Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?-Chapter 263: Abilities Not Suited for Exam Cheating!

~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!

<><><><>

The Kumogakure duo used Lightning Release ninjutsu to disrupt the lighting, reflecting the answers onto their own papers.

Sunagakure's Tōgo created a sand eye with his Sand Release, discreetly scouting for answers.

Some puppet masters even disguised their puppets as proctors, brazenly obtaining the answers...

Temari sat helplessly, her abilities ill-suited for cheating.

———

As time ticked away, the head examiner, Ibiki Morino, checked his watch and snapped his fingers.

"First, congratulations. You've made it this far without being caught cheating five times, or perhaps you simply have thick skin, willing to drag down your teammates even if you can't answer a single question."

"Now, a new rule. Rule Three: If you fail to answer the tenth question correctly, you will be banned from taking the Chunin Exams for life! Your previous correct answers will be meaningless! So, if you wish to leave, now is your last chance! Leaving now will not trigger the joint elimination penalty!"

Upon hearing this, several more ninja, unable to withstand the pressure, chose to withdraw.

Temari felt a wave of despair, her confidence shattered. She instinctively wanted to leave.

She turned her head, her eyes meeting the camera lens. She knew her current state, her vulnerability, might be broadcast to the citizens of the Land of Wind. If she withdrew now... the image they held of her would shatter.

But if she stayed, she risked being forever stuck as a Genin, forfeiting any chance of avenging her father.

Izumi Uchiha watched her friend with concern.

Temari, don't tell me you're going to...

"But... this is my ninja way!" Temari slammed her hand on the desk. "Don't underestimate me! As the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, I will never retreat! I will... absolutely prove myself here!"

"I will continue, even if it means remaining a Genin for the rest of my life!" Temari stood abruptly, pounding her chest. "I'm not afraid! To live by my words—that is my ninja way!"

Ibiki Morino's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Interesting kid. So this is the student Advisor Gojo mentioned, the one to watch.'

"Suit yourself. It's your choice!"

"Those of you remaining... I assume you're prepared to be Genin for life!"

"Reveal the question!" Ibiki waved his hand, and text slowly materialized on the back of the test papers.

———

Here it comes—

All their efforts, all their hopes, rested on this final question.

The tension in the examination hall was palpable. Even the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi, couldn't maintain his usual composure, his heart beating faster.

He knew that with his family's influence, his father's status in Konoha... becoming a Chunin was merely a matter of a small exertion of power.

Ibiki's threat of remaining a Genin for life, such rules didn't apply to the clans who made the rules.

But... Uchiha Itachi wanted to earn his promotion through his own merits, fair and square.

He lowered his head, focusing on the final question—

[Question 10: Kunai and Medical Bandages]

[You and everyone in your village have been captured by an extremely dangerous Missing-nin.]

[The Missing-nin doesn't intend to kill you all immediately. Instead, he proposes a game.]

[The rules are as follows:]

[Before you are two items: a kunai and medical bandages.]

[If more than 50% of you choose the kunai, you can collectively defeat the Missing-nin, and everyone survives.]

[If less than 50% choose the kunai, those who chose bandages will survive, while those who chose the kunai will be killed by the Missing-nin.]

[In this situation, would you choose the kunai or the medical bandages? Explain your reasoning.]

[The question ends here. Do not overthink.]

After the question fully appeared, Ibiki reiterated, "Absolutely no peeking on this question. I will be watching your every move. Understand? Absolutely... forbidden!"

———

"Hmm?"

What kind of question was this?

Tōgo frowned, instinctively wanting to use his abilities to cheat, but Ibiki's sharp gaze snapped him back to reality. He had to rely on his own intellect.

This question... did it even have a correct answer? Was there even a need to think? The answer seemed obvious.

More than half needed to choose the kunai to defeat the Missing-nin... but survival didn't necessarily require defeating him. If everyone chose bandages, everyone would survive.

"Or... is there a trap?"

"No, that can't be right. The question explicitly states to stop here. There's no scenario where choosing bandages leads to being killed due to lack of kunai."

"Thinking broadly, the premise of an entire village being captured by a single Missing-nin is impossible. So, the question must be taken literally..."

