Chapter 37
"You three had better drop it, you don't have the stuff to carry on." He said brutally.
"What?! Let it go?! What does that mean?! I remind you that we managed to get your bells!" Sakura snaps.
"Bunch of jokers. Not one of you has the temperament of a Hero or a Shinobi."
I can hear Sasuke gritting his teeth next to me. Then he leaps to his feet and rushes towards Kakashi, ready to fight.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screams at the top of her lungs.
But in a fraction of a second, Sasuke found himself immobilized on the ground. Kakashi sat on his back, holding his right arm with one hand and putting his foot on his head, preventing him from moving.
"Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" Kakashi asked calmly.
"He has the nerve to trample on Sasuke-kun! It's revolting!" Sakura couldn't believe it.
"Do you think it's easy to become a Hero or a Shinobi? Do you? Why do you think we divided you into teams to do this test?" Kakashi gives us a piercing look.
"Huh? What's he getting at..." Sakura is lost.
"What I'm saying is that you're completely missing out on the mentality that would allow you to pass this test."
"Mentality?" Sasuke mutters.
"It's this mentality that determines your success or failure in the test."
"Well point it out to us then, that mentality!" Sakura asked.
Kakashi disfigured us for a long time in a heavy silence, then sighed and laughed lightly.
"Rraaaaah! I'm fed up! Is that answer coming?!" Sasuke grew impatient under Kakashi's foot.
Kakashi looks down at him, then back up at me.
"Senji, you know the answer don't you?" He asks me.
"Yes, I understood shortly after I was hooked to the tree." I answer indifferently.
"Perfect, then illuminate your comrades who have no idea."
"...It's team spirit." I give the answer as clearly as possible.
Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened, surprised by my answer.
"That's right. If all three of you had attacked me at the same time from the start, you would have gotten the bells considerably easier."
"But how do you expect us to cooperate when there are only two bells! There's bound to be one of us whose efforts haven't been rewarded! The proof! Senji didn't manage to catch one! This so-called collaboration would only have led to arguments!" Sakura tried to retort what Kakashi had said, but he seemed unfazed.
"Yet you agreed to collaborate with Senji, didn't you? I imagine you tried to convince Sasuke but he refused, am I right? Go on, explain it to them, Senji."
"...This test is precisely designed to sow discord within the teams." I repeat what I concluded when I was attached.
"Bingo, good answer. The purpose of the exam is to see whether or not, in a situation like this, you're able to put your personal interest on the side and put teamwork first." Then he brings up the alarm clock, and Sasuke and Sakura are surprised by the time shown. "The only one who understood and saved the situation, Senji, made you believe there wasn't much time left, when in truth, it's now 11:57, which means that earlier you still had about twenty minutes."
"So what you told me earlier, why we're a team... Was that the reason? " Sakura asks me, not quite believing it.
I nod lightly. Seeing this, Sakura kneels down beside me, places a trembling hand on my shoulder and bows her head in shame.
"I'm so sorry Senji-kun, I screwed everything up. If I too would have understood, then..."
"Truth be told Sakura, not everyone here has been brilliant. You were too preoccupied with Sasuke and waited far too long before acting to help Senji, if you'd done it before, while Senji still had the upper hand, you might have succeeded in your moves, but we remember what happened..."
He turns his gaze to me.
"Senji, you're a very competent person, and rightly so, but you have major self-confidence problems. Same thing, it's totally understandable, but I had to motivate you so that you could give it your all, that's never going to happen against a real enemy, so you need to find a solution to that at least. And then, you started to lose patience, which pushed you to your limits, well, I can't really blame you, since your teammate took too much time."
And finally he lowered his gaze to Sasuke.
"As for you, Sasuke! You thought the other two would be a drag, so you decided to go solo."
He stops and closes his eyes, waiting for everything he's said to sink in.
"Missions must be carried out as a team. Of course, it's possible to work solo, so individual qualities are essential. But above all, it's team spirit that counts." Kakashi explains. "By playing it alone and neglecting teamwork, you run the real risk of endangering the lives of your companions. Something like that..."
