Chapter Fifteen
Sasuke sedately walked through an open door. To reach room 301, they had to cut through one of the Academy's many training rooms. This particular one had always been Sasuke's favorite; high ceilings, a balcony, lots of air – much better than the one on the first floor.
"Hey!" A booming, if high-pitched, voice called out. The echo resounded, making his voice seem more imposing than it probably was. "You, with the attitude," he continued.
"Huh?" What the hell is it now? Sasuke had a vague feeling that the speaker was referencing him. If so, whoever it is in for a world of hurt. Not only was he impeding their registering, he was insulting team turned in unison to face him.
Lee stood on the balcony, eyes focused solely on Sasuke. Oh, it's you again. Sasuke slouched slightly, hands in his pockets. "What do you want?" Sasuke asked, slightly bored. Why is he here? And where's the Hyuuga and what's her face?
"I want to fight," Lee said sternly, unimpressed with Sasuke's nonchalant attitude. "Right here and right now."
"You want to fight me here and now, huh?" Sasuke responded, staring up at him.
"Yes." Lee jumped off the balcony, landing smoothly on the polished hardwood floor. "My name is Rock Lee." Yeah, I got that when you were propositioning Sakura. "You said it was common courtesy for a challenger to give his own name first, right, Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sasuke scoffed. "A challenger," he mocked the boy. "Is that what you are?" You're just an annoyance.
"Everyone is always talking about the Uchiha clan and how great they are. I want to see if it is true or not. I figured you would be a good test for me." Lee continued, unperturbed by Sasuke's comment.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. A challenge from Lee may have been foreseeable, but Sasuke wouldn't have anticipated the "why" behind it. It almost sounds like something the Hyuuga would say, although that pompous fool would say "show" instead of "see".
"And also," Lee continued. What more? If we're going to fight, let's get this on and over with.
But Lee wasn't looking at him anymore. "I love you, Sakura!"
"WHAT?" Sakura screeched. Sasuke almost wanted to laugh. Kami, you've known her ten minutes, you can't possibly love her. He smirked. Then again, maybe that's why you can.
Sakura backed up quickly and stepped to the side, near Naruto of all people. She clutched her arms tightly together and looked at Sasuke with pleading eyes.
"You are an angel, sent from heaven!" Lee proclaimed dramatically as he blew a kiss Sakura's way. She squealed and ducked behind Sasuke.
"Keep your prissy valentines to yourself!" Sakura ordered.
Lee was starting to annoy Sasuke, and not because the spandex boy was ignoring him; Sasuke honestly didn't really care about that. No, it was Lee's superfluous advances towards Sakura. It was bothering Sasuke far more than it should have, and far more than Sasuke would have thought it would.
He decided to steer the conversation back to the impending fight. "You've heard of the Uchiha clan, yet you're challenging me? You must be even more psycho than you look, if that's possible." Sasuke felt his annoyance turn to anger. He was so ready to put Lee in his place. "You want to learn more about my clan? Then I'll teach you." His eyes darkened. "The hard way."
"Bring it on," Lee said confidently. Sasuke tensed, ready to spring.
"Hold it!" Naruto yelled. Lee jumped ever so slightly. Sasuke was unmoved; he was beginning to get used to the blond boy's boisterousness. "I get him first. This weirdo is mine."
Sasuke shrugged. Might as well. Give him a confidence booster behind the exams. "Go for it."
"Naruto-" Sakura warned.
"Don't worry about it. It'll take me two minutes to have him begging for mercy."
"No thank you," Lee insisted. "The only person I want to fight is Uchiha."
"Oh yeah?" Naruto charged, feet pounding against the hard surface of the floor. He yelled at Lee; something about his superiority, and something else that Sasuke couldn't discern.
Lee kept his composure. He watched Naruto carefully, not bothering to budge from his spot on the floor. Naruto threw a sloppy punch at Lee's face.
Lee easily knocked the punch away. Naruto fell to the ground and tried to kick Lee. With one smooth sweep of the leg, Lee knocked Naruto onto his butt and sent him sliding across the floor and into the wall.
"Wow," Sakura whispered. "He's better than he looks." She cast Sasuke a sideways glance. "Do you think his nin or genjustu are as good as his taijutsu?"
Sasuke frowned. "I don't know. I don't care. I'll defeat him either way."
Lee didn't even bother to look at Sasuke as he taunted him. "Just accept it. You have no chance against me, your skills are inferior. Of all the top Leaf genin, I am the best. Fight me and I will prove it to you."
He stopped my kick back in the hallway. That's some chakra he's got in his arms. Sasuke smirked. "Hn, this'll do fine. Let's do it."
"Sasuke," Sakura hissed. "We don't have time! We have to register by three, and it's-"
"Don't worry, Sakura," Sasuke said, turning his head slightly towards her. "This'll all be over," he locked eyes with Lee, "in five seconds!"
He ran at Lee as rapidly as Naruto had. I'll end this quickly. He brought his arm around, attempting to stun Lee.
Lee disappeared. What the heck?
"Leaf hurricane!" Lee screamed. Sasuke barely ducked the first kick, a kick that would have taken his head off. Lee moved blindingly fast, whizzing around Sasuke, kicking at him at odd angles. Sasuke couldn't anticipate his movements.
