AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine.

Chapter Five: A Special Exam

"Chimei, you can't be serious?" Jentoru asked, looking at her granddaughter like she had grown a second head. Which would've been better than what she was hearing!

"I'm dead serious, Jentoru-baasama. The Hokage and I talked it over and he agreed." Chimei said softly, looking at some of the new clothes she had purchased. They were not kimonos, or even yukatas. They were shinobi clothing. And they were not small enough to be Sakura's, so that left only one option.

Chimei was going to become a shinobi, even if it gave her grandmother a heart attack. Which she was pretty close to having.

"You don't even know the people you'll be going against! You won't have any kind of advantage!" Jentoru tried to argue, but knew it was pointless. Once Chimei made up her mind, there was no way to change it. Maybe that was where Sakura had gotten it from? Back to the topic at hand!

"That's the point, Jentoru-baasama. If I knew any of the people I was going up against, then I would have too much of an advantage. I would rather go in blind and alert, than relaxed an at ease. The latter could get me killed." Chimei stated, untying her obi and casting it to the side. Jentoru had helped raised Chimei, so it was of no issue to see the girl, nearly woman, strip down to her undergarments without a care in the world.

"Who will lead the clan should you be away on missions?" Jentoru tried a different tactic. She knew it was a low blow, but it might be the only thing to keep Chimei from dying for a village they had no roots to. However, Chimei had seen this coming and without moving her body, she turned her head and gave the older woman a wicked grin.

"You will." She said, closing her eyes in a smile.

"I will-Wait! What?" Jentoru shouted, clutching her heart. She swore it had stopped for a second.

"Yes, you. Hokage-sama and I agreed that when I become a shinobi and go away on missions, you will be the temporary leader of the clan. And to make sure the Clan Council doesn't lose their heads about you being the leader and elder, Hiro will be appointed as Elder. That way, the balance within the clan is maintained and you don't have to worry about the other clan heads breathing down your neck." Chimei said, smiling as she thought about which clan head would go nuts about this news. She was betting on it being Hiashi, that old bastard.

"You two thought of everything, didn't you?" Jentoru asked, shaking her head in defeat. It was no use, Chimei had won.

"Yes."

"What about Sakura-chan?" Jentoru asked, watching Chimei twirl around in her shinobi attire. She was wearing a light blue, sleeveless vest with a large hood dangling down her back, a fishnet shirt underneath that showed off her stomach since the vest was cropped, fishnet stockings, a black skirt with small slits on the sides that stopped at mid-thigh, with a large, red, piece of fabric covering her left leg. Her shoes were heeled shinobi sandals. The fabric covering her leg was simple, going halfway around so that the back of her left leg was also covered; the clan name written on the side in pink. Overall, Chimei looked like a regular ninja in her clan's colors. Jentoru got a sudden image of Sakura in the future, wearing a very similar outfit. She wasn't sure if she should be happy, or scared about the future.

Everyone in the clan knew Sakura would follow Chimei's shadow, even in death. That girl adored Chimei, and with good reason.

"The clan will look after her in my absence." Chimei stated softly. Jentoru nodded. This was what made the Akuma clan different from any other clan. They looked out for one another, protected each other, killed for each other. All without a second thought. Children were safe guarded and watched over, not just by their parents and siblings, but by the entire clan. It was this loyalty to one another that made them so damn deadly. If one member was hurt, you could have the entire clan out looking for your blood.

It was a fatal mistake to cross and Akuma, especially when a child was involved.

It was an even more fatal mistake to cross Chimei.

Jentoru grinned, leaning against the door frame with an evil thought in her head.

For the past five months, Ryuketsu has been training with that Ibiki guy on clan grounds in order to get ready for the upcoming Chunin Exams in Suna. Jentoru would bet her life that Sairento and Ueta would be graduating within the next month or so in order to enter with their brother. She would also bet her life on the fact that Ibiki was interested in Chimei. He may think he's good at hiding his looks, but Jentoru's been around enough to notice something like that.

She was hoping Ibiki would either be going up against Chimei, or would be watching.

"Jentoru-baasama?"

"Hmm?" She responded, pulled from her thoughts by Chimei holding her beloved katana to her chest, wondering if she should be taking this with her. She preferred to use senbon needles, but something told her to take the sword with her. She assumed that something was Senso, whispering ideas in her ear when she wasn't paying attention.

"Hokage-sama told me I could have a month to train, but I turned that offer down."

"Why?"

