Morino Ibiki's words, combined with his terrifying appearance and oppressive aura, quickly intimidated the assembled Genin.

All of them, that is, except for the Uchiha trio.

Since stepping into the examination room, Shiro, Sasuke, and Izumi had ignored everyone, calmly taking their seats. No matter what happened or who appeared, the expressions on their faces remained unchanged, a mask of cool indifference.

Ibiki, of course, noticed them. After a moment of silent appraisal, he began the exam proceedings.

"Alright, we will now begin the first stage of the Chunin Selection Exam. First, submit your applications. Then, take a seat according to the number plate you are given. I will then distribute the written test papers. Hurry up!"

"???"

Naruto was utterly bewildered. "A written… test? A questionnaire?"

Seeing the proctors begin to hand out thick stacks of paper, Naruto's mind went into a full-blown panic. "Ahhh! How can it be a written test?! Dad didn't tell me I'd have to answer questions for the Chunin Exam! This is… what am I going to do?!"

In the academy, Naruto was a notoriously poor student. While his ninjutsu was passable, his grasp of theory was practically non-existent. It was a miracle he had learned to recognize all the characters, let alone answer complex questions about them.

After the papers were distributed, Naruto took a quick look. He could recognize most of the words, but when they were strung together in sentences, he couldn't understand a single one.

It's… it's over. Naruto's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He was completely and utterly doomed.

On the other side of the room, Sasuke was also confused as he looked at the test paper. He had never been to the ninja academy. Since leaving the village, he had focused solely on practicing ninjutsu and taijutsu. He had some theoretical knowledge, but he had no idea how to answer these questions.

However, he was not panicked in the slightest. Shiro had already briefed him and Izumi on what to expect. He had told them the first exam would be a written test, and that they should simply ignore the questions and wait for the final one. As for what that last question was, Shiro had kept it a secret. He had only told them to trust him, to hold their ground, and that they would win without lifting a finger.

"Ahem… you have the papers now, correct? Let me explain the rules. Listen carefully!" Ibiki stood at the podium, pointing a long, thin rod at the blackboard, his face a grim mask.

"There are several very important rules for this test."

"First: All of you will begin with ten points. There are ten questions in total. For each incorrect answer, one point will be deducted. If you get four questions wrong, you will be left with only six points."

"Rule two: Whether you pass or fail this test will be determined by the combined scores of all three members of your team!"

As soon as he said this, the room erupted in an uproar.

"How is that possible? That's not fair at all!"

"That's right! If one person drags the team down, the whole team is doomed? This rule is terrible!"

Listening to the endless complaints, Ibiki slammed his hand on the podium, his voice a furious roar. "Shut up, you idiots! It's too early to complain! I haven't finished explaining the rules!"

"Rule three: During the exam, if the proctors discover any cheating, two points will be deducted for each infraction. There will be no negotiation!"

"You should understand now. Some of you may not even make it to the final grading before being forced to withdraw. You want to become Chunin. Since you desire that status, you should act like the excellent shinobi you claim to be!"

"By the way," he added, a cruel smile twisting his lips, "if anyone on a team scores zero points, the entire team will fail. You will be immediately disqualified from this selection!"

"Huh????"

A wave of shock and disbelief washed over the room. Was this some kind of sick joke?