Chapter VI: Test Results
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Tatsuya glanced at the mission panel that had suddenly materialised before his eyes, catching him off guard for a moment.
'What the..?!'
While he had some conjectures about the system's nature, given the provided Abilities description and the mention of pleasure points, it felt different when the mission was right in front of him.
But before he could come to a decision, Ino's mother was already saying something, so he put the decision of accepting the mission on hold... for now.
"No need to worry, Tatsuya-chan, and please, drop the 'lady.' Just use my name. You are Ino's good friend after all," she said casually, waving her hand.
"As you say, Suu-san," Tatsuya smiled, nodding at her words.
"So, you're here to check on Ino, right?" Tatsuya inquired, glancing beyond the mirror into the dimly lit room where students now wore simpler attire.
Suu nodded, "Yes, even though she's old enough, and it's for her own good, it still pains me to send my daughter to a torture chamber. So at least the thing I can do is come here to take a look at her."
Tatsuya shook his head. "It's a mother's duty to worry for their child, Suu-san, even if they have grown up. So, it's natural for you to come and check on her."
Yamanaka Suu stared at my face intently for a moment before playfully ruffling my hair. "Don't say such mature things Tatsuya! You're still a kid."
"Why? Does it bother you, Suu-san?" Tatsuya playfully raised his eyebrows as she tousled his shoulder-length hair.
"No! It's just... nothing."
"It's okay, Suu-san, I understand," Tatsuya reassured, not pressuring her to answer if she didn't want to.
"Brother, they are starting!!" Hanabi suddenly shouted, shifting our attention towards the room.
Glancing around, Tatsuya observed that all the students had their hands and legs bound, and their mouths were sealed with certain seals. The Head then directed them to sit on chairs.
"What are they trying to do?" Hanabi inquired in confusion.
"Wait and watch!" Tatsuya responded. Even though he didn't like seeing Hinata in such situations one bit, he knew it was necessary for her to grow stronger in this world..
The Head Jonin then clapped her hands, and a ninja entered the room carrying more seals, and started placing them on everyone's ears.
"Now, everyone, look into my eyes!" she instructed.
Complying with her orders, everyone fixed their gaze on her as she executed a series of rapid hand seals.
Rat -> Ox -> Horse -> Snake -> Dragon -> Tiger
[Genjutsu : Temporal Illusion Distortion]
Just as she spoke, the ninja who had entered the room swiftly placed more seals on everyone's eyes. After that, they promptly exited the room, guided by a glance from the Head Jonin.
"What are those seals?" Hanabi asked.
"The seals you see on their hands and legs are called [Sensory Distortion] seals. These things are an absolute nightmare for claustrophobic people as they make anyone feel like they are in such a narrow, enclosed space that they aren't able to move even one finger," Suu-san explained.
"This also tests their ability to remain calm in intense situations and avoid panic attacks. See those metres attached to the chair handle? They measure their breathing pattern to evaluate how much pressure they can handle," Suu-san explained.
Her words made Hanabi have a shiver go down her spine just thinking about it.
"Notice how they're not moving? It's because they believe they're in a confined space and can't move. Even if their minds scream at them to move, they can't break through their own psychological barrier, convinced there's no space to move," she continued.
"What if someone was able to move?" Hanabi asked.
"Congratulations to you in that case. You would have successfully broken one of the psychological locks placed on our minds. You'd instantly pass the test without the need for any additional procedures."
"Has anyone done that before?" She asked.
Suu smiled a little strangely at Hanabi and replied, "Yes, there have been precedents in our village records, like the Second Hokage, and even someone more recently."
"Who was it?" Hanabi asked eagerly.
"Well, that's a secret," Suu smiled, causing Hanabi to frown, but she couldn't really argue, so she could only remain silent.
"What about the other seals?" Hanabi asked.
"The ones on their mouths are used to prevent them from releasing any sound, stopping them from alleviating their mental pressure through screaming or talking." Suu explained.
"And the ones on their ears are to prevent any external sound from entering, creating a sense of isolation. Both of these come under [Sensory Deprivation] " Suu added.
Hanabi shuddered, hearing how tough the exam was; she even started worrying about how Hinata would perform.
"And it's not the end. The genjutsu she used now creates a distorted and accelerated temporal experience. It makes them feel like an hour has passed for every minute," Tatsuya concluded.
"Won't they suffer psychological damage with such a test?" Hanabi said, shocked.
"There are Yamanaka clan members stationed there to check on their mental states. And even if they do suffer, are you forgetting who is currently in our room?" Tatsuya said, giving a look towards Suu.
Only then did Hanabi remember that Suu-san was the head of the Yamanaka clan and someone with the best experience in mind techniques.
Tatsuya nodded, seeing the look of realisation on her face, and said, "Suu-san is the best psychological therapist in our Village, maybe even in the whole Land of Fire."
"Ahh, you guys flatter me too much. I'm not that good. I'll be useless if they've done too much damage to their minds," Suu-san modestly responded.
"Don't be humble! Suu san. You are best in your field" Tatsuya smiled and complimented her.
Seeing his smile and the look in his eyes, she almost went into a daze. If not for her mental fortitude, she was sure she would have turned into a blushing fool like some teenage girl. 'This guy is too dangerous to women.'
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she said, "Thanks, Tatsuya-chan!" But from the corner of her eyes, she saw Hanabi looking at Tatsuya with a small blush covering her cheeks. 'Damn. Even his sister is getting charmed by him. What did you eat, Hitomi, while giving birth to him?'
