==============================
Chapter 03: The Second Exam
==============================
It was Shizune.
¡§Alright, everyone follow me to the next exam.¡¨ She called to the 20 teams that remained.
They followed her to the Akagahara, the Forest of Death, and she went on to explain the rules, just like Anko did last year.
//The Hokage-sama...//he thought weakly, //...has no imagination. None. At all.//
¡§Not this again.¡¨ he muttered as a male Chuunin went around, passing the same forms as last year while Shizune went on about how ¡§The forms are to protect the Hidden Leaf from your potential death. You sign this, you¡¦re signing your death certificate.¡¨ She finally finished up with, ¡§We will be behind the screen over there when you¡¦re done. Remember, you need a set of both Heaven and Earth scrolls in order to pass.¡¨
As she turned towards the back table, she caught sight of Naruto and gave him a quick smile, which he also grinned back.
¡§So how are we going to do this, Naruto-niisan?¡¨ came the voice that snapped him out of his thought. ¡§Do you wanna get the job done, or do you want to play around with them?¡¨
¡§Well...¡¨ he said, facing Akito. ¡§I¡¦ve always wondered what the people who pass the earliest do once they get to the tower. Besides,¡¨ he said, snickering, ¡§I¡¦m all for setting a new record from here to the tower,¡¨ a comment that made both of his relatives smirk. ¡§What do you say to making it to the tower in under an hour?¡¨ he asked.
¡§Done.¡¨
==============================
¡§Hey, Forehead Girl.¡¨ Ino whispered to her former best friend/rival to her now best friend/rival/teammate, ¡§Do you think they¡¦re something up with Naruto?¡¨
¡§Hai.¡¨ Sakura whispered back, casting a look at him. ¡§He¡¦s too relaxed. Last year, he was all over the place, and now he¡¦s sitting on a rock and laughing.¡¨
¡§Yea. And his team, there¡¦s something wrong with it. Aren¡¦t they a little young?¡¨
¡§No.¡¨ Sakura responded. ¡§Kakashi-sensei became a Chuunin when he was 6 or something.¡¨
¡§Oh. Well, I still think it¡¦s weird.¡¨
¡§You think everything¡¦s weird, Ino Pig-Chan.¡¨
¡§Forehead.¡¨
¡§Pig¡¨
¡§FOREHEAD.¡¨
¡§PIG.¡¨
¡§Both of you shut up.¡¨
They turned and looked at the source of the voice, their ¡¥beloved¡¦ Sasuke-kun. He was holding up a white scroll. ¡§We got a Ten [heaven] Scroll.¡¨ He said. ¡§Just like last time.¡¨ He looked at Naruto¡¦s team. ¡§I wonder what scroll they got.¡¨
==============================
¡§We got a Ten scroll.¡¨ Naruto said, walking back to his comrades. ¡§And we¡¦re Gate 12.¡¨
¡§Gate 12...¡¨ Kai said. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrated, then opened them. ¡§If we can go a straight path, intercept THAT teams¡¦ scroll.¡¨ She said nodding at a team from the Hidden Grass. ¡§They have a De (Earth) scroll and they¡¦re at Gate 14. If you do it right, we can make it to the tower in about 30 minutes.¡¨
¡§Works for me.¡¨ He said.
¡§Hey! You guys coming?¡¨ Akito shouted. ¡§We¡¦re going to our gates already you slowpokes.¡¨
==============================
¡§The Second Exam will begin in Five, Four, Three, Two, GO.¡¨ The gates opened. And seconds later, the spots the 20 teams occupied were empty.
¡§How should we take it?¡¨ asked Akito. ¡§Do y¡¦all want to face them head on? Or do you want to steal it.¡¨
¡§The second one.¡¨ Naruto replied, jumping quickly to avoid a head on collusion from a tree branch. He smiled evilly. ¡§I really want to see the looks on their faces when they reach for it, and it¡¦s not there.¡¨
¡§There they are.¡¨ Kai said, spotting the trio from the Grass. ¡§You guys go ahead. I¡¦ll get it.¡¨ The others nodded, and dashed off in the direction towards the tower.
Acting quickly as she could, Kai jumped from the branch, onto the forest floor, ran up to the Grass Nins, plucked the scroll from its' pouch, and bounced back up towards the trees, her feet never stopping, resuming her course towards the tower.
When she got there 20 minutes later, the other two were already waiting for her.
¡§How¡¦d it go?¡¨ Naruto asked.