"Because I need to know if I can hold my own without a chance to train. If I pass all his exams, then I'll become an elite shinobi." Chimei stated. She knew she was walking on thin ice by going through with this, but she needed to do this. Many of her clansmen would follow her example, and by doing this, she would be showing them that they can do it as well. Her clan needed this, she needed this.

"Will you be sponsored?" Jentoru asked, remembering hearing rumors about a shinobi being sponsored for certain exams. Chimei nodded.

"Ibiki and a woman named Anko are my sponsors. Ryu asked the woman to sponsor me, saying she would be surprised. I hope I can prove him right." That she could prove Ibiki right.

She felt something for the silent, imposing ninja. Something she's never felt before, and it made her cautious and curious at the same time. She wasn't sure what she should do.

"Take the sword. Who knows, maybe you'll go up against a Hyuuga. You can give the poor sucker a scare if they do their freaky eye thing." Jentoru chuckled, getting an eye roll from Chimei.

"You'll impossible, you know that?" Chimei shot back, strapping a weapons pouch onto her right thigh. She carefully strapped her katana onto her back, wondering if she would be forced to draw the blade. Once the blade had been drawn, Senso would be able to manifest into this world and wreak havoc against her opponent. She didn't want to end up killing a fellow comrade, but if they push her, she will.

Seeing the determined glint in her granddaughter's eyes, Jentoru prayed that whoever went up against her, didn't force her hand.

Sakura sat up straighter, feeling a tingling sensation go down her spine. She let out a tiny shiver, her eyes darting around the classroom. Iruka was still teaching, droning on about the different types of clans in the village, when he suddenly stopped and turned around, facing the class with a curious look.

"Class, some of you may have heard the rumors, or were told by your parents." He started, catching the attention of everyone. Many of his students sat up straighter and looked at him, waiting impatiently.

"Hear what?" Kiba finally asked, looking bored out of his mind. Sakura glanced towards him, having learned his name a month ago after Akamaru snuck onto her lap. She also learned Shino's name, even though she had already known from years ago. Imagine her surprise at finding out that her first friend was sitting next to her for four months without uttering a single word.

She had immediately tackled him and kept telling him much she had missed him. Shino and his bugs didn't know what to do, while Kiba had simply laughed at the sight. Hinata had done her best, but failed in dragging her friend off of Shino. She had to ask for help from Kiba, who hadn't stopped laughing even as he dragged the pinkette off. When Shino was sitting up again, he gave Sakura a pat on the shoulder. He was happy to be wearing a high collar, or everyone would've seen his blush.

He had known Sakura from the moment she had stepped into the classroom, he had just been too scared to say anything.

"Six months ago, a new clan had moved into Konoha. This clan is very old, stretching all the way back to the first Shinobi War. They were originally very small, having only two members." Iruka explained. A hand immediately shot into the air. This hand belonged to Ino, the daughter of Inoichi.

"How can two people make a clan?" She asked, not realizing that Sakura was staring holes into her head. Sakura knew that Iruka was talking about her clan, so she knew he would ask her to explain. She just really hoped he wouldn't.

"Well, they were lovers, firstly. Secondly, it's said that they had many children." Iruka stated, smiling when he saw Sakura try to sink into her seat. He would call on her in a moment, but first he had to finish giving a history lesson on her clan.

"Were they a prince and princess?" Ino asked again, enraptured with the lesson already.

"No. They were a samurai and a princess." Sakura spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone. She sighed to herself and braced herself for the questions.

"Really?" A nameless girl asked, hearts in her eyes.

"Yes. The samurai was blind, because a demon had stolen his eyes. The demon needed his eyes so that his daughter could see. The samurai was hired to protect the princess, because she could see demons. She often talked with demons, because she knew that not all of them were evil." Sakura explained.

"How could she know that? All demons are evil. My dad says so." A girl named Ami said, looking arrogant. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Senshi was whispering in her ear, telling her to release him, if only for a second. She was tempted, but knew that if she did, Ryu-niikun would be on the windowsill a second later.

"Akuma means demon, idiot." Kiba snapped, rolling his eyes when the girl glared at him. Sakura shot him a grateful look.

"Kiba-kun is right, Ami-chan. Sakura, you may continue." Iruka said, hoping to stop a fight from happening.

