Author's Note: Posted later than the AO3 counterpart because when I tried to, FFN was down. Lucky me!
22 - Cream of the Crop
Team 7 marched in step with one another down a long hallway, flanked by Minato. Kakashi stood in front of a doorway at the end of the corridor, one hand with a firm grip on his treasured copy of Make Out Tactics and the other buried in his pants' pocket. He was so zoned out, he didn't notice them until they were a few paces away. The five of them made awkward eye contact and he pocketed his book with lightning speed.
"Oh, hey you guys," he said without letting the moment simmer. "Morning, sensei."
"Morning, Kakashi," Minato said. There was a knowing look in his ocean-blue eyes, but he stayed on topic. "Kakashi's going to take it from here, but first, Sakura?"
The kunoichi took a moment to react, never expecting to be directly addressed by him. "Y-yes, Lord Fourth?"
"I'd like a word with Naruto and Sasuke. We'll only be a minute. That okay?"
"Um, sure." She gave her comrades an uneasy look. It went against everything she'd learned in her years at the academy, and as a Leaf resident in general, to grant the Hokage permission to do something and not the other way around!
The father and sons found a quiet corner to talk while Sakura joined Kakashi-sensei by the door.
"So, are you ready?" Kakashi asked, studying her with his exposed eye.
"I hope so. I guess I won't really know until we go inside, though."
"You've got a different look today, you know?"
"I do? What do you mean, sensei?"
Sakura looked herself over in a panic, wondering if she had committed a fashion faux pas. Kakashi turned to her with an amused chuckle. "I'm talking about the look in your eyes. Your expression is different. Even the way you're carrying yourself."
"Oh." She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, growing hot with embarrassment. "Really? I don't feel all that different."
"Whatever you did to prepare for today, Sakura," he went on, "hold onto those lessons. You don't have to compare yourself to Naruto and Sasuke. Whether any of you win or lose in the challenges ahead, it doesn't matter in the end. I nominated you three because you have what it takes to be excellent shinobi and an even better team."
Sakura beamed, encouraged by his advice. "Got it. Thank you, sensei! I'll do my best."
"Good!" He smiled back, looking over her shoulder to greet the returning party.
Minato patted Naruto and Sasuke on the shoulder with either hand, giving them a firm squeeze. "They're all yours, Kakashi."
The others watched Minato leave. Kakashi sighed when he saw his students' shoulders drop in unison. The full weight of what they were about to do was bearing down on the Genin; he remembered the feeling well. Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, now that you're all here, I have a few things to share with you. Beyond this door lies the first phase of the Chunin Exam. However, I do want to take a moment to say I'm very glad all three of you chose to accept the invitation. Especially you, Sakura." She met his gaze. "You see, only groups of three are allowed to apply and register for the exam."
The Genin team gave him a mixture of confused expressions.
"Wait," Sakura said, "so if I hadn't come, then-"
"Then I couldn't have let Naruto and Sasuke in."
"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted. "Why wouldn't you tell us something like that?!"
Sasuke hummed. "I'm assuming it's because we all needed to make unbiased choices."
Kakashi flashed a thumbs up. "Correct, Sasuke. I didn't want any of you making a decision under duress."
"Duress?" Naruto interrupted.
"Pressure," Sakura whispered out of the side of her mouth.
"Oh."
Kakashi nodded in silent thanks before continuing his explanation. "If I told you the truth, Sakura would have felt compelled by circumstance to participate rather than of her own free will."
She looked away from the sidelong glances her teammates directed at her. Sakura hated to admit it, but she could not deny her teacher's words.
The masked shinobi said, "The three of you have come a long way. I can't wait to see what your futures hold."
"I'll tell ya exactly what's in store for me." Naruto raised a fist. "The Hokage's seat, that's what! And I'll get there way before Konohamaru or anyone else. Believe it!"
Their sensei couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice as he responded. "Way to keep up group morale, Naruto. Just be sure you don't let it go to your head. Powerful ninja from all across the world have shown up to compete."
"R-right. Of course I know that."
Sasuke nudged his brother. "Don't worry, sensei. I'll keep him in line."
"Oh, ya will, huh?!"
Sakura giggled while observing their petty argument. When it died out, Kakashi signaled to his team. "I'm glad you're all here. It's a reflection of the most critical aspect of a four-man squad. Do you remember what that is?"
"Teamwork," came the unanimous answer. Sasuke remained monotone, while his comrades put much more oomph into their replies.
"Exactly! I'm going to share a very important rule with you that was passed down to me by a hero from the last war."
"Ooh!" Naruto cut in. "Who is it, who is it?"
