto rummages through his belongings and pulls out a large package of snacks, handing it to Choji.

Since the mission to the Land of Waves, Naruto has made it a habit to carry extra food, water, and other essentials.

"Whoa, Naruto! You're the best!" Choji exclaims, hugging the snack package just as he finishes up his stash.

Naruto glances around the room, noting that Konoha has the most participants, followed by Suna.

However, aside from Gaara's team, most are just average ninjas.

"Hey, are all the rookies here to take the exam this year?" Tenten asks in surprise. "But you guys have some bad luck. This year's exam isn't going to be easy."

Sakura and Ino pause their bickering and turn to listen as Tenten continues, "This year's Chunin Exams have the highest number of participants in years, which means it's going to be tougher. You newbies should've trained a bit more."

Noticing that Neji seems close to these Genin because of Hinata, Tenten doesn't mind sharing some advice.

"Newcomers are often seen as easy targets. They'll likely be picked on right from the start."

Sakura and Ino look a bit uneasy, while Hinata silently encourages herself.

Kiba, full of confidence, smirks, "That's exactly what I'm hoping for!"

Akamaru barks in agreement.

"Such a hassle," Shikamaru mutters, gazing up at the ceiling, already thinking of a way to opt-out.

Choji continues eating, unconcerned about the warnings—after all, food is far more important than any intel.

Sasuke stands beside Naruto, cool and confident, clearly agreeing with Kiba's attitude.

'I'm not targeting anyone specifically, but everyone here is just cannon fodder,' Naruto thinks, debating whether to voice the insult when a puff of smoke erupts at the front of the room.

Ibiki Morino, dressed in a large black trench coat, strides onto the stage with a group of proctors. "Listen up, you maggots! Quiet down!"

"The first exam starts now! I'm the head proctor, Ibiki Morino. Submit your application forms, then get your number plates and take your assigned seats."

The candidates line up, handing in their forms and receiving their number plates.

Naruto glances at Hinata as they both line up, thinking, 'What is this, some kind of love lottery with these number plates?'

The two end up sitting next to each other, and Naruto can't help but wonder if his mother, Kushina, has somehow threatened Ibiki to make this happen.

Once everyone is seated, Ibiki begins explaining the rules.

"First rule: Each of you starts with 10 points, and there are 10 questions on the test. It's a point deduction system—one point lost for each wrong answer or unanswered question."

"Second rule: The test results are calculated as a team."

"The most important rule: If you're caught cheating, or if the proctor even suspects you of cheating, you lose 2 points each time."

"You want to be Chunin? Then take this test like real ninjas."

"If any one member of your team scores zero, the entire team fails. And the final question will be given 45 minutes into the test."

"The exam is one hour long, starting now."

The candidates flip over their test papers. Sakura, brimming with confidence, begins writing immediately.

As a top student, she believes no written test can stump her. Sasuke and Naruto, who also have strong academic records, feel secure as well.

Sakura quickly breezes through the first nine questions, her speed even surpassing that of some Chunin who already know the answers.

She looks up, surprised to see so many others still frozen, not even starting.

A moment of realization hits her—these questions are far beyond what any Genin should know.

Naruto is also working through the questions.

The first one is a coding problem. Naruto examines it closely; it looks like some kind of ancient script, almost like the Poneglyphs from *One Piece*. 'Do I need to summon Nico Robin to answer this?'

The second question involves calculating the trajectory of a shuriken thrown by Ninja A and predicting the characteristics of an enemy who might appear within the shuriken's range.

'When did throwing weapons become rocket science?' Naruto thinks, bewildered.

As he continues through the questions, they only get more absurd—like analyzing complex chemical reactions.

Naruto finally drops his pen. 'Sorry to all the geniuses out there. I can't answer a single one of these.'

Sasuke finds himself in a similar predicament, but then he remembers Ibiki's words: "Take this test like real ninjas."

Understanding the hidden message, Sasuke activates his Sharingan, copying the movements of the candidate in front of him and writing down the answers.

The Uchiha clan's trademark technique is perfect for acing tests and copying homework.

Meanwhile, the other candidates use their unique skills—some employ Byakugan, others send bugs to gather information, and some communicate with their ninja dogs to get the answers. All in a day's work for a ninja.

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