16. The Stranger
"Holy shit…" I muttered.
My team stood in a horizontal line, with me on the end next to Sasuke, then Sakura, then Naruto. The room beyond Kakashi-sensei was enormous and filled with long tables and benches. Sitting atop said tables and benches was the largest mass of ninja I'd ever seen. They crowded the seats, leaned against walls, hovered in corners. Dozens upon dozens of genin, all here for one purpose: to beat the rest of us.
Several groups of ninja glanced to us as we entered the room. I scanned their faces, but they were a blur. Everyone seemed to look the same, and none of the faces were friendly. I forced myself to snap out of my nervousness and analyze the situation.
The shinobi amassed here came in all shapes in sizes, some young and some older, some male and some female. But uniform across every group were the emotions. Nervousness, excitement, anticipation and competitiveness; it all rolled into a huge fog of tension that flooded the room, threatening to suffocate its occupants. My eyes scanned the headbands. Leaf, Sand, Waterfall, Rain, Grass and…Sound? I wasn't sure I'd heard of Sound. Perhaps a new village?
"A-Are all these people here for the exam?" Sakura squeaked. The obvious fear in her voice made me cringe. I wanted to shake the girl. Hadn't she ever heard to never let your opponents sense your weakness? These people were like sharks; and they could smell fresh blood a mile away.
"Sasuke-kun; you're late!"
I recognized the voice before I saw her. In a flash of purple, Yamanaka Ino came crashing into Sasuke. She pounced on his back, wrapping herself around him. She pressed her cheek against his. "I've been oh so eagerly awaiting this meeting ever since I heard you'd be entering!"
Sasuke tried his best to glare over at the blonde. For some reason, the sight gave me a sense of satisfaction. Before the thought could dwell in my mind, Sakura turned a fierce glare on Ino.
"Get off of him, Ino Pig!" she shouted angrily.
"Oh hello Sakura, forehead big as usual I see," Ino grinned slyly at Sakura.
"Shut up, Ino Pig!" Sakura's fists shook at her side.
Ino turned her attention away from Sakura to me. She still hadn't removed her arms from around Sasuke. She gave me a smile. "Hello, Nakao, long time no see. Are you okay…you look a little pale?"
Embarrassment flooded my system and I cleared my throat. "I'm fine. Good to see you, Ino."
"Oh man, you guys are here too? How troublesome."
I glanced over to find Nara Shikamaru and his best friend Akimichi Chouji moving over to us.
"Ah man, the idiot trio's here," Naruto complained, stepping forward as the group seemed to be forming a circle around Ino and Sasuke.
"Stop calling us that!" a vein began to twitch in Shikamaru's forehead.
"Yeah, found you all!"
My eyes lit up and I pivoted to find Kiba strolling over to us, followed by his teammates Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata. I was grinning as Kiba came to a stop beside me before I gave him a bone-crushing hug.
"Oh, thank god you're here!" I wrapped my arms around his neck. It was always so good to see him; a friendly face when all I had to look forward to was Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura.
Kiba let out a nervous laugh, which I noted with curiosity. I pounced on him in excitement anytime he showed his stupid face. He was my best friend, and I missed him. Regardless, I pulled away from him with a smile. He tried to smile back, his face flushed red as he rubbed the back of his shaggy head.
I frowned, holding a hand to his forehead. "You alright? You look like you have a fever or something."
Kiba muttered that he was fine, flushing a deeper crimson. The rest of the rookies watched the exchange with quirked eyebrows. Shrugging, I draped an arm around the boy's shoulders, facing the rest of the rookies to find them watching me keenly. Sakura in particular was watching me, annoyed. I rolled my eyes in response. Like she wasn't obnoxious 24/7.
To my surprise, I noticed Sasuke staring at Kiba intently. He wasn't glaring per say, but his face spoke of instant dislike. I rolled my eyes yet again. Was he still pissed about the other day when Kiba had shouted at him? Talk about holding a grudge.
My eyes skimmed over the faces of our newly formed group. "It looks like all the rookies are here."
Before anyone could speak, a new voice spoke up as a figure drew near. "Hey you guys."
Everyone turned to the new arrival. He appeared to be several years older. His silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail, thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. I noted the Leaf headband tied around his forehead. He came to a stop next to us.
"So you guys are the ten rookies fresh out of the academy, eh?" his eyes scanned over each of us in turn. "You guys are causing quite the ruckus; this isn't a field trip."
Ino glared, having finally detached from Sasuke. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Who asked you?"
"My name is Yakushi Kabuto," he gestured an arm out theatrically, indicating the room around us. "Just look around you."
Begrudgingly, we did. Kabuto was correct, as it turned out. The large portion of our foreign counterparts were staring us down. I quickly took note of their far from amused expressions. Slowly, I looked back to Kabuto.
"You have to be careful; some of them have notoriously short tempers. Plus, everyone's tense seeing as it's the beginning of the Exams. I'm warning you guys so that you don't get picked on."
"Well aren't you a good Samaritan," my voice dripped with sarcasm.
