Chapter 24 Exam Days
When Team seven arrived at the real room 301 they found Kakashi waiting for them outside the room.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" Kiba asked.
"Maa… well I'm here to make sure that all three of you showed up after all. The way the test is set up, it can only be taken by three-man cells."
"But you said it was up to each of us to decide to apply or not." Sasuke said.
"Ah. That was a lie. It was to make sure you were all individually confident enough to take this challenge. But you're all here because you want to be. I'm very proud of the three of you boys." Kakashi gave each of them pat on the head, "Now get in there!" He said.
"Hell yeah! Look out Chuunin exams here we come!" Yelled Kiba kicking open the door to the room.
On the other side of the door they were met by a blast of low level killing intent. For a team that had faced down a bloodthirsty Zabuza, it was nothing. But it did serve to put them on edge.
The room was filled to the brim with ninja of all shapes and colors. There were ninja from a variety of villages, though Konoha was most prevalent as expected. Minato noted that Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri applicants were notably absent from the village lineups. Many of the genin were also several years older than them.
The room was quiet with a few murmurs here and there. So when Kiba kicked the door open all eyes were on them. Naruto subtly facepalmed as Kiba basked in the attention.
All of a sudden Sasuke was tackled by a purple blur.
"Sasuke-kun! Where've you been cutie?" Ino squealed. "Oh Sasuke! I could hardly wait! Its so exciting seeing you again after all this time!"
"Ino pig! Get off of Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched as she stormed over.
Ino snickered, "Oh? Jealous are we? I'm going to make Sasuke mine first!"
"Ino get off of him!" Sakura yelled latching onto Sasuke's other arm.
Hinata timidly came up to stand next to Naruto. "S-Sakura-san. I-I think Sasuke is…"
"Hinata speak up!" Sakura commanded.
"H-hai! I think S-Sasuke looks uncomfortable…"
"Ehh…."
Taking the opportunity Sasuke quickly shook himself out of Ino and Sakura's grip while Naruto snickered at him.
"Huh. Looks like all the rookies are here this year." Shikamaru said as he wandered up to Naruto, Choji followed him munching on chips.
"Ah. How are you doing Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.
"Maa… this is so troublesome…"
Shino silently wandered over to Naruto and showed him a beetle.
"Oh cool, Shino! You finally found the insect you were looking for, huh? Congratulations!"
"N-Naruto you're so popular…" Hinata squeaked out.
"Man. Would you guys do us all a favor and shut up?" A Konoha Genin wandered over to the rookie gang and pushed up his glasses. He was dressed in dark purple clothes with a white belt and fingerless gloves. Minato instantly disliked him because of the way he hid his emotions. He had no positive intent towards the young Genin and Minato was on guard.
"You three gangs are the hotshot rookies right? Kids barely out of the academy. Wet-behind the ears snot nosed brats! This isn't a school field trip you know?"
Sasuke bristled, "Who do you think you are?"
"Me? I'm Kabuto. You kids need to open your eyes." He pointed behind him to a menacing looking group of Ame nin who were glaring evilly at the Genin. "Watch out for that group from Ame. They've got short tempers. Everyone's on edge here. I wanted to give you guys a chance before someone snaps and beats you up. It's probably unavoidable. Like all rookies you think you know everything. I remember what it was like."
Sakura tilted her head, "Kabuto? Does this mean this is your second time?"
Kabuto shook his head, "Not second… Seventh. Twice a year for hm… Four years now."
Sakura cozied up to Kabuto quickly, "Wow! Then you must have a lot of experience with what we can expect!"
"I guess so. Well the least I can do is give you babies some vital intel on what you're in for." Kabuto displayed a hand of home made cards, "With these Shinobi cards."
"Shinobi cards?" Sakura asked.
Minato turned away from Kabuto as he explained the Shinobi cards, he settled for inspecting his competition. Truthfully, this would be his first time taking the Chuunin exams as well. He had been promoted in the field during the war and hadn't had the opportunity to take the exams. He had proctored an exam during peacetime so he knew roughly what to expect but it wouldn't change that he was inexperienced with the exams.
The teams from Sound he was wary of. They had the same symbol on their headbands as the ninja that had attempted to kidnap Sasuke a year ago. If he remembered correctly, Sound had relations with Orochimaru. Why would they send their Genin to Konoha then? Minato also kept an eye out for the Suna team they had met on the street, their Jinchurriki gave him a bad feeling.
