Chapter 2: The Final Test
"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed as she walked back into the classroom, clutching a dark blue headband.
The substitute teacher smiled at her and glanced at the attendance list.
"Inuzuka Kiba" She announced.
Kiba stood up with a smirk on his face, and with Akamaru looking out from the inside of his jacket.
Mika smiled at him as he passed by.
"Good luck." she said with a slight, unnoticeable blush across her face.
Kiba smiled at her "Thanks".
Ren chuckled to herself. Mika turned around, her bright green eyes like daggers, as she glared at her. Ren stopped laughing, and hurriedly pressed her pencil to the paper, scribbling nonsense. Mika turned back around, slightly annoyed at Ren for almost giving away her crush. She sighed as she picked up her pencil and began to doodle little images of dogs and hearts on her paper.
Kiba returned a few minutes later also holding a headband. He had a smug "I told you so" look on his face as he approached his friends in the back. Mika was overjoyed that he passed, and she hoped the final question wasn't too hard.
"Shihoin Mika" the sub announced.
Mika froze in her seat for a second. She took a deep breath, stood up from her seat, and slowly made her way to the door. She stopped and turned to Ren. Ren smiled and gave Mika the thumbs up. Mika grinned happily as she turned and headed down the hallway. She entered a door with the number 255 painted upon the window. Underneath the number was a sign that read, "Examination Room". As she walked in, Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei greeted her with a smile.
"Okay, for the last part of the test, I want you to create a clone." Iruka stated.
Mika chuckled a little. I thought this was going to be hard! She thought.
Mika made the appropriate hand signs, and effectively produced a perfect clone.
Iruka and Mizuki wrote some things down on a piece of paper.
Mika walked up to the desk the two teachers were sitting at.
"Congratulations Mika! You passed." Iruka said smiling and handing her a headband.
Mika jumped up and down "Yes! Thank you Iruka-sensei! Thank you!" she shouted happily.
Iruka laughed "You deserve it, Mika." he said grinning.
Mika left the room and walked back down the hall with a slight skip in her step.
Mika reentered the classroom. She looked up to Ren, who sat three seats behind her.
Asleep. I knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake for much longer. She thought, mentally scolding her friend.
Ren had her arms wrapped around her head as she laid there with her eyes closed. Her dark brown hair fell along her shoulders and a few strands found their way in front of her eyes.
"Nara Shikamaru" the sub said.
There was no movement.
"Shikamaru?" the sub asked, craning her neck to see the back of the room.
SMACK!
Mika turned around quickly to see Chouji slam a book shut. Shikamaru sat up and walked out of the room like nothing had happened. Mika, along with others, chuckled at his obliviousness.
Mika headed to her seat to find it occupied.
"Sorry, do you mind if I sit here?" Kiba asked politely.
"Oh, no not at all." Mika answered smiling.
She continued to the back and sat next to Ren.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mika asked.
Ren continued to stare at the door that had just closed from Shikamaru's departure.
"Hm? Oh ...nothing." Ren answered quietly. "Do you think he will make it?" Ren asked, directing the question to no one in particular.
"Huh? Who, Shikamaru?" Mika asked.
Ren nodded.
"Of course he will. The last question was so easy. Although, I'm not so sure Naruto will get past it."
Both girls turned their gaze upon the young blond in the front of the room. His face was turned down in an unflattering pouting expression, and his arms were crossed in front of his chest.
"Did he get in trouble while I was gone?" Mika asked.
Ren shrugged "I think so, but I was asleep most of the time. I wasn't really paying attention." She answered slightly yawning.
Mika rolled her eyes.
"Ha! Kiba, look at this!" someone yelled.
The two girls turned to stare at Mika's assigned seat. Her eyes grew wider when she saw the paper she was drawing on being passed over to Kiba. A fit of laughter erupted from his friends. Kiba seemed confused. He scanned over the pictures of dogs, hearts, and ...his name!? Kiba blushed and shoved the paper back into his friends face.
"That's not funny guys!" Kiba said slightly flustered.
"Which one of you wrote this?" he asked, a little less angry.
"We just found it on the table." his friend said.
Kiba looked at the paper again, then turned around. Mika turned to Ren, her face a deep red.
"Is he looking at me?" Mika whispered, shielding her face from Kiba.
Ren turned to her, her eyes slightly wide. She mouthed the words "He's coming".
