Normal speech
Thought
Nine-tails/Other big voices
InnerSakura
A/N:
Disclaimer
I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!
Recap:
He approached Ibiki once again and, with the test in mind, grabbed a hold of him. Just as Naruto thought, with a lot of concentration, information about the test was being downloaded into his brain…
Naruto: I get it now!!… So that's it…
Naruto broke the connection and "borrowed" someone's spare sheet of paper. He then walked over to one of the students and copied the answers and work and returned to his desk. Now all he had to do was figure out how to put a stop to this whole thing so that he could get on with the exam.
Seeing as he had no idea of what to do, he began to get bored. An idea popped into his head and he decided to have a little fun. He looked over at Hinata and decided that he could learn a little bit more about her… like if she had a crush on anyone in particular…
On to the Second Test
He slowly reached over to her, unsure if he should really be doing this. He stopped with his hand an inch away and really tried to think things through…
Naruto: If I do this then she may be upset with the way I found out… she is my friend after all… But then again, I could help her with this, especially if it's Sasuke. Then maybe I could have Sakura to myself…!
He touched her coat with the tip of his finger, but something was wrong. Hinata didn't react like Ibiki. Naruto couldn't get anything from her, and worse than that… her eyes began to glow. Whatever was happening, it was hurting him, so he broke the connection as quickly as he could…
Hinata: … Huh?!... Wha… What just happened…?... Naruto…
She looked over to see Naruto with his head on the desk. He looked terrible, but how could that be when just a second ago he couldn't seem to be still for even one second?
Hinata: Na… Naruto… Are… Are you ok?!... *concerned look*
Naruto slowly turned his head so that he could see her face. Her eyes weren't glowing anymore, that was a good thing, but he didn't feel so good. As a matter of fact he felt like he had no energy to spare.
Hinata: … He looks depressed. Is the test getting to him this much…?
She was about to say something to him when a kunai flew between them. The guy sitting behind them was caught cheating for the last time, so he and his teammates were ejected. They weren't the only ones either as more people, teams, were disqualified. Hinata could see that Naruto hadn't done anything on his test, but it was too risky to give him the answers or they could be next… But if she didn't help him, she may pass and he may be given the boot. She couldn't bear to be separated from him this way. It was worth the risk…
Hinata: Na… Naruto… Y-You… You… can look at my test…
Naruto: … Huh?!... Is she for real?... After what's been going on all around us…? Why would she want me to look at her answers?... It couldn't be some kind of trap because she isn't that kind of person. I don't think she would even if Kiba put her up to it… Hey, Hinata… Why are you trying to help me?
Hinata: …… B-Because…… I……… don't want you to disappear… Ya-Ya see… the 9 of us are the only rookies… so we should stick together…
Naruto: … Oh, I get it… I was kind of confused at first…
She slid her paper closer to where Naruto could get a better look, but he stopped her…
Naruto: Thanks Hinata, but I can't… even if I wanted to… It's just that… an incredible ninja like me doesn't need to cheat… in a traditional sense at least.
Hinata: …… B-But… Naruto…
Naruto: Besides, you could get in trouble for helping me cheat. And if we were caught we could cause trouble for our teams. We shouldn't blow it here…
Hinata: … Huh?!!... Naruto you… He cares, but… I'm sorry… you're right… *pulling her paper back*
Naruto: No problem…
Naruto was so exhausted that he couldn't even write the answers he had copied, and with time running out things looked bleak. Hopefully, his strength would return by the time the 10th question was given, or at least before it was too late.
Sakura: Ok, done… Now I just have to wait for the 10th question…
Ino: Looks like Sakura's stopped. It's finally time to do it… Sakura, I'll acknowledge the size… of your forehead and your brain, so be thankful… that you will be the target of my jutsu… "Mind Transfer Jutsu"!!
Ino flopped down on her desk. The only ones that knew what she was up to were her teammates, Shikamaru and Chouji. Sakura began to act weird, unlike herself, but to everyone else it may have appeared that she was just checking over her answers…
Ino: Heh heh heh… Sorry Sakura… but I'm gonna have to borrow your body for a bit… I have to memorize these quickly and get these answers to Shikamaru and Chouji…
The teams were dwindling little by little. When all was said and done, the room seemed a lot emptier with a lot more room to stretch one's legs.
