I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
First Exam
Ryuu stepped into the exam room and stopped. He wasn't late, exactly, he was just the last to arrive. Well, him and his team. Yugao had insisted on testing how their teamwork had grown over the course of their week of training, and as such, they arrived just in time to find the rest of Naruto's graduating class, plus Kabuto Yakushi, standing at the back of the room with a Hidden Sound trio. Well, most were standing around. Kabuto was on his knees in front of a puddle of vomit.
"What's going on?" Ryuu asked.
"Another one?" one of the trio, a hunched over boy with bandages around everything but his left eye, a fur pelt on his back, and a grey shirt with the sleeves too long, said in his raspy voice. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to fight you t-"
Suddenly, a cloud of smoke exploded into existence in the front of the room.
"Alright you baby-faced degenerates!" a harsh voice shouted. "Pipe down and listen up!"
The smoke began to clear, revealing a dozen chunin and one man with a trench coat and scars across his face.
"It's time to begin, I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor," the man with the scars said in that same harsh voice.
Just then, a pair of arms grabbed Ryuu from behind, nearly crushing him as a grin formed over his face. Fu released him and stepped back, grinning.
"You're a part of this too?" Ryuu whispered as Ibiki was talking, his Sharingan tracking Ibiki's lips so he would know what he was saying.
"Shibuki decided to let me take part," Fu nodded, also whispering. "He sent a couple of bodyguards to pretend to be my team."
"That's excellent," Ryuu grinned. "Don't knock me out of the exams too soon, okay?"
Fu nodded as everyone began to line up. Fu looked around in confusion.
"We have to turn in our Chunin exams paperwork and get assigned a seat," Ryuu said.
He walked over to stand in line, Sai and Shin following and Fu and her teammates, one with a gaunt face, bushy light brown hair, a black midriff shirt under an open grey jacket and dark grey pants, and one with black hair combed back, a broad face, dark green pants, and a light grey turtleneck under a dark blue vest with two scrolls attached to the front, got behind them. As they were moving forward, Ryuu looked around carefully using his Sharingan, determined to keep it active at all times. Finally, he got his seat, walking over to it and sitting down, finding Naruto to his right, Hinata on the other side of her, Sai and Shin in front of him on opposite ends of the table, and Fu to his left. Ryuu grinned. The set up was perfect. Ryuu could use his Sharingan to copy off Shin and Sai, and Fu and Naruto could copy off him. He was sure that Hinata would be fine, but if necessary, she had her Byakugan.
"Everyone, eyes front!" Ibiki snapped after the last person had sat down. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I won't answer any questions, so you better pay attention the first time around. Alright, rule number one is this. The first part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for every question you get wrong. So if you miss three, your final score will be seven. Rule number two. Teams will pass or fail based on the total score of all three members."
"Wait a second!" Sakura shouted, Ryuu instantly realizing that Naruto was the one that might fail her team. "You're saying we all get scored as a team!?"
"Silence!" Ibiki said, Ryuu turning around so Sakura would see he was beside Naruto. "I have my reasons. Now shut up and listen. Rule number three. The sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. Be warned. Their eyes are extremely sharp, and if they catch you five times you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here. If you want to be Shinobi, then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be."
Ryuu restrained a smirk. It wasn't a don't cheat rule. It was a don't get caught rule. Perfect.
"One more thing," Ibiki spoke up. "If any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails."
Ryuu heard Sakura's head hit her desk and saw the panic on Naruto's face. He kicked him, Naruto looking over at him and Ryuu tapped his paper. Naruto looked back at his own, tapping his fingers on his own to agree.
"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period," Ibiki said. "You'll have one hour total. Begin!"