I have to block! Lee disappeared again. What!
Lee's foot slammed into Sasuke's cheek with enough force to send the younger genin flying backwards.
"Sasuke!" Sakura cried. He saw her step forward and then hesitate; she knew how he felt about fighting his own battles.
He...he got through my block. Sasuke struggled to rise, his body protesting his movements. He must be using some sort of ninjutsu or genjutsu.
Sasuke stood carefully. Lee was back in the same spot, one arm in front of him, one arm bent behind him. Hn, okay, this is good. I've got him right where I want him. Now's my chance. He activated his sharingan. Genjutsu or ninjutsu – whatever magic he's using, I'll see it now!
Sasuke analyzed his opponent intensely, running forward simultaneously. He kept his guard up as he charged.
He never saw Lee move. The spandex ninja's foot caught his chin, sending his flying backwards once again, this time even more violently.
Sasuke landed this time. He narrowed his eyes. He didn't even allow himself a short reprieve before he rejoined the fight.
Lee was fast. Sasuke had sparred with his brother and cousin for years, and both of them were faster than Lee, but both of them had always held back, slowing down enough so that he would have a chance. He knew some tricks for evading speedier opponents; that was the only reason Lee hadn't caught him yet.
Lee's elbow caught him in the gut, and Sasuke staggered back. Spoke too soon.
"Do you get it now?" Lee demanded. "What I'm using is taijutsu, not ninjutsu or genjutsu. No tricks, Sasuke." He leapt, materializing behind Sasuke. "It is straight martial arts, nothing more."
"Why you-" Sasuke began, striking at Lee with a back fist. Lee jumped out of the way, landing a meter or so away from Sasuke.
"I know your technique. Forget it. It will not work, not on me. I know you can see through your opponents' jutsu. That sharingan allows you to analyze your opponents' chakra and moves, allowing you to anticipate and even steal an opponent's jutsu. But taijutsu is different from ninjutsu and genjutsu; unless you can match my speed, you are done for." Once more Lee vanquished Sasuke's guard and knocked him to the side. "What good is it to see my moves coming when you are too slow to do anything about them?"
Sasuke started punching wildly at Lee, who effortlessly evaded each one. After a few more missed punches, Lee dropped to the ground and swung Sasuke's legs out from under him.
"There are two kinds of ninja in this world!" Lee lectured. "Those like you, born with natural talent, who don't have to work at anything, and those like me, who lack such special gifts and must train hard every day of our lives!"
Sasuke felt like screaming and ripping the Kami-awful eyebrows of Lee's head. You have no freaking idea, psycho! You think I don't have to train? Every single speck of ability I have I earned! It wasn't handed to me on some frigging silver platter either!
"Now I shall prove my point that hard work can beat natural talent any day!" Lee kicked Sasuke, foot catching Sasuke's chin for the third time. Sasuke's body rose from the force of the hit, and Lee flickered behind him, the spandex ninja's bandages coming undone as he did so.
This is the final strike, Sasuke realized with grim resolve. He tensed, preparing for the blow.
It didn't come. As he flew backwards, Sasuke opened his eyes. One of Lee's bandages had been pinned to the wall by a shuriken, and Lee had stopped mid attack.
Who threw that? Sasuke wondered briefly.
"Alright, Lee, that's enough!" A gruff voice ordered. Sasuke wanted to see who had spoken, but he was moving too quickly. Focus on landing.
Desperately Sasuke tried to right himself. It was useless; he knew he was going to hit the floor. He winced, expecting the impact.
"Sasuke!" Sakura. She was running across the floor towards him. What's she doing? She hit the ground in a slide, still moving towards him at an unhealthy rate. She's not going to –
He landed directly on her; it was too late for him to try to maneuver. He could hear the air whoosh out of her lungs from the impact of his body, and he felt her arms tighten around him in response. They skidded together, Sasuke on top, Sakura on bottom, for several meters before slowing and finally stopping.
"Are you okay?" Sakura gasped out, concerned. She was fighting for breath; he had definitely winded her; but she was concerned about him. He just hoped her ribs weren't broken.
"Fine," he grunted, trying to push himself up. Sakura snaked an arm around him to help; he didn't resist her efforts as he would have resisted anyone else's. "Are you okay?" He had hit her far too hard for his liking.
"I'm fine," she answered quickly as they stood. Sasuke leaned on her, grateful for her help for once.
"Hey, guys!" Naruto called. Both looked up at him. "Look at that turtle!" Naruto chortled, pointing across the room. "I think it might be his sensei!"
A large, very hideous turtle was perched across the room. Lee was in front of it, obviously contrite and submissive.
If anyone would have a turtle for a sensei, it would be the psychotic spandex ninja. Even so, Sasuke doubted that the turtle was actually his sensei, despite its leaf headband and commanding presence. It's gotta be some sort of freaky genjutsu. Or perhaps it's a summoning. Sasuke decided that Kakashi's ninken weren't nearly so bad after all.
"Gai-sensei!" A giant puff of smoke appeared over the turtle. It quickly dissipated, revealing a jonin who was now perched on top of the creature. The jonin had the same jet black hair as Lee did, the same bowl cut, and the same bushy eyebrows. Their outfits even matched.
