A.N: Okay here we go people!! The rules to the Final Exam are reveiled!
disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Harry Potter which are all mentioned in this chapter because I'm weird.
Chapter Thirty-five: The Drums of War Smack You In The Face With A Frozen Tuna Fish
Spring was coming, you could feel it by late March and I was happy for it, I could remember if I'd always hated winter but something told me that I disliked it greatly. So I was very glad to know that the warm weather would be coming back. I would miss however how good it felt to sit with all the guys in front of the fire place and tell jokes while drinking strong tea that Zetsu made by scratch.
The day was pretty much over even though it was only twelve thirty, but everyone had ended early so we could have a last day of winter get together. The date for the finals had been set for April 5th and everyone wanted to relax before that time finally rolled around. Which was like in a week.
My arms ached from the morning's surprise weight lifting class which I was still pissed at Itachi about but other then that I felt wonderful. I sat on the floor with Deidara leaning into his chest and watching the fire flicker. Around the Akatsuki we where one of the three couples, me and Deidara, Sasori and Loren, and we where all pretty sure Konan was seeing someone though who was a mystery.
Hidan had made himself as leader of the squad to find out who was Konan's secret man. The squad consisted of himself, Zetsu (he lost a bet), Tobi, Kisame, and Kakuzu (he was bribed.) Curiosity had took hold of me as well as to who the origami ninja was seeing but I respected Konan more then most of the others, I looked up to her in many ways being the only other female in the class so I minded my own business. Besides Hidan is insane and the group hasn't found out squat even with Zetsu on the team.
"Yo," Tobi greeted sitting down cross legged next to us. He had clamed down a lot since I found out his true identity as Madara, and Itachi's uncle. But still every once and a while he'll go back to being childish and annoying, I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hi," I said before taking a sip of Zetsu's home made tea, I'd become much addicted to the stuff. I think it had nicotine or heroin mixed in with it or something because I couldn't stop drinking the stuff.
"Hi sempai," Tobi said waving a gloved hand Deidara's way. Deidara still despised Tobi for no other reason then that he was annoying. But that's Deidara.
"Hello Tobi," Deidara murmured behind me "what do you want yeah?"
"Tobi is just enjoying the fire," the masked Uchiha replied practically. "Does anyone besides me know what the final exam is going to be?" I shook my head mid sip and the orange mask sighed. "Tobi thought so…"
There was a long pause.
"Well are you going to freaking say?" Hidan growled making me look up and see that everyone had clustered around the fire place, it seemed even Konan had no idea what the finals was going to be.
"Pein-sama told Tobi not to say!" Tobi replied crossing his arms valiantly. I felt for the kid's bravery but the whole Akatsuki was about to jump him. "He said it's a secret!"
"Of course it's a secret," Kisame spoke out in his growling tone "it always is until like the day before the exams!"
"Yeah," Hidan agreed "just tell us!"
I was too preoccupied to voice my opinion but I wanted to know what the test was going to be also. Wanting everyone to know what I thought I just hummed into the cup which everyone kind of just ignored while they voiced there thoughts.
"Don't say it Tobi," Zetsu warned "if Pein finds out you told we're all dead meat!"
"Zetsu-san has a point," Itachi said.
"How did you find out anyway hmm?" Deidara demanded leaning foreword and nearly knocking his chin into the back of my head. "Sorry Jen-Chan," he murmured and I just hummed into my cup.
"Well," Tobi said "he didn't exactly say what the exam would be about…," this caused an up roar "But he did tell me to give these out to you all." With that he reached into his clock and pulled a bunch of scrolls that fell to the ground. "Oops…"
Hidan picked one up with a red band. All of them had either a red or black band on them and kanji written in gold leaf. "Damn I can't read this crap," he grumbled and passed it to Itachi would could read Japanese. Though we could all speak it because of a jutsu if you couldn't read Japanese in the outside world then you can't read it in the Academy either.
"This one is for Zetsu," Itachi said dully before passing it to the plant men I should say since Zetsu is technically two people.
"Oh Pein-sama said not to open them till your alone," Tobi warned and everyone nodded as Itachi passed out the scrolls to there owners. "Um and then he walked away," said Tobi just to finish his story but everyone was too caught up in the scroll frenzy to listen to anymore of the masked Akatsuki.
I was soon given my black taped scroll and was fingering the lovely paper and the gold lettering that made up my first name. In the end Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Kisame, and me all got the black papered scrolls while everyone else got red. No one really noticed the separation.
I however was very interested and eager to open the scroll and was all ready thinking of a time when I could rip it open and read its context. This had to have something to do with the final exam and I was so excited to find out what it was.
I turned my head slightly to see a wall of white blond hair (Deidara's hair got lighter when warm weather started) and I could see that Deidara was fingering the paper also. I smirked and twisted around so I was facing him, kneeling on the floor between his legs.
"So," I whispered making him look up "what do you think this is about?"
"I'm not sure hmm. They didn't do this last year," he said with a smile "last year they kidnapped us in the middle of the night."
