Chapter twelve. To avoid the confusion between talking and thinking from here on out I will be putting people's thoughts in Italics I don't know why I didn't think of it until now.


Gohan watched as all the students started their tests with intent. As expected they started finding ways to cheat almost immediately. All except for Sakura, Goten, Trunks, and Naruto that is.

'This is going to be interesting.'


The test itself was purposely made too hard in order to promote cheating and to see how well the genin could gather information. Most of the Genin found this out within the first ten minutes. The others were either smart enough to figure out the questions on their own or were too honest to cheat their way through.

Trunks worked on the test diligently. He was just as smart as his mother when he put his mind to it and was breezing through the test as if it were nothing.

'Let's see. If a Kunai flies at a rate of twenty mph at a ninety five degree angle from ten feet away how long will it take to hit it's target.'

He rolled his eyes and wrote down the answer. 'Could these be any easier.'

Meanwhile Goten was also working just as diligently. He wasn't quite as smart as Trunks or Gohan but all the studying his mom made him do was definitely helping. Gaara, who was sitting right next to him, was glad of his seating arrangement and was using it to cheat off the half sayain who was completely oblivious.

Sakura was fairing just as well. Having read all the ninja books front and back countless times she was having little trouble figuring out the answers on her own.

Naruto was having the most trouble. He didn't realize he was supposed to cheat on the test and even if he did would be too honest to. He was doing his best but so far the only question he was able to get right was 'Insert Name Here.' Written test's definitely weren't his thing and he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Goten managed to answer every question except for question ten with a half hour to spare and soon noticed a ladybug moving on the table.

"Charlie you came back!" He whispered in delight. Much to the annoyance of Gaara next to him he started playing with "Charlie".

"Okay Charlie, let's see if you can climb on the pencil." Before the insect could make another move Gaara's fist came upon it like a boulder, sending poor Charlie into the great beyond.

"Say one more word and I'll kill you." He said in an annoyed tone.

Goten's eyes started to tear up, "You...you killed Charlie!"

"His existence was meaningless." Said Gaara without emotion.

Goten just stared at him dumbstruck as to why Gaara killed his new friend.

'Maybe cheating off him wasn't such a good idea.' thought the sand ninja.

Meanwhile Trunks had finished as well and was waiting for the final question until his head started to hurt. He clamped his forehead in pain.

'What the heck is happening?' Then he noticed it, someone trying to get into his head in order to cheat off his test. He smirked.

'So that's it. I'll show her whoever is doing this.'

He closed his eyes and focused on the foreign body within his mind and began pouring the most disturbing images he could think of into it. This meant anything from his dad's war stories to some of Roshi's kinkier magazines he had "accidentally" seen. within a few short seconds he heard a horrified gasp from the perpetrator, the blond girl who tried to violate him earlier, Ino.

'Never invade my mind. Next time it'll be worse' He told her telepathicly with a Vegeta like smirk on his face.

Once forty five minutes had passed Gohan stood up with a serious look on his face.

"Alright everyone, time for the tenth question. But before that let me explain a special rule added for this specific question by Minero. Since I'm just subbing I can't change it. If you choose not to take the question your points will be reduced to zero and you fail along with your teammates, but if you choose to take the question and fail it you'll never be allowed to take the Chunin exam again."

Kiba stood up enraged, "What do you mean! There were people here who took the exam before!"

"I'm sorry but each teacher has the right to his own rules and those were his. I can't do anything about it. There is a way out of it though, if you choose not to take it you will be allowed to try again next year."

A leaf Genin with a sash and goatee raised his hand, "I won't take it! Sorry Genni and Inochi."

"Number fifty fails. One thirty and one eleven also." Others raised their hands as numbers were called out. Naruto thought about raising his hand. After all he hadn't answered a single question. All of the rookies gasped when he actually raised his hand only to slam it back down on the table.

"Don't underestimate me. I'll take it, even if I'm stuck as a Genin forever I'll find a way to become Hokage! I'm not afraid!"

Gohan gave everyone a serious look, "Alright everyone last chance. If you want out say something now." He then looked around the room to see confident faces, 'Looks like his little speech motivated the rest in the room. Now there's seventy four more than originally estimated.'

