Ch 13 The priest and The Agent

"I'll ask one more time. Is there anyone in this room who would like to leave?"

Aki knew Ibiki was done when he asked this question. If Naruto Uzumaki had not interfered with his proclamation, more candidates could have been weeded out. Still, it was not a bad outcome. More players meant only good things for him.

"Fine, have it your way. As of this moment, everyone who is still here…. you've passed the first exam."

"What do you mean passed? When did that happen? What about the tenth question?!" Sakura asked.

"There is no tenth question… beyond the whole' accept and reject thing." Ibiki said, passing a genuine smile to the genins.

"Hey! Then why did we have to suffer through nine questions? That was a total waste of our time!" Temari said.

"If you have that much problem, why don't you leave? Not like you solved your paper yourself." Aki said.

"What-How dare-"

"I saw that painted freak passing you the chit. These glasses are not for show." Aki said, pushing his glasses with a finger.

"Stop, no more bickering in this class." Ibiki said, sensing the atmosphere heating up. "Back on topic, no, there was no waste of time. Our goal for these questions was to test your skill at spying."

"The rules forced you to be on your toes, because a slip would not only affect you, but your team, too. With the questions in the exams being out of a genin's league, most of you reached the same conclusion of cheating to keep points."

"For that, you needed a target, and we provided you with a couple. Two chunins who already knew all the answers."

On Ibiki's cue, two planted chunins raised their hands, and it surprised Aki to see one of them was sitting just behind him. Still, Masaru solved the paper before any of these planted ninjas who knew the answer before taking the exam. That was something.

Ibiki started undoing his head band as the groups of genins were busy discussing how and when they figured out the test.

"Of course, anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed." Ibiki said, done with removing his bandana, revealing a disfigured, scarred and burned scalp to the genins.

"Because there may be circumstances when being caught in the act of espionage may cost you more than life. You pay in things that can be taken from you little by little, over and over."

Aki yawned as Ibiki continued on to hammer the importance of discretion in the genins, instilling in them the skill set for an excellent spy.

"So, what was the deal with the tenth question?" Temari asked.

"The tenth question was the only real question in the exam. It was a choice between two options, both difficult and dangerous. It was a choice between a safe option and a dangerous one. Because in our line of duty, we cannot decline every hard mission."

"A ninja is one who shows valour and inspires those around him, helping them overcome fear. This is the talent we value most in a Chunin commander."

"Those who can't gamble with their own life, never taking the chance that lies before them, are weaklings who make weak decisions. They don't belong in the ranks of chunin."

Ibiki officially concluded the first phase, wishing the best for the genins in the next phase. Aki turned to Masaru, the enigma of his team, only to see a blur coming for the classroom window.

The blur grew in size as it smashed through the classroom window, shattering it. She rolled on the floor throwing a kunai rigged cloth to four corners of the room, creating a black backdrop to hide Ibiki.

"None of you are in any position to celebrate. I'm the second chief examiner, Anko Mitarashi. Follow me."

If anything, this purple haired woman has confidence going for her. And bosoms. She had that to last for days, Aki thought.

"Yes, mommy!!" Gin exclaimed, popping out of Aki's hood and standing on his head, raising his paws in the air.. "Let's go to PARADISE!!"

X-------------X-------------X-------------X

"I'm Gin. It is your fortune to meet me. I would've preferred if you were all cuties."

Gin introduced himself to the Aki's team members, the missing fur on his head did little to loosen his spirit or confidence. On the contrary, he was wearing the bald patch as a badge of honour.

"Gin, mend that bald patch of yours. It looks hideous."

"No, it's my badge of honour."

"If I'm not wrong, Anko Mitarashi threw a kunai at you." Masaru said, pointing at Gin's bald patch. "How does that make it a badge of honour?"

"This is how women show love."

"I can concur." Yasuo Onida said.

"Leave the weirdos be, gozaru." Dan said, sucking a deep drag from his pipe. "Let's go over the plan."

"According to the proctor, our goal is to collect heaven and earth scrolls hidden inside the forest of death." Masaru said.

"Now we don't know how many pairs of them are there, considering there are twenty-six teams, it could be that there are twenty-six pairs, or thirteen pairs or worse…. even less." Aki said.

"We have a card that has a clue on it." Dan said, flashing a card with a poem and a picture of the setting sun.

"Don't forget these, lads." Yasuo said, taking out a deck of cards. "That lad Kabuto had quite the intel on him. I'm surprised at what is in here."

"Yeah, he even has something on the Hidden Rain. I know for a fact that even the ANBU has nothing on that nation." Masaru said.

"Let's talk about it later. I'm sure he'll come looking for this. We'll see what to do then. I think we should decide whether we hunt the scrolls or we hunt the other teams." Aki said, pocketing every card. "I favour hunting for scrolls. I have a pretty good understanding of the periphery area."

