Chapter 299: The Second Exam
Just before twelve fifty, Obito dragged Rin and Kakashi to the notice board, practically vibrating with impatience as they waited for the scores to go up.
"So many people…" Obito stared at the packed crowd, a little stunned. He had thought coming early would help, but clearly everyone else was even more desperate than he was.
"We can just wait here," Rin said with a small smile. "It's a promotion exam. Of course everyone's fired up."
Obito nodded and stayed beside Rin, not trying to shove his way in.
"Excuse me."
A few minutes later, two chunin in green vests approached. The semicircle of examinees immediately parted, giving the proctors space to post the results.
"Whew, that was close. Seventy one points exactly. One more mistake and I'd be out," someone muttered in relief.
"You idiot. I passed you answers and you still got sixty seven. It's over. You didn't even clear the first stage on your first try," another person snapped at their teammate, totally exasperated.
The notice board erupted into frantic searching. Names, scores, whispers, and groans mixed together in a restless haze.
Kakashi stood a short distance away, calm as ever while he watched the pushing crowd. This was exactly what he expected. Usually, the more anxious a person was to see their score, the worse they had done. If you were as sure as he was that you had passed, you would not be sweating over the result.
"Let me in."
Hearing people already talking about scores, Obito stopped waiting. He forced his way into the crowd.
He slipped into Total Concentration Breathing at once, then used his better stamina and sheer stubbornness to squeeze forward.
His eyes shot to the top first. Kakashi's three digit score was sitting right at the front.
Obito ignored it and started searching down for his own name.
"Rin, you're amazing!" Obito shouted as soon as he found her entry. "Eighty eight points. That's eighteen above the line!"
"So, did you pass?" Kakashi asked, cutting right through Obito's celebration.
He was not worried about Rin. The only real weak spot on their team for theory had always been Obito.
"Kakashi, come look!" Obito found his own score. His eyes went huge. Instead of answering, he grabbed Kakashi's attention and waved him over.
By now, a lot of examinees had already checked their names and moved away, so the crowd thinned out. Kakashi reached Obito easily.
"Eighty points! Kakashi, say something!" Obito jabbed his finger at his own name, grinning so hard it looked painful.
Kakashi followed the finger. Obito's score really was eighty.
He was honestly surprised. Eighty was not an incredible mark, but Obito hitting eighty was rarer than someone who barely passed suddenly getting full marks.
Obito's smile grew even smugger. For him, this was a legendary score.
"What do you want me to say?" Kakashi replied flatly. "With my score, I could get eighty just by doing two fewer questions."
Obito froze. He had no comeback for that.
Rin laughed softly. "Obito is really amazing. Last time in the Ninja School he didn't even reach fifty, and now he got eighty. You must've studied really hard."
"Hehe, it wasn't that serious," Obito said, scratching his cheek. Rin's praise hit harder than any jutsu.
Right then, Might Guy and Asuma arrived to check their own results.
"Excellent. Everyone passed!" Guy beamed and gave Shiranui Genma and Ebisu a big thumbs up.
"The same for us," Asuma said after scanning his team's entries.
"Then let's all work hard to become chunin!" Obito pumped his fist. They were all friends, and this was their first Chunin Exams together.
"How interesting." Zabuza strode past them with a cold laugh. "So Konoha's Chunin Exams are just children's games. 'Let's all work hard together,' huh."
"Who knows," his teammate beside him shrugged. "Maybe they are."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Asuma snapped, irritation flaring. Their words insulted both the examinees and Konoha itself. He could not let that slide.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Zabuza answered without even slowing down.
Obito stepped up beside Asuma. "You'd better take that back."
Even though he was invited to participate, Obito had no intention of being polite to some arrogant outsider who looked down on them.
"Zabuza, Kurosawa, don't cause trouble." Kisame's deep voice cut in calmly.
If they were outside the Leaf, he would not mind fighting, but they were inside Konoha right now. Starting a brawl here was not just stupid, it would ruin their mission.
