Chapter 24: The Final Question
With the written test already having started, there was no time to waste. Using that sand I had moved to Temari and Kankuro I indicated which test for them to take. Temari would take the easiest test and Kankuro the middle test. I would take the hardest and assist Kankuro with getting answers to his test. I could tell Kankuro disagreed with my decision because he frantically rubbed his hand against the sand but I simply used the sand to push his hand away. Temari had no objections and got to work on the first test. I covered my left eye and used my Desert Eye Jutsu. An eye appeared in from of me and I could see myself. I then turned it back to particles and looked for the hidden sentinels in the room. I quickly found one of the sentinels several rows in front of me and got to work. I made sand particles travel slowly but surely to the desk the sentinel was at. When it got there, I made some of it go into his eyes. I could see from my seat the sentinel recoil and rub his eyes. Perfect, I manifested my Desert Eye in front of the sentinel's test. This sentinel had the answers to the hardest test, so only mine. It looked like these problems had been quite easy for him, he must be a jonin. I copied them down as quickly as I could, getting all the answers down within five minutes. The poor sentinel had tears running down his eyes from the sand I had put in them, I guess I had tormented him enough. I recalled my sand from that sentinel and began searching for anyone with answers to the middle test.
"You seem to be doing well," said a deep voice. I flinched and looked up to find Ibiki standing right over me. I began to panic, what had I done to catch his eye? Looking around the room I noticed several sentinels looming over genin taking the tests. This must be another new part of the test.
"Is there something you need?" I wasn't in the mood to waste time with Ibiki right now. I had to get Kankuro the answers to his test before the final question was handed out. Ibiki had said the final question would be different from each test so I doubted it would be the same as in the anime. I currently had my left eye closed due to my Desert Eye being activated.
"Just wondering what's wrong with your eye. I've noticed some dust has been floating around and making several people's eyes itchy," said Ibiki with a smile. He knew exactly what I was doing but was playing it off? What was his goal with this conversation? I would probably get docked points for getting caught cheating but I couldn't stop now or admit it.
"Yes, my left eye got some dust in it earlier. It still stings a little," I told him bluntly. Bingo, I found someone with the answers to the middle test. Who else would it be but Isori Uchiha? My luck sure was rotten. Isori was already done with it and leaning back. Not only would I have to form my Desert Eye in front of his paper without being noticed, but I would also have to transmit the info to the sand by Kankuro. It would be a lengthy process and Isori wouldn't just blindly let me do it. I had to try though, it was my only option.
"Very well then, carry on," said Ibiki as he slowly walked off. I barely noticed him leaving, I was too busy concentrating. I started transmitting the information to Kankuro while also keeping an eye on Isori. The Uchiha boy simply sat there with his eyes closed, smiling about finishing his test. I got through about said questions when that smile of his turned to a frown. Before I could even cancel my Desert Eye Jutsu it went black and my left eye twitched in pain from the sudden loss of connection. I rubbed my eye to soothe the pain, I then looked over at Isori. His tanto that had been on his back was now going through the table where my Desert Eye had been. He was looking straight at me with a nasty smile, a clear message he had caught me.
"What are you doing," barked Ibiki at Isori. The smug smile vanished and he looked at Ibiki with a bored expression.
"Sorry, just got a little bored," said Isori. What a bad explanation but I doubt the sentinels could prove anything about it being me who looked at his test. I doubt Isori could prove it either so I should be okay. Now I was in a bind though, only ten more minutes until the last question was handed out to everyone. I still needed to get Kankuro three more answers though. I desperately looked around with my hurting eye, I needed these answers in case the last question was different than the anime. Suddenly, I spotted my saving grace. Kohara, who I hadn't seen since leaving the Hidden Sand was looking directly at my Desert Eye. She motioned with her head in the direction of her test. Looking closer, I could tell it was the complete middle test. Why was she letting me cheat? Was it because the two of us were friends? I'd have to thank her later, I didn't have time to ponder about the reason. I brought my Desert Eye down to be right in front of her test. I then transmitted the answers to Kankuro who furiously scribbled them onto his paper. Once done, I looked at Kohara and nodded my eye. it probably looked weird but she got the message. She smiled and gave me a small wave. I then canceled the Jutsu and carefully brought my sand back to me.
"Alright everyone, stop for a moment and give me your attention," shouted Ibiki from the front of the room. Everyone looked up and listened to the scarred man.
"Before we give out the last question for each of your tests, I'm going to give you a choice," said Ibiki. Maybe the last question would be the same as the anime. I hoped I hadn't just wasted all that effort to get those answers for nothing.
