Ch: 41 Chunin Exams Start

Konoha

"So, this is it," Naruto said. He and his team stood in front of the building where the Chunin exams were being held. At least the first part.

Next to him, Sasuke nodded. "You think we're ready for this?" He asked. "It's not too late to back out now. We already have an idea who we might go up against."

Naruto nodded. "We're here already," Naruto said. "Why back out now?" He walked forward. Hinata and Sasuke followed from the sides.

"We can do this, "Hinata said. "We have to."

Naruto smiled. "We'll pass," he said. "I have no doubt about that. So, let's do it in style."

They entered the building and moved up a floor. There, they saw a large crowd of genin gather in front of a door with a sign labeled 307.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "307 is the room where we're supposed to go, right?"

Hinata nodded. "It is," she said.

"But we only just walked up one flight of stairs." Naruto pointed out quietly.

"Genjutsu," Sasuke said, with a smirk. "They're already trying to weed us out."

Naruto nodded. "Should we say something?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Why would we?" he said. "Fewer people to deal with later. Besides, if they fall for a simple trick like that, they don't deserve to be promoted."

The trio made their way up the stairs without anyone noticing except the two chunin disguised as genin.

The members of team-11 made it to the third floor without further incident and found their way to the testing room. Right outside the door was their Jōnin sensei Shisui. He was leaning up against a wall, arms crossed.

"I see the three of you made it," Shisui said. "That's good." Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke walked to their sensei.

"Shisui-sensei, I didn't expect to see you here," Hinata said.

"Wonder why?" Sasuke said. He sent Naruto a sideways glance.

Naruto smiled but kept his answer to himself. Sometimes, it was fun to let his friends discover the surprises for themselves. "Just wanted to see my genin off before they took their first exams," Shisui replied.

"We're doing fine, sensei," Hinata said. "We can handle ourselves."

Naruto smiled as a mischievous idea formed in his head. A glance at Sasuke showed he was thinking the same thing. "Although yesterday was a little touch and go," he said. "Hinata and I had a strange encounter with an odd man. Sasuke did, too."

Sasuke nodded. "Some weirdo showed up in the Meadow where Yakumo and I like to hang," he replied.

Shisui kept his face even. "Really now?" He said with a smile—the kind he used when dancing around a particular subject. "I did hear about some ruckus happening yesterday. I hope you three weren't in too much trouble. Were you?"

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke all shared a look and glanced back at Shisui. "Nothing we couldn't manage," Naruto said. "But we were wondering if you had any incite about it." Naruto placed his hands on the back of his head.

Shisui smirked at his genin team. "And what makes you think I would know anything?" He asked.

"Just a feeling," Sasuke said, mirroring his cousin's smirk.

Following their respective experiences with the rest of their friends, team-11 had learned that similar incidents had played out for all members of the rookie twelve. That had, of course, raised a flag for the group of genin, and speculation about what had really gone on started. The general conclusion had been it was all a test. Most likely, it was engineered by their senseis to see if they were ready for the chunin exams.

Shisui shrugged. "Well, I can't really say anything about it," he said. "But I have been assured that the matter will be investigated."

"Sure, it will," Sasuke said in a knowing tone.

Naruto mentally shrugged. He didn't think they would get anything out of the man. "So, is there anything else?"

Shisui smiled. "Nothing too much," he said. "Just congratulations on all three of you making it here."

"All three of us?" Hinata asked.

Shisui nodded. "Yep," he said, standing up from the wall. "You see, there's this little thing I forgot to tell you guys about."

"And what would that be?" Naruto asked.

"You had to enter the exams as a team," Shisui said. "You can't enter the exams on an individual basis. It's either all three of you or none of you."

"So, if any of us didn't show up," Sasuke started. "Or didn't sign up. The other two could not enter.

"That's right," Shisui said. "Until the final stages, the Chunin exams are a team-based effort. No team means no entry."

Naruto nodded, figuring that made sense. "Well, all three of us are here," he said. He was looking at Sasuke and Hinata.

Shisui nodded. He looked at each of his genin, smiling. "Good luck, you three," he said. "And no matter what happens, I'm proud of you. All of you."

"Hai sensei," Naruto said.

Hai sensei," Hinata said.

"Hai sensei," Sasuke said.

"Now go out there and show them what you're made of," Shisui said, vanishing in a shunshin. A moment later, the three genin entered the room.

Several pairs of eyes greeted the trio, but not all belonged to Naruto. "Well, I guess that means we're in the right room," Sasuke commented.

"A little intense, aren't they?" Hinata said. "Do they all have to stare at us like that?"

"They're probably trying to scare us," Naruto said. "That's all, and not doing a very good job of it either." The killing intent from the genin in the room was a good effort. But Naruto had felt worse before.

"I think I can see the others over there," Sasuke said, pointing at the other members of the rookie twelve.

Naruto nodded. "I see them," he said. The trio walked over to their friends.

"Naruto," Kiba said with a grin. "Good to see you, buddy."

"Good to see you too, Kibble," Naruto said with a cheeky grin.

Kiba's grin instantly faded into a frown. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that," he growled.

"But it's so funny," Naruto said. "Even your sister thinks so."

Kiba groaned. "Don't remind me," he said. "She won't stop calling me that at every chance she gets. Mom won't stop her because she gets a laugh out of it too."

Naruto's grin grew. "See?" He said. "It is funny."

Kiba looked like he wanted to get a retort in. Thankfully, Shino stepped in before any escalation could occur. "I believe we might be drawing more attention to ourselves here."

Naruto tilts his head to the side. He had already seen how most of the room had shifted their attention to the group of Konoha genin. "That's their problem, not ours," Naruto stated.

"Troublesome as always," Shikamaru said.

