It's been a while, hasn't it? Many apologies, I won't waste your time explaining my absence here (I'll save that for the end), but I do hope you all enjoy the chapter. As always, let me know what you think and I'll see you at the bottom!
~!
(...)
"Oh, how little the village had changed."
How long had it been since he'd personally set foot within these walls? It must have been a decade at the least, and yet Konoha stood almost exactly as he remembered it that lifetime ago, barring perhaps the lack of wartime tension that had lingered so prominently in the air during his tenure. The absence of substantial conflict lent the streets an aura of peace and tranquility that seemed almost foreign compared to his time.
It made him nauseous.
"Sensei was always a bit too soft… it's only natural his ideology would spread to the rest." He mused quietly to himself, his whispers easily drowned out amongst the chattering of the many competitors stacked within the auditorium. Only a handful stood out as anything other than typical fodder, he doubted most would make it past the second round of tests and his old testing grounds would surely cut more than a few careers tragically short.
That said… There were a few hints of gold hidden among all this trash.
"Gaara-kun…" His gaze turned to the opposite side of the room where the linchpin of plans stood in silence. Rasa's youngest was quite something, reclusive yet a force to be reckoned with all the same. It was truly a shame that his mental instability squandered his potential. His reliance on his beast, or perhaps slavish dependence would be a more appropriate description, stunted his growth. There was no drive for evolution, progress, or refinement... only death. However, so long as the boy could be trusted to aim his madness towards the Leaf, it would suffice for his needs.
"Kabuto-kun has played his role splendidly as well." He could sense his right hand's presence moving amongst the crowd. A natural-born spy and a skilled medic to boot, the child had proven a great boon to his goals. Unassuming by nature, coupled with such a mild temperament made it criminally easy to overlook his young spy, strengths he took great joy in employing against his enemies. While he would have preferred to keep him close by, once all was said and done, that would no longer be a concern.
The door to the examination rooms slid open, and with it a hungry spark festered to life within him as three new faces joined the rest.
"And the young prince has finally arrived! Sasuke Uchiha…" Owner of the only other pair of intact sharingan eyes aside from his insolent brother's. Itachi may have proven himself to be beyond his clutches, but his younger brother was still ripe for the picking. A loner, rash when provoked, a rising prodigy, and a confirmed carrier of the Uchiha clan's prized doujutsu. Whether Konoha fell or not, so long as he could mark the sole survivor, the effort would not be in vain. According to his reports, there was a high chance he could convince the boy to come to him willingly, which would be the ideal outcome.
Not that he was above kidnapping if need be.
However, there was another among the crowd that had his interest. A young blond currently engaged in conversation with his hidden mole.
"The Kyuubi Jinchuriki…" Of course he knew of her, the village had done a terrible job of concealing her identity from the population at large. His time as a member of that group had made knowledge of each beast container a priority and of them, the Kyuubi was of particular interest. Truthfully, he was more than content to ignore the girl altogether, having cut ties with his old acquaintances. The fates of the jinchuriki were their business, and if it meant keeping their attention off of him, so be it. However, Kabuto's reports on the girl had piqued his interest.
A prodigy that outshined even the last loyal Uchiha, the current protege of the village's head medic, and daughter of the man that had robbed him of the Kage position. Equally aware of the danger present in approaching the girl, Kabuto had still marked her as a potential asset to their goals. His reasoning being that the Uzumaki girl would undoubtedly grow quite powerful given her innate talent, circumstances, and heritage. If brought under his guidance, she could very well become his greatest enforcer. Doubly so if she possessed even a fraction of the talent for sealing as her ancestors.
He could not afford to act rashly, but the prospect was appealing. Perhaps with the right prodding?
"Kukukuku, how interesting."
(...)
"Yakushi-senpai, you decided to participate after all."
Natsumi eyed her senpai with approval as he approached. She had hoped to see him here and it seemed as though her desire had been fulfilled.
