Hanako felt her head was pounding once she started to wake up. She blinked a couple of times until her vision focused. "Hmmmm...." Hanako groaned, stretching her arms. Her body was asleep and she felt as if little ants walked around her limbs when she tried to move.
"You're awake," Hanako heard a familiar voice call to her. She looked in its direction and saw Itachi smiling down at her. "Sorry if I woke you."
Hanako frowned. "Why would...?" Her words died down when she took notice of her position. She was lying down on the floor, and her head rested on his lap. She sat up in a moment.
"You were out for almost an hour," Itachi continued calmly, not seeming to be bothered that she had just been lying on him. "You probably fainted from exhaustion. When was the last time you slept properly?" he asked.
"I tend to neglect myself...constantly..." Hanako bit her lip when he chuckled lightly. She had to admit she had been comfortable lying on Itachi's lap, but she ought to be embarrassed he ¾who was also a member of another team and not hers¾ was watching out for her. There was a constant throbbing in her temples that didn't let her think clearly, accompanied by an acute pain that was guilty of her blurry vision. She wondered if she might have a concussion.
"Are you okay?" Itachi reached a hand to run his finger through her hair, pushing it away from her face. Hanako nodded, closing her eyes in an attempt to push her dizziness away. "You should lay down..."
"No," Hanako retorted. If she had hit her head when she fainted, then she shouldn't go back to sleep in case she didn't wake up again. "I'll rest when I get to the tower."
"There is no rush to get to the tower," Itachi raised an eyebrow at her. "The first day isn't over yet."
"I know but¾" Hanako shut her mouth. She debated herself whether she should tell Itachi about Isao and his team or not. If only Isao knew that it was she who had killed his father, he would come right back at her. All Hanako wanted was to get to the tower so she could finally relax. That wasn't going to ensure that Isao would never find out the truth, but it gave her time to recharge her energy. The problem was that Itachi didn't even know about her mission in Iwagakure, so she couldn't explain her distress to him.
"What is it?" Itachi asked when he realized that the girl wasn't going to say anything.
"I..." Hanako looked away. She couldn't meet his eyes.
"You..." And though, he urged her to continue. Hanako bit her lip.
"I'm tired of being the prey," she finally said, pointing her trouble from a general point of view. "While being here, we haven't had even a second of peace. I only rested because I fell unconscious; but if I rest, Kazuki and Takeshi will be left unprotected. We can only be safe if we get to the tower. Resting is not option." Itachi's hand slid from her hair to her shoulder.
"Hanako," he said calmly. The girl looked at him, curious about what he was about to say. "You do know I'm also here to protect you, right? You don't have to worry about such things." Hanako shook her head in exasperation.
"Who are you to say such things?" she asked with a roll of her eyes. "You're supposed to be the enemy in these exams." Itachi chuckled.
"No matter what situation we're in, I could never see you as my enemy." Hanako's eyes widened. Steps interrupted her thoughts as Itachi withdrew his hand.
"I see you're up." It was Hiroki; and behind him were the rest of the Konoha Genin. "That's good because we need to get going." Hiroki looked at his teammate. "You haven't forgotten we are still mission one scroll, have you?"
Hanako raised her head, looking at Hiroki with curiosity. His green locks of hair covered his forehead partially, and Hanako wondered if it didn't bother him if it stuck in his eyes. "Which one is it?" Hanako asked.
"The Earth scroll," Koharu replied, earning a glare from both Hiroki and Itachi. She hunched forward, suddenly feeling smaller. "I'm sorry..." Koharu covered her face with both of her hands, feeling embarrassed. Hanako remembered the scroll she had found in Kenshi's pouch.
"It's okay," Hanako said, reaching for her pouch. "There's no one else but us around the perimeter." She pulled a scroll with blue stripes. Hiroki looked at her with wide eyes. Itachi was merely curious, was she going to give them her scroll?
"No," Hiroki rejected the offer before Hanako could say anything. "I'm sorry, we can't take it."
"You're lucky," Hanako's eyes glimmered as her lips curved up into a smile. "I have a spare." She pulled her own set of scrolls, one Heaven and one Earth. "You should take it before I change my mind." Hiroki reached to take it in silence.
Then, with the scroll in his hands, he started to say. "I don't know how¾" But Hanako interrupted him.
"It's okay," she said. "You helped us earlier against those Iwa ninja; this just makes us even." She finished with a smile.
"But it's not fair. You got it, you should keep it."
"I'd rather have you continue with us than leave you here after you've helped us." Hanako looked sideways at Itachi for a brief second and then looked back at Hiroki, trying to conceal her blush. "Things will be a lot easier if we stick together." Hiroki smiled and put away the scroll in his pouch.
"Thank you."
"Well then," Takeshi started. "Now that we're working together, we should start heading to the tower."
* * *
Anko, Shisui, the Hokage and his ANBU, and the Jounin supervisors observed everything that happened in the Forest of Death. "They're doing pretty well..." The Hokage commented. "The Genin from the Village". They were all reunited in the main room of the tower in the middle of the forest. The room was simple, containing a bunch of monitors all organized against the wall through which the contestants could be observed in the forest. Various cameras were scattered, and hidden, among the forestry, for security purposes.
"Of course they are. They seem to have an odd affinity for working together." Shisui commented, his eyes were fixed in the monitor through which Hanako could be seen sleeping on Itachi's lap. He smiled slightly. All Konoha Genin were in the same area, although they couldn't all be focused by the camera. Two of Iwagakure's teams were knocked out and the third one was far away, facing another team from Kusagkure.
"The first day is already over. The sun is setting," Anko said.
"The first day isn't over until the time they began the exam," Shisui reminded her.
"What I mean is that it's just been hours and there are already teams heading to the tower. They didn't even get to spend the night," Anko replied as she stared at the same monitor Shisui looked at. Hanako had gotten up and had given another Genin an Earth scroll, and then showed them a complete set.
"Only the ones from Konoha." The Third assured. "Although, I must say I'm surprised. I wouldn't have expected them to work together to obtain the scrolls. And also head together as a group to the tower..." he added watching the three teams moving through the trees.
"It isn't a surprise," Shisui commented. "I wouldn't have expected less from Itachi or Hanako." He seemed to fidget in his place but he crossed his arms to stop moving. "In the Uchiha, it's a tradition to put blood before everything else. Even if they're supposed to be in different teams, they cannot forget they're members of the same clan. If any Uchiha turns its back on another Uchiha, they would be committing treason."
"This is just an exam," Anko said. "It's fair if they don't help each other, after all they only need to worry about passing."
Shisui shrugged. "The law is the law. The Uchiha have a right of auto-determination. That means we're not only subject to the Village's rules but also those rules from the Clan; whether it's just an exam or real life."
"And what happens if they break that rule?" Anko asked.
"Best case scenario, they get banished. Worst case scenario..." Shisui shuddered. He remembered how the Police Force had tortured a member of the Clan for having revealed information about to the enemy during the Third War. The end for his torture was when he committed suicide. "You don't want to know."
Anko scoffed, turning away from Shisui and from the monitors. "Are all Noble Clans like that? They are the oldest Kekkei Genkai users and the first to have joined Konoha, so they are all rewarded with free auto-determination."
"The Uchiha was-is a clan specialized in war. So it has various laws to protect itself; they are also extremists, if you don't follow their rules as a member, you get punished for it." The Hokage stood up. "The Senju Clan was also like that. In fact, every clan from the Warring States Period follow the same rules. That is one of the legacies that still remains, but the Uchiha are a little too strict about it."
"That girl is a Senju. Is she also subject to those rules? If she is, then she shouldn't be cooperating with the Uchiha."
"A lot of norms changed when the villages were formed. Part of it, the relationships within clans. Before the villages existed, you were not allowed to reveal your clan name if you were to encounter a stranger outside your territory. You would be sent to war when you turned seven, and you would be forced to kill people even if you didn't want to.
"Luckily, I didn't get to live those times," Hiruzen focused his sight on Hanako through the monitor. "But those who did had to bear the scars of war for the rest of their lives." He smiled. "When the Uchiha and the Senju joined forces and founded Konoha, the endless war finally ended. I was younger than seven at the time, so I didn't get to experience it. The Uchiha and the Senju were known as the strongest clans, so it was just a matter of time before the other clans copied their example and founded the other villages.
"Traditions still remain within the oldest clans, although most clans are nearly extinct now-including the Senju. Because the Uchiha are so strict with their own traditions, they are the largest and eldest clan in the world; and right after them, the Hyuuga."
"Are the Uchiha still trained for war?"
"Yes, we are." Shisui nodded. "But I am not allowed to discuss military issues from the Clan, so that's all I can say." Shisui looked away from the monitors and walked to sit in a chair at the back of the room. Anko seemed to dismiss the comment as did the other Jounin, although the ANBU present in the room and the Hokage all stared at Shisui with contemplative eyes.
"I see," Hiruzen finally said, turning back to the monitors. "The Genin are getting closer to the tower. At this rate we'll have to prepare preliminaries."
Anko smirked. "You should take the prelims for granted, Hokage-sama."
* * *
The Genin of Konoha moved fast through the trees, all of them having a complete set of scrolls. "Hanako," Kazuki called to the Uchiha girl and she looked at him sideways. Even though he had addressed her, everyone was paying close attention. "When you took Kenshi's scroll, it was an Earth scroll." Hanako nodded tiredly, as if he were just stating the obvious. "But when Hiroki-san took Souta's scroll it was a Heaven scroll. If the two teams that attacked us both had different scrolls, why didn't they fight each other for them?" Hanako frowned, she hadn't put much thought into the idea.
"Yes..." Ren added. "If you guys would've had the Heaven scroll, we wouldn't have thought twice before taking it from you."
"So this is how things are, huh?" Takeshi huffed. "Bastard..."
"Don't argue over such trivialities," Hanako sighed tiredly. "You would have probably done the same thing, Takeshi." The boy looked away, realizing that what Hanako said was true. "Anyone would have," she added.
"They didn't," Hyori interrupted. "They cooperated."
"It's quite a good strategy," Hanako said. Everyone looked at her as if she just said she had a discovered a new continent. Itachi was the only one who understood what she meant. The rest had a dumbfound expression on their faces.
"Okay? Would you mind explaining?" Kaichi inquired with a raised eyebrow. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"They became allies with the intention of helping each other in the search of the scrolls. And in case time caught up to them, and they didn't get the scroll they needed, they would fight each other. That way at least one team would have the chance of passing the test." Itachi explained.
"I still don't get it." Takeshi pouted.
"I see, they work together for mere interest," Hiroki affirmed.
"No." Itachi suddenly spoke. "These guys seemed to know each other from before; there must be another reason for their alliance."
"It's not the first time they participate in the Chunnin exams," Hanako explained. "There exists a possibility of them working together in their previous exams."
"That...or maybe they're planning something. What I know is that they definitely needed to pass this second test," Itachi added in a suspicious tone. Hanako observed him until Kaichi spoke.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore, right? When we reach the tower we will have approved the test and we won't have to worry about those Iwa ninjas."
Hanako's blood froze and she came to a halt. "Iwa?" They all stopped around her.
"Yeah..." Kaichi was confused at her reaction. "One of them said they were Genin that had received special training; that they had been prepared for a real battle."
Hanako looked at Kazuki and Takeshi, seeming alarmed. They returned her look. Without saying anything to the others, they hurried ahead. Hyori tried to follow them but Ren stopped her. "Hey! Hanako!" she screamed but Hanako was too far away to hear her.
The doors that lead to the inside of the tower were closed. Hanako pushed them slightly until they cracked open. It was dark inside, and lonely. "Is there supposed to be anyone in here?" Hanako asked, looking around. "I don't see anyone."
"We must be the first ones," Kazuki suggested. "How much has it been since we started the test?"
Hanako looked outside, the sun was setting, melting behind the large trees. The sky was a gradient of purple and yellow colors, with splotches of clouds here and there. "It has to be around nine, maybe earlier."
"So, I guess it took us about six hours to complete the test."
"We finished this too quickly..." Takeshi commented. "You think we could have broken any record?" he asked.
"Probably." Kazuki shrugged. Hanako wandered around while the other two continued to talk among themselves. Using her Sharingan, Hanako found a text carved into one of the walls.
"Hey guys!" she called. "There's something here!" She narrowed her eyes, trying to read what it said. The room was still dark, so she could barely make out some shadows with the little sunlight that still managed its way in. "If you're missing 'heaven', acquire knowledge and prepare for opportunity. If you're missing 'earth', seek the strength to get through. Together 'heaven' and 'earth' turn danger into security. Keep in your heart the secret of the ...'blank space'... and become the guide."
"Maybe the missing word is in one of these scrolls," Kazuki suggested.
"But we were told we couldn't open them under any circumstance!" Takeshi shrieked in horror.
Hanako looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "We're already in the tower, which means we already approved the test." Hanako pulled both scrolls from her pouch. "There shouldn't be a problem." She gave Kazuki the Heaven scroll while she kept the Earth scroll. "At the count of three." Kazuki and Hanako nodded at each other, grabbing at the edges of the parchment. "One...Two...Three!" They both opened the scrolls only to find strange inscriptions in them.
"This is..." Kazuki frowned as he observed the marks, smoke suddenly emerged from them. Hanako realized what it was and quickly let go of the scroll. "Kazuki! It's a summoning jutsu!" Kazuki threw it to the ground as it burst into a cloud of smoke. It surrounded them, hindering their vision completely. Torches lit up by themselves, illuminating the room. Hanako coughed as the smoke started to dissipate, and she saw a man standing before them.
"Did I scare you guys?" A familiar voice spoke to them, and they looked up. He was looking down at them with a cheeky smile.
"Yakumo-sensei?!" Yakumo had been their teacher in the Academy, just before they graduated. He was looking at them with a smile as he pulled a watch from his pocket. When he looked at it, his eyes widened.