"This school is weird," I sighed and Deidara nodded in agreement.
Okay here I was in the bathroom. It was probably three in the morning on April 4th. Somehow I'd made myself wait to open the scroll for this moment. So I sat on the black marble seat that made up the toilet. (Yes even the freaking toilets are marble!)
Locking the door I then proceeded to carefully to rip the black tape of the scroll. God now I know how Charlie Bucket felt when he was opening that winning bar of Wonka chocolate. Anyway the tape ripped apart easily and I carefully unrolled the paper.
Hello Black Team Member
Was printed beautifully in Japanese, French, Chinese, Korean, and then lastly in English. Then it was just a blank page except for…well it's hard to explain so I'll just show you what was written under the title.
日本のラムの馬のヘビのため
Pour Français: ram, cheval, tigre
為中國公羊馬龍
한국램말개를위해
For English: ram, horse, bird
Understanding I needed to do a seal to be able to reveal the message, quickly I did the seal and the ink that held the list faded Tom Riddle style and new text came up. All in English this time and I was able to read what was on the scroll.
Further explanation will go on later today April 4th 2008.
But the importance of this scroll is great.
Wrapped up at the bottom is a ring with the kanji 空pronounced Sora meaning sky.
Do NOT allow anyone to see your ring through out the exam but keep it on your person at all times (training, sleep, bathing ext.)
Teams and rings where chosen at random (this will be further explained in the meeting.)
That was it and I began to unwrap the scroll further too finally find a ring tied to a silver chain. I carefully picked up the ring which was silver and had a simple round baby blue stone at its center with the kanji sky written into it, just as it had said so in the scroll. Gingerly I put on the long necklace tucking the slack in my shirt where the ring touched just above my navel.
I shivered from the cold metal touching my skin and got up and opened the lid of the toilet. Slowly I began to shred the pretty paper and dropped it into the mouth of the toilet and that's when there was a knock on the door and I froze up.
"What?" I asked finishing ripping up the scroll into little pieces of paper.
"You've been in there for an hour," said Sasori's monotone voice "hurry the hell up."
"You don't even need to use the bathroom," I grumbled back as I flushed the toilet and watched the little paper pieces spin down the whirl pool and then disappearing.
"Don't be sassy you know how much I hate waiting," he growled back obviously having heard my grumbling.
"Art is fleeting," I snapped back as I opened the door and dodged Sasori's cable as he striking out at me for saying those unholy three words. "Okay fine you win," I said jumping over to my bed.
"Good," the red head replied before recoiling his cable, and settling back down in the sofa.
Deidara was still sleeping through the whole commotion.
The morning meet had commenced and everyone was in there Akatsuki gear (cloak, jingle hat, the works) and the only person we where waiting for was Kiss-Me-I'm-Irish Pein. (I'm not really sure if Pein is Irish I'm just making fun of his hair silently.) Anyway the wait seemed like forever and Sasori was visibly the most fidgety after about five minutes of silence.
And then he suddenly was there. As if he'd been there the past twenty minutes and no one had noticed his presents which is next to impossible because Pein always had a strong charka signature that you'd have to be blind, mute, deaf, and retarded to miss it.
"Itachi light the fire," Pein ordered and once the flames where flickering from the pit in the middle of the room he spoke again. "The exams this year will be incredibly difficult. From mid night tonight till the end of the exam the Academy Towers and Temples will be at war with each other." Our eyes widened at this. "And as an added twist…" a small smile curved on his lips "the Akatsuki will act as a group in civil war as well as have enemies on the outside. This exam is to test how you all can run a government under stress of war. As the test goes on I will keep an updated log on the Red team and Black team on your progresses with the other 'countries' around you and your diplomacy at home also. By the end of the exam I expect you to have mended the civil war and for you to have made at lest three unities with the outside 'countries.'"
Everyone was very silent before Itachi slowly raised his arm. Pein nodded at him.
"What are the rules of war?" he asked quietly.
"Outside these walls you are at danger of attacked and if beaten you will be a prisoner of war. Same goes if you are captured by someone of the opposite team. You will be treated as a prisoner of war either way. From now on I want you to hate anyone who doesn't belong to your team." Pein said slowly letting the information sink into our skulls. "You will from now on govern the Akatsuki temple, my rules no longer apply." I looked over to where Deidara was he was part of the red team. "Also the Red team will now stay in the rooms at the right side of the hall while black will be held in the left side of the hall. You will move as needed today. Hmm what else?" Pein paused for a moment "Oh right there is one trader to the Akatsuki as a whole to any country they choose, that person has the ring with the kanji sphere carved into it. Your final task will be to capture that person and detain him or her. That will be all."
A.N: This chapter was very fun to write but took Lot-O-Planning.
BTW I didn't make up the Sky ring it was an actual Akatsuki ring used by Orochimaru before he left lol.
Anyway lets see what's next in store now that the Akasuki are divided and the students are running the school!