Stranger Fantasies

Chapter 32: Rekindle

'Naruto, your crying again wake up.'

Naruto's blue eyes creaked open and she sat up, both in the test room and in Kurama'd cage.

'You saw it too... didn't you?'

Kurama nodded, 'It was a time that I didn't pay attention to you much but... the scarecrow did well. No wonder you repressed your memories, it's easier to live forgetting about that kind of pain and become someone else.'

Naruto shook her head, 'I wish hadn't though. What does Kakashi-sensei think? That I resent him? That I choose to ignore our past? It hurts to think that he may believe I hate him.'

'The only way to find out is to ask him, and explain to him the truth. Then maybe you can rekindle your relationship again.'

Naruto nodded, 'Maybe.'

Naruto's attention was pulled away when a bell rang, signaling the end of the test.

"Alright you twits! Pencil's down, test is over." The man with the scar over his face called out.

Everyone either made sighs of content or a groan of disappointment. Naruto sat up straight, attentively looking at the scarred man.

"Now that you have finished the nine question written test there will be a verbal tenth question. But before I tell you this question, know that if you get the tenth question wrong you will be forbidden to take the Chunnin exams again so think carefully before you decide to proceed. If you want to take the chance, but if you don't then leave now." The scarred man  yelled.

    A wave of displeasure sounded across the testing room. Naruto watched as a couple of people got up and left. She turned her head as Hinata started to shrink on herself, moving her body to stand up.

    "What is this crap?" Naruto spoke out on instinct, stopping the Hyuga in her movement. The scarred teacher turned to face Naruto with his piercing look. All of the other contestants fell completely silent with fear. "You really are selling this bullshit aren't you? Can't take the test again... What a load of crap! I am a ninja not a coward, dattebayo! So it's gonna take a lot more than a few empty threats to scare me off." Naruto said, a sneer on her lips.

Immediately others took on to Naruto's courageous words and smiled, cheering on. The scarred man, Ibiki was the name Naruto had not cared to listen to, looked around at the wave of agreement and sighed.

'Damn. That brat caused too many to pass.'

He gave them a piercing look, "Are you sure? No other chances after this."

Naruto put her hand on her hip, "Come on baldy! No ones leaving so get on with the tenth question, dattebayo."

Ibiki grew a little irritated, "Fine." He seethed between closed teeth. "There is no tenth question, the test was whether you had resolve or not. Which seems you all have, congratulations on passing the first phase of this years Chunnin exams."

Every contestant spared glances at their teammates before cheering on. Their celebration, however, was short lived as a crazy spiky haired woman burst through the far left window, sending glass shards everywhere. Behind her trailed a banner that had written on it 'Anko Mitarashi'.

She stared at the abundance of contestants as they stared back in shock. "What the fuck, Ibiki? There's so many of them!"

~~~~

After the Mitarashi debacle, team 7 walked out of the testing build together. "So the next test in the Forest of Death... That's comforting." Sakura said flatly.