Sakura managed to rein herself in, but still sounded a bit more upbeat than necessary. "Was it a Special Jonin? Maybe a Kage? Do we know them?"
"No, you don't know him. Anyway, he told me something that's shaped my entire philosophy as a ninja." Their eyes were practically glued to Kakashi in anticipation of the elusive tidbit of wisdom. "'It's true that in the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.'"
Taking in his message, they nodded. Kakashi saw that his lesson was received and stepped aside to allow them passage through a set of double doors.
"Remember those words, and watch each other's backs. I'm proud of you. Couldn't ask for a better team! Good luck."
"We won't let you down, sensei," Naruto promised. "Believe it!
The three students took a breath before walking through the doorway together. Kakashi watched Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura making their way toward a crowd of other combatants until the doors creaked shut and he could no longer see. In this moment, he understood at last how Minato-sensei must have felt about their former squad. Kakashi made a silent oath to do everything in his power to ensure history didn't repeat itself. However, he had to leave this next step of their journey in their own hands.
Do your best, you guys.
Team 7 stood at the back of a spacious classroom filled with long rows of desks. They weren't alone. Chunin hopefuls of all shapes and sizes had arrived in droves. Sakura cased the area, noting how hardened and hostile the majority of their fellow competitors seemed. Some were seated. Others used the desks as seats instead or chose to stand. Naruto called out the different headbands he could see from their vantage point. Among the sea of combatants, he clocked several insignias at a glance: there were Genin from The Leaf Village, The Hidden Rain, The Hidden Waterfall, and The Hidden Grass. He didn't doubt there might be others mixed in.
"There's…so many of them," Sakura thought aloud.
All faces in the room snapped to them the moment the doors shut. Their expressions displayed a limited emotional range of either anger, smugness, or both. Sakura was reminded of her team's run-in with those arrogant bullies from The Sand. An involuntary gulp of fear escaped her.
Naruto grinned. "The more the merrier! I'm itching to test out how much I've grown."
"Let's see what we can find out about our competition," Sasuke suggested.
Their unbending resolve calmed Sakura's nerves, helping her to stay focused on why they were here. "Split up and gather information?" she suggested.
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. Let's meet back h-"
"Sasuke! Naruto!" Ino Yamanaka said. She ran over to their team with a huge smile on her face. Her bright blonde ponytail swung in obnoxiously exaggerated arcs. "Where've you been? Boy, you have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here!"
Naruto was about to indulge her out of a combination of instilled manners and inflated ego, but someone pulled at his sleeve.
"Sorry," Sasuke said, "but we've gotta go scope out the competition."
His brother yelped in protest. "Ow! Sasuke, you're pulling too hard!"
Sakura snuck a quick raspberry in as a parting gift to Ino Pig, then hurried after her teammates. She found a measure of solace in the knowledge that her ex-best friend who was now hellbent on showing her up was left standing alone.
"So," Sasuke said with his head on a swivel, "I'll take the back of the room. You two can cover the center and the front. Sound good?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Naruto exclaimed. "I call center duty!" He darted off into the fray without waiting for a reply.
Sasuke froze, his mouth forming the start of another sentence. "Well, never mind I guess."
"Naruto, wait!" Sakura called after him. "Where's he going? We never even agreed on what information to gather!" She sighed, deciding it wasn't worth wasting her energy chasing after the energetic blond. "Hey, uh, Sasuke?" She blushed as the handsome Uchiha looked her way. "We can discuss it one on one and then I'll just go tell Naruto the details. What do you say?"
He gave no visible reaction. "Sure."
"By the way," she said, pulling his already redirected attention back toward her, "are you…okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, um, I just noticed you seemed to be in a hurry earlier to get away from Ino."
"Oh." He hesitated. "That's not important."
Sasuke never acted like this, so she figured he must have had a good reason. Maybe Ino weirded him out or something? Deep inside, Sakura yearned for that to be the case. It would mean her chances with him were far better than her romantic rival's!
"Sasuke?" she said again.
His brow pinched, but he kept his voice level. "Hm?"
"Sorry, I'll make this quick."
Sasuke's eyelids lifted in urgency.
"Do you…really like girls like Ino and I?" Sakura could tell he wasn't following, so she opted for something more direct. Guiding a few strands of hair behind her ear, she whispered, "Girls with long hair?"
His face contorted in bewilderment. "What? Where the hell did you hear that?"
She struggled to find her words, but he didn't wait for an answer.
"Did Naruto tell you that? He's pranking me again, isn't he?" Stopping to think, Sasuke held up a hand. "Actually, forget it. I don't wanna know. We have other things to worry about."