Minato turned back to Kabuto's explanation when he began discussing the dossiers of individual Genin. Sasuke requested information on Gaara and Rock Lee.
"Alright, first up is Rock Lee. He's a year older than you guys. Missions to date: 20 D-ranked, 11 C-ranked. His team's mentor is Might Guy. His taijutsu and physical skills have grown exponentially this past year. He has no other talents worth mentioning. He was considered a standout among last year's Genin but he didn't apply for the Chuunin exams. He's a first timer like you three. His teammates are Hyuga Neji and Tenten." Kabuto flipped to the next card he held "Next is Gaara from Suna. Eight C-ranks and wow, one B-rank. Not many rookies get B-ranks! Since he's out in the desert i have less info on him but I hear he's come back from every mission without a single scratch."
Minato narrowed his eyes at Kabuto. Mission information was usually classified information, how did a Genin get a hold of such information? Not to mention the mission information about a competitor from Suna. Kabuto was most likely a spy but what was his purpose in revealing his information like this?
"Do you have a card on yourself, Kabuto-san?" Naruto asked innocently.
"Ahh, unfortunately I forgot myself when I was making these cards and I don't really remember much of my record haha."
"But you could tell us what you specialize in right?"
"Ahh. I specialize in taijutsu and information gathering as you can see. But honestly, this year we have some outstanding Genin competing! Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, and Otto have all sent their best. Though to be honest I don't know much about Sound, it's a rather new and small nation."
"So everyone here is...?" Sakura began.
Hinata trembled a bit and asked "A-anyone besides me suddenly feeling out classed?"
"Oh yeah, everyone here is a bit like Lee and Gaara. Hand picked elite Genin. The best of the best. They have to be! The test is merciless." Kabuto said.
Sasuke shook in excitement, Kiba bared his teeth in anticipation, and Naruto did his best to fade into the background. Wouldn't do to give too much information away on himself just yet.
Kakashi stood outside room 301 thinking of the scolding that Guy had given him. Guy might be right in letting his own children build up experience but Kakashi believed it was better to witness the exam first hand to gather experience instead. He had the utmost confidence in his team. They had survived Zabuza and Haku after all.
He also had the ultimate dark horse on his team. Naruto was just so plain no one ever expected him to be outstandingly strong. In fact Kakashi had often underestimated the boy himself. That had been quickly rectified after a few high speed spars. But Naruto never appeared to be more than a slightly above average ninja.
Kakashi wondered if Naruto would use his Hiraishin in the exams. It would instantly put a target on his head if he did. Well Kakashi would be ready if Iwa or Kumo came knocking.
Suddenly a trio of three genin with music notes on their hitai-ate burst out of the crowd. They lunged at Kabuto. One of them leapt into the air and threw a trio of kunai at Kabuto which he deftly dodged. Another one with a fur cape swung a punch at Kabuto.
Kabuto dodged the punch quickly. But despite having dodged his glasses shattered from the attack. Kabuto took off his glasses but then fell to his knees and vomited. Alerting the rest of the Genin in the room.
The three sound Shinobi stood there menacingly, one had dark black hair and a shirt that read 'death', another was covered in bandages with a fur cape, and the third was a girl who had long dark hair and black and white camouflage.
Sakura rushed over to Kabuto worriedly asking, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine…" Kabuto said retching.
"You're a pushover, aren't you? Pretty sad for someone who's been an applicant for years now." Mocked the one in bandages.
"Better add this to your cards. The three applicants from Sound will all make Chuunin!"
An explosion went off at the front of the room. Sending up a cloud of smoke.
"Would everybody please just shut up?!" A gruff voice yelled harshly.
The smoke cleared revealing an intimidating man with two diagonal scars on his face in a leather trench coat, flanked on both sides with various Konoha Chuunin in neat grey uniforms.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting. My name is Morino Ibiki. I'm the proctor and chief examiner for the first part of the exam." The man in the trench coat said.
He pointed accusingly, "You…The kids from Sound! You can't just act in any way you please when the exam's about to start. Or do you want to be disqualified?" He threatened.
The Genin with the fur cape apologized, "Sorry sir… it's our first exam and we got a little carried away."
