~Scroll 10~
There was an unheard 'Hunh?' as everyone stared at Ibiki with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"What do you mean, 'passed'?" Sakura squeaked out, "When did that happen? What about the tenth question?"
"There is no tenth question…" Ibiki impishly grinned, "beyond the whole 'accept or reject' thing."
"Hunh?" The pinkette exclaimed when suddenly Tamari of Suna exploded.
"Hey! Then why did we have to suffer through the other nine questions? That was a total waste of our time!"
"There was no waste." Ibiki dismissively stated, "Those questions had a purpose, which they've already serve."
"Such as?" The blonde kunoichi questioned.
"Our goal was to test your skills at spying!" The grizzly man said as a matter of fact.
"… our skills at spying?" She repeated dubiously.
"Remember the rules at the beginning?" The lead proctor began explaining, "You pass or fail as part of a three-man cell. With that rule, I pressure you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring you teammates down with you."
Tamari's expression clearly stated, 'Okay, so…'
"However…" Ibiki drawled out, "The questions are beyond the level that junior ninja could be expected to handle. So most of you… having reached that same conclusion had only one way of retaining your points - by cheating.
"In other words… we set up the test on the assumption you'd cheat. And to ensure there would be suitable targets for you to cheat from, we snuck in a pair of ringers… Two Chuunin ninja who already knew all the answers."
The two Chuunin in question chuckled as they grinned.
Naruto looked at his spirit companion and silently asked, "Shisui, are you a ringer too?"
This caused the specter to laugh, which had the effect of making the ghost look younger and far friendlier than was expected of an Uchiha.
I suppose so. Shisui admitted.
"It took me forever to figure out who they were!"
"Oh, yeah. Me too." Two Nin boldly boasted, which made Naruto to wrinkle his nose at their bold-face lie.
"Of course," Ibiki began again as he reached up to his bandana, "anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed."
Ibiki then removed his bandana and revealed his scar-covered scalp. His hairless head was covered in burn marks, sunken flesh where puncture wounds healed and raised flesh where slashed wounds also healed. All of this indicated that the grizzly man had been methodically and vindictively tortured.
"Because there may be circumstances where being caught in an act of espionage can cost you more than just your life." Ibiki continued, "You pay in ways that can be taken from you little by little, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance."
Many of the remaining applicants winced at the sight of the wounds, with the exception of the Oto-Nin.
Cool… I bet his hands are even worse! But that's what he gets for being dumb enough to get captured. It'll never happen to me!
Even Gaara of Suna looked upon the lead proctor in respect.
Ibiki then replaced the bandana back on his head, hiding his scars.
"The information you obtain can't be trusted…" The proctor stated, "if you can't keep your presence secret from the enemy. Learn that and learn it well. If you bring back intelligence from a suspect source or a compromised operation… you're doing your enemies' work for them, putting those you serve in danger.
"That is why we maneuvered you into using your espionage skills to cheat. It was the quickest way of weeding out the students whose skills aren't yet up to snuff."
"Okay…" Tamari drawled, "But what was the deal with the tenth question?"
Ibiki grinned.
"Ah! The tenth question was the real test of the exam."
"What on earth do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"Let me explain," He stated, "the tenth question was a choice between two options… that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject were failed, and their friends along with them. Those who chose to accept and couldn't answer the question… lost any chance of ever even trying again. It was a nasty, unfair, no-win set of options.
"So why did I present them? Let's suppose you all go on to successfully attain the rank of Chuunin. You are assigned to steal a vital enemy document… knowing nothing about the skills, deployment, or military preparedness of your foe. You may have to cross a territory that has been heavily mined and set with traps. Now…
"Do you accept your mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your own life - or the lives of your companions - in jeopardy? Could any Chuunin get away with only taking on the safe jobs? Of course not!
"No matter how dangerous the risk… there will be missions that you cannot decline. A ninja must demonstrate valor that inspires those around him… helping all to overcome their fear."
Suddenly Naruto brightly smiled as he realized that the grizzly man had not miscalculated by instilling fear in the Chuunin applicants. He had done it on purpose to find the one ninja, who could inspire others.
~And he found you, Naruto-dono.~ Ka'a purred.