Ryuu sighed, lowering his head eyes raised just enough to see his own paper and Sai's hands. One was writing the answers rapidly and easily. The other, was in a Seal of Confrontation on his leg. Ryuu's eyes flicked to Shin, seeing chakra laced ink forming the answers on Shin's paper, remaining thin enough to be mistaken for pencil, which Shin was using to go over the ink anyway. If Ryuu had to guess, Sai would remove the ink before the tests were collected anyway. He returned his eyes to their previous position, continuing to fill out the test, using his own knowledge for a couple of questions, such as the physics of a shuriken thrown from a hand from release to ground. And it meant all of the physics. A diagram, wind resistance, gravity, the Earth's rotation, light distortion, heat waves for a summer day, sweaty hands. All of it.
Beside him, Fu had most of the paper filled in as well, eyes flicking to his every time he finished a question, which she then copied down perfectly, with a few words changed to make it pass a plagiarism check. To his other side, Naruto's eyes were similar to Ryuu's, partway between, not enough to cause suspicion. As a result, he had misspelled a couple of words, and got a couple words mixed up. But it was enough to pass. Ryuu hoped.
Suddenly, a kunai came flying through the air, carving a scratch into Naruto's cheek, Naruto freezing, eyes wide as the genin behind him shouted in fear, the kunai sticking into his test.
"You alright?" Ryuu asked.
"Yeah," Naruto responded, voice clipped.
"What the...what was that all about?" the genin whose test the kunai was in asked.
"Five strikes and you're out," one of the chunin around the room smirked. "You just failed the test."
"What? It can't be!" the genin said.
"You and your teammates'll leave the room immediately," the chunin said.
The genin stared at him as his teammates left. He followed and the chunin began to call out different numbers, genin in those seats leaving as well, their teammates following. One had to be dragged out, shouting about it not being fair. Another tried to argue but he was pinned to a wall by the throat for a moment as the chunin kindly explained that they were chosen specifically because they were the most observant. Then, he kindly gave the genin another chance to leave with his teammates, which the genin did. As the test progressed, Ryuu noticed that Naruto had stopped copying. At the same time, he decided to call it quits. He was starting to get tired from his Sharingan. He closed his eyes, sighing as he deactivated them, before opening them again. Fu finished copying what he had, then set her head down, closing her eyes. He yawned, covering his mouth, then leaned back, setting his feet on the desk beside his test and tilting his head back, seeing a ring with four mirrors on it attached to the light, the wires attached to the mirrors extending to Tenten's pencil. He closed his eyes, restraining a smile. Smart. Maybe not the most inconspicuous, but still smart.
He cracked an eye open and froze. There was a floating eyeball staring at his paper. He moved his legs over the paper and the eyeball swiveled toward him, then to Fu's paper, which she was laying on. Then Naruto's, which he was also on top of. Then, it began to float away. Ryuu activated his Sharingan, staring at the eye. It was made of sand. He deactivated them, lazily looking around until he spotted the jutsu's use. A Hidden Sand shinobi with a back shirt and pants, a white cloth wrapped around him, a massive gourd on his back, and blood red hair. He was holding one hand up with his fingers over his eye, but Ryuu could only see him from behind and slightly to the side so he couldn't tell who the boy was. He seemed off though. Besides being perfectly calm, there seemed to be an air of danger around him.
Suddenly, another Hidden Sand Shinobi raised their hands, asking to use the bathroom. A chunin volunteered to go with him and they left the room, the genin wearing handcuffs as they did. Then, Ryuu glanced at the clock. Time for the last question.
"Alright, listen up!" Ibiki shouted. "Time for the tenth and final question!"
Ryuu sat up, taking his legs back off of the desk and shaking Fu awake. She smiled up at him before sitting up, stretching and yawning before looking to Ibiki who raised an eyebrow at her, several Genin staring in shock. Ryuu picked up his pencil, twirling it lightly as he waited for ibiki to continue.
"But, before I give you the question there are some more rules that you need to be aware of," Ibiki said.
Just then, the Sand Ninja and his escort walked back in, the genin freezing upon seeing everyone watching Ibiki in silence.