"Is that so?" Ibiki asked, "Then it's high time someone laid down a few ground rules. From this point forward, there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer. And even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers another applicant's life is strictly forbidden. Any of you little piglets woh break that rule are out. Disqualified. No second chance. Got that?"
The room was silent except for the sounds of shifting and breathing, no one dared make a sound.
"Good. Now the first portion of the exam is about to begin. Turn in your applications and take one of these seating cards." Ibiki held up a small card with the number one on it. "And report directly to the seat indicated. When everyone is seated we'll pass out the written part of the test."
The Genin shuffled around, forming a messy line for their seat numbers and eventually Minato received seat number 53. He noted that he was sitting next to Hinata, who gave him a shy smile and a hesitant wave.
"L-let's do our best!" She said.
Minato gave her a confident nod and smiled back.
Ibiki then began to explain the first portion of the test. Minato sat and listened quietly, casually tapping his fingers against the table.
Rule number one: since each question on the test was worth a point and there were ten questions. Each question that was answered wrong lost the examinees a point.
Rule number two: was that the test was still a team event and the objective of the test was to have as few deductions from their total of 30 points as possible.
Rule number three: involved catching any cheating attempts. Anyone caught would automatically lose two points from every member of their team.
Rule number four: if any individual lost all ten of their points, their entire team would be disqualified.
"You have one hour. Starting… Now!" Ibiki barked.
There was a rustle of flipping papers and the exam had begun.
Minato read through each of the questions carefully with a wry smile. None of these questions were possible for the average Genin. They were simply too difficult or required experience that Genin didn't have. Minato chuckled under his breath as he considered the rules. It was a test designed to have people cheat.
Minato amused himself by considering swapping tests with another examinee as one act of cheating. He also considered leaving the test blank, thus losing no points for his team. He shook his head and simply buckled down to answer the questions. None of them were too difficult for the former Hokage to solve, in fact they were almost too easy for him.
He knew that both of his team mates had their own unique ways of cheating. From the quiet barking he could hear behind him, Minato assumed Kiba had started already. Sasuke would also have no problems with copying the movements of someone else. Minato could have cheated quite easily by creating shadow clones and hengeing them into small animals to gather answers. But if he were capable of answering the questions on his own, why would he bother?
Minato stoically kept his head down and answered the questions one after another as various teams were disqualified for cheating. He drew a subtle genjutsu seal on his test to make it appear blank so that no one would cheat off of him.
Minato occupied the rest of his time waiting for Ibiki to give question number ten by observing the cheating methods of the other genin. He was impressed by the contraption of kunai, wire, and mirrors that someone had set up in the ceiling. He also noted that one of the proctors sitting at the side didn't exactly have a human presence, so someone had snuck something in as a proctor huh?
A kunai whizzed past him slamming into the test of the person sitting behind him. He ignored the look Ibiki was smugly sending him, Ibiki assumed that his test was still blank. Minato sent a sly smile back, thoroughly disturbing Ibiki with the sense of familiarity that smile brought him.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered.
"Huh?" Minato turned to Hinata with a confused look.
"Y-you can cheat off of me if you need to…"
Naruto looked at her in confusion before he looked down at his blank test again. Ah… He erased the genjutsu seal in the corner and revealed his neatly written answers.
"O-oh. S-sorry, Naruto-kun."
"No problem Hinata, thanks for offering though!" Naruto whispered back, redrawing the seal.
Another twenty minutes later, Kankuro stood and asked to go to the bathroom and left with the inhuman proctor. It was only after 15 teams had failed, that Ibiki finally opened his mouth and said,
"Get ready for the tenth question." Ibiki tucked his hands into his pockets, "Before we get to the tenth question, I'm adding one more rule."
He was interrupted by the return of Kankuro and the strange proctor
Ibiki chuckled, "The time you've spent playing with dolls hasn't been completely wasted. Sit down. Now, let me explain. This rule is absolute. First you must choose… Whether to accept or reject this tenth question."
"Ch-Choose? What happens if you don't accept?" Temari burst out.
"If you reject the question you will lose all of your points immediately. And fail! Both of your teammates will fail alongside with you as well."
"Say what?!"
"Then why would anyone reject it?"
Ibiki exerted a light amount of killing intent on the room, cowing the Genin. "Because of this next rule. If you try to answer this question. And you get it wrong. You will never be permitted to apply for the Chuunin exams again."