"This is the talent that we most value in the commander of a Chuunin cell!" Ibiki continued, "Those who can't gamble with their own fate… who would trade today's certain risk for tomorrow's uncertain future… never taking the chance that lies before them are weaklings who make only weak and easy decisions.
"In my opinion, they don't belong in the ranks of the Chuunin at all!
"By choosing to accept, you answered the almost - insoluble tenth question correctly. If you can keep that spirit, you can probably conquer all of the many doubts and difficulties you'll face. You've passed the first hurdle. Part one of the Chuunin Selection Exams now concluded. I'll pray you fight the good fight!"
Naruto just smiled, which Ibiki returned, when he suddenly sat up straight and looked at the window on Ibiki's right.
It was then that the grizzly man felt an intense and slightly psychotic ma'ai, a warrior's aura, coming from his right.
"LOOK OUT!" The blonde Genin called out as the classroom echoed with a thunderous CRASH!
In the flurry of the chaos, Ibiki could only sigh as he realized who it was that had caused such chaos.
When the smoke and debris finally settled, the Chuunin applicants found themselves staring at a woman, who stood before a dark colored clothe with the words NEWLY ARRIVED SECOND CHIEF EXAMINATION OFFICER MITARASHI ANKO painted on it. The woman was small compared to Ibiki's impressive size of 6 foot three, but even at 5 foot four, the mysterious woman exuded an aura that was hard to ignore. She wore a single piece of closely knit mesh suit that covered her breast just enough to not be indecent. She even wore a light tan mini-skirt with a matching-colored trench coat. She had white-bone shin guards, and around her neck, she wore a makeshift necklace with a serpent's fang as its pendent. She had dark hair that was flipped and pinned up, giving her a feathered appearance. Her dull green eyes were hard and cold.
"None of you are in any position to celebrate." She roared, "I am the second chief examination officer… Mitarashi Anko! Time's a-wasten', people. Let's go! Follow me!"
Silence followed.
"Can't you sense the mood in here?" Ibiki teased.
Anko was about to retort when she finally took note of the classroom.
"Seventy-eight of you are still here?" She exclaimed in disbelief then she turned on Ibiki, "Ibiki! You passed twenty-six teams? Obviously you went too easy on them."
"This year," Ibiki smiled, "we have applicants of exceptional caliber."
"Yeah right." She dismissed, "I'll cut down the number by half before the next test is done."
This announcement unnerved the remaining applicants.
"Ooh! I get charged up just thinking about it! I'll explain things as soon as we move to our next location… so follow me!"
The applicants reluctantly followed their next proctor, leaving Ibiki and his proctors behind. The grizzly man then dismissed his men for the day as he went about to pick up the test papers. He came upon where Uzumaki Naruto sat. There was not a single adult in Konoha who did not know who the blonde was, and Ibiki was amazed to see such a fine young man that the blonde had become. He picked up Naruto's test paper and stared at it wide-eyed.
All of the questions had been answered and answered correctly. He is a very intriguing young man. Ibiki thought. He was going to keep a closer eye on him. The blonde posed a puzzle, and Ibiki just loved puzzles.
It was half an hour later when all twenty-six teams resettled outside in front of a fenced-off forest with rusted and faded signs. One sign warned against trespassing. Another warned of the penalties for trespassing, and the third stated that the forest area was Training Ground 44. Many of the Chuunin applicants looked at the tightly packed trees which gave the forest a dark and ominous feel to all, save for one.
Naruto stood in the foreground as he looked into the forest. He could feel the forest's energies flowing, even reaching out to him. He could feel Ka'a relaxing at the feel of being so close to a forest. Ka'a and he were creatures of the forest. The forest was their home, regardless of where that forest was. Naruto smiled as he mentally agreed with Ka'a's statement.
~We have the advantage.~
"This is the arena for the second exam: Training Ground 44." Anko purred in delight, "Also known as… the Forest of Death!"
"It looks like a pretty creepy place." Sakura whispered then looked over to her otouto, who looked completely relaxed at the sight of the black forest.
Anko darkly laughed at the nervous expressions on the applicants' faces.
"You're about to find out first hand why they call this 'the Forest of Death'!"
Naruto blinked as he heard Anko's Heart Song begin to race in anticipation. It made his own heart pound. It was as if she was a rabid predator on the hunt, but she was not hunting for food. She was hunting for sport.
