Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

The Truth of the Exams!

The air in the tower was stale and thick with silence, save for the quiet sound of our footsteps echoing down the hallway. Sasuke and I leaned on each other as we walked, bruised and exhausted. His arm was draped over my shoulders for balance, and I clutched his side to keep him steady. My own legs were trembling, but I'd never admit that out loud.

The hall opened up into a vast chamber, cool and dimly lit. Naruto took in the room with wide, curious eyes.

"Huh? I don't get it. What happens now?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Hold on a second—look at that!" Sakura pointed toward the far wall where elegant script was carved into the stone.

"Great! What is it?" Naruto asked, clearly more confused than ever.

Sakura stepped closer, reading aloud with clarity:

"If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher.
If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack.
When heaven and earth are opened together, the peerless path becomes righteous forever.
This something is the secret way that guides us from the place today."

"...This what?" Naruto blinked.

"There's a word missing," I said, stepping up beside her. "But I'm assuming it means we have to open the scrolls. Read them together, probably."

Naruto gulped, suddenly cautious. Sakura gave a small nod, and the two of them held the scrolls in hand. With synchronized motions, they opened them.

A bump formed on the scroll's surface—and then it began to smoke.

My eyes widened. "Get rid of the scrolls! It's a summoning jutsu!" I shouted.

They didn't hesitate. The scrolls flew from their hands, skidding across the stone as more smoke burst forth. We all braced ourselves for an enemy. My hand hovered near a kunai.

But then the smoke cleared—and our jaws dropped.

"What? It's you?" Sasuke asked, blinking.

Standing where the scrolls had been was none other than Iruka-sensei, smiling warmly.

"Hey. Long time no see."

"Iruka-sensei! What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice torn between surprise and cautious relief.

He stepped forward, eyes sweeping over us like a protective older brother. "It looks like you've all gone through a lot in this test," he said gently. "Chūnin like me are assigned to welcome the genin who make it past the second exam. It's pure luck I was chosen to greet your team."

"The messenger?" Sakura echoed.

Iruka nodded. "Phew. You guys made it just in time too." He smiled brightly. "Congratulations. You passed the second exam!"

Naruto gasped. "Passed?! YES!" His eyes lit up. "To celebrate, can we have some Ichiraku ramen? Please, Iruka-sensei! That would be perfect—"

"I was just about to say that," Iruka chuckled, "but—"

"RAMEN! Seriously?! That's so cool!" Naruto shouted, running straight into Iruka and hugging him with enough force to nearly knock the man over.

"Wait—Naruto, I'm not done talking," Iruka said, still laughing as Naruto babbled about how amazing ramen was and how Iruka was officially his favorite person.

I sat down beside Sasuke, exhaling deeply. "Where does he get all this energy from?" I muttered.

"Ugh. Shut up, Naruto," Sakura groaned, rubbing her temples.