Chapter Seventeen: Put Trust to the Test
Disclaimer: I've got a test for you, and I trust you'll be able to get 100% right: Do I, Azira, own Naruto? The answer will be at the end of the chapter.
Sasuke briefly activated his Sharingan to memorize his part of their mission, and glanced up at the chalk board to re-read the rules.
I have nineteen minutes to figure out how to share this information with both Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke thought, absently swatting at a fly that buzzed at his ear. And if we need to tell the "enemy" the same exact thing, then we'll need to get our story straight as well.
Brushing away the persistent fly from his desk, Sasuke turned his gaze to the proctors and briefly wondered if he could put them all in a genjutsu and then go find Naruto and Sakura.
No; Sasuke shook his head. That requires too much chakra, and I haven't practiced my genjutsu enough to ensure it would work on elite shinobi.
There were twenty proctors in the room; ten Yamanaka, six Inuzuka, and four more jōnin not from any major clan. Sasuke frowned; did they spare this many jōnin in the original timeline? Or even last time?
Sasuke set his elbows on the table, and intertwined his fingers in thought. They are really going all out this year, using jōnin who were likely experts at extracting information and… Sasuke tried flicking the fly away, and looked out the window.
We should have practiced team communications more. I don't know if those two have the capability to do this on their own, and my own abilities are limited here.
Sasuke scowled at the thought, and looked back at the clock – where the fly buzzed right in front of him, blocking the number 8. Sasuke glared at the fly, and raised his hand to kill it—
Wait… Didn't Sakura have a plan? Involving… Something. Was it a fly? Dust? What was it again? Sasuke's scowl deepened; Why wasn't I paying closer attention?
Sasuke watched as the fly buzzed in an irritated manner, sparking a memory of Naruto turning himself into a clone. Is this really Naruto though? How can I trust that the dobe would be able to think clearly enough to apply the plan? When would he have done it? And discreetly? Is Naruto even capable of being discreet?
Looking away, he briefly caught a glimpse of Hinata.
What if this is just a trick from that Aburame kid… Shi… Shig? Satou? Whatever his name is, it could be a trick…
The fly suddenly buzzed right in Sasuke's ear, causing him to flinch, and then flew down to the desk. Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke watched as it landed and then promptly jumped. Like a frog.
The strange sight immediately made Sasuke relax; it has to be Naruto. Only he would make a fly jump. The fly looped a couple of times – somehow in a sarcastic manner – and then flew right at Sasuke's face as though it were trying to attack him.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, waved the fly away, and reopened his mission scroll for the Naruto-fly to look at the information. With a final, irritating, buzz, the clone flew down and seemed to read. Of course, it's Naruto, Sasuke thought as he took out an inkwell and set it down while the clone read. How could I have thought otherwise?
Thankfully, the clone seemed to get the message and dunked himself into the inkwell, and Sasuke watched as the fly clone began to write. Why didn't I notice it earlier? Of course, this is Naruto; even flies aren't usually that annoying.
The anxiety Sasuke felt lessened some, and he began to feel… Not embarrassed, of course, but… Something. He felt something about the fact he hadn't remembered Sakura's plan right away, or trusted that his team could figure out a strategy without his assistance.
Though, in my defense, Naruto is normally an idiot,Sasuke thought. Blocking the fly from view of the proctors, he decided to observe the other fifty contestants in the room, noting the ones he personally knew.
Shikamaru was yawning, but Sasuke noticed that his shadow had grown unnaturally long and stretched out to the window. Tenten was furiously writing something down, and Sasuke watched as she threw the paper into a scroll.
Kankuro leaned back in his chair, looking smug with his hands behind his head and an easy smile on his face. Hinata meanwhile had her Byakugan active, and was apparently peering at something Sasuke couldn't see.
Looks like they all have a plan… His eyes shifted over to the Oto ninja. It was the boy who injured Sakura in the original timeline – Sasuke could still remember the way he felt breaking that boy's arms. He remembered how intoxicated he felt, using the curse mark for the first time. How powerful he was.
But Itachi had worked hard to ensure that no mark of Orochimaru's would be left on Sasuke's skin. Subconsciously touching his neck, Sasuke remembered the day he killed his brother, and shook his head. The least I can do is respect that decision, and avoid getting the curse mark again. I don't need anyone's help this time.