"If you fail this last question then you will fail the whole exam," said Ibiki happily. He acted as if this was the biggest joy he could have given us. Dozens of genin around the room erupted in protest and shock. They quickly quieted down when they saw Ibiki's cold face looking at them.
"Now that you are done complaining, allow me to explain. If you answer this question incorrectly, not only will you fail this exam but you will be barred from ever attending the chunin exams again. If you think this is too risky then you can leave now and try again another day. Keep in mind if you give up then your teammates must go with you," said Ibiki with a deadpan expression. No one protested or said anything this time. Most likely they were all too shocked at the ramifications of this last question. It was a lose-lose situation where neither option seemed good. Either you could play it safe and leave or risk it all to pass the exam. There was still plenty of genin who hadn't been caught cheating, much more than in the anime.
"I can't do this," said the kid directly next to me. He got up out of his chair and went to leave. The sentinels called the number of his teammates and they all left. Dozens of people then started to leave in droves, some crying and others full of anger. I made no move to leave, hoping Kankuro and Temari would understand we weren't going to quit. We waited several minutes for all of the dropouts to leave. I noticed that there was still a considerable amount of genin left even after that, far more than I would have thought. This chunin exam certainly was different than the anime. I watched as Naruto slowly raised his hand as if to give up. Then again, would this Naruto turn out differently? He then jerked it forward and pointed at Ibiki.
"You aren't gonna scare me off, I don't care if I become a genin for the rest of my life! I will become Hokage," said Naruto with a burst of liveliness. Looking around, I could tell Naruto's little outburst had given some people confidence. If this kid was going to stick with it, so would they.
"Very well then. We will now pass out the pieces of paper containing the final question for your test," said Ibiki. Just as I had thought, we weren't home free yet. It wasn't like before when everyone had passed for staying. The sentinels passed out pieces of paper that had the numbers one, two, or three on them. I got a paper with the number three on it because I had picked the last test. Temari then would get a paper with a one and Kankuro would get one with a two. I then looked and read my question.
"In the scenario that you must sacrifice one of your teammates to complete a mission, who would it be? Please note that the person you chose will almost certainly perish and you cannot leave the paper blank."
I reread the question three times before it sunk in. I was supposed to pick who on my team should die to complete the mission? This wasn't like the chunin exam question that Shikamaru would go on to use since the answer to that one would be to leave the paper blank. This question specifically said not to leave it blank though. Using my Desert Eye Jutsu I looked at Temari's question.
"In a logical perspective, would your team be better at holding a defensive position or attacking? Please state the reasons why after your answer."
I frowned at the broadness as well as the strangeness of the question. What was the point of asking a question like that? Temari was already scribbling down an answer so I let her be. I then went to Kankuro and looked at his question.
"Who is the weakest member of your team?"
What kind of soul-crushing question was that? Kankuro was obviously thinking the same thing because he had a look of shame on his face. He looked at my Desert Eye and I could tell he didn't want to answer. I didn't blame him, I honestly wouldn't care if he didn't answer honestly. Kankuro was most likely thinking of himself or Temari. I doubted he would lie and put me or leave it blank. Canceling the Jutsu, I left him to decide by himself. I had my own question to worry about. Who would I leave behind to die in a hypothetical mission? Kankuro and Temari weren't just my teammates they were my siblings. They had been my inky companion outside of Yashamaru during my childhood. Even if the situation was hypothetical I couldn't say I would send one over the other to die. I doubt if be able to look at them if they asked what my question had been. I concluded I wouldn't pick either of them to go.
"In this imaginary scenario, I would send myself back to ensure the completion of the mission and the safety of my teammates. A squad leader must look after his team as well as complete the mission," I wrote down. I set my pencil down with a sigh. These questions were so strange, what message did they send to us? That we would have to make brutal decisions that had huge consequences?
"Time is up," yelled Ibiki. Everyone flinched, setting their pencils down reluctantly. Ibiki stared around the room for a solid minute before cracking a smile.
"You all pass," said Ibiki with a cackle. Relief flowed through my body but the feeling didn't last long. Anger and confusion soon took their place. Why had they added on the extra bit? Just to mess with us all? Many people in the room held the same rage as I did.
"What was the point of this stupid test anyways if we all pass without you looking at our tests," yelled Temari from behind me. Several kids shouted their support to her question. Ibiki merely smiled at it and shook his head.
