5. Haruno Sakura

When Morino Ibiki was tasked with testing the participants of the Chūnin Exam during the first stage, he began with a written test. This test forced the participants to struggle to cheat in order to answer the nine questions provided. After they finished answering the nine questions, Ibiki prepared to announce the tenth question, which he had promised from the start.

However, before announcing the tenth question, Ibiki imposed a rule that left the participants feeling hopeless. He gave them only two choices: “participate” or “withdraw.”

The rule was harsh. Each team consisted of three members, and if even one participant chose to “withdraw,” the entire team would automatically fail. Conversely, if a participant chose to “participate” but answered the tenth question incorrectly, the entire team would remain Genin forever and would not be allowed to take the Chūnin Exam again. Ibiki then asked anyone who wished to withdraw to raise their hand.

This rule made many participants lose confidence and choose to withdraw. They preferred to wait for the next year’s Chūnin Exam rather than risk remaining Genin forever.

Sakura herself didn’t intend to raise her hand because she was confident she could answer the tenth question correctly. However, she doubted Naruto’s ability to answer it. As Sakura watched Naruto, who refused to give up and wouldn’t raise his hand, she recalled how she had always thought of him as foolish, yet he always spoke with unshakable conviction about becoming Hokage.

Unwilling to crush Naruto’s spirit, Sakura intended to raise her hand and withdraw to save their team from potential failure. However, before Sakura could lift her hand, Naruto stood up, slammed the desk loudly, and, with great determination, told Ibiki that he wouldn’t run away from the tenth question.

Naruto’s action made Sakura reconsider her decision to give up. In the end, choosing to “participate” in the tenth question turned out to be the key to passing the first stage of the Chūnin Exam. All participants who chose to “participate” automatically passed without needing to answer the nine other questions.