Kami, it's a giant Lee! Or Lee's a miniature it. Both possibilities were equally scary.
The jonin had bent the fingers of his right hand in a circle around his eye. His other hand was stretched above his head, the index and middle fingers to form a "V". "Hello, everybody," he said, his voice impossibly overdramatic, the 'body' of the 'everybody' drawn out to an excessive amount. "What's shaking?"
Team 7 gawked. Sasuke was rescinded the majority of his negative comments about Kakashi. Yes, the porn addicted jonin wasn't the best sensei in the world, but he wasn't this horrible thing.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said quietly, as though she was afraid to attract any attention from this Gai person.
"Yes?" He was still pissed at himself for losing.
"I think we should go."
"Yeah, let's get out of here!" Naruto agreed loudly.
Sasuke nodded and stepped forward. Together the three slinked out of the training room.
Ever since the first conflict with the Cloud nin, Sasuke had been anticipating disruptions at every stage of the chunin exams. The two ninja that had created the genjutsu to trick them and the fight with Lee had only strengthened this supposition, and as Team 7 approached the registration room, he half expected ANBU to sweep out and attack them or a giant meteor to fall from the sky.
So it really was a pleasant suprise to find only Kakashi waiting outside the door to the classroom when they arrived. He greeted them, noticeably pleased. "I'm glad you came, Sakura, for your sake and the others," Kakashi said calmly. What the hell does that mean? "Now you can officially register for the chunin exams."
"Why? What do you mean?" Sakura questioned him.
"You see, only groups of three are allowed to apply and take the exams. That's the way it's always been."
Sakura shook her head slightly, looking confused. "But you said the decision was up to the individual, sensei!"
Technically, it sill is, Sasuke thought. You just screw your teammates as well as yourself by not entering. Kakashi reasoned away his chicanery with a much more eloquent explanation, one that Sasuke thoughtfully tuned out.
"Wait," Sakura began, realization slowly dawning, "do you mean that if the others showed up but I failed to come with them then-"
"It would have been the end of the line. If you hadn't come along, I couldn't have let the others in. But it's a moot point," Kakashi continued, "you're all here and for the right reasons."
He stopped, eyeing each of them carefully. "Sakura." Pause. "Naruto." Pause. "Sasuke." Sasuke smiled the barest of smiles. "I'm proud of you. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Good luck."
Naruto was beaming. "We won't let you down, sensei! Believe it!" Sakura was grinning happily as they walked to the door.
Sasuke would have been more excited if he didn't know exactly what Kakashi was saying. Kakashi knew, better than many other shinobi, precisely how hazardous the chunin exams could be. Does it ease your mind, Sasuke thought as he reached for the door knob, to give us that little motivational speech before we head to our doom? For once, Sasuke wasn't being judgmental; he had wanted to be nominated, and he had been fully aware of the consequences before hand. No, he was truly curious. Were you sincere, or was that little diatribe meant to alleviate some misplaced guilt?
Sasuke didn't really have time to consider it. The first part of the chunin exams was calling.
Sasuke had never had a problem with taking tests. Written examinations had never bothered him like they did the other students. He was never afraid he would fail; occasionally he worried that he would not score high enough, but he was never in danger of failing, and that alone was enough to remove the majority of the anxieties that the other students faced. When Sasuke was younger, he used to laugh to himself about how stupid all the kids were, worrying endlessly about tests. In his sheltered little world, a person only failed because he or she didn't try hard enough.
Sasuke was immediately officially revising his long held policy of what he felt about exams.
He walked into the room first, Sakura and Naruto falling in behind him. An aspersion festered as he warily scanned the room. They were definitely among the youngest. He saw a few members of the other two rookie squads scattered among the crowd, faces either pensive or terrified.
There was the middle group, as well; genin who had survived one to three years of ninja life as a genin and were attempting to graduate to the next level. The younger ones clumped together in small groups and engaged in short, clipped conversation on either inane topics, such as the weather, or unbearably heavy topics, like the fact that many of them would die. The older ones distanced themselves from the fray, condescending in their silence and space.
Then, of course, there was the rest of them, genin who had been genin for years. Many of them had failed the chunin exams multiple times. They were unimpressed with the younger ninjas posturing and desperate to pass. There was no "cut-off" age for the chunin exams; theoretically, a ninja could continue to retry the exam until they died; but few persisted after age twenty five, and many shinobi considered it shameful if one did not pass by twenty three. Many of these shinobi were skirting the line, coming close to the time when they would be forced to promulgate their surrender to civilian life with an official retirement statement. These shinobi were especially reserved and solemn, lips drawn together tightly and eyes half hooded, prominent scars menacing and deep.
There was no camaraderie between these older shinobi and their teammates; the older shinobi's original teammates had long since either passed the exams or died. The other squad mates were merely temporary; they meant nothing to each other. It's all rather heartless, and that's coming from me, Sasuke thought wryly.