"The princess's father was a lord, but he wasn't human. He was the demon who had stolen the samurai's eyes. But the samurai didn't know that, not until the princess had told him. She had also declared her love for him, but in his rage, he had struck her with a fatal wound. He went to her father, pleading for her life. The princess pleaded for his life. Their love was doomed, but her father took pity on both of them, in a twisted way. He turned the samurai into a demon and gave his mortal life to his daughter, so that she may live. The samurai pledged his life to her." Sakura explained in a calm and soft voice. Hinata was looking at her with wonder, Kiba in shock, Shino in silent curiosity, and Ino with hearts in her eyes.

"Doomed love and yet they ended up together anyway." Ino stated, sighing softly as she snuck a peek at Sasuke, who Sakura thought was annoying because he was spoiled.

"Yes, but they still had numerous children, many who were human, and some who were demons." Sakura explained, shooting Ami a nasty glare before she could open her mouth. "It was because of this union, that my clan came to be. We are small, but we are deeply loyal to one another. We prefer to be called family, rather than clansmen."

"Very good Sakura-chan. Now, does your clan specialize in anything?" Iruka asked, a slight smile on his face, even though he was eying her warily. He had heard the rumors, but he wanted to hear from the source. And since Sakura was the clan heir, she would be able to clear everything up.

"We specialize in assassination and summonings." Sakura stated like it had been drilled into her head. Iruka visibly paled. He hadn't expected her to know that, let alone say it out loud. Ami even paled, which was the smart thing for her to do.

"What kind of summonings?" Kiba asked. Sakura snuck a glance at Naruto, Hinata's friend and secret crush, and gave him a wicked smile. He blinked in confusion.

"Well, you won't believe me if I simply told you, so I'm going to so you!" She said loudly, sitting up and moving towards the aisle so everyone could see. Sakura moved her hands in a slow motion, making the Ram sign, then the Tiger, then the Bear. When she was done, she reached into her sleeves and produced two black fans that were completely metal. She snapped them both open at the same time and grinned when she felt Senshi materialize beside her. He was in his human form, but his blazing red eyes told the class that he wasn't fully human.

"Sakura-chan~Who are these lovely~children?" Senshi asked, chuckling darkly as he licked his lips. Sakura quickly closed her fans, making Senshi disappear. His chuckle could still be heard, though.

"Who was that, Sakura-chan?" Iruka asked, trying to hide his nervous state. The minute that...man...had appeared, Iruka had felt this immense killing intent fill the room. He was glad Sakura had made it go away, he didn't like the way it had looked at his students.

"That was Senshi, and Sakura-chan, you know better." Ryuketsu said softly, even though his tone was stressed. When he had felt the sudden surge of dark energy near the Academy, his first thought was to go protect Sakura. Sairento and Ueta would be able to protect themselves, it was Sakura he was truly worried about.

"I know, Ryu-niikun." Sakura said softly, pouting in a way that made Ryuketsu let go of his anger and sigh.

He should've known she would cause trouble, he should've known. After all, she was learning from the best.

Chimei looked around the room, noting her different opponents. She had passed the Hokage's modified Chunin exam with flying colors, and had passed the Jonin test with little difficulty. She had struggled a little when facing against a man named Gai, who was consider a taijutsu master. He had nearly pushed her to the limit, but after a few well placed hits on his pressure points, she had been able to win. She was tired, and felt slightly drained emotionally, and her mind was fighting back a break down.

She had gone through an Interrogation exam, with a Yamanaka inside her mind. She had to hide Senso from the very, very thorough exam, which was why she was drained. The Torture exam had been nothing special. Since her clan rarely relied on their chakra, when she had been nearly drained of it through chains, she hadn't missed it. Her clan's techniques rely on silence and disappearing, and being able to kill a target effectively without expending any energy what so ever. When she had informed the Hokage, he had asked if everyone in her clan was trained in this way. When she had told him, that yes, everyone knew how to kill, he had shown the slightest amount of concern. He had asked about Sakura and the other children, to which she had told him that children were only taught if they asked. That had made his worry disappear.

But, back to the present, Chimei wasn't sure what would happen next. She had been informed that she would be going against an ANBU level operative. This test was to be the last, and most likely the most difficult.

'Do not worry, Chimei-hime. I will add my chakra to yours when it begins to fail you. You will not fail.' Senso told her, his soothing voice washing over her shoulders and down her spine.