A soft chuckle caught the group's attention. A white-haired boy wearing glasses walked up to the group. "What a rowdy bunch we got here," he said. "You realize you're not doing yourselves any favors by acting so high and mighty. Bad enough, you're all a bunch of rookies. Well, most of you." He glanced at Haku.

"Who are you?" Ino said. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt someone else's conversation?"

The new boy laughed off Ino's statement. "My apologies," he said. "I just saw a group of genin who are over their heads in these exams. So, I thought I would offer some advice. Oh, and you can call me Kabuto."

"Well, Kabuto," Sasuke said. "What can you tell us about the Chunin exams?"

Kabuto nodded at Sasuke. "Well, firstly, the obvious," he said. "The Chunin Exams are very grueling and will challenge you and your team in ways you can't imagine. Many genin take the exam, not just for a chance of promotion, but also for fame and glory. After all, it is a chance to get their names out there."

Naruto nodded. "Well, that much we already knew," he said. "Why do you think we're here?"

"Just a reminder that others are here for the same reason," Kabuto said. "That will make the competition very fierce. Many will try, but only a few, if any, will make it. But I wouldn't worry about you guys. If you fail this Chunin Exam, you can always take the next. It's common for genin to go through several Chunin Exams before they succeed."

"Really?" asked Sakura. "Then, can I ask? How many times have you taken the chunin exams?"

Kabuto smiled. "This would be my seventh attempt at the exams," he said.

That caught the whole group off guard. "Seven times?" Kiba said. "Man, you must suck."

Kabuto shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe," he said. "Or it should tell you how tough the Chunin Exams can be. Either way, I've gained a lot of experience, and since I'm such a nice guy, I'm willing to help a fellow Konoha-nin out."

The white-haired young man pulled out a deck of cards. "I've compiled information about our competitors onto these cards, along with information on the hidden villages taking part in the exams this time around."

"Wait, does that mean you have something on everyone in this room?" Yakumo asked. "So, if we were to give you a name, you could tell us about them?'

Kabuto scratched the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't say everyone," he said. "But if you can give me a name or a description, I might have something on them. I could even start with one of you, just show you I have something."

The members of the rookie-twelve all exchanged looks. Most of them found Kabuto's claims dubious, but simultaneously, it was a tempting offer. Any edge they could get over the competition was a welcome one.

In the end, Naruto steps forward, offering himself. "Then try me," he said. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Kabuto nodded and started to look through his deck of cards. "Here we are," he said, pulling out one of the cards. He flipped it around, showing it was blank."

"Hey, wait a minute," Kiba said. "There's nothing on that card. Is this some kind of scam?"

"Just hang on a moment, Kiba," Shikamaru said. "I think he might have a trick up his sleeve."

"Indeed, I do," Kabuto said. Then, the group watched as he channeled some chakra into the blank card. After a second, an image of Naruto appeared on the card.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Kabuto read off the card. "An orphan living in Konoha under the care of the Hyūga Clan following an incident with Kumo. According to this, you lost your eyes in that same incident."

Naruto nodded. "It was worth it," he said.

Kabuto moved past Naruto's comment. "Your teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Hyūga Hinata, under the tutelage of Uchiha Shisui," he said. "Quite the politicly connected team you got. As a team, you've completed forty-seven D-Rank missions and eight C-Ranks. What's this?" Kabuto squinted his eyes at the card in his hand. The white-haired young young-man looked at team-11 with surprise. "Your team has even completed one A-Rank mission. Very interesting."

"That's a lot of info you got there," Sasuke said. "Mind if we ask where you got it?"

Kabuto smiled, putting a single finger to his lips. "Now that's a trade secret," he said. "But I trust I got your attention now?"

The genin of the Rookie-Twelve nodded their heads. "What about people outside of the village?" Naruto asked. "You got anything on them?"

"Just ask, and I'll see what I can do," Kabuto answered.

Naruto already knew one person he wanted to learn more about. "Gaara no Sabaku."

A moment later, a card showing the face of a red-haired boy was presented to the group. "Gaara no Sabaku, the youngest son of the Yondaime Kazekage," Kabuto started off. "He has completed an unknown number of D-Rank missions, 8 C-Ranks, and get this one B-rank mission.

"So what?" Naruto said. "We completed an A-Rank."

"Yes, but I doubt you managed to come out with any injuries," Kabuto said, surprising everyone in the group. "According to my information, this guy has completed all his missions without ever being injured, not even a scratch."

"But that's impossible," Shikamaru said. "A B-Rank often involves combat with shinobi or equivalent force. There is no way he could have come out of one without some form of injury."

Kabuto shrugged. "I can only tell what my cards say," he said. "I am quite thorough with the information I gather."

"Obviously, this guy had some hidden trick up his sleeve," Sasuke said. "That or your information is not as accurate as you think."

"I'm not so sure," Haku said. The Rookie-Twelve plus Kabuto looked at her. "Zabuza and I had heard rumors of a red-haired demon hailing from Suna. Supposedly, he could control the sands themselves and was known for his bloodlust."

"So, this guy might be the real deal?" Sakura said nervously. "Sounds like someone we should avoid."

Naruto saw Sasuke and Hinata looking at him. He nodded. He would warn the others about Gaara when he had fewer prying eyes on them. "He's not the only one you should worry about. Several villages have sent some of their best to these exams," Kabuto said. "Obviously, we got people from Konoha, but also from Suna, Kusa, Ame, Waterfall, and even Kiri has managed to send a team this year."

"Yeah, Hinata and I met one of them," Naruto said. Naruto had his eyes on the Kiri genin, noting how each had a different sword. In particular, he had his sights on the guy that had helped save him. "He's an interesting character." That was all Naruto would say about the guy. Next to him, Hinata giggled.

The rest of the group gave Naruto questioning looks. However, Naruto refused to explain. Kabuto continued with his earlier explanation. "And we even got a new village in the mix. Oto, they're small, but hardly anyone knows anything about them, so who knows what they'll be like."