Kabuto smirked, resting his black eyes on me. I couldn't help but notice a glimmer there, and it raised the hairs on my arm. It set me on edge, that glimmer. He might be smiling warmly, but there was something off about his eyes. They were cold, and the smile never reached them.
He continued. "I remember my first year, vulnerable and unsuspecting."
The ten of us glared, clearly of the same mind that this boy, and his sudden arrival, was very much unwelcomed.
"So this is your second time then?" Sakura asked in an attempt to be friendly.
"Well, no…it's my seventh time. They hold exams twice a year," Kabuto admitted.
"So you must know a lot about this exam," Sakura continued.
"Obviously not," I said flatly, cutting off his reply. "Not if he's still here."
Kabuto rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I see what you're driving at, but I am trying to be useful."
"Are the Exams really that difficult?" Shikamaru asked in near dismay.
"Well it's not a cake walk. Let me give you guys a head start," Kabuto reached into a pouch around his waist, pulling out a deck of cards. He held them up so all of us could see. "Recognition cards."
"Recognition cards?" Sakura echoed.
"Basically, information cards that can only work with my chakra," Kabuto explained. I watched curiously as Kabuto kneeled on the ground, placing his cards on its surface. "I've collected all this info over the past four years. There's about 200 cards total."
Kabuto flipped one card over, it was completely blank. "It looks white now but..." Kabuto put his finger on the card. It spun underneath his finger as I felt the subtle push of his chakra into the card.
"What are you doing?" Kiba asked, his chin nearly resting on my shoulder as he peered down at the cards.
"Like I said, these cards only react to my chakra."
The card stopped spinning and in the slightest plume of smoke, a map appeared on the card. The map turned horizontally and five, three- dimensional bars appeared, showing how many participants from each village there was. Sand -33 Rain -21 Grass -15 Waterfall -12 Leaf -72 Sound -3.
"There's a total of 153 participants," Kabuto stated. "Now let me ask you this question..." Everyone looked at Kabuto. "Why do you think we all take the Chuunin Exam together?"
Nobody answered. And if they were like me, nobody cared.
Kabuto held up one finger. "First, it's to make friendships between countries," another finger went up. "Next is to heighten the level of ninja…"
"And what about selecting chuunins? I thought that was the main purpose," I raised an eyebrow.
Everyone nodded.
"Well yes, that is the true purpose but...the real significance is balancing power between countries," Kabuto said.
"Balance?" Naruto questioned.
"What's the point? Why go through so much trouble?" Shikamaru asked.
Kabuto put his hand over the card making it turn white again. "If the power between countries is not balanced, one country could become more powerful and possibly take over another one."
"Is there any personal info on those cards?" Sasuke asked, stepping up. Kabuto smirked as he looked up at Sasuke.
"You had someone in mind?" Kabuto lifted one blank card, ready.
"Gaara, from the Hidden Sand Village and Rock Lee of the Leaf Village," Sasuke said.
Kabuto frowned slightly. "Oh, that's no fun, you even know their names."
Kabuto grabbed two cards from the deck and held them in front of his face. "Here we go."
"Show them to me," Sasuke said seriously.
Naruto looked back and forth from Sasuke to Kabuto, seemingly confused. I craned my own neck to get a good view.
"First, Rock Lee." Kabuto placed one card on the ground and began to spin it around. A few seconds later the card stopped spinning and information appeared. Lee's picture showed up, along with pictures of his teammates, mission numbers and a skill graph.
"Lee is one year older than you guys. He's completed 20 D rank missions and 11 C rank. His squad leader is Gai and his teammates are Tenten and Neji. His taijutsu skills have increased greatly, but his other skills haven't moved at all. He didn't take the exam last year even though he was qualified."
"Now, Gaara..." Kabuto spun another card until information appeared as Lee's had. I noticed a lot of Gaara's information was unavailable. "Gaara has completed eight C rank missions and...this is amazing, one B rank mission as a genin. He's a foreign ninja and this is his first time taking the exam so I don't have any other information on him."
The card went blank and Kabuto returned the two to his deck. Then he took another card, placing it on the ground and making it show another map. "Konoha, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and Sound. This year, many talented ninjas from these villages have come."
"Sound; it only has three participants, why is that?" I asked curiously.
"The Hidden Sound Village is a small village that just sprung up out of nowhere. I don't have any information on them," Kabuto informed. "But either way, they're all strong villages."
"It's enough to make you lose your confidence..." Hinata said fearfully.
"Oh now's a great time for saying that!" Ino scolded.
"So all the entries here are..." Sakura started.
Kabuto smirked. "Correct. Everyone here are elite ninja chosen from each country. This isn't going to be easy."
At this point, Naruto began shaking. I was deep in thought before I noticed. I frowned, eyes on the boy, wondering if he was okay, when he made a sudden, very loud, outburst. He turned to all the ninja gather in the room, pointing at them with a stupid grin on his face.
"My name's Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gunna beat every one of you!"
I watched Naruto, dumbfounded. Surprised? No. Worried the ninja were all going to rip our throats out? Very. I tried to turn away from Naruto, pretending I had no relationship with him.
