A Hero

Chapter 29

I don't own Naruto. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinforming you either intentionally or mistakenly. I couldn't have planned what's going down in the series if I were. Anko's line is, of course, her fantastic quote upon arrival at the Exams, as there's no way I can think of to top it. Also, the Forest of Death looms ever closer. . .

The written exam was something entirely new to Naruto. He had, of course, never taken one, as he had been a statue for most of his life, and during the time Minato was there, he mostly spoke of the things that would be important in combat, with some things on seals, letters, and numbers thrown into the mix so he could eventually learn. These, the blond learned by Minato presenting him with a mental impression of what the symbols looked like, then explaining what they represented. As a result of this, the blond was fascinated by the paper in front of him, as it asked questions involving some principles he'd learned and others he hadn't. He knew how to throw a kunai, but he did not know the physics of the parabolic arc it flew in, for example. As such, he answered the one question based on the practical aspects to the best of his abilities.

Despite this, he tried his hardest to try to figure out the equations. Beside him, Hinata was writing her answers calmly, working out what problems she could on her own, while also relying on her Byakugan to determine just who to copy off of, much like her cousin was. Tenten, meanwhile, had managed to sneak some wires onto the hidden mirrors that the instructors were using to observe the room, and was using them to spy on others while also helping Lee with his answers by adjusting the mirrors for him to also be able to see through them.

Ino, ever the Yamanaka, used her clan's technique to find the information and copy it off of others, while Shikamaru used his own clan's technique to give Chouji his answers. Elsewhere in the room, Sasuke had subtly activated his Sharingan, copying off of the nearby Kabuto. Sitting in yet another part of the room, Sakura finished up her exam, having quickly figured out the answers to the questions. She was not considered brilliant for nothing. Others continued to figure out who to cheat off of if they wanted the answers, but Naruto, honest as he was, could not contemplate the idea of cheating.

After a good amount of time with the only sound being the genin writing had passed, Ibiki shouted, "Alright, drop your writing utensils and listen up."

Once they all complied with his sudden demand, he continued, "Line up with your teammates and get ready for the tenth question, which will be given to you by me. This question will either make or break your team, because I'm adding a little twist that's never been done before. If you fail to answer the question properly, then you will be banned from ever participating in the Exams again, but if you leave now, your team will be disqualified, but will be able to take the test again at some point in the future. Anyone who wants out, raise your hand."

The room was completely silent, the tension in the air almost able to be cut with a kunai. After a moment, a few genin raised their hands and left with their teams. Before more than a handful had done so, Naruto asked, "I don't understand. Why would anyone want to leave now? Everyone here's come so far and have tried their hardest to get this far. Clearly, they've worked all the way up to this point, so what is there to be afraid of? They've proven themselves and have done their best, which must have been good enough for their instructors to think they could pass. I'm not afraid, and I doubt that many of them are, so, would you please present the final question?"

In that instant, the tension dispelled and no one else raised their hand. After a few seconds with no further surrenders, Ibiki smirked and said, "Everyone still in here has passed."

Waiting until the genin stopped clamoring in anger and shock he said, "The tenth question wasn't actually a question in the way you expected it to be. The tenth question was to test your resolve and your willingness to take risks in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. All of you stayed despite the possibility of failure, so you passed. In the field, a shinobi must be willing to go above and beyond. . ."

Whatever else he was going to say was interrupted by a tan blur bursting through the window before somersaulting and landing in front of a sign that unfurled and got pinned by a kunai as the blur came to rest, revealing a woman in a tan coat with purple hair.

Upon landing, the woman enthusiastically shouted, "Heads up, boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor. Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test? Good! Then let's go, follow me!"

"Anko, you're early," Ibiki said dryly, clearly irritated by the special jounin's unexpected arrival.

"Well, you seem to have left a lot of brats for me to have my fun with," she replied, none of her cheerfulness lost, "What are you all waiting for? Come on!"


Meanwhile, in the office in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi was once again talking to Danzo.

"I'm not asking for you to let me put your ROOT agents under the direct command of myself and Anbu of my choosing," the third man to bear the title God of Shinobi said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm telling you what is going to happen if you don't want me to deal with you in an unofficial manner, after which I'll still do things my way."

"I can't spare the numbers," Danzo protested, "Even ROOT has a limited number of shinobi on hand at any given time."

"Which is why I'm going to take the ones that are on guard and perimeter duty," Hiruzen said, "Also, I'm going to need one of the ones you have who shows promise with seals. I need someone to help Jiraiya, and there isn't anyone I can spare at the moment."

"Fine," Danzo said, barely avoiding gritting his teeth, "I'll find someone to send. Is that all, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes," Hiruzen replied, "You're dismissed."