Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?-Chapter 261: Immense Pressure Under Strict Exam Conditions!

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Within the Otogakure Dome, five distinct sections were designated, each with a prominent viewing platform at its center, reserved for the Kage of each village.

Currently, the Raikage, A, sat in the Kumo section, arms crossed, his face dark as thunder. He scoffed, "Hmph! All flash, no substance! Ninjutsu is for killing—not performance! Ridiculous!"

"Wearing those conspicuous uniforms... let's see if they dare wear them during infiltration missions! I doubt Konoha's ninja have the guts!" He muttered, speaking from a purely practical standpoint.

But the roar of the crowd, including many from the Land of Lightning, grated on his nerves. He couldn't maintain his composure, feeling a sourness like he'd swallowed a lemon.

"What's so great about it? Impractical! Useless! And even if it were practical—we lived without it before! Can't we wear traditional uniforms anymore? What a waste of resources!"

"Konoha must have money to burn... If they gave that money to me, I'd use it to buy exploding tags, provide better protection for our ninja!"

"Keep showing off! When the exams begin, Kumogakure will prove—that a ninja's confidence comes from inner strength, a powerful physique, and honed skills, not these flashy, useless trinkets!"

After venting his frustration, achieving a mental victory, A slowly exhaled, scanning the arena to gauge the reactions of the other Kage.

Ōnoki remained impassive, eyes closed, seemingly savoring Otogakure's specialty tea—Ao, the acting Mizukage, scanned the surroundings with his Byakugan, his purpose unclear—Baki, the Fifth Kazekage, looked as grim as A himself...

Seeing Baki's expression, A felt somewhat better.

The secret alliance between the four villages had been spearheaded by Baki. But due to the daimyo's shortsightedness, the Allied Shinobi Forces had been forced to postpone their attack on Konoha.

At the very least, they had to wait until the daimyo were safely escorted back to their mansions before they could launch the war without restraint.

Every day delayed widened the gap between the four villages and Konoha, making it increasingly difficult to catch up.

The Four Kage had already met in secret, finalizing their attack plan:

The main force of the four villages would assemble on the border of the Land of Earth, using Kusagakure as a staging ground, launching a direct invasion into Konoha's heartland!

Simultaneously, each village would dispatch an elite squad to infiltrate Konoha and carry out decapitation strikes!

Kirigakure—led by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, would retrace the path to the Kannabi Bridge, launching a surprise attack on Konoha's coastal port.

Kumogakure—with Killer B at its core, would follow the route through Mount Kikyō, swiftly seizing control of the prosperous Otogakure.

Sunagakure—utilizing their newly developed elite puppet master units, would quickly gain control of the Konoha-Suna trade route...

But the main force, the decisive blow, would come from the assembled ninja in the Land of Earth.

Sixty-one thousand gathered on the border!

They would advance in three columns, invading Konoha from Amegakure, Kusagakure, and Takigakure, a comprehensive, multi-pronged assault. If Konoha didn't divide its forces to counter each thrust, they would face encirclement within their own territory.

But—

The Allied Shinobi Forces had sixty thousand ninja. Divided into three columns, that was still twenty thousand ninja per column. Konoha?

They had, at most, around ten thousand ninja. Even facing a single column of the Allied forces, they would be outnumbered. How could they possibly divide their forces three ways?

It would be one Konoha ninja against six Allied ninja...

Konoha—how could they possibly prevail?

With their main forces crushed, the Konoha-Suna trade route, the Konoha-Kiri sea route, and Otogakure—the three pillars of their economic prosperity—would fall into the hands of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Konoha was doomed!

Thinking of this, A's frustration eased considerably.

He glanced towards the Land of Fire section, where Gojo Kaigetsu, blindfolded, mingled with the crowd, shaking hands, basking in the adoration. A scoffed.

He pointed towards Gojo Kaigetsu and said to his trusted subordinate, "I pity Konoha. Oblivious to their impending doom. Their Elder Advisor—completely unaware of the risks facing the village."

"Still wasting money on these—vanity projects..."

"Hmph... I once considered Minato Namikaze a worthy rival. Now, it seems he's just the Kage of a doomed village."

———

The undercurrents swirling outside the arena likely didn't affect the Genin participating in the first round of the exams.

After entering the sealed examination hall, the scene inside was broadcast live.

The large screen displayed the title:

[Instant Elimination?! The Extremely Difficult First Exam!]

The examination hall was spacious, with no partitions between the desks.

Each desk held a test paper filled with questions, two pens, and an eraser. Along the sides of the room stood Konoha ninja in grey uniforms. Some leaned back casually, hands behind their heads; others seemed to be dozing... But their presence was palpable.

Such an environment... made cheating impossible!

Some participants inwardly cursed their luck.

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Morino, his face scarred and imposing, stepped onto the stage and began writing on the blackboard.

"Rule One: Everyone starts with ten points. There are ten questions, each worth one point. Anyone with zero points at the end is eliminated!"

"Rule Two: If caught cheating by the proctors, two points will be deducted for each offense. Meaning—you might be eliminated before the papers are even graded."

"My proctor team and I will be watching every single one of you! Anyone attempting to cheat will face elimination! Understand?!"

"Furthermore, if any participant finishes with zero points, they will randomly take another participant from their village down with them. Both will be barred from taking the Chunin Exams for ten years! If you believe you cannot score any points, you may withdraw now to avoid this penalty!"

Hearing the final rule, several older Genin cried out in protest. "We've prepared for so long! What if a teammate gets zero points and drags us down?! How many decades do I have left?! I must become a Chunin in this exam!"

"Let me ask you," Ibiki's expression hardened, his voice chilling, "On the battlefield, would the enemy spare you because you only have a few decades left?"

"Of course—there's a solution. You can pull out a kunai right now, hold it to your teammate's throat, and force them to withdraw!"

The older Genin from the smaller village slumped back into his seat, defeated.

How could he possibly force his underperforming teammate to withdraw in front of the cameras?

With so many eyes watching, committing such an act, shaming his village... when he returned, the village leader would likely eliminate him.

———

The Exam Began!

Izumi Uchiha's young face creased in thought.

This Chunin Exam... wasn't easy, but wasn't impossible either. Ten questions... meaning, without cheating, answering just one question correctly would guarantee passage.

"It's not difficult. Just one question!" Izumi encouraged herself, focusing on the densely packed text on the test paper:

[ Question 1: Decrypt the following phrase: ]

[ —The sun is shining, and the moon is shining— ]

[ Provide the correct answer and explain your reasoning. ]

Damn it, the first question is phrase decryption? What kind of phrase is this?

Okay, calm down, Izumi! Just answer the questions you know. Next question, next question...

[ Question 2: Battle Analysis ]

[ In the diagram, ninja B on the parabola stands on a 7-meter tall tree. The diagram shows the maximum range of ninja A's shuriken. Identify the characteristics of the opposing ninja within the elliptical range of the shuriken, and determine the maximum effective range during planar combat. Explain your reasoning. ]

Isn't this an indeterminate problem involving applied mechanics? This kind of question... only Itachi could possibly solve it. The examiner clearly doesn't expect anyone to get this right, do they?

Unable to solve the first two questions, Izumi's confidence wavered. She reassured herself: It's okay. It's not just me. Stay calm...

[ Question 3: Intelligence Analysis ]

[ Assume you overhear the phrase, 'Walking nine kilometers is no joke, especially in the rain,' in Konohagakure. What intelligence can be gleaned from this statement? Explain your reasoning. ]

"....."

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