"I had a good feeling about this one, though seeing you here… maybe I should reconsider?" Kabuto offered a soft chuckle, all while quietly inspecting the assembled genin surrounding them. Looks of curiosity and none too subtle suspicion were leveled his way but he kept a friendly smile all the same.
"As my senior I expect you to have a little more confidence in your ability." Natsumi sighed, but there was no real heat to her words. "Forgive me, these are my teammates." She gestured towards Kiba and Hinata who nodded and waved respectively. "And these are my old classmates."
Kabuto bowed respectfully. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."
Shikamaru raised a brow, quietly shooting a curious look between the older genin and their resident blond. "I've never seen you before, how do you know Natsumi?" He asked, somewhat suspicious about the newcomer. Natsumi had never mentioned him before, and he couldn't recall ever seeing him back in the academy.
"We studied together for a short time at the hospital." Kabuto placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, and to the surprise of those who knew her well, Natsumi didn't react to the unprovoked contact. "I've helped her out here and there, though if I must speak honestly, I don't believe she truly needed it." He mused bashfully.
Natsumi rolled her eyes at her senior's humble nature and shook her head in disagreement. "Yakushi-senpai is downplaying his accomplishments. As far as medical knowledge goes, I can admit that his expertise surpasses mine easily."
"Give it a few years and I'm not so sure how true that'll be." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair before seemingly remembering something important. "All that aside, I didn't just come by to wish you luck. I figured I'd offer a bit of assistance if you're interested." His voice fell to a hushed whisper and like moths to an open flame, the rest of the rookies couldn't help but feel a touch of curiosity within them.
"What kind of assistance exactly?" Kiba questioned, still somewhat taken off guard that Natsumi had friends outside of just them. It wasn't like it bothered him or anything, but she was just so reclusive outside of their training that it just seemed so…
Well, weird.
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and quietly withdrew a deck of blank cards from his ninja pouch and held them up for them to see. "The greatest tool a shinobi can possess, information."
Sakura frowned and tilted her head in confusion. "Those are just blank cards though? How is that going to be helpful?"
"I'll let you know that these aren't just ordinary cards." Kabuto smirked and held one up for closer inspection. "These cards respond to my chakra, and I can use them to pull up useful information about certain individuals. Including some of our competition, just give me a name or a general appearance and see for yourself."
"Why don't you start with yourself then, show us that it actually works." Ino suggested. As a self-proclaimed gossip queen, she wasn't about to just trust anything she heard. Especially not from some random nobody she'd never met before.
"Suspicious? Good, that means you were paying attention in class." Kabuto offered a bit of praise before channeling a small bit of chakra into the blank parchment. Like an illusion suddenly lifting before their eyes, the blank card was quickly filled with notes and data points that hadn't been present before. A picture of Kabuto's face materializing in the upper corner accompanied by a series of stats.
"Proof enough for you?" He smirked.
"I've got a couple for you." Sasuke's voice cut through the chatter and all eyes turned towards the dark avenger. "Rock Lee, Sabaku no Gaara, and Natsumi Uzumaki."
That last name drew several concerned looks from the assembled group, nervous eyes glancing between the stalwart Uchiha heir and the unfazed Uzumaki. If Natsumi was affected by the request she did nothing to show it, merely raising a delicate brow in curiosity. Sasuke simply crossed his arms and waited for the bespectacled teen to pull up the requested information.
"Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, huh?" Kabuto mused, clearly aware of the tension. "I can respect that."
Pulling another card, Kabuto charged the paper with chakra and the image of an odd-looking youth sporting a bowl cut appeared before them.
"Name: Rock Lee. Village of origin: Konoha. Completed mission record: 30 D-ranks, and 12 C-ranks. Graduating at the bottom of his class, he possesses no confirmed talent for ninjutsu, or genjutsu… but is noted to be extremely proficient in taijutsu. Teammates are Neji Hyuga, and Tenten under the instruction of jonin leader Might Guy."
Sasuke scowled at that but otherwise said nothing.