He noticed Lee sitting besides his teammates. Sasuke scowled angrily. I hope I face you soon. I'm going to beat you. You were lucky that time. Next time you won't be so -
"Sasuke! Where've you been?" A high pitched squeal sliced through the tension. Ino launched herself onto Sasuke's back as she spoke. "You have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here! I was missing those brooding good looks of yours!"
Sasuke scowled fiercely at the girl who was clinging to his back like some deranged monkey. Don't you have anyone else to torment? He was infinitely grateful that Shisui had not volunteered to proctor the chunin exams; he would have never lived this down.
"Get off him, you pig!" Sakura screamed.
"Oh, Ms. Forehead," Ino addressed her, sliding off Sasuke's back. "They let you in?" Well, Ino, they let you in, so they must be accepting all comers. "Still got those frown lines in that billboard brow of yours, I see."
"Leave my forehead out of this!" That was another thing Sasuke had never fully understood. Yes, Sakura's forehead was larger than average. But it's not really ugly.
Ino pulled down a corner of her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. What the hell is that supposed to be? Sasuke was disgusted by the entire scene.
"Oh, it's you guys." The group of four turned towards Shikamaru, Sakura and Ino temporarily forgetting their argument in light of the appearance of Ino's teammates. Choji, Shikamaru's shadow, stood slightly behind his best friend, contentedly eating a bag of chips. "I knew this was going to be a drag, but I had no idea it was going to be this bad."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Shikamaru's perpetual laziness was nearly as annoying as Naruto's over exuberance, although Ino still beat them both.
"Well well well, looks like all three stooges are here!" Naruto announced loudly.
"You know what, pipsqueak?" Shikamaru started, expression changing from vacant boredom to sudden anger. Sasuke was mildly interested. Is he actually going to go at him? Just as quickly, however, the bored glare and glazed eyes came back. "Ah, forget it. It's just a waste of my time."
Too lazy to even finish his threat. He's going to be a great shinobi, Sasuke thought sarcastically. Ino, evidently as bored with her teammate as her teammate was with the rest of the world, returned to her fight with Sakura.
"Sorry, Sakura, but he's all mine!" Ino taunted the other girl, clinging to Sasuke's side. How much trouble would I get in if I knocked her out? Sasuke wondered. I could make it painless. I wouldn't want to make it painless, but I could.
"Looks like the gang's back together again." Kiba, one of the Inzuka clan, stepped towards the steadily growing group of rookies. He was flanked by Hinata, one of the few Hyuugas that Sasuke did not detest, and Shino, one of the few rookie genin who was not absolutely annoying.
"Hi, Naruto," Hinata greeted him softly in a high, squeaky voice.
"Oh, hey, Hinata," Naruto said casually. Ino had loosened her hold on Sasuke, and he used the distraction of Team 8 to yank away from her side and rejoin Sakura and Naruto. He stood a little closer to Sakura; for some weird reason, he was more comfortable next to her.
"Yep, the Rookie 9 together again," Kiba announced loudly. "This is going to be fun. At least for those of us good enough to make the cut, right, Sasuke?"
Don't tempt me, Inzuka. Your little tricks with your puny dog are cute, but puppies never won any wars. "Don't be too overconfident," Sasuke said. It was far too innocuous a statement for his taste, but he had to be reserved. He wasn't prepared to fight again, and he didn't feel like risking an injury so close to the second stage.
"Just you wait! We're going to blow you guys away! We've been training like crazy!" Kiba retorted hotly.
Sasuke snorted. Oh, really. I sincerely doubt it. That Hyuuga girl is far too timid to be of any real use in a battle. Aburame is powerful, but I could take him, and even Naruto could defeat you. If anyone's going to be blown out of the water, it's your team.
"And what do you think we've been doing, picking daisies?" Naruto fired back.
"Please don't be so mad at Kiba!" Hinata pleaded. "I'm sure he didn't mean it!"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm sure about that," Naruto said sarcastically.
Sasuke saw the genin coming before he spoke. He was rather unimposing; grey hair, round glasses, lean build. There was no menace or danger behind his eyes, only a hint of mischief. His lips quirked slightly before he addressed the group. "Hey guys, you might want to keep it down. No offense, but you're the nine rookies, right? Fresh out of the Academy. I wouldn't go making a spectacle of myself if I were you."
Well, it's a good thing you're not then, Sasuke though angrily. He was about to answer, but Naruto was just a bit quicker than him. "Oh yeah?" Naruto was pissed and rearing for another fight, especially after his humiliating loss to Lee.
"Cool it," the ninja said severely. "This isn't a field trip."
"Who asked you?" Ino demanded loudly. "Who are you, anyways?"
"I'm Yakushi Kabuto," the ninja returned almost pleasantly. Yakushi…not a major clan, Sasuke noted. In fact, I've never heard that name before. "But really, look around you. You guys have made quite the impression."
Sasuke followed his suggestion. True to Kabuto's word, nearly all of the genin in the room were watching the situation unfold with varying degrees of interest, boredom, and annoyance. Most of the older genin looked bored, as though they had seen petty fights erupt too many times to care at all. The middle ones looked annoyed; Sasuke could see it in all of their eyes. They saw pesky brats who couldn't keep their mouths shut. Some of the younger ones, ones young enough to have had classes with some of the Rookie 9, were very interested in a gawking sort of fashion.
