The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Twenty-Five
All or Nothing! Bring on The Tenth Question!
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
The pressure weighed heavily on the Genin in the room as they turned their papers over. Pencils were tapping...and the clock was ticking. The tension was so thick- one could practically cut it with a Kunai...
"Tch..." Saseme clicked her tongue as she read through each question carefully. They were unbelievably difficult. And the constant clicking of pencils and pens were no help to her concentration.
"Psst...Saseme!" A whisper hissed by her ear startling her as she darted her gaze to find Kiba,"It's fate I tell ya~" he teased,"Even destiny wants us together~"
"Don't kid yourself!" she hissed back,"And shut up before you get me in trouble!"
Though, in truth, she was actually kind of relieved to have a familiar face near by...
"Listen...on a serious note...I just want to say good luck, okay?"
"Huh?" Saseme blinked. The smile he wore for her was genuine and actually kind of warm with friendly intention.
"I know you can do it..."
"Uh...Yeah..." she blinked,"Thanks, Kiba." she smiled, "You too."
The boy flashed her a cheeky fanged grin and she suddenly felt relieved... Regardless of how annoying she found the fanged boy Kiba- he always behaved obnoxiously when they were younger- and has had his fair share of picking on her too. Most boys did- as being teased by little boys was so common for little girls at a young age... however when the two were hun back alone together...he was always nicer then too...
Now feeling able to concentrate a bit better- she read through the exam one more time.
Jeeze...
Saseme blinked.
This is incredibly advanced stuff...there can't be more than a handful of people like myself who even understand it...
She pondered and brought her pencil to her lips, biting it nervously...
On top of that...
Sage thought to himself as he skimmed the reading.
Each question only becomes harder than the one before it...
Hana huffed as she read through her exam and nodded.
I'm convinced now...
She thought to herself.
Not only are these exams designed to tempt us to cheat...they're practically begging us to...!
She gasped.
I got it!
Sage widened his eyes in sudden realization as he came to the same conclusion as his team mates.
That't gotta be it!
He thought to himself.
They actually WANT us to cheat!
Saseme confirmed.
It's not that we CAN'T cheat...
Sage realized.
We just can't get CAUGHT!
Saseme grinned.
As though chiming in to her fell squad member's wave lengths, something clicked when Kiba suddenly came to notice a particular scent.
"What's that smell?" he blinked in confusion as he caught a whif of a floral scent wafting through the room,"It's distracting my senses...I can't concentrate...!"
Hana...!
Saseme confirmed this as she closed her eyes and took in the scent and smirked as she flashed back to one of their earlier missions.
XXXXX
"What gives, Hana?" Sage asked,"Why does it matter what kind of flower it is, just pick it!"
"You don't listen, Sage!" Hana huffed,"That woman gave a very distinct description of the flower from shape to smell!" She stated,"While it's true some plants look alike..." she explained, "But even if that's the case, no two flowers smell the same!"
XXXXX
I see...So that's it...
Saseme thought to herself.
Hana is using different floral scents to help us out...Nicely done!
And she was able to jot down the answer through the message of the flowery smell.
Hana Kimouri I take back every bad thing I said about you!
Sage beamed as he jotted down his answer.
You ROCK Babe!
"Hmmm..." Saseme hummed softly as she lifted the paper to read through the next question.
However, helpful as it may be...it's not enough...
She blinked.
We're on a time limit and I can't afford to take too much time trying to decipher Hana's floral code... or I'll run out of time before I know it.
She bit her pencil once again.
I need to do my part too...
"Hm?" the Uchiha girl blinked as she noticed Sasuke not too far in the distance. Her brother's hand was moving at rapid speed across his paper, and it piqued her curiosity.
Hmmm...
She pondered.
Don't get me wrong... I know my brother is good...
She thought to herself.
But there's no way he's THAT good...I see...
She smirked.
So he's using that! Clever clever Sasuke...
She grinned.
I don't suppose you would mind helping a sister out would you?
She smirked as she closed her eyes.
After all...it's the least you could do...after everything you've done to me!
When her eyes snapped open they showed the crimson red color of an activated Sharingan, and just as fast as Sasuke moved, Saseme's answers appeared like magic by her hand as she wrote.
Man...whoever Sasuke targeted...he hit the jack pot!
Thanks Big Brother...I owe you.
Sage blinked and gave a little smile of pride in himself.
So that's how it is.
he stated in his mind.
Most times if anyone cheats its grounds of dismissal effective immediately.
He blinked.
But as it is here, we only get a deduction...
They're not testing our knowlege at all.
Sage chuckled.
They're testing our ability to gather information...
Right on Koko Sensei, for showing us how to see through deception!
Sage glanced around the room catching sight of where his team mates were seated and gave a cheeky little grin.
Judging by Hana's floral code...and the way Saseme is using Sharingan like a pro...I'd say the rest of my team figured it out too!
Man...
He chuckled lightly.
I got paired with a couple of BAD bitches~!
xxx
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock was ticking and the test was fully underway as more and more Genin figured out the true purpose of the exam before them. However some Genin were not discreet enough- A Kunai flew through the crowd stabbing through a paper of a person just passed Naruto, and even he thought he was sunk.
