Naruto and Chunin Exams

Naruto is conducting exams for the junior ninjas and has come up with a new form of examination. A maze of $M$ X $M$ is constructed in the form of a matrix (1-indexed). Each cell has a monster of power level $M_{i,j}$. The ninjas also have their power level $P$ and they can only beat monsters with power level strictly less than their own power level. The ninjas are made to enter the maze