Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?-Chapter 264: Understanding the Will of Fire!

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"The Will of Fire is too weak. Ibiki Morino managed to endure that kind of torture—He has an affinity for the Stone Will!"

The first Shinobi to catch the eye of a high-ranking official in the Chunin Exams appeared! However, it wasn't a participant, but the proctor himself, Ibiki Morino.

———

Uchiha Itachi stared at the final question, lost in thought.

"Most Shinobi—would likely choose the healing bandage without hesitation. As long as they choose it, they survive. Only a fool would choose the kunai and fight the enemy."

"But—"

"There will always be such fools!"

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"This question represents the entire Village! From the eighty-year-old elders with failing eyesight to the three-year-old toddlers..."

"Whether out of naive optimism, believing the kunai offers a chance for everyone to survive, or out of a desire to save those foolish enough to choose the kunai—someone will choose it!"

"I can't speak for other Villages, but in Konoha—this is certain!"

"There are fools like Guy-senpai. If he were taking this test, he'd choose the kunai without hesitation—And in the future, perhaps a fool dreaming of becoming Hokage, driven by the desire to save everyone, would also choose the kunai."

"Konoha—it's because of these fools that we possess such unbreakable bonds! This is the Will of Fire! This is the Will of Fire the advisor wishes to impart to me!"

Tears streamed down Itachi's face. His Sharingan seemed to see a blazing fire within the test paper.

The flames burned his emotions, transforming into fingers that prodded—his emotional prostate—causing tears to flow like a fountain, guiding his Sharingan towards a qualitative change.

However, due to his young age and insufficient chakra reserves, the tomoe in his eyes didn't evolve further.

Itachi no longer hesitated, putting pen to paper, writing his choice and reasoning.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire burns eternal. The bonds between Konoha Shinobi mean never abandoning a comrade! Even if there's only a sliver of hope, they will choose the kunai, the path that offers the greatest chance for everyone's survival, and fight! This is the Will of Fire!"

"The Will of Fire is the bond that links generations of Konoha Shinobi!"

"This isn't just about personal survival. It's not a question of choosing between reason and emotion."

"Choosing the healing bandage demonstrates wisdom and virtue; choosing the kunai demonstrates great wisdom and great virtue—As a Konoha Shinobi, the choice is clear!"

———

Izumi Uchiha also pondered:

"This question must be Advisor Gojo's doing! Only he possesses such a twisted sense of humor!"

"But—is it truly as simple as it seems? Or is there a double meaning?"

"Does the question truly mean that choosing the healing bandage guarantees passage? If more than 50% choose the kunai, does the entire Village pass? And if not, are all those who chose the kunai eliminated?"

"Truly wicked. But—this dilemma only affects other Villages. For us Konoha Shinobi, there's no hesitation!"

Izumi Uchiha wrote on her paper: [ Kunai ]

She remembered hearing before the exam that "the answers to Konoha's Chunin Exams are on the back." She'd checked with her Sharingan and found nothing.

But now—the true answer, unique to Konoha Shinobi, was indeed printed on the back.

Throughout the Shinobi World, perhaps only in Konoha would more Shinobi choose the kunai over the healing bandage.

Izumi Uchiha sighed, the pressure lifting. She knew she'd passed the first round.

Relieved, Izumi looked towards Temari.

———

Temari hesitated, but ultimately chose the kunai.

She murmured to herself, "If I were just an ordinary Shinobi—I might choose the healing bandage. But I, who wish to inherit my father's will, who aspire to become Kazekage, cannot!"

"As long as a single Suna Villager is in danger, I cannot abandon them! This is my Shinobi way!"

"This is the Will our Village should possess!"

Temari's young face hardened with determination.

Sunagakure had never possessed a unifying Village ideology...

But Temari believed that after studying in Konoha, returning to Sunagakure, exposing Baki's treachery, driving him out, and succeeding him as the Sixth Kazekage...

Under the rule of Queen Temari, the Sixth Kazekage, inspired by the Will of Fire, a unique Suna Will would be born!

As long as she ascended to power, Suna would have its own guiding spirit!

"Don't underestimate me! Even if it means choosing a path that risks everything, even if it means remaining a Genin forever, I will follow my convictions! This is my Shinobi way!"

"This is my—Shinobi journey!"

Temari, her heart ablaze with the Will of Fire, wrote her answer with fervor.

———

"Little girl..."

Ibiki Morino looked intently at Temari, a glimmer of approval in his cold eyes.

Despite Advisor Gojo's instructions, he'd initially held reservations about this outsider. But now—her dedication to the Will of Fire rivaled that of any native Konoha Shinobi! Her Will of Fire—he acknowledged it!

