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I stared idly at my test. These questions, I was almost certain the only way to pass was to cheat. There was no way an average or even above average Genin could answer all of these. I mean did they really teach this stuff at the academy? I thought of all my choices, what I could do. It was obvious. All I had to do was turn my Sharingan on and I could mimic the writing of someone around me but I didn't want to give that away.

Not till I absolutely had to. I sighed tapping my pencil against the paper. Maybe I would wait till the end and try my luck with the tenth question. Obviously it has nothing to do with the actual taking of the test so it probably wasn't going to an ordinary question.

We were half way done with the time given to us and a three people had been caught cheating which meant their team was done as well. "Number 23, fail. Numbers 27 and 43. Fail." I sighed, this was depressing, and here I thought it was going to actually be a test to measure your knowledge. I went to tap my pencil again but my hand wouldn't move. I clenched as hard as I could as it moved on its own to the top of my paper, Relax, don't be a drag. I shifted my eyes over to see a long shadow, too long to actual be coming from the pencil in Shikamaru's hand. Some type of shadow Justu? The abnormal shadow connected his right hand to my left.

Just going to leave it blank? I shrugged my shoulders. There was no use explaining it to him. I heard him sigh. He scribbled one more word of the top of the page, troublesome, before he started answering a few of the question. After three he let me go and erased what he wrote me on the top of his paper. I guess I would formally have to thank him when it was over. At least I wasn't letting it all ride on the last one, I wouldn't get a zero.

I had notice the kid was writing on the page as soon as it started. Way too soon for him to find someone to cheat off of. He must have been smart, really smart. I wouldn't want to have to fight him. I glanced at the clock and then at the back of Naruto's head. He looked so nervous. Shaking. He needed to calm down, damn it that Hinata girl was right next to him, he was so lucky. She would help him in a heartbeat. I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a deep sigh. I continued to tap my pencil. It was just about time for the tenth question.

"Alright, Listen up here is the tenth and final question." We all looked up. At this point I didn't care. I had what I needed to pass. No sweat. "But before I give you the question there are some more rules you need to be aware of." Great more rules. "These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you." I snorted lightly. I think Ibiki heard me. "Very well then rule number one. Each and every one of you is free to choose if you want to answer the last question. It is your decision. If you choose not to answer the last question, regardless of what you scored on the previous nine you'll get a zero. In other words. You fail." I rolled my eyes. So he didn't need to say that at all.

"Who in their right mind would choose to fail? What an unnecessary rule." I was getting tired of this. His mind games would only work on the weak. I was not, I saw through this test the moment he told us the rules. I know most of us did. This was a waste of time. "Not so fast. You didn't let me finish. If you accept the question but get it wrong, you not only fail, you will ban from taking the Chunin exam ever again." Oh so it's that kind of question then.

"That's bull!" I looked over at Kiba. He stood up and pointed at Ibiki. "That's bogus. There are lots of people who have taken the test before." I sighed as the man in front laughed. "I guess you were just unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before and I am now. Of course you don't have to take it."

"If you're not feeling confident by all means, skip it. You can always try again next year." Fat chance buddy. I wouldn't risk the chances of my team moving forward because I might be stuck a genin forever. I looked around, we were a team. Just remember a team. "Now if you are ready. The tenth and final question, those who don't want to take it raise your hand. You're number will be recorded and you are free to go." I slumped back in my chair. I wasn't leaving. I could cut the tension with a knife in here though. I guess other people weren't on the same level.

I watched as hands went up. It started a chain reaction. "How the weak will fall." I mumbled. Shikamaru glanced at me with a smirk. I guess he figured it out too. I was worried about the knucklehead but he was strong. Stronger then he believed himself to be. My eyes got wide. I thought I saw Sakura start to raise her hand, no way. My eyes shot forward. No Naruto put your hand down! Put it down! My heart stopped when he slammed his hand on the table. "Don't underestimate me! 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 get stuck a genin for the rest of my life. I'll still be Hokage someday." He sat his ass back down and I smiled.

What a great kid. "This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason you want to quit now is your last chance." The man upfront was powerless. Naurto's little outburst gave everyone second guessing the back bone they needed for the last question. "No way, I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja."

"Well then. I admire your determination. For those of you remaining there is only one thing left to do. That is for me to tell you that you have all passed the first exam." We passed? God I was so dumb. There was no tenth question. I sat up quickly and looked around the room. "Wait what happened? What do you mean we passed? What's the tenth question?" Oh Sakura. Just be happy you passed. "There never was one. Not a written one at least. Actually your decision to stay was the tenth question."

"So the other nine questions where just a waste of time is what you're saying?" Ugh it was that sand ninja. These girls. Can't these people just be happier we past. "No not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an overriding purpose."

"It was a test about cheating. About being able to get the answer we needed without being caught." I said it matter of factly. Maybe I was wrong when I thought most people got that. Ibiki glanced at me. "Yes, you see my objective was to test you not only as an individual but as a team and how well you functioned as a team. That's why it was scored on a team bases. So you would know everything you do or failed to do would directly impact your teammates. I wanted to see how you could handle the pressure."

"The test encouraged cheating, almost demanded it. Of course it would do you little good unless you had someone to cheat from so I disguised two Chunin who already knew the answers and had them sit in with you." I laughed when one of the Chunin were right next to Naruto. He sweat dropped but brushed it off. "Of course, you would have to be a complete doffus not to realize that, right Hinata?" I rolled my eyes what a baka. He didn't even know the actual meaning of the test. He was so lucky that he was hard headed.

