(me:if there's anything that is skipped,I intend to do that because it will take so much.Besides,i am so excited of writing this story!)2
*~*~*Story Begins*~*~*3
Later after when Naruto had his fun of declaring his battles with everyone here in this room,it was a shocker that there was a sudden attack came to Kabuto.It made all of us to have a hard time of staying calm,but not until when the four eyes,gray haired man to puke all over the floor.Relax? Now that I am completely disturbed of that scene,it made me think how hard this exam is going to be.Like I mean,the sound ninja didn't lay a scratch on Kabuto,but still gave him a wreckful,heavy sickness. Increasingly,my nerves grew higher and a lot more anxious to be aware of myself so I wouldn't have to end up like Kabuto.But I keep on telling myself to be confident and stick with my words that I have imprinted onto myself.Making myself sound like Naruto,I am not going back on my words.4
After that awkward scenery,the whole front of the classroom appeared to be a white cloud popped out of no where,causing everyone's attention straight at the faded smoke.I looked also,my body jumped a bit of the surprise moment where things get ugly by this second.These events are just full of astoundment,all happening in one room.5
A figure is standing while the smoke slowly disintegrate through the air to get a clear view of this new instructor who will be instructing us today.Everybody grew quiet,forgetting that this is a classroom after all and they should have classroom behaviors also.The man appears to be another Jounin named Morino,Ibiki.He had a couple of scars that are scratched on his face,predicting that some sort of sharp glass have stabbed him across the head.There were more ninja dressed up in yellow,I think,it was pale yellow.It made the room a lot more crowded than before,making the air in here is even more breathless.6
It even scares me that he's looking straight at our group in the back.7
He pointed his index finger."You three!"8
My eyes blinked.Is he pointing at us,or some other team?9
He continued."From the Hidden Village in the Sound! Don't you think you can do anything you want before the exam! Do you want us to fail you?"10
Thank god,it isn't us. . .I sighed in relief.For a minute there,I thought we're going to get in trouble and we just walked through the door.11
One Sound ninja who has bandages all over his face tilted his head at our instructor."Sorry.I was excited,since this is my first exam."12
I think this is everyone's first time,Kabuto in the other hand.13
Ibiki smirked in approval."This is a good chance to say this. . .You are not allowed to fight,unless you are given permission by the examiners.Even if the permission is given,you are not allowed to kill the other.Pig who against me will fail immediately.Understood?"14
I wished I can answer that question right away,but infront of a whole different type of shinobi in one room is going to be very embarrassing.And the thought of our next challenge is going to be chaotic,after when Naruto had declared everyone to go against him.I should have stopped him sooner. >.<15
I gulped my own siliva,which is gross and disgusting and telling myself to do not do that again when I'm nervous.16
"We will now begin our first exam,"Ibiki announced."Turn into your applications,take one these number tags,and sit where the number tells you."17
Sit? Oh okay! So we're going to get our numbers to fight who will be against who,right? And will be taken to the next room?18
"Then we will pass out papers for the written exam."19
Did he say 'written exam'?20
"YOU MEAN A PAPER TEST?!!" screamed Naruto,making myself to cover my ears and sigh in relief again that we're not going to fight. . .yet.21
Ryuu interrupted Naruto's shocked face by whacking his fist upward on the orange boy's noggin.22
"Idiot! Be glad that we're not going to kill anyone!"23
"No fun. . .," he mumbled,almost tears leaking out of his eyes as his hand covers in nose.24
Thank you. . .It's a paper test.How will things get worse from here? There's nothing to worry,right? They know what level we're in on tests,am I right? Okay,I think I'm getting my hopes too high. . .25
So all of us grabbed our numbers and find our seats to take the test.I guess my seat is not too far from the chalkboard,but I'm on the right section of the classroom.It surprised me that I'm surrounded by ninja who I don't really know,and they look really creepy like I'm some kind of meat to them.But I'm not alone in my section.26
Is it assigned,or we're just picking them randomly.If it's randomly,then something kind of scares me.I think it's cool and exciting,but it worries me.I'm struggling in between,like literally in between.Just look where I sit. . .27
Sasuke|me|Natsume28