"Stiff competition," Sai said. "Almost makes one want to drop out now."

"What's this, pale skin," Kiba said with a wide grin. "Getting a little chicken. Just because there's a little competition?"

"No, dog breath," Sai replied. "All I'm saying is that others might want to leave."

"What did you just call me?" Kiba growled at the boy."

"Dog breath," Sai answered. "Don't you like your nickname?"

"Like hell I do."

In an instant, everyone reacted to their instincts as three shadowy figures descended on them. Or rather Kabuto. The white-haired boy reacted quickly as he was attacked by a bandaged boy with a metal gauntlet. Next to him, another with spikey hair came at Kabuto from one end. On the other end, a girl with long hair is stuck.

Kabuto dodged all the attacks that came at him as he was pushed up against the wall, narrowly avoiding a punch from a metal gauntlet. "Listen well, tree-hugger," the bandaged boy said. "You best not be talking down on Oto like that again. Because this year, we'll be taking the chunin exams."

Kabuto smirked at the trio. "I doubt that," he said. "From what I just saw, you couldn't?" Kabuto's glasses cracked, and he lurched over in pain.

"They got him?" Sasuke said. "But how I didn't see any of their attacks connect."

Before anyone could answer, the room's front section exploded into a smoke cloud. When the smoke cleared, a heavily scared man stood at the center of a line of Konoha nin. "All right, maggots," he shouted. "Playtime is over. Everyone to your seats, or else I will have you thrown out of this room. Understood?"

In minutes, everyone was seated, having been assigned seats by the chunin protectors. "Now that everyone is seated," the scared man started. "We can begin with the exams. My name is Morone Ibiki, and I will be the proctor of this section of the exams."

Unknown location in Konoha

Across Konoha, gathered in one room were the Jōnin sensei of the genin teams taking the exams. The Hokage had generously donated one of his crystal balls so the assembled group could watch the first part of the test unfold.

"Looks like this Oto has a pair on them," one of the Jōnin commented, a man from Waterfall. "Attacking another genin so openly like that. I'm surprised your people didn't do anything about it. Iwa would have never allowed something like that to happen."

One of the Konoha-nin shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, the moment they stepped into that room, the Chunin Exams began," he said. "Everything is fair game at this point."

Some nods were going around among the Jōnin-senseis. "So, any bets on how many teams will make it past the first part of the exams?" A Kusa-nin asked.

A Suna-nin answered the man. "I wouldn't say a few," she said. "This first part of the test kind of looks easy. A ten-question exam disguised as an info-gathering exercise. I'm not going to say most of them will pass. But I would not be surprised if a lot managed to get to the second part."

Again, there were a lot of nods across the room, mainly among the non-Konoha-nin. Some even appeared to be relaxed about the whole thing.

"I wouldn't be so sure about it," Shisui said. "You're all forgetting about the tenth question."

"What about the tenth question?" This time, coming from another Konoha Jōnin, one of the younger ones. "If it's going to be like what I think it is, the genin shouldn't have too much of a problem answering it."

"It's not just the tenth question," Kakashi said. "It's who is giving it. Morone Ibiki."

Shisui nodded. "He's right. The danger doesn't lie in the tenth question," he said. He looked at the crystal ball, which showed the heavily scared man, who was now finishing up his explanation of the first part of the Chunin Exams. "But in the man giving it."

"Just who is this man?" The waterfall, Jōnin asked. "I think I heard the name Ibiki before."

"Oh, I think I can answer that question," the Jōnin sensei from Kiri, Zabuza, said, a wide grin under his face wrappings. He walked forward, never taking his eyes off the image of the protector for the exams. "Morone Ibiki, the current head of Konoha's T department."

A wave of surprise washed over the foreign shinobi, a few even gasping. "They're letting a torturer head the first part of the exams?" One foreign Jōnin asked.

"A gutsy move," another commented. "I didn't think you tree huggers had it in you."

"Oh, this man is no mere torturer," Zabuza said. "I've heard about this man and what he's done. He's something of a legend in that field of work and as someone who used to work in that same field. All I can say is this man has my respect."

What better way to set a mood than for a man like Zabuza to say he respected a man like Ibiki? Shisui couldn't think of anything. "Suffice it to say, the first part of the exams will be interesting."

The first part of the exams started.

Exam Room

It quickly became clear that the test was no ordinary exam. As soon as Sasuke read over the first question, he quickly read over the rest. It did not take a genius to figure out that no ordinary genin could answer all the questions. Maybe one or two, depending on how smart or experienced they were. But the rest of the test was beyond them. Hell, Sasuke would not be surprised if some Chunin struggled with the exam.

Sasuke put his pen down and took a breath to try to figure out what was going on. He went over the rules the rest of the room had been given by the protector and what he had just learned about the test.

Firstly, they would be given ten questions to answer, but only nine would be given on the test. The protector would give the last in the last few minutes of the exam. That, in of itself, was strange, but Sasuke filed it away for later, as he felt it had no bearing on his current situation.

The next rule had to do with cheating. That made sense to Sasuke as no proper exam would allow something like that to happen. However, the way the system was set up felt odd to the young Uchiha.

We're given ten points to start with. So, as long we have a single point to my name, I can stay in the exam. But if I get caught cheating, I'll lose two points. If my points reach zero, my team and I will be disqualified from the exams. That was what had Sasuke stumped for a second. By the math, Sasuke and the other examinees would have five chances to cheat before they were thrown out from the test.

But why set it up like that? Why not just throw them out at the first instance of cheating? That's what they would do with other tests. Then it clicked in Sasuke's mind. But this is not any other test. It's a Shinobi test, so the regular rules don't apply.

They wanted the examinees to cheat. The system wasn't about preventing cheating. It was about them not getting caught in the act. Carefully, Sasuke began to look around the room. He saw a few of the genin working their way through the test. Some appeared to be stumped by the exams, while others kept writing.