"Here Here." Yasuo said.

"Five days seems enough to hunt two scrolls." Masaru said.

"Yes, but remember one thing, runts. Mommy said not to throw away the clue card."

The team groaned collectively, urging the white marten to shut his mouth. The trio checked their supplies, weapons and whatever goods they had in their hostlers and bags. While Dan left to scout what the other teams were doing.

Five minutes before the start of the exam, a proctor came to them with a folded paper.

"Here, this is a map of the forest. You'll need it later, kids." Kotetsu said.

"Kids? Kotetsu, I remember when you were just a wee lad." Yasuo said.

"And you used to charge me extra money for supplies."

"Not my fault you were an ugly kid. Though growing up changed little for you, right? Still single?"

"You're still a genin, old man Onida."

"Bah, I'm married thrice. Three times more than you…"

"I don't know what you are doing here at your age, but be ready. The gates open in a minute." Kotetsu said. "Ready… on my marks… get set… go!"

Aki and his team made a beeline for the door, running inside at their top speed as Dan returned from his tour and jumped into Aki's shadow.

"Change the feed from the gates to the scrolls. Ask Kotetsu's team to cut the power to those cameras at gates, and have Ida's squad patrol those gates."

Two chunins dressed in the official grey attire of the proctors jumped out of the control room's window, disappearing into the forest behind it. Another man, dressed in grey and covered in bandages from head to lips, fiddled with wires thicker than his arm, changing the feed on Anko's monitors.

"Tuned into feed-b, signal strength is powerful and power is optimum."

"Thank you, Katsuo." Anko said, staring into the array of monitors displaying feeds of twenty-six locations that hid the scrolls for the chunins. "Everything seems alright, any bet on who gets the first scroll guys?"

"On the Hyuga kid, I heard they train under Might Guy."

"Well, there is an Uchiha too this year. I saw him using his eyes in the first phase. None other than Kakashi trains that team."

"Even Asuma Sarutobi has a squad in this exam."

"They are all rookies." Izumo said. "I don't think they are making it out of this phase."

"Don't be so sure. Young blood is often full of surprises." A voice came from behind the closed door, followed by a knock.

"Izumo, get the door."

"Yes, mam."

Izumo opened the door, only to see an ANBU operator standing beside a middle-aged zen priest. The priest banged his shakujo staff on the ground, making a ringing noise with his staff and thrusting his censer toward Izumo.

"Amitabha Buddha, benefactor." Egoro said, pushing his long handled censer in Izumo's stomach. "Handover your alms."

"Huh?"

"Handover your alms, or I'll ask the Buddha to smite you. Buddha hates misers."

Izumo absently put a hundred ryo bill in the monk's censer and clapped his hands in prayer. The ANBU op beside the priest lit her lighter and threw it in the censer.

A crackling flame emerged from the censer, eating the hundred ryo bill, creating a cloud of smoke and breaking the subtle genjutsu the incense was casting on Izumo and compelling him to agree with the priest.

"Let the flame cleanse you of your earthly desire, Egoro." The ANBU op said, shoving past Izumo and walking towards Anko.

"May the flames burn you, bitch!"

Anko groaned, watching the two clowns enter her tower, putting a dango in her mouth. She wondered why things never went according to her plan.

"Was he the only one available?" Anko asked.

"Hmm, unfortunately." The ANBU op in the owl mask said. "Beware, he is known to steal stuff."

"I know." Anko said, taking out a stack of paper from under her table. "These are the answer sheets from the first phase. And Ibiki must've already provided you with the footage, right?"

"Hmm." Owl said, taking a seat near Anko.

"Where are the others?" Izumo asked the weird priest, guiding him to a large round table with a miniature forest of death.

"Others?"

"You aides, how are you going to control the weather? We have heavy rain scheduled in one hour."

"Why would I need others?" Egoro said. "Buddha says more the people, less the money. I'll handle the weather alone. Just hand me the schedule."

"Fine." Izumo said, shoving the schedule into the priest's hands. "And no more funny genjutsu."

Egoro read the schedule. Then, grimacing, he cut his hand with his staff, smearing the blood on his hands and performing hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

One after another, Vita emerged from Egoro's summoning-seal. These Vita had a golden crown on their triangular kite-like heads with a brass caesar hanging from their neck with a silver chain.

The long snake-like, paper-thin Vita bowed to Egoro before flying around the room. Their ribboned tail and slender body danced in the air before disappearing into the greenery outside.

"Will thirty of them be enough, Egoro?" Anko asked, sitting on her chair.

"I'll summon more once I recover," Egoro said, raising his censer up toward Izumo who was standing near him. "Alms benefactor."