Kabuto pulled out a second card and repeated the process. "Name: Sabaku no Gaara. Village of Origin: Suna. Completed mission record: 10 C-ranks, and 3 B-ranks." Kabuto then paused, a look of surprise blooming across his face. "According to reports, he has never suffered a single scratch in the line of duty. Possess command of unique sand manipulation abilities, but his other skills are unknown. Teammates are Sabaku no Temari, and Sabaku no Kankuro."
Natsumi mulled over this newfound information in the silence following its reveal. To not even suffer a single scratch on missions of that level seemed impossible, yet she was certain it had something to do with his container status. Whatever boon the Ichibi offered, it appeared poweful enough to carry the redhead through dangerous missions without trouble. She would need to keep that in mind should he prove hostile.
"How terrifying."
"You're up next Natsumi, I hope you aren't too upset with me for sharing." Kabuto apologized, seemingly genuinely apologetic.
"We are all competitors here, far be it from me to stop others from seeking an advantage." She shrugged and waved off the concern. "However, I will be quite cross if you reveal anything from our personal conversations."
"Nothing that isn't on the card, I swear." He held another card out and sure enough, a picture of Natsumi appeared over the once blank page.
"Name: Natsumi Uzumaki. Village of origin: Konoha. Completed mission record: 15 D-ranks, and 4 C-ranks. Graduating at the top of her class, she is noted to excel in ninjutsu and iryo-jutsu and displays proficiency in each of the major shinobi talents. Teammates are Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuga under the leadership of jonin Kurenai Yuhi."
"All surface-level information, that's fine I suppose." Natsumi thought. It would have been problematic if the cards weren't so vague.
Kabuto moved to speak again, but the sound of the examination door sliding open silenced his words as all eyes moved to take in the newest arrivals.
Or rather, arrival.
"That's enough chatter." A gruff voice barked over the noise. A tall man with a face utterly wreathed in scars stepped purposefully into the room, his stride and general aura commanding the attention of all in attendance. The towering figure was dressed head to toe in black, a dark bandanna covered his head, while an onyx trench coat concealed the rest. His gaze was hard, and those in his path were quick to scurry out of the way without protest.
Was he?-
"It looks like this is it. Hmph, welcome to this year's chunin exams." There was no warmth to his welcome, more like practiced resignation as he greeted them. "I will be your proctor for this part of the test. My name is Morino Ibiki, and if you plan on advancing any further you will keep your mouths shut, ears open, and you follow my instructions to the letter. Act up, and I will save the village time by throwing you out myself."
A blast of mild killing intent washed over the room punctuating his point.
Ibiki pointed to a door at the opposite end of the room. "Your first test is in there. Upon entering you will be given a number, you are to sit exactly where that number demands. If you try to pull a fast one, or swap numbers with another contestant… well feel free to test your luck, but I would strongly advise against it." A dark chuckle left his lips sending shivers down their collective spines.
Ominous indeed
"If that's all clear, get moving. We don't have all day."
(...)
"I don't plan to waste any more time today so let me explain what exactly will be happening." Ibiki folded his arms and behind him, a large cloud of smoke erupted suddenly setting them all on edge. As the smoke slowly cleared, it revealed what looked to be a small team of chunin. Their attire differed slightly from the traditional forest green flak jacket popular among village chunin. Each member sported a special black vest or other dark attire that matched Ibiki's own bleak outfit. She idly wondered if this was just for testing purposes, or if the heavily scarred man had command of his own personal squad.
"For those of you feeling particularly anxious about the exams, this section shouldn't prove very stressful. This will be a simple written test, nothing to worry yourselves over." He revealed calmly, and as he did so two members of his team quickly got to work handing out testing sheets. "After all, you can't expect to shoulder more responsibility if you can't even answer some basic questions." A low chuckle escaped him, and once again many felt the hairs on their necks stand on end at the discomforting sound.
"You will have exactly one hour to take this exam so there will be plenty of time."
Natsumi took a moment to glance down at the testing sheet, skimming over the first question:
"Question 1: Line B is the greatest possible distance a shinobi can throw his shuriken from a tree of 7 meters. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain his attack options. Use the reference diagram on the back of the page to show work."
