SUMMARY: Ra and Tenten do some thinking and the arc continues.
Ra doesn't trust Kabuto.
There is something about him that just doesn't sit right with her and she has learned to trust her instincts and apologise later.
It hasn't failed her yet.
Kabuto claims to have been in the exams six times.
Ra isn't sure whether he really is that determined.
She'll just have to wait and watch.
And warn Re and Ru.
Honestly, sometimes she doesn't know how they would manage without her.
They are trusting.
Too trusting.
Vulnerable.
But Ra trusts them to be her heart and spirit.
They trust Ra to be their mind.
She will never let them down.
So she slips up to Naruto who is currently 'hiding' behind Gaara.
He gets the message.
She lays a calming hand on Re next.
The three of them exchange grim smiles.
The Sand siblings pick up on their barely veiled tension towards Kabuto.
Ra can see them readying themselves.
She see a trace of sand form behind Kabuto.
Kankuro twitches his fingers.
It is a pattern she recognises.
Temari shifts her fan ever so slightly.
It will be easier for her to pull it out.
Kabuto smiles at them, like he's just done them a big favour by warning them.
Ra nearly scoffs.
Clearly, he is making them feel like they owe him something.
She has seen so many people use that trick.
Her suspicions are only confirmed when he pulls out some data cards.
Helpful, certainly.
Forgive Ra for thinking that he isn't doing it out of the goodness of his heart.
Naruto takes ruthless advantage of the situation.
Kabuto is only too happy to answer that he has all the Genin there - even Otogakure: though it is a minor village.
The Oto-nin are not going to like that.
They don't.
The three of them lunge for Kabuto.
While he manages to dodge, his glasses are shattered and he looks ill.
Superficial.
Effective.
Ra wonders just what game the Nin is playing.
It is a good thing she likes games.
This promises to be a challenging one.
Anko waits tersely.
It will be the first time she gets to see the brats in nearly a month.
Training with them because Kurenai is her best friend only allows her a few visits.
It is not nearly as many as she would like.
She has had to sleep in a variety of different locations to put her tail on the wrong track.
To summarise, she is sleep-deprived, hungry - because she can hardly go hunting with a stalker and she misses beating up the little brats.
Their cooking is so much better than anything she's had in the past few days.
That's why.
It's not like she is missing the brats.
She just likes the fact she has punching bags.
They make good pillows too.
They've got her wrapped around their little fingers, haven't they?
Anko doesn't really remember being happy.
She has nothing to measure it up against.
If she thinks about the times it hurt a little less, they are there.
Her, Kurenai, the brats and their rooftop.
This is not fair.
Life has never been fair.
She wishes it was just a little bit more.
Just a little fairer.
Less cruel.
The proctor's name is Ibiki Morino, Tenten notes.
Written exams aren't really her thing and the questions are way beyond her level.
Tenten does seals and weapons.
That's it.
She's not stupid by any means but she's not like the Naras or Sakura.
After Ibiki mentions that if they are caught cheating more than five times they will be thrown out, Tenten realises the objective.
Sakura is likely to have the answers but how can she copy off her?
But if the objective is to cheat, then the others will cheat too.
She just needs to mange to copy someone else.
Tenten looks up, lost in thought.
The flaps of the ceiling light hang above her head.
They are reflective.
If she can adjust them, maybe she will be able to read someone else's answers.
Silently, she shifts them with her wires, barely concealing a sound of triumph.
She doesn't want to be caught.
Carefully, she copies down the answers, thankful that however she is copying off has big handwriting.
But what will Lee do?
Neji has his Byakugan.
She is also currently annoyed at him.
So, Lee?
Perhaps she can sneak him her answers.
Lee adjusts his headband meaningfully.
Tenten nods once.
She wonders how the rest of her new friends are getting on.
And she still needs to figure out why Naruto's personality changed so drastically when the Uchiha arrived.
Kabuto winces at the shards of his glasses.
He does need them.
But it was a calculated risk.
He needed to gather information for Orochimaru-sama.
He wanted to see how the Konoha Genin would react.
He hadn't expected there to be Suna Genin with them.
And not just any Suna Genin, the Kazekage's children.
Orochimaru-sama is currently impersonating the man though.
He doesn't suppose they know that.
Kabuto had been the one to do the operation.
Regretfully, he couldn't find the gene so it was a pointless death.
Kabuto has seen many pointless deaths.
He has caused many pointless deaths.
He doesn't care.
No one cared when he lost Nono.
Why should he care about them losing their father?
Life ends.
They are Shinobi.
Kurenai stands in the Academy staff room.
Apparently, it is 'tradition' for Jounin senseis to talk about their team's chances of passing.
Kurenai is no fool.
There is always a tournament in which the candidates fight.
It is clear that they are fishing for information about her students out of her and each other.
She needs to give them enough to keep them off her back.
But not enough to jeopardise her Genin's chances.
Personal feelings aside, she is not going to be the one to ruin this for them.
She has to be ... delicate with this.
Say something in a way that tells them she knows what they are doing.
Say enough to satisfy them for the time being.
Say little enough that her Genin are not at a disadvantage.
Kurenai is a Genjutsu mistress.
She specialises at deceiving people.
It will be difficult to trick these two.
But Kurenai isn't a Master for no reason.
Not everyone gets such titles.
If Asuma and Kakashi aren't aware already, then it's their own problem.
And if they are, maybe they've just forgotten.
Kurenai will use it to her advantage.
To her team's advantage.
She considers the two men next to her.
Difficult.
Not impossible.