"That's it," Atari shrugged satisfactorily, "The end of the first exam."
"It was pretty interesting," Kakashi remarked, "Very different from my Chunin exams."
"Well, when you think about the other tasks, it's pretty easy," Atari smiled, "Anyway, after the exams, Masaru-san and the leader of Kaze wanted to talk to you about Kira's arrangements after the Chunin exams. It's very important that her squad is assigned to her as soon as possible so she isn't at risk being targeted by any unwanted clans."
The Sound ninja that Kakashi had encountered flashed back in his mind. Kakashi couldn't let that happen again. Although he didn't agree with all these arrangements, he wanted what was best for her. She wasn't just a normal student that any teacher could have. She was special.
"Well, on to the second exam," Atari sighed satisfactorily, "It takes place in the forest about a mile from here. If you don't mind, Masaru-san requested your presence. I believe he wants to talk about your young student."
"Sure thing," Kakashi shrugged serenely, following the proctor out the doors down the hall, "So, I'm guessing this exam that takes place in the forest compares to the one in the standard Chunin exams, right?"
Atari laughed. "Not quite."
Kakashi looked at the other senseis. All were here, their students standing in front of them. Each had a three man (or cat) cell, so the Konoha native was relieved to see that Kaze wasn't completely upside down. But he still found it somewhat odd that the teachers accompanied their students to the second task. Usually, by now he would be conversing with other Jonin somewhere, ready to appear when the third task was announced, but decided to not ask questions and let the answers come to him.
They were standing in front of a large forest, not unlike the Forest of Death in Konoha. Although the weather had been somewhat nice when they came, the sky had now become a misty white, with a lazy but heavy fog curling around their legs. The forest certainly was rather frightening looking, with it's dark trees and vines hanging down, but it made Kakashi smile with pride to know that his student that he had vigorously been training with over the last two months was finally ready to do the same challenge he took all those years ago.
The cat girls were all line up with their senseis, all whispering excitedly so softly that the sensei's couldn't hear them. A young cat girl with small white ears was whispering to Kira, but Kakashi only saw his students lips move with out sound, her ears swiveling toward her new friend. Kakashi watched with interest as Kira and her friend suddenly laugh quietly together, before the same cold voice he had been listening to on the other side of the door filled the misty air.
"So, it seems we have a big class this year," Masaru smirked coldly to them. All students tensed immediately, making the surroundings seem even colder as everyone became silent. Kakashi got a good look at the proctor. His dark eyes hidden beneath his lengthy coal black hair was somewhat unsettling. He looked to be about forty; and from the large scar that traced his neck, he looked to have been in a number of battles. It seemed odd that a teacher like these would be teaching a bunch of cute kids like these, Kakashi wondered, But then again, I keep hearing about how powerful these kittens are, so I guess I should be on guard as well.
"I think you'll find that the next task will be much harder," Masaru smirked. His eyes landed on Kira and he stared deliberately at her. Kira stared back, not wavering at all. Kakashi could almost feel the cold stare coming from Masaru to his student. He knew that he could tell just by her eyes that she was the one.
"This next task, will not in anyway, challenge your life," Masaru continued as a cold wind brushed past them as stealthy as a ghost, "So, you needn't worry about losing your lives." There was a slight murmur of dispersed sighs of relief, mostly from senseis, until Masaru said in an even colder voice, "Unless, of course, you die from blood loss."
The students didn't so much waver in fright as stare back in curiousness. Kakashi was slightly unnerved, so he was somewhat surprised at the students' serene attitude.
"You will be given these to put on," Masaru explained as he made his way to a small wooden stand, set up by the chain-link fence that surrounded the forest. There were about fifteen collars, once for each student, places on the stand. They looked like simple dog collars, or in this case, cat collars. Masaru picked one up and revealed a tiny silver bell attacked to it. Immediately, all cat ears in the vicinity pricked up at the sound of the jingling bell. The Sensei's smiled in amusement as their once glaring eyes at the suspicious Masaru seemed to brighten as they all wagged their tails slightly. Even for a teacher who had dealt with a Neko before, it seemed that Nekos were an endless source of entertaining surprises.
"When you enter that forest," Masaru motioned to the dark forest behind him, "You will have one night to make it to the checkpoint; a stone tower in the middle. You have until sun up to get to the tower, or you will be disqualified. And about the bells," he flicked one, causing it to ping loudly to the ears of the Nekos, and smirked, "If you make one sound with these bells, one sound at all, our hidden Jonin will not hesitate to shoot you with their crossbows."