Ibiki: Hehehe, we've gotten rid of all the trash, so let's get to the real portion of this test… Ok, we will now get on with the 10th question…
Everyone waited anxiously for what was about to come. Some were on edge and others were relieved that it was all almost over…
Naruto: Oh no!!... I still can't move my body. This sucks!!
Ibiki: I'll now explain… these are… the "rules of desperation"… First, for this 10th question… you must decide whether you will take it or not…
Temari: Choose…?! What happens if we choose not to take it?!!
Ibiki: If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero and… you will be failed… along with your two teammates.
The classroom uproared in outrage. Why would anyone decline the last question if the only outcome would be disqualification?
Ibiki: If you choose to take it and answer it incorrectly… then you will lose the right to ever take the Chunin Exams again.
Kiba: WHAT KIND OF STUPID RULE IS THAT?!! THERE'S GUYS HERE THAT HAVE TAKEN IT BEFORE…!!
Ibiki: (evil chuckle)… I guess you guys were just unlucky. This year it's my rules… But I'm going to give you a way out. Those that aren't confident can choose not to take it… and try again next year.
Sakura: So basically, if one of the 3 chooses not to take it, the whole team fails. And if you decide to take it and get it wrong… you will be a genin for the rest of your life… Both options are bad!
Everyone in the room was uncertain of what to do. Do they take the question and risk their future shinobi careers, or try again the next time?
Ibiki: Now, let's…
He was interrupted by a crash through the window. It was none other than…
"Greetings kiddies!! I'll be the examiner of the second test… My name is Anko Mitarashi!!"
Sakura: … What's with this psycho?!!
Anko looked around the room and to her surprise there were a lot of kids left…
Anko: Hey! What's going on here Ibiki? There are a lot of genin left… Why did you make the test so easy?
Ibiki: We're not done here, you're early… *points at the clock*
Anko: … Early…? *looks at her watch ... Damn thing must be fast again… Sorry…
Ibiki: Just wait quietly over there while we finish up…
She complied and took a seat. Ibiki went on to ask for those that wished to back down to raise their hands and leave.
Sasuke: What kind of question will it be?!
Naruto: What if I can't answer it?!! If I try and get it wrong, I'll be a genin for the rest of my life… But if I don't… Sasuke and Sakura will fail too. I don't want that either!!
Sakura: I want to raise my hand… I have confidence that I can answer it. Even if Naruto causes us to fail I could try again next time, but… but Naruto, he's different… He should forget about us and think about himself… his dreams…
A hand went into the air. It was a genin from the Leaf Village and he chose to avoid the question. Soon after many more hands followed, all to try again another time.
Anko: Heh… What a bunch of babies… *bored look on her face*
From where Sakura could see, Naruto was violently shaking. It was like he was fighting with himself about whether or not to give up. In reality, he was trying to see if he could finally move his body…
Sakura: Just raise your hand Naruto, there's nothing wrong with it in this kind of situation. It's not what a real man would do, but … your dream is to be Hokage… Always acting like a fool who only knows one thing...... I'm sorry Naruto… that impossible dream of yours… I hate to say it, but… I don't want to see it crushed… *beginning to raise her hand*
She stopped when she saw Naruto struggling to make his way up to his feet…
Sakura+Hinata: Na… Naruto…!!
Naruto was standing with his head tilted down. Ibiki couldn't see his face or his eyes, so he couldn't tell what was on his mind. Suddenly, his hand slowly rose from his side. Everyone was surprised to see someone as stubborn as him give up so easily, but that all changed…
He slammed his hand onto the desk and fire could be seen in his eyes… his golden eyes…
Naruto: Don't ever… DON'T EVER UNDERESTIMATE ME!!! I WON'T RUN!!!... I WON'T QUIT!!!... I'LL TAKE IT!! EVEN IF I'M A GENIN FOREVER…!! I'LL BECOME HOKAGE NO MATTER WHAT!!!... I'M NOT AFRAID!!