"R-right. Of course."
"So here's what I'm thinking we should do."
Sasuke got down to business, determining after some deliberation with Sakura that the other participants' native villages, general skill sets, overall awareness, and degree of team cohesion were a few of the more relevant aspects to try and gauge before the first test started. The moment their discussion concluded, Sasuke left Sakura standing alone in an empty section of the room. The irony of this moment was not lost on her. Worse still, she couldn't help but feel twice as foolish as usual. She irritated her longtime crush by distracting him from the exam. That was bad enough, but she also went a step further by making the idiotic mistake of believing Ino and a few other girls' unfounded rumors about Sasuke.
In the distance, members of their graduating class were congregating and engrossed in idle chit chat — Ino Pig included. Put off by the sight of her former friend, Sakura dove into the task at hand. First on the list was tracking Naruto down so she could explain everything. Standing on her toes, Sakura attempted to locate him in the crowd. Rugged and intimidating individuals swarmed almost every inch of the testing room like locusts, but no Naruto.
Sighing to herself, she whispered, "This'll be harder than I thought."
Naruto forced his way through the crowd of competitors, taking care to scout for anyone who seemed like a threat. He wasn't so sure he could pull off his dad's sensory finger trick, especially in a crowd this packed. So many chakra signatures in one spot would be too much noise to filter through. For now, he'd rely on his eyes and ears.
"Hey, isn't that…?" said a voice.
"Yeah, it is him!" said another.
A crescendo of whispers made Naruto turn to discover the source. He stopped short at the sight of almost every eye in this part of the room on him. Saying he felt targeted would be a huge understatement. Instead of backing down, he held his head high, honing in on the three whose chakra stood out the most. They wore Hidden Grass headbands, and looked varying degrees of twisted.
"What're you lookin' at?" Naruto shouted. Attention shifted from him to the leader of the trio, a hunchbacked guy covered almost entirely in bandages. His sleeves hung loose, begging the question of why he didn't just buy something in a smaller size instead.
What a weirdo, Naruto opined.
The mummified dude tilted his neck in an unnatural way, one exposed eye studying Naruto like a beast about to pounce. He was not too different from Gaara in terms of presence, except he appeared to have less screws loose. "You must be The Yellow Flash's brat. Naruto, was it?"
"Who wants to know?"
"Team Dosu does, kid," said the mummy's male teammate. He had spiky dark hair and eyes to match. "We're here to take out all of the competition! That means you, too."
Naruto huffed. "Whatever you say." He looked at the boy's open palms and noticed pea-sized holes at their centers. "Whoa!"
The female of the group, a girl with long black hair and a bandana, smirked. "Hey Zaku, look at him. He's practically trembling. Must be part of the Shaking Like a Leaf Village."
Their sneers and chuckles did not faze Naruto. First Gaara's team, and now these guys. Was this an exam full of freaks?
"You bet I am!" He turned his nose up in disgust. "Why in the world does he have air holes inside of his hands? Gross!"
Zaku held out a hand, exposing his palm as he gathered chakra. "Wanna find out?"
Mummy Guy stepped forward, revealing a metal gadget perforated with tiny holes attached to one of his arms. "Why don't we give him a little demonstration?"
"Hey, hey, hey," Sakura interrupted, slipping through the crowd and grabbing Naruto's sleeve. "Let's not start any unnecessary fights, Naruto." She smiled at the three foreigners. "Please forgive my teammate. He has a tendency to get a little ahead of himself. We'll just be going now, alright?" She pulled Naruto along with her before a fight could break out. He made faces at the aggressive trio before disappearing into the crowd.
"What are you talkin' about?" he said, trying to wriggle out of Sakura's grip. "Me? They're the ones who started it, Sakura!"
She pulled him close and whispered into his ear, "Just come with me. I need to talk to you."
Her face being so near to his made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. When Naruto recovered, he followed Sakura to a quiet corner. "Look, if Sasuke told you to look after me or whatever, then don't worry. I can handle myself."
"I know you can, but relax. That's not why I came."
Sakura spent the next couple of minutes summarizing the conversation she had with Sasuke. Naruto gave her a thoughtful nod, then stopped to count on his fingers while muttering to himself. His pink-haired companion was about to ask him what he was doing when all of a sudden, he began rattling off a series of observations.
