Third Person's POV
"So" Kiba asks, glancing down at Ashley, "Did you manage to convince Sakura to compete in the Chunin Exams with you?"
"I have no idea" Ashley replies with a shrug, before breaking into a grin, "But she came to me yesterday and said she would. Something must have happened to change her mind."
"Heh, at least you can compete now" Kiba chuckles, upon seeing the devious look on his girlfriend's face. "I guess I don't need to ask if you're excited about it."
"We're gonna dominate those Exams" Ashley states confidently. "With me having survived hell on earth Kyoku and Sakura being trained by Lady Tsunade, no one stands a chance if they get in our way!"
Kiba laughs at this, he and Ashley chatting amongst themselves, speculating about the upcoming Chunin Exams as they walk side by side, comfortably holding hands. Akamaru runs around ahead of them, chasing insects and sniffing at as many rocks and plants as he can.
Ashley watches the Ninken in amusement, noting how much larger he had grown in the last year. He had been such a tiny, adorable pup, and now his head was almost at Ashley's shoulder. The Minami didn't know what Kiba had been feeding him, but Akamaru had certainly had an impressive growth spurt! His once little bark, had developed into a much deeper and more intimidating one as well. Luckily for Akamaru, he at least hadn't lost his cute appearance upon growing taller.
Her train of thought drifting a little, Ashley narrows her eyes and turns her head to look up at Kiba. Her gaze slowly travels up his body, recalling the soft, fluffy jacket he used to wear. He had also gone through a growth spurt in the last year, having had to ditch his signature jacket and replacing it with a black leather one instead.
While Ashley had liked the grey jacket with the fluffy collar, she couldn't deny that the new leather jacket suited Kiba very well. He looked very handsome in it, though Ashley wasn't about to tell the Inuzuka that.
Noticing that he is being stared at, Kiba glances down, a question mark appearing above his head when he sees the look on Ashley's face.
"I know I'm good lookin Angel" he boasts, smirking at the blonde, "But you're gonna burn a hole in my face if you keep looking at me like that."
"......When did you get so tall?" Ashley asks flatly, her expression falling into a deadpan one as she stubbornly turns her head away.
While Ashley barely cleared five foot, Kiba had certainly grown a lot. The Minami had to tilt her head back to look into his face now, with Kiba being a good five inches taller than her.
"I guess I've gotten a bit taller" Kiba laughs, letting go of Ashley's hand to teasingly pat her on the head. "That, or you've shrunk."
"Hey" Ashley growls, swatting his hand away and glaring up at him. "Careful Mutt, or I'll break your fingers.
"It's alright Angel" Kiba assures the Minami, now wrapping his arm around her neck and pulling her into his side. "I don't mind that you're so short. I think you're cute."
"Great..." Ashley mutters sarcastically, pressing her palms against Kiba's ribs and trying to push him away.
Laughing again, Kiba releases Ashley, watching as she huffs and folds her arms over her chest, puffs of steam shooting away from her head, the girl pouting cutely. The Inuzuka smiles to himself.
Ashley had only grown a little taller in the last year and a half, leaving her as the shortest out of all of their friends. While he enjoyed teasing her about it, it wasn't like Ashley's height actually mattered. She had only gotten prettier over time in Kiba's eyes, and her strength and fighting ability had increased significantly.
She may have been small, but Kiba knew better than anyone that Ashley was not one to underestimate.
Holding in an amused smile, as Kiba feels Ashley reach out and take hold of his hand again, the two young Ninja continue to walk at a leisurely pace, enjoying the warm weather and each other's company. It had been quite awhile since they'd both had a free day at the same time, and so they had decided to go for a walk outside the Village.
"Are you guys ready to compete in the Exams?" Ashley asks, giggling as Akamaru begins rolling in a patch of flowers up ahead, his feet kicking in the air.
"Of course!" Kiba proclaims, winking down at Ashley. "Hate to break it to ya Angel, but Team Kurenai are gonna be the ones who dominate in this Exam!"
"Hn" Ashley smirks. "Then I guess I'll look forward to running into you guys at some point."
"We won't take it easy on you and Sakura" Kiba warns slyly. "We're aiming for the top!"