"Some of these guys are from Amegakure, and that makes some of these guys nervous." Amegakure…the rain village, Sasuke mentally recited. "But who would you know? You're just rookies. Actually, you remind me of myself when I was your age, taking the exams for the first time."
Sasuke had always hated that expression. The presumptuousness of it; Kabuto was not from a major clan, he had no idea how much was riding on Sasuke being promoted. He can't even imagine.
Sasuke quelled his feelings; if Kabuto had attempted the exams recently, perhaps he could help them. Also, there was no sense in heedlessly making enemies; the second stage was always a team challenge, and he didn't want to be anymore of a target than necessary.
"So, this isn't your first time?" Sakura asked Kabuto, picking up on Sasuke's train of thought.
"No, actually," Kabuto answered. "It's my seventh."
"Seventh?" Shikamaru repeated.
"Yeah, well, you see, they're held twice a year, and I've been going for four years," Kabuto explained.
"Wow, a veteran," Sakura said. "You must really be an expert on these exams."
"Some expert," Kiba muttered. "He's never even passed."
"Well, you know what they say," Kabuto said nervously, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. "Seventh time's the charm."
Somehow I doubt it. "So I guess the rumors about the exams being really hard are true. This is going to be such a drag," Shikamaru whined, seeming more pugnacious every minute.
"Shut up, Shikamaru," Sakura ordered.
"Now hold on. Don't give up hope," Kabuto said. "Maybe I can help you kids out with my information cards." Suddenly a stack of cards appeared in his palm.
Interest fully piqued, Sasuke gave Kabuto his full attention. "They've been infused with my chakra and contain everything I've learned in the past few years." Kabuto gave them all a wry smile. "So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time. Here, take this one for example." Kabuto flipped up a blank card. "It looks blank now; after all, I don't want just anyone reading these; but watch."
Kabuto lifted his index finger and infused it with chakra. Reverently he touched the card. Instantly a map appeared on the white surface of the card. "Here is a map displaying the geographical distribution of the applicants to this year's chunin exams." He chanted the distributions in a monotone, describing the percentages and rates of passage.
Sasuke waited impatiently for him to finish. He had more pressing questions. "Do those cards of yours have anything on the other applicants?"
"They might," Kabuto responded mysteriously. "Anyone particular in mind?"
"Yotsuki Susamajii of Kumogakure," Sasuke answered immediately. He'd discovered the ninja team's last names through Kakashi after the fight, and he was most interested in the apparent leader.
"Hmm, Yotsuki…ah, here we are. He specializes in lightning enhanced taijutsu, a signature of Kumogakure. His genjutsu is weak, and his ninjutsu is focused on enhancing his taijutsu. Sixty four D-ranks, eleven C-ranks, and two B-ranks. His squad leader is Masato Sakamoto; his teammates are Satori Misa and Tokugawa Kotaro. He was at the last chunin exams; he and the girl made it to the final stage, but both were eliminated."
Sasuke nodded slowly. "Anyone else?" Kabuto queried.
"Rock Lee."
Kabuto pulled the card out of the stack. "Looks like he's a year older than you guys. Mission experience consists of thirty D-ranks and eleven C-ranks. Over the last twelve months his taijutsu's improved dramatically, but his other skills seem rather shaky. His squad leader is Might Guy, and his teammates are Hyuuga Neji and Tenten." He smiled at them. "Well, you got the general idea. Konoha, Ame, Tai, Suna, Kumo, Kusa, and Oto have all sent exceptional teams of genin this year. Of course, those Oto guys are a real mystery. They just sprung up this year. We don't know much about it."
Ninja don't just spring up out of the ground like daisies.
"It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence," Hinata said weakly. Yeah, if you had any confidence to lose, Sasuke thought.
"Fine time to be thinking like that," Kiba growled.
Suddenly the crowd started to diverge, a gap forming between them. Why are they doing that?
A kunai whizzed across the room, flying at Kabuto's head. He handily avoided it, but it directed everyone's attention to the three Otogakure nin who were pushing their way out of the crowd.
The tallest stood in the middle. His hair was wild and black, not tamed at all by the headband around his forehead or the pads that ran down the sides of his face, covering where his sideburns would eventually grow. His clothes were loose, made for fighting in; his baggy tan shirt had the character for death embroidered in red stitching.
Beside him crouched the other male member; at least, Sasuke was fairly certain he was male. His heavy cloak covered the majority of his body, and bandages wrapped tightly around his head obscured his face. He almost reminded Sasuke of a tortoise with his cloak acting as a shell.
The final member, the only girl, was rather unremarkable in appearance compared to her teammates. She had long black hair and clear pale skin; her clothes were slightly more form fitting than the first shinobi's, but not by much. She stood ramrod straight, her back locked tightly.
All three of them exuded overconfidence and arrogance. They faced Kabuto, obviously in a combative mood.
The tall one spoke first. "What did I hear you say about our village?"
Kabuto shrugged. "I don't see why it concerns you."
The shrouded one flickered forward, throwing a punch at Kabuto's head. Kabuto easily dodged it.
Hn, he's almost as fast as I am. Sasuke smirked appreciatively.
