organizationkhII: Sorry for not updating! T_T I can feel the anger of some of my readers already.
Suzaku: Stop complaining.
organizationkhII: Slight cussing in this chapter, just saying.
Naruto: This chapter is about the Chunin exams!
Sasuke: Hn.
Naruto: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
The Chunin Exams- Part 1
For the next three days, Xion, Suzaku, and Ari worked together to find a point where they can all cooperate. This did not stop Ari from meeting with Naruto and dragging Xion and Suzaku along.
The Chunin Exams
"Late. Again." Sakura crossed her arms. Naruto looked at the group in front of him.
"Everyone's here, even Xion and her team," Sasuke said. Both Ari and Naruto glared at him. "The first part of the exams is taken in this building. Let's go."
Following the stream of Genins, they eventually arrived at a large room. Xion could hear talking and laughing coming from inside. As they walked inside, she caught sight of a silver haired boy that had part of his hair in a ponytail. He had round glasses.
I've seen that guy before. But where? Xion closed her eyes, trying to remember. I know I have seen him somewhere when I was only a child. Who is he?
"Xion, what are you doing? You should come see these cards on every ninja's information!" she heard Ari calling.
The silver-haired looked up and grinned at Xion, who was examining a card that had a red-head and a Chinese "love" character on his forehead. "Xion, eh? I've heard of you." She looked up.
"Name's Kabuto. You're the last person who has the Kirigan, right? It's about as powerful as the Sharingan." Kabuto looked up at Sasuke, who frowned a little. Xion could sense Suzaku tensing. "I wonder who would win if you two fought against each other."
Suzaku opened his mouth as if to speak. "Actually, there are more Kirigan-"
"Don't…don't." Xion interrupted. Suzaku looked at her in surprise but shut his mouth. Trying to change the subject, she pointed at the card. "Who is this boy exactly?"
"His name is Gaara from the Village Hidden in the Sand. The only missions his team had were ranked C, with one ranked B. Impressive for a Genin." Kabuto clarified. Xion has changed since she has escaped from Orochimaru's. And she doesn't seem to remember me. That makes it easier. "I heard that his team is comprised of his siblings, Kankuro and Temari. Both are older than Gaara."
"You sure know a lot about them," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Are you stalking them?"
"Stalking who?" a female voice said. Everyone turned around to see a girl with black buns with a Chinese style outfit, a boy with long black hair that had no pupils in his white eyes, and a boy with a mushroom haircut in a green jumpsuit.
"Tenten! Neji! Rock Lee!" Naruto hugged each one.
"What happened to Neji's eyes?" Ari asked.
"Neji is a member of the Hyuga clan that resides in Konoha. Everyone in the clan possesses the Byakugan, an ocular power. The eyes are white and the pupils aren't visible, but when it is activated, the veins around the eyes bulge and the pupil becomes more defined. That's all I know right now." Sakura explained.
Sasuke pulled Xion over. "What was Kabuto saying about the Kirigan?" Although they were far from the group, Xion could feel Suzaku eyeing them.
"Why would I tell you?" Xion crossed her arms.
"The Kirigan and Sharingan are similar. This might have to do with my clan's massacre."
Xion sighed and uncrossed her arms. "The Kirigan originated in Kumogakure. The Sharingan originated in Konoha. What connection is there?"
"But the main family was living in Konoha. You were living in Konoha." Suzaku came closer. "The main family of a clan would not move to another village for no reason."
"What does that have to with the Sharingan?"
"That means the Uchiha clan and your clan were related in some way. The Uchiha clan was everything the village had when it was first constructed," Sasuke dropped his voice to a whisper, seeing that people were staring at them. "My clan must have agreed with yours in order for you to immigrate."
"How do I know? My grandfather moved here when the village was first constructed, but he is already dead." Xion's voice was also a whisper. "My whole family was killed. I can't ask anyone." She looked at Suzaku, who was still listening closely. He looked away, trying not to draw attention to himself.
"Quiet, everybody!" A man at the front of the room barked. "Get to a seat now. I suggest team members sit away from each other." The man had scars running across his face and a handkerchief tied around his head. "Did you hear me? Get moving!"
Xion slid into the nearest seat she could find. Ari was at the front of the room while Suzaku was just two seats away. Chunin ninjas lined the walls of the room. The man was still at the front of the room. Someone passed out a piece of paper to everybody, face down, as the man started to give instructions.
"Welcome to the Chunin exams. My name is Ibiki. Not as if any of you care, really." He proceeded to give instructions.
So impudent. Suzaku thought, flipping over his paper. These questions are so hard… He could see Sakura scribbling all over her paper already. He activated his Kirigan and could barely make out what she was reading. He wrote down the answer verbatim.
Naruto scratched his head and glanced at Hinata's, who was sitting next to him. She uncovered more of her paper by moving her elbow. He took the chance and wrote down the first word of the second question. His pencil was going to touch the paper again when he heard scratching from a supervisor. Naruto looked up and saw that the supervisor was smiling at him. Naruto ducked his head and decided to wait for the tenth question.