"Okay, so from what I can tell, there's maybe three teams we need to worry about. Shady guy with glasses and a ponytail over there is more dangerous than he looks, but his teammates seem like small fry. Those goons I was with a second ago probably focus on ranged attacks because from what I could tell, none of them had melee weapons. Ya see that Rain Village guy with the nasty scars on his face?" Naruto nodded toward the young man in question; Sakura's eyes followed. "Not too worried about his group, but they seem just as ready to pick a fight as our Hidden Grass friends were. Um, that good enough?""
"Wow," Sakura said. "You were really doing your homework."
Smiling from ear to ear, he said, "'Course I was! I've been preparing for this for weeks. There's no way I'd ever not take it seriously, believe it."
She creased her lips in shame. "Sorry for doubting you. You and Sasuke weren't two of the best students at the academy for no reason."
"Ah, it's alright, Sakura!" He flushed red and promptly changed the subject. "Anyway, I guess we should keep investigating?"
They agreed to meet back at the main entrance and split up again, full of renewed purpose.
Sasuke's search didn't yield nearly as much new intel as he'd hoped. He activated his Sharingan to watch for outstanding chakra signatures and combed his side of the room. He saw The Sand Siblings, a guy with a ponytail showing off some playing cards, and the odd high level shinobi here and there. His eyes snapped to three Genin who appeared the most confident out of anyone in Sasuke's field of view. He recognized the one in the middle as Hinata's cousin Neji. Next to him were a brunette girl with her hair in two buns and a boy with bulging eyes, eyebrows, and an elastic green jumpsuit. They were an odd band of misfits, but with The Sharingan's impeccable vision, Sasuke could tell they were a force to be reckoned with, so he took a mental note of that.
Neji's resting glare honed in on Hinata at the opposite end of the room. Out of curiosity, Sasuke observed and saw she was with her teammates, Kiba and Shino. They were speaking to other members of the most recent graduating class. Sasuke almost entertained the idea of listening in on their discussion until he saw Ino's bright blonde ponytail peek out from behind Choji's extremely hard to miss body. Best to steer clear of her. She'd known about his therapy sessions with her father for a few years. Although she never violated Sasuke's privacy by telling anyone, the mere thought of her having seen him when he was so vulnerable set him on edge.
A fair-skinned man with a straw sunhat strode past. His headband bore the Hidden Grass insignia. Luckily for Sasuke, his chakra signature was nothing special; even so, the Uchiha couldn't help berating himself. If the man had been a true threat, then he would have made the perfect target. This Exam may as well have been a battleground. There was no room to slack. Not that anyone would try anything so soon when the exam hadn't begun in earnest — or at least, he hoped not.
Sakura and Naruto came into view a few paces away and joined him by the wall, but they had no time to get reacquainted or compare observations. A commotion at the front of the room seized everyone's attention. Sasuke turned off his Sharingan as a cloud of smoke erupted and spread out behind the instructor's desk. A gruff male voice projected so that all who were present could hear the speaker.
"Alright, you babyfaced degenerates! Pipe down and listen up!"
When the smoke dispersed, a tall man in a dark trench coat and gloves stood in front of a row of fellow uniformed Leaf ninja. The presumed Jonin's headband was fashioned into a bandana and two long, faded scars marred his face. He gave his Genin audience a devious smirk.
"It's time to begin," he announced, confirming Sasuke's assumption that he was the one shouting orders. "I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and from this moment, your worst enemy."
A chill settled over the room. Sasuke remained unaffected, but he saw Sakura's hand twitch an almost imperceptible amount. Naruto, on the other hand, kept a confident grin on his face.
Ibiki called out a team of Grass Ninja for picking a fight without permission. One of them, a guy covered in bandages, claimed not to know the rules because it was their first time, albeit in a sly tone. Tension built while everyone waited to see if the stern proctor would take things further.
As if anyone would believe that lame excuse, Sasuke snarked.
Rather than retaliate, Ibiki decided his verbal warning would suffice and moved on. A casual smirk returned to his face. Sasuke snapped back into focus as the rules for the first phase were relayed.
"I'll say this once, so listen up! There will be no combat between candidates, no attacking each other without the permission of your proctor, and even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited."
Team 7 exchanged glances and nodded at one another.
"Now, if we're ready," Ibiki went on, "we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chunin Exam. Hand over your paperwork. In return, you'll each be given a number." He held up a white pad with the number 1 on it so that everyone could see. "This number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you're all seated."
The room buzzed with activity as the Genin squads who weren't already grouped up found each other. Everyone formed haphazard lines to turn in their paperwork. A few Chunin walked along either side of the room to shepherd the candidates into some semblance of order. Sakura beckoned Naruto and Sasuke closer, trying to whisper a quick message.