"Five strikes and you're out." said the Sentinal,"You just failed the test!"
The Genin stammered to his feet, caught.
Well...that guy just got nailed.
Saseme smirked as she watched from her seat. Still, she'd be lying to herself if she tried to say it didn't give her chills. The victims struggled as they were forcibly dragged away from their shot. And it didn't take too long after for others to follow. The room was quickly deminishing. Team by team dropped as the clock ticked ticked ticked away. And finally...the main event arrived.
"ALL RIGHT, LISTEN UP!" barked Ibiki,"We have now come to the tenth and final question!"
This is it!
Sage thought to himself.
The last question...
Hana blinked.
It's all or nothing from here!
Thought Saseme.
"...But..." Ibiki grinned,"Before I give you the 10th question...there are some more rules that you need to be aware of."
MORE Rules!?
Hana huffed.
Are they fucking SERIOUS with this guy!?
Sage groaned.
Saseme sat silently rolling her eyes.
He sure is full of himself, isn't he?
She scoffed.
"These rules are unique to question 10." said Ibiki,"Listen up carefully and try not to let them frighten you."
Frighten us?
Saseme blinked.
After coming this far what could possibly make us wanna run away now?
"Starting with Rule nimber one." Ibiki began,"Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question."
Say what!?
Sage gasped.
Yeah right...
thought Hana.
So what's the catch then?
"It's your decision, however, if you choose not to take the 10th question, regardless of how you answered the previous 9...then you'll get a zero." he said,"Simple as that." he blinked,"In other words, you'll fail, meaning of course that both of your team mates fail as well." he blinked,"However...should you choose to take the final question, but answer it incorrectly...then not only will you fail..." he said,"You will be barred from taking the Chunin Exam...ever again!"
"WHAT!?" this did not fare well with the remaining Genin. The nervous chatter rose amongst the gasps of shock and awe.
"Hey, that's bull shit, man!" Kiba rose to his feet in a huff.
"Kiba!? What are you doing!?" Saseme hissed,"Sit down!"
Of course the beast was too stubborn to listen.
"What kind of bogus rule is that!?" Kiba asked,"There's lots of people here that have taken the test before!"
"Kiba..." Saseme blinked, and decided to seal her lip.
He does have a point though...
She sighed.
Ibiki's response to this question...was a discomforting laugh.
"Well then..." he blinked,"I guess you're just unlucky~" he said,"I wasn't making the rules before." he said,"But I am now..." he shrugged,"Of course if you don't want to take it...you don't have to~" he said,"If you're not feeling confident, then by all means, skip it." he grinned,"You can come back and try again next year." he laughed.
This...this is straight Bull Shit!
Sage huffed.
If either one of us decides to skip it, then we all fail!
He blinked.
As if any one of us would wanna do that! But then on the other hand...if we do it and miss it...then we never get this chance again...no matter which way we go it's straight bull!
He sighed.
What do we do...?
"Now then..." said Ibiki,"The tenth and final question...those who don't want to do it...raise your hand." he said,"Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go."
That alone was all it took.
More teams dropped out...this time by choice...there weren't many left now...
The Rookie 9 remained. And of course Saseme's team stayed as well, each one as stubborn as the other.
If I wuss out here...
Saseme thought to herself.
Then everything is ruined...and it will be more than my team mates after my throat-
She gulped as Gaara's image played across her mind.
Besides that...
she thought.
I have my own path to follow...I can't afford to lose here!
She looked up with a frustrated glare, when a familiar orange sleeve caught her eye as it went up.
Naruto?
She blinked.
But his response only solidified her own decision. The hand that once trembled, slammed down hard on the desk and he stood.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Naruto huffed,"I don't quit! and I don't run!"
Holy shit...I swear this guy's done lost his marbles!
Sage blinked.
"You can act tough all you want...but it's not gonna scare ME off!" he declared,"I don't care if I DO get stuck as a Genin for the rest of my life..." he stated," I'LL STILL BE HOKAGE SOMEDAY!"
Geez...this idiot is a total dumb ass...
Hana blinked, but even she couldn't help but snicker.
But he's got guts...gotta give him at least a little respect for that!
"...What a moron..." Saseme blinked and heaved a sigh, chuckling.
Be that as it may...for whatever reason...I feel better!
She smirked and folded her arms leaning back in her seat.
"If Naruto Uzumaki wasn't gonna run away...," said Saseme, "Then Saseme Uchiha won't either~" she smirked.
"Saseme..." Sasuke whispered his sister's name softly and scoffed, "Right...there's no way you would- it's not in our DNA."
"Pfft." Sage snickered.
Looks like whatever doubt Saseme had got erased now...
"Heh heh." he laughed.
Good on you man...
"This decision is one that could change your life." said Ibiki,"If for whatever reason you would want to quit, now is your last chance."
But it did no good.
Naruto's out burst inspired the remaining candidates into staying. There were more left than anticipated...not a single one wavered after that.
So I guess that's it.
Ibiki thought to himself.
"Well then..." he stated,"I admire your determination if nothing else." he chuckled,"For those of you remaining...then there's only one thing left to say." he grinned,"You've all passed The first exam!"
To Be Continued