They have plants in the room. Sasuke concluded quickly. Aside from people like Shikamaru and Sakura, any normal genin was unlikely to answer the questions. Which meant the protectors had to have a few plants in the room. People who would know how to answer the questions on the exam. Most importantly, people for the rest of the room to gather intel on.

The trick would be finding those knowledgeable people and getting their answers without being caught. Sasuke smirked. Luckily, he had an idea or two on how to do that.

Sasuke looked around the room, looking for someone who looked like they had the answers he was looking for. He found his target.

In the back of his mind, Sasuke hoped his teammates had figured out the true meaning of the test.

As it were, the rest of Team-11 had figured out the true meaning behind the test. Hinata would be embarrassed to admit it, but she was smart. Once the scared man had finished going over the rules of the test, she knew something was wrong. Her suspicions were confirmed when she read through the questions.

It did not take her long to realize that proctors wanted her to cheat, but in a way, she did not get caught. Luckily for her, she had one advantage, which only one other person in the room had over the rest of the room.

Acting like she was chilly, Hinata pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and activated her Byakugan. She started to look for anyone who had answers.

She only hoped Naruto would be able to figure it out.

Naruto would acknowledge he wasn't the sharpest Kunai in the pouch. But even he realized that something was up with the test.

"There's no way I can answer any of these questions," Naruto thought. "Hell, I don't think anyone in this room can. Except maybe Shika and Sakura. So, how do they expect the rest of us to answer them."

"So, cheat then," Kurama said inside of the seal. "It seems like your only option."

"But that's against the rules," Naruto said back to the fox.

"And since when did Shinobi have rules?" Kurama rebuked. "Your whole profession is about lying, stealing, and killing your way to finish the mission. How is cheating any worse?"

Naruto remained silent as he had no good way to counter the fox's point. "But if I get caught," Naruto started.

"If you get caught," Kurama said.

Naruto's face scrunched up. Then it finally hit him. He nearly slammed his head against the desk with a groan. But he had enough self-restraint to stop that from happening. "They want us to cheat."

Naruto could almost see the smile on the fox's face. "I knew you were a smart kit," he said. "It just takes a little coaxing."

Naruto imagined himself rolling his eyes. "I don't suppose you would know how to answer any of these?"

"Naruto," Kurama said in a pointed tone. "I am a giant nine-tailed fox made of pure chakra. I have been sealed away for over a century with little to no contact with the outside world. What makes you think I could answer any of these questions?"

Naruto lets out a quiet chuckle. "Worth a shot," he said. "But I already have an idea of how I can cheat."

Naruto has a few pairs of eyes in the room. He had kept them to the far ends of the room, where they would be able to watch the people in the room but not be able to get the answers off their papers. Naruto chided himself for that mistake, and now he knew the real purpose behind the test.

He moved his eyes on the examinees, careful not to alert the protectors watching the test. Within a moment, Naruto started to write down on his paper.

As the test went on, more and more of the chunin hopefuls realized cheating was their only way of passing the test. As such, more instances of cheating started to appear. The protectors quickly caught the more obvious attempts, and soon, people were disqualified.

The more subtle and clever methods went unnoticed. Or at least that is what the examinees thought to themselves. However, the truth was nearly all instances of cheating were caught by the protectors. They were highly trained and experienced shinobi, a couple having been in the ranks of ANBU at one point. There wasn't much the chunin hopefuls could do that would get by these guys.

But their job was not to come down on all instances of cheating they caught—only the most obvious and blatant examples. For the ones that were actually being smart about it or did it in clever ways, they let them pass.

As such they never commented on how one of Gai's genin used a series of mirrors to copy off other examines. Or how an enterprising Inuzuka was using his Nike-nin to relay answers to him. The insects from the Aburame buzzing around the room was a nice touch.

Though some were impressed with the Kankuro kid, who somehow managed to disguise one of his puppets as a protector, there were some questions about how that happened.

No one in the room was surprised that the Nara didn't even have to bother with cheating. He was actually smart enough to answer the questions for himself. But they were impressed with how he used his shadow possession on his teammate to help him out. Nor were they surprised that immediately after, the kid lazily yawned and laid his head on the table.

Of course, there were a couple of instances of cheating that managed to slip by the protectors. Such as the Oto-nin, used the sound waves from the pencils in the room to get the answers they wanted.

Ibiki looked around the room, nodding to himself. There was some good talent in the room this year. The week was quickly weeded out, leaving the brightest or the luckiest. But soon enough, he would weed out more of the chunin hopefuls. The tenth question was coming up soon, and that would be the make or break for the genin.

Unknown location in Konoha

"Looks like we're getting close to the end here," Asuma said, lighting his cigar. "I admit we had some good talent there. But now we'll see if they can get past the tenth question."

One of the foreign shinobi in the room looked at Asuma. "Surly, the last question can't be that important," he said. "They already did so well with the rest of the test. How can the tenth question be any different."

"It is true that the cute little genin did quite well," Kakashi said. "But the tenth question is a test on its own. It won't matter how well anyone does with the rest of the test. If they can't answer the tenth question, it won't matter. Ibiki knows that, and he will exploit it. Ruthlessly, might I add."

"Just who is this guy?" A Kusa Jōnin asked. She looked at Zabuza. "I know you mentioned he is the head of Konoha's T department. What does that have to do with the tenth question?"

"It's his specialty," Zabuza said. "Our Konoha friends in the room confirm this for me. But Ibiki's talents don't lie in the physical torture but in the psychological. He's all about attacking the mind. I've heard he's managed to break prisoners without ever having to lay a finger on them."

"That can't be true," An Ame Jōnin said. "He can't be that good. Can he?" The man looked at the Konoha Jōnin in the room.