He then gave a warm smile, "Everyone made the right decision. Congratulations to the eighty still here, you all passed the first test of the exam."

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked.

"There never was one." Gohan explained, "The tenth question was your choice whether or not to stay."

"So the first nine questions were pointless?!" Screamed Temari.

"Far from it. It was meant to see how well you could gather information. As I explained before this test is based on all the success of all of your teammates. This puts pressure on each team member to want to do their best." Gohan then smirked, "I'm sure you realized by now the questions on this test were more than most Genin could answer and most of you realized you needed to cheat. There were chunin in the crowd for that purpose. Of course those that cheated poorly failed. This is because on the battlefield information can mean life and death."

"But I still don't understand the tenth question." Stated Temari.

"It was a way to test whether or not you are willing to risk everything. To see if you are you willing to risk yourself and your teammates in order to carry out the mission. Congratulations on passing the first part, I wish you all luck."

"That's right! Wish us luck!" Exclaimed Naruto.

'I can see why Goten and Trunks get along with him, he acts like a fused version of the two.' Gohan mused to himself.

Just then a woman with wild appeared in front of them in a cloud of smoke. She wore a long open coat and had a leaf headband around her neck.

"No time for celebrating yet maggots. I'm your examiner for the second test, Anko Mitarashi! Follow me!"

"I wasn't done yet." Gohan said blankly.

"Twenty six teams, your way to soft Gohan." Anko stated.

Gohan smirked. "What can I say, they have spunk."

"Whatever, I'll cut those numbers in half. Follow me everyone."

They all followed her to a fenced off wooded area where she stopped and gave them all a sadistic smile.

"Welcome to the stage for the second test, the forest of death."

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Forest of death huh? Big whoop."

The examiner replied by flinging a kunai at him. He was caught off guard but was still able catch it between two of his fingers.

"You know it's not nice to throw sharp things at people. You could put an eye out." Trunks said with a cocky smirk.

Anko's eye twitched slightly. "Anyway, I'm going to hand out these papers." She pulled out a whole bunch of insurance forms. "These are to make sure I'm not held responsible for any deaths involved in the exam. You can sign them after I explain then you can go to the check in booth behind me. As for the test, it's the ultimate survival test. Around practice arena forty four are four locked gates, a forest, river, and a tower in the center. It's about ten kilometers to the center from the gates. Here you will be fighting a battle for scrolls, one heaven and one earth." She pulled out a pair to show what they look like.

"There are eighty people here, making twenty six teams. thirteen teams will have a heaven scroll and thirteen an earth scroll. To pass the test you need to make it to the tower with both scrolls."

'So that means thirteen teams will definitely fail." Thought Sakura.

"As for food, the forest is full of it as long as it doesn't eat you first. As the days go it will get harder so don't expect thirteen teams to make it all the way through. Also, you will be disqualified if one of your teammates dies or you fail the course. There is no quitting, you will be in the forest for five days. Oh and one last rule, no looking inside the scrolls."

Goten cocked an eyebrow, "Why what happens?"

"That's a surprise for anyone who does. A chunin will sometimes be asked to handle classified information, this will test your trustworthiness. When your ready exchange the insurance forms for your scroll, then pick a gate to start."

They each walked of to the trading booths and received their scrolls and thirty minutes later the instructors let them into the forest, each team in a different gate.


Once inside the forest anyone would understand why it was called the forest of death. Danger lurked everywhere and it would be easy for the average person to get lost here for days.

After making their way in team eight started working on their plan to get a scroll. Trunks was the first to come up with an idea.

"Okay, their probably wouldn't suspect a couple of us in the sky. If two of us fly above the two walking they'll think the two walking are an easy target. In other words we bait them for their scroll, easy right?"

"You can sense people can't you?" Kiba asked, "It would be easier just to find someone's energy and hunt them down."

"Yeah but it would be a pain if we hunted down someone with a scroll we didn't need." Shino said.

"Just because I can sense them doesn't mean I know what kind of scroll they have."

"So which two of us walk?" Hinata asked.

