Nawaki rubbed the spot where Tsunade had struck him, then turned to look at Chiba standing behind him.
Seeing this, Chiba finally broke his silence. "Yes, I came up with the idea, but you were the one who carried it out. So, you have to admit that the responsibility is equally shared between us, right?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya, who had initially been angered, found himself unable to argue against Uchiha Chiba's logic. However, Tsunade had no such reservations. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, grabbed Chiba by the ear, and dragged him away.
Jiraiya originally wanted to ask Tsunade where she was taking him, but upon noticing how close they seemed, he hesitated. A strange, sour feeling settled in his chest.
Nawaki, on the other hand, had no idea where they were going, but he was just relieved to not be the only one facing Tsunade's wrath.
Chiba had no clue where Tsunade was taking him, but seeing her current state, he wisely chose to remain silent.
Once they reached a small room, Tsunade closed the door behind them. Then, she pushed Uchiha Chiba against the wall, placing her hands on either side of him, effectively trapping him.
Seeing this, Uchiha Chiba swallowed hard. "Sister Tsunade, what... what do you want to do?"
Tsunade huffed. "What do you think? You haven't come to see me for half a month. What have you been doing?"
"..."
Although her question was unexpected, Uchiha Chiba quickly gathered his thoughts.
"Uh, I've been training in Sage Mode. You know that, don't you, Tsunade-san?"
"Liar. Katsuyu told me you mastered Sage Mode in just a few days." Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "So what exactly have you been doing for the past ten days?"
"..."
Uchiha Chiba hadn't expected that. Then again, it made sense—Tsunade and Katsuyu had known each other far longer than he had.
In truth, after leaving Shikkotsu Forest, he had been entirely focused on refining his Sage Chakra and enhancing his body. He had become so absorbed in the process that he had momentarily forgotten about Tsunade.
Now, confronted by her questioning, he felt slightly embarrassed. "Well, Sister Tsunade, I was so busy training that I forgot to visit you."
"Hmph, irresponsible brat." Tsunade crossed her arms, though her frustration had noticeably lessened.
She wasn't truly angry; she just wanted an explanation. However, when she called him irresponsible, Chiba felt the need to defend himself. He placed his hands on her shoulders.
"W-Wait..."
After returning to the examination room, Chiba found that Jiraiya had already left.
"Chiba, where did my sister take you just now?" Nawaki asked curiously.
Based on his own experiences, he assumed that Chiba had received a solid beating from Tsunade. However, Chiba didn't seem injured at all. In fact, Senju Nawaki noticed a faint, familiar pink mark at the corner of Chiba's mouth but couldn't immediately place where he had seen it before.
"Nothing much. She just gave me a lecture and told me not to do it again," Chiba replied indifferently.
He wasn't lying—Tsunade had definitely taught him a lesson. He just hadn't expected it to be that kind of lesson. Apparently, Tsunade had been practicing her breath control in private.
"Hah, good brother."
Before Senju Nawaki could say anything further, Orochimaru suddenly appeared in the examination room.
"I am the examiner for your first test. Now, let me explain the rules."
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the gathered Genin, pausing slightly when he looked at Nawaki and Chiba.
"The rules are simple: Cheating is strictly forbidden. If any candidate is caught cheating, their entire team will be immediately disqualified."
"Any objections?"
He glanced around, waiting for a response. When none came, a small smile played on his lips.
"Good. It seems everyone understands. Then, let's begin the first exam."
Chiba curled his lips. No objections?
Of course, no one dared to object. Who among the Genin present could stand up to the oppressive aura of an Elite Jōnin like Orochimaru?
However, Chiba was facing a new problem. He knew that this exam was meant to test their ability to gather intelligence, but unlike in Naruto Uzumaki's time, he had no idea which candidates had the correct answers. He couldn't just blindly follow someone like Naruto had.
And he wasn't the only one struggling. Senju Naoki stared at the questions with a headache.
Like Chiba, he had slept through most of his classes and had no idea what the teachers had taught.
Glancing at Chiba, he noticed that his friend was just as lost as he was. For some reason, that made him feel a little better.
From the examiner's desk, Orochimaru observed their predicament. He recognized their struggles immediately. However, as the proctor of the exam, he couldn't blatantly assist them.
Even if he wanted to help, he was well aware that both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsuchikage Ohnoki were watching. He could only hope they figured something out on their own.
Chiba regretted not paying attention in school. If he had, he wouldn't be in this situation now.
Then, he noticed something strange—Nawaki had suddenly started writing answers at an impressive speed.
Huh?
Something was off.
'Nawaki' seemed to sense Chiba's gaze and subtly mouthed a message.
Chiba immediately understood—it wasn't actually Naoki, but Yamanaka Haichi using the Mind-Body Switch Technique.
Realizing the trick, Chiba relaxed. He also understood why Yamanaka Haichi hadn't chosen to possess him instead—his mental state and Conqueror's Haki likely made him an unsuitable target.
No matter. As soon as Naoki finished writing, Chiba would just copy his answers. After all, Orochimaru was the one supervising.
And Chiba was certain that Orochimaru wouldn't make things too difficult for him.