A/N: hallo! hope u liked the last two LOOOOOONG chapters! i dont, considering their just what's in the anime. but whatevs. this one is too, but not as bad, k?

bear with me: the second exam is much better. just got done with Spring Break! yay!

GUYS. I HAVE 4 REVIEWS. lol i should be less than proud about that, but...

well! thanks sooo much to halliday'n'inuzuka 4ever. ur ~awesome~! also, thanks to everyone for faving and alerting this story! it makes my day everytime i get and email form fanfiction. :)

Anyhoo, enjoy! and dont forget to review! xoxoxo

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"You three from the Hidden Sound! Don't think you can go and do whatever you want! Do you want us to fail you already?" Morino asked the creepy Sound people. The mummy boy made a bold move.

"I'm sorry. I was excited, since this is our first exam," he replied easily. The proctor smirked.

"This is a good chance to say this… you are not allowed to fight during this exam without permission from the examiners. And even if permission is given, you are not allowed to kill the other. Pigs who go against me will be failed immediately. Am I understood?" he watched the room. I felt like I was supposed to be trembling, cowering in fear. But I couldn't bring myself to do it; that would only bring more attention to myself.

"Heh. This exam seems so soft and easy," the second boy from the sound told Morino. The men behind the examiner grinned and laughed in anticipation. For the first time, I did tremble. I was going to be chewed up and spit out without any mercy whatsoever.

"We will now begin the first part of the Chuunin Exams," Morino announced. "Turn in your applications. Also, take a number card and sit where the number tells you. Then we will pass out papers for the written exam."

I looked at him. A written test? That's the first exam? There's something going on here…. What's hiding behind this test?

"Written…" Naruto muttered. "Paper…. A WRITTEN TEST?"

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Number 24. That was my number: 24. I sat cautiously in my seat next to two perfect strangers and looked around. I was surrounded by foreign ninja, without permission to take them on as opponents if they attacked. I was tense, ready; what would happen next?

Izumi and Sunai were sitting somewhere that I couldn't see, and I began to panic a little. Calm down Sora. It's just a test. You'll pass just fine, okay? So just take a deep breath and chill out.

A tap at the front of the room broke the anxious chatter around the room. I looked forward.

"The first exam has a few important rules. I won't listen to any questions, so listen carefully," Morino told us.

No questions? That could be a clue… but probably not… this guy could just be mean….

"First rule is that you'll be given 10 points from the start. The exam consists of ten questions and each is worth one point. This is a deduction-based test. If you miss one question, you lose one point. If you miss three questions, your points will be reduced to seven," he explained.

That made enough sense. Basically, you miss 10 and you fail the test.

"Second rule: the pass-fail decision will be determined by your team's total points."

Now that didn't make sense.

"Wait! Your team's total points? What?" Sakura asked desperately. I didn't blame her; Naruto was most definitely going to fail this test. But… why separate everyone if they were scored together? That much was confusing.

"Shut up!" Morino said. "There is a reason for this. Now shut up and listen!" he declared. Sir, yes sir. "Now that you know, let's move on to te next rule." Wait… what do we know?

"If an examiner determines that you cheated or did something similar during the test, each action will cost two points." That was a weird way of phrasing the rule. Basically: 'if we catch you, you lose two points.' My brow scrunched. Of course, cheating was wrong on a test of this caliber. There were a lot of ways to fail the test.

"In other words, there will be people forced to leave this place without their tests being graded. Those who try to cheat without thinking will only hurt themselves," he advised us. There was a dramatic pause. "You are all trying to become Chuunin. If you are ninja, act like a first-rate one."

I thought about it. Izumi should be fine, she drenches herself in shinobi studies on a regular basis so she can become the Kumouri leader. Sunai's a genius, so she should be fine too. So it's really me I have to worry about. I clenched my fists together. I would pass this test, no matter what it took.

"Also, if anyone in a team gets a zero, everyone on that team will fail!" Morino smirked. I returned it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

"What did you say?" Sakura whined. I rolled my eyes.