A loud crack startled him. A long, thin crack had appeared in the lens of Kabuto's glasses. Sasuke watched it for a minute in stupid fascination. A second later the lens shattered.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "Oh, I see," Kabuto commented as he moved his glasses. "It was that kind of attack. AH!" Kabuto grabbed his ear suddenly, doubling over in pain. Blood ran between his fingers, dripping down his hand and onto the floor, forming dark puddles on the otherwise untarnished ground.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Kabuto's attacker said in a gruff voice. "Perhaps now you'll learn to mind your manners."
"Yeah," the tall one said. "The genin from the Sound village will be chunin before this is over!"
I don't get it. He saw his attack coming! Why couldn't he block it? Sasuke eyed the Sound genin, wondering if he should risk an altercation.
A hand on his arm stopped him. Sakura looked up at him nervously, pleading for him to stop. He acquiesced and pulled back slightly, glancing down at Kabuto as he did so.
I don't trust him. The thought came seemingly out of nowhere, but Sasuke knew not to ignore his instincts. He's too open. He's taken these exams six times before, but he's not…jaded. And why did he even want to help our team? In theory, Kabuto had been asking all of them, but Sasuke could have sworn he was directing his attention to their team. What's his deal?Something about it didn't sit right.
"Alright, you baby faced degenerates! Pipe down and listen up!" A stern faced man stood at the front of the room. The mood of the room darkened in response to his presence. He had a fabric covering on the top of his head and long, old scars running down the front of his face, adding to his severity. He looked as though he'd been to hell and back many times. I'd bet anything he's been in ANBU. "I am Morino Ibiki, the first proctor of the chunin exams, and from this moment," he grinned sadistically, "your worst enemy."
Sasuke shifted in his seat. He had forgotten that teams were always split up for the written portion of the chunin exams. Naruto was in the front row, and Sakura was almost exactly in the middle of the room. Sasuke was one column away from her and a few rows behind, close enough that he could see the nervous yet determined look in her eyes.
As he picked up his pencil, Ibiki's instructions echoed in his mind.
"There are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I'm not answering any questions, so you better pay attention the first time around. The written portion of the exams will be based on the point reduction system. You all begin with a perfect score of ten points. You will lose one point for each incorrect answer. Remember, your team passes or fails based on the combined scores of its members. You may have noticed the position of the sentinels. They are to watch you carefully for any sign of cheating. For each instance they catch you cheating, two points will be deducted from your score. If they catch you five times, you fail automatically. I should warn you: their eyes are extremely keen. Anyone fool enough to get caught doesn't deserve to be here.
"One more thing: if any candidate should get a zero on this test, his whole team fails. The final question won't be given until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. Begin."
Sasuke had to admit; the makers of the chunin exams had definitely chosen an imposing proctor for the first section.
He turned to the first question, skimming it quickly. It was complex, far more complex than he would have anticipated. After a good five minutes of reflection, he only had an educated guess at the answer.
Skip it. No sense getting distracted by the first question. He moved to the second. And then the third. And then the fourth. By the sixth, he wasn't even trying. He was just skimming.
Thunk! The first person had been caught cheating. That didn't take long. He forced himself to ignore the protesting genin who was being escorted out of the room.
These are too advanced, he realized with a start. They look like questions on the jonin exams. It had been a long time, but Sasuke could still just barely remember when Itachi had been preparing for his, and these were remarkably similar.
Why would they give us questions we can't conceivably answer? It made absolutely no sense. The village leaders were more concerned with the second and third stages of the exams than the first; why would they eliminate so many? Sakura's the only one of us who could possibly know any of these.
A kunai hit paper. Without looking up, Sasuke knew someone had been caught cheating. The perpetrator protested loudly, begging for another chance. Everyone ignored him.
It's strange. They make a bigger deal about cheating than they do about the test.
Thud! Sasuke shook his head. Another person nailed. At the rate they're going, there won't be any left.
He frowned. Another thing; why only two point deductions? Usually a single instance of cheating is enough to get someone disqualified.
The answer to the test had to be there someone. Sasuke concentrated. It was almost like a logic puzzle; he had the premises, the "if's". He needed to provided the "then".
It dawned on him so unexpectedly. So that's it! The test is about our ability to gather information. That explains everything: the difficult questions, the eagle eyed sentinels, the two point deductions. He's not forbidding us from cheating; he's daring us to! And Sasuke had never been one to refuse a dare, especially one he knew he could complete.
Okay, so the next question is: if the test is to cheat, then the question is, who has all the answers?
The answer was sitting smack dab in the middle of the room. Sakura. The girl who had been sitting beside his teammate had been expelled for cheating, and he had a clear view of Sakura's paper. Sakura was writing deftly, barely even pausing before scribbling what he was sure were the right answers. Sasuke trusted her enough to copy her.
Pushing his bangs in front of his eyes, he activated his sharingan and mimicked her pencils movements. Ten minutes later he had a completed test.
I hope Naruto figures it out. Anxiously Sasuke scanned the room for his teammate. Even from his vantage point he could see the other boy's panic. Damn it, he hasn't. Come on, Naruto. Think!
There was no feasible way to tell him to cheat, and Sasuke doubted Naruto would figure it out himself. This is bad.