———

When the sand in the hourglass ran out, a faint smile appeared on Ibiki Morino's scarred face. "Heh, not bad. Quite a few of you managed to endure until the end."

He began to applaud, and the proctors flanking him followed suit.

"First, congratulations. Regardless of your answer to the tenth question, you've passed. Meaning—simply by enduring until the end of this exam, you've passed the first round of the Chunin Exams!"

"More of you remained than I expected."

"Huh?"

"Wait, what do you mean, we suddenly passed? What was the answer to the tenth question?" A Genin, still reeling from the psychological pressure of the final question, slammed his hand on the table and demanded an explanation.

Ibiki Morino grinned, revealing his teeth, his expression grotesque yet filled with admiration for Advisor Gojo.

"This question—it's a true test of the mind! It's clear these examinees were tormented by it. It seems I, Ibiki, still have much to learn about the art of interrogation."

"Such a thing—never existed! If you want an answer, simply enduring until now, without being eliminated or withdrawing, is the answer!"

"Wait, then what about the first nine questions? All that effort, all those strategies—were they meaningless?!"

"Not entirely meaningless."

Ibiki Morino tucked his hands into his pockets, turning towards the Hokage's viewing box. "The first nine questions served their purpose—to test your intelligence gathering abilities."

"Those questions, naturally, were beyond the capabilities of most Genin. Though perhaps a few geniuses managed to solve one or two—To provide you with targets for intelligence gathering, I arranged for five Chunin, who knew the answers, to be scattered among you. Those with the necessary skills could naturally obtain the correct answers from them. Furthermore, the scoreboards held by each proctor weren't for deducting points, but rather—contained the correct answers..."

"Those who resorted to crude, easily detectable methods of cheating were, unfortunately, eliminated."

"For us Shinobi, intelligence is sometimes more valuable than life itself. It's something worth fighting, even dying for, on the battlefield."

Ibiki removed his headband and forehead protector, revealing the dense network of scars beneath, eliciting gasps from the examinees.

"Even so—what about the tenth question?" someone persisted.

"Based on the Village's circumstances, individual growth—the tenth question has no single correct answer!"

Ibiki replaced his headband and forehead protector, beginning to recite the speech Gojo Kaigetsu had provided.

He hadn't mentioned—failing to deliver this speech flawlessly, according to the advisor's instructions, would result in a punishment far worse than torture!

Everyone had their weaknesses. And his, Ibiki's, weakness, was being expelled from the "Gojo Inner-Circle"!

Therefore, he'd rehearsed Gojo Kaigetsu's speech dozens of times, ensuring he could deliver it perfectly before the cameras.

"But I grew up in Konoha. Since childhood, I've basked in the light of the Will of Fire. For us Konoha Shinobi, this question was never multiple choice; it was always a single answer!"

"In my opinion..."

"Those who choose the kunai value their comrades and their Village, willing to entrust their lives to their partners. Those who choose the healing bandage, however, might possess anti-social tendencies, prioritizing only their own self-interest. If you had to choose, whom would you prefer by your side in life-or-death situations? The answer is obvious."

"A group willing to rescue their foolish comrades from danger—this is the clearest manifestation of the Will of Fire!"

"Especially when your comrades, your loved ones, are among those who chose the kunai. Even if the odds are even, choosing the healing bandage guarantees personal survival, but only choosing the kunai offers the best chance of ensuring everyone's safety."

"Not everyone can grasp the deeper meaning. This choice—represents the entire Village! Some, not even Shinobi, driven by innate kindness, see only the first layer—'If more than half choose the kunai, everyone survives.' Seeing the word 'everyone,' they lose all reason and charge forward!"

"Do you think I don't know that choosing the healing bandage guarantees my survival? But there will always be fools who, driven by a simple sense of justice, by intuition, choose the kunai."

"Those fools—might be our comrades! We must support them, ensure that no one dies because of their purest intentions, their unwavering adherence to the Will of Fire!"

"Setting aside the Will of Fire, from my personal perspective—If I were choosing subordinates for a mission, I would prefer those who chose the kunai. Perhaps, when faced with a critical mission, they too would raise their kunai and face the hardship together, rather than choosing the healing bandage, abandoning the mission and their comrades to save themselves..."

Ibiki Morino's voice was calm.

But combined with his intimidating face, the effect was anything but calm.

———

Among the examinees...

Many from other Villages who had chosen the kunai now wept, tears of validation streaming down their faces.

Yes! Yes! That's right! When I chose the kunai, I worried people would think I was a fool! But hearing you say that—I don't feel like a fool anymore! In fact, I feel—noble!

This was the sentiment shared by many.

Ibiki Morino's words had perfectly articulated the emotions they couldn't express themselves.

In other words—Talk-no-jutsu!

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