Chapter 10 - Things Change and Chunin Chaos

Ibikki Morino was an imposing figure, even before you got to his living. Ibikki was, by trade, a torture specialist. What made him even MORE scary was the fact he didn’t use physical torture. He worked on your mind, made you crack without ever laying a finger on you. He was highly respected, and not just among the ANBU force he was head of. He was respected (and feared) by just about everyone in the Leaf Village, and even among criminals.
“I am Ibikki Morino, the written exam’s proctor. Listen up, I’m about to tell you the rules, and I’m not going to repeat myself. First rule: The exam has ten questions. Nine are on the sheet you have in front of you. The tenth question will be given in a half-hour. You start this exam with ten points. Every question you get wrong, you lose a point. If you’re caught cheating, you AND your team will be removed from the exam and barred from further participation in this series of chunin exams, no matter what your grades are.”
One hand went up in the air. It belonged to a new candidate.
“Hey, that’s not fair! Why does the whole team get tossed if one person screws up?!” came the whined query.
Ibikki smiled; not a comforting gesture in the least. “Teamwork is essential if you want to suceed as a Shinobi, or even live the life of one. Your team is like your family. If one person screws up, everyone suffers. So keep that in mind.”
Ekyt raised his hand. Ibikki nodded to him.
“Define ‘cheating’.” Ekyt requested.
Heads turned toward him. One kid’s thought summed up everyone’s feelings. Huh? How the hell is ‘cheating’ open to interpretation?
Ibikki grinned and strode toward the genin. “Ah, yes. The ‘Dragon Boy’. Thinking of cheating yourself? Have to protect your legacy over your integrity?”
Ekyt stared back, emotionless. He had heard horror stories about Ibikki. But he wasn’t going to back down. He couldn’t show weakness. But the guy was scary as all get out. One way or another, Ekyt kept his composure and stoicism and rephrased his question.
“No. I’d just like to know what you consider ‘cheating’. Are we talking the standard ‘don’t look at someone else’s paper’, or do you mean ‘don’t use your Sharingan?’”
THAT turned some heads. Ekyt had tied a black headband around one eye. There was nothing wrong with the eye. It was all part of an illusion he had planned. It had worked at his final exams at the academy, why not now? Fake Sharingan, people freeze up, think he’s an Uchiha, and he gets a quick shot in.
Ibikki straightened up, grinning inwardly at the question, but scowling outwardly. “Cheating is using any ability not naturally given to you. So, Sharingan would be acceptable. Looking at another’s paper would not be. Taking another person’s paper, conversing with someone…all cheating. Get the picture?”
Ekyt nodded. “I do. Thank you.”


Sasuke finished up talking with Ino.
“You were right. I guess I should thank you for pointing out what a jerk I was being, and…” Sasuke stopped, seeing Ino take another cigarette.
“Yeah? Well, SOMEONE had to tell you,” Ino said as she exhaled a puff of smoke.
“Ino…you shouldn’t smoke, you know?”
“Why not?” Ino asked defensively.
“It kills you, for starters…not to mention that you doing it is…” Sasuke kind of choked on the words, not believing he was saying this, even though Shikamaru and Choji had asked him to, and the words weren’t really his own.
“Is what?” Ino shot back, getting ticked at Sasuke being so quiet.
“It’s a turnoff. You don’t NEED to smoke to get attention. Not you, anyway.” Sasuke said the words as quickly and harshly as he could. It seemed to be food for thought for Ino, who held the cigarette away for a minute.
“Why are you even talking to me? Shouldn’t you be wanting to chew my head off for calling you a dick?” Ino wanted to know. She flicked the cigarette aside. Sasuke stepped on it; the last thing the weakened Leaf Village needed was a fire.
“Maybe I feel bad about what I did…” Sasuke murmured. Or maybe Shikamaru and Choji put me up to this…How did they get me to agree to this? I must be feeling more guilty than I thought…


Sakura happened to walk by at this point, saw Ino and Sasuke together, and just felt her heart drop. It would have been one thing if Sasuke was just being an @$$ and dumping her, but dating her rival…that hurt. Sakura hadn’t cried in a while, but this brought tears to her eyes. She rounded a corner, out of site, and cried silently, until the tears stopped flowing and become only gasps. This time, she felt alone. Everyone would just tell her she needed to be stronger. The one guy she could have counted on to put things in perspective was probably getting ready to fight for his life in the chunin exams. Sakura was so busy dwelling on this she didn’t hear Naruto coming. Until he spoke, she was unaware of his presence.