Kakashi felt himself inwardly gasp. Was he serious? A task like that? Not only could most Jonin that he knew not complete this task, but asking seven through ten year old kids to complete this? It was insanity!
But the students didn't dare speak.
No one wanted to speak against the Examiner. They had no trust in him at all, and that being said, they did not want to speak to him at all. It was the natural instinct of a Neko.
So, these guys want us to go out in the dead of night with these noisy bells and not make a sound? And if we make a sound, we get shot!? This is…scary…, Kira felt a shiver go up her tail, causing it to puff out slightly, along with the other tails.
"And so," Masaru continued, "If you do make it back, you are only allowed to have a certain number of arrows in you. If we count more than three, than you're out."
Kakashi wanted to scream, "How could you do this to kids!? It's a wonder they'll even make it out alive with all those arrows in them! There has to be a law against this, or something! This can't be real!" But the teachers around him must have been through this before, because most of them stared blankly, waiting for the speech to be over. Kakashi felt like the odd one out at the moment, as if a secret was being kept from him, but he didn't at the moment. This was his student's life at stake.
"That being said," Masaru turned directly to the students, lowering his frame slightly to look down on the small students, who looked back at him somewhat wide-eyed, "This task…you will fight no foes, monsters, or use any weapons of any kind. This is a test of your stealth skills. The Nekos are known as some of the most silent and stealthiest ninja, but they are also known as the fastest Ninja. A Neko needs to be at top speed and not make a sound. It's not just your career on the line, it's your life."
The students each took a black leather collar and buckled it around their necks. Soon all students were lined up, waiting to enter the forest.
"Kira," Kakashi said quietly before Kira got ready to stand in line. Kira's ear swiveled behind her and she turned to Kakashi.
"Yeah?" she smiled slightly. Kakashi knelt down before her so that he was on the same level with her. Kira looked at Kakashi's face in a confused manner. She had never seen her teacher look so nervous. He laid a shaky hand on her shoulder.
"Kira, if you…feel like you can't go on, and you're too hurt," Kakashi said quietly, "I…want you to run. It's not worth it. You could do greater things than this."
Kira cocked her head slightly, her eyebrows raised. Suddenly, she laughed.
"Hah, no way," she grinned at up her sensei, her ears pointed ambitiously, "Sure I'm scared, but that just shows that I'm smart, and that doesn't mean I'm gonna run!" She pointed a stern finger at Kakashi, "I'm gonna take this challenge because I'm just as good as everyone else here!" Kakashi was not surprised, but he was still glad. He gave her a reassuring pat on the head and walked off, smiling to himself. He didn't have to be nervous, but for some reason, he was.
They were focusing their chakra in their feet, ready to leap at the slightest noise. Ears were pointed forward, tails bristled. Kakashi watched as Kira flicked the bell on her collar, a new type of determined look in her red eyes. Kakashi let go a shaky sigh as they prepared to enter. He just hoped that he had taught her enough.
"Hey."
Kira turned to Akemi, her shining green eyes smiling at her.
"Let's do this together," Akemi smiled.
Kira smiled back at her, her fangs gleaming. "Yeah, lets." They stood together, heads lowered, ready to go. If Kira listened closely, she could hear the pounding hearts of her opponents, beating like drums in the dead silence. She was ready.
"GO!" Masaru barked loudly.
The gates were thrust open with a loud clang. Almost before they even opened, the students sprang as quickly as lightening, flinging themselves into a forest as fast as arrows. In an instant, they were gone. Hardly a sound made, save for a few snapping twigs. Kakashi stared in amazement. Not one made a sound.
These kids…are something else, Kakashi thought to himself in amazement.
"I always found this part more interesting," a voice chuckled. Kakashi turned to see a young ninja walk his way, "You're the one with the Kaze Koneko, right?"
"Yeah," Kakashi said after a second, shaking off the anxiety that he had felt earlier.
"Masaru Shishu," the man smile, looking friendlier than he had before, "I understand you teach the Kaze Koneko." Kakashi felt his eyes narrow slightly. She had a name, after all.
"Yes, that would be Kira Koneko," Kakashi said somewhat slowly. Masaru gave a chuckle.
"I was so surprised when I was told that it was back," he explained, "We haven't had one compete in these exams for over two hundred years. I had forgotten how long it's been, but this is my first time proctoring one, and the same goes for ever other proctor here."
"I was interested in about how these whole Neko Chunin Exams were run," Kakashi returned the smile. The man was a lot friendlier now that he wasn't around the students. He wondered what tricks he was pulling right now.
"Let's talk in my office," Masaru said as the other teachers and proctors began to walk back to the office as well, "We have a lot to talk about."