Minato snorted. That wasn't possible, Ibiki had no power to prevent a Genin from taking the exam in another village.
A flurry of complaints and protests rang out around the room, Kiba chief among them.
"You can't be serious! That's ridiculous! There are ninja who've sat here for exams more than once already!" He yelled.
Ibiki laughed ominously, "It's just your luck that I wasn't making the rules the previous can always take a failing grade and try again later. Anyone with doubts would be smart to reject this tenth question. Come back next year, and the year after that. Ready? Then let's begin. Those who choose not to accept should raise their hands. Once your number has been confirmed. Leave the room."
Minato smirked. He would take this head on. He could already tell what sort of answer Ibiki would give after he had thrown out the rejects. He was also confident that neither of his teammates would give up at this stage. Even if Kiba was dumb he wouldn't give up because his pride wouldn't let him.
One after another applicants chickened out and left. The boy sitting next to Naruto got up and left in disgrace as well. Naruto leaned back, crossed his arms and stared at Ibiki calmly. The number of applicants in the room dropped lower and lower. Finally, when it seemed like the trickle of leavers had stopped Ibiki spoke once more.
"I'll ask one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now while you still have the chance."
No one budged, though a few Genin shifted uncomfortably under Ibiki's harsh stares. A few of the proctors nodded at Ibiki as he exchanged glances with them.
"Hmm… Good call. So everyone who is still here… You've just passed the first exam! So all sixty six of you who are still here… You've just passed." Ibiki said to the worried Genin.
There was a moment of silence as everyone processed his words.
"Wait! What do you mean 'passed'? When did that happen? What about the tenth question?!" Sakura asked.
Ibiki smiled, letting up on his intimidating demeanor. "There is no tenth question… Beyond the whole 'accept or reject' thing."
Minato chuckled as Ibiki explained the purpose of the test. He had guessed the true purpose well before Ibiki had even said anything. Hearing it explained was validating though.
"Of course anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way… Failed." Ibiki removed the bandanna tied around his head, revealing a gruesome set of scars to the Genin. There were burn marks and screw indents in his head As well as a variety of slashes. "There may be circumstances where being caught in an act of espionage can cost more than just your life." He continued. "You pay in ways that can be taken from you little by little, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance." Ibiki paused to retie his bandanna and then resumed his lecture.
"But what was the deal with the tenth question?" Temari asked when Ibiki had finished talking.
"Ah! The tenth question was the first real test on this exam."
Minato zoned out of Ibiki's explanation in favor of considering what the next task could be. Most likely a survival exercise he decided. There were still too many participants for the final round which was traditionally a tournament.
A timid voice spoke up next to him, "N-Naruto-kun! We did it!"
"Aah. Yeah Hinata!"
He jerked slightly when he felt a presence approaching the classroom window at a high velocity. A tightly rolled up ball of black cloth crashed through the window and two kunai flew out embedding themselves in the ceiling.
A woman stood up in front of a hastily made banner that read "Newly arrived second proctor Mitarashi Anko!"
Minato blushed at he looked at what the purple haired woman was wearing. Or more accurately, not. The woman was dressed in a mesh bodysuit and orange skirt. She had on a long trench coat but no shirt. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that spiked upwards and she had a snake tooth necklace.
"None of you are in any position to celebrate." She declared loudly. "I am the second Proctor of the Chunin exams… Mitarashi Anko! Times wasting! Let's go people!"
Ibiki peeked out from behind the homemade banner and asked "Can't you read the mood in here?"
Anko blushed angrily before she waved him off and asked, "Ibiki! You passed twenty two teams? You've obviously gone too easy on them!"
"Well this year we have some rather outstanding applicants."
"Hmph, we'll see. I'll cut the number in half by the time I'm done! Get the next exam location and time from your Jounin Senseis! We'll be meeting up tomorrow for the next part of the exams!"
The sun was setting as Ibiki walked around the room collecting tests. He reached Naruto's test and hummed. What he had thought was a blank test was actually a test with a minor genjutsu seal on it. How interesting. He erased the seal to find nine perfectly written answers and an arrow pointing to the back of the sheet. He turned the sheet over to find a message. 'Kabuto is a spy!' He read. His eyes widened and he called several ANBU over immediately.
A/N: Thank you all so much for the support! 200 favorites and 300 followers holy cow!