She paused.
"What kind of question is this?" She thought to herself with a frown. It wasn't that she couldn't answer it, but this wasn't something you'd ask a genin. Perhaps a chunin looking to become a jonin, but certainly not a group of fresh graduates.
A quick scan across the room confirmed her thoughts. Many of her fellow competitors were staring at their own tests in disbelief, and a small few looked ready to walk out the testing chamber outright. Kiba and Hinata did a slightly better job at concealing their growing discomfort, but she could instantly tell that both were on edge. Kiba especially seemed nervous given his documented hatred of bookwork.
Willfully ignorant of the anxiety sprouting within them, Ibiki spoke again.
"Listen up! I will now be covering the rules for this section, I will not repeat myself so pay attention." The gruffness of his voice turned their focus back towards him. "As I said before, you have one hour to answer all nine questions. Given you are supposedly the best and brightest of your respective villages, this should be an easy task." There was no hint of humor in his tone, but many couldn't help but feel the scarred man was mocking them all the same.
"Once the hour is up you will be given one final question tenth, assuming you make it that far, that will be weighed more heavily than the previous nine." He continued. "From there, the tests will be collected, and based on performance, it will be decided whether your team will advance to the next phase..." There was a momentary pause. "However, as with any test, there is always a concern in the form of cheaters. Those of you with less academic aptitude may feel tempted to cheat off your harder-working competition." He glared at the assembled group before him and almost immediately those with less mental fortitude began to squirm under his gaze. "Be thankful then that in this case, cheating will not result in an immediate failure."
What?
That didn't make any sense? Why have a test at all if getting caught cheating didn't cause you to fail? At that point, they might as well have not bothered with the test at all!
"Don't think this means you'll get off scot-free though. Each time you get caught cheating, you will automatically be docked two points off your total score. Get caught five times, and you will automatically fail and be thrown out." He explained casually with a shrug of his shoulders. "Also you should probably know this before you begin..."
An unseen pressure suddenly manifested within the chamber, a feeling akin to a noose being fasted around their necks that abruptly stifled them all.
"If a member of your team is disqualified, or fails to correctly answer enough of the questions... the rest of their team will also automatically be disqualified." He revealed callously, ignoring the cries of disbelief that rang out at the admission. As if the stakes weren't high enough!
"You can't be serious, how is that fair!?"
"That's total bullshit!"
"There is no way that's true!?"
Ibiki narrowed his eyes and blasted a wave of killing intent that quickly silenced any opposition. "Sit down and shut up! This is my exam, meaning these are my rules. If you don't like them then you, and your team are welcome to pack your things and drop out now. Otherwise, you will do as you are told." His face was set into a dark scowl and Natsumi could see a more than few teams debating the merits of pushing on ahead.
This guy was no pushover.
Ibiki scanned the room again, before nodding to himself. "Now that we've gotten the rules explained you are free to begin. Remember, we are watching you, so keep your noses clean or you can forget about making it to chunin this year."
"Begin!"
...
"This whole situation is off…"
She couldn't shake the feeling that things just weren't adding up. As she suspected, the other eight questions were well beyond the scope of anything that the average genin would be able to answer without a fair bit of help. Nothing in their academy curriculum came even close to approaching it, and she doubted many of the people in this room had even glanced at a textbook since graduating. Not to mention it seemed strange that not a single jonin instructor would have thought to prepare their team for a high-level academic exam.
Then came the outlandish cheating rules.
What sort of test permits you to not only cheat but get caught and still have a chance at passing? It ran counter to the point of an examination, you either possess the knowledge or you don't. Cheating didn't get you disqualified, but being a poor cheater did? So as long as you could cheat well then you could avoid being tossed out-.
A lightbulb flickered to life in her mind's eye.
"Sneaky!"
She wanted to laugh as realization struck, but she settled for a quiet snort instead. Didn't want to give any reasons to dock her team.