He looked back down at Naruto, who had written the second part of their mission as well as their cover story. Apparently, they were on a C-Rank mission of transporting the top-secret family recipe for the world's greatest Miso Ramen.
Sasuke had to snort, but couldn't deny that it worked well as a cover story. It was similar enough to their A-Rank mission of transporting top secret Konohagakure war plans to… Sasuke looked down at what Naruto had written. They were transporting the plans to a platoon in the Land of Rice Paddies.
Seemingly satisfied, Naruto's fly clone buzzed away. Only six minutes left… Sasuke looked around for Naruto's second clone to bring in the next part of their mission.
"Group One, your time is up. You have been captured." An Inuzuka woman called out loudly.
Sasuke internally hissed; he was part of Group Two. Where are you, Naruto?
He hated waiting on others. He hated relying on others. If he had orchestrated the strategy rather than using Sakura's, or had been the one to execute it rather than Naruto… It would be much better.
Sasuke thought back on when he separated from his group fifteen minutes ago (where is Naruto?) and remembered the dobe's grin. "Trust me" Naruto's face practically screamed. Sasuke tapped his finger on the desk now, and then forced himself to relax.
I'm being watched. Don't show weakness. Naruto will make it in time. He always makes it in time. Sasuke frowned, suddenly remembering the Waves mission.
Except for the time when he didn't.
Sasuke's eyes returned to the clock, thinking of all the ways he could perhaps find out what he needed, and then share—
"Numbers 13, 84, 36, and 24: you are disqualified!" A chūnin barked from the door.
Sasuke's heart leapt to his throat – what number am I again? 23. I'm 23. Sasuke released a hiss of relief. We're still safe. They haven't given themselves away yet.
"What?" a young Ame woman exclaimed. "But I haven't even gone yet!"
"Yeah, and I passed already!" A Konoha ninja that Sasuke didn't recognize protested.
"Your teammates all failed for you! Get going." The chūnin ordered.
With loud curses, all four individuals left, leaving Sasuke to stare back up at the clock. One minute left? Naruto, where are you? We are going to fail at this rate!
Sasuke's hands clenched and he looked down—
To see Naruto's clone. He's here. Sasuke's shoulders relaxed at the sight. The fly was writing a whole host of information for Sasuke. Their A-Rank mission calls for them to stop in Ame first to receive low-priority intel for the commander stationed in Rice Paddies, and—
"Bull! That's bull and you bloody well know it!" a voice raged, catching Sasuke's attention.
He glanced up to see the Oto boy red faced. He stepped forward to a Yamanaka man with his hands balled into tight fists, but the proctor quickly twisted the boy's arm. Sasuke got a good look at the man; he had an impassive expression on his face, made more severe by the three tight braids that hung down his back. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.
Something about that proctor… looks familiar.
"I end-augh! Endured your creepy tactic without complaint!" the Oto ninja protested. "How – how can you say I failed?"
"You are disqualified. Exit, now." The proctor said.
"But I answered every question perfectly! I know I did!" He exclaimed, grunting in pain.
"Not perfectly enough. Exit." The Yamanaka responded before pushing the Oto ninja towards the door.
Cursing loudly, he fell hard on his knees. He looked up and met Sasuke's eyes.
"What're you looking at, huh?" He growled before getting on his feet.
Sasuke decided to not react as his response. Predictably, the ninja's face grew bright red with rage, and raised his hand. Something must have made him change his mind, however, because the Oto ninja whirled around towards the door.
Oto is… out? I won't be dealing with them? Sasuke watched as the ninja stocked out of the room – cursing as he went.
Who will Orochimaru use then?
"Group Two! You have been captured!" the Inuzuka from before declared.
Sharingan swirling, Sasuke memorized the contents of what Naruto wrote, and then destroyed the clone. Sasuke rose to his feet and burned the scroll before walking to the nearest proctor – the same Yamanaka that had disqualified the Oto ninja.
I'll be fine. And they… Sasuke glanced at the door. They'll be fine, too.
Stepping in front of the Yamanaka man, Sasuke was careful to not give anything away in his demeanor. The young jōnin looked unimpressed.