He pulled a kunai from a small bag on his lower back and placed it under Sasuke's throat.
"Sakura! Kill Senji or I'll slit Sasuke's throat!"
"What?!" Sakura panicked.
Seeing that the example had worked, he stood up, freeing Sasuke.
"You see? All it takes is for one of you to get captured and the others to find themselves without a way out, and in the end, all three of you get killed. Just remember that a hero like a shinobi risks his life on every mission he undertakes."
"If you emphasize this point so much, it must be that you've experienced it firsthand, right?" I ask, lifting my head to look him in the eye.
"...That's right. And I imagine that by following your father on his missions, you've surely seen all the horrors that humans are capable of. You're perhaps the one who best understands what I'm trying to explain, it's not for nothing that you're the only one who understood the purpose of the test."
Hearing this, I was speechless, not knowing what to say. I lowered my head again, feeling the weight of Sasuke and Sakura's gazes. I don't know if they're judging me or what, but I must be terrifying in their eyes...
"I'll be honest with you, normally the only person who has succeeded here is Senji, he saved the situation and even gave you the bells. But instead, I'm going to give the three of you one last chance. But I'm warning you that it's going to be even harder to take the bells from me this afternoon. So eat your snacks, you'll need your strength. But don't give Senji a crumb. After all, he hasn't managed to take any bells, and now it's your turn to show me what you've got to give. Is that clear? Anyone who disobeys will be eliminated on the spot. I make the rules here, got it?" Kakashi points at Sasuke and Sakura, giving us a cold stare, then suddenly disappears.
Sasuke and Sakura don't waste any time and attack their meal straight away, to the gurgling of my stomach. I let out a long sigh and try to think of something else, but the sound of my two partners chewing is impossible to ignore.
"Senji, about what happened earlier..." I hear Sakura wanting to apologize again, but I stop her.
"Don't worry about it. It was part of the game and I accepted the rules, so there's no need to talk about it and let's stay focused on what's going to happen this afternoon..." The gurgling in my stomach stops me, depressing me even more.
Sasuke looks at me hesitantly, then holds out his meal to me.
"Here."
"S...Sasuke! Did you hear what Kakashi-sensei said?!" Sakura gasped.
"No worries. I don't feel his presence. This afternoon we'll go together to get the bells. Senji is the most capable of us, so he has to be at the top of his game too, otherwise it's a lose-lose situation." Sasuke declared.
I'm surprised by his attitude, having changed completely. Sakura too is speechless, then looks hesitantly at her meal and holds it out to me, saying nothing.
"...Thank you." I wasn't expecting this at all, so I'm struggling to speak.
Sakura is about to help me eat when a huge smoke screen appears in front of us, creating a gust of wind.
"What is it?!" Sakura shielded herself, and Sasuke got into a defensive position.
"You smart alecks!" Kakashi emerges, charging towards us.
"Kyaaaaa!" Sakura screams.
"Congratulations! You're in!" he announces, a big smile visible under his cloth. "hehe!"
"Huh?!" Sakura is completely baffled.
"Hum?" The same goes for me.
"Received?! How come?" asked Sakura.
"You're the first ones I've admitted."
"What?" Sakura sat up, curious.
"All those who have passed this ordeal up to now have been nothing but mugs, content to obey my instructions. I told you, a hero and a shinobi must act with discernment and know how to read between the lines. In our world, those who do not respect the rules and transgress the laws are considered less than nothing. But those who don't think of their companions are even worse."
"Haha..." Sakura relaxed, as if a weight had just lifted.
"Phew..." Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief.
(He sounds like Kiritsugu...)
"Good! The exercise is over! You're all in! Congratulations! Team 7 will start the missions as soon as possible." He explains, untying me. "I'll let you know when a mission comes up."
"Finally, I can go eat, I can't take it anymore." I get up and grab my bag.