"I hope you know that you're gonna eat those words" Ashley replies loftily, before tilting her head. "I wonder what the Exams will be like this year."
"With Shikamaru being one of the Proctors" Kiba mutters, wrinkling his nose, "Who knows. Something for smart people I guess."
"Lucky I've got Sakura on my team then" Ashley chuckles sheepishly, sweat dropping. ".....I'm actually a little nervous, if I'm really honest. At the last Exams, we had a four-man team competing. But this time, it'll just be me and Sakura. We'll only have each other to rely on, and I have no idea what we're in for."
"You guys will be fine Angel" Kiba reassures the blonde, his tone softening as he lightly squeezes Ashley's hand. "If anything, all of the other teams should be nervous about you guys. I'd be wary of a team bold enough to enter with only two members. I'd be wondering why they're confident enough to enter without a full team."
Ashley laughs at this. "Maybe you're right. I mean, we kind of don't have any choice but to enter as a two-man team, but no one else needs to know that. I'll just have to tell Sakura to try look as intimidating as possible."
"Besides" Kiba murmurs, pausing in his walking and leaning down, "You know I'll back you up if you really need help, right?"
Ashley closes her eyes, tilting her head back a little to accept Kiba's kiss. After a few moments, the blonde leans back and smiles, her eyes half lidded.
"I know" she says appreciatively, her cheeks warming, as she and Kiba begin to walk again.
Ashley's POV
"Well, I guess this is the place" I say, probably unnecessarily, as Sakura and I slow to a stop in the street. I place my hands on my hips and gaze around, a large group of people standing in front of the building that we had all been sent to register at. They stand in groups of two or three, talking amongst themselves and eyeing each other warily.
I watch the crowd with a straight face, not wanting anyone to catch on to the fact that I'm nervous. I mean, aside from it only being Sakura and I on our team, it's not like our previous Chunin Exam experience was particularly pleasant. I can't help but think back to Orochimaru attacking us, a thought that leaves me with a sense of unease.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Sakura looking at the crowd hesitantly, rubbing at her arm. I elbow her in the side, catching her attention.
"We're gonna be fine Sakura" I assure my teammate, forcing a slight grin. "At the very least, stop looking like you want to run away."
"Sorry" Sakura apologises quickly, waving one hand. "I'm alright. It's just nerves."
"Good" I smile, before turning more serious and leaning into Sakura a little. "Looks like there are a lot of Ninja from the Hidden Sand competing."
"Yeah....." she says slowly, frowning a little as she cranes her neck. "I think I saw a team from the Hidden Rain too, which is unusual...."
"Really?" I ask, surprised. "We should keep our eye on them then. I don't know much about the Rain, but I do know that Ninja from that place are renowned for being hired assassins."
"Oh, great..." Sakura mutters sarcastically, sounding worried.
Not wanting to give her, or myself really, time to get too worked up, I push Sakura towards the building, the two of us walking inside. We come to a stop at a table, Izumo and Kotetsu seated behind it.
"What, no Genjutsu or anything this time?" I ask smartly, as Sakura and I both hand the men our registration papers.
"You're not going to try and trick us, like last time?" Sakura questions, her green eyes searching the walls and ceiling carefully.
"We just do what the Exam proctor tells us" Kotetsu explains simply, shrugging, before holding up a small box that has three small sticks poking out of it. "Please choose one."
Wondering what the box is for, I reach up and pull out one of the sticks, only to reveal a small paddle with the number one on it. I turn my head, noticing that Sakura's paddle has a three on it.
"Please return the paddles and head to your assigned classrooms" Kotetsu requests politely. "Class one is straight ahead, while two and three are up the stairs just there."
"Next please!" Izumo calls to the people waiting at the entrance, effectively dismissing us.
"Well, I guess we're getting separated then" I sigh, heading for my classroom. "I'll see you soon Sakura. Good luck!"
"Do your best...." I hear her say from behind me, before I turn and walk into my assigned room.
I immediately lay eyes on Hinata and Choji, something that strangely fills me with a faint sense of relief. Seeing as we're about to undertake some unknown task, in a room full of strangers, seeing two people that I'm familiar with is comforting.