"I will be your interrogator, and I have permission to use whatever method I deem fit – including entering your mind."
Sasuke involuntarily took a step back – Enter my mind? Sasuke had not been prepared for that, and his mind suddenly went blank.
His thoughts started up again in a whirlwind; Forget passing – what if he learns the truth of what my goal is?
"Refuse and I will disqualify you. Do you understand?"
What if he knows that I am actually a murderer masquerading as a normal genin, to gain revenge against the village this man loves? What if I get caught?
Orochimaru used to tell stories of his glory days ofwhen he was in Anbu and Root. Of what they used to do to traitors. Those stories had bored and mildly disgusted Sasuke back then, but now?
Now his heart began to beat rapidly and his throat constricted as images of being tortured filled his mind. Being experimented on again. Having his mind yet again raped and peeled back layer after layer, and all of his terrors exposed and shown and used against him and relive every horror, every death, failure, pain—
This was not part of my plan!
"Do you understand?" The Yamanaka man demanded, narrowing his eyes.
Sasuke's thoughts immediately halted and suddenly he remembered.
He was Uchiha Sasuke, an avenger who will do anything and endure everything to achieve his goal.
This man? This man was nothing compared to the hells he'd endured before.
"Do I have a choice?" Sasuke growled at last. "Do your worst."
The jōnin nodded, and stretched out his hand. The moment it made contact with Sasuke's forehead, it felt as though his head had split. He clenched his jaw shut to prevent the scream and vomit that threatened to erupt from his stomach.
Nothing else existed except for the white, hot pain that seared through his forehead. The moment passed, and when he opened his eyes…
Sasuke realized he wasn't in the classroom anymore.
Instead, he stood in a street paved in stone with buildings lined up on either side – buildings with the Uchiha crest. The sight was all too familiar.
He looked down at his hand, which for a split second seemed to belong to a small child. Blinking, his hand suddenly looked bloodied and larger, like when he was 17. Blinking again, his hand returned to what he was currently used to: his 12-year-old form.
"Let's begin." A deep voice asked.
The voice vibrated nauseatingly, and Sasuke's entire world shook – and shifted. The space in front of him knitted itself together, revealing a man's form piece by piece. Grimacing, Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
"I don't like this." Sasuke hissed – and then blinked in surprise. "Wait, I didn't mean to say that out loud."
Sasuke blinked again, and then narrowed his eyes at the jōnin. "What is this?"
"This is your inner mind." The man responded, sending another nauseating wave through Sasuke's stomach. "Which means unless you're careful, the filter between thought and spoken word is nonexistent."
"You won't get anything." Sasuke told him, crossing his arms.
"We shall see." The man responded. "I will start with some base questions. What is your full name?"
Sasuke imagined walls – black, and thick as onyx – to surround them like a dome. When he was finished, all he could see was the Yamanaka man and blackness. The proctor looked around, and nodded before settling his eyes back on Sasuke.
"Name." The proctor said.
"Uchiha Sasuke." He responded.
"What village are you loyal to?" He asked next.
"What kind of question is that?" Sasuke asked before he could stop himself – and then openly scowled, unable to control his facial expressions, either.
Sasuke breathed, and cleared his mind of thought and emotion. Suddenly, rather than a black dome, they stood in a space of pure white.
"Answer the question, Uchiha." The proctor droned, sounding bored. "What village are you loyal to?"
His team suddenly appeared behind the proctor, but with a blink Sasuke imagined them away.
"Konohagakure." he replied, the word slipping out of his mouth with shocking ease.
"What is your purpose for taking this exam?"
For just a split second, the space transformed into a place of ruins – and the proctor's eyes widened ever so slightly. But before the image could solidify, Sasuke cleared his mind and once again they stood in white.
"Revenge." He spoke.
The proctor raised his eyebrow, and Sasuke continued to keep his mind carefully blank – refusing to think or remember a thing. The space around them stayed white.
"What is your mission, Uchiha?"
"It's a very top-secret mission of transporting the contents of…" A smile suddenly appeared on Sasuke's face, and he laughed.
This surprised both Sasuke and the proctor, but Sasuke couldn't help himself as remembered his 'mission'.
"Continue." the Yamanaka pressed, the nauseating spell reappearing.