When he was done he took his seat and everyone was pleasantly surprised by this turnaround.
Sasuke: So… he's willing to risk everything here… Was he even thinking about us at all…?
Sakura: … He really is that kind of idiot… *smiling*
Ibiki: … I'll ask you again. Your life is riding on this decision… This is your last chance to quit…
Naruto: No way! I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way…!
Anko: What a guy… never backs down huh…? We'll see about that…
Everyone was proud to hear it. All their determination and confidence came flooding back. If this guy could do it, then the rest of them could…
Ibiki: Interesting kid… he managed to restore everyone's confidence and get rid of their worries… 78 left… more than I expected… Stretching this any longer won't make any difference…
He looked at his helpers and they all agreed that now was the time…
Ibiki: Good decisions. Now to everyone still remaining…… I congratulate you on passing the first test!!
Everyone was dumbfounded as they hung on every word Ibiki said. When he repeated those sweet words once again, the class erupted with cheer.
Anko: Greeeaat! Now that that's done, let's get on with it… shall we?
Sakura: Wait a minute… What do you mean? How do we pass, what about the 10th question?
Like the kid in class that reminds the teacher about homework, Sakura asked a frivolous question.
Ibiki explained the whole premise about the questions, the test, and why he put them through all of the torture. If they were to become Chunins then they would have to make and live with the difficult choices they made.
Naruto: I had the feeling that this test was something like that…
Many had their doubts about this statement but didn't call it to attention. Many also chuckled at this such as Hinata who found it funny because she could clearly see his test paper.
Anko: Ok, ok… Now that the boring part's over... let's get on with things… *evil grin*
Ibiki: You have made it through thee entrance, the first test of the Chunin Selection Exam is now finished! I wish you guys luck.
Anko: Yeah yeah… Good luck and break a leg… Take these words of encouragement to heart… 'cause you're gonna need it… *sinister tone* … Now follow me…!!
Though worried, the examinees followed their new examiner to a place called "The Forest of Death". As they all filed out Ibiki stayed behind and collected the test papers. In doing so, he noticed something unusual, but wasn't too surprised…
Ibiki: There's a guy who got through here with a blank test… Naruto… Uzumaki… A very interesting guy…
Anko: Welcome to the place where the second stage of the exam will be held… Practice Arena 44… also known as… "The Forest of Death"!!
"The Forest of Death" was definitely an intimidating sight to behold. It was made up of giant, old, creepy looking trees and though they were just a few feet away from it, nothing inside was visible due to great darkness. But that wasn't even the worst of it…
Anko: You'll soon find out exactly why it's called "The Forest of Death"…! There are deadly animals and plants that could ensure that this is not an enjoyable vacation for you guys.
Naruto: "You'll soon find out why it's called The Forest of Death"… *mimicking Anko while making goofy movements* … You think that scares me?!! That's nothing!! I'm not afraid!!!
Anko: … I know… you're the spirited guy and that's good, but…
Feigning a smile, in an instant Anko withdrew a kunai and threw it at Naruto. He didn't even have time to wince in pain as the kunai whizzed by leaving its mark, a cut on his cheek. He was then placed in a horrible position between a rock and a hard place(or a kunai and a soft place in Anko's case) as the sadistic examiner appeared behind him, giving him little space and another kunai at his throat…
Anko: Tough guys like you usually end up leaving there blood all over this forest… Heheheh…
She then pulled Naruto closer, hugging him tightly. He didn't seem to stress too much, at least until… she started licking the blood from his wound. This freaked him, Hinata, Sakura, and most of the rest of the examinees out. As she continued to sap up every drop of blood with her tongue, she was carefully interrupted by a female shinobi with a Grass Village headband…
Without hesitation, instinctively Anko pulled out another kunai to defend herself. However, there was no point as her was simply being returned. She gracefully accepted it, taking it from the Grass-nin's… tongue.
Anko: Why Thank you… but you know… you shouldn't sneak up behind me…… unless you want to meet an untimely death.