"The last problem will be given after the exam begins. You have one hour for the exam. Begin!" Morino proclaimed. Sounds of rustling papers filled the room as we all flipped over the tests in front of us. The tapping of pencils followed it as everyone wrote their names on their test. I took a deep breath and looked at the first question.

A code, huh? Okay, I can work with that. I stared at the letters. I guessed that the code was decipherable, but I could even come close to getting it. What's with that? This doesn't make sense. A frown set firmly on my face, I started on the next question.

The parabola B represents the maximum throwing distance of the shuriken from an enemy ninja, A, at a height of seven meters. Figure out the trait of the enemy that can be observed from the ellipse formed by the shuriken, and figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning.

What the Hell? This makes no sense! What, are they trying to make us cheat? Wait. Is that what they're trying to do? I thought. The strange phrasing of the rules, the idiotically difficult test, the watchful examiners… it all began to piece itself together. I looked at the clock. It was already fifteen minutes into the test, and not one question was answered on my exam. Bit my lip.

The problem is that I have no means of getting the information that I need. The only one of us with stealthy powers is Sony, and I don't even know where she's sitting in relation to me. And if I look for her, I'll be suspected of cheating. What should I do?

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"What should we do if we're not allowed to talk to each other?" Izumi asked.

"Should we have a…code or something?" I added, looking toward Mei-sensei.

"You three are going to have to figure that stuff out yourself. I'm not allowed to give you that kind of information," she held up her hands at us. We nodded. Iz looked at Sony.

"Well, you're probably the one who would be sending the code. So what now?" she asked.

"We should do taps. They're recognizable to anyone, but even if an enemy notices you tapping, they don't know what you're saying," I pointed out.

"True. Let's do that. So, one tap means L, two means M, three means N, and so on, okay?" Sunai said quietly, wary of anyone's presence.

We nodded.

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There was a thud. I jumped a little at the sound. To my right, near Naruto, a kunai was sticking out of some guy's test. He stood up with beads of sweat dousing his forehead.

"Wh-what is this?"

"You screwed up five times. You fail," I recognized the reply coming from Kotetsu, the gatekeeper.

"What…?"

"You and your teammates: get out of here," Kotetsu told the boy. "Right now." Two others stood up, one of them a boy sitting next to me. They all left the room quietly, ashamed.

There were plenty of others who failed within ten minutes. I almost started trembling again when my surrounding examinees were kicked out.

No. I have to stay focused. I still have my teammates. I took a calming breath. The problem here is that our code won't reach. There's so much tapping from the pencils that even if we were right behind each other we wouldn't be able to understand.

Wait… if we're supposed to cheat, someone here has the correct answers!

I glanced around. Does that mean that there are Chuunin in here already? To feed us answers?

I looked down at my paper. This test is taking a lot of brainpower. If I could just find Izumi or Sunai, I could—my train of thought came to a screeching halt when I realized that my test was different. The corner of the page was folded over.

Did she…? She did! I flipped over the page to reveal a message.

Hey, it's Sunai. I found you as soon as we sat down.

I have all the answers. Sorry our code didn't work out; maybe we'll need it later. Get a move on; we only have a little time left until the tenth question. Iz already has the answers. Good luck and hang in there!

-Sony

I smirked. The answers to each question were scribbled messily below Sunai's light-written note. It was barely readable, easily erasable. I glanced at the clock. Sony was right; we're already halfway through the test. I started flying through the answers, writing them clearly in the boxes. Once finished, I frantically erased the back, just in time for the final question.

"All right! I will now give the tenth question!" Morino scared me by speaking into the fragile silence. "Yes… but before that, there is one thing I must say. There will be a special rule for this question."

A… what?

The door creaked open. Kankuro stepped in, a proctor standing behind him.

"You're lucky," Morino smirked, "you're puppet show didn't have to go to waste." Puppets? Don't get it…. But Kankuro obviously did; his eyes narrowed. Wait… when did he leave? I guess I missed it….

"Oh well. Sit down," Morino sighed. Kankuro walked what was apparently a long distance—it took forever for him to get there—to his seat.