"Those who were caught failed. It is better not to cheat then to cheat clumsily." I watched the man take his head band off. "Information, it can be the most important weapon in battle. How well you gather it and keep it safe can determine if a mission goes well or is a failure." His scars were crazy. I couldn't help but let me eyes get wide. "There will be times you have to risk your life to get it. Of course you need to take into consideration on where you're getting your information. Intelligence from the enemy won't always be accurate. Always bare this in mind. Wrong information can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades or the destruction of villages. So I put you into this situation. To see if you could hack it."

It made sense. The final question was about being a Chunin. Leading mission and being part of a team and making it through those tough missions. "Those who would put their comrade lives in jeopardy by worried about their own. Those who would choose to save their own neck in lieu of sacred honor do not deserve to be called Chunin. At least not as long as I am here. As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the questions I have put you through and have gained the right to continue on to the next step. You have passed the first gate. I hereby conclude this section of the Chunin exams. I have nothing left but to wish you good luck."

I let my head fall back a bit. "Alright! We did it! That's one down." I laughed at Naruto but my eyes darted to the window. I watched a women jump through it, a smile spread large on her face. "Heads up boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating; I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test!?" She was a bit scary but I liked the women. I couldn't help but get pumped for the next test. "Good, let's go follow me!" We all looked at her. So like right this second I guess is what she meant. M eyebrow twitched.

Ibiki stepped out from behind her banner "You're early. Again." She grinned sheepishly and looked around the room. "How many are there? Ibiki you let all these guys passed. You're test was too easy. You must be getting soft." Ouch. Low blow huh? "Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year." I hope he was right. I hope I was strong enough. "Hmm. They sure don't look it. Trust me when I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated." I heard Sakura gasp. Damn we were in for it now. If we thought that last test was hard the next one was going to be killer.

"Alright maggots. You have had it easy this far but that's all going to change tomorrow morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you are to meet me. Dismissed." Everyone is the room hesitated for a moment. Afraid to move. I pushed myself out of my chair. That was the most draining hour of my life. "So how did you know?" I glanced over at Shikamaru, confused. "How did you know you didn't even need to answer the question?"

"I didn't." It was the truth. I didn't know that technically I could have passed without answering a single one; I just refused to do what I had to in order to cheat without being caught. "Better not to cheat at all then to cheat clumsily." I smiled. It was really a stroke of luck. "But thank you. Really, you didn't have to stick your neck out on the line for me." I grunted from a strong grip behind me. I instantly knew it was the knucklehead who picked me up off the floor and bounced me up and down. "We did it! We did it!" He let go and I had to catch myself from falling. I was glad he was able to see through this test. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Shikamaru waved, with one hand in his pocket. I bowed my head as he left to join his team.

"Come on lets go." I followed behind Sakura and Naruto as they led us toward the door, Sasuke falling in step with me. "Wait." I stopped dead in my tracks, we all did. Was there any other response to scary Ibiki Marino talking in your direction? We looked at him as he walked up to the four of us. "You're Kakashi's new student right?" I knew he was talking to me and that made my heart thump. "Yes sir. My name is Suiren, sir." I wasn't one for the use of sir but something about his presence made me tense up. It almost demanded repect.

"Didn't even break a sweat out there. This test will get to even the strongest minds." He eyed me waiting for my responses and I was sure he was watching my face for any reactions. "It was – interesting enough. I was thrown off at the end and it was mentally draining but nothing to demanding … Sir." I wasn't shivering in my pants but I was being cocky. The test wasn't a cake walk and my head was hurting but really all I had to do was think my way through it and stay clear headed. "Good luck tomorrow. I'll be keeping an eye on you." He cracked a smile before turning back to our proctor for tomorrow.

"What was that all about?" Naruto eyed me like I had more to tell, like I wasn't just sitting in the same room as him for the last hour. We walked out into the hallway and oddly they were going up instead of down. "I don't know." It was the truth. I had no idea. "He is scary." I chuckled and nodded. Sakura was right, he was a very intimidating man. "Where are we going?" I finally asked after another flight of steps. "The roof." I glanced over at Sasuke. What the hell were we going up there? "It was the place we first met with Kakashi-sensei when we were put into team." I smiled at the thought. The placed seemed to bring a happy memory for Sakura just at the mention if it. How different it would have been growing up in the village. Going to the academy.

Once outside they took a seat on a circular bench surrounding the edge of the roof. There was an over hanger casting shade. We no longer jumped at the sight of swarming leaves. It was a comfortable feeling for me, a feeling of home. "We did it Kakashi-sensei. Just like I promised." I could see pride in his one exposed eye. "I am very proud of you. Ibiki is not an easy person let alone proctor."

"Piece of cake." I said crossing my arms over my chest. I was still being cocky but I was alright with that. We passed and it was alright to feel excited about it. I knew the high would only last so long though because my mind started to drift off into tomorrow. I wondered what this survival exam would be like. If this is what they could do to a plain ole written exam then I was worried. Slightly enthusiastic but mostly worried.

There is only so far you could fake it till you make it.

Disclaimer: I don not own Naruto ™ only my own Oc's