Chapter 14: The Exam Begins
The students sat in their assigned seats in the classroom, the clock ticking towards 8 a.m. Rays of early morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting soft patterns on the desks.
The room was filled with a mixture of anxious whispers, hurried glances, and the sounds of papers rustling as everyone settled in for the start of their exam.
Naruto glanced around, taking in the tense atmosphere. Sakura sat a few seats away, fidgeting with her pencil as she stared intently at Sasuke, who looked calm and focused as ever. She leaned slightly toward him and whispered, "Sasuke-kun, did you study? If there's anything you're unsure about, I went over everything twice, so just ask!"
Ino, sitting nearby, caught Sakura's offer and quickly interjected. "Sasuke-kun, if you really need any help, I can explain it better than Sakura," she said, flashing him a bright smile. The two girls began exchanging pointed glances, each determined to outshine the other, while Sasuke sat unfazed, his focus entirely on the front of the room.
To Naruto's left, Hinata looked over shyly, her voice soft as she asked, "Naruto-kun, did you… prepare well?"
Naruto gave her a big grin, scratching the back of his head. "I think so! I practiced hard with my clones, so I should be good. Thanks, Hinata!" Her cheeks flushed slightly as she gave him a warm, encouraging smile in response.
In the row behind him, Choji nudged Shikamaru with his elbow, a chip bag crinkling under his arm. "So, did you actually study for this, Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru let out a long sigh, leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "Yeah, yeah, I studied a bit… such a drag. What about you?"
Choji shrugged, munching on another chip. "I did, but if we don't pass, Iruka-sensei might make us study even more."
Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly at the thought, and he straightened in his chair, resigned. "Guess I'll have to pass, then."
Kiba slouched in his seat, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Man, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fail this one," he muttered, glancing around. He spotted Naruto a few seats away and chuckled to himself. "But hey, if I go down, at least Naruto will go down with me."
Leaning over, Kiba nudged Shino. "Hey, Shino, think you could help me out a bit? You know, let me copy your answers?"
Shino adjusted his sunglasses and looked at Kiba, his expression unreadable. "Kiba, why didn't you study?"
Kiba shrugged, flashing a wide grin. "Studying is boring, that's why. But hey, if you've got the answers, maybe you could give me a little… backup?"
Shino sighed but nodded slowly. "Fine, I'll show you the answers," he said quietly. "Just try not to draw any attention."
Kiba gave him a thumbs-up. "You're the best, Shino! With your help, I might actually make it through this."
As the students chatted, the door opened, and Iruka-sensei stepped in, his gaze sweeping across the room. The students immediately fell silent, sitting up straighter in their seats. Iruka walked to the front, holding a stack of papers, his voice steady as he addressed the class.
"All right, everyone. Today's exam will start with the Japanese language writing test. Stay calm, focus, and remember all the preparation you've done," he said, pausing to let his words sink in. "Good luck."
One by one, he handed out the test papers, moving along each row. Naruto took a deep breath, glancing down at his paper as it landed on his desk. He gave himself a mental pep talk, determination sparking in his eyes. 'I trained for this. I can do this,' he thought, picking up his pencil.
Each paper had number marked on it from 1 to 5.
As the students settled, Iruka-sensei looked over the room with a serious expression.
"Today's written test will assess your ability to listen carefully and write in Japanese," he began. "Your test papers are marked with numbers from 1 to 5. I'll be reading sentences out loud, and each sentence is intended for a specific number. Some sentences are meant for 1, some for 2, and so on up to 5, each number gets five sentences."
A murmur rippled through the room as students processed the new information. The unique setup prevented anyone from simply copying their neighbor. Those who had planned to peek felt a bit of unease—especially Kiba, who sighed deeply. "Just my luck…" he muttered, eyeing Naruto and cracking a grin as he saw Naruto scratching his head in confusion.
Hinata, who had hoped to show Naruto her answers if he struggled, felt disappointed when she saw that her paper was marked with number 4, while Naruto's was marked with number 1. The different numbers meant they wouldn't have the same sentences to write, making it impossible to help him directly.
Iruka-sensei, catching the scattered conversations, cleared his throat. "Alright, let's start. Remember, each sentence corresponds to a number, so listen carefully."
With that, he began. "Sentence for number 1: 'The cat jumped over the wall.'" Pens moved quickly as students scribbled the sentence down.
