Ok, the story is now winding down. (there are only ten chapters) I hope you like it, though you will all kill me in the end. I know it. But there might be a sequil. Not for a while though, I want to focus on my avatar story.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. If you don't get it by now you scare me.
Chapter Eight
Jonin
Natsko stood in the middle of a group of contestants. There were twelve in all, and she had been told that rarely does anyone pass the exam. She looked around her and saw so many tall, strong figures. She felt certain that she would fail instantly.
"Gather round people!" Someone called from the front of the room. "I want to explain this test to you." It must have been the examiner.
Natsko made her way to the front of the group and stood, waiting for the single figure to begin explaining. He looked at her skeptically and asked, "Are you sure you're in the right place miss?" He took a step closer to her and looked her up and down. "This is no place for a pretty little thing like you."
She turned her head up towards his and wanted to hit him for that comment. Instead she just smiled coyly and said, "I'm more than what I look."
"You better hope that's true." He stepped back and addressed the entire group. "This test is not like anything you have ever encountered before. It will be grueling, and it will challenge every skill, technique and character trait that you possess." He looked around the room and lingered on each prospective Jonin individually.
"Through this door are twelve rooms; one for each of you. You must collect the five scrolls that are through each of the five doors in your room. If you do not have all five scrolls before the bell rings, then you fail." He sounded as if he took pleasure in telling them this.
"How long's that?" One Chunin asked, his voice was smooth and he stood at the back of the group with his arms folded.
"Two hours. But don't think that means the rooms are easy to get in and out of." He adjusted the clipboard in his hands and addressed them in a bored tone.
"Now, for the rules: one, you must collect all five scrolls to pass, two, you will be facing at least one of the other competitors in combat, don't kill them." He looked at the group once more. "That about sums it up. Except," here he looked directly at Natsko. "Please, don't die; it causes a lot of paperwork."
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Each of the competitors was led to their door by an assistant examiner. Natsko stood in front of her door, waiting for the start bell to ring. When it did, she stepped through it and walked down a short hallway with her hands on either wall next to her. Soon, both walls ended and she stepped onto a floor that began rotating.
"What the – she felt the floor move and rushed to the other side of it, touching a door and leaving a light handprint on it. She realized that she would need to leave a mark on the doors she had already been through if she were to pass this as quickly as possible.
She opened the door she was leaning on and cautiously felt her way into the room. It was filled with long, thin strips of light. Snakes! She screamed in her head. And I have no way to see the scroll.
She watched the snakes carefully, their energy pulsing with hunger. One very large snake in the back of the room had an odd shape to its midsection. "That's not…" She trailed off. It certainly was; the snake had eaten the scroll.
"Great." She muttered sarcastically. She stepped around snakes and stubbed her toes on boulders. She couldn't see the fangs or scales, but she could hear the hissing as they tried to strike her. She dodged them as easily as she would Kakashi's punches.
When she reached the snake with the scroll, she pulled out a knife and slit it open in one swift move. She grabbed the scroll and shoved it in her pack, turned and left the room as easily as she had gone in.
"That wasn't too bad." She said, stepping back onto the rotating floor. She watched the light blue handprint circle her and she avoided it, getting another door. She left another handprint, and stepped through it.
She entered and challenged door after door. Finally finishing with each one, she laid the scrolls out and opened all five of them at the same time. She was suddenly dropped out of the room and into another, larger room where the contest proctors waited.
"You are the first one out." The main examiner said with shock. "I expected that you would have given up long ago."
Panting from the test, Natsko looked at him with a smirk. "I gave up once; I promised my husband I would never do it again. I don't plan on breaking that promise anytime soon."
The examiner looked at her with a newfound respect. He handed her a scroll with her results on it and showed her to the exit himself. She thanked him and left, spotting Kakashi, who was waiting impatiently outside the building.
She handed him the scroll with a smile and he read it slowly. She poked him gently, "Aloud please."
He went back to the beginning and started reading. "For excellent performance in combat, deductive skills, leadership, bravery and tact, Natsko Hatake has passed her exam. The Hokage will look over her review and present her with an according rank."
When he finished, Natsko took his arm and he led her through town to the ramen shop. "You told me I could do it." She commented lightly.
He ruffled her hair and smiled. "I never doubted it for a second." In truth, he had been pacing outside the building the entire time she was taking her test.
"SO?!" Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke proclaimed in unison from inside the shop.
"I passed!" Natsko exclaimed as she took a seat in-between Sakura and Kakashi, who sat at the end of the long counter.
Naruto cheered, Sakura hugged her and Sasuke gave a half-hearted congratulations. They ordered dinner and as they sat, Natsko was asked to tell stories of each room multiple times.
Kakashi watched her in amazement. She surprised him daily. Today was no exception, though it wasn't the exam results that were surprising. No, he was amazed to find her being so open with people. When he met her she wouldn't talk to a fly, let alone tell stories about adventures to three genin.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura was standing next to him and whispering in his ear. He broke away from his thoughts to listen to her. "Have you kissed her yet?" She questioned quietly.
He turned his head abruptly to look at the pink-haired girl. She was completely serious. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.
"Well, the two of you ARE married, but I never see you two kissing. It just seems odd." She blushed a little. "I was just curious. That's all."
He wondered silently why she hadn't asked Natsko. One look at his wife talking to the two boys was enough. She didn't want to interrupt the stories to ask such a random question.
"Well, no." He said sheepishly. He tried to shake off the feeling of embarrassment, but it wouldn't go away. Why was he embarrassed about not kissing a woman he married without knowing?
"I'd do it soon." Sakura advised. "I can tell you really like her and she likes you too. There's no reason not to." She smiled at him and moved back to her seat, leaving him to think about the idea.
I know, it's short and you all hate me. But the next one will be longer. I hope.
Read and Review please!
P.S. I didn't go through all the rooms because that would take... forever... and I HATE writing battle/fight scenes. So... sorry.