After speaking, Kisame led the way toward the briefing location for the second stage.
Zabuza glanced at him, then followed.
They were not originally on the same team. This was a temporary arrangement for the exams. Kisame was the assigned captain, but Zabuza listened because Kisame was truly strong. Even though he was only a couple of years older, his presence felt like one of Kirigakure's jonin.
"What a rude bunch," Obito muttered, shaking his fist. "If I run into them later, I'll teach them a harsh lesson."
"Don't underestimate them," Kakashi warned. "I can't speak for the others, but that shark faced guy won't be weak."
Even without sensing, Kakashi's instincts told him Kisame was different. His aura was not like an ordinary genin at all.
"I admit I was a bit worse than you in theory," Obito said, still riding his high, "but once it's practical combat, I won't have any problem."
"Haha, that confidence is not inferior to mine." Guy flashed his shining teeth and gave Obito another thumbs up. "As expected of you, Obito!"
"You…" Kakashi sighed. He felt like Obito's mouth might get him hurt.
Obito could crush normal genin easily, sure, but this was a joint Chunin Exams between two great villages. Genin here were not necessarily ordinary.
Kakashi suspected he might not be the only exception. Kirigakure could easily have young chunin in the mix as well. If Obito ran into someone like that, he would not win so smoothly.
The group arrived at a wide open space beside the Ninja School teaching building.
They waited about half an hour. Once all the qualified teams had gathered, Mugetsu stepped forward with two chunin at his sides.
"I am Hayate Mugetsu, the chief examiner for the second stage," he said, keeping the introduction short and sharp.
"Mugetsu sensei!" Obito waved at him right away, grinning like an idiot.
"Damn it, it's that guy who ate one of my strawberry ice creams!" Mei puffed her cheeks and glared at Mugetsu, carving the name Hayate Mugetsu deep into her memory.
Then she turned her eyes on Obito too, memorizing his face in case she met him in the exam. She was already planning to make him pay.
"It's not nice to bully an idiot… but it's his sensei's fault for eating my ice cream," Mei thought bitterly. The more she remembered that day, the more her heart ached. If she had eaten both strawberry ice creams, how happy would she have been?
Mugetsu smiled back at Obito, then continued. "Before I announce the rules, you must sign a consent form."
The two chunin began passing papers out. Every examinee received one.
"Because in this exam, you may be injured," Mugetsu said evenly, "or even die."
In other words, it was a death waiver. Once signed, any method of attack was fair game, and killing an opponent would carry no responsibility.
"You may refuse to sign," Mugetsu added. "But if even one person on a team refuses, the entire team forfeits."
He paused and let the weight of that settle while everyone read.
"We actually have to sign a real consent form. It feels so dangerous."
"Yeah, I asked my seniors for tips a few days ago and they never mentioned this. Is this exam special?"
First time participants whispered nervously among themselves.
"Then it's exactly like real combat," Obito said, scratching his head. He did not feel scared at all. To him, the consent form just meant the exam fights had no restrictions.
"Asuma, should we sign?" Raido asked quietly.
"Of course." Asuma signed without hesitation. "If you're afraid of getting hurt, you shouldn't become a ninja."
Kurenai signed right after him, just as decisively.
Within minutes, every team had signed. Not a single person backed out.
They had all come through the Ninja School. Even the gentlest school still taught killing. When it came to life and death, these genin were far braver than most adults.
Once the papers were collected, Mugetsu pulled out a map of the Forest of Death.
"This will be the venue for the second stage," he explained. "A circular area enclosed by an iron net. From the net to Baki in a straight line is about ten kilometers. Inside, there are poisonous insects and ferocious beasts."
After laying out the terrain, he raised two scrolls, one white and one dark.
"Each team will receive an initial scroll. It will be either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. No matter which one you get, you must obtain the other type as well, then reach Baki to finish the stage.
"You have five days. If you cannot gather both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll and reach Baki within that time, you will be eliminated."
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