"I will now explain," Morino started. "This is a hopeless rule."

I stared. Hopeless? But I…

"First, you are all going to choose whether you want to take the tenth question or not," he declared.

What? Whether we take it or not? Is he kidding? Why wouldn't we take it…? Jeez, if there's a trick behind this…. This is starting to get to me… what am I going to do if I can't take it…?

"Choose? So what happens if we don't take the tenth problem?" I heard Temari from somewhere on my far right.

What does Morino have up his sleeve now? I actually, finally, started trembling. Morino was watching us from he corner of his eye like a hawk, unblinking. His glare drove straight into my soul. I wanted to curl up in a ball and answer the question from there.

"If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero. In other words, you will fail," the examiner smiled evilly. "Your other teammates will fail along with you." Confused murmurs ran around the room. 'Of course we'll take it' and 'what's the meaning of this?' were among the questions asked.

How is that hopeless? He said it was a hopeless rule.

"And here is the other rule," he closed his eyes. I started. Hadn't he said it was one rule? "If you choose to take it and you get it wrong, you will lose the privilege of taking the Chuunin Exams forever!"

My eyes widened. Forever? But I… I can't…

What if I fail? It would fail Sunai and Izumi too. None of us would ever be Chuunin, and we would die as Genin. I can't do that to them! I'm the weak link, the first target. I have no chance of getting the question right if it's as hard as the others on the test… I should give up now and save them. We can try again in six months, right? We should do that.

I bit my lip. But I can't just back down now! Neji's here, and Naruto, and Kiba, and all the other rookies! We can't be the only rookies not to proceed to the next round! What should I do…?

I was vaguely aware of Kiba's protest to Morino's rule. But I didn't listen. I kept my face cradled in my hands, all alone on a bench no longer occupied by anyone but me. I was also aware that Morino replied, but I missed it, too. It wasn't until the air became thick with tension that I looked up.

"Let's begin. Those who will not be answering the tenth question, raise your hands. We will confirm your numbers, then let you leave," the man said.

After a minute, someone left, taking his or her teammates with them.

What do I do…?

Soon enough, lots of people were gone. Two rows in front of me and one row behind were completely barren. I shook with indecision.

Naruto raised his hand.

What? Doesn't he always say 'I won't ever give up' and all that? But wait… he wants to be Hokage… so that's why…. Maybe I should give up f even Naruto—

Then he slammed it back down on the desk, standing.

"SCREW YOU!" he yelled at Morino. "I'M NOT GOING TO RUN AWAY! I'll take the problem! Even if I become a Genin forever, I'm going to become Hokage no matter what anyway! I'M NOT SCARED!" he proclaimed to the entire room. He sat back down, everyone watching him with new interest; I was no exception.

I smiled. Naruto… thanks, Naruto. I needed someone to slap me in the face like that. I owe ya'.

"I will ask again. This is a choice that will impact your life. If you want to quit, now is the chance," the proctor replied.

"I'm not going to take back my words. That's my Nindo," Naruto retorted.

"Nice determination. Then… for the first exam, everyone here…"

What's that question, bastard? I'll answer it, okay?

"You all pass!"

My forehead hit the desk like a rock.

You've got to be kidding. All the stress, all that work, and this is the last question? The noise was loud in the shocked silence.

"Wh-what's the meaning of that?" Sunai's voice finally rang in the room. "What about the tenth question?"

Morino Ibiki broke into a smile and laughed. "There was no such thing to begin with! You can call the two-choice question the tenth question," he chuckled.

"WAIT!" Izumi stood from her chair with a screech. "What about the other nine questions? Were they all just a waste?" she yelled angrily. Calm down, Iz…

Morino's smile faded. "No, they weren't. The nine problems accomplished their purpose. To test each individual's information gathering skills."

Izumi looked sheepish. "Oh, of course…"

Huh? Did she not even get the purpose of the test?

Morino segued into a full-blown explanation of the test to the idiots, which apparently included Izumi, so I tuned out. I passed… I passed… I kept chanting to myself.