Ino angrily glared at Sakura. "Hey! Control your boyfriend!"
Sakura glared back. "What'd you say!?"
Naruto grinned, putting his arms behind his head. "Ah, that felt good!"
Kiba smirked, resting an elbow on my shoulder as he watched Naruto. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. I'm not sure you were loud enough."
"You bakka, do you want to make everyone here your enemy?" Shikamaru glared at Naruto.
Sakura head locked Naruto from behind. "You idiot! Don't you ever stop to think!?"
As Sakura attacked Naruto, the other ninja started looking irritable again. Sakura noticed and looked at them. "Oh sorry, don't mind him. He has some mental problems..."
Sakura pulled him back and started scolding him. It was then that my senses picked up movement. A breeze rushed past me, setting my muscles on edge. I made to move, but the attack had already commenced.
A boy with a yellow shirt threw two kunai at Kabuto. Kabuto jumped backwards and the kunai pierced the ground instead of his chest. But as Kabuto was distracted, another ninja with bandages completely covering his face and long purple sleeves covering his hands, appeared right in front of him and sent a punch at Kabuto's face. Kabuto dodged and landed on his feet. Kabuto smirked, before a moment passed and the lenses of his glasses shattered.
Kabuto took his glasses off, examining them closely. "I see, so that's what kind of attack it was..."
My eyes scanned the area, moving from Kabuto to take in the room, weary of more attackers. But the rest of the room was standing idly.
Sasuke stepped up. "Hold on, I saw the whole thing, Kabuto wasn't touched!"
I looked back in time to see Kabuto grasp at his head and fall to his knees. He leaned over his knees, vomiting blood onto the ground. Naruto and Sakura hurried to his side. The other rookies watched on in shock and confusion.
"Quiet down you punks!"
There was a big poof of smoke from the front of the room that grabbed our attention. The voice continued. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
The smoke slowly disappeared to reveal a man. He was very tall and his muscles made him very broad. His skin was tanned although he wore pants and a black trench coat. Wrapped around the top of his head, completely covering it like a bandana, was his Leaf headband. A long scar ran down one side of his face. "I'm Morino Ibiki, the first proctor of the Chuunin Exams."
After his introduction, Ibiki turned his attention to our group. He pointed a finger at the attacking ninja. "Hey you, ninja from the Sound. Do you think you can just do whatever you want in here? Do you want to be disqualified already?"
"Sorry Sir, this is our first time. I guess we're a little…excited," the ninja with the bandages covering his face replied. Contrary to his apology, he sounded rather pleased with himself.
Ibiki smirked at the boy before his gaze slipped over our entire group, then passed to the rest of the classroom. "I guess this would be a good time to point out that you are not allowed to fight during the exam, unless instructed to do so by a proctor."
"I can tell this exam is going to be soft and easy," replied the teammate with a roll of his eyes. He sneered before moving away with his team. I watched them go, admittedly a little unsettled.
"We will now begin the first test of the Chuunin Exam," Ibiki announced. "Turn in your applications, then..." Ibiki held up a white card note card. On it was a bold 1. "Take one of these cards and what number you get will decide your seating. Once everyone is seated, we will pass out the papers for the written test."
"Written...? Papers...?" Naruto muttered.
I glanced over to the blonde. His skin had paled and he looked clammy. A nearby chuunin ruffled a large stack of papers. Naruto's eyes turned white as he slammed his hands on the floor and cried out in despair. "No! Not a written test! No way!"
"God, your teammate's such a spaz," Kiba murmured in my ear as the classroom began to form into three vertical lines.
A retrieved my application from my pocket, breathing under my breath. "You have no idea."
Reaching the front of the line I'd chosen, I handed a chuunin my application. In return, he handed me a small, white, cardboard square. Stepping away from the line, I glanced at the number. 79. I glanced back up as Kiba left the line and neared me holding his own number.
"What number did you get?" I asked him.
Kiba held up his card so I could see. "180."
I glanced around the room. The seating was split into three sections. Long benches and tables were placed vertically behind one another on the left and right side of the room. A wide aisle separated both sides by a middle section. A quick glance at the signs designating the seating, I discovered that Kiba and I were not in the same section. I would be seated on the right side of the room, while Kiba would be on the left.
I turned a smile at Kiba, that came out as more of a grimace. "Well, good luck."
Kiba flashed me a white smile and a wave before making his way to the other side of the room. I already stood in front of my section and made my way down the aisle, glancing at the numbers. Finding my row, I took the second seat in. Settling into my seat, I placed my numbered card down on the wooden surface of the desk.
I waited for the others to take their seats with chin on my hand. I saw Naruto and Sakura take their seats in the middle section. Naruto was now looking positively green. So much for his earlier confidence. Sakura was sitting further back in the middle section. Sasuke detached from a line and he glanced at the card before peering around the room.
Sasuke began making his way down the aisle. His eyes paused over me as he passed and I gave him a little wave. I was feeling a little nervous myself, but Sasuke lacked any sign of concern. He passed me, headed for a seat several rows behind me.
I watched the crowd dwindle for a while before a felt a shadow loom over me. I glanced up and to my left. Standing there was a boy.