"Indeed, you're all pale. Come on, I'll go with you, I'm not sure it's still open at the canteen."
Thanks to Kakashi, I was able to take a tray and find myself an empty table. At this hour, there aren't many people left, and the canteen has stopped serving. I begin to devour my meal, feeling my hunger gradually disappear.
"Well, if it isn't Emiya-kun."
I turn to see Tohsaka beside me, a tray in her hands.
"Oh, hi Tohsaka, you still haven't eaten?" I ask, removing my bag and coat from the seat next to me.
"Tell me about it, I only just passed my shinobi aspirant test, but the main thing is that I passed, so everything's fine!" She sits down directly next to me and attacks her meal, savoring every bite.
"Congratulations then, how did you do?"
"Hmm? Ha, Fufufu... My sensei is very impressed! It was a bit hard towards the end because he went seriously against us, but we won. Now," she points her fork at me. "If you're here, you've passed the test too, and succeeded, haven't you?"
"That's right. How could you be so sure?"
"I would never have doubted your abilities Senji." She said, biting into her steak.
"By the way, I'm surprised you're in the heroic line, for a mage I mean."
"I... it took me a long time to decide. But, if you're telling me this, you know the reputation of mages don't you?" I nod at her question. "I want to change things. I don't want to become a cold mage who prioritizes her projects and can sacrifice family members without flinching. Those days must be over, and what better way to do that than to make a name for yourself as a hero mage! I know it's going to be a long road, and I'm going to have a lot of problems, especially with the clock tower, but hey, I don't care, I'm the only one who can decide my future."
"It's quite honorable, I hope to see these changes happen. My father told me about the mages, and I found them really horrible, but you're definitely different, and I'm sure you'll accomplish what you wish."
"Thank you..." She turns her head, trying to hide her suddenly flushed cheeks. "And then I remind you that we're going to spend five years together at this school. We'll probably be helping each other a lot and fighting too, so get ready, the new generation of mages starts with me!"
We end our break with a light-hearted chat about the future.
"Come in!" Furan replies.
Finishing my lunch break with Rin, I head for the Maken-ki club. When I get back, everyone's around the 1st years, Inaho, Usui and Uruchi. And when my presence becomes apparent, all eyes turn to me.
"Welcome back Senji-san, I hope your ordeal went well." Yuuka asks.
"I passed, so yes it went well." I announce, setting my things down.
"Good job Senji-chan, I had no doubt you would succeed!" Said Haruko, a ton of files on her hands.
"So champ! How did it go?" Chacha asks, putting her arm around my neck.
"It was a bit complicated, he didn't go easy on us."
"Who was it?" Azuki asks. Sitting on a chair she tilts to put her feet up on the table, under the irritated gaze of Kodama and Kimi.
"Kakashi Hatake." I answer, trying to escape the billions of questions Chacha and Kimi are asking me.
"Kakashi-sensei huh... They say he's a renowned shinobi." Demitra comments.
Everyone looks at me like I've come back from the dead.
"The Kakashi-sensei? They say he's never accepted anyone." Usui explains.
"That's right, Kakashi-sensei hasn't accepted any students until today." Furan added.
"Well then, what's the secret Senji?" Yan Min asks, leaning against me, elbow on my shoulder.
"Senji is just very strong and smart, now can you stop sticking to him?!" Shiria grabs my arm and pulls toward her.
"Um... By the way, I don't think I need to ask you this, but didn't you pass the test, too, Shiria?"
"Indeed, since we won't be staying long, there's no need for me to pass it on, and besides, we're already a team on missions, so we're already shinobi apprentices!" She explains.
"Oh I see everyone's here!" Aki enters the room with a cake. "So I think it's time to celebrate the success of our champions!"
"Oh a big cake! I want a slice!" Himegami gets up instantly and runs to the cake.
"Hey! Himegami-san! This is for the first years!" Haruko tries to control the situation.
She is closely followed by Azuki, Chacha and Kimi, which makes Haruko even more desperate. Demitra moves closer to Yan Min and Shiria and me, watching the scene in astonishment.