It's already a little difficult for a widow to have a straightforward eye-to-eye conversation with him, and with the smile he adds in every now and then, it becomes a total hell for anyone.
"See! Something is happening!" Hanabi suddenly said, diverting both of their attention to the room.
They observed the Head Jonin suddenly dashing towards one of the students, efficiently removing all the seals placed on him. She then performed a Genjutsu-dispelling on him, simultaneously rendering him unconscious.
After placing him back in the chair, she returned to her position and noted something in her notepad.
[Hisari Munetaru: 20 min : 41 sec]
"Why did she knock him out?" Hanabi questioned.
"Because the sudden removal of the seals can lead to [Sensory Overload] to their brain. It can be fatal if they don't have the proper training to quickly readjust their mind," Tatsuya explained.
"Oh," Hanabi nodded in understanding.
After that, in just a few seconds, more and more started to get knocked out, and at last, only four candidates were left – Hinata, Ino, Neji, and Sasuke.
Sakura was knocked out somewhere in the middle. Well, it was understandable; after all, it was her first time, and she's not even a clan member, so there was no pressure on her. However, for others who were originally from a clan and got knocked out even before Sakura, it meant they were in for a hell of a lecture once they returned to their clan.
Some might even fall out of favour with their elders, opening up chances for others to join the competition and claim resources. After all, the internal competition within the clan was tough for everyone.
As everyone wanted to be in the limelight and gain the attention of clan elders and leaders.
The next one to get knocked out was Hinata. Despite being easily more powerful and skilled than the original Hinata, the one she was facing in these tests was not someone one could just surpass without completely giving their all out efforts.
This Hinata had been trained both physically and mentally by the previous me. Even though the previous me didn't have my knowledge of the canon, he was still able to guide her to a better version, at least in the mental department.
But it was still not enough. She needed something more, not just the desire to grow stronger, but a goal that could push her to give her all, which she currently lacked.
The Head Jonin then quickly wrote the score of Hinata in her notepad.
[4th: Hinata Hyuga - 40min : 59sec]
Hanabi felt sad seeing her sister lose.
"Don't be sad. Your sister was better than most of them, and it's not even her forte. You should be happy instead," Tatsuya said, patting her head.
Hanabi nodded and asked "Who do you think will be next, brother?"
"Neji," Tatsuya answered without a change in expression.
"Oh! You trust Ino to go past the Genius of Hyuga and win it?" Suu asked, surprised at my answer.
"I trust Ino, but it's not just because of that I am betting on her to win; it's because of the nature of the test."
"If it was just to see how much pain one can endure mentally, I'd place my bets on Neji with my eyes closed. But the test is not just that; it's actually testing the flexibility of the mind in extreme situations."
"In this, I believe Ino has better chances because of her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Occupying another body is definitely much more challenging than some claustrophobia test. So, I believe she will not lose to Neji," Tatsuya explained.
Turning to look at her, he mischievously added, "One more reason I believe Ino has much better chances is because she has a mother who is one of the best in terms of understanding the mind. She, for sure, has taught her some of her tricks to her own daughter. So it wouldn't be wrong if she even wins this competition."
Suu Yamanaka chuckled, and a small laugh erupted from her mouth upon hearing my answer. "You sure have a sweet mouth, Tatsuya. If you keep complimenting me like this, I may even fall in love with you. So you should keep a lid on your honey-laced tongue of yours." She jokingly said.
"I would have to take care of you then, after all, it's a man's duty to take care of—Ahh, ouch," Tatsuya was interrupted before he could complete his words.
He felt Suu-san softly bop his head with her hand as she reprimanded him, saying, "You shouldn't say such words without thinking, Tatsuya-chan."
In fact, when he said those words, it made her heart skip a beat. That's why she quickly stopped him from completing his sentence. Otherwise she didn't know how she would react.
'Dammit Boy! Why are you flirting with this old woman?'she couldn't help but grumble in her mind.
Tatsuya looked straight into her eyes, causing her to look away from him. "If you thought I was talking without thinking, then you are wrong. Still, I am sorry, Suu-san, if you didn't like it."
'What?-'
Before she could ask what he meant by that, she saw him shifting his attention back to the room.
Turning towards the room, she saw, just as he predicted, Neji was knocked out, and her time was being recorded on the notebook.
[3rd: Neji Hyuga - 42 min: 12 sec]
"You were right, brother, again," Hanabi said.
"Of course, I will be right. Aren't I awesome?"
"..."
"Now don't give me that look. You should say, 'you are an awesome brother.'" They continued their childish banter as now, only two were left in the test: Ino Yamanaka and Sasuke Uchiha.
They observed both of them with attention, eager to see who would emerge victorious, and it didn't take a long time before the winner was revealed.
Sigh.
Suu sighed at the result; even though she had expected something like this would happen. After all, her opponent was not just some normal.
"Did you also expect this?" she asked, seeing the calm expression on Tatsuya's face, as if he already knew this.
"I didn't know who exactly would win. But the chances of Sasuke winning were much higher in my calculations," Tatsuya said.
"After all, the amount of psychological torture that he had experienced that day was not something even an experienced ninja could handle," he added.
Suu nodded at his answer as she was the one who personally witnessed his mental condition. They waited for the students to wake up from their slumber.
In the meantime, the Head Jonin started writing everyone's results on the large blackboard for everyone to see.
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