He appeared several years older than me, at least. He was tall, even taller than Keitaro, who dwarfed me in size despite me being a little tall for my age. He was wearing a tan t-shirt and black pants, the same as Kakashi-sensei's. Bandages covered the skin between the end of his pants and his black ninja sandals. I squinted at his headband, discerning the Sand Village emblem through the sandy blonde bangs that nearly covered his headband and fell into his eyes.
His eyes...!
I was staring, but I hardly noticed. His eyes were the same shape and color as mine; something I'd never run into before, aside from my father's eyes. So fascinated I was by this discovery that I didn't notice I was still goggling as the boy glanced up and our identical eyes locked. My breath caught in my throat.
His eyes reminded me of Kabuto's and sent a shiver down my spine. Emotions were dancing in his eyes, but I couldn't read them. They were guarded, hard as steel. Swallowing, I pulled my gaze away and towards the front. My leg shook up and down as the boy wordlessly took the empty seat to my left and next to the aisle. Once he was seated, I dared one more glance. He was staring forwards, hands resting on his thighs.
The sound of Ibiki's voice grabbed my attention, pulling it to the front of the classroom. As the last genin took their spot, Ibiki stood in front of the black chalkboard, grabbing a piece of chalk and tapping it loudly against the board to grab everyone's attention. As he began to speak, chuunin began to move up and down the rows, passing out papers, placing them face down before us.
"This exam has a few important rules. Listen up because I won't be accepting any questions."
My eyebrows furrowed. No questions?
Ibiki began to write on the board as he spoke. "You all start with a total of ten points. This test has ten questions; thus, each question is worth one point. This is a deduction-based test so if you get a question wrong, you will be deducted a point. Next, the pass/fail decision is based on the team's total score."
My face paled as I felt the blood rush from it. My gaze turned sharply to the back of my blonde teammate's head. As if sensing the glares of his three teammates, Naruto shrunk into himself.
"What!? No way!" Sakura exclaimed from somewhere behind me and to my left.
"Shut up!" Ibiki barked. "There's a reason so just shut up and listen."
Sakura fell silent but her disbelieving expression stayed etched into her face.
"Now, to the next rule. Those chuunin you see stationed around the room..." I looked to my right to find a dozen chunnin sitting in chairs against the wall. They each held a clipboard in their hands. "Those examiners are here to watch you. If they catch you cheating, or anything similar to that, during the test, each time will cost you two points. So, if you are caught cheating five times, you fail and will be escorted from the room immediately."
A murmur of whispers went around the room, but Ibiki continued. "Those who cheat without thinking will be caught and will only hurt themselves. You all are here to become chuunin. If you want to be treated as an elite ninja, act like one."
I closed my eyes momentarily, taking in this information. I took a deep, calming breath in through my nose. Well, at least Naruto won't be dumb enough to cheat…I hope. And even if he does, then he's the only one who fails. As long as Sakura, Sasuke and I do well on our tests, our scores should make up for Naruto even if he gets a zero.
"Oh and, if anyone in your team gets a zero, the whole team fails," Ibiki added.
My composure slipped, as well as my chin from my hand and I almost bashed my forehead on the desk. I looked up to Ibiki, my eyes wide. Fear etched itself onto my heart. What!? He has to be joking! He has to be joking!
"The tenth question will be given out in the last fifteen minutes of the exam. You are given one hour to complete the test. Begin!"
There was a large, unison rustle as papers were turned over and the scratching of pencil on paper as everyone wrote their names. I scratched my name into the upper corner of the page, glancing at the test. My eyes barely finished skimming the words of the questions before I was glancing up to Naruto. Even from here, I could see him squirming in his seat. My heart dropped but I shook my head. I couldn't worry about him right now. I had to concentrate on the task at hand.
I turned my attention back to the test. I looked over the first question, reading it thoroughly...and then again. And again. As I continued to read the story problem, I found myself tapping the eraser of my pencil against my lips. My eyebrows knitted in confusion. I frowned.
Okay...I don't get that one. I'll come back to it.
My eyes moved down to the second problem. I read it over and a burst of excitement rushed through me. I put my pencil to my paper, beginning to write, before my brain caught up to itself. I stopped mid-sentence, frowning at what I'd written. I read through the problem again and realized I had read it wrong. I erased my answer and decided to skip onto problem three.
The parabola B, represents a shuriken's maximum throwing distance of the enemy ninja, A, from a height of seven meters. Figure out the trait of the enemy ninja that can be observed from the ellipse formed by the shuriken. Also, figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning.
As with the previous questions, I read through the problem multiple times. Slowly, I set my pencil down as hopelessness grasped at my heart. I realized that every question got progressively harder...and I didn't even understand the first one.
I placed my head in my hands, feeling heat rush into my face and tears prick at my eyes. The crushing weight of failure pulled at my heart. These words might as well have been written in a foreign language for all the sense they made to me.
I was going to fail this test. Worse yet, I'd bring my teammates down with me.