"Listen, you guys. There's something I've been studying that I think could work here, but I'll need the help of your Flying Thunder God." She ran through a short summary of the strategy and waited with an anxious frown for their feedback. "Well? What do you two think?"
"Wow, Sakura! You came up with all that in less than a minute?" Naruto gaped. "I always knew you were smart, but this is on a whole 'nother level! Believe it."
Ignoring Sakura's bashful smile and the little moment between them altogether, Sasuke stayed on task. "I think it's worth a try." He watched an approaching Chunin out of the corner of his eye. "But how can we place the marks without getting noticed?"
Naruto snickered through his teeth. "Leave this one 'ta me! If there's anything I know like the back of my hand, it's how to pull off a good prank."
Having reached a consensus on their hastily thrown together plan, Team 7 fell into line alongside one another and awaited their registration for phase one of the exam. The day had come at last for them to gauge their worth as shinobi. Or, as their new best friend Gaara put it, 'feel the full value of their own existences.' Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. Sasuke laughed to himself as the registration queue crept forward.
Sakura tapped the dulled stub of her pencil against her lips. She glanced up at the clock, mulling over the guidelines Ibiki announced. She frowned down at her test paper and came to a singular conclusion.
These rules were a total joke. They had to be, right?
According to Ibiki, points were earned or deducted based on the following criteria:
1. The written exam operated on a point reduction system. Everyone began with 10 points. One point would be deducted for each incorrect response.
2. Teams would pass or fail based on the total scores of all three members.
3. The sentinels positioned around the room were tasked with watching carefully for cheating; anyone who was caught would receive a two point deduction. That meant five incidents would guarantee disqualification.
Despite how convoluted and nerve-wracking these conditions were for the majority of the candidates, the one that left Sakura most alarmed was the last rule. If anyone scored a zero, the entire team would fail by default. That meant everything was riding on these next few minutes. Also, for whatever reason, Question 10 would be revealed after three-fourths of the hour allotted to complete the written test elapsed. Strange, but no less than anything else they were told so far.
Sakura took a moment to get a lay of the land. The Chunin assigned to supervise them during the written portion of the exam were spread out at even intervals along the walls. They appeared checked out to the untrained eye, but Sakura wasn't stupid. The Chunin were, in fact, attuned to almost every sight, sound, and movement; these handpicked shinobi were masters of subtlety. She crossed her fingers, praying her last minute strategy wouldn't get her, and by extension her teammates, disqualified. No one appeared to be onto their little scheme yet. A second pencil appeared in Sakura's pocket. She suppressed a grin and continued observing her peers.
Time passed. Gaara's brother with the ridiculous looking black onesie and facepaint — Kankuro, if memory served? — stood up to visit the restroom. One of the sentinels accompanied him, cutting down on a sizable chunk of the field of vision within which they were most at risk of getting caught. Ibiki watched Kankuro with hawklike shrewdness until the moment he was gone. Sakura gulped and got herself into gear. If there was ever a time to initiate her plan, it was now.
She dragged her dominant arm along the edge of her now-finished test paper. Sakura let her tongue peek out of the side of her mouth, hoping to give the impression of thinking hard about the answer to a question. In a simultaneous motion, she directed a narrow stream of her chakra down into the shaft of the pencil through her fingertips. The writing utensil buzzed with energy before warping out of Sakura's grasp. A couple of minutes passed and she received another pencil, sending it away just like the last. The kunoichi smiled, but wiped the emotion from her face before any Chunin grew suspicious. So far, their team's joint operation was going off without a hitch. Sakura had succeeded in holding up her end. The rest was up to Naruto and Sasuke.
This list of questions was much too difficult. Sasuke could understand the majority of them, but grasping the concepts was a far cry from working out the answers. He was beyond certain that the average Genin, or even Chunin, might not be able to figure out a good number of these. Perhaps not even if the test was open note and cheating was allowed!
Ah, cheating. Speaking of that 'rule,' Sasuke saw it for the farce it was, and was all the more relieved that his team came up with a solution ahead of time. These conditions were well suited for what they had planned. Come to think of it, the written exam was almost too perfect of a match for their strategy. Everything hinged on Sakura coming through in time, though.
Both Sasuke and Naruto believed she could do this. Kakashi may have had a more laid-back teaching style than his Uchiha pupil would've liked, but Sasuke had to admit the man's approach had its strengths. Kakashi never missed an opportunity to underscore the importance of relying on one's comrades. That lesson had not gone to waste.
Sasuke had to keep from gasping and getting noticed when an object appeared in his pocket. He let out a breath, retrieving the pencil Sakura returned to him. The moment his fingers gripped it, he received a flash of images. He saw them in his mind's eye rather than in physical space, almost like the faint memory of a dream after waking up.
