Time passed quietly.
By the time Kankurō finally returned from his so-called "bathroom trip," Morino Ibiki decided it was time to unleash his final move.
"Now, I will announce the tenth question."
His tone was calm, but the air grew heavier.
All the examinees stared at him with full attention.
Everyone knew the tenth question was extremely important — there was no other reason for the long wait.
Only Hidan kept glancing at Naruto, who was still tangled up in cheating attempts and stress.
For Naruto — the current dead-last — Hidan genuinely didn't know what to say.
How is this idiot supposed to be the protagonist?
He looked stupid now, yet his explosive growth later made everyone from his generation want to cry blood.
Ibiki continued:
"Before I tell you the content of question ten, I have to explain the rules."
He paused deliberately, then spoke again:
"The rule is simple. You must choose whether to answer question ten or not."
He raised one finger.
"If you choose not to answer, you automatically fail this exam — but you may take the next Chūnin Exam."
Then his tone suddenly turned cold, sharp, and unforgiving:
"But if you choose to answer the question… and answer incorrectly… you will permanently lose your right to ever take the Chūnin Exams again."
The entire room exploded.
Nobody expected the examiner to pull something so extreme — it shook everyone off balance instantly.
"What?! You can't decide something like that! On what basis?!"
One examinee yelled, conveniently forgetting what happened to the three idiots earlier.
"On what basis?"
Ibiki appeared in front of the complainer instantly and punched him to the floor, removing his test eligibility without hesitation.
"On the basis of my authority," he said coldly.
"And my strength. Do you understand?"
No one dared to make another sound.
This was the reality of the shinobi world:
Without strength, you couldn't even stand upright in a conversation.
With strength, you could bend the room to your will — and nobody could stop you.
"Don't waste time," Hidan said lazily. "Hurry it up so we can move on already."
"Yes, yes, yes," Ibiki replied instantly.
Every other candidate:
"…."
If you had strength, you really could do anything.
Every examinee felt a deep ache in their hearts — the kind that only came from realizing just how weak they were.
Humiliation, frustration, pressure — it all carved into them at once.
Some began to give up.
The threat of permanently losing their future was too heavy.
One by one, candidates withdrew.
Eventually, only seventy-eight examinees — twenty-six full teams — remained.
Under Ibiki's declaration, they passed the first round.
Everyone was deeply moved by Ibiki's final explanation…
Except Hidan.
To Hidan, everything Ibiki said was nonsense.
Living comes first. Survival is the only rule.
If you walk into danger knowing it can kill you — you're stupid, not brave.
He didn't agree with Ibiki's ideology at all.
Hidan also firmly believed in another principle:
Good people die early. Bad people last forever.
He wholeheartedly accepted that belief.
After all, being an "evil god" suited him perfectly.
As the first exam ended, the proctor of the second exam appeared.
Mitarashi Anko arrived in the most awkward, attention-demanding way possible —
throwing out a banner pierced with a kunai and shouting her introduction with zero shame.
A wave of silent crows flew across everyone's hearts.
A long chain of ellipses passed through the room.
Hidan stared at the woman with interest.
She had Naruto's chaotic energy…
yet she was also Orochimaru's disciple and the only person to survive receiving the Heaven Curse Seal.
Most importantly, Hidan suddenly had an idea:
If Orochimaru shows up in the Forest of Death, what kind of reaction will his own apprentice have?
Hidan hadn't stopped Orochimaru's plan for Sasuke.
But that didn't mean he couldn't make things a little more difficult for the snake.
If Orochimaru couldn't even handle his own student, then he wasn't worthy of being called the "Great Serpent Sage."
"Follow me," Anko said, turning around.
She didn't know Hidan and paid him no special attention.
The examinees moved together in their teams, following her out.
Shino and Kiba walked behind Hidan obediently.
Both knew the truth:
They were unlikely to even get a chance to fight during this exam.
With Hidan here, low-tier genin like them were basically spectators.
Even Akamaru looked depressed.
This was supposed to be their chance to shine — the famous Chūnin Exams — yet thanks to Hidan, they were extras in their own arc.
Hidan noticed their low spirits, thought about it, and said:
"Once we enter the Forest of Death, you can move independently. You won't get any practice staying with me."
"Yes, Hidan-sensei!"
Shino and Kiba answered with renewed energy.
Even Akamaru barked twice in excitement.
Losing Hinata's combat power didn't worry them.
They weren't dead-last like Naruto — both came from elite clan lineages.
Even in a two-man team, they could handle themselves.
After a long walk, they reached a forest enclosed by high iron fencing.
A tall tower stood at the center — the destination where all participants had to reach.
"This," Anko declared, "is the second exam field — the Forest of Death. Now—"
She began explaining the rules.
Hidan listened for half a minute before yawning.
He'd already memorized these rules.
Hearing them again felt like punishment.
Finally—
"Second exam — begin!"
At Anko's shout, the candidates were guided to their respective gates.
One by one, they entered the Forest of Death.
The real exam had begun.
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