Uzumaki Twins

Chapter 16

~Chika's pov~

And the exam begins.

Genin are already looking at the questions with hurried glances before rereading through them to try and make better sense of them. I personally don't know the questions, I might not even know the answers to them either, but I do know the whole point of the exam even if they have yet to find it out. As of yet, none of them have figured it out as all they're doing is looking down at the questions in hopes of answering them. But so far so good. There's not a sign of a threat waiting to happen. It just seems we've singled out the stronger ones of the participants. But nevertheless, they do appear to have something up their sleeves, or something devious in mind.

I look over at Naruto and see that he is sitting besides Hinata Hyūga. A gorgeous but shy female with blue-black hair to her chin with lavender eyes! She has the renowned eye technique, also known as a Kekkei Genkai, called the Byakugan. I hear she isn't too well adapted to her Kekkei Genkai as she isn't able to use powerful attacks with it just yet, known as the gentle fist style. I also happen to hear that her one year older cousin is a gifted genius who has been able to become far in adaptation with the Kekkei Genkai. It's also known that he loathes the main branch of the Hyūgas because of a detestable past.

Naruto appears to be having an extremely hard time. His eyes have gone wide, sweat has broken out on his forehead and he has his head clasped in between his hands. If I didn't know any better, he's gone into a panic about the test. After all, it is his weakness, one where I could easily laugh and tease him with. It doesn't matter how much I actually tutor him, he's just not made for written tests. I may be able to tease and laugh at him about it now, but what about his life as ninja later? What if he's too crap at it then that he has to pass it onto someone else in order to have adequate reports? Since I'm his twin, most in tuned to him and understand him far better than anyone else, that person who would have to write all those damn reports for him would be me.

With Sakura, she was looking confident enough. Of course with her wide forehead there is no doubt she isn't considering other things, such as the rules. She can easily answer some of these questions; I could read that from her confidence along. However with the looks on the other genins faces, I can tell that the answers get more difficult. She may struggle on a few of them, but I'm sure she would be able to pull through. For once I have no doubt in her abilities, unless she's on the battlefield. Her current use is just her brains. Strength, she has none and she doesn't have much jutsus either. However she does have determination and brains, so yeah I can be a little proud of her, even if it's the same size as the smallest grain of sand.

Sasuke appears to be doing fine, keeping it cool more like. He's just observing his surroundings with pencil in hand. He must be trying to uncover the secret behind the test and the reason why the questions are so hard to answer. He's an Uchiha, I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out soon enough anyway. I can't really fault him when he's using his brain to figure something out. He's a ninja, he's supposed to do that, but I don't know why I feel a little weird about it though. Oh come on, did I actually believe that Sasuke was actually someone incredibly stupid like my brother? That's one thing I shouldn't have thought. It's no wonder that my brother is jealous of him and just because of his looks either. Sasuke is smart, supposed good looks, has a powerful bloodline and even has the Sharingan.

So who else is struggling or know the reason behind the test?

Well the three sound ninjas don't really look too bothered about this test at all. In fact they seem like they've faced questions similar before or maybe they've come in situations just the same as the questions. In other words the three of them don't need to cheat in order to be able to answer the questions. Now they are the ones to heat my blood in anger. It is people like them that really unnerve me.

Temari seems to be a little stuck on the test as she keeps pausing and rereading through specific questions. Then there's Kankuro who seems to be having more difficulty. I never took him as the smart type anyway. He may be able to answer some of the questions but there is no one he is smart enough to answer the lot of them. Gaara, well there's no real change with him. He's too smooth, too calm and way too impassive. I watched him as he placed two fingers over his left eye and then focused down on the desk. If he's trying to fake something wrong with his eye, I don't think no one's buying. But the instructors can't exactly mark him down when they can't prove he's cheating. He's too damn good to be caught.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was about time. It's been forty-five minutes since the start of the test and I've been as bored as hell. My only fun was to see the instructors, sentinels as Ibiki calls them, strike fear into the candidates they struck down five times and then dragged them from the room. One of the ones caught happened to be sitting behind my brother and the kunai thrown had startled him shitless. His expression was so priceless I almost laughed out loud. I couldn't retain my smirk though, I let that show through completely and it scared the candidates in the front of the middle row.

Now that there is only two minutes left on the clock for the tenth question, I'm sort of glad but not that it's coming to an end. As much as it's enjoyable to see their fearful faces at the start of the exam, it's kind of disappointing now that most seem to know what they are doing.

'Alright, time's up! Stop what you're doing and pay attention.'

I looked at Ibiki in response and then turned away to look at the candidates. The most difficult of them all, the ultimate test to see if they would be able to become appropriate ninja. Ibiki rambled on about the tenth question to which I didn't pay attention to because it sounded dull. I scoured the room for any signs of intent of damage. So far all genin were behaving themselves. The Chunin/jonin in the room are also on their best behaviour. But I could feel an under-laying notion of danger. It was present within this very room, but I couldn't pinpoint its exact location.