Trying to shove down the frustrated tears, I lifted my head and glanced to my left. Sakura was whizzing through her paper, face stitched in concentration. I then looked to Naruto, who was slumped in his seat, his head in his hands the same as I'd been.
I was dying to peer back at Sasuke, to see if he understood, but I didn't dare. I glanced back to the chuunin lining the walls. Their eyes were alert, attentive and every so often one would scratch something onto their clipboard.
I glanced back to my paper, devoid of answers. How was this the first test? It didn't make any sense. Only a handful of people in this room could probably answer these questions. The problems were based on uncertain circumstances and estimated formulas; none of which I knew. How would I know these? It's not information the average shinobi carried with them.
I rubbed a hand against my face. This entire exam made no sense. What was the point in asking these questions? No chuunin would need to know these. Besides, for that one chance in hell I did need to know, I'd just ask Sakura-
My mind froze. I looked back to the front of the room where Ibiki stood, examining the participants. His words rushed back to me.
"Those who cheat without thinking will be caught and will only hurt themselves. You all are here to become chuunin. If you want to be treated as an elite ninja, act like one."
An impossible test...Five chances to cheat...How had I not seen it before!?
This was the test. They weren't testing our knowledge. They were testing our ability to obtain information without getting caught. Now that was something the average chuunin would need to be able to do.
A sense of relief rushed through me, until a new thought came to fruition. How was I going to cheat and not get caught?
I blocked out the distant sound of scratching pencils as I racked my brain for the answer. Boy it sure would be helpful to have some kind of mind jutsu right now. My eyes flew open. Sasuke!
Sasuke had his Sharingan, which copied movements! He was probably using it right now to steal someone's answers! I needed to send him a signal and-
And what?
I frowned. That still didn't help me much; I couldn't copy movements. What could I do? My mind ran through options; few as they were.
I could slide his paper to me, I thought. But it was risky. What if someone noticed a piece of paper sliding along the ground? I could make it silent, but what if someone saw it? Not a great option, but an option. What else?
My mind thought to Sasuke's Sharingan again. He'd be able to find someone with the answers and copy their hand movements. Was that something I could do myself? My wind could detect movements, but I've never used it so subtly. If an opponent was fighting against my power, no problem. But the slight movements of letters? It'd be tricky. The concentration required would be immense, if I could even pull it off at all. Certainly, if I was in enemy territory, it would take too much effort and I'd probably be killed. But we weren't in enemy territory, were we?
I found myself glancing at the hard face of Ibiki. Well, not literally in enemy territory anyway.
I could feel the ticking seconds as I pondered my decision. Maybe I should signal Sasuke first? Maybe he would have an idea.
As subtly as humanly possible, I took in a deep breath and performed the handsigns for my kekki genki under my desk. I felt the power flow through me, then out of me, hovering close to my skin as it waited for command.
Gently, I eased my wind down my knees, to my legs, then past my feet along the floor. I tried to move slowly, but my eyes were on the clock. I hoped that anyone who felt the breeze against their ankles would think little of it.
As I felt my chakra near Sasuke's, his chakra's presence so familiar to me, I began to ease it up his legs and knees. I even slowed the progression a bit in hopes of not startling him. But I just knew he had his Sharingan activated and I was sure he would see the tendrils of my chakra.
I felt my wind spill onto the desk and slowed it as much as I possibly could. It would do no good for the examiners to notice paper ruffling on the desk. If they did, both Sasuke and I would be in big trouble.
I no longer looked at the minutes ticking by. Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut to pull forth my utmost concentration. I molded the chakra in my wind and it took the shape of letters. To anyone else, the message would be completely invisible. But for Sasuke, who could see my chakra, it read: HELP!
I opened my eyes now, eyes glued to the clock once more. I watched the second-hand tick by. I had no idea if Sasuke would be able to help me, or if I needed to give him an idea. I could spell out my ideas for him in the wind; but the amount of time it would take would cut it really short.
Before I made a decision, I noticed something ease into my lap. I glanced down curiously to find a tiny ball of paper there. The ball was tiny, smaller than a fingernail. I canceled my jutsu to see what Sasuke had sent back to me. I unraveled the ball in my lap and smirked to find the answers, written as tiny as possible, sitting in my lap.
No time to groan over the fact that Sasuke just saved my ass. I grabbed my pencil and copied the answers onto my paper.
As I finished, I placed my pencil down and glanced at the clock. Five minutes to spare. A little too close for comfort, and I was feeling it. Now that I sat back in my seat, I could feel the increased beating of my heart. This whole test had been anxiety inducing. I made a mental note to create a decent message system when I got home.
I glanced away from the clock and to the rest of the room and blinked, surprised. At least a quarter of the genin who had started, were now gone. So focused I'd been on my task that I hadn't noticed the genin be dismissed. My resolve to create an effective communication system hardened. No use gathering information if I'd be dead before I could finish.
My eyes fell on the boy beside me. He sat calmly, hands on his thighs, facing forward as he waited. Sunlight from the window fell upon him, highlighting his sandy blonde hair. And then it hit the side of his face, highlighting another feature I hadn't noticed before.