She held up the De scroll. ¡§I don¡¦t even think they notice it¡¦s missing.¡¨ She said, with just enough smugness to hint that she was quite pleased with herself.
==============================
¡§Shizune-san, you have to see this.¡¨ A Chuunin said, bursting into the Examiner¡¦s Office. ¡§Last year¡¦s record was amazing, but this year¡¦s record is unreal.¡¨
¡§What do you mean?¡¨ Shizune asked, looking up from her paperwork.
¡§The team from the Hidden Air just passed the test. In 30 MINUTES.¡¨ He said, inserting the videotape of the three. ¡§And not only that, but they are by far the youngest people to take the test in this time around, and the youngest people to take the test for 10 years!¡¨
¡§What?¡¨ Shizune looked at the video.
¡§It¡¦s just like last year, when the kids from the Hidden Sand Village passed.¡¨ The Chuunin continued. ¡§But this time in 30 minutes and they look like they just came back from a walk in the park.¡¨
Shizune studied the three. ¡§Uzumaki Naruto.¡¨ She said.
¡§What?¡¨
¡§No wonder. Uzumaki Naruto is on this team. That¡¦s why they passed so quickly.¡¨
¡§Uzumaki Naruto?¡¨ he asked. ¡§Isn¡¦t he the one who filed for Sennin and left last year with Jiraiya-sama?¡¨
¡§The one and only.¡¨
¡§Oh. But his hitaite [forehead protector]...¡¨ he said. ¡§It¡¦s the symbol of the Hidden Air village, not Hidden Leaf.¡¨
¡§We know.¡¨
¡§Why did he leave then?¡¨
¡§That information is classified.¡¨
¡§I see.¡¨
¡§But.¡¨ Shizune continued. ¡§He was an amazing fighter when he was 13, before he left the village. And now, he could only have improved.¡¨ Then, more to herself, ¡§It will be an interesting exam this year.¡¨
==============================
¡§Now what do we do?¡¨ Akito asked. ¡§It¡¦s an empty room.¡¨
¡§Now we open both Ten and De scrolls at the same time.¡¨ Naruto said. ¡§Let¡¦s see...¡¨
He opened both of the scrolls, and just like last time, smoke filled the room. When it cleared, Naruto half expected to see Iruka, just like last time. However, he wasn¡¦t that lucky. There stood Tsunade.
¡§Wow.¡¨ Naruto said jokingly. ¡§I feel special.¡¨
¡§The Hokage¡¦s the one who greets the first people who passed.¡¨ Tsunade said. ¡§But I never expected you to pass in just 30 minutes.¡¨ She added in an undertone, ¡§I was just eating lunch too...¡¨
¡§YES!¡¨ Akito shouted happily. ¡§WE MADE IT JUST THIRTY MINUTES! WHOHOO!!¡¨ He began dancing around the room happily like a hyperactive fuse.
//He acts just like Naruto.//.
¡§Anyway, this time, since you made it before the limit was up, you get to go the left side of the stairs instead of directly going to the fighting hall.¡¨
¡§What¡¦s in the left side?¡¨
Tsunade grinned. ¡§You¡¦ll see. I have to go, but I¡¦ll be back to judge in 5 days. Later.¡¨ Then she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
==============================
¡§Oh DANG!¡¨ Naruto said, looking around the ¡¥Left Side¡¦. ¡§They really... they... now I really wish we made it in early last year.¡¨
The Left Side was more or less like a hotel completed with a living room, a training hall, a room to sleep in, and a restroom. The furnishings were by no means luxurious, but there was enough food in the refrigerator to sustain them for at least 2 weeks.
¡§Why weren¡¦t you here last year, Naruto-niisan?¡¨ asked a suddenly interested Akito. ¡§Did you actually take all five days to get here?¡¨ When Naruto didn¡¦t respond, he continued his badgering. ¡§Well? Did you? You did? Oh dang, Niisan! You suck!¡¨
¡§Shut up.¡¨
¡§Make me¡¨
¡§I¡¦ll make both of you permanently mute if you don¡¦t BOTH be quiet.¡¨ Kai snarled.
And they both shut it, knowing fully well that she was capable of her threat.
¡§Good. Now let¡¦s go eat, I¡¦m starving.¡¨
=====================================================================
Re-editing is hard work when the original was so messed up! @.@
Questions, comments: icy_cloud359@kuririnmail.com
-Yume
Chapter 03: The Second Exam
==============================
It was Shizune.