"Only those foolish enough who don't respect Nature will incur the wrath of the forest." Naruto boldly stated as he glared at the rabid woman.
"Oh, really?" Anko grinned, "You're pretty cocky, huh?"
"And you are rabid." The blonde countered. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he felt a sharp sting on his left cheek, and Anko had disappeared from his sight.
"Heh. Your kind are the always the first to go." She purred from behind the blonde.
Naruto!
~Naruto-dono!~ Shisui and Ka'a shouted in horror that their young Charge's blood had been shed.
Naruto froze in horror as he felt Anko lean forward. He also felt something wet caress against his injured cheek.
"Spilling all that rich, red, lovely, luscious blood…" Anko purred. His blood… there's something sweet about it… she thought as she went for a second lap.
Suddenly she flicked out another kunai as she blocked a kunai wrapped around something pink.
"Your kunai knife…" An effeminate voice cooed.
The stranger was only a little taller than Anko by about four inches and thin built. The foreigner wore a wide-brim reed-hat to shade milky white complexion. The outsider's clothing, black body suit fitting like a second skin and a loose grayish-tan long sleeved tunic secured by a strange purple obi, revealed nothing of the stranger's gender. The androgynous creature had long, lush raven-black hair and dark eyes.
"I believe you dropped it." The long-hair being cooed.
"Gee… thanks." Anko replied as she glared at the stranger, who interrupted her second taste of the blonde's sweet blood.
RUN! Shisui ordered, which the young houshi obeyed without second thought.
The blonde immediately ran into the arms of his 'nee-chan. Sasuke then placed himself between his blonde and the two nut jobs in front of him. The other Rookie Nine looked on in concern and confusion. They had never seen the blonde act this way.
Naruto?
~Naruto-dono…~ Shisui and Ka'a called, trying to calm their young Charge down.
The forest moaned in response to Naruto's panic, startling the other applicants unaware of the blonde's special connection to the forest.
"Don't just stand behind me…" Anko pouted at loosing the blonde, "radiating bloodlust… unless you're in a hurry to die."
"I'll try to keep it under control…" The effeminate creature replied as the long pink tongue retracted, "but the sight of warm, fresh blood really makes me crazy… and I was already revved up… from losing a strand of my precious hair."
"Sorry about that." She was hardly apologetic then said more to herself, "Looks like we have a hot-blooded team on our hands this time out! Heh… should be fun…
"Before we begin the second exam…"Anko sighed, "There's something I have to hand out."
This caused the applicants to look at one another curiously.
"They're consent forms. Everybody has to sign one."
"Why?" Someone from the crowd asked.
"We want all the details covered before the first death occur." She laughed, "Sign before you go in, so we can't be held liable. You wouldn't want me to get in trouble, would you?"
The applicants reluctantly came closer to receive their forms.
"First, I'll explain what the second exam entails. Then you can sign the forms. With the other two members of your cell, bring the forms to the hut behind you and submit them.
"Got that? Now, about the exam. To put it simply… it's a no-holds barred survival test."
Survival, eh? Shikamaru sighed in annoyance as he took the consent form, Another pain-in-the-neck exam! Bleah!
"Let's start with the topography of this training ground. I'll explain the rest later." She said as she pulled out a map.
"Training Ground #44," She continued, "is bordered by a circular perimeter, interrupted at regular intervals by forty-four locked gates. There are forests and a river… and in the center in a tower… about ten kilometers from those gates. Within the confines of this carefully delineated area, you're going to undergo a survival test.
"During the course of that test, you may use any ninja arts or weapons you have at your disposal. It's a kind of fight-to-the-death version of 'capture the flag'… or in this case, 'capture the scroll'."
"Scroll?" A shinobi from Waterfall asked.
"Exactly!" She cheered, "There's a 'Scroll of Heaven' and a 'Scroll of Earth'… and your objective is to acquire both scrolls. There are seventy-eight of you here. That's twenty-six three-member teams. Thirteen teams will start out with a Heaven Scroll… and the other thirteen will start with an Earth Scroll. But you'll need both scrolls to pass. So your objective is to hold on to your scroll, get your hands on one of the other kind… and then bring them both… to the tower at the center."
"In other words, at least half of us - thirteen teams whose scrolls are stolen - will fail." Sakura analyzed.