The experience was very disorienting, but Sasuke willed himself to stay upright. His Sharingan blinked on and off a couple of times as he received the external dose of chakra. The answers to the questions on Sakura's test paper flooded into his memory. He took a moment to get his bearings, then began copying them down. Sasuke inserted brief pauses to give the Chunin spectators the impression that he was thinking between each question. He rested his free arm on the desk while he wrote out the answers with care. Just for the sake of the ruse, he messed up one of the multi-step math problems on purpose, barely containing a smirk.
When he was finished, Sasuke twirled his pencil, admiring a small Flying Thunder God seal placed atop the eraser. Meanwhile, Naruto made a big show of his reaction. He nearly leapt out of his seat next to Hinata. Thinking quickly and passing it off as a rogue sneeze he warded off at the last second, the blond managed to fool Ibiki. Sasuke shook his head in amusement and sheer disbelief.
Never change, Naruto.
Sakura was reeling from a sudden bout of lightheadedness when time was called. She first felt the sensation after returning Naruto and Sasuke's pencils. Her initial assumption was that she didn't eat enough this morning and the poor judgment caught up with her. But no — whatever this was had lasted too long to chalk it up to skimping on breakfast. Maybe overuse of chakra?
No. That didn't make sense either. Sakura was sure she only applied a weak touch-based Genjutsu to the pencils. Nothing fancy. Even though she was new to this, there was no way something so basic used that much chakra, right? So why was her body feeling strange?
Ibiki left her no time to analyze this.
"Alright! Listen up. Here's the tenth and final question. But, before I give you the tenth question, there are some more rules that you need to be aware of."
Kankuro returned from the bathroom and took his seat, then the announcement continued. Ibiki turned so that the back of his coat faced the crowd.
"These rules are unique to Question 10," Ibiki said. "Listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you." His sidelong glare and ominous tone implied he very much did intend for the extra rules to frighten them, but Sakura thought it wise to hold her tongue. "Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. In other words, you fail. And that means, of course, both your teammates fail as well."
The room erupted into disgruntled chatter.
"Not so fast," the proctor said. "You didn't let me finish."
Sakura's stomach knotted in anticipation, taking her mind off of the prevailing brain fog.
"If you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly, you will be barred from taking the Chunin Exam ever again!"
Fear and unrest gripped the audience, all while Ibiki maintained his resting glare. He was like an animal sizing up prey. Sakura was relieved not to have him as a sensei.
"Now then, if you're ready…the tenth and final question. Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go."
Hands flew up every few seconds. In a matter of minutes, the room was half as occupied. Several teams squabbled on their way out the door, the ones who chickened out receiving an earful from their discontented comrades. Others said nothing and slumped away in defeat.
Sakura locked eyes with Naruto and Sasuke, who both nodded in silent affirmation that they wanted to stay. She mirrored the action and sat upright in preparation for what was sure to be a mammoth of a question. In the corner of her vision, she noticed Naruto letting a very flustered Hinata copy off of his test paper. That girl was so transparent, it almost pained Sakura to watch Naruto remain oblivious. Best friends or not, there was no doubt that the Hyuga heiress was crushing hard on her blond classmate.
"This decision is one that could change your life," said Ibiki, causing all eyes to look his way. "If for any reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance."
Whatever the devious proctor had in store for them, Sakura promised herself she would find a way to succeed. All of the time she spent studying different types of jutsu and researching the participating villages hadn't been for naught. She was confident that all of her answers to the written exam were correct to some degree. Half a point here or there wouldn't threaten any of their chances, so Question 10 was all that stood in the way of making it to phase two.
Come on, Sakura! You can do this. No, WE can do this!
Seeing no further withdrawal requests, Ibiki smiled. "Well then, I admire your determination, if nothing else. For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do."
All air was sucked out of the room by the audience's collective inhale.
"...And that's for me to tell you…that you've all passed the first exam!"
Naruto practically flew out of his seat. "What the hell?!"
Sakura couldn't resist giggling aloud.
The explanation for why the written test was so convoluted made sense to Sasuke, but he was still annoyed. All of that unnecessary pressure and psychological manipulation just to find out there was no 10th question the entire time? He was almost disappointed. Well, it was pointless to complain; at least they passed.
Everyone who stayed for the final question was deemed worthy to move on in The Chunin Exam because of a few key factors. Ibiki desired candidates who would operate like true shinobi, even while knowing that every move they made would have a direct impact on the other members of their team. In the face of impossible odds with two difficult choices, the cream of the crop would have no other option than to rise to the challenge. Therefore, Ibiki passed the Genin who chose to stay and face uncertain odds in order to see the 'mission' through. He reasoned that actual Chunin are put in situations like this often, so anyone who sought promotion would need the appropriate mindset.