GrassKunoichi: No… I just get excited when I see blood… Plus you cut my precious hair, I couldn't help it…
Anko: Sorry about that.
Hinata: …… Naruto …
Sakura: What's with this examiner?... This is bad… and that Grass shinobi too…
Naruto: There's something unusual about the girl from the Grass Village, and not just the weird long tongue… She's really strong. I'm sure that she'll give me a good challenge, but… she's some kind of freak, the examiner too. Their both out of their minds getting all excited over blood!!
Anko finally released her grasp on Naruto, but only to dig in her coat and pull out some forms. She then had Naruto pass them around and explained the test…
Anko: This will be the ultimate survival test... The area around Practice Arena 44 has 44 locked gates… From the gates to the tower is about 10 kilometers… During the survival in here, you will be asked to complete a certain task… Using your many weapons and jutsu, you will compete in a… no holds barred… scroll battle…! You will fight over these two scrolls… the "Heaven" and "Earth" scrolls. *holding them up* … There are 78 people here… meaning 26 teams, half, will get one scroll and the other half will get the other. In order to pass… your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls… At least half of the teams here won't make it to the end… if even that many… You'll all be on your own for 120 hours, exactly 5 days. And like I said earlier, there are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants… Not to mention other teams that will do anything to get what they need. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will seem farther, and the time to rest will become shorter. And with the area crawling with enemies, you won't get much sleep. So not only will some fail at getting a scroll, some will die from the harshness of the course…
She then went on to list the actions that would result in disqualification. making it to the tower in time, a teammate, and the scrolls before reaching the tower.
Naruto: What happens if you do?
Anko: That will be a surprise for anyone who does, but trust me… you-don't-want-to-know! *sing-song* ... A Chunin will be tasked to handle classified information. This is to test your trustworthiness.
With the explanations done, Anko informed the participants of where to exchange their forms and receive their scroll.
Anko: A final word of advice… Don't die!!
When the time to exchange rolled around, many teams went to the booth while others took the time to… take a breather or decide if they were really willing to go through with this.
Sasuke: I see… so you can't tell which team gets which scroll or who on the team is carrying it… It's as Ibiki said… in this test we will risk our lives fighting for information. Everyone is an enemy…
Anko looked on as many teams seemed to hesitate in carrying on with the test. If they decided to drop out now, perhaps it would be the best decision of their lives. But others…
Gate 16: Kiba, Hinata, & Shino
Kiba: YAHOOO!! Survival is our specialty! Don't get soft on us now Hinata…!
Gate 27: Ino, Shikamaru, & Chouji
Shikamaru: Risking our lives… this sucks but we'll have to do it… Naruto's team may be the weakest team here, even weaker than our team…
Ino: What?!!! There's no way Sasuke is weak… his teammates maybe, but he definitely isn't…!
Shikamaru: Fine! Whatever… What a drag… Our only chance to go on and it's ruined by Sasuke's #1 fan over here…
Gate 12: Sasuke, Naruto, & Sakura
Naruto: I can't wait!! I'm gonna beat the crap out of anyone that crosses my path! This is gonna be fun!!
Sakura: Even though he's getting carried away again, he's right. I'm gonna go all out too... With the three of us working together as a team… there's no way we can lose!!
Gate 20: Sound Team
Zaku: We finally get to have a little fun… I wanna go after the jerk that thought he could beat us…
Dosu: Remember what our mission is… We're to go after Sasuke, but since that guy is on the same team… we can kill two birds with one stone…
Gate 38: Kabuto's Team
Gate 6: Temari, Kankuro, & Gaara
Kankuro: Of course the other teams will be a problem… but I'm more afraid of being with Gaara for five days…
Gate 15: Mysterious Grass-nin trio
"So first we'll go after the rookies…" one of the men spoke.
GrassKunoichi: We're allowed to kill from here on… That makes things easier…
Gate 41: Neji, TenTen, & Lee
Lee: I will do my best!!
TenTen: Just don't get carried away…
Anko: … The second test of the Chunin Exam begins… *looks at her watch* … NOOW!!!
From the classroom to the field...
The second test begins...
Next chapter: The struggle for the scrolls...