Forgotten Darkness (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter Twenty Nine

I was seated at the back of the room, at the end of a row, right by a chunin sentinel. I listened carefully to the rules. "Everyone, eyes front," Ibiki says harshly. I flinch and his eyes are drawn right to me. He smirks slightly. 

Hm, she's that outsider I interrogated years ago. Seems like Ieft an impression on her. I'm surprised the Hokage is allowing her to become a ninja. An outsider, becoming one of our own... I don't agree. Ibiki thought.

'Before we start, there are a few rules that you need to be aware of. And I won't be answering questions! So you better pay attention the first time around! Alright, rule number one is this: The written part of the exam is based on a point reduction system. Contrary to what you may be used to, all of you start the test with a perfect score of ten. One point will be deducted for each point you get wrong,"

I nod slowly. "Rule number two. Teams will be scored together," Well, we're screwed. "Rule number three. Every time you are caught cheating, two points will be taken away from your score." 

So... If you're caught cheating, all they do is mark you down two points? That's it? And if you're caught five times, your kicked out... hmmm.... I can work with this...

Ibiki started the timer, and I began to read over these questions. Am I seriously supposed to know these? I could work through some of these, but it would take the entire alloted time to finish three, much less ten!

Oh. Duh. I read minds to cheat. From reading peoples minds, I already knew the point of this test was cheating. I thought over the rules carefully, wanting to beat Ibiki. I didn't want to just read minds to cet answers, though I woulld if I had to. I wanted to beat Ibiki, show him that I'm stronger now. I'll wait till someody has all ten answers written down, then cheat.

I see someone who's finished and stand. "Do you need something, number... 278?" I shook my head, trying not to show my fear. I then walk up behind a hidden chunin and memorize all ten answers they've already written down. 

"Hey!" THe chunin protests, hiding their answers. But it's to late. I have all the answers in my head."Number 278! You cheated!" Ibiki yelled.

I turn around boredly. "Your point?" I ask. He raises his hand and I flinch back, remembering the pain of him breaking my arm. He raises his eyebrow at my flinching, and simply underlines rule two.

"I'm going to have to kick you and your team out for cheating," he smirks. Oh, that is such a challenge.

Challenge accepted.

"No. We do not fail. You said every time we're caught cheating, two points are deducted. So I have a total of two points deducted, and ten points up here in my head," I say pointing. "That leaves me at eight points, a passing grade." I place my hands on the desk and lean over it, "Just admit it, Ibiki. I found a loophole."

He opens and closes his mouth several times. "Sit down," He mutters, "Anyone else who cheats so blatantly is to be kicked out." He declares. I write down my answers quickly. That was intense.  I just faced my childhood terror. I mean, the guy broke my arm! Worse may have happenned to me before, but I still was oddly terrified of him. I turned over my paper, finished.

An eye made of sand hovered above my turned over and finished paper. I glared at it. Gaara. But all the same I turned over the paper and let him read it. If I wanted to kill him, he needed to pass this test.

The eye scans the paper quickly, then zooms around my head once in thanks. I find myself smiling, and I lean forward to catch Gaara's eye. He looks at me then nods once, going back to writing the answers down.

I realize I was smiling and wiped it off my face, replacing it with a frown. That was weird. Not even Naruto can make me smile so readily. And I hate Gaara, even though I don't know why... So how is it he made me so happy for a moment?