Sasuke didn't hate this logic. He just found their proctor a tad too sadistic. There was no way the man was of sound mind. However, judging by the head full of scars and burn marks that Ibiki showed off mid-speech, it was hard to blame him. Enduring so much torture in his shinobi career must have loosened some screws in his head.
A window pane shattered. Then a blurred figure jumped into the classroom, landing near Ibiki. They were shrouded in some kind of large blanket with several kunai fastened onto its edges. The figure flung the kunai in either direction, unfurling the fabric into what turned out to be a huge banner with letters big enough to be read from the back of the room. Without the banner to conceal them, Naruto could now tell the unexpected visitor was a woman. Her bold fishnet leggings and sandy-colored jacket set her apart from other Jonin. Naruto had seen her in Dad's office a few times before, but had never spoken with her. What was her name again? He searched the depths of his memory, positive that he could remember it if he just focused.
"Heads up, boys and girls!" she shouted. "This is no time to be celebrating!" The Jonin stood up and struck a pose with the banner as her backdrop. According to the text it displayed, Stage Two of the exam was about to begin. "I'll be your next proctor: Anko Mitarashi."
Yeah, THAT was it! Anko!
"Ready for the second test?" Anko went on. Without waiting for a response, she said, "Good! Then let's go. Follow me!" She threw a fist skyward in an attempt at generating excitement, but was met with confused stares instead.
Ibiki interrupted Anko and they had a brief exchange. He mentioned that she was early, causing her to lose her initial burst of enthusiasm. She was in the middle of saying something about there being too many Genin left and how she was underwhelmed by who remained when Naruto remembered something that made him gasp aloud. People said this Anko lady had a somewhat dangerous side! That was why Dad never assigned her to a Genin squad. Or so Naruto had always assumed. He'd heard many stories about how frightening she was from other adults, and thus steered clear of her.
Resting his head on crossed arms, he muttered "Oh, great" into his sleeve. Was every stage of this exam full of nutcase instructors?!
"This is gonna be fun," Anko said with a chuckle. "Alright. You maggots have had it easy so far, but things are gonna be different starting first thing in the morning! I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed."
Her petrifying glare pierced Naruto. He wondered what sort of torture she had planned for the next phase. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to lose here. He planned to clear every test the proctors threw at him alongside Sasuke and Sakura.
We're gonna nail this, believe it! Next stop, Chunin!
The three of them were strolling out of the testing room when Sakura turned to her teammates, a frown on her face. "Hey, you guys. Did I hear her right just now? I thought Anko-sensei said more than half of us would fail Phase Two."
Sasuke said, "Yeah. Must be pretty difficult."
Naruto smiled. "Ah, I'm not worried one bit! We've been giving it our all preparing for this exam."
Sighing, the Uchiha replied, "Well, yes, but Naruto, Sakura has good reason to be concerned. Anko was talking like she could see right us, and doubted we had what it takes to make it through whatever's next."
"Even if it's not as bad as we think, we could stand to spend a little more time tonight preparing," Sakura said.
"I mean, sure," Naruto said. "There is something I need to talk to Dad about before tomorrow."
Sakura nodded. "Alright. I was thinking I'd go research a few more topics surrounding past Chunin Exams." She swallowed hard. "Sasuke, do you want to come with?"
"It couldn't hurt. I don't think there's much more I can practice in the way of jutsu. At least not on such short notice."
Naruto beamed. "Okay! Sounds like a plan, believe it. After we meet up with Kakashi-sensei, I'll head home and talk to Dad."
Their meeting with Kakashi lasted all of two minutes. He congratulated them, relayed the information provided by Anko about tomorrow's meeting place, and then took his leave. Kakashi's nose was buried in Pervy Sage's 'romance' novel. Naruto grunted with displeasure at how little time the Jonin spent speaking with them, but just as soon forgot. Sasuke extended a hand to his adoptive brother. They completed their secret handshake while Sakura watched in amusement, then parted ways.
"See ya at dinner!" Naruto called to Sasuke, who waved.
"I'll let you know what we find out," he promised before the blond vanished.
