Chapter 43 - The Written Exams

Iruka and his new squad, Okkuu Kazuki and Yuuka Momoka, waited for their third member to arrive. Okkuu and Yuuka were excited to be meeting the ‘Dragon Boy’. The two of them had been friends since childhood, and their parents were close. That was how they had heard of Ekyt’s stunning win over Orochimaru, and his loss to Naruto Uzumaki.

“Man…he really fought Orochimaru…a legend…and won! I can’t wait to meet this guy!” Okkuu had met Ekyt once before, but wasn’t aware of it at the time. Ekyt had been a sub for Iruka one day, and Okkuu had been pretty rotten to him. But now, a year later, Okkuu wasn’t a brat any longer. He was standing tall in his red and black uniform, with his black hair like a brillo pad. With this guy on our team, we can’t lose! He’s even taken the exams before, so he can tell us what’s coming!

“It must have been scary…and then he had to retire…I feel bad for him…my father says that he should have been a jonin two years ago. I wonder why he’s not?” Yuuka wondered. Yuuka was a kind-hearted kunoichi. Unlike the other girls, she wasn’t boy-obsessed. She was content to wait for the right guy to come along. She was also more skilled than anyone realized. When she was younger, her mother had taught her the “chakra scalpel” and certain mixtures and salves for medical use. Yuuka was, sadly, forced to use those skills one day to escape her would-be kidnappers. She was emotionally scarred by the incident at the time, though time had also healed her wounds. Mostly, anyway. She still had nightmares about the filthy Mist-Village thugs, grabbing her and trying to take her away…



“Sorry I’m late, no one told me the exams were tomorrow,” said the newly-arrived Ekyt. Okkuu’s mouth dropped open.

“YOU?! YOU’RE THE ‘DRAGON BOY’?!” he shouted.

Ekyt looked Okkuu up and down. “Do I know you? Oh, of course, Okkuu! That’s right. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Still hate my guts?”

Okkuu was taken aback by Ekyt’s friendliness. “Uh, no. But I DO plan on beating you up for that trick someday! Showing me your ruined eye just because I played an innocent prank was mean!”

Yuuka bowed politely. “Do you remember me, too?”

Ekyt thought for a moment, tapping his chin. “Yuuka…that’s right! I remember you were the only one who could answer my trick question about transformation jutsus.”

Iruka smiled at his new group. “Well, the chunin exams are tomorrow. All I can say- good luck, do your best, and…” Iruka froze up. His eyes met Ekyt’s momentarily, and Ekyt nodded, conveying some message.

“And remember- your lives are the most important thing there. No rank can replace your life. At the same time, think of your team. And I promise both of you: I won’t let you die. That’s a promise.”

“Thanks. You see, Ekyt here has taken the exams before, and knows the speech by heart. Since he’s the one who’s with you and not me, he had to say it. Now, if things get sticky, I want you to trust Ekyt. He’s never steered a fellow Shinobi wrong, and he’s one reason you’re getting to test so early. You’re largely untested genin, while he’s been a genin for a long time. As your parents have told you, and me, for that matter, he is at a jonin level. So, if push comes to shove, trust him. The chunin exams aren’t always…well…safe.” Iruka was tripping over his words. Luckily, Ekyt picked up for him.

“When I took the exams last, I was sabotaged by a sensei. Before that, when you were just starting at the academy, Orochimaru attacked. The exams cause people to be unscrupulous, and evil. That’s partly why I came out of retirement: I’d never forgive myself if something happen to anyone in the village that I could have prevented. That, and I want that vest. So, here’s how the chunin exams work:

Part 1- written test- All applicants are given a written exam. You’re not supposed to know the answers, you’re supposed to cheat to get them, without getting caught. If you don’t know how to do that, then leave your sheet blank. The tenth question, which is verbal, is the only one that counts, anyway. The tenth question is that of your courage. Look over at me during that question, and do what I do.

Part 2- Forest of Death survival- We’ll have five days to collect two scrolls. One the “Heaven” scroll, the other the “Earth” scroll. But the forest of death is full of other Shinobi, as well as giant animals, and poisons. So you can’t drop your guard.

Part 3- the Fight- This is where teams are turned against each other. You might have to fight each other, you might have to fight me. Win, lose, or draw, HOW you fight will decide if you’re a chunin or not.”



“We’re-supposed to cheat on a test? Isn’t that- wrong?” Yuuka had never so much as stolen a cookie before dinner, let alone cheat on a test, so this was a shock.

“Yuuka, you might not have to worry, you’ll know all the answers. I will to. Okkuu, the questions are BEYOND genin level, and as I recall from grading your paper, it’s not your strong suit to…remember useless information. And, no offense, but you aren’t ‘subtle’ either. I want you to trust Yuuka and I with the information part of the test. On the last question, I want both of you to do what I do.” Ekyt was suddenly closer to being Ibikki than his normal Kakashi-ish personality. Iruka noticed this grave behavior, and had to ask Ekyt about it.



Sakura and Lee came running towards Ekyt. Ekyt should have suspected something, but simply turned to face them. Since he had come out retirement, he was wearing a long, black trench coat. Under one sleeve a kunai on a string was hidden, giving Ekyt the chance to simply flick his wrist and be armed.

“EKYT-KUN!” Sakura shouted. She left the ground, and caught Ekyt with a flying hug.
“Kiss me! I can’t take it! Kiss me!” she shouted. Then, grinning wickedly, and pinning him down by sitting on his chest, Sakura said “Release!”, and became

“NARUTO? GET OFF ME, YOU SICK PERV!” Ekyt shouted, kicking Naruto off, all while cracking up himself. He, Lee, and Naruto were in tears, they were laughing so hard.