"I'd say you and Shino." Trunks answered, "No offense Hinata but you look the least threatening so they'd be more likely to come at you. As for Shino he's equally easy to underestimate. So are we agreed to the plan."

The rest nodded and Kiba, Akamaru and Trunks flew to the sky.

Trunks gave Kiba a reassuring smile, "Relax, this will work. They're always too dumb to look up. You know I still have no idea how you teached your dog to fly. It's kinda creepy actually."

Kiba just smirked.


Team seven had a slightly different approach to finding a scroll. Goten wasn't quite as sneaky or as good at planning ahead as Trunks so Sasuke ended up coming up with the plan.

"I say we just make our way to the tower. I'm sure some poor sap with the other scroll will come and take it from us."

"Sounds good." Naruto said as he went over to a tree.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"Using the bathroom." Naruto answered only to have his head pounded before he could unzip his pants.

"Not in front of me!" Sakura scowled, "Go in the brush somewhere."

"Yeah yeah." He said as he went into some nearby bushes.

a couple minutes later Naruto came back with a relieved look on his face.

"Ahh that's much better." Hew said as he zipped up his fly.

"I said not in front of me!" Sakura screamed.

Noticing something was off Sasuke gave Goten a quick look. Goten looked back and nodded. After this breif exchange Sasuke sucker punched Naruto right in the face sending him flying into a tree.

"You didn't have to go that far." Sakura said worried.

"That's not the real Naruto. His energy's different." Goten said.

"And he has his kunai pouch on the left side, Naruto's right handed." Sasuke continued.

Goten crossed his arms, "If your going to pretend to be someone learn to mask your energy signature."

The henge dissapeared to reveal a rain genin wearing a gas mask.

"Sasuke, take care of this one, I'll take the two hiding out waiting to ambush us. Sakura, Naruto's somewhere nearby, find him." Sakura and Sasuke nodded and they went off. Goten then appeared if front of a very confused rain genin who was hiding in the trees.

"Hi, nice up here ain't it?" Goten said smiling. The rain gening gulped. Goten then waved before poking the rain Genin in the chest knocking the wind out of him. He then noticed the scroll hanging on the ninja's side and grabbed it before pushing him out of the tree.

"Thank you." Goten said jokingly as he jumped out of the tree and landed next to Sasuke who had already taken care of his opponent.

"One more hiding on the left." Goten said to him.

"Right, I got him." Sasuke said as he jumped out and flew right in front of the rain ninja hiding in the brush and smirked.

"Run."

Apparently he got the message as he ran away in fear.

Minute later the real Naruto came in grabbing his head in pain.

"Ow my head hurts." Naruto said stumbling slightly towards the group. "Jerk hit me in the head while I was going to the bathroom. Now my pants are covered in..." He looked at the group and his eyes widened, "Did I just say that out loud."

The others just nodded slowly.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow, "How do we know it's really you."

"It's him, I recognize his energy." Goten said assuringly.

Goten then reached into his vest and pulled out a capsule. "Good thing I was able to sneak this in here, Naruto catch, it's a change of clothes."

Goten tossed him the capsule which he caught without trouble.

"Thanks." Naruto said going behind a tree to change.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to get separated again?" Sakura asked.

"Do you want to smell his urine stained clothes all the way to the tower?" Goten asked back.

"Good point."

A few minutes later Naruto came back wearing one of Goten's spare fighting gis.

"That's better." Naruto said as he walked back to his teammates.

Just then an explosion tag appeared right in front of everyone. Reacting quickly Goten put a shield of energy up around the blast to guard his teammates from damage.

"I was hoping that would work." Said a snakelike voice above them. They all looked up to see a young man with a straw hat and long hair standing on a tree. It was hard to tell exactly what it was but something about him seemed snakelike.


Well that's it for chapter twelve. I doubt any of you will have trouble guessing who they fight next and don't worry, I will do my best to make the fight interesting. As for what's going to happen with Trunks' team, Kiba does the fusion dance with Akamaru and Shino weds a pickle, just kidding. That would be a bit odd. In fact, I have no idea why I even thought of or typed that. I think I need slapped for just thinking it. The poor pickle would never be the same. In all seriousness, thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or gave advice.