"It's true," Shisui said. "We have the records to prove it. Of course, whether you'll take it at face value is up to you. But Ibiki is the best at what he does. The man gets into your mind, learns how you think, and finds your weaknesses. Then, he uses them coldly and clinically to break his subjects down until nothing is left. At that point, they'll give him all the information he wants and more."

A cold chill went down the spines of the other Jōnin in the room. "And you guys are letting a man like that administer the first part of the Chunin Exams?"

Shisui smiled. "We might be softer than other villages," he said. "But we are still Shinobi. The Chunin exams are no joke to us."

"Quite down, everyone," Zabuza said. "Looks like the real show is about to begin. You're about to see a professional in action."

Examination Room

"All right, everyone pens down," Ibiki called across the room. "The time for the tenth question has come."

Those who were still writing down answers on their test quickly did as the scared man said. Naruto looked on with interest, wondering what the tenth question would be.

"It can't be anything normal," Naruto thought. "Not if they're keeping it separate from the rest of the test. Kurama, do you have any idea what Ibiki will ask us?"

For a moment, Naruto was met with silence. "I think it might best for you to find out on your own," Kurama said.

Under his blindfold/headband, Naruto's eyelids widen. "You do, don't you?" Naruto asked the fox.

"Let's just say it is a question that everyone has to ask themselves at one point," Kurama gave him a cryptic answer. "You will see soon enough."

Now, Naruto's curiosity was piqued. More of his eyes turned to face Ibiki to watch the man carefully.

The scarred man looked around the room like a predator hunting prey. "Is everyone ready to take the tenth question?" He was quickly met with the silence of the room. A smirk appeared on the scarred man's face. "Now, before we get into the tenth question. I should warn you that some special rules come attached to it."

"Special rules?" asked Sakura. "What special rules?"

Ibiki's smile grew, causing an unsettling wave to pass over the room. The collective thoughts of the room being a man like that should not be smiling. "Nothing too major, just that if you fail to answer the question correctly, you and your team will fail the exam automatically."

It took about two seconds for the room to process what the man had said and a fraction of a second to react. "What are you crazy?"

"That's not fair!"

"What was the point of the other nine questions?"

"You can't do that!"

"Quite down!" Ibiki shouted, cutting through the noise of the room. "I am the protector of this test; as such, I get to make the rules. If you have a problem with that." He pointed to the doors at the back of the room. "You can leave now for those of you willing to stay. Good for you. Furthermore, if you fail this question, not only will you fail the Chunin Exams, but you will be barred from ever becoming a Chunin. None of you will be allowed to join another Chunin exam, and you will never be promoted to Chunin. In the eyes of the Shinobi world, you will forever be genin."

Again, Ibiki was met with silence following his announcement. Then, the room went into an uproar.

"You can't do that!"

"There's no way my village would allow for something like that!"

"Do you have any idea who you are messing with?"

A tiny bit of worry climbed up in the back of Naruto's mind. "This guy has got to be joking," Naruto told Kurama. "He can't have that kind of power. He can't keep all of us from being promoted."

Within the seal, Kurama shrugged his shoulders. "Who can say?" He said. "He is the protector here. He gets to make the rules. The question is, are you willing to risk it all for a chance at becoming a Chunin?"

Naruto did not give an answer.

Sasuke frowned as more of the room shouted at the Protector. What kind of game are you playing here?

Sasuke knew for a fact that Ibiki did not have the authority or power to block everyone in the room from promotion. He would need to hold significant sway over the hidden villages for that. He would need to be able to pressure major clans like the Uchiha and Hyūga. Sasuke knew his father would never allow that, and neither would Hinata's father.

At best, Ibiki could make a recommendation for the Hokage and the other Kages. But in no way could one man bear the room from participating in other Chunin exams or even stop them from being promoted.

Which brought the young Uchiha back to his question. Just what kind of game was Ibiki playing? Sasuke looked around the room, seeing (and definitely hearing) the reactions of the other genin. It was clear that the rest of the room had bought into Ibiki's bluff.

He is getting us ready for something, Sasuke thought. The question was, what would the Protector hit them with next?

"That's totally unfair," Kiba shouted across the room. He slammed his hand down on the desk, fangs bared at the scared man. "People have failed the Chunin exams before and were allowed to join others."

Ibiki snorted. "Well, tough luck for you guys," he said. "I'm the man proctoring for the exams this time around. It's not my fault that your bad luck caught up with you. So once again, I ask all of you. Are you willing to risk everything on this question? Your careers as shinobi are at stake here. For some of you, your future will be decided here and now. You can opt-out now." Again, the man pointed to the doors at the back of the examination room. "There will be no shame in walking out now. You can retake the Chunin exams when they roll by in six months in Kumo, except perhaps for the knowledge that you couldn't answer one simple question. But take this question, and you risk everything. So, I ask, will you take the tenth question, or will you walk away?"

Sasuke already knew his answer. That was when hands started to rise into the air.

Hinata was shaking with fear. Can I do this? She asked herself.

Hinata did not want to drag down the rest of her team with her. Even if what the protector said was strange, she worried he was right. What if he did have the power to stop someone from advancing? What if Naruto and Sasuke could not participate in other Chunin Exams because of her?

She had no idea what the tenth question would be. But if it were anything like the other nine questions, she knew there was no way she could answer it. If she failed that question, she and her team would fail the first part of the exam. Worse, they would be barred from signing up for future chunin exams and be prevented from climbing the ranks. Naruto would never achieve his dream.

That was not something Hinata could do. She would never allow for something like that to happen.

But at the same time, she did not want to disappoint her teammates and her friends. If she opted out now, everyone would be disappointed in her. She would be disappointed in herself for not even trying.

But was it worth it? Was her pride worth dragging Naruto and Sasuke down with her? Her hand was hovering above the desk, shaking. But slowly, she was inching it upwards.

I can't drag the others down with me.