"You passed onto the next phase of the chunin exams the second you weren't caught cheating five times or decided to opt-out," explained Ibiki. The explanation caused many people to calm down quite a bit but not Temari. She still was fuming in the back.
"Then all of this work was for nothing," asked Temari with a rude tone. Ibiki shook his head and laughed.
"Of course not, we were judging your ability to gather information while under intense scrutiny. The last few questions were also critical to judging whether or not you become chunin," said Ibiki. It still didn't make sense to me, was there a difference in how you were graded to become a churning? In the anime, only those who made it past the elimination phase were even considered for being promoted. Had it changed?
"You aren't just judged by how far you make it in the exams. Your answers and abilities you showcase during the exams also play a factor in the process," said Ibiki. So it was different than the anime.
"It is even possible that depending on your performance that you could not make it past the next phase and still be promoted to a chunin," said Ibiki. This was quite different than the anime, it actually made more sense. Of course, you would have a greater chance of becoming a chunin if you kept advancing through the phases.
"There is only one issue," said Ibiki with distaste. Everyone halted their celebrations and waited to hear what was wrong.
"Far too many of you have passed for us to move onto the next stage," he said. Murmurs erupted throughout the room but were quickly cut off by Ibiki giving a piercing gaze towards us.
"You will leave here and report to your squad leader," said Ibiki.
"What about the chunin exams," said Isori angrily. He obviously wasn't happy with this development. He seemed like the take-action kind of guy and he hadn't gotten his fill for today. I had also been hoping for some action but I was now mentally exhausted from the stress. I needed a break before I could do anything.
Don't worry there is still plenty of time left in the day young man. You will hear about our decision by noon," said Ibiki. A puff of smoke enveloped the man and he disappeared. That was our signal to disperse. I got up, recalling all the sand I had spread out around the room. I brought it along the floor so as not to be noticed and put it back in my gourd. I slung the gourd onto my back just as Kankuro and Temari walked up to me. They both seemed irritated at the results of the test, much more than I was.
"That felt like such a waste of time," complained Temari. Kankuro grunted in agreement as he wrapped Crow back up into his bundle.
"I'm sure we will get some worthwhile action this afternoon. Be happy we passed the first part," I told them. Temari crossed her arms with a murmur of disagreement. She could be quite temperamental at times. Glancing at Kankuro, I noticed he hadn't said a word. Unlike Temari, he didn't seem very angry. Instead, he seemed extremely nervous, as if someone was threatening his life.
"Everything okay Kankuro?" He jumped a little before giving a fake smile.
"I'm great Gaara. Nothing is wrong," he said. I frowned at his behavior. What was going in with him? I looked around and noticed we were almost the last one in the room. Everyone else had already cleared out for the most part. A few sentinels remained, picking up everyone's test to be looked at later. Here was a good enough place.
"Temari, go on ahead. I need to talk to Kankuro alone," I ordered. Temari's face switched from anger to sudden concern. She looked at my face and then tried to look at Kankuro who was still fiddling with Crow. I shook my head, a motion for her to leave. She nodded in understanding.
"Okay, I'll meet you guys outside," she said. She walked to the door, turned around, and glanced at us, then left.
"What do you want to take about," said Kankuro. He was worried, another red flag.
"Spill it Kankuro, what is going on?"
His expression battled for a moment and he opened his mouth as if to say something. He closed it and his expression switched off, a defeated look in his eyes. He yanked a chair from the nearest table and slumped down in it. Kankuro then looked out the window for a moment. I didn't dare press him, whatever was bugging him wouldn't be fixed by impatience.
"I wrote my name down Gaara."
For a moment, I had no idea what he was talking about. Wrote his name down for what? Then it hit me like a punch to the gut. The last question he had been given. It had asked him who the weakest person on our team was. He had written down his own name? Looking at Kankuro with understanding, the look in his eye was no longer distant. It now looked crushed, as if someone had snapped his hopes and dreams in half.
"I had never really thought about it before. I mean, we never had a moment where one of us was dragging us down. That was because you always pick up after my slack Gaara," said Kankuro bitterly. He wasn't angry at me, he was angry at himself it seemed.
"You're not weak Kankuro, that question was meant to throw you other. That guy was obviously a heartless sadist," I said to him. Kankuro merely shook his head, his expression not changing a bit.
"Forget the question Gaara. How long have I ridden on your talent? How long have I relied on you to come to help me," he said with sadness. I understood what he was feeling. Kankuro didn't think he was strong on his own, a ridiculous evaluation.
