What does the first stage consist of?

A written test proctored by Ibiki Morino. Officially nine difficult questions, but the real goal is to cheat without getting caught. A final tenth "question" tests only courage: those who agree to stay are admitted.

What do you have to collect in the Forest of Death?

Each team sets out with a single scroll — Heaven or Earth — and must obtain both (by taking them from other teams), then reach the central tower, within a five-day limit.

Why is the exam interrupted?

During the final tournament, Orochimaru launches the invasion of Konoha with the Hidden Sound and Hidden Sand villages. Disguised as the Kazekage, whose appearance he took after killing him, he turns the arena into a battlefield.

How does the Third Hokage die?

Facing Orochimaru, Hiruzen uses the Reaper Death Seal. Lacking the strength, he manages only to seal his former student's arms, depriving him of his techniques, and he dies from that sacrifice.

Who is promoted to chunin at the end of this exam?

Only one candidate: Shikamaru Nara. Although he forfeited his fight against Temari, the judges promote him for his tactical intelligence and his leadership qualities.

Les Examens Chûnin : l'épreuve de passage des genin

The Chunin Exams: The Trial Every Genin Must Pass

July 11, 2026

1236 words | Reading time: 7 min

UniverseChunin ExamsKonoha

A tenth question that tests not knowledge, but courage. Three rounds to go from genin to chunin: Ibiki Morino's written test, where cheating cleverly is the real subject; five days of survival in Anko's Forest of Death, Heaven Scroll against Earth Scroll; then the preliminary rounds proctored by Hayate and the final tournament, one month later. Before Orochimaru's invasion, disguised as the Kazekage he had killed, turns everything upside down.

The trial that brings Naruto into the big leagues — and then tips into tragedy: these are the Chunin Exams, from their three rounds to the invasion of Konoha.

The purpose of the exam
First stage: the written test
Second stage: the Forest of Death
Third stage: the tournament
The invasion of Konoha
Summary Table
FAQ

The purpose of the exam

The Chunin Exams are the official trial that lets a genin reach the rank of chunin. They bring together in Konoha teams from several villages, as much to assess the ninja as to stage a show of strength between nations.

The exam unfolds in three phases: a written test, a survival trial, then one-on-one fights. Each one ruthlessly eliminates the least prepared candidates.

Nine young ninja in genin outfits, including a blond boy in orange and a girl with pink hair, wait lined up in a hallway; one of them carries a small white dog on his head. — Genin teams gathered before the exam: what is at stake here is promotion to the rank of chunin.

First stage: the written test

The first round is a written test proctored by Ibiki Morino. Officially, the point is to answer nine tough questions; in reality, the real goal is to cheat without getting caught.

The famous tenth question , on the other hand, tests only courage: agreeing to answer it despite the risk of failing for life. Those who stay are admitted — no one actually has to answer it.

A man with a scarred face, arms crossed, in a long dark coat and a bandana, stands in front of two rows of proctors in gray uniforms wearing the Konoha headband. — Ibiki Morino and his proctors: their number says enough — the test is about how you cheat.

Second stage: the Forest of Death

The second round is a five-day survival trial in the Forest of Death, overseen by Anko Mitarashi. Each team receives a single scroll — Heaven or Earth — and must gather both before reaching the central tower.

This is where Orochimaru, who has infiltrated the exam, places the Curse Mark on Sasuke — the event that will set off everything that follows in the series.

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A round, multi-story tower with red and beige wooden roofs rises from a dense forest that stretches to the horizon under a blue sky. — The central tower of the Forest of Death, the finish line for the teams that have gathered both scrolls.

Third stage: the tournament

Too many candidates qualify: preliminary rounds of one-on-one duels, proctored by Hayate Gekko, come before the tournament. There we see Rock Lee face Gaara, and Neji against Hinata.

One month later, the final tournament is held in the Konoha arena: Naruto beats Neji there, while the duel between Sasuke and Gaara sets up the tragedy to come.

An overhead view of an arena with cracked ground: a blond boy in an orange outfit lunges forward, fist clenched, toward a long-haired opponent wrapped in a swirl of blue chakra. — The final tournament in the Konoha arena, where Naruto wins against Neji.

The invasion of Konoha

In the middle of the tournament, Orochimaru launches the invasion of Konoha with the Hidden Sound Village and the Hidden Sand. Disguised as the Fourth Kazekage — whom he killed and whose appearance he took — he turns the arena into a battlefield.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, faces his former student, who has revived the First and Second Hokage with the Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu). Lacking the strength, he manages only to seal Orochimaru's arms , at the cost of his life.

The irony of the exam: the only one promoted to chunin is Shikamaru, who nevertheless forfeited his fight against Temari. The judges reward his tactical intelligence, the true quality of a leader.

Three giant snakes with red collars rear their heads above the outer wall of a village, in thick black smoke. — The surprise attack on Konoha, launched in the middle of the tournament.

Summary Table

Phase	Details
1st stage	Ibiki Morino's written test: cheat cleverly + a 10th question that tests courage
2nd stage	5-day survival in the Forest of Death (Anko): gather the Heaven Scroll + the Earth Scroll
3rd stage	Preliminary rounds (proctor Hayate) then final tournament, one month later, in the Konoha arena
Interruption	Invasion of Konoha by Orochimaru (Hidden Sound + Hidden Sand), disguised as the Kazekage he had killed
Consequences	Death of the Third Hokage (Orochimaru's arms sealed); Shikamaru the only one promoted to chunin

FAQ

What does the first stage consist of?
A written test proctored by Ibiki Morino. Officially nine difficult questions, but the real goal is to cheat without getting caught. A final tenth "question" tests only courage: those who agree to stay are admitted.
What do you have to collect in the Forest of Death?
Each team sets out with a single scroll — Heaven or Earth — and must obtain both (by taking them from other teams), then reach the central tower, within a five-day limit.
Why is the exam interrupted?
During the final tournament, Orochimaru launches the invasion of Konoha with the Hidden Sound and Hidden Sand villages. Disguised as the Kazekage, whose appearance he took after killing him, he turns the arena into a battlefield.
How does the Third Hokage die?
Facing Orochimaru, Hiruzen uses the Reaper Death Seal. Lacking the strength, he manages only to seal his former student's arms, depriving him of his techniques, and he dies from that sacrifice.
Who is promoted to chunin at the end of this exam?
Only one candidate: Shikamaru Nara. Although he forfeited his fight against Temari, the judges promote him for his tactical intelligence and his leadership qualities.

In summary

A rite of passage turned battlefield, the Chunin Exams condense all of Naruto: pushing past your limits, plot twists, and the first great wound inflicted on Konoha.