“A-April Fools, perv!” Naruto declared.

“Y-Yes! We fooled you!” Lee added.

“Yeah, you got me!” Ekyt said, laughing. He put his arms around his friend’s shoulders- then bashed their heads together!

“April Fools, doges,” Ekyt muttered, still smiling. “Consider that payback for class yesterday, Naruto. And Lee…well, that Konoha Whirlwind you hit me with the other day really left a mark, so there’s payback there! Good joke, though, guys. You had me there, for a minute! If you hadn’t picked Sakura as the target, I would have fallen for it!”




“Is this perv really going to help us, Iruka-sensei?” Okkuu asked, a sweatdrop forming on his head.

“Yeah. Don’t ask. THAT was just what Ekyt needed. Anyway, you’ve met him, you’re dismissed. Go home and rest up, tomorrow’s a big day,” Iruka told them brightly. Ekyt…c’mon, you’ve gotta get your head on straight, we need you here! With the Akatsuki around, and the Sound Village more than a little angry…you’ve got to protect those kids. We KNOW you can handle you- but do YOU know it?




-----THE NEXT MORNING-----



“I am Ibikki Morino, the proctor for the written portion of the chunin exams…”

Okkuu sat back and watched Ekyt, like he had been told. Yuuka was listening as well. Those two are gonna answer the questions. Ekyt’s right, it’s not my thing, putting pencil to paper. I’m better with putting foot to @$$! I just want this damn test to be over with. The fight is what I’m waiting for!



Yuuka, sitting up front, and ten spots over from Ekyt’s window seat, listened intently as the INCREDIBLY scary instructor laid out the rules. Yuuka was also watching Ekyt. She hadn’t seen him do anything other than nod occasionally, or tap his pencil. He was listening, leaning forward slightly.



Ibikki explained all the intricacies, and how your team was in danger if you screwed up. A few ninja left the room, along with their teams. Ibikki’s mind games had been too much for them. And this was before the test began! To most students, the classroom was closing in, and incredibly hot. Everyone looked menacing. Pencils became kunai, the proctors became unsmiling demons, with swords burning with the fires off hell. Yuuka and Okkuu started to panic. Ekyt looked over at them, then stood up.



“Release.” The one, dull word snapped the remaining Shinobi out of it. A few ran screaming from the room. One even dove out through a closed window. More than half the people who had started by taking the test were now gone. Ibikki, knowing Ekyt was a harder nut to crack, smirked as he stepped forward, right in front of the young man. He was taller than Ekyt by at least four inches, as if the scars and demeanor weren’t imposing enough. The other students gulped. It looked like their savior had been caught.

“Who gave you permission to use that technique?” Ibbiki didn’t need to yell to make himself heard. The classroom was silent.

“Every good sensei I’ve ever had has told me to protect my team. That was my only goal.” Ekyt’s answer was just as harsh as Ibikki’s question. None of the other genin knew, of course, but Ekyt was a student on Ibikki’s, with both of them being in the same division of ANBU: Torture and Interrogation. The division that took people’s minds and twisted them until insanity was welcome relief. Ekyt wasn’t as harsh as Ibikki, but as a result, his genjutsu was powerful, and his knowledge of it deeper than almost anyone’s. That was why Ekyt had used a ‘blanket release’, ending the genjutsu for everyone.

Ibikki walked away, concealing a real smile on his harsh face. “I’m glad one of you knuckleheads figured out the genjutsu. Now, the test- you’ve heard the rules, I’m not repeating them. Pick up your pencils and…Begin!”

Everyone put their pens to their papers, but only four students were writing anything. Ekyt, Yuuka, and two other Leaf genin were blazing through the test. Ekyt was done in twenty minutes, Yuuka in thirty-three. Okkuu hadn’t touched his paper, except for question 7, which he somehow knew.

All too soon for most, the time was up. And it was the dreaded tenth question. Ekyt looked at his two team mates, nodding reassuringly. They returned the nod, but they weren’t reassured; they were scared as hell!

“The tenth question is pass or fail. If you choose to answer the question, and do so correctly, you move on to the next phase of the chunin exams. If you choose to answer, but you answer incorrectly- you AND your team are barred from taking the chunin exams ever again. HOWEVER (Ibikki had to raise his voice over the roar of protests), you can also choose NOT to answer. IF you choose not to answer, you’ll be disqualified, but you can take the test again. Your team will also be disqualified, in effect. So, choose now. Who wants to leave? Better safe than sorry…”

There was silence once more. One genin finally cracked, and sobbed, apologizing to his team as he walked out the door. But that was it. No one else cracked. Yuuka and Okkuu had thought of it, no question- but one look at Ekyt, who hadn’t batted an eye, and they settled down.



“Well, then. To those of you remaining- congratulations. You’ve passed the written test. Confused? Let me explain: This test was designed to see if you would think as an individual while considering your team. It’s a real option that you might have to chose between yourself and your team. Make the wrong choice, and everyone suffers. There IS no way to avoid pain in the Shinobi world. But you CAN avoid losing lives needlessly. All of you who stayed showed that you’d share your team’s burden, pain or even death. You deserve to be called chunin…for now. The next exam proctor will arrive shortly, so I’d suggest being re”


CRASH!

The window exploded, and a figure leapt in. As one the class took cover. Except Ekyt, he had leapt in front of Yuuka, and used a clone jutsu to protect Okkuu. He knew who it was, but you could never be too sure, not in this world…

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