On the right side of his face, the side facing me, I noticed a long scar. It ran vertically from his cheekbone, to his chin. The scar was flesh colored, indicating it was old. It was deep, the scar tissue an inch wide from end to end. My eyes hovered over the discerning scar before I tore my gaze away.
Five Minutes Later
Very little happened around the room while the time had wound down. The genin who had failed had already been eliminated and everyone that remained sat silently in their seats. I drummed my fingertips silently against my thigh as my eyes watched the seconds tick on. When the minute hand finally ticked onto the 45, myself and my fellow genin all turned expectant eyes on Ibiki. His attention had been on a pocket watch in his hand. He flipped it shut, stuffing it into his jacket before scanning the room.
"Well, it looks like our incompetent ninja have been weeded out. However, before I start the tenth question, there's one thing I must take care of...There is a special rule concerning this last problem."
Another rule? I frowned, deflating a little. I hadn't realized I'd inched forward in my seat and I fell back into it.
"This rule is...a hopeless rule. Before we start the tenth question, you must decide whether you would like to take it or not."
Now that was peculiar, and suspicious. I felt my stomach clench uneasily. If he was allowing us this option, the tenth question wouldn't bode well for us. I glanced around at the faces around me. Some looked confused, others held the same slightly-nauseated look that mirrored my own.
"What happens if we choose not to take the tenth question?" Temari asked from the back of the room.
"If you choose not to take the exam, you and your teammates will receive a zero. In other words, you fail," Ibiki answered.
"What's the point in that? Of course we're going to take it!" those around the room with the confused expression began to mutter.
"But here's the other part of the rule..." Ibiki began.
My stomach churned with anxiety.
Ibiki continued, eyes sweeping over us. "If you decide to take the tenth question and get it wrong, you will forever lose the privilege to take the Chuunin Exams."
My back stiffened, muscles tensing. I'd been correct; this didn't bode well for us at all. Uproars of protests began to pop up around the room.
"That's a bunch of bull!" Kiba yelled, standing up and pointing accusingly at Ibiki. "Plenty of people here have taken the exam before, failed, and took the exam again!"
Ibiki began to chuckle, long enough and low enough to set my teeth on edge. "I guess you guys are just...unlucky. This year is my first year, I am the rules. That is why I gave you the option of quitting. Those who are not confident enough to take the exam can come back and take the exam year after year should they choose."
Ibiki's title of 'hopeless rule' was accurate.
"Those who wish not to take the exam, raise your hands. And I feel it goes without saying: you and your teammates are in this together."
I took a deep breath in through my nose, my thoughts turning. Pure and simple, this was a gamble; a gamble with a lot at stake. If I chose not to take the exam, I'd only continue to come back year after year until I was able to face whatever the tenth question might be. But if I took the risk and I failed, everything I worked for would have been for nothing.
I'd idolized my brother growing up, even more so after my parents had passed. I couldn't save them then; but to rise to jounin would be to insert myself in the fate of others. I could save whoever was in my charge. Be the strength and security my parents had needed.
All the dawns and dusks in my backyard, chakra exerted past the ability to stand…Hours upon hours perfecting a single technique…Four AM runs around the village to make my muscles scream and my racing thoughts silent…The sweat, the tears, the blood…It would all be for not if I took the gamble and lost.
But the one thing about me for good or for bad…Makase Nakao loved to gamble.
But I couldn't say my confidence wasn't faltering as those around me raised their hands, some whispering tearful apologies to their teammates. And then my eyes fell on Naruto. Even from here I could see his body trembling and my heart dropped into my stomach.
He was terrified. He had no confidence in his ability to answer the next question, despite having made it this far. He had so much to lose. He wanted to be the Hokage; and not for power or influence, simply in order to be treated as a human being, to be respected, to be equal. And if he failed here, that dream would vanish, and he'd be that sad boy alone on the swing outside of the Academy once again. He could lose his dream. But he was Naruto, and he wouldn't put our best interests at stake by quitting.
I felt his desperation wash through me. Should we do something? Should I do something? Should we prolong our dreams to save his?
I found myself glancing over to Sakura and was surprised to see discomfort written across her features. Her eyes were glued to Naruto's back and I wondered if she'd had the same realization as me. As though sensing my gaze, her green eyes found mine and they locked. I'd never connected with Sakura on any level, but we were in this moment. Our thoughts were one, I could see it in her eyes. I was taken aback, honestly, that she'd consider the sacrifice. She treated Naruto like the plague, but here she was, her hands twitching in her lap. Sakura and I did not get along. We had deep seeded resentment towards each other and I had completely founded opinions about how she chose to live her life. But in this moment, I felt something akin to respect for my pink-haired teammate.
I didn't try to stop her as I saw her shoulder twitch. I watched her hand hover over her desk, about to raise fully into the air when a loud slapping sound echoed across the room. My head snapped over in the direction of the sound, bemused but not altogether surprised to find my blonde teammate on his feet, hand flat against the table top. He was staring down Ibiki, his shoulders set, no longer shaking.
"Screw you! I'm gunna take this test! Even if I do stay a genin forever, I'll become Hokage no matter what!" Naruto plopped down in his seat, nodding to himself in satisfaction.
