oog: AHAHAHAHAH! Don't know why this was so hard but it's DONE!!
ig:
Ichigo, Ushio, and Kotetsu have no further run-ins with other genin or proctors. Soon enough they find the gate that is the end point of the test, along with the teams that have passed already.
Teams of genin trickle in as the first test continues. As the last minute winds down a team from Taki and a Konoha team appear and are desperately rushing to the finish line. The Konoha team just happens to be the other team of rookies. The pace of both teams is frantic, and it seems too close a thing to say if they'll deliver the scroll in time or not.
In that moment, the scrawny, short boy of the Konoha team makes a decision. He pulls the scroll from a pouch and with a focused glare in his eye (flashing glint and everything!) tosses it toward one of the chunin proctors past the gate. A kunoichi proctor catches the scroll less than a second before time runs out, while both teams pass through the gate at the same time.
"TIME!"
That shout came from the head proctor, Abunai Hitokasegi. The Taki team try to deliver their scroll to a proctor, but are rejected.
"I said time's up. You fail." Abunai turns to the proctor holding the scroll for the anxious Konha genin. Upon getting a nod from her, Abunai directs her attention to the genin team. "What're you three waiting for? Go and join the others that passed."
The Taki genin take exception to this. "Why should they pass?! We got through the gate at the same time!"
"My test, my rules. They actually listened to what I said before, which included nothing about getting over the finish line ensuring you get to turn in your scroll.”
*flashback*
"Once the time ends, the stage is over. It doesn't matter if you're just feet from the Chunin. If they don't have your scroll in their hands when the time arrives, you fail."
*flashback end*
Abunai continues, "I also never said anything about actually handing the scroll to a proctor. Any ninja worth a damn needs to be able to think outside the box to complete their mission. Anyone worth considering to lead other ninja, to be a chunin, needs to understand and practice that instinctively. Without needing somebody to tell them."
"As for the rest of you...CONGRATULATIONS! You passed the first stage." Abunai directs the proctors to pass out slips of paper that contain the location of the next stage of the exams and the time to be there tomorrow. "Show's over, get out of my sight before I release the nin hounds on all of you."
As if to punctuate her point, the dozens-strong packs of nin hounds that you're pretty sure weren't there two seconds ago start growling menacingly.
Conclusion of First Exam:
Ame: 1
Iwa: 2
Kiri: 2
Konoha: 7
Kumo: 1
Kusa: 1
Suna: 4
Taki: 3
Uzu: 3
24 Teams Remain