Her opponent watched as her body relaxed slightly and determination shone through her eyes. He raised an eyebrow behind his mask, wondering what had caused such a change. He had been watching her since the beginning of the special exam, noting her skills and tenacity. She had struggled against his rival, but had still managed to win by using moves that people hardly bother to learn. Her mental stability was up to question, as she had resisted slightly against Inoichi during the Interrogation. However, when they had Tortured her, she had seemed bored and unimpressed. Which meant she was either used to this, or she had suffered something great as a child.

Hmm, he wondered about the multiple scenarios and couldn't find one that fit her.

He knew who she was, and he knew just what her clan was good at.

She was young, only 16, and already the leader of her clan. She had a daughter, adopted (he had nearly had a heart attack when he heard about her having a child at 14), and three cousins who were deeply devoted to her. Her clansmen were loyal to her, and to her only, and her clan elder was her grandmother and a known assassin from times of old.

Yes, Chimei was quite the opponent, and he was ready to push her to her limits.

"Ryu-niikun, where's Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, walking into the main dining room with her friends close behind her. Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Naruto had followed after her once class had been over, and with Ryu-niikun's permission, she had invited them over for an early dinner. After three of them had asked their parents (Naruto had just stood there, looking miserable) they had all followed Ryuketsu back to the clan compound.

It really wasn't a compound, more like a main house with other houses around it. Sakura had explained that her clan was small and that everyone was family, so they shouldn't be surprised if they heard people call her 'Sakura-chan' instead of some lofty title. When Hinata had asked why, Ryuketsu had simply replied with 'She's family' and had left it at that. Sakura promised them all a better explanation from her mother.

Which led to her confusion and worry. Her mother was always home to greet her, whether she was watching Ibiki and Ryu-niikun train, or she was talking with another clan head, or if she was simply walking around the clan grounds with a family member chatting her ear off.

So, where was she?

"Mei-neechan said something about going through a special exam to be a shinobi. Jentoru-baasama might know more." Ryuketsu said, waving his little sister off so he could lay down and rest. Ibiki hadn't been at the training ground, so Ryu had to train by himself, which wasn't nearly as fun or insightful as training with Ibiki. That man was a brick wall, nothing could get past him!

"Okay!" Sakura chirped, rushing to find her grandmother, her friends following right behind her. All except Naruto, who was staring at Ryuketsu like he had something to ask. He sat up and stared back at the boy, knowing everything that the civilians were saying about him. It made his stomach sick, to know that this child was bullied without even being told why.

"Oi, you gonna ask your question or just stare at me?" Ryu asked in a gentle voice. Naruto hid his flinch well, but not well enough. Ryu waved the boy over to him, patting his lap while giving Naruto a friendly grin. "I don't bite, no matter what Sakura-chan says." Naruto waited a few seconds before nodding and shuffling over to the older boy. He noticed Ryuketsu's hitea hanging around his neck and stared in awe.

"You a ninja?" Naruto finally asked, after sitting down in the older boy's lap. Ryu nodded, grinning in a good way. He didn't want to scare the boy any more than necessary.

"Yep."

"That's so cool!" Naruto shouted, making Ryu laugh. He ruffled the boy's hair. "One day I'm gonna be a great ninja, so great I'll become Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed, making his dream known. Ryu nodded.

"You do that, kid. And we'll be behind you the whole way, deal?" Ryu said, making Naruto look at him with hope.

"You really mean that?" He asked.

"Yeah, us demons have gotta stick together." Ryu said, tickling the little boy until there were tears in his eyes.

Ryu made a silent promise that so long as he lived, he would protect Naruto the same way he protected Sakura. No one would hurt him or say nasty to things to him again. And if they did, they would have hell to pay.

Chimei ducked behind a rock, holding her bleeding arm while breathing heavily. The man she was facing (no female could be that vicious without reason) was not letting up and was quickly pushing her. She had been able to hold her own against him in taijutsu, and when they had moved to weapons, she had been able to deflect nearly all of his with ease. There were a few instances where she had to dodge instead of block, and those times probably saved her head. She had made the mistake to glance up at the watchers, and the man had used that to his advantage. With a kunai in hand, he had pushed her to the very edge of the room (more like indoor training ground) and sliced her arm quite nicely. It was a clean cut, but deep. If she didn't pass out from blood loss, she would probably pass out from chakra exhaustion.

However, true to his word, Senso flooded her system with his own chakra. Chimei felt the dark and warm chakra spread out through her limbs, giving her that second wind she desperately needed.

She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind her rock, calmly walking forward at a slow pace.

The man was in the middle of going through hand signs for a fire ninjutsu, when he had felt this ominous chakra flood the area. He could sense the others tense up. He glanced towards the Hokage, but the old man was simply smiling and smoking his pipe.