"Next, sentence for number 2: 'The sun rises in the east.'"
The scratching of pencils filled the room as each student worked intently, focusing hard on each sentence.
---------
The test was completed quickly, wrapping up within just one hour. Afterward, Iruka-sensei collected all the answer sheets, glancing around the classroom before leaving.
"Did anyone forget to write their name on their answer sheet?" he asked, but no one responded. Everyone had been diligent about that, and seeing that no hands were raised, he nodded in approval and exited the room.
Naruto felt a mix of relief and exhaustion. Writing those sentences had been tough, but he convinced himself he would pass. As he sat there, the classroom buzzed with chatter as everyone began discussing their answers.
Sakura leaned over to Sasuke, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "How do you think you did on the test? I'm sad I couldn't show you, my answers!"
Ino, ever the competitive friend, chimed in, "Sasuke's lucky! If he had looked at your answers, he might have failed!" She flashed a teasing smile, and Sakura glared at her.
"Hey! I did well, thank you very much!" Sakura shot back, her cheeks flushing. The two girls began to clash with their words, but Sasuke seemed unfazed, his focus shifting towards Naruto instead.
Naruto, noticing Sasuke's gaze, raised his thumb and flashed a wide smile. Sasuke understood that Naruto did fine.
After ten minutes, Iruka-sensei returned to the classroom, a serious expression on his face. "Alright, everyone, it's time for the reading test," he announced, drawing the students' attention.
He paced in front of the class, his hands clasped behind his back. "Here's how it will work: I will call you up one by one to the empty classroom beside us, where you will receive a sheet containing basic sentences. You'll need to read them aloud."
A murmur of nervousness swept through the classroom as the students exchanged glances.
"And just so you know," Iruka continued, raising a hand to quell the chatter, "no two students will receive the same sheet. This way, no one can ask the person before them for help."
Iruka-sensei called Naruto first, signaling him to follow him to the side classroom. Iruka had prepared everything in advance, and a neat pile of sheets containing sentences was arranged on the desk.
"Take a seat, Naruto," Iruka instructed as he sat behind the desk, his gaze steady and encouraging.
Naruto settled into the chair, feeling the weight of the moment. Iruka handed him a sheet filled with sentences, and Naruto took a deep breath before beginning. He squinted at the characters, determined to push through the challenge.
As he read the sentences one by one, Naruto struggled with the intricacies of the Japanese language. His tone wavered, and his pronunciation was often off, making it hard to discern some of the words. However, despite the difficulty, the meaning behind his attempts was spot on, earning him a nod of approval from Iruka.
"Good job, Naruto," Iruka said when he finished. "You did well."
Naruto beamed with pride, relieved to have gotten through it.
After finishing marking Naruto's answers on the mark sheet, Iruka-sensei looked up with a satisfied expression. "Can you call Kiba for me? I'll need him for his turn next."
"Sure!" Naruto replied, and went back into the original classroom, where the other students were still buzzing with nervous energy.
"Kiba, you're next!" Naruto called out, spotting his friend in the back row. Kiba looked up, his expression anxious.
"Yeah? How'd it go for you?" Kiba asked, scratching the back of his head.
"It was good! I think I passed!" Naruto said, a grin spreading across his face. "You've got this too!"
Kiba's eyes brightened a little. "Really? That's great to hear! I just hope I can do as well."
"Just go for it! Iruka-sensei is waiting for you," Naruto encouraged.
Kiba nodded, his confidence bolstered by Naruto's words. "Alright!" He stood up and headed towards the side classroom, feeling a bit more at ease knowing Naruto had done well. If Naruto can do it then he can do it as well.
As Kiba walked out of the classroom, Hinata eagerly looked at Naruto, who sat beside her, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Naruto, how did it go?" she asked, her voice a mix of anxiety and hope.
"It was good! I think I'll pass," Naruto replied, beaming with confidence.
Hinata smiled, her face lighting up at the news. "Really? That's great!"
One by one, the students were called by Iruka-sensei, and quickly the reading test was over. After the last student finished, everyone happily left the academy, chatting excitedly about their performances and looking forward to the next Shurikenjutsu exam. The tension that had filled the air earlier was replaced with a sense of relief and camaraderie as they stepped into the warm afternoon sun, ready to enjoy their day.
End of the chapter. ______________________________________________________
Power stones, please.