"Ah, Ashley-chan" Hinata greets me, as she and Choji both turn to smile at me. "Hello."
"Hey you guys" I respond walking over to them and glancing around suspiciously. ".....Why do you think we've been separated from our teams?"
"I don't know" Choji answers, shivering slightly. "But it makes me nervous. I mean, Shikamaru's the Proctor for this Exam, and he's super smart. Who knows what he's got planned....."
"Neji-kun" Hinata addresses, looking at someone over my shoulder. I turn my head, only to see the older Hyuga nod his head in greeting, before he silently sits down at one of the long desks.
As Hinata sits down next to him, I take a look around the room. As far as I can tell, it looks like any regular classroom. One wall is covered with windows, while the wall at the front of the room has a large blackboard on it. A warning is written on the board in white chalk, simply stating No unauthorized fighting. Desks are lined up neatly before the board in rows of three, with enough room for two people at each desk. One smaller desk sits at the front of the room, with what looks to be a stack of papers sitting on it. Hanging from the ceiling, a large, rectangular screen sits beside the blackboard, though it seems to be turned off at the moment.
"C'mon Ashley" Choji urges, grabbing my arm. "There's a free desk over here by the window."
I allow myself to be pulled over to the desk, as Choji then takes the seat closest to the window and I drop into the one beside him. I have flashbacks to the last Chunin Exams, when we were given a written test in the classroom. I wonder if it's going to be the same thing as last time...
As other people in the room mill around, wondering out loud about what we could be doing, I turn my head as the doors we had entered through suddenly slam closed. A tall, muscular looking guy with greyish hair turns around, having just walked through the doors. He places his palms against the doors and pushes on them, before bashing his shoulder into them.
"...They won't budge...." I hear him mutter.
"Where's our Proctor?"
"Feels like they're planning something...."
"Hey, there's a stack of papers on this desk."
"Oi, don't go messing around with anything!"
"Ahem!" a loud voice suddenly interrupts the noise in the classroom, catching everyone's attention. We all watch, as the screen by the blackboard flickers on, revealing the bored looking face of Shikamaru. "My name is Shikamaru Nara, and I am the Proctor for the first round of the Chunin Exams. All participants are to take one sheet of paper from the stack on the desk at the front of the room, and then sit in any seat."
"Oh good" I hear someone behind me sigh with relief. "So it's a written test after all."
"Aw man" Choji complains beside me, dropping his head down onto his desk. "I was afraid of this!"
I smile awkwardly, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of my face. I had also been expecting a written test, though I can't say I'm thrilled about it. I may not be dumb, but the smart one on Team Seven is definitely Sakura. Between the two of us, if anyone is going to struggle during this test, it's probably going to be me...
Everyone in the classroom lines up by the teacher's desk, each of us removing a sheet of paper from the stack and studying it as we sit back in our seats.
I rest one elbow on my desk and place my chin in my palm, my brows knitting together as I run my eyes over the paper. Strangely, there are only three questions listed on the sheet. I turn the page over, checking to see if there is anything on the back of the paper, only to see that it is blank.
'Only three questions?' I wonder, feeling a bit confused. 'And they're not particularly hard ones either. This seems too easy....'
"Is everyone back in their seats yet?" Shikamaru's voice asks, breaking up the silence in the room. "This is a real drag, so let's hurry up and get started."
"This is a drag?" someone repeats, annoyed. "We're trying to become Chunin here!"
"You guys are lucky that I'm the one in charge this year" Shikamaru comments, sounding amused.
"He's probably right you know" Choji murmurs, causing me to look over at him. "At least we know Shikamaru won't do anything unreasonable."
"Let's hope not" I whisper back. While Shikamaru is smart, he's also incredibly lazy, so I can only hope that he hasn't planned for anything too extravagant here. Not all of us are as smart as he is.
"As you may have guessed" Shikamaru continues, his arms folded behind his head, "Round One is a written test. Be sure to read the questions carefully. From the top of the page down, the questions are worth thirty points, forty points and fifty points. Each of you will only need to answer one of these questions. The total points that your team accrues will determine whether you pass or fail. If your team's total points exceeds one hundred, then your whole team will be disqualified."
"What?"
"That's crazy!"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
".....How are we supposed to know which question our teammates will answer?" Choji asks lowly, as a few people begin to make a fuss, wondering the same thing.
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms, unable to withhold a smug grin as I look up at the screen. So much for being worried about entering as a two-man team. It doesn't matter which questions Sakura and I answer, it won't be possible for us to exceed the one hundred point limit. We're going to pass this round with ease!
I dunno why Choji's worried, seeing as Team Asuma entered as a two-man squad as well. Maybe he just hasn't realised that he has nothing to worry about yet.
"How is this fair?!" a Sand Ninja demands to know, jumping out of his seat. "Those of us that have entered with three people on our team are at a big disadvantage here!"
"Yeah!" someone else agrees, sounding angry. "It won't matter what questions the two-man squads answer, they'll still pass!"
"Alright, alright" Shikamaru sighs uncaringly. "You didn't let me finish. The previously stated total of points is only for the three-man squads. The two-man squads must accrue no more than seventy points. If any two-man squads total more than seventy points, they will also be disqualified."
The smirk immediately drops from my face at Shikamaru's words, as I lean forward in my seat again, now scowling a little. I should have known it wouldn't be quite so easy...
I look back down at my paper, now feeling a little more apprehensive. If Sakura and I want to pass this test, there are quite a few options for us to easily keep our total points at seventy or below. The problem is, I have no idea what Sakura is thinking. The safest option would be for both of us to answer the thirty point question, giving us a total of sixty. We could also go with one of us answering the thirty point question, while the other answers the forty point one. Or, one of us could answer any of the questions, while the other doesn't answer at all.....
It's such a simple task, and I know Sakura is sensible, so I'm pretty sure she'd assume she needs to answer the thirty pointer, but I need to make sure......
"Once the tests are completed, we'll take the average of the teams who have not been disqualified" Shikamaru adds, "And those who scored below the average, will also be disqualified."
"What?"
"An average?"
"Oh man....."
"You have thirty minutes to complete your test. Time starts now."
My scowl deepens, as a thirty minute countdown replaces Shikamaru's image on the screen. I hear people muttering and mumbling around me, flustered by the rules of this seemingly simple test.
How are we supposed to know what the average will be? We can't know how many teams will be disqualified, so it's impossible to know what specific score we should go for. If that's the case, wouldn't it be best to try and score as many points as possible?
That really only leaves Sakura and I with the option for one of us to score thirty points and the other to score forty points. Knowing that Sakura is smarter than me, there's no way she hasn't also come to this conclusion, right?
If only there was a way for me us to communicate......
I glance back down at the questions on my paper, once again noting how simple they are. Even the question worth fifty points is an easy one to answer. Way easier than the questions from our previous Exam, that's for certain.
I blink.
....Why would the questions be this easy? It's the Chunin Exams, so you'd think they'd be a lot harder to answer.
"....Unless we're not being tested on how smart we are...." I mutter to myself, now tapping my pencil against the desk in deep thought.
Then.....What are we being tested on?
I look up and watch, as Neji suddenly rises from his seat and walks past Choji and I, stopping once he reaches the window. He inspects it for a few seconds, before knocking on the glass with his knuckles.
"Double paned glass....." he comments. "They really don't want us to communicate with our teammates..."
"Sh-Should you be getting up and walking around like that?" Choji asks nervously, not wanting to break any rules and risk being disqualified.
"We were only given a few rules" Neji points out, turning to look back at the blackboard, "And no one has cautioned us for talking amongst ourselves or moving around yet. So, they don't seem to care if we cheat or not."
Seemingly reassured by Neji's words, multiple other participants rise out of their seats and begin to walk around slowly, carefully inspecting every cook and cranny in the room.
"Leave it to Shikamaru" Hinata says, smiling worriedly as she walks over to us. "This is a difficult problem to solve."
"Having Jutsu that enables you to contact your teammates would give you a big advantage here" Neji states, arms now folded across his chest. "Nobody on my team has abilities like that however."
"...I wonder if Shino-kun has any ideas...." Hinata says softly, looking to the ceiling.
