The Path A Ninja Walks...

Chapter Twenty-Six

To Have Earned The Right To Move Forward

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.

Pencils dropped and Gaped faces spread all through the remaining candidates.

We...Passed?

Saseme was shocked. She was confident enough about getting a decent score on the written portion, particularly because she knew no one on her squad were morons, despite being idiots. But if all it took to pass was this...

What was even the point of having a written portion?

She thought to herself.

I can understand gathering intel...but surely there could have been better ways to go about that...

She was kind of peeved. Internally freaking out for nothing at all-

Atleast she managed to keep her cool and hold her composure...

Unlike some other people.

"AHHHHHHHHHHA~" the sound of cheerful screams of glee came from her scattered team mates who then, while disregarding any one else's thoughts, just leapt from desk to desk to meet with Saseme in the center, throwing their arms around her in celebratroy squeezes.

"Auuugh! What the hell!?" she grunted,"Get the hell off me, what are you doing!?"

"I don't know!" Hana teetered giggling,"I hate your guts!" she laughed, but still she didn't release the fellow kunoichi-

"I love your guts you boss ass bitch~!" beamed Sage-

"Well- Get the hell off me! I HATE BOTH OF YOU!"

"Watch where you're swingin!" Kiba barked.

Hinata, watching from her seat below a few rows next to Naruto, couldn't help but smile.

Oh, Saseme-chan...

She thought to herself.

I'm so happy for you...

Sasuke remained quietly watching from his seat the over dramatic scene going on above him...he couldn't help but find himself softly amused...

Glad to see that some things never change...

He thought to himself. Even before everything...when everything was good and normal between them...Saseme always had that ability. The abilty to draw in a crowd...Sasuke every easily did the same...but under very different circumstances. Sasuke was so cool...so smart...best in his class-

Then there was Saseme...

A class above him, yet hardly there- Often times she skipped lectures and found herself playing with the other trouble makers- yet still stayed ahead of her studies. She was the bright one- the fun one- a very different type of attention grabber...

But this situation was far from having reached a happy ending.

"Wait a second!? What just happened!?" Sakura bellowed,"What do you mean we passed!? Where's the tenth question!?"

Sakura asked a question that was certain to be on every mind in the room who wasn't a proctor.

Ibiki just grinned and broke out a laugh.

"There never was one! Not a written one anyway~" he grinned,"Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question.

"Wait a second!" Temari blared as she stood in her seat with her palms slammed down on the table,"So then the other 9 questions were just a waste of time!?"

"Not at all." said Ibiki, "Quite the opposite." he said,"The first 9 questions had an important purpose." he stated,"To test your ability to gather strategic inteligence under the most adverse circumstances."

"Oh~ well, that clears up everything." Temari chimed back with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Tell me about it...

Saseme pouted.

I feel you, sister-

"Allow me to explain." said Ibiki,"My objective was not only to test you as individuals, but as a team."

Hana and Sage blinked as they looked to each other and then back at Saseme who just shrugged and folded her arms, still low key pouty about the whole situation.

And all of this unwanted affection...

"I wanted to see how well you function as a part of that team..." he blinked,"That's why it was scored on a team basis, so that you knew that everything you did or failed to do- would directly affect your team mates as well." he said,"I wanted to see how well you could handle the pressure." he said,"The first 9 questions were difficult." he stated,"In fact I'm sure you came to notice that they were too difficult for genin to be expected to solve..." he said,"I'm sure many of you came to realize that you would have to cheat in order to have any chance of passing-" he explained," You see, the test was designed to encourage cheating...it practically demanded it."

I knew it!

Saseme thought to herself, and she gave a smirk. Hana and Sage picked up on her good humour and while Hana rolled her eyes, Sage stifled a snicker.

"Those who were caught at it, failed..." said Ibiki as he removed his head gear and gathered the eyes around the room,"Better not to cheat, than to cheat clumsily."