"Is it always like this at Maken-ki?" She asks me.
"Most of the time, yes. Which has a way of pissing off Furan and Haruko but even they can't help but appreciate it, I hope you do too."
"Yeah, it's pretty fun." Yan Min replies.
"Yes! It's like one big family!" Shiria adds.
The only one who doesn't answer is Demitra, who continues to watch the chaos around Aki as she protects the cake as best she can. Then the twins approach with a slice of cake.
"Congratulations."
"Here, this is for you." Lilu hands me the plate.
"Thanks girls, that's sweet." I pat their heads before taking the plate. Although their expressions remain neutral, I can see that they've greatly appreciated the gesture and go off to sit in their corner.
(Hmmm, it's very good. Aki-sensei made it?)
"Hey! I wanted some! Let's go Yan Min , we deserve our share!" Shiria finally lets go of me but takes Yan Min by force.
"Oh! No need to take me with you, I can go just fine on my own! Are you coming Demitra?"
"Hmmm..." She watches me eat my cake for a few seconds, then follows them. "Since Senji seems to like it, I'll have a taste too."
I watch them join in the chaos, and also see Aki-sensei laughing and enjoying herself as if she were our age, which is really adorable to see.
Then I remember what we're celebrating and head for my fellow participants.
"So, how did it go on your end?" I ask, joining them.
"Hmpf! Easy, I just took a bite out of the exercise with my energy arrows." Uruchi boasts.
"That's why you have marks on your face and hands." Usui scoffs.
"What do you think? Of course I was going to be targeted! Always shoot the ranged attackers first! What about you Usui-san, how did it go?! I bet you spent your time hiding!"
"To wait for the right moment, and finish the test by arriving behind sensei without him noticing."
"Wow, Usui-san is amazing!" Inaho is amazed.
"Peuh! I don't believe a word!" Uruchi scoffs.
"You don't have to believe me, because I did it anyway!" Usui puffs out his chest, proud of himself.
"And you Inaho-chan, did our training yesterday serve you well?" I ask.
"Yes! I didn't even need to use the gauntlet! He was impressed by my martial arts mastery, after all, I've been learning since I could walk!"
"Um, I'm sorry but let's not forget that we have work to do. Senji, Yan Min, there are a lot of duel requests waiting for you, I'm counting on you." Furan hands me several documents.
"Okay, here we go." Yan Min, to take the documents from my hands. "Come on handsome, it's time to play referee, I hope it's going to be interesting..."
I follow her, grabbing another slice of cake as I go.
"By the way, the cake is really good Aki-sensei!" I say, closing the door behind us.
I have just enough time to see her cheeks redden and hear a slight thank-you.
"Phew... Yan Min really doesn't know how to behave, I can't believe she wore me out more than duel refereeing..." I shuffle through the corridors of the Occult Research Club and enter the main room.
"Good evening Senji, it looks like it's been a long day." Rias greets me.
"Good evening, everyone, tell me about it..." Then my gaze turns to the blond. "So Kiba, how did it go?"
"Just like you I succeeded, even if one of them wasn't very collaborative..." He explains with an embarrassed smile.
"I guess it was a guy, I wonder why." I say mockingly. "But wait a minute, how do you know I made it?"
"Fufufu, you know, this is Kakashi-sensei's first time accepting students, so obviously it's going to get around, especially among the upper grades." Akeno explains, setting down a cup of tea for me.
"Okay, well, that's not too much pressure." I sigh, taking a sip of the tea.
"In any case, we'd like to congratulate you, this is your first step in your progression. I'm very proud of you both." Says Rias, stepping towards us.
"Yes! Congratulations! Senji-san, Kiba-san!" Asia cheered.
"Fufufufu, we can count on our two boys, which makes me want to pamper you even more." Said Akeno, smiling suspiciously.
"Good work, Kiba-senpai, Senji-senpai. It puts a little pressure on me for next year, I'd better not fail." Koneko motivates herself.