"These questions are meaningless. We are ninja, whatever information we do not have, we'd steal. This isn't a test of intelligence, but information gathering." She mused. Morino-san had used psychological warfare to disguise the holes in the testing instructions, psyching them out so that they'd focus on trying to answer ultimately pointless questions rather than comb over his flawed directions. Deceit was in their very nature and to that end, they had to know how to pick out lies and misdirection from the truth.
Perhaps when these exams are over he might be willing to teach her a thing or two?
Slowly but surely, other teams began to piece together the true meaning of the test as well. A quick glance around the room revealed glimpses of the methods others were employing, some of which were less than subtle but still perfectly viable. She spotted the obvious bulging veins around Hinata's eyes that signified the use of her byakugan. An easy tell for anyone familiar with the famed dojutsu, yet Morino-san made no move to call her out on it.
Off across the room, she could see Akamaru quietly feeding Kiba answers. Yet another blatantly obvious sign of cheating that went completely unaddressed.
At least those two would be okay. Truthfully, she felt confident in her ability to answer a majority of the listed questions without the need to cheat. Her medical studies had expanded her knowledge far beyond the base academy curriculum, and her fuinjutsu training required a high level of spatial awareness and constraints if she wanted any hope of advancing her repertoire. A perfect score may be out of reach, but a passing score should prove obtainable.
Throughout the course of the next hour, many teams would be eliminated. Most left peacefully, accepting they'd been caught red-handed. Others required more… 'physical' persuasion to exit the testing chambers, but when all was said and done the testing group was a fair amount smaller than when they'd begun. Yet more weeding out of those unfit to proceed, though to her surprise none of her graduating class had been expelled. How fortunate, or possibly suspicious.
Not even a single clan heir thrown out?
"Alright, times-up!" Ibiki declared, prompting those teams that remained to swiftly halt in their tracks and turn their attention back towards the center of the room. "Well done making it this far, but before you start celebrating… you still have one last question ahead of you." He reminded them. "This tenth question is a bit special. I mentioned before that this question is weighed differently than the previous nine, and I will tell you right now that if you choose not to take it then you will fail immediately." He revealed coldly, unbothered by the cries of shock and outrage that were quickly hurled his way.
"Then what was the point of the other nine questions?" Temari questioned, frowning. "No one who's come this far would back out here if the result is an automatic failure." She noted with confusion.
"The prior questions were there to ensure that you have the proper mental faculties to perform your duties. However, the tenth question is the truest test of your ability…" He paused and let out a deep breath. "That's why if you don't take this question you will fail outright, but if you choose to take the tenth question and you get it wrong... not only will you fail here, but you will never be allowed to take the test again. You will remain a genin for the rest of your career."
"That's actually bullshit!" Kiba slammed his hand atop his desk. "There is no way in hell that's true, people have taken this exam more than once!"
Natsumi nodded in agreement. Her senpai had admitted to having taken these exams several times. What could cause this sudden change?
"I absolutely can, and will! I will say it again, this is my test and these are my rules. Those who came before you had the good fortune that I wasn't in charge, but you lot don't have that same luxury." He glared, stepping forward. "No one is forcing you to take the question, if you back out now you'll fail... but at least you'll be able to try again. If you commit to this, then you better be prepared to risk your own career as well as your teams!"
The finality of his words hit all the assembled genin hard, reminding them that not only would this choice permanently stunt their own progression, but also the progression of their teammates. Could any of them truly afford to take that risk? After they had come so far?
"I...I forfeit!" A voice from the back called out and a lanky teen walked out, followed swiftly by his two saddened teammates. They seemed upset but didn't seem to begrudge their teammate for dropping out.
"I think I'll back out too..." Yet another team made their way out.
"I can't risk it…"
"T-There's always next time."
In the span of mere minutes, more and more teams had ducked out of the race, and those that remained were finding their prior courage and anticipation swiftly draining. The air was filled with a suffocating aura of crippling anxiety and mounting fear. With every group that made their way out, the question of whether or not it was worth risking their entire careers on a simple question ran through their collective minds.
