Chapter 33 - Written Exam: Pass or Fail?
As the hour quickly passed by, Lilly headed back to the academy for the written part of her final exam. She had been so pleased with herself for doing so well in the practical part, that she was determined to just as well, to show that she is maybe just better than her brothers, and prove herself to them - as well as herself - that she isn't that defenseless little girl she was.
As she approached the academy, she was a little surprised to see that Tsunade, Iruka and Itachi were there. Why was her oldest brother there? Was he asking Iruka and Tsunade about how well she was doing, even though she had kind of mentioned it? Just now, it didn't matter. What did matter, was her doing the written part of the exam, and just doing her best - which was hopefully passing it.
She walked over to the three of them, before questioningly asking her brother what he was doing there. His reply was simple, yet one she didn't expect.
"Tsunade-sama is busy with so much work, and she is one of the people in the village, along with Iruka-Sensei, who knows the truth behind what I am doing, so they asked me to step in and monitor you while you do the written paper." Itachi smiled. "Don't worry sis, I won't help you out at all. I trust and believe in your abilities enough to know that you will be able to pass this all on your own, without any help from me." He said in a happy, proud tone, patting her head.
"If you're going to be monitoring me during this, nii-chan, then technically that makes you my sensei for a while, not my big brother." Lilly smiled, giggling a little.
"She's right Itachi." Tsunade laughed a little. "You can't treat her like your sister while she is doing this final exam." She smiled at both of the Uchiha's that were there, before heading off to her office. She seemed to be really busy at the moment, so something must have came up within the hour she had been with her brothers.
"Let's head inside and start. Shall we?" Iruka smiled, heading into the academy.
"Yeah." Lilly and Itachi both said, before following Iruka inside.
Now the fun was about to begin. The written, and final part to the exam, and what would help determine if she would become a Genin ninja, or not.
"Sit down please." Iruka smiled, placing the written exam in front of Lilly, as she sat down at a desk that had been set up in a spare, yet abandoned, classroom. "You will have as long as you need to complete this, but just remember, as soon as you give it over to Itachi, you can't get it back." Iruka informed her.
"Alright sensei." Lilly smiled, taking a little glance over to her brother. She still couldn't seem to believe that he was the sensei that was going to be watching over her.
"Alright. Itachi." Iruka smiled, nodded to him, before walked out the room, to go back to his class, taking back over from Kakashi.
"Right, begin when ready." Itachi said, sounding all in charge.
As Lilly started to write down her answers, answering all of the questions thoroughly, and to the best of her abilities, Itachi looked over her shoulder, to take a small glance at the questions, as well as her answers. He had agreed not to help her out in anyway, but nothing stopped him from at least checking her answers while she wrote them down.
"Hmm..." Itachi said, studying one of her answers carefully, at first glance, it seemed wrong, but when he re-read it a second time, he smiled. It wasn't wrong. Far from it. It was dead on perfect.
As lunch neared, Itachi knew she would need a break to be able to have something to eat, but she didn't seemed much bothered about getting any lunch, as she seemed so focused on her answers and the exam itself. However, as she was writing what was close to her last answer, her stomach gave a slight grumble. She was getting hungry, and she knew it - so did Itachi.
"Sis..." Itachi went to say, before clearing his throat, knowing that he should be acting like a sensei, not a brother. "Ms. Uchiha." He smiled. "If you wish to stop for a few minutes to have some lunch, then that is fine."
"I'm alright." Lilly said, continuing to write down the remainder of her answers. A few minutes after she had been asked by him if she wanted to go get something to eat, her stomach gave a slight rumble again. This time, she couldn't ignore it.
"Hmm?" Itachi questioned, when he noticed she'd stopped writing. "Is something wrong?" He wondered curiously.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to go get something to eat?" Her tone implied the question, as well as the fact that she had changed her mind about going to get something to eat.
"Yes I'm sure." Itachi smiled. "Go on. Go get something to eat." He said, handing her some money. "My treat sis."
"Thanks big bro." She smiled, taking the money, running out of the classroom, and the academy, into the village.
***********
After Lilly returned, she came to find that her big brother had gone, so had her exam paper. She hadn't finished writing all her answers, she had answered every question with the answers they expected her to know, but she was just wanting to show them how much she knew by filling the answers in with more explained and detailed answers.
"What the?!" She blinked, looking around, hoping for even the slightest hint, or sign, of Itachi. Nothing. He was gone, and so was her exam paper.
"Something wrong Lil?" Jynx questioned, sneaking up behind Lilly like she always done.
"Nothing Jynx... By the way... Have you seen my big brother Itachi anywhere?" She questioned, trying not to sound as if it was urgent that she find him, or if she was a little annoyed. Somehow Jynx could tell anyway.
"No sorry." Jynx said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Honest." Lilly lied.
"Suuuuurrrrreee..." Jynx sarcastically said, rolling her eyes. "I know you well Lil, now whatsup?" Lilly finally gave up, and told Jynx everything that had happened, and that was going on. Jynx seemed quite intrigued in it all, which was a little odd for her.
"Now you know." Lilly sighed a little, sitting down on the floor, near the door. "What am I going to do? I don't know where he is at all, and it's more than likely he's taken my exam paper with him..."
"I'll help ya search." Jynx grinned, putting a hand on her friends shoulder, trying to reassure her that they would be able to find him.
"Thanks Jynx." Lilly smiled softly. "I owe you one."
"You're damn right ya dae!" Jynx said, then both the young kunoichi's burst into a fit of laughter, as Itachi appeared in the doorway, with Tsunade and Iruka beside him.
"What's so funny?" He questioned, with a smile on his face.
"Where did you go?!" Lilly exclaimed. "I got back and you weren't here, and my exam paper had gone, and..."
"Calm down Lilly." Iruka interrupted her. "He just came to see us, and allow us to see what you had done."
"You are quite smart for a kunoichi of your age." Tsunade said. "And that's why Itachi came to see us. You had answered all the questions, but you were writing much much more than what was required for the answers. However, all what you had written was so good, as well as all correct, that the three of us immediately agreed that you pass." Tsunade smiled, as Sasuke appeared behind his little sister, without either Jynx or her realising, and put the village headband on his little sister.
"Congratulations." All of them - Iruka, Itachi, Sasuke and Tsunade - said at the one time.
"You're now a Genin ninja sis." Sasuke smiled, giving her a hug. Lilly just couldn't believe it, and was so astounded, that a few slight tears fell down her face. She had done it. She had been the top in her class, and had finally became a Genin ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
