The story of Naruto spanned many popular and exciting story arcs, from the Land of Waves expedition to the famed chunin exam to the Sasuke retrieval story arc. The story made it clear that the chunin exam, in particular, is a vital phase of any young ninja's career, and genin as young as 12 years old are allowed to take part and strive for the rank of chunin.
Naruto Uzumaki saw for himself just how challenging and frightening the chunin exam can truly be, but he relished the challenge, and he and the rest of Team 7 grew a great deal during this time. Naruto and his friend benefitted from many perks of taking this exam, but they also had to face some harsh realities along the way, too. What might they be?
10 PERK: It's An Opportunity To Grow
This is one of the most abstract but vital aspects of the chunin exam -- it's an excellent opportunity for genin to rapidly develop and improve themselves as ninjas in a true test of courage and mettle. Only a genin with significant potential can flourish during the chunin exam.
Sakura Haruno, to name one example, found her resolve as a kunoichi and learned to fight for real during the chunin exam, which laid the groundwork for her apprenticeship with Lady Tsunade later on. No longer will she just stand around and watch Naruto and Sasuke do all the fighting.
9 HARSH REALITY: Not All Ninjas Can Easily Collect Intel On Their Own
Covertly collecting intel and spying on the enemy is a major part of any ninja mission -- shinobi are expected to be more than just fighters, after all. When Naruto took the exam, the genin had to covertly cheat on a difficult written exam, and only the smartest and craftiest ninjas could succeed here.
However, some ninjutsu or taijutsu is only tailored for combat, and not intel-gathering. Naruto had no way to cheat on this exam, and not even Kurama's chakra or his pranks could help him. Some ninja were doomed from the very start to fail.
8 PERK: Allies Might Help Out
Naruto actually did pass the written exam, but not because he obtained the answers. In fact, he submitted a nearly blank test, but he did have a chance to cheat with the aid of his neighbor, a certain Hinata Hyuga.
Hinata, who had a personal interest in Naruto, gave him a chance to cheat on her own paper and get the answers. This might not often happen, but once in a while, a friend or admirer might help a ninja get themselves out of a tricky bind, including during exams. Even ninjas can have friends.
7 HARSH REALITY: The Forest Of Death Has No Human Amenities In It
Once Naruto and his allies passed the written exam, they moved on to the dreaded Forest of Death, a massive, fenced-off forested region where genin were expected to trek across the wilderness and reach the tower in the forest's center. This is no place for casual hikers or sightseers.
Not only must the genin teams fight one another, but they are far away from human civilization and its comforts, such as air conditioning, running water, plumbing, convenience stores, and more. Naruto and his teammates couldn't even get their hands on a roll of toilet paper or soap in that forest.
6 PERK: The Chunin Exam Can Be Taken More Than Once
Some genin will get a second chance to take the chunin exam, and the second time around, that genin should have enough skills, experience, and courage to pass the exam for real. And if that is not enough, the genin might get a third chance to take that exam or even a fourth.
Ninjas are always growing and learning, after all, and if they know what they're doing, they can retake the chunin exam a few times and seek an opportunity to pass it and obtain the rank of chunin. It's not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and sure enough, genin such as Sakura, Hinata Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara, and others retook the exam and passed it.
5 HARSH REALITY: Retaking The Chunin Exam May Prove Impossible For Some
Plenty of genin take the chunin exam more than once, but not all of them can do that. It's typically the strong and smart genin who can survive a failed attempt and take the exam again, and some genin simply don't have what it takes.
Many genin may perish during the chunin exam, since lethal force is allowed by all, and if a genin is killed or badly injured during the exam, they are in no position to take it again. For some exam takers, this really is an all-or-nothing proposition, with no second chances.
4 PERK: Teammates May Grow Closer Together
Some ninja teams are closely-knit, and even if they are not, the three genin in that team are sure to grow closer together after they risk their lives as a unit against terrifying odds during the chunin exams. Young and immature genin who bicker and feud are sure to become reliable teammates during this test.
For example, the Ino-Shika-Cho team really came together during the chunin exam, and despite their differing personalities, these three genin learned to fight or die as a cohesive whole in the exam. That's one reason the three of them survived to reach the tower in that forest.
3 HARSH REALITY: Not All Ninjas Are Good At Dueling
The final stages of the chunin exams involved single combat, where genin were chosen at random to face an opponent in formal duels. This formed a classic shonen-style tournament arc, but the problem is that some genin are simply not meant to duel like this.
Support ninjas such as Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru, and Tenten the weapons specialist aren't meant to fight alone, but rather, back up their teammates in a larger-scale battle. Shikamaru easily outwitted his opponent Temari, for example, but he had no means of finishing her off. He had to surrender, despite his temporary advantage.
2 PERK: Combat Specialists Can Dominate The Final Phases
The chunin exam's design makes sure that ninjas of all sorts are given a chance to shine, but it's really the combat specialists, not the intel-gatherers or support ninjas, who get the best opportunities to impress the judges. Only the combat specialists can thrive in the final phase in particular.
Support ninjas may struggle here, but duelists such as Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Gaara of the Sand can crush the opposition and easily advance in the mini-tournament and become chunin in no time at all. They are the least vulnerable contenders, after all, and they can still use clever moves, like support ninjas, to impress the judges even more.
1 HARSH REALITY: Even The Winners Might Suffer
Ideally, a genin will not just survive the chunin exam, but impress the judges and be deemed worthy of becoming a chunin once the exam is over. However, even the winners might pay prices that they were not ready to pay along the way, such as permanent injuries or, more likely, the death of their teammates and friends.
A genin can pass this exam even if one or more teammates perishes, and the newly-minted chunin must go on without them. Ninjas aren't supposed to feel or act upon emotions, but since Naruto is a shonen series, these characters absolutely do express and act on their emotions, such as guilt and grief. A chunin exam winner might be heartbroken if their victory came at the cost of both teammates.
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