Hinata fidgeted quietly in her seat, another dejected team walking by her desk as they decided to forgo the gamble. It did nothing to soothe her nerves. Internally she was torn, to quit now would undoubtedly shame both her family and her team. She could practically envision her father's disappointment, or perhaps just his apathy at once again being proven correct in his view that she was a worthless heiress. More than that, however, she could see the disappointment of her team… Kiba would certainly try and smile through it, assuring her that she made the right call.
But Natsumi?
"I put my faith in you, and you disappointed me. I don't know why I expected anything else."
She didn't know what to do…
Kiba fought down the urge to snarl, his nails digging into the palms of his hands as he debated what to do. He wasn't book smart, everyone knew that and he made no secret of it. He had only gotten this far with Akamaru's help. Now he was on his own and he wasn't sure how to proceed. Did he risk it all and possibly drag his whole team down with him? Or did he swallow his pride for once and take the loss knowing that at least they would all have a chance to try again next time?
Damn it… why was this so hard!
Ultimately, neither of them would have to make that choice.
…
"Could you wrap this up, please? This whole situation is growing tiresome."
Ibiki's eyes narrowed at the challenging words that had just been thrown his way and he swiveled his gaze towards the back of the room, where a whiskered youth sat staring unflinchingly towards him. Cerulean orbs glazed over in a display of clear boredom.
"Excuse me?" He growled.
"This show you are putting on?" She elaborated, resting her cheek in her palm and narrowing her gaze. "As you said before, we don't have all day to spend in this room so I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you just presented the final question."
"Listen here hotshot, save the bravado for another time. Stop for a moment and really think about what you're about to do. Are you going to thoughtlessly risk your future, as well as the future of your teammates, just to look tough at the moment?" He questioned, giving the blond his full attention. Not that he was the only one, all eyes were on her now.
Well, far be it from her to disappoint an audience.
"Perhaps if I actually believed you I'd be more hesitant to speak up." She answered back calmly, unfazed by his posturing. "Though so far you've done nothing but feed us half-truths, or outright lies. You must forgive me then if I don't seem all that concerned about what you have to say. I mean, do you expect anyone here to honestly believe that some random jonin has the authority to forbid foreign powers from promoting their soldiers? Following that train of logic, I highly doubt you have even a fraction of the authority you claim to possess."
To his credit, Ibiki didn't flinch as murmurs of agreement began to circulate amongst the crowd.
"Are you sure you want to risk it? If you're wrong, you'll stay here at the bottom for the rest of your life."
"If I'm wrong, I'll gladly turn in my headband right now." She promised, tugging at the cloth around her neck as a show of faith. "However, I have a feeling that won't be necessary. Am I correct?"
"Cocky little shit..." Ibiki scowled, but inwardly he couldn't help but laugh at the girl's moxie. It was a refreshing sight to see in his line of work. He could instantly spot the difference the brat's words had inspired in the rest of the competition too. Many quickly began to see the logic in her arguments, and those that didn't still seemed emboldened by her defiance. They turned to face him and he spotted far less hesitation than moments prior. They were still scared but they were willing to take the risk now.
And to think he'd been so close to breaking them
"Do as you want then. This is the last chance for any of you to back out..." Not one of them budged, and with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Very well, then I have to say is..."
"Congratulations, you all pass!" He revealed, causing the assembled group to stare in shock. "All of you that remained will move on to the second portion of the exam. Fine work"
"But... what about the tenth question?" Sakura asked, still reeling from the news. "What was it?"
"There is no tenth question, at least not a real one anyway." Ibiki shook his head and gestured to them. "The whole point of the tenth question isn't to test your knowledge, but rather your resolve."
Seeing their confusion he moved to explain the true nature of the test.
"Understand that as chunin, you all will be expected to one day lead those under you. That means having to make decisions without always having all the information. In order to prove that you have what it takes to climb the ranks, you first need to prove that you possess the skill to find truth in lies, and gather information." His gaze hardened. "More importantly, you must prove that you have the will to make the hard choices when the time comes. To make a judgment call even if it puts yourself or others at risk, and having the confidence to know that sometimes all you can do is push forward. That is what separates leaders from followers."