"Alright, listen up," Ibiki yelled. The class obeyed immediately. "Before I give you the tenth question, there are some rules you should know."
The door to the classroom opened. Sasuke and the rest of the ninja turned around. A Sand nin stood confidently in front of a proctor. He was garbed in black clothes and had something strapped tightly to his back.
"Well, looks like you made it back just in time," Ibiki said. "I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening."
He knew that kid was cheating, but he's not going to call him out for it. Sasuke was even more confident now in his strategy. As he turned back to face the front, he caught Sakura's eye. She smiled a little, almost as confident as he was. The two of us have plenty of points to pass…all we need is for Naruto to get this last question right.
"As I was saying," Ibiki resumed his speech, "these rules are exclusive to the tenth question, so listen carefully and try not to let them intimidate you."
If Sasuke had been the type to laugh, he would have. The irony was overwhelming.
"Rule number one: each of you is free to decide whether or not you want to take the tenth question. It's completely your choice."
Where's the catch? Sasuke thought warily. The last person who had said those words had been Kakashi. And look how that turned out.
A girl sitting a few rows over from Sasuke piped up. "What happens if we decide not to take the question?" She asked. She was another Sand nin; in fact, she rather resembled the one who returned from the bathroom.
"If you chose not to take the question, you get a zero for the test, regardless of your answers for the other nine. Your teammates will fail right along with you."
One of the boys behind Sasuke growled. "What a rip off," he proclaimed loudly. "Why would anyone not take the question?"
The rest of the genin started mumbling. Sasuke folded his hands under his chin, watching the scene intently.
"You didn't let me finish," Ibiki reprimanded them. "Anyone who accepts the tenth questions but gets it wrong will be barred from taking the chunin exams permanently."
"That's bull, man!" Kiba shouted. "There are people here who have taken the exams before! We know there are!"
Ibiki chuckled sinisterly. "Then I guess it's just your bad fortune that I'm making the rules this year. If you don't feel up to it, then by all means, skip it. Try again next year. Anyone who wishes to bow out, raise your hand. After your number has been confirmed, you and your teammates may leave."
The room was deadly silent as even genin fell into contemplation.
It's the ultimate game of chicken, isn't it? We either back down or risk everything.
Sasuke was not worried that he would answer the question wrong. The tenth question was probably a question they could actually answer, and if it was a question at their level, Sasuke would be able to answer it. Even if he couldn't, he could always cheat off Sakura's paper, and he knew that whatever the question was, between the two of them they would be able to answer it.
Backing down and dropping out was unacceptable. He couldn't go home without passing even the first stage of the chunin exams. It would be an utter disgrace. How could he face his family having failed at the beginning?
I have to stay. Refusing is not an option.
Naruto, though, was a different story than Sasuke. Even if the question is at our level, he might not be able to answer it, and sitting at the front like he is, he doesn't have as many chances to cheat. I don't think he's even thought of cheating.
It was ludicrous to even consider dropping out. Naruto would pull the right answer out somehow, right? But if he doesn't…being a ninja, that's his dream, as much as it is mine. Being a shinobi is the best thing he has. It's all he has.
"I, I quit!" A genin stood shakily. "I refuse the tenth question!"
"23, 45, and 15, you can leave," one of the sentinels said. The other two stood and silently left the room.
"Me too!" Another shinobi said. His teammates stood automatically, as though they had been expecting it.
"10, 2, and 35," another sentinel said, and the three exited abruptly, almost afraid to face those who were still remaining.
More and more teams left as genin refused the question. Some of the teammates of those who refused the question were angry; others relieved; still others saddened. There was a smorgasbord of emotions, ranging from every part of the spectrum.
Sasuke watched Sakura's back intently, hoping she would turn around. When she did, he asked her. Silently, of course, but it was a valid question all the same.
Do you want to give up and save him? Sasuke had no intention of doing it, and if Sakura wanted to, he was going to fight tooth and nail against it, but she did have some say in their decision, and while Sasuke thought Naruto was an annoying brat who seriously needed to grow up, he did have a modicum of care for the boy. At the very, very least, he respected him enough to care about his future.
Sakura bit her lip hard, unconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she considered the question. After a few moments, she looked at Naruto's sweaty back. She turned back to him, turmoil in her eyes.
"I don't know," she mouthed.
Sasuke stared at Naruto's back, wondering. If I had any idea of what that question was, he lamented. But I don't, and I can't give up. It's not an option.
Another hand was raised. Horror coursed through Sasuke's body as he saw who it was. Naruto. He was too shocked to feel anything at all.
Naruto slammed his hand flat against the desk. "Don't underestimate me!" Naruto yelled. "I don't quit, and I don't run away! You can act tough all you want, but you don't scare me! Even if I get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life, I'll still be Hokage someday!"
He's completely clueless, but he's going for it anyway. He's got guts; I'll give him that. Sasuke had to grin at his teammate's audacity. Score one for Naruto.
"This is a decision that could change your life. If for some reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance," Ibiki cautioned.
"No way! I never go back on my word! That's my nindo, my ninja way!"
Ibiki nodded. "Is there anyone else?"