That was when she saw Naruto raising his hand. Hinata's eyes widened as she looked at her blonde-haired teammate. "Naruto?"

Then he slammed his hand down onto the desk. "I don't give a damn!"

Naruto frowned when he saw Hinata shaking. He knew what Hinata was thinking even as her hand hovered over the desk.

Hinata, you need to have more confidence in yourself. He wanted to say to her. He would tell her later. But right now, he needed to give her a boost to that confidence.

Naruto smiled, as he already knew what he wanted to do. He had already been leaning toward the idea, mostly to screw with Ibiki for trying to get into their heads. After seeing Hinata the way she was, he was firmly in place of the idea.

Naruto raised his hand and watched closely at the reactions he got. Sasuke didn't react much other than a raised eyebrow. The same goes for Shikamaru and Shino. Some of his friends showed their surprise, like Sakura, Kiba, Yakumo, Choji, and, of course, Hinata. The rest, though, seemed to realize he was up to something.

He noticed how the Protector looked at him as his hand went into the air. The scarred man showed a look of interest. It seemed he, too, realized Naruto was up to something but was willing to let things play out.

Naruto's smile grew. He was going to put on a good show. He slammed his hand down on the table. "I don't give a damn," he shouted across the room. "What makes you think I can't achieve my dream just because I can't become Chunin?"

Ibiki looked intrigued. "I didn't say you can't achieve your dream," he said. "But if you persist with this foolishness and fail the tenth question, I can guarantee you will never amount to anything."

Nice try. "Then you really don't know me," Naruto said. "I don't care what kind of obstacles stand in my way. I will achieve my dream of becoming Hokage, even if it means I have to be genin do it. I'll become the strongest damn genin in this entire village and make my dream happen."

Naruto saw the small smirk on Ibiki's face before it vanished. "A genin as Hokage?" He said. "What an absurd idea."

"Maybe," Naruto said with a growing grin. "And when that day comes, I know the first thing I will do."

"And that would be?" Ibiki asked, crossing his arms.

"Your headband," Naruto said. "So go ahead, hit us with the tenth question. Pass or fail, I still have my goals to achieve."

Around the room, he saw some of the more hesitant genin starting to gain confidence, including Hinata. She wasn't shaking anymore, and her hand was on the table. He could still see the look of uncertainty on her face.

"So, you would drag the rest of your team down with you should you fail to answer the tenth question?" Ibiki asked in a cold tone of voice. "You would risk everything, your future, your teammate's careers? All for your selfless ambitions? What if you fail? What then? Is the risk worth it?"

Naruto's grin was now a full-on smile. "We're Shinobi," he answered the man's questions. "Everything we do is a risk. Every choice we make every mission we take is a risk. We could make the wrong choice, fail our missions, or even lose our lives. But as Shinobi, those are the kinds of risks we have to take. If any of us wanted to take a safe and easy way out, we would never have become Shinobi. If we can't answer a simple question of whether or not to take some stupid tenth, then none of us deserves to be Shinobi, let alone Chunin. So, go ahead and hit us with whatever bullshit you want. We'll take it; if we fail, we'll just keep going. We'll grow so strong that people like you will have no choice but to promote us." Naruto crossed his arms. Now, it was the Protector's turn.

The protector gave him a hard stare. But Naruto could see the look of amusement in the scared man's eyes. "I will ask again," he said. The protector looked around the room. He would see the same thing, a room full of determined genin, resolved to take a risk. "Are any of you willing to take the tenth question, even knowing the risks?" The man was met with silence, and no one made a move to raise their hands or stand up. "Well then, in that case. You all pass."

The silence in the room continued for another moment. Then came the genin's collective reactions. "What!"

"But what about the tenth question?" Temari asked, standing up.

"There was never a tenth question," Ibiki said. "Or I suppose what I asked you was the tenth question. Either way, everyone in this room passed."

"Just like that?" a Kiri genin asked. "Then what was the point in the other questions? Were they important?"

"Of course, they were important," Ibiki said. "Aside from the tenth question, it was never about if you could answer them. As many of you have guessed, the whole point of the test was to cheat. But to do so in a way that you would not be caught. Think of it as an intelligence-gathering operation. The enemy or the target has the information you need, but you cannot do anything to alert the suspicion. So, you quietly gather the information you need. Of course, for this to be a successful operation, you need knowledgeable targets to cheat off."

Ibiki nodded, signaling for a group of the genin to stand up. "We had a few plants hidden among you who would know the answers to the questions. They would serve as the source of the information you lot needed. All that was left for you was to get those answers without being caught by protectors. If you couldn't do a simple thing like cheat without being caught, then none of you deserve to be chunin."

"Then what about the tenth question?" Temari pressed. "What was that about? It seemed nothing like the rest of the test."

Ibiki fell silent for a second. Then his hands went up to the bandana wrapped around his head. He unwrapped it, causing a wave of gasps to spread across the room. The man was much more scarred than anyone thought. Scares spread across his face and all over his bald head.

"As our loudmouth blonde pointed out," the scarred man pointed out. "Risk is all a part of our lives as shinobi. This is one such risk. On a mission, there may come a point when you, as a chunin, must make a decision. You may be expected to infiltrate an enemy fortress or go after a target. But the catch is that it is a high-risk operation, with a strong possibility of death or worse. This is an important mission for your village, and failure could jeopardize the security of your home. Do you continue on knowing the risks, or do you turn back knowing that you gave up on what could have been a valuable opportunity? These are the decisions you will have to make as Chunin, and more so when you are leading teams onto missions. Every decision will have consequences, and you must live with them." Ibiki wrapped his bandana back around his head. "Life as a shinobi is not easy, and it will only get harder as you climb the ranks. If you cannot make the hard choices while out on the field, then the rank of Chunin is not for you."

A somber silence fell over the room as the genin digested the man's words. Even Naruto was unusually silent.