Gaped mouths opened around the room as he revealed himself to the class.

"Information..." he began,"It can be the most valuable asset in combat." he said,"How well you can gather information can determine weather the mission is a failure or sucess..." he blinked,"And there will be times you will have to risk your life to get it."

The students gasped softly as he revealed his scars, burns, and old puncture wounds. Most likely from having been tortured before on his own missions-

That's...insane...

Hana thought to herself as she gulped.

"Talk about a fucking mess..." Sage whispered,"Imagine what he must have gone through..."

"Of course, you must also always consider the source of your information." said Ibiki, as he put his gear back in place,"Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not nessasairily accurate." he stated,"Always bear that in mind." he stated,"Misinformation can be worse than no information at all...leading to the death of comrades or even the loss of a village."

"N-No way!" Hana gasped shivering slightly.

"That's why I put you in this position." said Ibiki,"Where you had to gather accurate intelligence...cheat in order to survive!"

"Well that explains why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out..." Saseme muttered,"This...sort of situation..." she sighed and looked down, clenching her own trembling fists,"..This is what Chunin go through every day..."

I've never seen this side of her..."

Hana blinked as she took in the sight of a trembling Saseme. Not that she could even blame her,- she was in no higher position above fear.

I see...

Sage blinked.

So...even Saseme can get scared sometimes...

He flashed back to the night where he saw her all but bend to the whim of the one called Gaara- who held a contract over her...

She was afraid then...

No...

Sage thought to herself.

That was not a passing moment of weakness...

He blinked.

I only imagine...Saseme...must live in fear for her life...every day.

His eyes narrowed sadly.

No wonder she acts the way she does...

Hana thought.

So cool and mighty above everyone else...It's because she can't afford to feel fear...

Because if she shows any kind of weakness...

Sage thought.

Then she's dead...

Sage's hand slid softly over the desk, and hooked warmly into startled Saseme twitched as she felt his warm fingers hook around hers...and she looked eyes met his and he smiled. another hand took hold of her free one and she glanced over to Hana, who didn't dare look her in the eye. The Uchiha girl stifled a smirk, and graciously accepted both hands to hold, allowing her to regain her courage once again as she faced head on what next the proctor had to share.

"For those of you that remain..." said Ibiki,"You have successfully answered the ten questions I put to you." he stated,"You have earned the right to continue on to the next step...passed through the first gate." he said,"I hear-by declare this part of the Chunin selection exam, completed"He grinned,"There's nothing left...but to wish you all good luck."

Each team celebrated there own successful pass. Naruto celebrated loudest of all-

But this moment of Temporary bliss was short lived as a black cloaked ball of energy shattered the glass of a window. Kunai flew in all directions and out rolled a woman in a beige trench coat. All were in shock and confusion of the arrival of this new stranger sho spared no moment of barking first-

"Heads up boys and girls~ this is no time to be celabrating!" she beamed,"I'll be your next proctor! Anko Mitarashi!" So..." She smirked,"You ready for the second test!?"

Though no one had a spare second to answer her...rather she answered for them herself.

"GOOD! LET'S GO! FOLLOW ME!"

Everyone stared in blank expression.

"...And that folks...is a Psycho Bitch...in her natural habitat." Sage muttered softly and Hana couldn't help but snort.

"...I think that's the first time one of your Bitch annalysis has been accurate!" said Saseme.
Ibiki stepped foot slowly from behind the banner where Anko posed before the class.

"You're early...again." he said.

"Ehhhh..." she groaned awkwardly blushing,"How many are there?" she blinked,"Ibiki...you let all of them pass?" she huffed,"Your test was too easy...you must be getting soft!"

"Or it could be a stronger crowd of candidates this year." he retaliated.

"They sure don't look it..." she shrugged, with a hand on each hip,"Trust me...by the time I'm done with them...more than half will be eliminated." She smirked.

To Be Continued