Chapter 5: The Secret Behind the Exam

Chapter 5: The Secret Behind the Exam

Naruto's POV

The small restaurant had a cozy yet lively atmosphere, filled with students who had just finished their entrance exams. I sat at my table, quietly eating my food, when the three guys next to me pulled me into their conversation.

"Hey," the guy with spiky black hair tied up in a pineapple style spoke up, his tone lazy. "You were at the entrance exam, right? I think you were in front of Kiba."

I turned toward them.

"Oh yeah, that's the guy!" The one with fang-like markings on his cheeks, Kiba, said with enthusiasm.

The chubby one, who had a friendly and relaxed demeanor, gave me a nod. "What's your name? I'm Choji, that's Kiba, and this lazy guy here is Shikamaru."

I took a second to observe them. Shikamaru had a bored look, leaning against the table like he had better things to do. Kiba looked excited, his arms crossed confidently. Choji was munching on a bag of chips, completely unbothered.

> Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji… this world's versions of them, huh?

Realizing this was a good chance to make connections, I nodded. "I'm Naruto."

Kiba grinned. "Nice to meet you, Naruto! So, what'd you think of the exam?"

"It was easy," I answered honestly.

Kiba blinked, looking at me like I had just said something insane. "Easy? Dude, that written exam was brutal! I swear, they put trick questions in there on purpose!"

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It wasn't that hard if you actually paid attention, Kiba."

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Genius," Kiba muttered, rolling his eyes.

I glanced at Shikamaru, intrigued. "You figured out the tricks, huh?"

Shikamaru leaned back, arms crossed, an almost smug look on his face. "Of course. The exam wasn't just about answering questions correctly. They designed it to evaluate our thinking process. The multiple-choice questions had at least two answers that seemed correct, but only one was the best answer based on logic. If you thought too surface-level, you'd pick the wrong one."

Kiba groaned. "That's exactly what happened! I knew the answers, but they all seemed right!"

Shikamaru smirked. "That was the point."

Choji, still munching on his chips, shrugged. "I just answered whatever sounded correct."

Shikamaru sighed. "And that's why you're at the bottom of the list, Choji."

Kiba huffed. "Whatever. I bet I did way better on the physical exam. That was simple! Just running, lifting weights, and doing some stamina tests."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's all they did?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. But that's not the real test."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru sighed, looking at me like I was missing something obvious. "The real test wasn't just about how strong or smart we are. KHA isn't looking for the strongest hunters; they're looking for those with potential."

I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

Shikamaru leaned forward. "The way they score us isn't just based on correct answers or physical stats. They also evaluate adaptability, awareness, and problem-solving skills. Some people who scored high on written might not have done as well in physical, but if they showed strong awareness and reasoning, they still placed high."

I processed that information. It made sense.

Kiba, however, groaned. "Ugh, can you stop making everything sound so complicated?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's only complicated because you refuse to think."

I smirked slightly. "So you figured out their system but didn't score that high yourself?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I figured out the test, but I also didn't try too hard. Too much effort."

I raised an eyebrow. Lazy genius, huh?

Kiba scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, keep acting smart. We'll see who does better when we actually get into the Academy!"

I simply finished my meal, observing the group.

> This world's Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji… They're a bit different from the ones I knew, but not by much.

---

The Next Day

The day after the exams, I sat in my small apartment, staring at my laptop screen. The Konoha Hunters Academy website had just posted the entrance exam rankings.

I scrolled down and saw the results.

Top 25 Candidates - Class 1-A

1. Sasuke Uchiha – (95/100)

2. Neji Hyuga – (93/100)

3. Sai – (92/100)

4. Hinata Hyuga – (90/100)

5. Shino Aburame – (86/100)

6. Naruto Uzumaki – (83/100)

...

16. Kiba Inuzuka – (74/100)

17. Shikamaru Nara – (72/100)

18. Sakura Haruno – (71/100)

19. Choji Akimichi – (70/100)

...

25. Rock Lee – (63/100)

I scanned the names, memorizing the ones that stood out.

'Sasuke at the top… not surprising.'

The Uchiha Clan hadn't been wiped out in this world, but there was still an incident that shook them to their core.

Years ago, the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Head went insane, slaughtering most of the clan's elite hunters, including the Clan Head himself, before disappearing. The event nearly crippled the Uchiha's power and left them in a weakened state.

Now, Mikoto Uchiha—Sasuke's mother—was the new Clan Head.

And Sasuke? He was now the heir to the Uchiha Clan, carrying the burden of restoring their prestige.

It made sense that he was ranked first.

I shifted my gaze to my own name. Sixth place.

Not bad, considering I started from scratch.

Even though I had trained physically and mentally, I knew my current skills weren't at their peak.

But that didn't matter.

This is only the beginning.

I closed my laptop, exhaling slowly.

Tomorrow, I officially begin my life as a hunter-in-training.

.....

To be continued…