"Ah, made it just in time," Ibiki said. "I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening."
Ryuu smirked. Busted, Ryuu thought, Sharingan staring at the chakra threads running from the well-disguised puppet to the genin. He had skill. That was for sure.
"Well?" Ibiki said. "Take your seat."
The ninja walked back to his seat, Ryuu's sharingan catching a tiny roll of paper, barely bigger than his pencil's lead, falling out of his hand to a female Sand ninja as he passed. Then, he sat down and Ibiki continued.
"These rules are unique to Question Ten," Ibiki said. "Listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you. Rule number one. Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."
"Whoa! So what's the catch? Let's say we decide we don't want to do it. What happens then?" the female sand ninja that had received the tiny scroll from asked.
"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine you'll get a zero. In other words you fail. And that means, of course, both your teammates fail as well."
People around the room began to murmur, asking what kind of choice it was to choose to fail.
"Not so fast, you didn't let me finish," Ibiki said. "If you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail...you will be barred from ever taking the Chunin Exams ever again!"
Ryuu felt his mouth drop open and his pencil dropped to the desk. He wasn't serious, was he? There had to have been other people who retook the test, or else there'd be more adult genin running around.
"Hey that's bull man! That's ridiculous!" Kiba shouted, standing up. "What kind of bogus rule is that!? There's lots of people here who've taken the test before."
Ibiki began to laugh. "I guess you're just unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before. But I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident then by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year."
He waited in silence, allowing the information to process. Ryuu saw Sai and Shin both glance back at him and he gave them a thumbs up. He was taking the question. He didn't have a real team to hold back anyway, since they were both ANBU.
"Now then, if you're ready, the tenth and final question," Ibiki said. "Those who don't want to take it raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go."
Ryuu waited patiently, seeing the panic on Naruto's face. Slowly, genin began to opt out all over the room, some times entire teams at once, rather than two being disqualified for one. Still no one from Ryuu's class quit. Then, slowly, Naruto's hand rose, trembling. Ryuu grit his teeth. Naruto was quitting? Naruto? He was the most stubborn person Ryuu knew. Besides maybe Fu. If he was out, maybe he was the only smart one in the group for a change.
"Na-" Ryuu was cut off by Naruto slamming his hand down.
"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto shouted, standing up. "I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want! You guys aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage some day!"
With that, he sat down, Ryuu holding back a laugh. He should have known Naruto was just going to say something stupid. Leave it to Naruto.
"You're an idiot," Ryuu laughed. "But, if you're going for it, I might as well go for it with you."
"This decision is one that could change your life," Ibiki said. "If for any reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance."
"No way, I never go back on my word," Naruto said. "That's my ninja way."
Ryuu smirked, looking around the room. Everyone looked confident. Apparently, having someone more clueless than them taking the question was good for morale.
"Well then, I admire your determination, if nothing else," Ibiki said. "For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you...that you've all passed the first exam."
Ryuu blinked twice, staring at Ibiki in silence. The others were in a similar state.
"Hold on, what just happened?" Sakura asked. "What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?"
"Actually there never was one," Ibiki smiled. "Not a written one at least. Your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."
"Wait a second!" the female Hidden Sand Ninja spoke up. "So the other nine question you gave us were just a waste of time, is that what you're saying?"
"The first nine were to test our ability to gather information without being caught," Ryuu spoke up. "An important skill in the Shinobi world, and also one that could determine victory or defeat. Having information about the enemy determines battle tactics, location, and timing. On the other hand, false information, or information from an untrustworthy source, could lead you into an ambush. In some cases, false information could end up being worse than no information at all. Isn't that right?"
"Impressive," Ibiki said, reaching up and taking his bandana off, revealing his head to be covered with more than a couple of knife scars.
His scalp was marred with jagged scars from blades, puncture scars, and burns. All clear evidence of torture.
