The exam room was deathly quiet, save for the faint scratching of pens on paper and the occasional shift of fabric as nervous genin adjusted their posture. The oppressive weight of Ibiki Morino's presence bore down on every participant like a crushing stone. His cold, scarred gaze swept across the room like a hawk, seeking weakness. It was a silent declaration: no mistakes would be tolerated.
Naruto Uzumaki sat rigid in his chair, eyes wide as he stared at the exam sheet before him. The questions might as well have been written in an ancient foreign language. Each line of text blurred together in his panicked mind. His heart pounded. He didn't understand a single thing. His pencil trembled in his hand.
"I'm so dead," Naruto whispered under his breath, slumping forward. "What is this even asking? Is this a joke?"
Beside him, Sasuke Uchiha maintained a façade of calm, but internally, he was spiraling into despair. His eyes darted across the questions, and each one made his pulse quicken. He wasn't stupid—far from it—but this was different. This wasn't a test of skill; it was pure academic torture. Numbers, patterns, word problems—all blending into a demonic soup of homework from hell.
Sasuke's hand tightened around his pencil. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as flashes of his childhood invaded his thoughts. Late nights under candlelight, his father's stern voice echoing through their home: "An Uchiha does not fail. An Uchiha excels." The burning glare of disapproval when he got a single answer wrong on his arithmetic practice sheets. The shame when he had to rewrite an entire essay because it wasn't perfect.
His chest tightened. His breath quickened.
Not again. Not homework. Not like this.
The questions on the page morphed into monstrous versions of his childhood tests, taunting him. He could almost hear his father's disappointed sigh in the back of his mind. The stress, the expectations—it all collided in his brain like a thunderstorm.
And then it happened.
A sharp jolt shot through his eyes. His vision sharpened unnaturally. The lines on the paper became crystal clear. His heart raced as he glanced at the student ahead of him, and in that instant, he saw it—every stroke of their hand, every minute flicker of their pencil. It was as if the answers were being transcribed into his mind in real time.
His Sharingan had awakened.
Because of homework trauma.
Sasuke froze, processing what had just occurred. No… this can't be… My clan's legendary dojutsu… awakened… because of an exam? His mind screamed at the absurdity of it. The power born from battle and blood… triggered by math equations.
He wanted to die.
But he also needed to pass.
With a mix of shame and desperation, Sasuke activated his newly awakened "Homework Sharingan," discreetly copying the movements of the student in front of him. His pen danced across his paper as the answers flowed onto the page. He felt sick. Powerful—but sick.
Raven Kamizuki sat two rows over, pretending to struggle with her paper, though she had filled it out within the first five minutes. She noticed the faint glimmer in Sasuke's eyes. Her lips twitched. Did… Did he just awaken his Sharingan over a test? She nearly laughed out loud but quickly masked it with a fake sigh of frustration. She scribbled nonsense onto her exam to maintain appearances.
Her gaze shifted to Naruto, who was slowly sinking lower in his chair, his face hovering dangerously close to his paper like he was hoping the answers would seep into his brain through osmosis.
"I can't do this… I can't do this…" Naruto whispered to himself, his grip tightening on his pencil until his knuckles turned white.
Raven watched him, her heart tugging just slightly. She knew this was part of his growth, but it was still hard seeing him like this. She tapped her pen against the desk—three short taps, a pause, then two more. It was an old rhythm from their ramen clone training. A subtle code she had taught him when he was younger—Stay strong.
Naruto's ears perked up. He looked toward Raven, who kept her gaze down but offered a faint smirk. He recognized the message. He took a deep breath, straightened in his seat, and refocused. He still didn't know the answers, but he wasn't going to quit.
Sakura Haruno, meanwhile, was in her element. Her pen moved swiftly across the page. She wasn't the strongest fighter, but her book smarts were unmatched. She spared brief glances at Sasuke and Naruto, feeling a mixture of pride and worry. She wanted to succeed together with them.
Minutes turned to hours. The tension in the room thickened as Ibiki prowled like a predator. A few students were caught attempting to cheat and were promptly expelled from the room. Each time it happened, Naruto's heart skipped a beat, but he stayed firm.
Finally, Ibiki addressed the room. "The tenth question."
All eyes snapped to him.
"But before I tell you what it is," Ibiki continued, his voice cold, "you must make a choice. You can choose to answer it… or you can choose to leave. But know this—if you attempt it and fail… you'll be banned from ever taking the Chūnin Exams again."
The room stirred with whispers and gasps. The weight of the decision bore down on everyone. Some genin cracked almost immediately, standing up and walking out, their dreams shattered.
Naruto's heart pounded. He felt the doubt creeping back—until he clenched his fists.
"No way… I'm not quitting!" His voice rang out, louder than intended. "I don't care if I'm a genin forever! I'll find a way to become Hokage, even if I have to do it as a genin!"
The room went still. Ibiki's eyes bore into him, searching for weakness… and finding none.
Raven smirked, her chest swelling with quiet pride. That was the Naruto she knew—the boy who would never give up. The boy who would change the world.
After a pause, Ibiki's lips curled into a rare smile. "Good… you all pass."
The room erupted with confusion.
Ibiki explained that the test was never about the answers—it was a psychological trial to see who could endure pressure and fear. The final question was a bluff.
Relief washed over the room. Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Sasuke leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, though he was still internally mortified by his Sharingan's stupid awakening. Sakura relaxed, proud but exhausted.
Raven leaned back in her seat, her gaze drifting across the room. Her eyes settled on Naruto for a moment—then to Sasuke's newly awakened Sharingan—and finally to the door, where she knew the Forest of Death awaited.
The first trial was over. The next would be far deadlier.
But for now, she let herself enjoy the victory.
And maybe… she'd tease Sasuke about his "Homework Sharingan" later.
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