"He is right," Kurama said to Naruto. "The life you have chosen will not be an easy one. I have seen what it is like to be a shinobi from your mother's eyes. And I know it will not be an easy one. Full of glory, yes. But it comes with hardship."

Naruto nodded. He understood what Kurama and Ibiki were saying. But it would take longer for it to settle into his mind.

"Now then," Ibiki started to say. But was interrupted as a shadow came crashing through the window. In an instant, the genin in the room reacted. Some let out loud screams of surprise, while others stood up, getting ready to draw weapons.

Naruto smiled as he saw a figure emerging from the dark shadow. Behind Ibiki, a large banner unfurled across the room. On it was written 'The Sexy and Dangerous Anko. Protector of the Second Chunin Exam is here.' In front of the banner, a woman with purple hair struck a pose.

Naruto could see several of the guys reacting to what the woman was wearing, or lack thereof, in her case. Naruto shook his head; she always had to make an entrance. "Already gakis," the purple-haired woman shouted. "I'm Anko Mitashi, and I'll be. Hold on." She stopped in the middle of her speech as she scanned the room. "The held Ibiki, why are there so many genin left? Are you losing your touch?"

Ibiki looked annoyed by Anko's entrance and sequent accusation. "No, we simply got a good crop this time around. A lot of potential here. Also, you're early. You didn't even let me finish things out."

Anko shrugged. "Well, no matter," she said, looking back at the rest of the room. "I'll guarantee that half this room will be gone by the time I'm done with them." Then her eyes landed on Naruto, and a wide grin spread across her face. "Well, well, what do we have here?" In an instant, she vanished. A moment later, Naruto felt a pair of arms wrapping around him, as he felt something pressing up against his back, two somethings actually. Several of the guys in the room were now glaring at him.

"If it isn't my favorite gaki," Anko said. "I heard you and your team would be in the chunin exams. But didn't dare to hope. After all, it's too early to unleash a monster like you on the world."

Naruto smiled. "Hello, Anko-Chan," he said. "It's good to see you too."

Anko pouted. "You're no fun sometimes," she whispered into his ear. "You could have played along a little. All well, I guess it's up to me to carry the show." She stood and glanced around the room with a wicked smile. "Alright, gakis, your lives just got a lot harder," she pointed. "Because this little guy, he's going to eat you alive. Ladies, sorry to disappoint, but he's already taken."

"You just had to paint a bigger target on my back?" Naruto asked.

Anko gave him a cheeky grin. "Like you weren't going to do that yourself," she said. "Alright, gakis met me at training ground 44. If you don't know where that is, just ask somebody. Otherwise, sucks to be you." Then, without another word, the purple-hair kunoichi was gone. After that, the genin started to file their way out of the room.

Outside of Training Ground 44:

Training ground 44 was perhaps one of the largest, if not the largest, training grounds. A massive, sprawling forest out on the edge of Konoha. All around, a tall fence sprung up to keep people out and wildlife in.

"So, do you know anything about this training ground 44?" Sasuke asked Naruto. "I think I heard Itachi and father mention something about it a couple of times."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I heard about it from Hizashi," he said. "He joined the Chunin exams when he was a genin and had to go through this place. It's also called the forest of death."

"The forest of death?" Sasuke asked.

"Legend says the Shodai Hokage created this forest using his Mokuton," Hinata said. "And for whatever reason, it mutated the wildlife."

"I've sent my eyes into that place a couple of times," Naruto said. "Believe me when I say this place has some nasty creatures living there."

Sasuke nodded and looked out at the forest. "And this is where the second part of the Chunin Exams will be," he said. Then he grinned. "It should be interesting."

"Attention all Gakis," Anko called out to the assembled group of genin. "If you all gather around me. I'll explain the second part of the chunin exams."

The genin all gathered. "Good little genin," she said with a grin. "You may all survive this place yet. None, then first things first." She gestured to a nearby tent. Several chunin walked out from the tent, carrying several stacks of papers. "Before I can get into this, I need you to sign some papers for me?"

"What for?" Ino asked. "What are they?"

"Oh, nothing important," Anko said. "Just a little something saying that Konoha is not responsible for any deaths or severe injuries that occur during this part of the exams. Simple legal stuff."

Whispers started to go around among the genin.

"Severe injuries?"

"Death?"

"What kind of place are these tree huggers throwing us into?"

A while later, all the papers were signed. "Good, now that's out of the way," Anko said. She slammed her hand against the fence surrounding the forest. "All gakis, what you are looking for here is training grounds 44. Otherwise known as the Forest of Death, this lovely little tourist attraction will be your home for the next five days. At the center of this forest is a tower. That will be your goal."

"So, all we have to do is reach the tower?" Shikamaru asked. "Is it really that simple?"

"Almost," Anko answered. She produced two scrolls from her coat—one marked with kanji for earth and the other with heaven. "You see these scrolls? You'll need both to enter the tower. Each of your teams will be handed one of these scrolls. You will be expected to get its counterpart. So, say you get an earth scroll, but you will need to get a heaven scroll from another team. The reverse going for if you get a heaven scroll. See where I'm going with this?"

"Basically, at least half of us will be knocked out of this exam," Shikamaru said.

"Troublesome."

"That's right," she said. "Though I doubt even half of you will pass. I expect way less than that."

"The chunin exams really are brutal," Hinata said.

"Don't worry, Hinata," Naruto said. "We can do this, and so can you."

"Now, there is one catch to your goal here," Anko said. "You cannot open these scrolls, ever."

"And what happens if we?" One of the genin asked, another Konoha-nin.

Anko grinned. "Let's just say you won't like what happens next," she said. "But if that doesn't stop you, then this should. If you open any of these scrolls, your team will be disqualified from the exams. While out on the field, you may be expected to carry critical information not meant for your eyes. This will not only be a test of your survival skills but also your ability to follow orders. Does everybody understand me?