Sasuke grimaced. "We are transporting the contents of an old family recipe for miso ramen."
The proctor raised an eyebrow. "Miso… Ramen?"
"Yes. It's very important." Sasuke told him, somehow keeping a straight face. "Our client is on his deathbed and wants to ensure his niece, and only surviving family member, receives it before it's too late."
As he spoke, a realistic image of an elderly man laying on a hospital bed appeared to their left. Next to the bed stood Sasuke and Kakashi – both with rather bored expressions. Sakura and Naruto, however, were both teary eyed.
"I'll help you, old man! You can count on me!" the imagined Naruto declared loudly.
"I see." The proctor nodded as the image evaporated into smoke. "What is your client's name?"
"Tanaka Jiro." Sasuke said, his Sharingan spinning.
"What rank is the mission?"
"A-Rank." Sasuke said before he could stop himself, and then rolled his eyes. "Obviously, it's just a C-Rank mission."
The proctor narrowed his eyes, and suddenly Sasuke couldn't breathe. Falling onto his knees, Sasuke reached for his throat.
"I don't like wiseacre answers, Uchiha. What is the rank of the mission?" The proctor pressed.
The constriction immediately disappeared and he gasped for breath.
"How are you able to do that?" Sasuke rasped. "And why are you…"
"Rank." The proctor said instead.
"C-Rank." Sasuke growled, and imagined a snake binding the Yamanaka up.
A snake did appear for a moment, but the proctor made a hand-signal and white-hot pain seared through Sasuke's forehead.
Screaming, Sasuke grabbed ahold of his head. Squinting his eyes open, he could see the blank space they stood in glitched out, momentarily replaced by red and black.
"Attacking me will do you no good, Uchiha." The proctor informed him.
"You're my enemy; what do you expect?" Sasuke growled; the pain only somewhat lessened, but speaking (thinking?) seemed to bring the pain back.
A weasel suddenly appeared next to Sasuke. It jumped on his shoulder, and then curled its tail protectively around the back of Sasuke's neck. The weasel then looked up at the proctor and hissed.
The Yamanaka man raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you transporting this important document to?"
"The Land…" Sasuke huffed, rising to his feet with some difficulty. "Of Rice Paddies."
The weasel rubbed its face against Sasuke's cheek, instantly making him feel better.
"Land of Rice Paddies?" The proctor asked. "Why would your team venture into Oto territory? Although Konohagakure and Oto are not formal enemies, they are certainly not allies, either."
"That's a stupid question." Sasuke scoffed. "Sometimes our protection detail missions will lead us to other countries – this happened before, about two months ago. We have the proper paperwork to enter the Land of Rice Paddies."
"Is that so? Hmm." The proctor said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Then why did I find you in Amegakure? Something doesn't quite add up here, Uchiha."
"The answer is simple: there was a special and secret ingredient Jiro wanted to give his niece. Amegakure is the only place this ingredient grows. But don't ask me what that ingredient is; for some reason Jiro only told Kakashi-sensei."
"I believe you." The proctor said with a nod.
"It's the truth." Sasuke muttered – and it was.
Their mission really was to the land of Rice and they were in Amegakure because—
Sasuke cut off his thoughts, and the forming memory vanished into dust.
"Are we almost done here?" Sasuke demanded, crossing his arms.
"Hardly. What is the pay?" The proctor asked, his face remaining as emotionless as ever.
"You care about the pay?" Sasuke asked, and the weasel gently bit his ear in slight warning. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke said, "It's 100,000 ryō."
"Hefty sum." The proctor said.
A feeling of slight nausea overcame Sasuke, but the weasel made a noise and the nausea disappeared. The proctor narrowed his eyes but otherwise did nothing.
"Naruto—" Sasuke started to say before he could stop himself.
Suddenly, the weasel jumped off his shoulder and landed on top of Sasuke's head. With a yelp Sasuke momentarily lost his balance, but the weasel remained on his head and promptly curled up into a ball.
"Okay then." Sasuke said with a puff, brushing the tail away from his face.
"Naruto?" The proctor said.
"Agreed." Sasuke responded. "But that's what the old man was offering."
