The life of Takashi|| The Chunin Exams! ||

(Chapter 3) || Think like the proctor ||

Takashi's POV

Arakaki: "I'm guessing you were too busy looking at my sexiness, that you didn't notice the proctor come in and explain the exam.~" Said Arakaki with a smug look on his face. 

Me: "Ahem, I'm sorry to have given you the wrong idea, but I wasn't looking at your ehm.. 'sexiness', I was busy thinking about something." I said rolling my eyes. "But anyway, what did the proctor say?" I asked. 

Arakaki: "Okay so, the proctor said something about a written test, we are basically instructed to solve 10 questions in half and hour, and if we get caught cheating five times we will be disqualified immediately. Each time is a reduction of two points and not just the member of a team who either isn't able to solve the questions on the exam or is caught cheating but the whole team will be disqualified." Arakaki said while shrugging. 

Me: "Oh... is that right?" I asked while smirking. I think I understand what's going on here. But this isn't good news for Naruto, because he's not a big fan of writing tests. 

Hmm... this is also quite difficult for me, not the exam because I still haven't gotten the exam paper yet, but the fact that should I help Naruto with the answers or should I not? 

Kabuto's POV

Only an idiot wouldn't understand what's going on here. I mean, they obviously want us to cheat so that we can get disqualified. 

Their messing with our minds. 

Not bad at all, Ibiki Morino. 

Sasuke's POV

This is bad.. Sakura can solve these questions easily, and so can I... 

But Naruto, what are you going to do? You need to have to cheat but if you do that you'll be disqualified easily but if you don't answer the point questions you'll still be disqualified. 

Naruto.. 

Sakura's POV

Oh no..! Naruto, he can't answer these questions even if he wanted to. There's no way of passing even if you cheat and even if you don't cheat. 

Naruto....I'm sorry.. this must be so hard for you. 

Naruto's POV

WHAAAA-!? WHY A WRITTEN EXAM?? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY! 

WHY COULDN'T THEY JUST MAKE US FIGHT? WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO A WRITTEN EXAM INSTEAD? THIS IS MY GREATEST WEAKNESS! 

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

No one's POV

Team 7 started to give each other glances, they knew what this exam had brought in for them. After some time, the question paper was handed out. And everyone received the paper. 

Ibiki: "Alright, you may start....now!" Ibiki said as soon as the long hand on the watch stopped on the six. 

There were nine instructors sitting on the chairs at the side of the room, monitoring every single movement the Genin were making. 

The exam had just started but some Genin were already caught cheating and were disqualified right there. They were sent out of the room with their whole team and were sent back to the Academy. 

Naruto knew nothing on the question paper. And was confused on what to do. He wanted to look at his sides to see other people's answers but he knew that his movements were being followed by the instructor. Until, someone his right side tapped him beside his arm. 

Naruto's POV

I felt someone tap my arm, should I look? Oh Screw it. 

And then I decided to look to my right side, only to see HINATA?! I was so confused, I didn't even know she was there until now! Jeez, she's basically invisible. 

Hinata: "N-Naruto, y-you can copy m-my answers... if you'd like.." Hinata said while twirling with her fingers. 

Wow! Jeez thanks so much Hinata! But only if I could copy those answers...! Those bastards are keeping their eyes on only me! Waaahhhh! 

Me: "Thanks Hinata, but I don't need to copy answers just for a written exam! I can easily pass the exam, after all, I will be Hokage! This is a piece of cake!" I whisper yelled back. 

Hinata: "..." Hinata didn't say anything, and just smiled, then she moved back her paper and started to write again. 

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH EASIER SAID THAN DONE! I BOASTED ABOUT WRITING THESE EXAMS BUT I KNOW NOTHING! 

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? 

Takashi's POV

Hmm.. if I think about this... then...

The first nine questions are too difficult for an average genin to be able to answer. Then the real objective, therefore, is to cheat.

Either copy from one of the few genin that can answer the questions or from one of the chūnin embedded with the examinees.  

And If a genin is caught cheating five times, they and the rest of their team are disqualified. The goal is also to force the genin to apply critical thinking. 

In most cases, being caught cheating means instant failure but the two-point reduction is meant to give them a chance instead of trying again without being caught and make them realize they have to cheat. 

Getting the correct answer to these nine questions is not ultimately important, as it could be  possible to pass without answering any of them at all. 

And so, this is the goal of the whole exam. Now that I have thought of that, how do we free ourselves from this trap? 

Hmm, in-order to free ourselves from this trap I have to think like the proctor. If I was the one who set up a mind game, there would be some way to defeat the other person in their own game. Just like a Genjutsu. The proctor is pressuring us, so that we can cheat. 

When I was thinking....Ibiki, the proctor suddenly spoke up. 

Ibiki: "I'm guessing most of you are half way now, but you might be wondering why there is no question in the 10th section? Well, that's because, the tenth question will be asked at the very end of the exam. I will explain the 10th question and you will have forty five minutes to solve the question. But, there's a catch. if you answer this question incorrectly... you will automatically be disqualified. If you forfeit for some reason like, the question is too difficult then, you and your whole team will never be able to take these exams again." Ibiki said while crossing his arms. 

This led to many of the Genin exchanging glances with each of their teams. 

Ibiki: "And so you have two options. One, you can forfeit now and never be able to take exams again, which means your disqualified. And two, you can try answering the question correctly to pass." 

Me: "..." I take a look at Itachi-Sensei, but he seems reassured, then I look at Arakaki who looks at me but is also calm. 

Have they figured out how to pass this exam? 

Hmm...think like the proctor....think like the proctor.. Ah! I understand now! My information is being based off of the tenth question. 

Forty five minutes given in the tenth question, being warned that, if we answer the question incorrectly, we will not be allowed to take the exams ever again; if they forfeit - which also disqualifies the rest of the team - before hearing the question, we might be allowed to retake the exams another time. 

So given the 10th question that means this option is, itself, the tenth question; if a genin is willing to face the unknown of the tenth question, they are ready to be a chūnin. 

That's the motive of this first exam and proctor Ibiki's challenge.