Leaning back against the wall of the meal hall, Itachi's mind was still preoccupied by the first phase of the examination. While he had indeed answered every question truthfully and to the best of his abilities, that didn't mean that it had been easy. Even after his initial period of contemplation and self-centering, tackling the test had still required a considerable amount of mental discipline and fortitude on his part. The fact that his exam copy hadn't burst into flames was certainly a good sign, but he had to wonder what Yoruichi and whatever aides she had would think when they reviewed his exam.
Although Phase One was over and he was trying to get a little bit of relaxation in before Phase Two began, he knew that he was still under scrutiny. It wasn't hard to find the source; although Jiraiya had pretended to focus most of his attention on his own test, Itachi had not missed how the sage had been quietly monitoring him throughout the written exam and was still observing him now. Itachi wasn't surprised in the least, though. After all, it wasn't as though fighting side by side one time could erase all the years that Jiraiya had viewed him as a threat to Naruto, and Itachi was sure that it would be a long while yet before the Sannin might finally be willing to completely remove the pall of suspicion from him. Perhaps that day would never come. If that were the case, Itachi wouldn't be sore over it. Regardless of his motives, he would not pretend that he deserved forgiveness for his past actions.
I may not have been sent to Hell, he thought grimly, but that does not mean that I have gained absolution in death. I doubt that's even possible for me at this point…
"So," said Jiraiya, dragging Itachi from his thoughts, "how do you think you did?"
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "The fact that I'm here with you would seem to answer that question."
Jiraiya shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Sure, we're both here, which means we both passed, but what kind of impression do you think you left?"
"I would imagine that Yoruichi has already formed an impression of the two of us from the night before," Itachi replied, "The written test will tell her more, but it's impossible to say whether our answers will reinforce those impressions or change them since we cannot presume to know what she is thinking."
Jiraiya chuckled. "I should've expected something like that from you. I doubt she'll be reviewing all of those tests by herself. She has to have help given the sheer amount, and if I had to guess I'd say that there'll be people who share her rank that'll want to review the written tests of those who make it through the entirety of the entrance examinations."
Itachi nodded. "I can see that. It would stand to assume that her fellow Captains could use our written tests as a means to begin scouting potential new recruits for their decisions. Even if we haven't formally graduated or even made it into the Academy yet, a test with a working enforcement mechanism to compel applicants to tell the truth would still provide them with valuable information."
Jiraiya smiled. "Indeed. It would be interesting to know who looks over our tests."
Itachi shook his head. "There's little sense in thinking about that right now. We need to be focused on preparing for Phase Two."
Jiraiya smirked. "Says the man who's been so lost in his own little world since he got back here that he hasn't noticed that I'm not the only one watching him. You're getting sloppy, Itachi."
Taking a fresh look around the meal hall, Itachi noticed that Jiraiya was right; he was being watched, and by more than a fair share of the remaining applicants at that.
And it didn't take him long to notice that the ones watching him were all women.
"Some things never change," he muttered, recalling all the girls who had vied for his attention back when he was openly serving the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Even in death, the ladies still go for the Uchiha," said Jiraiya, shaking his head, "Some guys have all the luck."
"You can have mine if you want," said Itachi, "I'm not here to chase every skirt in our class."
Jiraiya grinned. "You don't say? Well, then feel free to send them my way!"
It wasn't that Itachi was completely disinterested in woman, but at the moment he truly was focused on passing the entrance exams. There was also the fact that the only girl who had managed to get romantically close to Itachi while he was alive had eventually paid the ultimate price; tragically, she had been his first victim the night of the Uchiha Clan massacre. Given those circumstances along with the aftermath of the slaughter of his clan, Itachi had been rather reluctant to pursue romance ever since.
I wonder if there's a woman out there who could truly accept me and what I've done, he mused, The Soul Society is incredibly vast, but even then, the chances of one residing in it that would take me while knowing the full truth of me…
It was at that moment that one of the doors to the meal hall flew open. In strolled Yoruichi, and Itachi found himself almost unconsciously rising to his feet. Jiraiya was right behind him, and Itachi barely noticed the smirk and knowing glint in the Sannin's eyes as he briefly regarded the former member of the Akatsuki. Yoruichi's gaze met Itachi's, and when she smiled the young man could not help but be intrigued by the warm and playful light in her brilliant golden eyes.
As he regarded the Captain of Squad Two he almost didn't hear Jiraiya mutter under his breath. "So that's your type, eh?"
"What was that?" asked Itachi.
Jiraiya gave a faux-innocent smile and shrugged. "Oh, nothing."
Itachi returned his attention to Yoruichi as the Captain addressed the remaining applicants. "First of all, congratulations on making it through Phase One! Don't pat yourselves on the back just yet, though; we've still got two tests left, so you're far from out of the woods. Follow me and I'll take you to where we're holding Phase Two."
Itachi and Jiraiya fell in with the rest of the applicants as Yoruichi led them out the meal hall and down the hall for a bit. A few twists and turns later they came to a door, and when Yoruichi opened it Itachi saw only a flight of descending stairs that were dimly illuminated by a series of torches on the wall.
"Come on, people," she said with a smirk, "If you're afraid of the dark then you're not cut out to be a Soul Reaper."
Not one of the applicants made to leave, but Itachi noticed that more than a few were nervous as the group began their descent. It took them several minutes before they finally reached the bottom, and it was no longer the wooden floor of the Academy that was beneath their feet; it was cool and slightly damp stone.
We're quite some ways underground, he thought as he looked around, I wonder what awaits us down here…
He received his answer a few seconds later when the passage they were in opened up, revealing nothing less than an underground lake. The light of all the torches along the far walls reflected off of both the surface of the lake and the crystals that adorned the ceiling, meaning that the subterranean environment was surprisingly well illuminated. There was a slight drop from the ledge that they were on down to the surface of the water, which Itachi measured at roughly two and a half meters, while the lake itself was dotted with hundreds of smooth stone pillars that were about the same height as the ledge. About a third of the way across the lake Itachi spotted a row of blue flags mounted on a series of stone pillars, while two thirds of the distance to the opposite shore there was another row of flags, these ones green.
There were scores of people on both sides of the lake, and Itachi noticed a sharp division in their ranks; those that were positioned along the first two thirds of the shoreline on each side appeared to be regular Academy faculty or Soul Reapers, while those standing along the final third seemed to be from a different organization. They still wore black robes similar to those belonging to Soul Reapers, but their faces were obscured by white wrappings that covered the entire head, save for the eyes. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a solitary figure waiting on the far shore; a tall and well-built man wearing a black uniform with an elaborate blue robe over it.
"Okay, people, listen up!" Yoruichi barked, "This is Phase Two, known as the Pillar Run. Before I explain the rules, there's something that I need to know first. How many of you can't swim?"
No one raised their hands, although the nervous looks of several of the applicants told Itachi that at least a few were lying. Yoruichi seemed to pick up on it as well, because her expression softened into one of gentle concern.
"Now is not the time to refrain from speaking out," she said, "I promise that whether or not you can swim will not impact your ability to pass this test. This is purely a safety concern. The tests are important, but they're not worth your life. If you raise your hands I promise you will not be disqualified from the exam."
After a moment, several students raised their hands, and Yoruichi nodded at several assistants who came forward with red ribbons. "Each of you who can't swim is to tie a ribbon around one of your arms. Make sure it's visible. If you fall into the water, raise that arm and one of us will retrieve you before you slip under. Is that understood?"
After the applicants nodded Yoruichi went on to describe the test itself. "Your goal here is simple; using the stone pillars, you'll cross from this side of the lake to the other end. You'll be on a time limit of ten minutes, and anyone who can't complete the crossing within that timeframe will be disqualified. You will also fail the test if you fall into the water."
Sounds straightforward enough, thought Itachi as he scanned the lake, but it can't be that easy. There has to be more to it than that.
Once again, the rows of blue and green flags caught his gaze. Yoruichi hadn't mentioned them in her outline of the test, but Itachi was sure that they were there for more than just decoration.
"Since there's so many of you, not all of you will be able to take this test at the same time," Yoruichi continued, "That's why we'll be splitting you up into groups of 140 each. All the groups not currently taking the test will wait upstairs until they are called. Once you complete the test you will return to the meal hall. You are not to tell anyone who hasn't taken the test yet anything about it. Disclosing any information whatsoever will be grounds for disqualification."
Meaning that the later groups can't observe the earlier groups and learn from their mistakes, Itachi mused, The course remains an unknown entity to each applicant. That settles it; there's definitely more to this than simply hopping across some stone pillars.
Next to him he heard Jiraiya chuckle. "This should be fun."
A little while later, the groups had been formed. Itachi and Jiraiya were in the first wave, so they and their fellow applicants lined up along the shore while the others left the cavern. Yoruichi moved off to the side and raised her right arm.
"Your test will commence on my mark!" she shouted, "Three… two… one… go!"
The applicants rushed forward, and it didn't take long for Itachi and Jiraiya to move to the front of the pack. Itachi had lost track of how many trips he'd leapt from tree branch to tree branch for kilometers on end back when he was alive; it was second nature for Shinobi. Hopping across the much sturdier stone pillars was child's play for a veteran ninja like himself, but Itachi would not let himself become complacent. He was confident that Yoruichi had much more in store for them than a simple balance and speed exercise.
Glancing to his right, he saw Jiraiya easily keeping pace with him. The late Sannin had an amused smirk on his face as he effortlessly leapt from one pillar to the next. He would even through in the occasional flourish like a front flip or hand spring just to spice things up; the sage was clearly enjoying himself. Still, the sharp glint in his eyes told Itachi that Jiraiya wasn't taking anything for granted in this exercise, and whenever the proverbial shoe dropped he would definitely be ready for it.