"Hmm… I can see that you are either telling the truth, or are very good at lying to yourself, Uchiha." The proctor said, taking a step forward towards Sasuke; the weasel hissed in response. "But I'm afraid…"
The proctor paused, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"You have failed."
A sudden freeze overcame the space in a single wave, and once more Sasuke felt as though he couldn't breathe.
"Your teammate isn't really the type to pass, no?"
Sasuke stared at the proctor, and the space became jumbled with black lines of not quite, and unfinished, thoughts – all fighting to be said. But then the weasel on his head stretched, his tail brushing against the back of Sasuke's neck, and he could breathe again. The cloud of forming thoughts faded away, and Sasuke shook his head.
"Nonsense." Sasuke said.
Jagged rocks began to form in the space between Sasuke and the proctor, and while the air warmed, the white space darkened to a reddish hew. The proctor looked amused, and Sasuke scowled. The rocks sank back down, but the reddish color remained.
"No, It's true… That blonde oaf already spilled everything." The proctor said, lowering his voice.
"That blonde oaf is too stubborn to share information so easily. Try a better tactic." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.
However, the space darkened a moment more. Annoyed, the ground around him burst into a slight flame – but with a calculated breath, the flames disappeared and the space returned to its blank white.
No fire, no red color, no darkness. Just nothing; the weasel on his head trilled approvingly.
"Hmm…" the Yamanaka said, and started circling Sasuke. "When you tell the truth, this place gets brighter. But when you don't believe something… it darkens."
Before Sasuke could think to answer, the weasel swept his tail over Sasuke's eyes and stopped any thoughts from forming.
"Just now… the place darkened." The proctor whispered into Sasuke's ear.
Sasuke jerked away from the man, who chuckled as a response and continued circling.
"You know I'm telling the truth. You know that he already told me all about that A-Rank mission you guys really have. He's a fool, and a terrible liar to boot! Of course you would fail because of him."
Cracks began to form underneath them, spreading out in serrated patterns.
"You believe what I am saying is true, do you not?"
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat, but the weasel purred, and Sasuke took a deep breath.
"You're wrong." Sasuke said, clenching his fists.
"Am I?" The proctor asked, sounding amused. "Think about it, Uchiha! Think about all the times that boy has failed you!"
The white space immediately transformed. Instead of the proctor, stood Haku. And instead of blank space, he stood on top of a bridge. Mist surrounded them and a devastating chill rattled Sasuke to his bones. He could practically hear Sakura's screams; Sasuke shivered.
The proctor, wearing Haku's face, stopped his circling and looked around – taking everything in. Seemingly satisfied, he looked back down at Sasuke and spread out his hands.
"You really believe that he didn't fail you again? Abandon you again?" the proctor demanded.
The grin looked wrong on Haku's gentle face.
"He's done it before, hasn't he?" He asked, lowering his voice to an understanding, almost kindly tone. "Why wouldn't he do it again? Is it so impossible for you to imagine he would fail, leaving you, alone, to succeed?"
Sasuke could barely hear the weasel chirping and hissing, or feel its warmth. Instead, he could do nothing but peer into Haku's lifeless brown eyes, frozen.
"H-how do you know to ask th-that?" Sasuke found himself asking, his teeth chattering. He took a step back. "This f-feels like a real interrogation."
The bridge disappeared, and the proctor turned back into himself.
"It is a real interrogation, Uchiha. And I'm going easy on you!" The proctor declared, his pupilless eyes glowering at Sasuke. "If you can't handle this much, then we can't trust you with important missions that could result in your capture. We need men who, when apprehended, interrogated, tortured, will remain loyal to Konohagakure, and protect her interests. Men who will not reveal information easily."
"Loyal…" Sasuke repeated, almost without realizing it.
The word sunk in and the chill disappeared. Suddenly Sasuke felt very, very warm; his stomach seemed to burn, and fire erupted around Sasuke's feet.
Sasuke matched the man's glare. "Naruto… won't abandon me or Sakura. He didn't tell you anything; you have nothing."
"You really believe that?" the proctor asked, looking sad.
Suddenly, the proctor looked like a teenager – his hair hung loose and his eyes transformed into something softer. Kinder.