"Five hours and thirty-seven minutes?!" He looked at the Genin. "I never expected you guys to finish the exam this quick. That's truly amazing, although you'll have to stay here and wait until the time span is over."
They all sighed resignedly. "Five days in here..." Takeshi pondered about it. "Please tell me that you all brought enough food."
"We can fish," Hanako suggested. "There are a lot of rivers nearby." Yakumo chuckled.
"Going out to the Forest now is a very dangerous quest, and the risk will grow as the days go by and the teams start arriving to the tower." They all turned to look at him.
"So... what do you suggest, Sensei?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow at him.
"Now that you've made it here; we always keep snacks for those who make it to the end. They aren't exactly meals but at least you won't starve to death."
"THANK YOU, YAKUMO-SENSEI!" Takeshi ran to hug the sensei. He chuckled.
"Hai, hai..." Yakumo then pointed to the text behind him. "You've probably already noticed this, right?" Hanako nodded. "Well, I'll explain it for you then."
"Yeah...what's the missing word?" Takeshi asked. The sensei lifted his hand, as he started to explain.
"The word 'heaven' refers to the mind; the word 'earth' refers to the body. A Chunnin not only needs strength but also intelligence to complete missions, because his role is to guide others on their ways. The missing word is-"
"Chunnin." Hanako interrupted him. "Keep in your heart the secret of the Chunnin, and become the guide." It completed the text's meaning. Yakumo smiled at his former students and nodded.
"That's an important lesson you must all keep in mind. Once you understand its meaning, you'll become true Chunnin."
* * *
All the Genin that made it to the end of the second test and reached the tower in less than five days were now standing in the middle of the arena inside the tower in the Forest of Death. All the Jounin from the village, and leaders of the teams were standing before them, under the statue of two hands joined in the rat seal.
Only four teams had made it to the tower safe and sound, the rest were either too injured to continue or were missing a member. From those four, three were from Konoha and only one from Iwa. The members of the teams were observing each other, knowing that the next phase would be fighting against each other.
"Congratulations for approving the second test." Shisui's voice made everyone fall silent. "Now, the Hokage will proceed to explain the third and final exam." Shisui bowed to the old man before stepping back to his place among the rest of the Jounin.
"I'm sure all of you are aware of the reason we developed the Chunnin exams: so we can test the abilities of the different Shinobi of the different villages. This time, only nine Konohagakure Shinobi and 3 Iwagakure Shinobi made it here. A total of twelve combatants, which mean there are six matches of one on one. You are all going to fight each other in front of the whole village. However, since we are a little short of time, we can't have that many matches in one day. That's why I have decided to perform preliminary matches. Right here, right now. Only the best will fight in the final round, in front of the Feudal Lords and the Tsuchikage himself." The Hokage sighed. "And only those who make it to the final round have the possibility of becoming Chunnin." Hanako tightened her fists; she was definitely going to make it. "Hayate." The aforementioned nodded and walked beside the Hokage.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," he said. "Starting from now, you are all going to participate in the preliminaries. The winner from each match will move onto the third test, while the loser gets disqualified. My name is Hayate Gekko, and I'll be the proctor for each match here and in the finals." He introduced himself as he came to stand right in front of us. "The matches will start right away so if any of you feels like quitting, now it's the right time." Nobody said anything. "I guess you're pretty set up on continuing." He shrugged. "Well then, I'll explain the rules now. It's pretty simple, there are no rules." He smirked. "The match won't finish until one of you dies, gets knocked out, or forfeits. I can still stop the match, but that's my decision."
On the wall from the back, an electronic tablet appeared in one of the panels, which would decide the matches.
"The combatants will be randomly chosen. Without any more to say, let's begin."
The tablet started to launch names until two of them remained stable. The choice was definite when it made a high "beep" sound.
ISAO
VS.
TOMOYA
"Good, the people whose names are on the tablet, please step forward. The rest of you, please retreat to the safe zone behind the railing."
The two Iwagakure ninja walked to where Hayate was standing, and turned to face each other. "Who would've thought I'd fight you?" Isao commented with a malicious grin.
"It's the perfect chance to show you how much I've improved. Don't you think, Isao-san?" Tomoya returned his grin. The rest of the Genin stood on the elevated balcony and watched with interest the two opponents.
"Hey, Hanako, aren't those-?" Takeshi inquired but Hanako interrupted him.
"Yes..." she replied without taking off her eyes from the Iwa ninjas. "That's the team we encountered first in the Forest of Death. I never expected them to literally fight each other."
"It's a good opportunity to watch up close their abilities." Kaito mentioned as he reached his students. Hanako looked at him for a moment, and then back to the match. "One from Konoha will have to deal with the last one remaining from Iwa after all."