. . .Awww,why me. . .? This is already hard enough for me.I bet Kakashi is up to this.I'm already streaming in anime tears right now by the tense feeling in the air.Natsume is gripping his chair,impatiently while Sasuke stays quiet and give nasty glances at the red-eyed panther.I dropped my head on the table of the strange behavior that is already erupting by my sides,like two volcanoes are exploding magma as I tried to run away from them.Whoa as me. . .Maybe it could have been better if there isn't a paper test,but it will put me in danger if there isn't.29
I felt Natsume's eyes turned to me while my forehead is still touching the cold table.30
"Well,you look unsatisfied," he said,eyeing me a lazy look.31
"I-I'm fine!"32
"Aww!!"33
And the next thing I knew,I'm seeing stars.Behind of my head is a throbbing headache is pounding insanely and I couldn't get my vision clear.Small liquid started to form in between my long eyelashes of the strong pain when my unthinkable head shot up and collides with Natsume's.Sasuke arched an eyebrow of my actions that I am doing right now,hearing Natsume's groans and my quiet whimpers.34
I gasped in surprise and quickly to open my mouth."I-"35
"Don't say it," the panther cut into my sentence by holding up his index finger for me to stop talking.36
He took his time of relaxing his head to stop with the pain of easing down a bit.I did keep my mouth shut,like what Natsume said,waiting for another reply from him to tell me what to do or not.37
The tempered boy took a deep breath and exhaled,glancing at me with tired eyes."Just. . .good-luck with the test,alright? And don't screw up anything."38
My lips twist into an improve smile of his 'compliment'.39
I nodded."I was about to say the same thing to you,too.Hehe,don't worry about me! I'll do just fine.I always remember my lessons from the academy,so don't break a sweat!"40
Without me knowing it,I felt dark onyx eyes laid behind my head,watching or listening to our sweet conversation out of curiosity.Telling himself to listen to our chat.I kept going.41
"But I know that you will pass the test,Natsume-kun,because you're the smartest person I know. Of course you'll pass!"42
A flinch crept to Sasuke's head after hearing that part,flames rising around his body.His eye twitched of the sentence I gave to Natsume as he gave a small smile to me.Heat crept across my nose of the lovely face that Natsume made,but I quickly stopped when someone yanked my medium length hair back so I should be looking at the ceiling.My blue eyes met dark ones as his face was only an inch close towards mine,feeling his raven colored bangs fall from his face.My expression is blank as I get lost into his black dimension in his eyes.43
Sasuke stared down at me for a moment while Natsume is freaking out in the background,his face was priceless at the weird scene.Sasuke kept that position for a few seconds and pushed my head to rip my gaze away from him.44
"I thought I saw a bug on you," he said,reverting his eyes to the front of the classroom.45
"What? Where?!" I fidget around to see anything if there was a small creature could be crawling around me.46
Natsume glared at the cool raven."What with that movement? How could there be a bug in her eyes?! What kind of a lame excuse is that?!"47
"Quiet!" yelled the Ibiki instructor in the classroom,pointing at the three of us."You three! Is there anything you want to share with the class?"48
"N-No,sir!" I quickly reply,trying to come up with a fake excuse to make us safe."We're just horsing around,that's all.I promise it wouldn't happen again!"49
"That's what I want to hear,"he sighed."Now that was a warning.The next one wouldn't be pretty."50
I breathe so deeply of relief,but he said that was a warning so I couldn't be fully relaxed yet.51
And the test was on! Ibiki started to explain most parts about the test.The total points and questions is ten,if we have one question wrong,then that leaves 9 points also.That means the five of us in the team have to get the most questions right,but it scares me that the instructor says if one our teammates fail,makes the team fail also.Sakura was the one who tried to protest about it,but that was the rules.52
The challenge would get any harder,if one of those people who are wearing pale yellow suits,they'll be the one to watch all of us if we cheat or not.And we get chances still.If we get caught three times,then I'll be out.He'll be giving us an hour to finish it.53
These rules are awfully different than back at the academy,I bet other ninja had these in their school,more strict than here.So it could be fair.I wonder if all of us could make it.Sakura has no problem with tests,she's smart at stuff like this.Ryuu and Sasuke are the smartest students in class,so I don't have to worry.But what Naruto? He didn't done so good at school.He failed every assignments and classwork,even written tests like this.The test wouldn't be that hard.The Jounins should know what level we're on anyways.54
When the class flipped their pages,I noticed that there was something wrong about this test.These questions are not what I learned in the academy.They seem more advanced than Genin level.And I was wrong.I don't Naruto can answer these questions,even I don't know any of these.Now that I am stuck,then what do I do? It's part math and science,I could deal with those subjects but this is way too much! It's too hard.55
So far I don't hear any pencil scratching onto the paper,meaning everyone is getting lost in these confusing sentences.Many of us are having a hard time to figure out this puzzle.What to do? What to do?56
I hear to my side Sasuke stopped reading his paper and smirked in defeated.Is he giving up?57
Natsume just sat there and looked around the room for some reason.I watched him,carefully,wondering if he's going to take a look at his paper or not.He was holding his pencil in between his fingers,doing tricks with it as he stared at the people around him.My attention was pulled away when I heard one person is already writing answers in his blanks,making myself desperately to study more.Well,I guess that person has no problem with this.I'm totally going to fail on this.58
I heard someone gasped and called for help.My eyes snapped open by the strange panic.It was the same person who is answering his questions on the sheet of paper.But the only thing I noticed about him is his paper is on fire.How did it get on fire?! The people around his section looked at him of his panic shouts,asking themselves the same thing about fire.59
All of the sudden it died down,making the test paper turned back the way it is before.No burn marks.No ashes.Just the way it is.60
"Boy. . .That was weird," the ninja whispered to himself,scratching his head of the sudden action.61
Then he went back to his test and flipped the finished page.Great,at least one person is done.62
I also listened to another scratch of pencil.It was Natsume.He began writing into his paper after that guy's paper was not on fire anymore.63
He cheated!64
Another tap of pencil,coming from Sasuke who is activating his Sharingan and writing answers of another person's tap.65
But he's cheating! That's not what I expect from Sasuke.66
It was completely quiet,spotting some other ninja who are cheating also.Except for one person who has purple markings on his face,raised his hand to go to the bathroom.Why are all of these people are cheating?! I have no idea! And so far,my paper is still blank.All I did is wrote my name.67
Okay. . .don't panic. . .Just remember what I did in school.68
I tried smiling and read the math question in the sheet.Something,something,something,something that deals with shurikens throw off and reached how many feet. . .But it's asking the 'what if?' part! Those questions are pretty hard for me! Ah! Just skip that one! Alright! Next one!69
"You have ten minutes left!" yelled the instructor.70
I was crying in anime tears and my palms are sweating.I haven't answered one thing yet! With all of these people are cheating,I wish I can do what they can do.But I don't have any great jutsu that I can use.Now I have to schedule myself for extra training. . .71
I stared at Naruto who looks like he's going to wet his pants any time.Well,that makes the two of us. . .That makes it worse! Now that our team is definitely going to fail.Why do I have to be the dummy in my team? Why?!72
I laid on my desk,reading the questions over and over again.Come on,Misaki. . .You have to answer one of these.You're not like this back at the academy,at least remember something that will help you.I'm so hopeless.73
Okay. . .Flashing back to where all of these people are cheating and not one of the instructors haven't caught them.If Ibiki said to cheat without thinking,they will only hurt themselves.To become a Chuunin,act like the first-rate one. . .74
What?! That's all! I just have to cheat without getting caught! But what's the use?. . .I don't have any fancy techniques that could help me.75
"It's time for the tenth question!"76
Bad timing. . .Now that I have figure it out,it's still not going to count.77
"But before that," he paused,adding something into the rule list."I would like to say one more special rule for the last question.First you are all going to choose if you wish to take the tenth problem or not."78
What's with all of the pressure here in this classroom? I'm already dying,and he makes this harder for to take.79
One with blonde four-pointed ponytail started to shout out if we chose not to.Ibiki explained it to her of their points will reduce to zero and fail.Their other teammates will fail along with them.80
Then the class started to whisper about and asking questions to themselves.Eh,I hope not one of our team is going to quit.Well,I'm not.I can't go back to my words.81