I could easily accuse someone, someone like Gaara, but that's pointless. If I can't prove my claim then it's best to remain silent. However, not all claims can be provided with evidence, or sometimes false evidence, and ninjas attack on that. Why could I not do the same? Because I think it may not change anything? Or because I want to protect Gaara? Tch, that boy does not need protection. I know he is quite capable at doing so himself.

So what is it? Why do I not say something to my team about this notion or my suspicions? Am I afraid they won't believe me? No it's not that. It's something entirely different. I want to see what happens, I want to gather evidence before pointing the blame at somebody else.

My brother's hand rose in the air and it successfully jolted me out of my thoughts. I could see that he was trembling. From the tenth question or the choice that he's making? If it's giving up…I chuffed to myself. That's one thing that doesn't exist with my brother. Giving up, it's a lame excuse for backing out or running scared from a problem before you. I'm so much like my brother sometimes people seem to miss it. Giving up is something I would never do either. For the two of us it's like we're accepting that we're weaker and far less worthy of acknowledgement that others. We like to strive forward to accomplish our problems so we can prove to others we are on their level and that we're able to accomplish them whereas they couldn't.

We strive for the difficult challenges, even if it means losing our lives. We'd rather die fighting than fleeing.

I have no doubt about my brother. I may not know what the rules about the tenth question entails, but I gather that it's something to do with leaving the room and giving up the rest of the Chunin exams. Not even for a second, I will never doubt my brother.

He slammed his hand onto the table, his blue eyes flaming. 'There's no way in hell I'm going to give up. You can shove your question where the sun don't shine but there is no way I'm backing out now, not after I've come this far. I'll never give up and that's my nindo, my ninja way.'

He sat back down with his arms crossed and a grin spreading from ear to ear.

I smirked at him. Others had gained courage from his words and now the room was followed with shocked silence. I may have been surprised with him raising his hand, but as I didn't doubt him, I wasn't surprised with what he blurted out. Although I was shocked to hear him say some of those unspeakable words! It's more like he's becoming a little more like me as I have attitude and I express it through my words. I guess we're both getting stuff from each other and using it in our daily lives. I wonder if Kurama is amused with him. I know Juuku would be, but she's currently silent and asleep within. Jyubi wouldn't care.

Ibiki smirked and then his expression became stony as if he was just about to fail the lot of them. 'Everyone in this room…' he allowed everyone to soak into the fear of believing that they failed. A smile, an actual kind one, spread across his face. 'You all pass.'

Shocked gasps filled the entire room before a joyous aura replaced it almost as suddenly. It only lasted for the maximum of two seconds when the window was broken into and a large blanketed thing flew into the room. I saw hands throw two kunais into the ceiling and I grew bored and looked away. I heard the person land and greet the people with an enthusiastic voice. Female by the sounds of it, but her enthusiasm didn't strike such emotion into the others. Instead I could suggest they were thinking she was a complete nutcase. I certainly think so.

Time seemed to have sped up quite quickly as Ibiki and the new proctor of the second exam, Anko, dismissed the genin. Tomorrow is the second part of the exam and we received instructions to arrive an hour earlier than the genin in order to receive our task for the second part. So after dismissal the four of us went our separate ways. Outside the exam room I expected to see my brother and his team waiting for me there but instead I saw the green eyes and red hair of Gaara waiting in the shadows just opposite the room.

He had his arms crossed and his eyes glare-fully watching me. I slid the door closed behind me and stood with my back to it for a few moments before walking down the corridor away from him. I have no time to deal with him. I stopped just before the sand wall that blocked my path. I wasn't surprised he would use this method on me. I expected nothing less from him. I looked over my shoulder at him and saw that he hadn't turned his head from looking at the door.

'What do you want?'

His head turned at the sound of my voice.

'I was thinking of killing you.'

I turned around fully to meet his glare head on. 'Then why do you hesitate?'

The danger around him exploded powerfully but he did nothing. I struck a sore spot, I realised.

'Why do you not participate in the Chunin exams? Why were you performing security evaluations during the whole exam?'

I smirked. 'You're talkative today.'

His glare could burn through me if it happened to have been fire. Luckily it was just a look and nothing more.

'Answer me! What is your role in the Chunin exams?'

My smirk fell and I turned my back to him. 'That's none of your business,' I said darkly.

His sand wall melted from its solid state and became a living moving thing as it slammed into me and forcefully slammed me against the wall and kept me there. Blood trickled down my chin. I managed to hear its descent until it splattered like a raindrop on the wood. I'm becoming more and more sensitive and familiar to the sound and smell of blood. I think something may be becoming worse within me or some kind of unseen jutsu is working its way to activation.

'Answer me, Kuu,' he said dangerously as he stood before me with a very threatening posture, although he was really just standing there with his arms folded across his chest.

'Chika,' I automatically responded. 'We are not close friends let alone friends at all. You have no right to pet name me.' So far only my brother pet names me. My distance to others prevents them getting close and being able to pet-name me.

'I will call you what I wish, Kuu. Now answer my damn question!'

'I'm there to stop you!' I shouted out before I thought about the answer and then used a teleportation jutsu to get the hell away from there and him.