I sealed my lips to prevent a chuckle from escaping. An idiot my teammate was, but a brave one. All around the room, the eyes of the genin shifted from Naruto back to Ibiki; and no one else raised their hands.
Ibiki's eyes swept the room once more, but he was only met with hardened, determined stares. "I will ask again. Does anyone wish to withdraw from the exam?"
But no one answered. No one stood or raised their hands, nor did anyone even glance uncertainly to one another. I had to hand it to Naruto, his motivational speaking skills were par to none.
After a pregnant pause, Ibiki spoke. "Alright then, for everyone left…"
I gripped at my pants, leaning forward in my seat.
"…you pass."
It took a very long moment for Ibiki's words to set in. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. I had to run the words through my mind a couple of times before the meaning sank in.
I passed?
As the reality hit, the genin began to look excitedly at one another, while others watched on, confused. Whispers broke out across the room.
"What do you mean we pass!? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked, clearly stilled shocked.
Ibiki beamed, an unusual expression and it cast an odd shadow across his face, due to the scar running down his face. "There was no tenth question! Or you can call that decision the tenth question if you would like."
"So what was the point of the previous nine questions!? Did they mean nothing!?" Temari asked.
"No, those questions already accomplished their purpose," Ibiki said. "Your ability to obtain information. This exam tests what you would do as a leader, under the constant pressure of those who depend on you. The questions found on your test papers could not be solved by genins. Thus, most of you must have figured out that you need to cheat, so we stationed two Chuunin in the room disguised as a genin that knew all the answers. For those who could not cheat without being caught, they were weeded out."
"Of course! It's so obvious! Who couldn't have known!?" Naruto said loudly, leaning casually back in his seat.
My eye twitched. I guess I shouldn't be surprised he never figured out that he needed to cheat…
Ibiki reached up, slowly untying the headband that covered his scalp. As he brought it down, the florescent lights shined down upon burn marks and puncture wounds; some old and not healed properly, some appearing newer. I couldn't stop myself; I cringed.
"Information can have a greater value than life at times, and in missions and battlefields, information is contested with lives of people," Ibiki retied his headband around his head. "The information that an enemy gets after being noticed by a third person will not necessarily be accurate. Getting incorrect information can cause great damage to your teammates and village. But the last question…The tenth question was the main question of this exam.
It was a painful decision. Should you play it safe, you fail your team as well as yourself. If you chose to take the chance and fail, you doom yourself permanently. This is the difficult choice that all Chuunins face. You are sent to capture a secret document; but the number of enemy ninja, their abilities and alignments are all unknown. Knowing the danger, do you accept the mission? But despite the lives of your teammates and yourself being in danger, will you be getting rid of the danger? No. Will you look death in the face and lead your team into the dangerous unknown?
This is what we look for in a Chuunin squad leader. Those who cannot bet their fate in a critical situation...Those who give up when given the chance because there is a next year and let their minds sway over an uncertain future...fools who only carry a light determination like them have no right to become a Chuunin. That is what I believe. I believe that you have chosen the right answer to the difficult tenth question. You can deal with the difficulties that lay ahead."
And Keitaro tells me gambling will be my downfall. I couldn't wait to tell him what Ibiki said.
But the smirk on my face was wiped away in seconds as the window on the left side of the room suddenly shattered. Shards of glass showered over desks as students flung arms in front of their faces and a rapidly-moving form dashed to the front of the room where Ibiki stood. A black banner unfurled behind a woman that now suddenly stood on Ibiki's desk. She had short, purple hair and a cocky look on her face. The tapestry was pinned to the wall by kunai and the white lettering upon it read: Mitarashi Anko; Proctor of the Second Exam!
"Alright you maggots, don't start your celebrating yet! I am the second proctor, Mitarashi Anko! Alright everyone! Follow me!"
Anko pumped her fist into the air as though she led a charge. The room remained silent as genin attempted to recover from their shock, taking in the woman before them. The blank stares seemed to deflate some of Anko's energy.
Ibiki's hand appeared and pushed back a corner of the black tapestry so that he could walk out from behind it. He glanced over at Anko. "You're early…"
Anko blushed, embarrassed, until her eyes scanned the classroom critically. She suddenly frowned, turning to look at Ibiki. "Twenty-six? You let twenty-six teams pass? Going soft?"
Ibiki smirked. "Or maybe there's just a tougher crop of candidates this year."
Anko snorted, glancing back to us with an eye-roll and a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh well, half of them will be eliminated after my exam."
Blood rushed from my face at an alarming rate. Half?
"Tomorrow the second exam begins. Your jounin leaders will know the meeting time and place. That is all. Dismissed."
The initial movement to rise from our seats was slow, but the energy picked up. Though still slightly reeling from the day's events, excited genin began to hurry from their seats, finding their teammates. They spoke in excited whispers and laughter.
Deciding I'd best join the fray, I got my feet, stretching my arms above my head. Popping my back, I turned to leave, only to find the boy next to me still seated. I waited a moment for him to realize he was blocking my exit, but the thought didn't seem to occur to him.
