Book 1: Dancing With Lightning [Naruto]

The Tenth Question

At 4:15, Ibiki raised his voice at the Genin to get their attention. "All right! Listen up! Here's the tenth and final question! But before I give it to you... there are some more rules you need to be aware of. These rules are unique to question ten; listen carefully- and try not to let them frighten you."

Everything was still.

"Very well then. Rule number one: each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

Hoshino spoke up for the rest of his peers, forcing down the urge to look down shyly as everyone looked at him. "Um... what's the catch, if you don't mind me asking? If we say we don't want to do it, then what?"

"If you choose not to answer the tenth question, regardless of the answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero- in other words, you'll fail." Ibiki answered. "And that means of course, your teammates fail as well."

For all four of them to be dragged out, if I decided not to do it...

"Wait a minute. There's more to this, isn't there?" Hoshino said above everyone else. "Another catch?"

"Yes." Ibiki grinned. "If you do accept the question, but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail... BUT YOU'LL BE BARRED FROM TAKING THE CHUNIN EXAMS EVER AGAIN!"

Hoshino's ice blue eyes widened in shock and everyone fell silent in fear and surprise.

"Hey, that's bull, man!" The loud voice of Kiba shattered the silence. "There's lots of people here who have taken the test before!"

"I guess you're just... unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident, then by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year."

"Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You guys can act tough all you want. You aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't care if I get stuck as a Genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!"

After Naruto had finished his little speech, he sat down, arms crossed. Hoshino had to fight the urge to laugh; out of relief and out of the other emotions he couldn't even tell he was feeling.

He's really come a long way, hasn't he? Well said, Naruto.

"This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason you would rather quit; now's your last chance."

"I think Naruto said it for all of us." Haku said firmly. "We never go back on our word. It's the way of the ninja."

The sentinels nodded at Ibiki, one by one with smiles on their faces. He nodded back at them and then found his words again. "Well then, I admire your determination, if nothing else. For those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you... that you've all passed the first exam!"

Silence. Hoshino's eyes went wide and he dropped his pencil on the table with a small clatter. Did that just happen?

"What do you mean we passed?! Where's the tenth question?!" Sakura shouted out.

Ibiki suddenly began to laugh. "There never was one! Actually, your decision to stay WAS the answer to the tenth question!"

"So you were messing with our minds." Hoshino blurted out, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "The other nine questions you gave us were useless then? Only there to increase the pressure?"

"No, no, not at all." Ibiki smiled, looking around. "Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an overriding purpose; to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances."