The Lost Heir (Naruto Fanfic)

The Tenth Question

*Shiro's POV*

"All right! Here it comes. Get ready for the tenth question." Ibiki ordered causing me to open my eyes tiredly and yawned quietly as I looked at him.

I wasn't gonna lie, but I could feel the tension that the room held.

"And before we get to the question itself... I'm adding one more new rule." Ibiki states as Kankuro came through the door.

"Heh... Looks like you're in luck. The time you've spent playing with dolls hasn't been completely wasted. Don't worry about it. Sit down." The Konoha shinobi ordered.

"Let me explain. This rule... Is absolute." Ibiki states.

~scene change~

*3rd Person's POV*

"Wow... With our genin tied up in exams, we've got time on our hands. It's not like we can go on training missions without them." Kakashi said.

"Don't worry. We'll be busy again before you know it." Asuma said as the cigarette smoke could be smelled in the room.

"Why?" Kakashi asked in his usual slouched form.

"Word is, this year's first chief examination officer is Morino Ibiki." Asuma answered.

"... That sadist? Why did it have to be Ibiki?!" Kakashi questioned.

"Will they even make it past the first exam?" Kakashi thought with a sweatdrop.

"Sadist?" Kurenai asked, confused.

"Kurenai, you're still a newbie to the jonin elite, so you have no way of knowing." Asuma states.

"Why? What's he like?" Kurenai replied, confused.

"He's a pro. A pro's pro." Asuma says.

"A pro? At what?" Kurenai asked.

Asuma took a deep breath from his cigarette before leaning back as he breathed the smoke out of his lungs to look at Kurenai.

"Torture and interrogation!" Asuma answered.

"Hunh?" Kurenai said surprised.

~scene change~

*Shiro's POV*

"First... You must choose... Whether to accept or reject this tenth question!" Ibiki said loudly.

"Ch-choose? What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?!" Temari asked.

"If you reject the question and don't even try to answer it, you'll lose all your points immediately... And fail! And both of your teammates will fail right along with you." Ibiki answered.

"Say what?!"

"Then why would anyone choose to reject it?"

"Damn... These people are loud. They're hurting my ears." I grumbled as my ears twitched at the sudden loud sound of voices, causing a headache.

"Because... Of the other rule... If you try to answer the question... And you get it wrong... You will never be permitted to apply for chunin exams again. Not ever." Ibiki declared.

"You can't be serious. That's ridiculous!!! There are ninja here who've sat for the chunin exams more than once already!! We know there are!" Kiba shouted with Akamaru barking.

"Heh heh... Heh heh heh heh." Ibiki chuckled out.

This surprised those that were still in the room around me.

"Just your rotten luck. I wasn't making the rules in the past years. I am now. I've been up front with you. You can take a failing grade now, and try again later." Ibiki states.

"Huh?"

"Anyone who has doubts would be smart to reject the tenth question right now. Come back and reapply next year, and the year after. Ready? Then let's begin. Those who choose not to accept should raise their hands. Once their number has been confirmed, they will leave the room." Ibiki said.

Silence could be heard until the male beside Naruto stood and raised his hand up.

"I-I... I quit! I'm rejecting the question! Gennai! Inaho! Please forgive me!" The male apologized.

"Number 50! Failed! Number 130! Number 111! You fail right along with him."

The other two teammates stood up from where they were sitting.

"Curses..."

"M-Me too!"

"Me too..."

"I quit, too!!"

"I-I'm sorry, guys!!"

"Me too..."

I glanced at Naruto, realizing that his body was shaking which caused me to clench my fists wondering what he was thinking about.

~scene change~

*3rd Person's POV*

"That Ibiki... Understands the human heart completely. It's what makes him so terrible. He uses his insights mercilessly to manipulate his foes... Bringing their human weaknesses to the surface... And using those weaknesses to make them crack!" Asuma said.

~scene change~

"N... Naruto...!" Sakura thought worriedly as Naruto shakily raised his hand up.

"Never underestimate me!!! I don't quit, and I won't run!! I'll accept your stupid question!! Even if I risk ending up a rookie for the rest of my life... I'll still become Lord Hokage, even if I can only make it by pure stubbornness. I don't care!! I'm not afraid of you!!" Naruto shouted.

"He... Never even gave us a thought. But he certainly does have guts." Sasuke thought.

Shiro held a proud gleam in his eyes as he looked at Naruto with a new found respect that he already had for the boy.

"I'll ask you one last time. This us a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now, while you still have the chance." Ibiki said.

"I never go back on my word. Cussedness is part of my shinobi way!" Naruto replied.

Silence could be heard from the room.

"Eighty-one of them are still here. Hmm... An entertaining kid. And interesting. He dispelled everyone else's doubts along with his own. More than I expected but... There's no point in dragging it out. Thanks to him... No one else will quit." Ibiki said as he glanced as the nodding chunin in the room before looking back at the genin with a smirk on his lips.

"Good call. So, everyone who is still here... You've just passed the first exam!!!" Ibiki declared.

"Hunh?!!!" Naruto thought in shock.

"Hell yeah!!" Shiro shouted.