There was a tap on Mika's shoulder. She swallowed hard as she turned to face the person. Her light green eyes met a pair of dark brown ones.
"I was sitting in your seat and I found this. Do you know who's it is?" Kiba asked flashing the paper before her.
Mika shook her head. She looked up at Kiba, who was staring at her with a puzzled expression.
"Ha, well who ever drew all that must really like you." Ren said tauntingly.
Both Kiba and Mika glared at Ren. There was an odd silence. Kiba shuffled his feet and plodded back to to where he was sitting. As soon as he sat down Mika let out a sigh of relief and frustration. She turned back to Ren and gave her a sharp glare.
"Why did you do that!?" Mika said loudly.
Ren just shrugged, ignoring the anger rising in her friends voice.
"Well, judging by the look he gave me, I would say that he also has a crush on someone." Ren said with no apparent emotion.
Mika looked quizzically at Ren.
"Why do you say that?" She asked.
Ren shrugged again and laid her head down. Mika stood up, frustrated that her friend never explained anything important. She walked to the front of the room and sat nest to Sakura.
"Hey, Sakura!" Mika said cheerfully.
Sakura shifted in her seat, turned to Mika, and smiled kindly.
"Hi, Mika. Look!" Sakura said excitedly, shoving her dark-blue headband in front of Mika's face.
Mika grinned. "I passed to!" she exclaimed, holding out her headband as well.
The two talked for a long while.
"Tarotsuchi Ren." the sub said.
Mika and Sakura watched as Ren got up and quietly walked to the door.
"Good luck!" Mika and Sakura cheered.
Ren smiled and passed through the doorway and down the corridor.
"Why is she so lazy all the time?" Sakura asked Mika.
"She's only like that in school. I bet you that once we get our teams, and we are out on missions all the time, she will be much more lively." Mika said smiling.
Sakura giggled. "Yeah, I can see her doing that. I remember when we went for kunoichi training, and she would always be so happy and energetic." Sakura said quietly reminiscing about the past.
"Yeah ...oh! Speaking of teams, who do you want to be put with?" Mika asked Sakura anxiously.
"Well, I hope I can be put on the same team as Sasuke' -Sakura said, emphasizing his name in a loving manner- 'just as long as I'm not on the same team as Naruto." she added, glaring at the blond as she spoke his name.
Mika rolled her eyes. Ren reentered the room holding a headband.
Sakura and Mika directed their attention toward her. Ren walked over to them and sat down.
I knew you would make it." Mika said happily.
Ren smiled.
"I'm glad class is almost over." Sakura added.
"Yeah, I can't wait till tomorrow when we get our teams!" Mika said excitedly.
The three began talking about past teams and dangerous missions their parents went on.
"Uzumaki Naruto." the sub said.
The classroom went quiet, with the exception of whispers and snickers from some students. Naruto got up and walked to the door.
"I'm gonna be a real ninja! Believe it!" he shouted to the class.
Many students groaned at his annoying way of wanting to stand out.
A few minutes after Naruto had left the room, the teacher dismissed the class.
All of the students ran outside and met their parents. Everyone had passed. Mika and Ren ran to their parents and showed them their headbands. A boy in their class, Takashi, began talking with Kiba and Shikamaru. Ren and Mika walked over to Hinata.
"Hey, Hinata! I'm glad we all passed!" Ren said cheerfully.
Hinata smiled, but her smile soon turned into a depressed frown.
Ren followed her gaze to the nearby oak tree.
"What's wrong, Hinata? You passed, you should be happy." Mika said trying to comfort her.
"I know, but ..." she said quietly.
"Naruto didn't pass ...did he." Ren stated, still looking at the swing attached to the tree.
Naruto sat there with such a sad look that it made Hinata's heart sink.
"I don't think I've ever seen him that sad or quiet ..." Ren said.
Mika looked at him. " Me either."
They stared at him for a short while, until they were interrupted.
"Come, Hinata. We're leaving" a hard demanding voice said from behind the three girls.
They all turned and Hinata walked over to the side of her father, Lord Hiashi.
"Yes, father." she said barely above a whisper.
Hiashi left with Hinata by his side and a short line of other family members, closely following. Ren and Mika's parents called for them.
"Well, I've got to go." Ren
"Me too, see you tomorrow!" Mika called, running toward her parents.
Ren waved as she ran in the opposite direction.