"You really believe that, little one?" a young man asked softly, gently brushing away a strand of hair from Sasuke's face. "Rest now; you have earned it. Shh… rest…"
The space around them had transformed into a hospital room. Fuzzy faces stood around a bed where a small form slept. Sasuke turned his attention back to the proctor.
"I know you." Sasuke whispered.
The proctor abruptly straightened his spine and took a step back.
"Tell me Uchiha, the path you are to take to the Land of Rice to transport these secret… Ingredients?"
"Don't change the subject. I know you. You've been here before, in my mind." Sasuke said, a little louder.
The hazy memory began to play out in front of them. Sasuke saw himself as a child asleep, and someone gently woke him up.
"What path—" The proctor began, but cut himself off in surprise as the memory around them solidified, pushing the man out of the way.
The night it happened, someone had found Sasuke and taken him to the hospital. And that same night, someone else woke him up.
"But I didn't wake up until the next morning… Or did I?" Sasuke wondered as a young face became visible.
The stranger's blue eyes had no pupils, and that perhaps should have scared Sasuke. Instead, he felt comforted by its warmth. The teenager brushed his palm over Sasuke's forehead…
And the memory glitched out for a moment. When it came to, it revealed the Yamanaka man brushing Sasuke's hair out of his face, telling him to sleep. But before he fell back asleep, the young Sasuke saw someone else was also in the room. His face was…
And then the memory was gone.
"Uchiha," the proctor warned.
"I was a child and you wanted to find out what happened when my… And, and there was another person with you…"
"Enough." The proctor said, striding over to Sasuke with his hand stretched out.
Sasuke paid him no attention, focusing on remembering the second face… No. Not a face.
A mask.
Sasuke's eyes widened, and the hospital room disappeared once again and in its place was red. Hot, dark, red.
"Why is that man with you there?" Sasuke demanded, pulling out his chokutō that suddenly appeared.
Sasuke stared at it in wonder – it was the one that Orochimaru had given him.
Looking back at the proctor, Sasuke glared. "What were you two doing?"
The Yamanaka dropped all facial expressions, settling into a blank look that gave nothing away. "If you do not continue, I will disqualify you. What path are you and your team to take?"
Flames shot up around the Yamanaka, and the space turned stormy. "I don't care—"
The weasel on Sasuke's head – which he had completely forgotten about – suddenly chirped loudly and jumped on top of Sasuke's sword. It stood on its hindlegs, and stared at Sasuke with sad eyes.
"Calm down, is that it?" Sasuke hissed at it.
Very aware of the Yamanaka man, Sasuke created walls that surrounded only himself.
"Oh, ho, what's this?" The proctor called from the other side; his voice carefully crafted to sound amused. "Hiding, are we?"
A snarl erupted from Sasuke's lips, and almost brought those walls down himself to kill that proctor—
A hand touched Sasuke's, and lowered the sword. Sasuke flinched, and looked up to see a pair of dark eyes. Sasuke's own eyes widened, and stared at the sad but loving face.
"Remember your goal." Itachi said.
"I—"
"Teme! What are you doing? Deal with this later!" Another voice interrupted.
Sasuke stared at Naruto's form, who gazed at him with a wide smile. A hand rested on Sasuke's shoulder, and he looked to see Sakura.
"We need to become chūnin together, remember, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said. "We're counting on you!"
"If you let him egg you on like this, you and your team will be disqualified." Kakashi said, materializing in between Naruto and Itachi. "You don't want to let them down."
"If you don't reappear in two seconds, you will face the consequences. I am not usually this generous, Uchiha!" The proctor's voice called, muffled, from beyond the wall.
Itachi nodded, and smiled kindly at Sasuke. "Don't let him win, otōto."
"Right… I need to succeed. For my goal." Sasuke whispered.
Taking a breath, Sasuke once again cleared his mind and only he and the proctor stood in the white and gold space.
"Serpent's Pass." Sasuke said. "The path we are taking is Serpent's Pass."
The proctor raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "How long does this take?"
"The mission will only be for two weeks." Sasuke responded.
"Are you sure? Your teammate Sakura said it was two and a half weeks." The proctor said. "Remember, any discrepancies no matter how slight will result in failure. I will give you a chance to correct your answer."
Sasuke searched the proctor's face – which was devoid of all emotion once more.