The room was quiet, but it did not have the deathly silent milieu that it had had earlier. Some of the genin were nodding in approval.
"Once again, is there anyone else?"
Sasuke wasn't sure why he felt the urge to speak up, but he did. "Cut the crap and give us the question already," he said brazenly, subtly supporting his teammate.
"Yeah," added Sakura with quite a bit of unexpected gusto.
"Very well. If you've all made your decisions, then there's just one thing left for me to do. That's to tell you all," Ibiki stopped mid-sentence. No one in the room even dared to breathe. Sweat dripped done Sasuke's face. Come on, come on, say it already!
Ibiki smiled in an obscenely cheerful way. "That you've just passed the first stage of the chunin exams!"
What did he just say?
"Wait a minute, what just happened? What do you mean we just passed? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked, too confused to be ecstatic.
Ibiki chuckled. "There is no tenth question. Not a written one, at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."
"Wait a second," the blond Sand nin said. "So the other nine questions were just a waste of our time? Is that what you're saying?"
"No, no, not at all," Ibiki answered. "The first nine questions had a very important overriding purpose: to test your ability to surreptitiously gather information under pressure. Remember the rules at the beginning? You pass or fail as part of a three man cell. With that rule, I pressured you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring your teammates down with you."
"I kinda figured that was it," Naruto said. Oh, shut up, Dobe, You had absolutely no idea.
"However, the questions are beyond the level that a genin could be expected to handle, and so most of had only one way of retaining your points: by cheating. In other words, we set up the test on the assumption that you'd cheat."
Hn. Sasuke smirked. He had to give whoever had designed the test points; it was ingenious.
"Of course," Ibiki said as he started to untie the covering on his head, "anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed." Ibiki let the covering fall to the floor.
Sasuke steeled his face, trying to keep the revulsion off it. Burn scars, punctures from where screws were used, long slash marks – he's been tortured!
"The information you obtain can't be trusted," Ibiki lectured as he replaced it, "if you can't keep your presence secret from the enemy. Learn that and learn it well. If you bring back compromised intelligence, you're doing your enemies' work for them, putting those you serve in danger. That is why we maneuvered you into cheating. It was the quickest way of weeding out the students who aren't yet up to snuff."
"But what was the deal with the tenth question?" Sakura pestered Ibiki.
"Ah, the tenth question was the first real question on the exam."
Sakura looked utterly dubious. "What do you mean?"
"Let me explain. The tenth question was a choice between two options." Ibiki paced sedately, holding up two fingers to emphasize his point. "Both were difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject were failed, and their friends along with them. Those who couldn't answer the question lost any chance of ever trying again. It was a nasty, unfair, no-win set of options."
Ibiki met Sasuke's inquisitive glare. "So why did I present them?" He let the question hang for a moment before answering. "Let's suppose you all go on to become chunin. You are assigned to steal a vital enemy document knowing nothing about your foe. You may have to cross a territory that has been heavily mined and set with traps. Do you accept the mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your life and your teammates' lives in jeopardy? Could any chunin get away with taking only safe jobs?
"Of course not! No matter how dangerous, there will be missions that you cannot decline."
Sasuke nodded. There always are, even for jonin. Some missions you can't escape. He watched his two teammates straighten up as Ibiki's speech continued, proud of their decision to stay. We're among the most inexperienced, and maybe our combined power is less than some, but we're damn stubborn. That will get us through.
Ibiki grinned wider as he concluded his speech. "By choosing to accept, you answered the tenth question correctly. You've passed the first hurdle. Stage one of the chunin exams in now concluded. I'll pray you fight the good fight."
"You do that! Go pray!" Naruto cheered loudly, throwing his fist in the air. Sakura smiled.
CRASH! The windows on the left side of the room shattered as a black blur burst into the room. The genin seated closest to the window jumped to avoid being hit by shards of glass, and the rest of the class either huddled in their seats or rose to attack.
Two kunai shot out, pinning a large black banner to the wall behind Ibiki. A woman with purple black hair, an insanely short skirt and formfitting top, and a long trench coat rose and stood dramatically in front of it, sneering at the crowd.
"None of you are in any position to celebrate," she stated. "I am the second chief examination officer, Mitarashi Anko! Time's a-wasting, people! Let's go!"
So we move on from one sadistic proctor to an even more sadistic, psychotic proctor. I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less. Sasuke stood obediently, falling in line beside Sakura. Her hand grazed his, and she squeezed his gently as they left the classroom.
The contact didn't bother him; it was almost reassuring, in its own way, and at that moment, Sasuke was gladder than ever that she had decided to take the exams, and it had nothing to do with any selfish motivation to make sure he passed.
A/N: I'm a horrible author for not updating. I'm so sorry! And I'm bringing more (possibly) bad news: I am considering taking a short hiatus, emphasis on SHORT. And HIATUS. I'm NOT stopping the story. I just have exams coming up and I really need to ace them. Plus, I have a major (MAJOR) plot change going on, and I don't want it to be cruddy.
I might not be taking a break! I'm not sure. Pete is currently trying to convince me not to. It's really going to depend on how this week pans out.
So, anyway, read, review, all that great stuff! Thanks : )