Where the Wind Blows

Chunin Exam: Part One

There were a lot of people in the exam room. It took me a minute to find Itachi, and by the time I did, the test had begun. 

The first part of the exam dealt with the psychological aspect of being a ninja. They split us up, and tried a number of tactics to get us to turn on our comrades, including telling us that they turned on us first, that there was no point in defending them, and so on. More people ended up failing than you'd think.

Afterwards, we were informed that was only the first part of the exam, and that everyone remaining had passed. 

"Hey," I said as I sat down next to Itachi. It would be a little while before the second part of the exam begun, and most people were already exhausted. 

"How's your ankle?" 

"Could be better," I admitted quietly.

I wondered if he minded that I didn't come fully healed. I know it wasn't the best decision, but shinobi deal with wounds much worse than mine and still fight. It would have been embarrassing to miss an exam just because my ankle hurt a little. 

I also didn't want Itachi to get ahead of me. I wouldn't have asked him to miss the exam because of me, and I don't think he would have, either. 

"The interrogation was sort of draining. I don't know if Shinko would have been strong enough to handle it," I said.

That was a lie. I was drained from talking to Shisui more than the actual exam.

I hadn't even fully registered what I said to Itachi about Shinko. Some kind of friend I was. I should have been trying to be her wingwoman, and here I was calling her weak in front of her crush? I needed to get her back on his good-

"Do you feel guilty being here without her?" he asked.

Yes.

"Not really. Us becoming Chunin will benefit the team, and that's all that matters." 

He nodded. It was times like this where I appreciated that he wasn't super chatty, as I had too much on my mind to even know where to begin. If I started talking now, it would just be word vomit.

I still needed to look out for Shinko...There was no way I could bring her into a casual conversation. It wasn't like we were best friends or anything, but I could use a girl friend, and she seemed nice enough for the job. It wasn't like I could talk to Itachi about Shisui, since the three of us were actual  best friends. Or...maybe I could  talk about Shisui without mentioning who he is...No, I definitely needed someone who was unbiased. But wasn't she biased because she liked Itachi?

I had just about given myself a headache, when I heard Ibiki say, "The second part of the exam will begin now."