Element Ninja

Chapter eleven

A small note sorry if there are any spelling or grammar errors and if there are please tell me so I can fix them. Thank you for all those who reviewed I'm glad you all like this story.

"Naruto"-talking

'Naruto'-thinking

'Naruto'-jutsu

I don't own Naruto or Avatar

(Start scene)

Naruto just stared at papers the man was holding. 'What did I do to deserve this?'

The proctor of the exam shouted again. "Unless you want to fail before we get started, get lined up and take a number. That will be your assigned seat for this exam. You don't like it; don't let the door hit you on your way out."

Naruto look at his teammates and they looked just as worried as he was. It didn't take long for everyone to get their seats. Naruto notice that all the teams were spread out. He saw Suki was a few rows in front of him and to the right and he could not see Katara. 'She is most likely behind me.'

Ibiki then started explaining the first part, "The rules I am about to say are very important, so pay attention because I'm only going to say them once." Ibiki started

'Rules?' Sakura thought. 'It's a written test, what kind of rules do we need to hear for that?'

"Do not turn your papers until I say so, now let's start," Ibiki began, "Rule number one, each of you starts with ten points. There're a total of ten questions on the test, but the tenth one will be given to you fifteen minutes before time is up, each one worth a point each. For every question you get wrong, you will lose one of those points. Next is rule number two, the written test is still a team event. So in light of this, not only does your score count, but those of your teammates do too. In other words, all three members of your team's points will be linked into one final score. Now, the final rule, if during the exam one of you candidates does anything out of the ordinary, or in other words, leads a sentinel into thinking that you're cheating, it will cost two points from your final score." Ibiki addressed to the sentinels stationed in the room

One of them smirked at the genin looking at them. "We have our eyes on you." He said in a taunting tone.

Ibiki spoke again, "If they catch any of you cheating three times you and your team fails the exams."

Azula raised an eyebrow at this, but then smirked catching on. Ibiki addresses the genin one last time before they started. "Oh, I forgot one last thing. If one of your team members gets a zero then that whole team is eliminated."

Naruto went pale white at this. He was cursing up a storm in his head. Not only did he have to worry about him but how he affects his teammates as well. Katara and Suki were just as worried if not more then Naruto. They thought the exam were fighting and showing your skills not a test like this. Suki had some time in a school before she started her training. Katara had no experience in school before and was taught by her tribe.

Ibiki call out to the genin, "All right the first part of the chunin exams begins now!"

Everyone flipped their test and some started almost right away. Suki peered at the first question, 'What is this? I don't understand what they want…ohhh I get it; this question is written in code…this could be a problem.'

Katara had no idea on what to do. After leaving the first question unanswered she tried her luck with the others. 'Your target is seeking cover; you must take him out with a shuriken, what angle should you throw your shuriken if your target is... (Groan) this is something Sokka would know.'

Naruto just stared at the test before him. Each question seemed harder than the last. He gritted his teeth. He had to pass this; his teammates were depending on him. Out of the corner of his eye he notices another leaf genin having his test almost fill completely. Just then a kunai went flying right past his ear.

Looking behind him to see where the kunai landed. The genin behind him stared wide eyed at the kunai stabbed right into his test. He looked to the front to see Ibiki had his hand out telling everyone that he was the thrower. "That's three time, you fail! You and your team get out now before I make you."

The genin got up too scared of the proctor to object. Two other genin got up disgruntled. Naruto just gulped, that was too close in his opinion. Katara looked at Naruto, glad he was alright. Katara looked briefly at the chunin around the room, they were writing on their clipboards every so often. She gazed around her again then back to her test. This was going to be harder than they thought.

The test rolled on and several other genin were eliminated. "Numbers 76, 34 and 12 you fail. Numbers 56, 23, 86 you're done."

Suki stared as one of the genin that failed tried to fight his way from getting kick out but was pinned to the wall by the chunin wearing a blindfold. She brushes a flying bug away from her as she stared around. The room was slowly losing genin every minute.

One of the genin was writing down answers he gotten from some other genin when he felt something small get into his eye. As he trying to rub it out he didn't notice sand gather above his paper and formed an eye. After looking at the answers it gave it info back to the owner. Gaara smirked before sending small amounts of sand to his teammates. Temari and Azula felt sand wrap around their hands and guided them to the test and began to write.

Naruto was getting more and more worried as time for the last question got nearer. He figures the only way he could pass the test was trying the last question or by cheating. He rather not put all of his hope on the last question and he didn't know a way he could cheat without getting caught. The only jutsu he could use was the shadow clone…wait that gave Naruto an idea.

Ibiki glared at the genin with the whole room was filled with a large amount of white smoke. When it cleared at least two dozen other Ibikis were around the room. Then all the fake proctors move around the other genin, taking their test and looking them over. Some tried to protest this but were knocked back. One genin that had his head wrapped in white bandages wearing a headband with a music note tired to attack the one taking his test but was stopped when another one place a kunai at his neck. "Don't even think about it."

The real Ibiki just glared harshly at the fakes, 'Who ever this kid is, he has brass balls. Using the shadow clone and transforming them into me to prevent telling who he is. He will most likely just ignore his test to look at the others. When that happens I will kick that punk out myself.'

Naruto grabbed his test as one of his shadow clones tried to get it but was pushed back. 'At least now on one can say that I was the one to send them.'

As quickly as the came the burst into smoke just as fast. Katara looked at her test to see that it was switched with one that was filled with answers. Suki found the same happen to hers. They both smile know that their teammate was looking out for them.

Sakura was just as confused as most of the genin when she notices her test was blank and the name was erased. She gritted her teeth before quickly filling out the answers again so she would cause her team to fail. Naruto just smile as he filled out his test. 'Sakura was the smartest person in the class and she had the same answers as one of the other genin, with any luck my team shouldn't have anymore problems.'

Ibiki look at the chunin for any hint but they shook their heads. He gritted his teeth, 'So that little punk did everyone, even those with no answers to cover his tracks,' he then checked the clock and saw they only has a few minutes before he gave out the tenth question. 'If he passes this next part he might just have what it takes to become a chunin.'

The last few minute rolled by fast when Ibiki shout to the remaining genin. "Alright pencils down! It time for the tenth and final question. But before we go to that, there are a few more rules I must go over."

As one the genin groaned, more rules? Ibiki shouted again, "Enough! Now first you got to choose if you want to take the tenth question or not." This got everyone confused, even Azula raised and eyebrow at the proctor wondering what his game is. "But if you chose not to take the question, you fail the exams."

There was an outcry and some genin shouted, "Of course we would take the question."

Ibiki smirked making some of the genin uneasy, "Of course I forgot to mention, if you choose to take the question and get it wrong, not only will you fail but you will be forbidden from every taking the chunin exam ever again."

If anything the outcries got bigger. Not far from Katara, Kiba pounded his fist on his desk, "Hey! What gives? There are other genin here that took the exam more than once."

"Well, they never had me as a proctor before. I make the rules here and if you don't like them then quit now. Those are your choices; the rest is up to you."

The room was quite all thinking of what to do. 'Stay and risk staying a genin forever, or quit and take the exam again and try our luck then and there. I'm sure I can do it but what of my teammates.' Naruto thought glance at his teammates. 'No, I trust Katara and Suki that they can handle this.'

One of the genin then raised his hand. "I can't do it, I quit."

Several other teams quit as well, Naruto then notice that Sakura was slowly putting her hand up. Not wanting his friends to fail Naruto made a choice, he just hoped it didn't come back to bite him. He raised his hand getting Ibiki's attention.

Feeling all eyes on him he slammed down his hand. "Just give the last question, I'm not scared!"

The other stared at him some in aw, some rolling their eye at his stupidly. Ibiki just had his gaze on Naruto. "Are you sure? You miss this and it means you are a genin until you die."

Naruto just smirked at him, "Bring it on, that won't stop me. Even if I am force to be a genin forever I won't back down."

Ibiki gazed around the room to see the results of Naruto little speech. Any trace of doubt that was there before was gone and all genin were determined. 'Like a true leader he inspired his troop to charge into battle no matter the risk. This kid might make it.' he the glanced at the clock. 'Even if I stay here for even another hour no more will most likely quit. Oh well, better wrap this up.'

"If that is how all of yous feel, then everyone in this room…" the genin waited with baited breath wondering what was going to happen next. "Pass the first part the chunin exams."

Everyone just stared at Ibiki in disbelief. "But what about the tenth question?" one of the remaining genin shouted.

"There was no tenth question. Or rather the choice to take it was the question."

Naruto just stared at the proctor, if what he was saying was true then he could have passed with out even putting an answer on his test. With his eye twitching he could not help but ask, "Are…you…saying…there…was…no POINT to the other nine questions?"

Ibiki smirked back at Naruto, "I wouldn't say that, in fact the first part of this test was to test your ability in one important ninja skill." Seeing how most genin just looked at him wanting to hear it continued, "Tell me, what turned the tide of war, it is not the number or power of your army or some all powerful jutsu but something else entirely?"

The others were confused and tired to figure it out until Azula smirked and said simply, "Information".

Ibiki nodded, "Yes, the correct information is the difference between victory and defeat. That is what the first nine questions were about. You were given nine questions that seemed impossible to answer. The only way you could answer them is to either be super smart or by cheating. The chunin around you are some of the best and they were to try and catch you cheating. Any that weren't good enough were kicked out."

Naruto just glared at Ibiki still hating him for taking a written test even if there was a point to it. Though he would never say it out loud he got what Ibiki was saying. Ibiki started again, "Of course the wrong information is just as deadly if not more then no information. That why we had some chunin posing as genin so some of you might have a chance to pass."

Said chunin stood up smirks on their faces happy to have fooled everyone. Ibiki then took of his bandanna like headband, "Information is important to both sides and you must be tough in order to protect it or to get it. And some of the ways to do so are not pretty."

Everyone gasped, cringed and some felt they were going to be sick. Ibiki's head was bald and is covered in a collection of burn marks, punctures from where screws were used, and long slash marks. They were scars are indicative of the physical torture he must have endured in the past. Even Azula had to cringe at the sign of torture. She seen a lot of scars in her life time but nothing as bad as that; even her brother's scars didn't seem as bad as that. 'Zuzu got his scar rather quickly and these seemed to be made rather slowly. He must have a lot more pain tolerance then most people.'

Temari recovered then cried out, "Okay, so the written test was not pointless then what was the deal with the tenth question?"

"Everything, the choice to move forward or back out is important in the makings of a chunin." Everyone looked confused. "I'll explain, in a mission scenario you and your team must infiltrate an enemy compound and teal document of important information that will be of great help to your village. You know where the documents are but you don't know the number of guards, their skill levels and worst there is word that they are expecting you are coming. Does not mean you are to abort the mission?" They were all quite, "NO! You take the mission; you put your life on the line for the sake of your village and everyone in it. We do not back down when the road gets tough we charge forward to victory. That's what it means to be chunin."

Naruto could not help but smirk hearing this, he felt like he was closer already. Katara and Suki listen and could not help but remember some of the thing they did back in their time. Ibiki addressed the group one final time, "As proctor of the first part of the chunin exam I declare the first test over." It was then did something dark smashed through the window.

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