"Let us begin," Ibiki announced."Those who will not be taking this tenth problem,raise your hand."82
It quiet now,making other people to think before they can move on.It seems Natsume,or Sasuke, is not going to bale out,obviously those two are incredibly strong so thy can't quit that easily.This is only the beginning of the Chuunin Exams.I tried looking around the room to find Sakura.She looked really focused on Naruto who is trembling in his seat.Is she worried about him? It was nice of Sakura to start thinking about him.Thinking that it's okay to let him quit for all of us.This exam is still too early for him anyways.I know that you're trying to let him have a chance,Sakura.It's okay.83
Sakura insisted of raising her hand for Naruto,Sasuke cursed himself of Sakura's gullible movement but I still understand.But Naruto's hand shot up before Sakura can fully declare.I never expect Naruto to give like this.But it's just a written test,but he can still battle other people.Is this too much for him?84
To my surprise,his palm slammed down to get everyone's attention to him.Hinata,sitting next to him,stared at the orange character with a shocked face.85
"Screw you!" he shouted,glaring at the scarred instructor."I'm not going to run away! I'll take the stupid problem! Even if I become a Genin forever,I'm still going to be Hokage no matter what,anyways!"86
I grinned to myself and laughed under my breath of his reaction.I knew Naruto is not going to give so easily.Well,that's my hyperactive ninja for you.He'll always give me the courage to take this exam.87
The rest of the class stayed in their seat,agreed to Naruto's ridiculous outburst of not giving up in hard tests like this.And I guess he encouraged them as well.No one dares to raise their hand when Ibiki repeated the question,not even me.For sure,I'll do my best to p
this,either with my mind or body.88"Nice determination," Ibiki smirked."Then. . .for the First Exam,everyone here. . .89
Passes!"90
. . .Well that works for me.It made everyone confuse,but Sakura has to stood up and ask of what he meant.He knew that the questions were too hard for an original Genin to answer.So he did made us cheat without getting caught,like how ninja have to fight,or maybe sneek attack,without getting caught by your opponent.The answer is to cheat.Now that's a great example to teach! I love this Exam! It's so exciting and fun! That's what I like about this.91
Naruto started to talk so tough,saying that this test is so obvious.Natsume,Sasuke,and I start to sweatdrop by Naruto's idiotic bluff,well he did made all of us pass.92
Now that it makes a total sense to me,Ibiki prepared us for the next exam by taking off his headband to reveal bruises and burn marks around his bald head.It scared me a little,no,a lot I mean.And then,the window crashed by a girl instructor who told us to follow her to the next exam.To all of us,she reminds us of another Naruto.Her name is Anko.I really like the color of her eyes.It's like no one have that eye color before,and it's pretty cool on her.93
So we did follow her outside,which it means that its time for the real exam! Now for the killing spree. . .Can we take another written test?94
The place was big,showing an unknown forest with gates that is locked up with chains.It looks deserted and the smell of blood is rising to the air.Surely,that this location haven't been clean for a while.Of course no one wouldn't want to clean a place like this.Now that would be embarrassing.95
"W-What is this place?"Naruto stuttered of the silence crept around the atmosphere and the wind howls through the woods.96
It made me shiver of fear,just looking at it would be better than being inside in there.97
"This is where the Second Exam takes place,"Anko answered to his question.98
"The fourty-fourth training area. . .Also known as the Forest of Death."99
I blinked of the name of this dreadful location is called."The Forest of. . .huh?"100
You mean that we have to. . .meaning of death. . .we have to kill? Someone has to die in this exam? But this is a test? We're just Genins and killing wouldn't be the answer to this test,can it?101
I think I would need to go to the bathroom for a minute to puke.102
"You will able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death,"said Anko,smirking achieving of seeing some concern faces from almost everybody.103
A huff I heard that came from Naruto.He placed his fists on his hips and start to do a funny dance with a squirm.104
"You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death,"he mocked,trying to make his voice to compare to Anko's.105
He soon stopped and continue on with his sentence."There's no point in trying to stare at us like that! I'm not scared at all,believe it!"106
A kunai came at him,causing to make a scratch on his cheek to leak out a drop of blood.And that kunai came shooting to another person's strand of hair.It made me gasp when Anko just suddenly appears behind the whisker boy.107
