The written part of Naruto’s Chunin Exams Arc is both underrated and occasionally labeled as one of the series’ biggest plot holes. Fans have been questioning for decades how a seasoned Jonin like Ibiki Morino could let so many Genin pass despite their obvious cheating attempts using their ninjutsu. Not only were they not subtle, these ninjutsu were hardly invisible to the naked eye, and played very much into how Naruto was almost more of a battle wizards anime than a strictly realistic ninja series. But a recent Reddit post 25 years later reminds fans that the scene was written to play out that way very intentionally.
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When Naruto’s Episode 24 first aired in Japan in 2003, adapting the 2000 release of the manga’s 40th chapter, most of the series’ audience was far too young to fully grasp the concept of a test actively meant to deceive the ones taking it. But in a world where age is just a number, the Konoha 11 had to prove they could not only think like adults but proper ninjas to pass. The written exam tested their determination, information-gathering skills, and ability to assess risk. Only those who could make good decisions on the field and had to resolve to risk themselves for the greater good made it to the next stage.
The Written Test’s Actual Purpose Was Explicit All Along
In the beginning of Naruto’s Chapter 40 (Episode 24 of the anime) Ibiki Morino explains the rules for the written first part of the Chunin Exams. Unlike traditional written tests, the exam is conducted on a point deduction system. Each Genin starts out with a perfect score of 10 points and loses one point for every answer they get wrong. If somebody is caught cheating, they lose 2 points. And perhaps most importantly for an anime emphasizing teamwork, teams pass or fail based on the total score of all three members.
Based on these rules, it’s clear somebody would need to be caught cheating five times to fail the exam, and Ibiki, too, outright says this. But what’s baffled fans for years is how the Genin manage to pass despite cheating very visibly with their jutsu. If the proctors really were counting every suspicious movement as cheating, how did they not manage to spot the obvious cheaters at least 5 times?
The answer to this lies in Kakashi’s famous quote, “A ninja must see underneath the underneath.” As pointed out by Reddit user u/mightyducks2wasokay, just like the purpose of the written test wasn’t to actually pass without cheating, the purpose of the rules isn’t to actually prevent or fail cheaters. Instead, as evidenced by Redditor u/Lonely_Pause_7855 calling the exam “an obvious test of data gathering,” Ibiki and the other proctors are judging the Genin on how they cheat and how effective those methods would be in a real mission against unsuspecting enemies.
Even if characters like Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Kiba, and Kankuro were spotted cheating, their first methods of cheating were successful and likely to work in the field. The entire time they cheated using that method would only count as one prolonged attempt to cheat, losing them two points but not earning them a disqualification.
Test takers also get more than one chance to cheat, so proctors can judge how they react to failure and if they’re able to find a cheating method that works in less than 5 tries. This checks for problem-solving skills that would be valuable in a real mission. But as pointed out by u/ButterCupHeartXO, stupid methods of cheating, like peeking at others’ test papers, are still judged harshly as they demonstrate a lack of ninja skills and are more likely to get the ninja killed or captured in an actual mission. This also means that Genin who were disqualified used unsuccessful, obvious methods that won’t work against enemy ninja. Alternately, even if their method was effective, if they repeatedly failed to execute it they risk disqualification.
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What the Test Teaches Us About Teamwork and Risk Assessment
The purpose of the written test in Naruto wasn’t just to see how the Genin cheated. As u/RRis7393 explained, it was also about how the test takers weighed and approached risk. If a Genin couldn’t figure out how to cheat successfully on their first try, they had to figure out how likely they were to succeed in subsequent attempts. Was the chance of failing repeatedly and getting disqualified higher than the chance of cheating successfully? If yes, what do they do in such a situation?
Keep trying, disqualify, and potentially fail their whole team? Or acknowledge their limitations, stop trying to cheat, and trust that their teammates will be able to gather and relay the correct answers? As u/GhostTypeDragon pointed out, the exam was never rigged, even against ninjas with no aptitude for ninjutsu or information gathering. They simply had to not panic and do something that would get them disqualified while their team figured out a way to gather the required information and get it to them.
This is because the exam is meant to emulate information gathering in a real mission where ninjas work in teams. In such a scenario, it’s vital for every team member to be able to recognize their weaknesses and defer to teammates more suited to the task. While teammates skilled at a particular task are supposed to cover for the ones who are not. Additionally, in a real mission, realizing you can’t succeed and not trying is better than failing, as repeated failed information-gathering attempts could get the ninja captured, compromising the entire team or even the village if they give up sensitive information.