"Anyone with a shred of sense would choose the bandages."

Without overthinking, Tōgo, confident in his judgment, swiftly wrote down his choice and reasoning.

The choices made by the examinees were broadcast to the outside world. A large number of Suna ninja chose bandages. A few hesitated, ultimately choosing the kunai... but the vast majority from Sunagakure opted for bandages.

The situation in Kirigakure was largely the same.

Zabuza Momochi, a seasoned Jonin, had seen it all.

He'd killed his entire graduating class to pass the Kirigakure exam. While his motive had been to reform the system, to save future students... he'd still done it.

Such a "cold-blooded" ninja wouldn't be swayed by sentiment. He decisively wrote down his choice.

The results from the other villages were similar—

[Choose bandages! Choosing bandages guarantees survival. If everyone chooses bandages, everyone survives. What's the point of the question?]

[If the question offered some other benefit for choosing the kunai—like summoning a super ninja or making the village great again—maybe I'd consider it. Otherwise, from a ninja's perspective, it seems like some people want to commit suicide. Trying to stop such self-destructive individuals seems futile. Granting them death is also a form of ninja mercy.]

First Sunagakure, then Kirigakure, then Kumogakure, and finally Iwagakure... most ninja, thinking rationally, chose the medical bandages.

Only the Konoha examinees, after seeing the question, seemed to fall under some strange genjutsu, remaining frozen, their pens hovering over the paper.

———

Outside the arena...

Discussion raged.

Minato Namikaze, seeing the tenth question, looked thoughtful.

"Kaigetsu-kun... this question, there's no right answer, is there?"

"No."

Gojo Kaigetsu explained simply, "Anyone who made it to the tenth question, without being caught cheating five times or withdrawing, has already passed the first round."

"Then... what's the meaning of the tenth question?"

Minato's eyes flickered. Through the seemingly opaque black cloth, their gazes met, and they shared a knowing, ambiguous smile.

"The exam is just the process. The true purpose is to showcase Konoha's culture, the superiority of the Will of Fire, before the entire Shinobi World."

"This exam—Konoha has already won!"

Minato looked deeply at Gojo Kaigetsu.

This question... others might not feel its weight, but from the Hokage's perspective, it wasn't a multiple-choice question, but a single-answer test!

Minato's gaze shifted to the large screen. He murmured, "Where leaves dance, fire burns... If my future child were taking this test, I believe he would answer without hesitation."

———

Land of Earth Section...

Ōnoki squinted, asking his eldest son, Kitsuchi, who stood beside him, "Kitsuchi, who do you think designed this exam?"

"Eh..." Kitsuchi considered. "I believe it was Ibiki Morino."

"According to our intelligence, Ibiki Morino understands the human heart. And his greatest strength... lies in psychological pressure."

"Manipulating the spirit, tormenting the opponent. Exposing their inherent weaknesses, gradually breaking down their mental defenses."

"Those first nine questions... forget Chunin. Even elite Jonin, aside from perhaps the second question, would struggle. They weren't meant to be solved by Genin. Their purpose was to torture them psychologically, to make them doubt their ninja way."

"However, our Iwa ninja's resolve cannot be shaken so easily! None of them have withdrawn yet." Kitsuchi puffed out his chest with pride.

Ōnoki listened intently, as if hearing this for the first time. "Who trained this Ibiki Morino? Someone from Konoha?"

"Not exactly. It's said that during a Shinobi War, Ibiki was captured by a Kirigakure Jonin. And he tortured him relentlessly..."

"The scar across Ibiki's face is from that ordeal. Perhaps because he endured such torment, he became a master of interrogation, renowned as the greatest interrogator currently active in the Shinobi World."

"I see. It seems I was mistaken." Ōnoki clicked his tongue, a hint of admiration in his voice. "This Ibiki Morino is quite talented. If only he'd been born in Iwagakure. The village needs a ninja like him. When our forces advance into Konoha, perhaps we can recruit him!"

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

"Such talent is wasted in Konoha!"

"The Will of Fire is too soft. Ibiki Morino survived such torture... He shares the Stone Will!"

<><><><>

Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!