Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 57. Well? Choose!

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"The exam duration is one hour... begin."

With that cold command from Ibiki Morino, the Chūnin Exams officially kicked off.

All around the room, tension gripped the genin like a vice.

What none of them expected... was just how brutal the test would be.

Even the best of the so-called "top students" skimmed the test once, and their confidence was shattered.

It was a massacre. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Neji tapped his pencil rhythmically on his desk, seated calmly with his arms crossed. One of the proctors shot him an awkward glance.

How the hell is a blind guy supposed to take a written test?

Neji, of course, wasn't concerned.

A wave of chakra coated his fingers as he ran them across the surface of the exam paper. The ink, indentation, and heat residue registered clearly in his mind. Like sonar. Like echolocation. Like a Hyūga with a cheat code.

One by one, the questions revealed themselves in his mind.

Question 1: Decrypt the coded message and translate it accurately.

Question 2: Calculate the kunai's parabolic arc and final impact point.

Question 3: Using terrain analysis, devise a tactical formation to breach an enemy defense line at elevation.

And it only got worse.

Each question was like a punch to the gut, from physics to chemistry, geography to cryptography. Real-world war-zone variables.

This wasn't a genin-level exam.

This was a flex.

This was a message.

You want to be a Chūnin? Then learn what real shinobi have to deal with.

And the tenth question?

Oh no. That one wasn't even on the paper yet.

Ibiki would reveal it later, once everyone was at the edge of their nerves.

Neji smirked.

So that's the game. It's not about answers. It's about pressure. And cheating. They're testing how well we gather intel under threat.

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All around the room, stress levels surged. Some genin broke faster than others.

A desperate shinobi finally cracked.

"Excuse me!" he shouted, standing up. "How many teams will pass? Is there a quota?"

Ibiki didn't look up from his clipboard. His voice was calm—too calm.

"...Does it matter?"

"W-What?"

"Are you planning to fail?"

"N-No sir—!"

"Then sit down. Or get out."

The kid turned pale and sat down hard, cold sweat running down his neck.

And then...

SHINK!

A kunai whistled through the air and shredded a test sheet right off someone's desk.

The genin who'd been copying turned to see a proctor, arms folded, expression blank.

"Caught you cheating five times," he said. "You and your team are out."

"What—?!"

"Out."

Ibiki didn't even blink. "Escort them."

The entire room froze as the disqualified trio was walked out in silence.

This just got real.

All across the room, ninja scrambled to hide their "tactics." But others? Others got clever.

Gaara used his floating third eye of sand.

Kankurō manipulated his puppet to give the answers.

Shino's insects crawled and listened.

Sasuke copied hand movements with his Sharingan.

Tenten used mirrored reflections with hidden tools.

Ino jumped bodies and had Shikamaru write her answers.

Even Naruto, clueless as ever, was still trying to understand the first question.

This exam was less "test" and more "war."

But the real trap?

Hadn't even sprung yet.

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45 minutes in.

Most had either found a way to copy answers or were hanging on by a thread.

Then Ibiki stood.

"Time for the final question," he said, scanning the room.

"But before I reveal it... There are new rules."

A hush fell over the classroom.

Ibiki's smirk widened slightly.

"First... you may choose whether or not to take the tenth question."

Gasps. Confused glances.

A hand shot up.

"What happens if we choose not to take it?" Temari demanded.

"If you refuse," Ibiki said calmly, "you and your entire team... fail. Immediately."

The room erupted in whispers.

That was bad. But manageable.

Until he added:

"...And if you choose to take the tenth question and fail, you will never be allowed to take the Chūnin Exams again."

A detonation of panic erupted.

"What!?"

"That's insane!"

"You can't do that!"

Ibiki raised a brow. "This year... I make the rules."

The pressure doubled.

Now it wasn't just about the test, it was about legacy. Reputation. The future.

The penalty for guessing wrong was permanent career death.

"Of course," Ibiki continued, "you can walk away now. If you're not confident... It's better to try again next year."

His voice dropped, laced with venom:

"Well then... choose."

Silence.

"Take the question... or walk out."

His final words hung in the air like a guillotine.

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