A loud noise woke me up from my daze. "Of course! It was so obvious! It would be weird not to notice it! Right, Hinata?" Naruto grinned like a moron. Wow. He really hadn't had the slightest idea, huh?

"But those who cheated like a fool failed, of course," Morino continued. He reached up to the knot on his bandana. He untied it and took it off.

"Why? Information can have greater value than life at times, and in missions and battlefields, information is congested in the lives of people!" he yelled. I covered my mouth. Burns, and holes, living, frayed skin…. What kind of pain could he have endured? Everyone got a nice look at Morino's baldhead until he put the cloth back over it.

"The information that an enemy gets after being noticed by a third person will not necessarily be accurate. Remember this: getting incorrect information can cause great harm to your teammates and your village. So we made you all gather information in the form of cheating and kicked out the ones who were lacking in that area. That's what we went on.

"But… I still disagree with that last question…" I groaned, my chin still on the desk in front of me.

"The tenth question was the main question for the first exam," Morino replied.

"What do you mean?" Sunai urged.

""Let me explain," he put his hands in his pockets. "The tenth question was a take-or-not-take choice. Needless to say, it was a painful two-choice problem. Those who didn't take it failed with their team. If you did take it, and failed, you would never take another Chuunin Exam forever."

We all watched him nervously.

"Let me give you an example. Let's say you are a Chuunin. Your mission is to capture a secret document. The enemy number, abilities, and protection are unknown. Also, there might be traps set up by the enemy. Now will you accept this mission or not?" he asked.

"Just because your life and the lives of your teammates are in danger, are you able to avoid dangerous missions? The answer…" he stared intensely at us, "is 'no.' There are missions that carry heavy risks, but cannot be avoided. The ability to show your courage to your teammates when needed, and the ability to get through a bad situation… that is what we look for in a Chuunin, a squad leader! Those who cannot bet their fate in a critical situation, those who give up when given the chance because there is a next year and let their minds sway over an uncertain future…. Fools who carry only a light determination like that have no right to become Chuunin. That is what I believe," he finished—or so I thought. "I'm saying that you here that have chosen to take it gave the right answer for the difficult tenth question. You can deal with the difficulties you will face. You have broken through the entrance. The first exam of the Chuunin Selection Exams ends now! I wish you luck," he finally ended his speech.

"ALL RIGHT! WE DID IT!" Naruto congratulated everyone, mostly himself.

I did it…. Finally….

Something sparked in my mind. Damn it….

Before anyone knew what was happening, a large banner was hiding Morino, and a weird looking woman was standing in front of it.

"EVERYBODY! There's no time to be happy! I am the second proctor, Mitarashi Anko!" she said. I can tell… I drooped. The banner said, in white paint, what her name was without her having to tell us. Jeez, she's just like Naruto. "Let's go to the next exam! FOLLOW ME!" she pumped her fist in the air. Sweat built on my temple. Please no… not another Mei…. I knew Iz and Sony were thinking the same. Everyone gaped at her.

Morino peeked out from behind the banner. "Grasp the atmosphere."

Anko sagged, blushing in embarrassment. Mitarashi and Morino bickered a little; all I heard was Mitarashi saying, "I'm going to make more than half the teams fail in the next exam," and I froze.

"F-fail more than half?" I stammered.

"This will be fun," she said more quietly. "I'll explain the details tomorrow. We will meet somewhere else, so ask your Jounin senseis about the rally point and time. That is all. Dismissed."

Still pretty petrified, especially after sitting for an hour, I stood up shakily. I shuffled, numb, out of the room, where my teammates were waiting.

"You okay, Sora?" Izumi asked.

"No, I'm fine. My information intake is overheating a tad, that's all," I replied in a voice three octaves higher than my own.

"Yeah. Morino-san really likes to hear himself talk, huh?" she smiled.

"Yep. How 'bout you, Sony?"

"I'm worried about the test tomorrow. Let's hurry and ask Mei, alright?" she sped up. She honestly looked freaked out. Our brows furrowed, Izumi and I nodded and we all leapt away.

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A/N: R&R plz! :D