He looked forward and saw Chimei slowly reach for her katana, which she had kept sheathed throughout the entire exam. So, why was she drawing it out now?

'He senses a difference. Use that to you advantage. Do not let him use his hands for any signs. Force him into a corner.' Senso told her calmly, chuckling when she reached for her beloved sword. Engraved into the black metal was his name. He grinned in anticipation. She was going to fill the engraving with her blood and bring him forth, like any other summon. She would give her orders and he would follow them. And when she called him back, her enemy and everyone else would see the true power the Akuma clan held. He chuckled darkly as he heard the soft sound of metal sliding against wood.

Chimei held her beloved sword in front of her, testing the weight of the blade in each hand before moving into a stance that resembled a samurai's. Her father had drilled this stance and many others into her head until she could move into them blindly with the slightest gesture from him.

She gritted her teeth together, banishing that thought from her mind. She had no need of it, not at a time like this.

"Impressive blade." The man before her said in a lazy voice. She narrowed her eyes. How dare he treat her with such disrespect. And here she was thinking she would keep Senso sealed. But now, she was seriously contemplating letting her demon have some fun. After all, it's been a good 6 years since he last got to taste blood. "Hopefully it proves to be more useful than it looks." The man baited, wondering if it work and she would lose her temper.

It did, sort of. Chimei moved out of her stance and pressed her thumb onto the top of her blade, watching as her crimson blood raced towards the silver engraving on the side. The man read the name Senso, which translated to War. He narrowed his eyes as the engraving sucked in the blood before a dark mist surrounded Chimei. It was so dark and thick that it blocked his view of her. He tensed, expecting her to make a move in his hesitance. But instead, when the mist began to take shape, he was greeted with the sight of a monster wrapped protectively around her. He felt everyone else tense in fear. Again, the Hokage didn't seem all that fazed by what he was seeing. This beast had an all black body that look smoky, with arms too long to belong. They stretched to the floor, with its fingers narrowed down into sharp claws. Its hind legs were bent and shaped like that of a wolf's. It had a very broad chest and shoulders, while its waist was thin, narrow, and looked malnourished. Its head was what made it even more unnerving. It had the skull of a deer, possibly a large deer, with soulless and empty eye sockets. But he could feel it staring at him.

Staring into his very soul and seeing all his sins with a look of glee and amusement.

He decided that he didn't want to ever face Chimei on the battle ground as an opponent.

"Chimei-hime, what are my orders?" The thing asked, without moving its lower jaw. It simply turned its head to look at her, patiently waiting. Just as she opened her mouth to give his execution, the Hokage decided to step in.

"I've seen enough, Chimei-chan. You may release Senso back to his world." Chimei nodded and gave the demon an apologetic look. It nuzzled her neck before bursting into black mist again, rushing back to the sword. Once it was gone, Chimei fell to her knees and everyone could feel her chakra levels deplete rapidly. It seemed with Senso gone, her new found chakra left with him. Before he could step forward and offer her a hand, Ibiki, Inoichi's student, was beside her in an instant. He was grumbling under his breath about her carelessness and stupidity. She simply laughed.

Since when did Ibiki rub shoulders with clan heads?

"I've decided." The Hokage declared, drawing everyone's attention to him. Chimei looked ready to pass out any minute, but forced herself to stay awake to hear his decision. It could very well decided her rank, or even her career as a shinobi. "After seeing your skills and body pushed to the very limit, Chimei-chan, I've decided that you are worthy of being among Konoha's most elite shinobi. You have proven that you can stand against any opponent, and that you can rely on your force of will alone. However, you must promise to never unseal Senso again while within the village." He stated.

"I promise, Hokage-sama." Chimei said softly, her eyelids looking heavy.

"Good. You will receive your uniform and mask tomorrow, with your team assignment. Do you have a certain preference?" The Hokage asked. Chimei's opponent looked at her, finally realizing that she had made it into ANBU by her sheer will and stubbornness alone. That took skill.

She nodded before answering.

"Assassination, Hokage-sama." She said just as softly as before. The Hokage nodded, before gesturing that Ibiki could take her away. The large, frightening man nodded and swiftly picked her up, noting that she weighed nearly nothing.

Whelp, there you have it. Chimei fought hard to become a shinobi, Ibiki and her want each other, Sakura made plenty of friends, and she got to interact (somewhat) with Shino.

Please review.