Konan joined the fragmented pieces of her body together. Animated limbs made of paper fused with a floating main body. Sheets flew around her like a small twister. The artistic display lasted all of thirty seconds. Once she was reconstituted in full, the errant flaps dangling loose from her frame flattened against her. Color returned to her clothing and skin. Konan's eyes fluttered open to observe the barrier affixed to the secret entrance of the Akatsuki hideout. Just as before, the semi-transparent defense mechanism hung in the air. She stepped closer and it rippled an almost imperceptible amount in response. Taking a breath, Konan performed the hand signs that every Akatsuki member had committed to memory.
A subtle pulse emanated from the barrier, assuring her the defenses were deactivated. Konan strode through the cave entrance and meandered along until she reached a large, cavernous room housing the otherworldly statue known as the Gedo Mazo. Its imposing visage hung in the air above her, an ominous reminder of the goal their organization was working toward. The goal that the information she was delivering to Pain would bring further within their grasp.
"So you've returned," said a familiar gruff voice.
The Rain kunoichi turned to see Sasori's bulky, hunched figure illuminated by a narrow shaft of light. He regarded her with an iron gaze. All Konan offered to acknowledge his presence was a soft nod.
"Back already, hm?" Deidara called from the shadows. He was seated casually atop one of the Gedo Mazo's fingers, wearing his usual diabolical grin. "My man Sasori said you were fast, but wow!"
"I like to take note of those who don't keep me waiting, Deidara," Sasori grumbled. There was a notable stretch of silence as Deidara eyed his abrasive partner.
"I almost wish I went myself," said Kisame. He entered from a connecting cave corridor and dragged Samehada along behind him, its unwieldy shape scraping against the cavern floor for an almost obnoxious stretch of time. "It would've been nice to stretch my legs for a bit."
His jagged smile did little to faze the stoic kunoichi. Konan scanned the room, disregarding her fellow Akatsuki members while she searched. This seemed to agitate Deidara, who sparked another verbal berating from his assigned partner. Sasori hissed when a voice demanded they stand down. His segmented tail retracted beneath the cloud-adorned cloak that hid his full form.
"Count yourself lucky, Deidara," the poisons master warned before turning docile in the face of the newcomer. Pain floated down to stand next to Konan. A series of studs lined every area of the presumed masochist's face. Even his ears were not spared.
"Konan," Pain said. "How did the journey go?"
"Very well. I wasn't detected. It would seem we were correct to suspect Orochimaru of hatching schemes against our organization."
"What's that traitor up to this time?" Deidara tensed, but kept his rage in check to avoid falling from his perch. The ex-Stone Ninja's blonde ponytail fell across his shoulder, providing a bold shock of color that defied the dark.
Konan chose her words with care. "According to the conversation I overheard, Orochimaru and Kabuto are orchestrating a plan to infiltrate The Leaf with Danzo. If successful, this plan will elevate their power to a level that could challenge ours." She paused, imagining the face Nagato was making at the mention of The Leaf's infamous 'Shadow Hokage.' Danzo Shimura was more than a renowned Leaf Village elder to both of them; he was also the man who took the life of their closest friend. The friend whose visage Pain now wore.
The topic was a sore subject for Konan too, but The Rain's God and Angel duo could not show signs of weakness. Wounds of the past needed to take a backseat if they were going to maintain absolute authority over the Akatsuki. So she compartmentalized her grief and stayed in the present. The Akatsuki needed this information. No, Nagato did.
"When will they strike?" Pain's words, although simple, added an immediate layer of icy tension.
Konan cleared her throat. Her lips parted with an ever so subtle tremble that she quieted as soon as it came. "They spoke vaguely enough that I couldn't pin down any specifics, but whatever they have planned involves The Hidden Sand. If I had to guess, I assume they'll act during the ongoing Chunin Exam. After all, The Leaf and The Sand both have a large presence."
There was a collective gasp from those in attendance. All except Pain.
"So," the latter said, "he means to interfere with our collection of the Tailed Beasts?"
"Perhaps. Danzo is crucial to their scheme. I can't quite put together why, but that was stated by Orochimaru in no uncertain terms."
"I see." Pain floated several feet into the air, ensuring his voice would project. "Hear me! We of the Akatsuki will not be undermined by Orochimaru, Sannin or not."
All eyes in the room looked up at him, further reinforcing his self-proclaimed godhood.
"Listen well," Pain said. "Orochimaru and the Jinchuuriki of the One Tail are now our top priority. We must move quickly to ensure the success of our ultimate goal."
Everyone else nodded. Kisame was the most attentive of all, unable to mask the bloodlust that brought a savage grin to his face. His serrated teeth ground together in anticipation.
Yet another Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please leave comments. I love to read them, whether good, bad, or in between. I'm also in need of a beta, in case anyone is interested. The ones I had are dropping like flies. :-(
~Axle~