"No worries there Koneko, I'll make sure you're more than ready." Rias announces with a proud smile.
"I think she's ready for it already..." I murmur, making Kiba laugh, who has heard. "Besides, it makes me think, why didn't Asia take the test?"
"Asia's case is special, as you'd expect. She has nothing for fighting, but she does have a powerful healing Sacred Gear. I've spoken to the principal about it and under our request, she'll be able to act as a battle medic." Rias explains.
"I hope I can be as useful as possible and save as many people as I can, with all of you!" Asia declares.
"In any case, there's still a lot of work for you to do, so get to work, I'm counting on you as always." Rias takes out different contract documents and gives them to us.
"Yes!" We all say together.
"Congratulations to both of you, the shinobi apprentice test is an important step in your career. It will enable you to become a confirmed shinobi and then a hero." Fuji-nee explains.
"Yeah, but you have to wait until you're in your third year for that." Kodama adds, slumped over the kotatsu.
"Hm? Does that mean Furan-senpai and Yuuko-senpai are already confirmed shinobi?" Inaho asks.
"Unfortunately no, the third years still haven't made it through the tournament." Haruko replies.
"Right, nobody knows what's going on internally, or what the Hokage is up to, but given the drastic changes there's already been, I imagine the tournament will be affected too." Ponder Fuji-nee.
"Is it worrying?" Sakura asked.
"Even if you're on your last year of middle school, you're not affected but even that I'm not sure of, the future is really uncertain. So be ready for anything, and Senji, Inaho-chan, I hope this experience has motivated you, because the way things are changing, I think the school's going to pick up the pace. And that counts for everyone here, so get ready, you represent our future after all, so make me proud, okay?" Fuji-nee's gaze is serious and full of concern, which is rare.
Despite the slight tension, everyone smiles at Fuji-nee, who is surprised.
"We understand your concern very well, Fujimura-sensei, but if we signed up for Kuoh, it was because we were prepared to take any risk." Said Haruko.
"Absolutely, after all, we all have goals and dreams to accomplish, and no amount of upheaval is going to stop us." Kodama adds.
"We're going to do what we do best Fujimura-sensei, our best!" Inaho concludes.
"I don't doubt it. Anyway, it's getting late, I'll take you home, Sakura. Have a good night everyone, see you tomorrow."
After Fuji-nee and Sakura have left and the girls have gone to bed, Chiyo and I slowly make our way to our rooms.
(She didn't say a word all evening...)
Just before entering our rooms, I stop and turn to her.
"Everything all right, Chiyo-san?"
Instead of answering me right away, she steps forward and wraps her arms around me, hugging me tightly.
"I'm so scared for you. I've never seen Fujimura-san so serious, even though she's always in a good mood. Everything she said wasn't a good thing, was it? Is it dangerous?" She holds me tighter, hiding her face on my shoulder.
"Everything's going to be fine." I reciprocate the hug, holding her tightly against me. "As the girls say, this isn't going to stop us. On the contrary, it's going to push us to give it our all. So, believe in us, and support us, okay?"
"You know that doesn't make me feel any better?"
"I know, but lying to you would be even worse, wouldn't it?"
"...Indeed." She finally breaks free, exhaling a deep breath. "Let me sleep with you tonight, I know that when you've been through a stressful day, you can't sleep afterwards, and neither can I for that matter..."
I remain silent, still a little torn by my demons, but strangely enough, I feel much more at ease by her side. I slide my door open and invite her in.
"To tell you the truth, I've given myself so much this morning that I can barely stand up, but if it helps you sleep, why not?"
Without warning, she takes my cheeks in her hands and kisses me.
"Thank you Senji. I love you."
We lie back on the futon, exhausted by the day. Chiyo lies half on me, her head resting on my shoulder. The warmth of her body on me, her gentle, calm breathing, her heartbeat and the heaving of her chest lull me to sleep, accompanying me through the night in place of nightmares.