"I bet we could break through the ceiling" I comment, tilting my head as I too look up. "There was no rule against that."
"Breaking anything in the room is prohibited" Shikamaru's voice informs everyone, the Nara apparently having heard what I'd said. I fall back in my seat and cross my arms, my shoulders drooping.
"You're really not making this easy Shika-kun..." I grumble, pouting.
"The only thing left to do is guess which question each of my teammates will answer" Neji surmises, looking unconvinced. "But accidentally going over the one hundred point total will result in disqualification and scoring too low could result in dropping beneath the average..."
"How am I supposed to know which question Ino is going to pick?!" Choji exclaims, running his fingers back and forth through his hair.
"I wonder what Shino-kun and Kiba-kun are going to do...." Hinata sighs lightly.
"Our teammates are all probably wondering the same thing" Neji points out. "And time is ticking..."
Beside me, Choji suddenly jumps, his eyes widening as he stares into space for a few seconds. He then nods his head and hurriedly dumps himself down in his chair, scribbling on his piece of paper. I rest one arm over the back of my chair and turn to Choji, one eyebrow raised.
"What was that all about?" I inquire, briefly shifting my gaze as I notice the girl sitting in front of us, wearing a Hidden Rain headband, also begin writing something down.
"Oh, Ino just contacted me and let me know which question she wants me to answer" Choji informs me with a relieved grin. I blink at this.
"Since when could Ino communicate with you telepathically?" I ask, intrigued.
"She's been training really hard with her Dad" Choji explains, nodding wisely, "To learn her Clan's Jutsu. They can do all kinds of cool stuff like that, but the communication thing is pretty new."
I watch Choji for a few more seconds, my lower lip jutting forwards slightly, as I mull over how I might be able to communicate with Sakura. Obviously, neither of us know any cool telepathic Jutsu like Ino, and it's not like we can pass notes or anything......
I blink again, looking past Choji, to the window behind him. My mind whirring, I rise from my seat and push it back, strolling over to the window and looking outside. There isn't much to see from the window really, just a dirt courtyard, with a chain link fence surrounding the boundary, plus a few large trees.
If I recall, Kotetsu said that the other two classrooms were up the stairs, meaning that they are above this one. Which would mean that Sakura is somewhere above me right now. I tap my chin and narrow my eyes, an idea forming in my head, when a loud shout from behind causes me to spin around.
"Genna, Inaho!" an unfamiliar Leaf Ninja shouts, one fist raised towards the ceiling. "Can you guys hear me?!"
Everyone seems to realise what the guy is doing and so, they all begin to call out to their teammates as well, hoping they will be able to hear. All of the shouting voices begin to merge into one obnoxiously loud and unintelligible sound however, with a lot of the silent participants throwing their hands over their ears and glaring at the noisy ones.
Gritting my teeth, feeling irritated by the yelling going on in the room, I turn back to the window and try to momentarily ignore the sound. I may not be able to speak to Sakura, but that doesn't mean I can't communicate with her.
Not sure if my plan will work, I let out a short breath and raise up my hands, activating my Katsuryoku. I turn one hand so that my palm is facing the ceiling, before flicking my wrist in an upwards motion.
I smirk a little, as a large wall of rock rises up out of the ground outside, clearly visible to anyone who may be looking out of the windows in the classes above. With slow, intricate hand movements, I begin to carve out a message in the rock, internally thankful for Kyoku Sensei's encouragement to try and refine the usage of my Kekkei Genkai as much as I can on my own.
While I still clearly need the help of experienced Katsuryoku users to improve my ability further, I am able to carve a message in the rock that reads simply, Sakura, question two.
Feeling satisfied with my work, I place my hands on my hips, before the awful screeching of everyone in the classroom suddenly pierces back into my ears. I turn on my heel, glaring at everyone who is shouting.
"Will you all shut up!" I shout madly, slashing one arm in their direction. A blast of wind shoots across the room, causing everyone to flinch, while paper and pencils fly through the air.
"No one can hear anything with you all screaming like that" I growl, my hands on my hips as the wind dies down and the room falls silent, all eyes on me. "It's pointless to keep trying to yell over each other. They won't be able to decipher what you're saying."