"Information can be among the most important things in the shinobi world, as you said," Ibiki said. "But the point of the test was simple. It's better not to cheat, than to cheat clumsily. Getting caught while gathering information can be very unpleasant."
"Okay," the sand ninja spoke up again. "But I'm still not getting what the tenth question thing is all about."
"You're not?" Ibiki asked. "The tenth question was the main point of the whole exam. Surely you see that."
"Let's just pretend we're all as simple as Naruto here," Ryuu said, Naruto glaring at him.
"Hey!" Naruto whined, several others laughing, including Ibiki.
"As I said before, the goal was to test you not only as individuals but as part of a squad," Ibiki said. "The final question gave you two choices, both difficult. You could choose to play it safe and skip the question, though it meant that both you and your teammates would be failed. Or you could try and answer it, knowing if you got it wrong you would lose your chance at ever being Chunin. It was a no win situation. but just the sort Chunin have to face almost every day. For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission. To steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has, or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to believe the enemy expects you. That you might very well be walking blindly into a trap. Now do you have an option of taking a pass on this mission? Of saying my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger? No. There will be many missions that seem almost suicidal if you think about it. But you do not think about it. You think only of the goal, and of achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a chunin squad leader.
"Those who choose the safer of two paths, those who falter in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, those who would save their own necks at the price of sacred honor will never be able to call themselves chunin. At least as long as I'm here. As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I've put to you. You have earned the right to continue on to the next step. you have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare the first part of the Chunin Exams completed. There's nothing left but to wish you all good luck."
"Alright we did it!" Naruto cheered, beginning to dance around.
Ryuu grabbed him by the collar, dragging him back into his seat.
"You're giving me a headache Naruto," Ryuu sighed. "Would you calm down. The first exam's always the easiest, and you damn near fell apart."
Just then, a ball of red fabric smashed through the window, a pair of kunai being hurled out of it, staking the top corners into the ceiling and unravelling a massive banner that read, Chunin Exams: Part 2.
"Heads up boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating," the woman that had been inside the cloth said.
She wore a mesh shirt and shorts, a tan trench coat ending at her knees, an orange skirt, shin guards, and a necklace that looked like a maroon chess pawn hanging upside down with a single horn on one side of the head. Her purple hair was tied into a very messy pony tail.
"I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi," the woman introduced herself. "Ready for the second test?" She threw her fist into the air. "Good, then let's go! Follow me!"
Everyone stared at her in confusion, except Ryuu who was covering his mouth to hold his laughter in. He liked her. She was going to be a fun proctor. Tomorrow.
"You're early, again," Ibiki said, Anko blushing furiously, still holding her fist over her head.
"How many are there?" Anko asked, dropping her hand. "Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? Ibiki, your test was too easy. You must be getting soft."
"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year," Ibiki said.
"Hm, they sure don't look it," Anko mused, looking around the room, stopping at Ryuu for a moment. "Trust me, before I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated."
Ryuu smirked. That would mean that either she's over confident, or in the next test they would have to eliminate another team to pass.
"More than half?" Sakura gaped. "Seriously?"
"This is gonna be fun," Anko smirked. "Alright you maggots have had it easy so far. But, things are gonna be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed."
Genin began to leave quickly instantly. Ryuu stood, eyes locking with Anko for a moment. She seemed familiar somehow. But he couldn't place where they might have met. He figured he'd remember someone with her personality. He turned, following Fu out of the room. Once they were outside, Fu cheered, throwing her arms around him.
"We made it!" Fu cheered.
"Well, it helps that you have two chunin taking the exam with you and I have to ANBU, but yeah, we did," Ryuu laughed.
"Oh they're Jonin," Fu smiled. "Anyway, it seemed like Anko might have recognized you."
"Yeah, I feel like I know her from somewhere but I can't remember where," Ryuu said, scratching the back of his head. "Oh well. What do you want to do?"
Fu grinned, grabbing his hand and running toward her favorite part of town. "Shopping!"
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