He gave them all an approving nod. "Each of you took the leap, even if you had some help." He shot a glare towards the whiskered blond, who merely smirked back in return. "As a reward, you get to move forward. However, just because your gamble paid off this time it doesn't mean you should always blindly throw caution to the wind going forward. Do not fear the unknown, but never underestimate it either. It may be the last mistake you ever make."
Ibiki allowed a moment of silence for them to absorb his words before his gaze abruptly shifted towards his right.
"It looks like our time is up."
As he spoke, a shadowy blur smashed through the nearby window and an explosion of smoke swiftly obscured their vision. As the smoke began to clear, a large banner could be seen sprawled out from one end of the room to the other.
"Aho! The sexy and single Anko Mitarashi has arrived!~" A sultry voice purred with amusement as the bundle quickly stood to reveal a rather attractive woman dressed in… what could conservatively be called provocative attire. Her clothing left little to the imagination and her every movement seemed intent on drawing their eyes lower than what was likely considered appropriate.
"Is she wearing nothing but mesh under that coat?" Natsumi couldn't help but whistle at the sheer audacity.
"You're early, Anko." Ibiki's stern voice broke them from their trance. The scarred man rubbed the bridge of his nose and eyed the purple-haired woman with annoyance. "Not to mention I now have to clean up all this broken glass."
Anko grinned playfully and put a hand on her hip. "Ne, you're always too serious. It wouldn't kill you to lighten up a little, I could have shown up even earlier and ruined your dramatic test." She winked then turned to face the remaining contestants, a look of surprise appearing over her face. "Oi… what the hell is this, aren't there a few too many of these brats left? You losing your touch or something?"
Ibiki didn't rise to the bait, merely shrugging in response. "We have a solid batch this year."
Anko didn't seem convinced, squinting suspiciously at the assembled group.
"Hmph, We'll see about that!" Amber eyes gleamed with a wicked sheen. "Alright maggots, playtime is officially over. You all have fifteen minutes to drag your sorry butts over to Training Ground 44 or you'll be immediately disqualified. If you don't know where that is, then you better follow me quickly because I'm not going to hold your hands!"
With her peace said, she immediately leaped out the same shattered window she'd entered from, leaving in her wake a room of very confused genin.
"I highly recommend you do as she says." Ibiki pulled out a broom and began to sweep up bits of broken glass. "She isn't kidding about the timer."
A veritable stampede of genin quickly poured out the window in response.
Natsumi had a gut feeling that things were only going to grow more outlandish from here on out.
AN: Chapter Complete!
I would like to apologize for the long wait, it really wasn't my intention to take so long to update and to those of you eagerly awaiting the next chapter of the story, I'm sure the silence was more than a tad unpleasant. I haven't even been all that busy, but my desire to write has hit a new rock bottom. Thankfully, I had this chapter drawn up a while ago and only really needed to edit but I am unsure of when the next chapter will be. Maybe uploading will get me back into the swing of things, we'll see.
Regardless, let's talk business!
There isn't a ton going on in this chapter since this is just the prelude to the main portion of the exams. The opening is obviously done from Orochi's perspective, which given his importance to this arc I think is fitting. We see more of Natsumi's and Kabuto's interactions which I'm glad people enjoy, and we get Anko's introduction into the story in a small capacity.
I do have some plans for her, but I don't know how many of them will actually make it into the story. (Many of my ideas have changed and shifted in my absence that I'm still trying to work out)
Natsumi doesn't do too much here, but we'll see her in action more in the second stage and beyond so I think that's fine. Some people may find it out of character for her to speak up and essentially assist her competition, but I think her knowledge of her team would push her to act on their behalf even if it doesn't get her the best outcome.
Beyond that, I think everything else is pretty clear. It has been a while so feel free to message me with any questions, and as always do leave me your thoughts in the review section as I always love to hear from you all! I'll see you all next time (hopefully soon!)