"Where's that creepy smile of yours? Are you really the same man as earlier?" Sasuke asked, and then shook his head. "Oh right, my thoughts are said openly here if I'm not careful. You're lying. Sakura wouldn't say something like that."
The proctor peered into Sasuke's eyes for what felt like a very long time, before looking around the space.
"Do you trust your team?" He asked suddenly.
His team appeared behind the Yamanaka, each wearing encouraging smiles. Sasuke returned his gaze to the proctor.
"Of course." Sasuke said, the gold in the room shimmering brightly.
"How… Tragic." The proctor said, looking at Sasuke with pity.
For a split second the space turned red and stormy – but with a single breath, his mind returned to its white and gold glory.
"I'm not going to respond to that." Sasuke informed him.
"Well, you should probably remember that your team has already failed. Naruto didn't pass. Sakura didn't pass. But I'll give you a chance to save yourself. Would you like to know how?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."
"Of course, you do! A weak girl like that couldn't possibly uphold this kind of interrogation. And you know that oaf of a teammate is destined to fail. Only a fool would think otherwise, and you, Uchiha Sasuke, are no fool."
A spark of fire nearly ignited at the proctor's accusation, but the spark was put out the instant a memory began to form. Specifically, the memory of Sakura with determined eyes. She appeared behind the proctor, on her knees and her hands glowing. In his memory, she looked up from Tazuna, her eyes desperate but unbroken.
Next to her was Naruto in a chair next to Sasuke's hospital bed, promising he would never abandon his team again.
"You need a new definition of weak. And being an oaf doesn't mean automatic failure." Sasuke told him as the memories dissipated. "If either of my teammates had actually failed, then you would have ended this already. You certainly wouldn't give me a chance to save myself – does this actually work on other people?"
"Last chance to save yourself: will you take the opportunity?" The proctor asked instead of answering.
"No. Any opportunity given by an enemy is a trap; do you honestly believe I'm so stupid as to believe you?"
The proctor didn't respond. Instead, he stared at Sasuke, his expression giving nothing away. Sasuke stared back, and a brilliant shimmer of blue, orange, pink, and silver reflected in the space around them.
"No." The Yamanaka man finally said.
The proctor made a hand signal, and the world around them melted away. When Sasuke blinked, he was back in the classroom. His eyes immediately searched for the clock.
Only two minutes have passed? Seriously? Sasuke returned his gaze to the proctor. Who is this man?
Why did he search my memories after Itachi… After that night? And why was he with Tobi, the man claiming to be Uchiha Madara?
"You passed the first 19 questions." The proctor told him. "Sit and wait to be dismissed for the final question."
"Why did you search my mind that day?" Sasuke asked instead of listening.
"You are mistaken, Uchiha. I did no such thing." The proctor told him. "Now take your seat."
Sasuke openly glared at the proctor one last time; the proctor gave nothing away in his face.
"Tch." Sasuke muttered as he turned away.
Turning away, Sasuke briefly noted Hinata, Tenten, Kankuro, and Shikamaru were all still in attendance. As he took his seat, he vaguely noticed the participants had been cut in half.
Then he turned his attention to the Yamanaka man, who was staring at him. Refusing to show weakness, Sasuke met the man's gaze. And that man… Who is he, and what is his connection with Tobi?
Author's Note:
Hiya everyone! Sorry it's a week late – I got sick and the chapter was unfinished and absolute trash, so of course I didn't post it.
Answer to my disclaimer: no. No, I am not the owner of Naruto – just this little fic!
I definitely took some liberties with the Yamanaka abilities. That said, I DO have an actual reason for why he can do all the things that he did besides the whole fact this is a fan fiction and thus I shall do whatever I please.
And if anyone was keeping track of the proctor's questions, you may have noticed he definitely asked more than nineteen questions. He is required, but not limited to, to ask nineteen specific questions. So, he took the liberty to ask more questions to get the answers that he wanted – plus there were certain questions that he asked in three different ways. So, although said differently, the question was still the same. Make sense?
Also, if anyone thought Sasuke talked way more openly in this chapter than he usually does, that's because he did. The dude thinks a lot, okay? And since they were in his mind, it makes sense that he would talk more than usual.
Cheers!