"Naruto!" I called to him,but his eyes didn't meet mine because he was too shock of the bloody action.108
Anko continues with a sly smile."Boys like you die faster.After spilling all of that red blood I love,all over the place."109
Ryuu's hand covered my eyes of the weird scene when the female instructor grabbed Naruto face to lick off the blood O.o But it will disgust me when there was a TONGUE that is giving Anko her knife back.110
My brother gasped at the unbelievable image of making weird eye contacts to the ninja."I think I'm going to be sick. . ."111
He sound sick by the way.Naruto is shaking to get away from these make believe shinobi out of the way.I rather not listen to the ninja and Anko's conversation,if I want to throw up right away.112
Sakura stepped aside to let the grass ninja to walk through peacefully as Naruto is still picturing the thought of ninja's tongue,giving it try to make his tongue long also.113
Now Anko is ready to announce the Second Exam to prepare us before we do anything stupid to kill each other.She reached into her coat and showed us a stack of papers in her hand.114
"Before we begin the Second Exam,I will be passing these out to everyone.These are consent forms.Thos who are taking the exam must sign here."115
"What for?"Ryuu asked,taking a sheet of paper from her and stared at the captions in the form.116
"Glad you asked," she answered back."From here on,people will die.Therefore,we need people's consent before we continue.Otherwise,I'd be held responsible.Now I will begin the explanation of the Second Exam. . .To be concise,you will all go through an extreme match."117
I didn't know this Second Exam has lots of stuff for us to know.Telling that this Forest of Death is pretty big and serious for people like us.Suppose that we need to get crazy in fights then,if this is an extreme place to fight.118
Then Anko started to explain about the geographic features in this place.There will be rivers that might be laying around somewhere,and a tower that we need to go to when we have our scrolls.Speaking of scrolls,we need to obtain Heaven and Earth scrolls to get through the tower doors.Of course,we have to fight for it.119
"Then maybe half of us here will fail if our scrolls are been taken,"I spoke,getting myself to pay attention into these rules."Is there a time limit?"120
"One hundred twenty hours,or exactly five days."121
"What?! Five days?" Ino shouted.122
Chouji had his mouth gaping of the part of days."What about food?!"123
"Hey! This is a chance to go on a diet!" Natsume insulted which it wasn't pretty nice to say.124
Anko chuckled of the lame burst from the chunky ninja with chips in his hands."Scrounge it up yourself.The forest is a treasure of nature.There should be plenty of food."125
"However. . .,"Kabuto added,smiling evilly."There's a lot of man-eating beasts,poisonous bugs,and poisonous plants."126
My face dropped down to a dull face as a blue background came."Huh. . .So much for surviving. . ."127
"Then we have no peace to sleep,"spoke Sasuke.128
Ryuu sighed after him,rubbing his head of stress."That means we're always busy.Can't have no relaxation in five days. . ."129
"People will get hurt in the process of fighting over a scroll,"Anko continued,"and those who can not bear this program's strictness will emerge as well."130
Shikamaru raised his hand."Excuse me? Can we quit in between?"131
"As a rule,you're not allowed to quit during the exam."132
I laughed as I mumbled to Shikamaru."Don't try getting out of this one.Don't worry,Shikamaru.Maybe my team will help out yours if you're stuck or something."133
He grew red of my appearance in front of him,sighing and placing his hand behind his ponytail."You're really troublesome.You do know that we're going to be against each other,right?"134
Yeah,I knew that. . .I guess I should be thinking something like that.But it would be nice of we did help,but one of us have to obtain the scroll and then there will be another battle which is going to be unhappy.135
After when Anko explained a couple thing before we start signing our consent forms,we're all split to have our own time to think of taking this exam.It's pretty obvious that all of my teammates is going to say yes,after of what happened in the First Exam didn't came out so hard.But this means that we have to go insane for this,like I mean,we have to kill with our bare hands! And I can;t stand nothing but blood.I'll be the first person to get killed when the first ten seconds begin.So I do have a right reason to be by myself to think about signing it.136
I climbed myself to a tree branch to get a better view of how many ninja will be on the exam.I have to know how many,or else I am in trouble if there was a lot.Okay. . .Not too much,but enough to kill me in two seconds.Well,that's going to be the less of my worries.137