"What the heck was that for?" someone grumbles at me.
"Well, we have to try something!" another person snarls.
"We're not allowed to fight" a girl points out, turning to frown at me from her seat.
"I wasn't fighting" I retort, sitting on the edge of my desk, my back to the girl. "It was just the only way to get everyone's attention."
"Tch, so arrogant...."
"Lady Hinata" Neji addresses, to which I turn my head and look over. Hinata, who had been looking to the classrooms above, deactivates her Byakugan and regards Neji with a questioning look.
"There's something I want to try" Neji explains, walking closer to the wall, gesturing for Hinata to do the same and face him. "Let's perform the Eight Trigrams: Air Palm, with all our might."
"Right" Hinata agrees, the two Hyuga taking up a similar stance.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" Neji and Hinata both shout, thrusting their palms towards each other and sending out a strong blast. The vacuum waves collide with each other, sending paper flying around the room, everyone's hair whipping around wildly.
I hear a few people cry out, while some duck down and others gape in shock. I make sure to press my hand down on my sheet of paper, pinning it to the desk, while I hold my other arm up in front of my face protectively.
"What're you guys doing?!" someone cries out, as the winds die down. Neji smiles faintly at Hinata, clearly amused by something.
"I'm showing you all the answer" he responds mysteriously, to which I can't help my expression falling into a deadpan one.
Thanks for making things so crystal clear, I guess.
I heave a sigh and slide down from the desk, before dropping back into my seat and picking up my pencil. I don't know what convoluted plan Neji is cooking up, but I need to answer the thirty point question before time runs out and I don't want to be distracted by my friends.
For now anyway.
I do vaguely hear some of the participants questioning and scoffing at Neji, as he explains about wanting to send a message through the wall using vibrations, but I admittedly don't pay much attention as I begin writing my answer down.
It doesn't really concern me because, as far as I'm concerned, Sakura and I are all good now. Assuming she bothered to look out of the window. Which, unless she's really not paying attention, would seem pretty reasonable. I mean, the wall I made outside is pretty hard to miss.
I grin victoriously as I set my pencil back down, satisfied with my answer and feeling confident that my teammate and I will be passing this round of the exam.
"But why are you explaining this to us?" I hear someone ask, their voice causing me to turn in my seat.
"Well, if I just got up and pounded on the wall four times......" Neji trails off, leaving the question lingering in the air.
"......Well, I'd be kind of suspicious of what you were doing" the Leaf Ninja that I don't recognise admits, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Naturally" Neji concludes, "And I didn't want any of you to get suspicious of me and interfere. I figured it would be better to just admit what I'm planning to everyone and then we can all pass this stupid test."
Resting my elbow on the back of my chair and placing my chin in my palm, I bare my sharp teeth in an amused smirk.
Everybody passes? That sounds awfully team player of Neji. I wouldn't have expected that from him, although, for those who are unable to communicate with their teammates in any way, I suppose this is a last resort.
"Hm, alright then" a long haired Sand Ninja says, a sly grin on his face as he stands up and walks over to Neji, his hands in his pockets. "But how about you let me pass the message on to the other classes?"
"Sure" Neji agrees, shrugging slightly. "But why?"
"Well, I can't let the Leaf do all the work" the Sand Ninja states snidely, his attitude annoying me.
"You sure you can count all the way to four?" I can't resist asking, feeling gratified by the irritated glare he immediately shoots me. "It's a big responsibility."
"Save the attitude for the finals" the Sand Ninja shoots back. "If you even make it that far."
"C-Calm down Ashley-chan!" Hinata soothes hurriedly, scurrying over and placing her hands on my shoulders as I rise from my seat, cracking my knuckles. "We aren't allowed to fight in here!"
"Lucky for you" I huff, giving the Sand Ninja a mean smile and eyeing him sharply.
Hearing Hinata let out a sigh of relief behind me as I relax, I watch the Sand Ninja turn away from me and confirm with Neji what he is meant to be doing. I'd only partly listened in to the plan while I was completed my test, but I'd understood the gist.