Looking over his shoulder, Itachi realized that Yoruichi had completely vanished from where she'd been when she'd given them the order to start. As he scanned the area he was surprised to see that she was already at the opposite end of the lake standing next to the man with the ornate blue robe; he hadn't even seen her move, and yet she had apparently already cleared the entire course.
I have got to learn how she does that, he thought as he recalled her astounding speed from the fight with the Hollows and the incident with that one student during Phase One of the exams, I won't rest until I figure it out…
The row of blue flags was rapidly drawing near, and Itachi braced himself; he had a feeling that the real tricks hidden in this test would begin to reveal themselves once he passed them. Sure enough, as soon as he leapt past the flags and onto the next pillar his platform began to rise. Looking around, Itachi quickly realized this his wasn't the only pillar in motion; all of the stone platforms had begun moving up and down.
"So, it's a test of timing," he muttered under his breath as he plotted his course, already mentally compensating for this new obstacle, "Very well, then."
As soon as the pillar he was standing on reached the apex of its ascent Itachi jumped. The increased altitude had given him an advantage in both visibility and the distance he could dover with a single leap, and he exploited it for all it was worth. He came down on a pillar that had just reached the halfway point of its climb, and he already knew which way he would jump next.
A little way behind him and to the right he heard Jiraiya laughing. "All right! Now this is more like it!"
Indeed, he mused with a smirk, it was far too easy earlier. I wonder what other tricks they've got in store for us…
Reaching the next pillar and waiting for it to rise a little more before making his next jump, Itachi took a moment to assess the other applicants. For the first time, he noticed just how far ahead Jiraiya and him had gotten; most of the group was still working their way towards the blue flags. A few had already fallen into the lake, and those who couldn't make the swim to shore on their own were rescued by the assistants Yoruichi had positioned along the shoreline earlier.
Returning his gaze forward, Itachi pressed on. He was neck and neck with Jiraiya, and while he didn't consider the test to be a race he did push himself a little harder to try to keep ahead of the Sannin. It hadn't taken long to work out the rhythm of the pillars' rise and fall, so the two former ninjas continued to make steady progress. The row of green flags ahead grew closer with each passing second, and Itachi was already bracing for the next surprise that passing them would trigger. He did note that the pillars holding those flags and the ones beyond them weren't rising and falling like the ones he and Jiraiya were currently on, but there was always the chance that could change once they reached them.
He could feel a pair of eyes on him that weren't Jiraiya's and looking ahead it wasn't hard to find them. At the end of the course, Yoruichi's gaze was locked on him like a hawk. Even from this distance he could see the smile on her face, and the mischievous flicker of light in her eyes made him suspect that what lay ahead would be much more formidable than just some rising and falling stone pillars.
When he and Jiraiya crossed the line of green flags a few seconds later and entered the final leg of the course, the pillars ahead did not move. However, the people on both sides of the shore with the black robes and white facial coverings began to cross their arms before reaching out with one palm open, and they each took on a crimson-pink aura. The hairs on the back of Itachi's neck stood up as he realized what was coming, and he was dimly aware of the smirk disappearing from Jiraiya's face.
"Hadō 31: Shakkahō!" cried the masked figures.
Itachi dropped to his stomach on top of the pillar he was on, and not a moment too soon. A second later the air was filled with blazing red-pink spheres of spirit energy. Itachi and Jiraiya were both able to avoid taking any hits, and they were on their feet as soon as the immediate threat had passed. The two of them wouldn't have much of a reprieve, though; the robed and masked figures were already preparing another salvo.
And now the true nature of the test is revealed, he thought as he raced forward, It's one of speed, balance, timing and, most importantly, spatial awareness. It'll be a gauntlet from here to the finish line.
He moved as fast as he could, and even though he could no longer command chakra he still advanced with the confidence he'd carried when he was amongst the living. Constantly assessing his surroundings to keep himself aware of both the pillars and the masked shooters on the shoreline, he plotted his final course to the finish line and made his final throw of the dice. His trajectory drifted slightly until he was as close to the middle of the course as he could be, all the while ducking and jumping to evade the flying balls of spirit energy. Instinct took over as he hit the home stretch, and with a fluid series of leaps and flips Itachi found himself on the shore almost before he'd realized that he'd made it. Catching his breath, he saw Yoruichi approach him with a proud smile on her face.
"I knew you were something special!" she praised, "Great job, Itachi!"
She then nodded past him as Jiraiya arrived on shore a moment later. "Same to you, Jiraiya. Too bad for you Itachi's already set the new course record; he got you by barely over a second."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, you can't win 'em all."
Yoruichi jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards a torchlit passageway. "Head up that way and you'll eventually make it back to the surface. You should be able to find your way back to the meal hall from there. Just sit tight and relax; I'll come find you guys when it's time for the final phase. Remember, no blabbing to the others about what happened down here. I'd hate to have to disqualify the two of you after a run like that."
Itachi nodded. "Understood. I'll see you in a little while, then."
"Have fun with the rest of the new meat!" said Jiraiya with a smirk.
Yoruichi grinned. "Oh, trust me, I will!"