¡§Alright, everyone follow me to the next exam.¡¨ She called to the 20 teams that remained.
They followed her to the Akagahara, the Forest of Death, and she went on to explain the rules, just like Anko did last year.
//The Hokage-sama...//he thought weakly, //...has no imagination. None. At all.//
¡§Not this again.¡¨ he muttered as a male Chuunin went around, passing the same forms as last year while Shizune went on about how ¡§The forms are to protect the Hidden Leaf from your potential death. You sign this, you¡¦re signing your death certificate.¡¨ She finally finished up with, ¡§We will be behind the screen over there when you¡¦re done. Remember, you need a set of both Heaven and Earth scrolls in order to pass.¡¨
As she turned towards the back table, she caught sight of Naruto and gave him a quick smile, which he also grinned back.
¡§So how are we going to do this, Naruto-niisan?¡¨ came the voice that snapped him out of his thought. ¡§Do you wanna get the job done, or do you want to play around with them?¡¨
¡§Well...¡¨ he said, facing Akito. ¡§I¡¦ve always wondered what the people who pass the earliest do once they get to the tower. Besides,¡¨ he said, snickering, ¡§I¡¦m all for setting a new record from here to the tower,¡¨ a comment that made both of his relatives smirk. ¡§What do you say to making it to the tower in under an hour?¡¨ he asked.
¡§Done.¡¨
==============================
¡§Hey, Forehead Girl.¡¨ Ino whispered to her former best friend/rival to her now best friend/rival/teammate, ¡§Do you think they¡¦re something up with Naruto?¡¨
¡§Hai.¡¨ Sakura whispered back, casting a look at him. ¡§He¡¦s too relaxed. Last year, he was all over the place, and now he¡¦s sitting on a rock and laughing.¡¨
¡§Yea. And his team, there¡¦s something wrong with it. Aren¡¦t they a little young?¡¨
¡§No.¡¨ Sakura responded. ¡§Kakashi-sensei became a Chuunin when he was 6 or something.¡¨
¡§Oh. Well, I still think it¡¦s weird.¡¨
¡§You think everything¡¦s weird, Ino Pig-Chan.¡¨
¡§Forehead.¡¨
¡§Pig¡¨
¡§FOREHEAD.¡¨
¡§PIG.¡¨
¡§Both of you shut up.¡¨
They turned and looked at the source of the voice, their ¡¥beloved¡¦ Sasuke-kun. He was holding up a white scroll. ¡§We got a Ten [heaven] Scroll.¡¨ He said. ¡§Just like last time.¡¨ He looked at Naruto¡¦s team. ¡§I wonder what scroll they got.¡¨
==============================
¡§We got a Ten scroll.¡¨ Naruto said, walking back to his comrades. ¡§And we¡¦re Gate 12.¡¨
¡§Gate 12...¡¨ Kai said. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrated, then opened them. ¡§If we can go a straight path, intercept THAT teams¡¦ scroll.¡¨ She said nodding at a team from the Hidden Grass. ¡§They have a De (Earth) scroll and they¡¦re at Gate 14. If you do it right, we can make it to the tower in about 30 minutes.¡¨
¡§Works for me.¡¨ He said.
¡§Hey! You guys coming?¡¨ Akito shouted. ¡§We¡¦re going to our gates already you slowpokes.¡¨
==============================
¡§The Second Exam will begin in Five, Four, Three, Two, GO.¡¨ The gates opened. And seconds later, the spots the 20 teams occupied were empty.
¡§How should we take it?¡¨ asked Akito. ¡§Do y¡¦all want to face them head on? Or do you want to steal it.¡¨
¡§The second one.¡¨ Naruto replied, jumping quickly to avoid a head on collusion from a tree branch. He smiled evilly. ¡§I really want to see the looks on their faces when they reach for it, and it¡¦s not there.¡¨
¡§There they are.¡¨ Kai said, spotting the trio from the Grass. ¡§You guys go ahead. I¡¦ll get it.¡¨ The others nodded, and dashed off in the direction towards the tower.
Acting quickly as she could, Kai jumped from the branch, onto the forest floor, ran up to the Grass Nins, plucked the scroll from its' pouch, and bounced back up towards the trees, her feet never stopping, resuming her course towards the tower.
When she got there 20 minutes later, the other two were already waiting for her.
¡§How¡¦d it go?¡¨ Naruto asked.