"Um…excuse me," I said gently, moving to squeeze past him.
But for someone who could sit stone still, his speed took me off guard. Without fully comprehending what was happening before me, the boy shot to his feet and his hand shot out, grasping my upper, right arm. His vice-like grip tightened around my arm and I winced as I felt the bruises already forming. Confused and highly alert, I glanced up to the boy. My mouth opened but shut immediately, for words had failed me. What was happening?
But as the boy remained silent, I finally found my voice and pushed the words out of my mouth. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Finally meeting you, Nakao," the boy finally spoke. His voice was smooth, elegant and punctuated. It had a lulling quality that made me want to feel secure, but my instincts forbade it.
I swallowed against my throat as his eyes bored into mine. They were so still and empty it made me feel unnerved. His face was as vacant as his eyes. "Who are you?"
"Isn't it such a shame we've never truly met?" his upper lip curled into a devilish smirk and his eyes narrowed on me like a predator who'd found his prey. "You know, you look exactly like your brother."
My mind was reeling, my heart racing. Who was this strange boy holding me captive at my desk? Who knew my name and my brother? Who shared my eyes?
His eyes fell from my face and trailed down my neck, scanning my entire body in a quick sweep. "Maybe not exactly. Much softer skin, higher cheekbones, pronounced collar bone, curves…"
I clenched my teeth together. He was messing with me. My eyes flickered to his headband, passing over the Sand Village insignia.
" .you?" I ground out.
"I'm so glad you're interested," the boy said. His voice sounded amused, but the humor didn't reach his eyes. They sparkled menacingly, and I almost expected him to lick some sharp incisors. "My name is Natsuo."
I couldn't say why, but goosebumps broke out across my skin. I did not know this boy, but something told me I would come to know him, and the thought cooled the blood in my veins. Something about him was getting to me and I wanted nothing more than to be free of his grasp and his cold, empty, calculating gaze.
"Nakao."
My breath hitched in my throat as Sasuke's voice reached my ears. I was relieved yet concerned that Sasuke had walked into the situation. I didn't know what Natsuo wanted, but if I didn't want him around me, I didn't want him around anyone else. My gaze shifted past Natsuo to find Sasuke and Naruto standing expectantly beside the row of seats in front of mine.
I saw Natsuo's face wipe blankly for a moment before he straightened. Gone was his sickening grin and piercing eyes. In its place he wore a tight smile and mischievous eyes. But I could still see it; the coldness that radiated from somewhere deep inside him. His disguise wasn't all that good, I realized. Maybe enough to fool Naruto, but not someone like Sasuke.
"You must be Sasuke," Natsuo said breezily, subtly releasing my arm. My left hand grasped the pulsing area where his fingers had gripped my flesh. "I've heard so much about you. I was just acquainting myself with our lovely Nakao here."
I glared at Natsuo, lips pressed tightly together. Sasuke too, seemed unhappy and his eyes narrowed on the Sand ninja. They stared at one another before Natsuo pulled his attention away and back towards me. A chill broke over me as he pinned me with those unnerving eyes and I couldn't suppress a shiver. Natsuo caught the subtle movement and his eyes gleamed with something unmistakable: bloodlust. He grinned sickeningly, white teeth completing his look.
"Until next time," Natsuo said smoothly. He reached out and grabbed my hand before I could pull away. He raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. My body was rigid as his eyes held mine and I knew that he could feel the hold he had over me, the fear he struck into my heart.
My eyes followed Natsuo as he turned his back on me and brushed past Sasuke towards the front of the room. Two people had been waiting there, apparently for him. They appeared of age with Natsuo. The male was even taller than Natsuo with a much broader build. His silver hair was pulled into a low ponytail, reaching past his shoulders. He wore a dark blue poncho that matched the color of his eyes and black pants. A staff was strapped to his back.
A girl stood beside him, much shorter, especially for her age as she was barely taller than myself. Her mint green hair was cut to rest atop her shoulders and a white flower stuck on the right side of her head pinned some bangs away from her eyes. She was wearing a green, long-sleeved kimono that revealed her midriff at a slant. It had a low V-neck collar, showcasing the black netting she wore over her chest. A brown skirt ended where the kunai holster on her right thigh began. A large metal ring hung off her back.
As I watched Natsuo join his teammates, I unconsciously wandered out of the desks. I found myself standing beside Sasuke, vaguely noticing that Naruto had caught sight of Sakura and rushed over to fetch her.
"Who is that?" Sasuke asked, eyes also on the Sand team. His voice was clipped and he was clearly unhappy.
"Natsuo…" I replied, quietly and with a very dry throat.
"And who is he?"
My eyes had never left Natsuo and at that moment, he glanced back at me. Our eyes locked and his gleamed, making all kinds of promises I hoped he'd break. With that feeling of unease pressing against my chest, Natsuo turned away from me and followed his teammates from the room. My eyes hovered on the empty doorway. "I don't know."
Author's Note: Longest chapter to date, weighing in at nearly 18 pages. The coming chapters are equally long, if not longer. Thanks for reading!