"You bet! And there's a time limit!" Anko chirped, "You have 120 hours in which to complete this exam - exactly five days!"
"Five days?" Ino exclaimed.
"What are we supposed to do for food?" Choji nearly cried.
"That's your problem." Anko answered dismissively, "The forests are full of nature's bounty. Of course, they're also full of man-eating animals, deadly insects, and poisonous plants. There's no way as many thirteen teams will pass this. As the time shortens, the trails will come harder and faster… with less recovery time for any mistakes, accidents, or injuries. You'll be surrounded by enemies at all times, so you'll have to sleep with one eye open.
"So, in addition to those who die in attempts to defend or capture a scroll… some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, starvation, and dehydration. Now let's talk about the rules… and what defenses you can be disqualified for! Obviously, the teams that fail to reach the tower in time - as a three-member cell, carrying both a Heaven and an Earth scroll - are out.
"So is any team that loses a member, whether to death or to severe injury. And under no circumstance can you leave the forest before the time is up. No recess. No time-outs. Also… you're forbidden to look at the contents of the scrolls until you're inside the tower!"
"What happens if we sneak a peek?" Someone asked.
"That's for those who look to know!" She easily answered, "If any of you make it to the Chuunin level, there will be times when you'll be entrusted with top-secret documents as consider this a test of your trustworthiness. That's all the explanation you get. When you've got yours, choose the gate you want to start from. Everyone will begin at the same time."
Then as she moved toward an enclosed shack, she turned around and said.
"One final of advice… stay alive!"
"It's almost time to distribute the scrolls." A Konoha proctor stated.
Immediately all twenty-six teams gathered to the side as each individual team approached the shack.
Smart! Sasuke observed, To keep us in the dark, they're concealing which type of scroll each team gets… and which member is carrying it! It's just like that guy Ibiki said… stealing intelligence is a matter of life and death! Everyone is an enemy! Especially that bitch, Anko! How dare she hurt my dobe? And taste his blood! When this is over…
"Naruto…" Sakura whispered as she rubbed circles on his back, "you okay?"
"W-will be…" Naruto whimpered, "Once we get in the forest… we'll be safe there…"
At Naruto's comment, Sasuke frowned.
"What the hell was that about." The raven-haired Genin demanded.
"That man…" Naruto whispered as his bright blue eyes watched the long-haired creature head toward Gate 15, "is unclean… he's evil…"
"So was Zabuza and his little pet." Sasuke stated with his arms crossed. This caused Naruto to snap at his teammate.
"Zabuza and Haku weren't evil, Sasuke!" The blonde growled, "That man is! We better stay away from him! He reeks of death!"
Onyx black orbs blinked in surprise that his blonde would talk back at him in such a manner. If he had not needed his dobe in top condition, he would have taught the little blonde a lesson.
"You're nothing more than a scaredy-cat." Sasuke spat out then went to the shack, not bothering to check to see if his teammates were following.
"Naruto?" Sakura called when she noted a pensive look on her usually care-free otouto.
"Sakura-nee-chan, something bad is gonna happen… and that man is gonna be…"
"Naruto," The pinkette whispered as she wrapped her arms around her otouto, "I feel it too… but there's nothing we can do now… except watch each other's back."
The blonde looked up to see that his 'nee-chan was also looking at the other Rookie Nine.
"You're right, 'nee-chan. But let's also hope that I'm wrong."
"Yeah…" Was all she said then followed her team leader into the shack.
Team 7 turned in their consent forms as Naruto was handed the Heaven Scroll. Immediately the blonde hid it in the folds of his top then followed his teammates to Gate 12, not thrilled that they were three gates away from that man. As they headed to their gate, Naruto made a quick mental note of where his friends were.
Kiba, Hinata and Shino were at Gate 16. Shikamaru, Choji and Ino were at Gate 27. Kabuto's team were at Gate 38.
"All right," Anko shouted, "everyone, follow your proctors to your respective gates! When the signal sounds in half an hour, the exam will begin!"
As everyone did as instructed, the twenty-six teams waited anxiously for their proctor to start the second portion of the exam.
"Part two of the journeyman ninja selection exam begins… NOW!"
All the teams then bolted.
"All right!" Sasuke grunted, "Let's go!"