“Hey, Sakura! Grandma Tsunade wants to see you and- hey, you’re crying!” Naruto was leaning close, brow furrowed in concentration.
“No duh, genius!” Sakura said around a sniffle.
“Hey, alright already, relax! Hey, how about some ramen, that always cheers ME up! C’mon, I’ll buy!”
Sakura nodded and walked with Naruto, before even realizing it. When they had reached Ichiraku, they both placed orders, and that’s when it hit Sakura.
I-is this a d-date? It can’t be! But look at Naruto…he’s being nice, and actually civil…
“Hey Sakura? You remember the last time I tried to get you to eat with me?” Naruto asked, sporting a big grin.
It took her a moment, but Sakura remembered.
“Yeah! (giggle) I was such a dog to you. I’m really sorry about that…”
Naruto grinned again and stretched his arms behind his head. “I remember you asking ‘Why should I eat with you?’ and I said ‘we’re on the same team, we should get to know each other.’ Boy, that sure changed, didn’t it? A lot of stuff has changed around here, but it’s not the stuff I expected.” Naruto’s face smoothed into an unusually thoughtful look. He inhaled his ramen (THAT hadn’t changed), then pointed out a couple things.
“I mean, like Grandma Tsunade replacing the old man, Sarutobi. And Temari running off from the Sand Village. And that bone dude, Kimimaro or whatever, showing up. It’s like nothing’s set in stone anymore.” I’d better not mention Sasuke. THAT was the biggest surprise! Sakura breaking up with him? I can’t believe it! And what’s with her being nice to me, and blushing all the time? I can’t figure girls out (-_-‘)
Sakura, who was eating more slowly, nodded her agreement. “Yeah, it’s weird. Especially how Lady Tsunade took Me on, and Master Jiraiya took you on, and Orochimaru wants Sasuke. It’s funny how much our team has grown! I mean, you and Sasuke are equally talented now, and I’ve got a specialty.”
Naruto polished off his second bowl. “I hate to say, but Ekyt is weird, too.”
Sakura frowned. “Huh? In what way?”
Naruto scratched his head. “Well, he didn’t have a team, or a sensei until now. He’s a samurai, and…well, I mean, he should be past genin by now. If even I’m a chunin, he should be, too.”
Sakura could feel herself blushing again. Hastily, she changed the subject. “Hey, did you hear? Iruka-sensei is going to be a jonin!”


The half-hour went by quickly. Ekyt was done with the test in twenty minutes, then spent the last ten checking his answers. It had been difficult, but he didn’t see any reason to have to cheat, although he suspected his insane studying had been a great help to him. He wrote as confidently as he could, trying to give off an air of complete self-assuredness. He sad ramrod-straight in the seat, and move his pencil in dark, intense strokes, as if he knew the answers off the top of his head without a moment’s thought. He heard mutters about him, and grinned behind his mask. Perfect, just what he had wanted.
Ibikki again stepped to the front of the class. “Alright, time’s up. We’ve removed ten teams, leaving twenty more. That number could shrink, depending on the tenth question. Now, listen up, there are rules that come with the tenth question. First rule: You are not allowed to ask questions about this question. Second rule: You don’t have to answer this question. You can simply skip it…”
“Why would we do that?” someone shouted. Someone always asked.
It made Ibikki’s day whenever they did.
“If you answer this question incorrectly, you fail, and you are barred from taking the chunin exams…ever again. No matter what you other score was, you will be disqualified. However, if you choose not to answer the question, you will fail the test, but you and your team can take the exams again. It’s all about how confident you feel…so think about that.”
Ekyt didn’t need to think about it. I’m already stuck as a genin, and if I fail this time, Ebisu can forbid me from taking them again. So, I’m not going anywhere.
“If you want to back out, do it now. Anyone? Better save yourself, and your team…” Ibikki scanned the classroom menacingly, daring someone to give up.



“Well. To those of you remaining, there’s only one thing left to do…congratulations. You passed the first part of the chunin exams.” Ibikki gave everyone in the classroom a proud smirk, which was the warmest gesture you were likely to get from him.
More than one jaw hit the floor.
“B-but you never even ASKED the tenth question! How can we have passed before that?” Sputtered one confused genin.
“The tenth question was a test of your courage…you were given an impossible choice…a choice where failure wasn’t an option. On a mission, you don’t stop just because the odds seem insurmountable. You plow forward with the mission. As for endangering your team…understand that you will have to. As chunin, you will start leading missions. Your team might have to be put in danger, and you might be the one putting them there. Learn to live with it. Hone your skills, and”
CRASH!
Ibikki shook his head. Hyperactive, as always. She’s early…again… Ibikki looked at the ruined window from behind the banner that had flew in with the person.


Tsunade stood before the bandit, glaring at him.
“So you’ve been spying on the village. Who do you work for?” She asked forcefully.
“I’ll never talk! Not even to you, Legendary Loser!” the spy declared. Then he saw Tsunade’s face. He recoiled in horror, REALLY wishing he wasn’t tied to the chair at this point. Hell, the look on the “loser’s” aid’s face was enough to warn him he was in for pain for his show of bravado.
“ ‘Legendary Loser’, am I? You’d better start talking, or you’ll find I become less interested in the information you hold, and more interested in delivering your corpse back to your homeland. Now start talking, before your luck runs out.” Tsunade thrust a finger in the man’s face, leaving no room for questions from him.
“I’m from the Village Hidden in the Mist! My name is Kiruku, of the Akakomadori family! I was just trying to get information about you!” he cried out, trying to inch away from Tsunade.
“About me? Why?” Tsunade’s tone was calmer now, more interested rather than hostile.
“Y-you owe the Akakomadori family money! I-I’m the collector! I don’t know any secrets about your village, I’m just trying to spare my family! Please, you HAVE to believe me! If I don’t come back with the money, they’ll kill my family! It’s always the Akakomadori family, just because we don’t fit in! Hardly anyone drinks in the Mist Village!”
Tsunade stopped. “Wait…Aka…I know that brand! It’s my favorite!”
Shizune approached her cautiously. “L-Lady Tsunade? Please, think about-”
Tsunade already whipped toward the man.
“How about a deal? I’ll send a team of my ninja over to protect your family. In exchange, you bring your trade here. There’s no place to drink or gamble around here, and I guarantee my business alone would pay off the debt I owe you. Do we have a deal?”
The man nodded. “Yes, that sounds wonderful! Thank you, Lady Tsunade!”
Tsunade shrugged. “I have to look out for everyone. I’ll summon a team and we’ll get you to safety.

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