Neji wants to answer the forty point question, which would leave his teammates to both answer the thirty point question. So, he wants to hit the wall four times, hoping to convey this message onto the other classrooms. It works well for those that are two-man squads as well, as the second teammate will only have to answer the thirty point question as well.
I'm sure Neji's plan will work, for those teams that aren't stupid at least.
We all watch as the Sand Ninja focuses his chakra for a few seconds, before he begins to punch at the wall, the hits strong enough to cause the room to shake. I narrow my eyes as he completes the fourth punch, noting that both of his hands are still clenched into fists.
He punches at the wall for a fifth time, smiling to himself as he does so. A few people jump out of their seats, shouting their protests. I see Neji watching the Sand Ninja closely, his expression more stern than it was before.
"Hey!" a girl cries. "That was five!"
"Heh, everyone passes?" the Sand Ninja chuckles, hands now on his hips. "You've gotta be kidding me. What's the point in doing this test if no one's even going to be eliminated?"
"Wow, what a jerk."
"What's going on...."
"Why does it matter if we all pass?"
The Sand Ninja stalks over to Neji, pointing in the taller boy's face and smirking, as if he had pulled off some great scheme.
"There's nothing you can do about it now" the Sand Ninja chides. "If you hit the wall any more times, it'll just cause confusion!"
"It's fine" Neji says uncaringly. "Three times would have been fine as well. As long as my teammates know which question to answer, I can work around that. My teammates will know to take that message that they both need to solve the fifty point question, and I will solve none of them, to get zero points."
"It....It doesn't matter?" the Sand Ninja stammers, his smirk fading into a look of uncertainty. "Why didn't you explain that earlier?!"
"I was pretty clear about not wanting any interference" Neji explains, his stoic expression not changing at all. "I was worried that anyone with the ability to communicate with their teammates in other ways may try to ruin my plan."
Now scowling at Neji, the Sand Ninja turns on his heel and launches himself at the wall, hitting it a further three times. Neji quickly responds, completing the sequence with another two hits.
"Nobody is going to get in the way of this plan" Neji informs the Sand Ninja matter of factly.
"Well" the Sand Ninja growls, pulling out a kunai, "You're not going to get in my way either!"
Unphased by this, Neji merely holds his opponent's gaze and points at the blackboard, reminding the Sand Ninja of the no unauthorized fighting rule that is written there.
"Proctor" the Hyuga addresses, "Are you going to allow us to fight? If you don't respond, I'll assume that you don't care if we do."
I grin, silently hoping that Shikamaru will keep quiet. I want to watch Neji wipe the floor with this Sand jerk.
"You want to fight?" he laughs, turning to face the screen, kunai still in hand. "Alright then, come on Mr Proctor, let us fight!"
"I made it clear that this is a written exam only" Shikamaru reminds everyone pointedly. "Fighting is prohibited. Just be quiet and answer the questions, before time runs out and you all fail."
"Ugh, how boring" I sigh under my breath, feeling a little disappointed.
"You heard him" Neji says firmly, to which the Sand Ninja scoffs and trudges back to his seat.
After a short pause, to make sure that tensions have died down, everyone returns to their seats, falling silent as they try to decide what to do. I glance back over my shoulder, seeing that Neji looks pretty comfortable. He sits in his seat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, clearly confident that Lee and Tenten will have understood the message passed along.
Beside me, Choji fidgets nervously in his chair, although he doesn't write anything down. I can see that he has already answered his question. Noticing that I am looking at him, the Akimichi sends me a questioning look, to which I send him a subtle thumbs up.
I'm sure he'll be fine, seeing as Ino contacted him with her Jutsu, and I'm pretty confident that Sakura will have seen my message outside the window.
Now we just have to wait it out. Which shouldn't be hard, seeing as there's only ten minutes left on the countdown.
For the remainder of the test, we all sit in relative silence, aside from the odd shuffle of paper of scraping of a chair, and the soft muttering of one or two people. I relax in my chair, my head tilted down and my eyes closed.
This written test has sure been a lot easier to get through than the last one. At least no one attacked me this time.
"Time's up" Shikamaru's voice declares, something that causes me to open my eyes and lift my head. "Flip your sheets over, so we can continue on to the second part of this exam."