Several of the genin nodded their heads. Naruto saw the genin from before, looking at Anko skeptically. Naruto would bet that guy would open his scroll the first chance he got.

"So, to summarize," Anko said. "You must get an earth and heaven scroll by whatever means necessary. Then, within five days, they reach the tower at the center of the forest, all without looking at the scrolls' contents. Oh, also, your whole team must make it; otherwise, we can't let you advance to the next stage of the exam. Is that clearing." Anko looked around, seeing that no questions were being raised. "Good. Now, pick somebody from your team and have them line up at the tent over here." She pointed to the tent in question. "You can get your scroll from there."

Several moments later, team-11 were the proud owners of a heaven scroll. "So, we'll need an earth scroll," Sasuke said. "Naruto, can you see anyone with an earth scroll?"

Naruto nodded. "Several," he said. "We'll have our pick of targets to go after."

Sasuke nodded. "Good," he said.

"If I can make a suggestion?" Hinata asked. Both her teammates looked at her, waiting. "Can we avoid going after other Konoha teams?"

Instantly, Naruto knew what Hinata was getting at. "You want to avoid fighting Neji," he said. The way Hinata buried her head into her shoulders was all the answer he needed. "Hinata, you can't avoid a confrontation with him forever. Someday, you have to stand up to him. Otherwise, he'll keep looking down on you."

Hinata didn't say anything about that. Sasuke turned to face the gate the team had been assigned to. "Come on guys, we got an exam to pass." Team-11 walked up to the gate entrance marked with the number eleven.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You think that was on purpose or a coincidence? He remarked.

Sasuke and Hinata shrugged, their guess being as good as his. "We'll go ahead and avoid taking on other Konoha teams," Sasuke said. "We won't start a fight with them, but if they come after us."

Naruto nodded. "All bets are off," he replied. "What about you, Hinata?"

Hinata looked hesitant but nodded her head. "I think I can live with that," she said.

"Good," Sasuke said with a nod. "However, if we do see another Konoha team, and they're in trouble. I say we help them." Naruto and Hinata nodded to that. They wouldn't have any problem with that.

"Remember what I told you about Gaara," Naruto said. "We need to stay clear of him."

Sasuke nodded. "Right, crazy Jinchūriki and Biju. Bad combination. We'll stay away from the guy."

"Then I think that is everything," Naruto said. "Let's do this thing."

All around the forest of death, the various genin teams in the chunin exams waited for the signal to start the second part. Even before the gates opened, plans were being discussed.

"Remember what Naruto said," Sakura said. "Avoid the redhead from Suna."

Shino and Kiba nodded. "For once, I agree with the dope," Kiba said. "I got a good whiff of that guy, and," he shuddered—so much blood.

Sakura nodded. "Kiba, use your nose to track down any nearby teams," she said. "I want to get our scroll as soon as possible. Shino, can you use you Kikaichu to create a perimeter around us? I want to know if somebody is coming for us."

Shino nodded. "Already done," he said.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru said. "Can we drop out now? I want to watch the clouds."

"No, we cannot," Ino said. "I got my sights on a chunin vest, and there is no way I'm going to let a last ass like you stand in the way."

"Troublesome," was the response Ino got. "Fine, here's how we can do this."

Choji meanwhile continued to munch down on a bag of chips.

"We need to be careful out there," Haku said. "The creatures living in this forest might be the least of our worries."

"The competition does look tough," Yakumo said. "And it probably doesn't help that we painted a target on our backs."

Sai smiled and nodded. "We can use that to our advantage," he said. "The more teams that come after us, the better our odds of getting an earth scroll are."

Haku nodded. "I think it would be better if we're the ones doing the attacking," she said. "I think our best chance is to find another team and ambush them. Anyone against?"

No one disagreed with the plan.

Neji stepped forward. Ready to enter the Forest of Death. "We had straight for the tower," he said. "And engage any team we come across and take their scroll."

Tenten nodded. "Sounds like a good plan," she said. "If we get to the tower without coming across a Heaven scroll, we can ambush any team that tries to get to the tower. Odds are they'll have both scrolls by then."

"Then we'll prove our fires of youth," Lee said with his eyes sparkling. "Just you wait, Guy-Sensei, I'll make you proud."

Neji just ignored his team. Then, after a moment, he smirked. If fate was smiling on him, then they would happen on Team-11.

"We move for the tower," Gaara said with crossed arms. "And we kill anyone that gets in our way."

Temari and Kankuro quickly nodded. They weren't about to argue with their unhinged younger sibling.

Soon, Mother would have all the blood she wanted.

"Remember our orders," Dosu said. "Once Orochimaru has marked the Uchiha, we go after him to test his strength."

"This will be easy," Zaku said. "I doubt the brat will put up much of a fight."

Kin brushed her hand through her hair. "Then, after we take his team's scroll, and if we're lucky, we can head straight for the tower."

Then, the rest of the plan could move forward. Konoha would soon burn.

"Remember your mission," a Kusa-nin said.

The other two nodded. "As you command, Orochimaru-Sama."

Through his disguise, Orochimaru smiled. He would soon see what the youngest son of Fugaku was made of.

Masaki smirked to herself. "Boys, you ready for this?" She asked.

Chojuro nodded his head as he adjusted Hiramekarei on his back. "Hai," he said.

Nagisa just had a wide grin on his face. "We'll make Zabuza proud," he said. "This is where the new Seven Swordsmen of the Mist will make our names known." Then he pursed his lips together. "I don't suppose we'll meet any cute guys out there?"

Masaki sighed. "Please don't flirt with the enemy," she said. Besides, if anyone was getting to land themselves a cut guy, it would be her.

With the sound of a bell, the gates to the Forest of Death swung open. A split second later, the genin teams rushed in. The second part of the Chunin Exams had started.