She held up the De scroll. ¡§I don¡¦t even think they notice it¡¦s missing.¡¨ She said, with just enough smugness to hint that she was quite pleased with herself.
==============================
¡§Shizune-san, you have to see this.¡¨ A Chuunin said, bursting into the Examiner¡¦s Office. ¡§Last year¡¦s record was amazing, but this year¡¦s record is unreal.¡¨
¡§What do you mean?¡¨ Shizune asked, looking up from her paperwork.
¡§The team from the Hidden Air just passed the test. In 30 MINUTES.¡¨ He said, inserting the videotape of the three. ¡§And not only that, but they are by far the youngest people to take the test in this time around, and the youngest people to take the test for 10 years!¡¨
¡§What?¡¨ Shizune looked at the video.
¡§It¡¦s just like last year, when the kids from the Hidden Sand Village passed.¡¨ The Chuunin continued. ¡§But this time in 30 minutes and they look like they just came back from a walk in the park.¡¨
Shizune studied the three. ¡§Uzumaki Naruto.¡¨ She said.
¡§What?¡¨
¡§No wonder. Uzumaki Naruto is on this team. That¡¦s why they passed so quickly.¡¨
¡§Uzumaki Naruto?¡¨ he asked. ¡§Isn¡¦t he the one who filed for Sennin and left last year with Jiraiya-sama?¡¨
¡§The one and only.¡¨
¡§Oh. But his hitaite [forehead protector]...¡¨ he said. ¡§It¡¦s the symbol of the Hidden Air village, not Hidden Leaf.¡¨
¡§We know.¡¨
¡§Why did he leave then?¡¨
¡§That information is classified.¡¨
¡§I see.¡¨
¡§But.¡¨ Shizune continued. ¡§He was an amazing fighter when he was 13, before he left the village. And now, he could only have improved.¡¨ Then, more to herself, ¡§It will be an interesting exam this year.¡¨
==============================
¡§Now what do we do?¡¨ Akito asked. ¡§It¡¦s an empty room.¡¨
¡§Now we open both Ten and De scrolls at the same time.¡¨ Naruto said. ¡§Let¡¦s see...¡¨
He opened both of the scrolls, and just like last time, smoke filled the room. When it cleared, Naruto half expected to see Iruka, just like last time. However, he wasn¡¦t that lucky. There stood Tsunade.
¡§Wow.¡¨ Naruto said jokingly. ¡§I feel special.¡¨
¡§The Hokage¡¦s the one who greets the first people who passed.¡¨ Tsunade said. ¡§But I never expected you to pass in just 30 minutes.¡¨ She added in an undertone, ¡§I was just eating lunch too...¡¨
¡§YES!¡¨ Akito shouted happily. ¡§WE MADE IT JUST THIRTY MINUTES! WHOHOO!!¡¨ He began dancing around the room happily like a hyperactive fuse.
//He acts just like Naruto.//.
¡§Anyway, this time, since you made it before the limit was up, you get to go the left side of the stairs instead of directly going to the fighting hall.¡¨
¡§What¡¦s in the left side?¡¨
Tsunade grinned. ¡§You¡¦ll see. I have to go, but I¡¦ll be back to judge in 5 days. Later.¡¨ Then she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
==============================
¡§Oh DANG!¡¨ Naruto said, looking around the ¡¥Left Side¡¦. ¡§They really... they... now I really wish we made it in early last year.¡¨
The Left Side was more or less like a hotel completed with a living room, a training hall, a room to sleep in, and a restroom. The furnishings were by no means luxurious, but there was enough food in the refrigerator to sustain them for at least 2 weeks.
¡§Why weren¡¦t you here last year, Naruto-niisan?¡¨ asked a suddenly interested Akito. ¡§Did you actually take all five days to get here?¡¨ When Naruto didn¡¦t respond, he continued his badgering. ¡§Well? Did you? You did? Oh dang, Niisan! You suck!¡¨
¡§Shut up.¡¨
¡§Make me¡¨
¡§I¡¦ll make both of you permanently mute if you don¡¦t BOTH be quiet.¡¨ Kai snarled.
And they both shut it, knowing fully well that she was capable of her threat.
¡§Good. Now let¡¦s go eat, I¡¦m starving.¡¨
=====================================================================
Re-editing is hard work when the original was so messed up! @.@
Questions, comments: icy_cloud359@kuririnmail.com
-Yume