"Kankuro, you're letting it get to your head. We are a team, there is no weak link among us. You could easily defeat half the genin at these exams," I told him loudly. I was getting into this now, my emotions couldn't contain themselves. Kankuro bolted up out of his chair and walked over to me. Anger was in his eyes, anger and guilt.
"You said it yourself the other day Gaara, I couldn't have beaten that Uchiha brat. I surely held my own against those rogue ninja nobodies until you came along and wiped them out in an instant. You even beat a legendary puppet master on your own. I could have never done that," shouted Kankuro. I stepped back, shaken by his sudden outburst. I had no idea all of this had been hiding under the surface.
"Kankuro, you cannot live your life by confirming yourself to others. You are a strong shinobi and will be one of the greatest puppet masters of the Hidden Sand, I just know it," I said to him. Kankuro's eyes widened at this, surprised to hear such praise.
"Every free moment you have you are working on improving Crow or a new puppet. You're far more dedicated as well as ambitious than I ever will be. Don't let yourself feel inferior," I said to him. Kankuro's expression faltered, my words starting to make a difference. The uncertainty didn't last long because his anger game back.
"How long until my ambition gets me to my limit Gaara? You might be right, I may become a great puppet master but I will never surpass you," said Kankuro with jealousy. That was what some of his anger was about then. He didn't want to always be second best or third. He wanted to be better than me, a goal he knew he would most likely never achieve.
"Do you want to know what my final question was for the third test?" Kankuro's eyes flickered with curiosity, the undeniable urge to know was going to cool his rage.
"It asked me who I would sacrifice on our team to complete our mission. I couldn't leave it blank and the person who would be sacrificed would almost certainly die," I told him. Kankuro's expression was different, it looked like sympathy and shame.
"I wouldn't have wanted to answer that question Gaara. I don't know how you could of," he said softly. I nodded in agreement, but I could still tell he was depressed. He might even be thinking I out down his name.
"I put my name down."
"Kankuro's head jerked up and he stared at me with surprise. He hadn't expected such an answer from me.
"But you see the strongest out of all three of us. It doesn't make sense to leave us to complete the mission while you die," said Kankuro with confusion. I shook my head. He wasn't getting the point.
"I don't see you as weak and I don't care if the mission would fail. I would give everything to make sure you two are safe. I will always protect those I care about," I told him firmly. I couldn't read his reaction to my statement very well. I could tell it was a mix of pride, shame, and regret. Kankuro turned to look out the window. I walked up beside him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I want to become Kazekage someday Kankuro. I need you and Temari to be there for me along the way. I can't do this without you two," I said to him. Kankuro nodded, his eyes looking glassy and then a few tears running down his face. He quickly wiped them away, embarrassed about his reaction.
"Quit getting sand in my eyes Gaara your making them water," he said. I smiled at his excuse for crying.
"When you're ready, meet Temari and me outside," I said to him. I then left Kankuro to compose himself. Walking down the stairs of the building, I saw a familiar face waiting for me.
"Kohara it's great to see you. It's been quite a while since we have spoken," I said to her. She smiled ecstatically, excited to see me.
"Wasn't that intense Gaara? I was so nervous that Rasho wouldn't pass but we didn't even need to complete the test to move on," said Kohara. I chuckled at her outburst but let her continue. This is how everyone should have reacted to making it through the first phase. Kohara wasn't angry or didn't care about it, she was just happy she passed.
"It was nerve-racking alright. Thank you for helping me out during the exam," I said to her. She smiled a big smile at my compliment.
"I just thought it would be best if we Sand genin stick together," she said offhandedly.
"I agree."
"It was good seeing you Gaara, I wonder what this afternoon will hold? I hope it will be interesting," she said. She then left, waving over her shoulder. It was nice to see she wasn't rattled by the chunin exams. I walked out after her and found Temari waiting anxiously. Her head perked up when she saw me. She ran over to me as quickly as she could.
"Is everything okay," said asked with concern.
"Everything is fine Temari. The last question was just a little intense for Kankuro and me. We had a little talk about it and cleared some stuff up," I said vaguely. Kankuro wouldn't like it if I told Temari everything about his outburst. I also didn't want to deal with her opinion about this and rekindle the fire.
"That's not ambiguous at all," said Temari. She was irritated about she would get over it.
I heard the doors to the building behind me creak open and then slam shut.
"Let's get going guys. We need to meet up with Baki-sensei," said Kankuro. He walked straight past us without a single look at either of us. Temari and I both looked at him for a moment before following him. We walked in silence back to our apartment. Kankuro deserved the peace to think about his final question.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone