Saruto Hyuga: The Last Generation

39.) The Chunin Exams: the Written Test pt. 1

"You're late, Asuma." Saruto acknowledged. Asuma is bent down, holding his kneels, trying to catch his breath. They were just right outside the Konoha boundries where fifteen other groups from the five great nations huddled together to await instructions. Because Saruto was out of the village, his body guards trailed not far behind him.

"Sorry...you...guys." Asuma apologizes in between pants.

"I don't see anyone from villages other than the five great nations." Minakami notes.

"No. And I don't believe there will be anyone in a long time. Smaller villages suffer the most when wars start which is why larger villages try to avoid any cause for war, no matter how big it is. I doubt they have many shinobi left." Saruto informs her.

"The war... what was it like?" Asuma asks.

"It's not something you want to expirience. Most of our people died." Minakami says to Asuma and locks eyes with Saruto who again looks away.

"Hey you!" A voice pops up from behind the three. They all turn around to face a group of three hidden mist shinobi. The one in the middle—the one the team seven suspect who spoke out—had blue face paint on his face and a distinctive distasteful style in fashion and clothing protection.

"We're you talking to us?" Minakami says, breaking a tenseful silence between the two groups.

"Yeah. Him specifically." The middle shinobi says, pointing at Saruto. "Our future Mizukage died in the war where you served on the other side." Asuma jumps at this news. What happened when I was in the coma? Asuma thought.

"Keep your mouth shut. That's classified information, a rule made by ALL kages. Plus, we already confirmed he was in a genjutsu." Minakami defends Saruto.

"Minakami, it's fine." Saruto tries.

"My name is Hamako Kawasaki. Remember it because it'll be the name that takes yours down."

"Everyone gather up!" A voice in an intercom demands the students and they line up to view a man on a stage.

.

Doshu Goetsu is a student of Ibiki Morino, Konoha's very intimidating torture and interrogation expert. Doshu turned out to be Ibiki's successor in the position despite being such a cheerful boy growing up. He was going to be the main proctor for the first part of the test.

This chunin exam was going to include three parts: a written test, a team evaluation, and the traditional matches. Doshu was going to lead the first test. The second test was still classified to the participants. The final test was going to be viewed by the public and the kages.

Saruto smiled when he realized that someone like Doshu was handling a written test. He knew exactly what was going to happen.

"I expect you to be in the old observatory outside of Konoha in two hours. Use your navigation skills and for this first portion of the exams, use of any scientific ninja tools is prohibited. Self-made scientific ninja tools may be allowed only in the team evaluations." Doshu says. "I wish you the best of luck."

Saruto turns to his teammates. They already knew where it was because their class in the academy would use it as a picnic site once in a while.

"Let's go. I want to explain something while we go there." Saruto says. Minakami and Asuma nod and follow Saruto through the woods and to the observatory.

"A written test... they haven't done one of those in a chunin exam in a very long time." Minakami breaks the silence. Asuma begins to worry.

"Don't worry you guys. I know exactly what to do for this test. Ibiki Morino was once a powerful and famous torture and interrogation expert. He overwatched the written exams for a few chunin exams. The actual questions were hard but they put in so many proctors that there was no way to get away with cheating. It was all a psychological trick—that's what Ibiki does for a living; he pressured so many people that more than half decided to back out of the test. Now his student who is as intimidating as his mentor is taking over so I'm going to guess it's going to the same exact test they did all those years ago." Saruto explains.

"So how do we pass?" Minakami says, stepping over a long sturdy branch.

"We don't... there's another thing about this test. You don't have to know everything. It's like being a ninja-"

"You just have to access information without being caught!" Asuma finishes the boy's sentence. "It's what I used to do in the Academy all the time when I didn't study for the tests!" Minakami and Saruto look suspiciously at the boy but dismisses it.

"Exactly! Now follow my lead."