Chapter Seventeen

A/N: This is probably the shortest chapter I've written so far, which makes me sad cause it took me so long to write this.  Sorry about the mini-cliffhanger, but I promise I'll get the next chapter out sooner, once I figure out what to do next.  Okay?

"Welcome to Konoha genins.  For some of you this may be your first time trying your hand at the Chuunin exam, but for most of you, this is a chance to make up for past failures.  You are only allowed to keep your eyes on your own papers.  Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified, along with his entire team.  This exam will last for two hours.  You may begin."

TenTen tried to stifle the anxiety that was welling up in her.  Morino Ibiki was not the invigilator for the test this time, so that meant that there would be no chance that Neji could get through this was a blank test.  They had made no provisions for a blind ninja, and Neji didn't know Braille anyway.

"Don't worry about me." His thoughts weighed heavily on her mind.  "Just do the test the best you can."

"Are you planning on copying from me?" She questioned.  "What if we get caught?"

"We won't." His confidence convinced her, and sighing to herself, she put her pencil to the paper and began to work out the questions.  They were slightly easier than the other exam was, and although she wasn't sure about a few of the answers, she knew that she'd gotten enough right to pass.  She put her pencil down and then there was that familiar feeling of emptiness and she felt a cold chill as if someone had stepped into her soul.

Neji didn't know how to describe the feeling that overcame him when his eyes opened without the barrier of the blindfold for only the second time in over a month.  Seeing through TenTen's point of view took some getting used to, but he knew not to take too long with her body.  He scanned all of her answers, the questions and memorized the distance between the questions.  Sighing, he released TenTen's eyes, freeing the stronger grasp the Phoenix had on her.

He picked up his pencil in one hand and aided with the other hand began to fill in the answers.  As he worked diligently he could hear chairs scraping against the floor as genin teams were disqualified one after another.  He paid them no mind, hoping that Temari wouldn't do anything suspicious so he wouldn't have to feel the heavy hand of a chuunin on his shoulder.

Kotetsu sat on one of the chairs inside the examination room.  He kept a very close eye on his sister, but an even closer one on his future brother-in-law.  His sister didn't show much signs of being warped by the Phoenix, but Neji, who wasn't mentally stable to begin with was obviously struggling under the control of the Phoenix.

What was Godaime planning to do with them anyway?  Whether or not they had assaulted and murdered a boy, they had fled the village and allied with another, so that meant that they were no longer citizens of Konoha.  The only interest Tsunade-sama probably had in them now was to keep the other villages from getting their hands on them.

He had to admit, in the hands of any village with a grudge against Konoha, these two would be very dangerous weapons, especially if they continued to nurture the hate that his actions had probably cultivated in their hearts.  If they turned against Konoha, he would probably be to blame.  He'd probably have to talk to his sister after this part of the exam was over and straighten everything out.  That would go well. 

Hey, TenTen, I'm really sorry about what happened with you and Neji.  I was just being an ass.  I didn't mean for it to go this far.  I was just worried about you, you know.

Yeah, right.  Even he didn't believe that, and it was a figment of his own imagination.

Izumo leaned over and elbowed him.  He pointed at a redheaded ninja and whispered to him.  "Him.  I'll get the others."

Kotetsu got up from his chair and walked over to the ninja.  He rested a hand on the teenager's shoulder.  The boy's body went limp.  All of his confidence disappeared as he got up and walked out of the door.  Once his responsibility was over, he returned to his seat.

Five minutes later, his father stood up and addressed the entire classroom.  "Put your pencils down.  This part of the exam is over." He looked around at the room.  "Only forty percent of you have made it through the written part of the exam and after your exams have been corrected the passing teams will be alerted by tomorrow morning.  If your sensei visits you in the morning you will be required to report back here at sundown." He smiled at the class.  "Good afternoon, and good luck."

The dismissed students breathed a collective sigh of relief and got up from their chairs, filling out of the room until only Temari, TenTen and Neji were left of the genin.

Temari looked around at the room full of ninja and scoffed.  "Are we still your prisoners?"

Mr. Hagane ignored her.  "Kotetsu, Izumo, take them to see Godaime."

"Hai, hai." The two chuunin stood up and escorted the genin out.

After a short silence, Kotetsu decided to ask the question that had been bothering him.  "So…what did you two have planned for after the Chuunin exam?  I mean, Tsunade-sama probably won't let you go back to Sand Village, and Kazekage won't be very happy if you stay here."

"Yeah." Izumo smiled down at the young teens.  "You may not realize it, but you're gonna have some pretty big decisions to make soon, all of which can get you in trouble."

"The new Kazekage doesn't have the power or respect that the old one had." Temari replied.  "He won't be able to hurt them."

"Are you sure about that?" Izumo questioned.  "Are you willing to risk your life to see if your statement is true?  You will be held responsible if you return to your village without them."

"Sand Village is my home, regardless of who decides to abandon it."

"Do you two really intend to return?" Kotetsu directed the question towards Neji and his sister.

"We intend to survive." Neji replied.  "Wherever we have to go to ensure that we stay alive is where we'll live."

"How do you plan on protecting my sister if you can't see?"

Izumo shook his head.  "TenTen is a ninja, she's fully capable of protecting herself."

He snorted.  "We both know what happened the last time we left her to protect herself."

"Don't blame your shortcoming as an older brother on me." Neji remarked caustically.  "I don't need your guilt."

TenTen cleared her throat.  "I'm still standing here.  You two think you could wait until I leave before you start arguing over me?"

Her brother rolled his eyes, but didn't press the subject any further.  He hadn't meant to get mad at Neji, but with all the anxiety that was building up inside of him, it was pretty hard not to want to unload on someone, especially one that didn't belong in their little family.

They stopped outside the Hokage's office.  Kotetsu folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe.  "TenTen and Temari, you'll wait here with me.  Izumo will be taking Neji in to see Tsunade-sama."

"This way." Izumo rested a hand on Neji's shoulder and guided him through the building into the room where the Hokage was waiting.  He pressed the boy down onto the seat and retreated to the back of the room.

Tsunade smiled at him.  "Good afternoon Neji-kun.  I trust that you did well on your written exam."

He sneered behind his mask.  "Did you really expect me to do well?"

"I've heard reports of the advantages the Phoenix can give to a blind boy.  However, if you become Chuunin, it will not do well for you to be incapacitating your allies so you can see."

"I don't do that by choice."

"I know you don't.  It's your only option." She stood in front of him.  "Neji-kun, could you take off your mask please?"

The boy lifted carefully bandaged fingers and slowly removed the mask that hid his identity, though not very successfully.  Today was the first day since he lost his eyesight that he hadn't worn his blindfold, and Tsunade would be the only person to see his eyes since that day.

Tsunade ran her fingers expertly over his heavily scarred eyelids.  "Open your eyes for me."

Neji forced his eyelids open, revealing dulled, empty white orbs.

Tsunade stared deeply into them for a long moment, her occasional sighing proving that she hadn't fallen asleep.  "Neji-kun, what would you say if I told you that there was a way to regain your eyesight?"