"It is time for the tenth question. Everyone put down your pencils," Ibiki said. Naruto leaned forward on his elbows, eager to start. "Everyone will be given a chance to answer the tenth question. If you answer it right, you will go the next stage with your teammates. However, if you answer it wrong, your whole team will be disqualified and your team will never be able to come here again."
Murmurs swept through the hall. A sweat drop appeared on Xion's and Naruto's faces.
"If you want to quit now, you will have the chance of coming back next time. Pick your choice. If you want to quit now, raise your hand." Three teams left the testing room. Ibiki grinned.
"Okay! What's the tenth question?" Naruto yelled.
"Guy in the orange jumpsuit, please be quiet," an supervisor said.
"But, but-"
Ibiki chuckled. "You've all passed!" Every Genin stared at him. "The tenth question was if you wanted to answer the tenth question. Whoever chose to stay passed."
"Then what's the point of the test and the no-cheating policy?" Temari asked.
"It's to see if you could cheat. The questions are extremely difficult, that cheating is required. If you used a special ability to cheat, not just looking off someone else's paper. We even included two Chunins disguised as Genin." Ibiki waved at two guys.
Suddenly, a woman with purple hair in a spiky bun burst into the room, a poster hanging behind her. "Everyone, come with me to the Forest of Death-"
"Anko, it's a little too early for this-"
"Could have told me earlier! Now everyone, this is a consent form…" Anko went blaring on about the form that every ninja had to sign.
"…" Ibiki sighed as Anko led everyone off to the Forest of Death. Picking up test papers, he came to Naruto and looked at the empty paper. Trying to pass without answering any questions…he smiled.
Later…
"We got an earth scroll," Xion looked at the Chinese character in her hand. They were surrounded by dense trees.
"Let me see! Let me see!" Ari tried to snatch for the scroll. She fended him off with one hand.
"Ari we're not supposed to open it!"
"I just wanna see!"
"Suzaku, you're the one in charge of the scroll!" Xion tossed the scroll over to him and he put it in his sack.
They walked for a while. All of them were silent, except for the occasional chirping of birds. Suzaku walked faster, approaching Xion who was in the front.
"We're supposed to get another scroll, aren't we? We should go look for another team."
"No need to worry. One will show up soon." They heard a scream behind them. Suzaku whipped around and threw two kunai at the intruder. Smiling slyly, he dodged them and threw some shuriken back. Xion deflected them.
"Okay, give the scroll over," the Amegakure ninja said.
"Unusual. Why don't you have your mask on?" Xion asked, narrowing her eyes.
"There's no need for a mask," he said impatiently. "Now, give the scroll or we'll kill this guy," he pointed to a tied up Ari, flanked by the enemy's teammates.
Suzaku growled and got ready to attack. Xion put a hand in front of him. She smiled sweetly, making the Amegakure ninja look at her quizzically.
"How about a bet?" she asked. He nodded, telling her to go on. "We'll have a match. If I win," Xion gestured to Ari, "you set our teammate free and we get your scroll. If I lose, you get to have our scroll."
"Agreed."
"Why are you being so nice? Ninjas are not supposed to play nice," Suzaku hissed in her ear.
"Just shut up. And get out of the way."
Xion dodged two kunai and back flipped over a few shuriken. He pulled out a kunai and grinned. Charging at her, she waited until he slashed at her. Xion side-stepped him, grabbed his arm, and flung him into the trees. Grabbing a kunai herself, she stabbed it into his arms as he was getting up. Suzaku paled as she pulled out this tactic.
"My arms…" he glared at Xion fiercely.
"You can't use any more jutsu," she said, throwing the bloodied kunai at his feet. "I win. Set my teammate free and give us your scroll." She turned and started walking away. Furious, the enemy lunged at her back, preparing to stab a kunai into her back. After all, his arms hurt, but what was that compared to his broken pride?
Xion turned around at the last second and kneed him in the stomach, hard. There was a cracking noise as he slid down to the ground, unconscious. Blood trickled out of his mouth.
"Give the scroll over," she said to his scared teammates. She put the sky scroll in her sack as Suzaku untied Ari. "Take your teammate to somewhere safe. Don't venture out until this stage is over. It's unlikely that you'll pass with a teammate that has a broken rib." Xion made sure her voice sounded cold before jumping into the forest, Ari and Suzaku right behind her.
"That was awesome!" Ari exclaimed.
"Shut up."
They approached a brook. The tower loomed closely in front of them, bathed in the moonlight. Nodding to each other, they ran towards it.
"F***!" Ari said as he tripped. Crows flew away, cawing.
"Shit," Xion cussed as three dark figures came forward behind the trees.
"This is what we totally needed," Suzaku said, gritting his teeth.
Ari: Why do I have to be the one who gets in trouble?
organizationkhII: ...
Ari: organizationkhII isn't updating until she gets at least sixteen reviews for this story!
Sakura: So those of you who want this story to continue...Review!