I lifted my paper up to read the description and directions before I sign anything.This is going to be a bloody battle,anyways.I'm too worried about this.You know,I have to get the thought of Chuunin Exams out of my head for once and start to relax.Besides,there won't be any peaceful breaks in the Forest of Death,so make my time worth while.138
I climbed myself down to reach the dirty surface of Earth touching my feet.My legs moved to walk around a bit and think about something else.So far,nothing came up to my head.I wanted to think about something else,but what? There's always that time what Ryuu had said to me before.Like how he wanted to know what is like to soar through the sky.He asked himself everyday.He wanted to become like birds to feel the wind blow against your feathers as your wings will guide to anywhere you would like to go.I would want to feel that emotion also.Just thinking about how Ryuu wanted to be a bird makes me happy.He would be a bird than being a wolf,soaring through the sky would be such a happy place to be in.And I'll be there with him.139
"Oh! Sasuke-kun. . .," I stop in my track as I smiled brightly,spotting the raven boy who is sitting behind a rock with his form in his hands."Such a surprise to see you here.Are you doing fine with your consent form?"140
Sasuke gave me an emotionless face and nodded,continuing with his work and read away."What about you? You're done already?"141
My head shook."Uh,no. . .I was just thinking that I need to think about something else,other than exams.So I thought I might want to take a stroll before the exams will start."142
Sasuke hummed,ripping his gaze at his paper and turned to look up at me."And to think that you would be so eager to sign up for something like this,I can't hardly imagine that."143
And even Sasuke would thinks so,too.He also agrees that I'm not the type of person to have hobby of something like this.Its kind of hurtful to hear it from Sasuke.Why does everyone have to look down at me?144
"But hey. . .,"Sasuke continued."Someone like you doesn't need these kind of stuff in your life.You can do better without this."145
What does he mean by that? I can do better with the ninja world? But without the ninja world,I wouldn't have met Sasuke or the others.I do want to get involve.I want to give a try to fight for something that is so precious to me.I wanted to be like everyone else.146
"Misaki."147
My mind came back to reality,hearing Sasuke's voice will always keep me awake.What more can he say to me?148
"Just don't worry about it," his tone is really hard to read,a mixture of surely and blank but it's still oblivious to me."Don't think about the exams too hard,okay? There's nothing to be worried about.I swear that I won't let anything bad happen to you."149
My eyes shrank of the last sentence he said as my body froze of stun."You. . .H-huh?"150
And the way he said it,its just so straight.He didn't even hesitate to speak of it out loud.Didn't he had a hard to time to say something that strong? But promising me to keep me safe is the best thing of Sasuke.I never knew that he would be the person to think of something that would make me feel so secure.But for some reason,I can feel myself blush and my heart starts to pound of the grateful thought.This strong feeling made some weird affects with my body.I mean,I'm used of Ryuu of saying some gratified discussion,but why is it different from Sasuke?151
My head bent low,knowing that my blush can't fade away until two minutes.152
"T-Thank you,Sasuke-kun. . .I-I. . ."153
"Alright! It's time to pass the forms in!" the voice of Anko's calling across the grass field,made all of our eyes turned to her.154
I panicked,reaching for my form and start signing the blank spaces without reading it.It's sort of bad,but I have to accept the challenge if it kills me,not literally. . .155
Everybody gathered around gave their forms to Anko to place them behind the curtains where they have to sort us out.Our team happens to be on the number twelve of the gate,I hope we're not too close to the strongest squad here.Ugh! Where's my confident?156
"Let's do our best,"I said to everyone.157
They turned their head as they courage rose.They all gave me brave faces and they are totally ready to take this exam no matter what.Oh,but I do hope that we can get through this as quickly as possible.158
"We will now begin the Chunnin Exams!"159
Then the gates creek wide open for all of us to pass through.The sick feeling in my stomach was now gone when my mind is now focused on this test.It's time to do this proudly and try not to get myself killed.160
Naruto sang as he held out his fist in the air."Alright! We are seriously going to pass! Believe it!"161
*~*~*End Chapter 21*~*~*Please message or comment
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