The Tenth Question Was Never a Plot Device
This brings us to the second hidden test of the written exam seen in Naruto Chapter 43 (Episode 25): the tenth and final question. If one refused to answer this question, their entire team failed the Chunin Exams. But if they answered incorrectly, they would remain a Genin forever. Naruto knew he was unlikely to know the answer to the tenth question, but determined to not have his team fail, he chose to answer it anyway. Loudly declaring that he’ll become Hokage even remained a Genin forever (a prophecy that hilariously did come to pass).
This attitude of never quitting inspired many others to also choose to answer the question despite personal risk, and Ibiki passed them all without even making them answer the question. Some viewers saw this as a plot device to let Naruto pass despite his lack of academic abilities or information gathering skills. But contrary to what fans have long thought, this last question doesn’t actually go against the purpose of the first part of the exam.
Ibiki acknowledged that not everyone in a team needed to have intel-gathering skills, which was why teammates were expected to help each other during the first nine questions. But what about teams with no members capable of using their skills to gather and relay information? While intelligence skills are important for shinobi, there are those whose purpose is to only be capable fighters once the required information has been gathered and a plan of attack made.
The tenth question was designed to give such ninja teams a chance to pass. If someone recognized they could neither answer the questions correctly nor cheat successfully to get the right answers, they were faced with a couple of choices: answer immediately and risk disqualification, or bide their time to gather or find a solution. The first two might work in a traditional exam, but since the test was a metaphor for real missions, the third option was the only effective one. That’s because in the field, getting caught or relaying the wrong information is a lot more dangerous than having no information. As u/flyjingnarwhal puts it, “no information lets your side know they’re going in blind, but the wrong information sends them into traps.”
Once such teams bid their time, the tenth question tested their willingness to do whatever it took to ensure the team or village’s success; even if it was detrimental to themselves. Staying a Genin forever sounds like a major deal over failing an exam. But since the question represented a do-or-die mission, for any ninja to pass, they had to prove they could prioritize the greater good over personal interest. This also related to the exam’s data gathering aspect as whether or not a ninja could gather information, it was vital they had the resolve to not give up important information if caught and tortured.
The Potential Hidden Purpose of the Written Test
By the above, it’s clear Masashi Kishimoto did an amazing (if reluctant) job designing the Chunin Exams’ written test as a wonderful indicator of a ninja’s abilities. But that may not be its only purpose. As the Chunin Exam is hosted bi-annually with the different villages taking turns to host it, it presents a unique opportunity for the villages to gather intelligence on other villages’ potential future Chunin.
This theory makes even more sense when one considers why the leader of Konoha’s Intelligence Division, Ibiki Morino, was chosen to proctor the exams. Perhaps the reason behind that decision was so he’ll be able to gather data on other nation’s young shinobi’s unique jutsu and information-gathering techniques. As u/Right-Light458 suggests, this would then let him preemptively figure out who will be the biggest long-term threat and develop counterintelligence strategies accordingly.
And Ibiki wasn’t the only one who could be taking notes on the Genin’s jutsu to use that information against them. The written test also presented the Genin with the unique opportunity to see each others’ espionage techniques in action, adding another layer to the exam. As u/WASD_click theorized, if this was true, it ironically made Naruto the smartest one there for not cheating, so other people couldn’t gather intel on him.
The Ones Who Didn’t Cheat
With the entire purpose of the written exam being to see how the Genin gather information using cheating, it puts the ones who didn’t cheat in a unique position. Sakura was able to answer the test with just her intellect despite this being considered an impossible task at Genin level. But since she didn’t display any information-gathering techniques, does that mean she technically failed the exam?
Redditor u/Seppafer argues no. Since Sakura got her knowledge by studying before the exam, her situation is akin to having researched the enemy well enough before the mission to eliminate any need for spying. Yes, she didn’t participate in the same test as the others, but that was only because her over-preparedness meant she didn’t have to. Her method still works in a real-life situation and, as such, meets the parameters to pass the exam.
This is one of many plot holes Naruto fans have managed to find an explanation for in hindsight. With Kishimoto’s complex writing, it won’t be the last. That said, for more coverage on the anime – including all of the latest Naruto news, all of the latest Naruto rumors, and all of the latest Naruto Theory discussions – check here.
H/T: Reddit
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