"One last thing!" Anko called out, her voice sharp. "Before you reach the finish line, you are absolutely forbidden from reading the contents of the scrolls!"

"Oh yeah?" Kiba Inuzuka shot back, pursing his lips. "And what happens if I do take a look?"

"Seriously? Why are the kids these days so rebellious?" Anko sighed, too lazy to explain further. "If you want to look, go ahead. No one's stopping you. In any case, I've explained the rules!"

"Tsk!" Kiba grumbled, petting Akamaru in his arms. "It's just an exam. Why so many rules?"

Shino Aburame, his teammate, adjusted his glasses. "No," he said, his voice calm and analytical. "It is better to think of this not as an exam, but as a mission. As Chunin, we will have the opportunity to take on more advanced missions and handle confidential documents. This rule is likely a test of our trustworthiness, to prevent the leaking of vital information."

"Haha, so there are some smart ones in the bunch. Not bad, not bad," Anko praised with genuine satisfaction. She waved her hand, pointing to a small hut nearby. "Here are your final instructions: Take your team's three signed consent forms to that hut and exchange them for a scroll. You will also be assigned an entrance gate. Once you are ready, you may enter at any time!"

"And a friendly reminder," she added with a sly grin, "the first teams inside will have the opportunity to survey the terrain and set up an ambush for the others."

In the Hokage's tower, within the council chamber, the village elders sat around a large table. Opposite them stood a confused-looking Morino Ibiki.

"What's going on? Why am I here? Shouldn't I be proctoring the exam?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly, his voice grave. "Ibiki, you were caught in a genjutsu. I have just removed it."

"How… how is that possible?" Ibiki was stunned. As the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force, he had a wealth of experience and unique defenses against illusionary techniques. Yet this time, he hadn't even noticed. Could it be…? A sudden, horrifying realization dawned on him.

"It was those three Uchiha kids…!"

"Indeed," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded grimly.

"Hmph! Those vile little bastards!" Koharu Utatane hissed, her eyes narrowed with hatred. "To cast a genjutsu on an examiner during the test… only an Uchiha would resort to such a dirty trick."

Homura Mitokado pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I suggest we bring the three of them back here immediately. We will find out which one used the technique and disqualify them from the exam!"

Hiruzen heard this and shook his head helplessly. "No."

"Why not?"

"You should ask him," Hiruzen said, turning his gaze to Ibiki.

Ibiki scratched his head, a look of consternation on his scarred face. "Actually… it wasn't really a dirty trick. In fact, it was technically within the rules of the hidden exam I designed." He then proceeded to explain the true nature of the first test to the elders.

After his explanation, the senior shinobi fell silent. After a long moment, Koharu spoke, her voice dripping with unwilling frustration. "Damn it. So there's really nothing we can do about them?"

Homura seethed. "Konoha's chief proctor fell for a Genin's illusion, not only allowing most of the candidates to pass easily but also letting them broadcast the Uchiha's version of why they left the village! If word of this gets out to the other nations, Konoha will be humiliated!"

"Genin can't keep secrets," Koharu added, her face grim. "True or not, they will report this to their teachers. Sigh…"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice calm and final. "We will treat this as an unforeseen incident. Everything… will continue as planned."

"Their fate is already sealed. As long as they all disappear from this world, time will bury this truth along with them."