Starring:
Kaido (emitter), Shinobu, Tatsuo
Date: June 10, 2015
Summary:
Shinobu is brought to the exam room to take the Final Exam to be able to graduate the Academy.
"Final Exam, Shinobu's Challenge For Graduation"
Exam Room, Konohagakure Ninja Academy
Today is a very important day, the day all graduating students dread, the day of their Final Exam. It involves more than just demonstrating that they know all the basic skills demanded of Genin, it also invovles a written test, to test their knowledge of shinobi and village history and an oral exam administered by a proctor to see if they mentally have what it takes to be a shinobi for Konoha.
Today was a very special day, as the proctor was Kaido and he along with his summon and nin-ken were waiting in the exam room for one particular student. Their cousin, Shinobu, and they had requested this assignment so that she would be with someone who was familiar and kind to her and would at least help make her more comforatble, thereby increasing her chances of passing successfully.
Bandit glances at the clock and says to Kaido, "She should be here any minute, you nervous?" He knows Kaido well enough to know that this isn't going to be very easy for him, and it shows as Kaido grits his teeth and says, "I'm FINE!" Bolt on the other hand says, "Does this mean I can play with Kame then?" Kaido looks down and says, "Not today Bolt, today we have to act like proctors and stay objective." Doborou pips up, "Yeah, good luck with THAT ONE!" He falls over laughing a bit.
Admittedly, Shinobu didn't think she would be tested for this 'final exam', and she had ended up sort of hiding somewhere… After all, it's only been a couple months since she had joined the Academy. She had learned various skills before it, though, which is probably why the Instructors thought Shinobu should be given the chance. Though with her missing, they had to send one of the Genin, in this case Nara Tatsuo, to go and find her. So she would enter the testing room with Tatsuo leading the way and Kame in her arms. The Nara would have found her in the tree near the entrance to the Academy.
Tatsuo had heard through the grapevine that some exam's were being given today and had tentively decided to go watch since he knew at least one of those that should be graduating. But then she was having a more personal exam and, by the time he figured it out, he'd been volunteered to go find the girl. It didn't take too long luckily since she wasn't all that far away. After getting her to come out of the tree he'd led her to the door and now, after the three entered, he closed the door quietly behind them and just kind of…stood there. Apparently he's planning on staying unless someone makes him leave, his eyes not looking directly at Kaido but a little lower and to the side.
Kaido and his companions's eyes glance towards the door as it opens to admit Shinobu, Kame and Tatsuo. He nods to Tatsuo and motions for the Genin to take a seat out of the way and to be silent. He turns and contemplates Shinobu and his serious expression eases to a sympathetic smile and he says gently, "Hello cuz, do you know why you're here today?" He knows how uncomfortable Shinobu is still.
Shinobu shakes her head quietly, not sure why she was here. Extra training, maybe? Kame yips when she sees Bolt, wishing that she could play, but unable to… Cuz this seemed like a serious time and all. Shinobu proceeds to set Kame down so the pup can stand near her legs, Kame still relatively small, though definitely as big as a normal Inuzuka puppy by now. The black lab looks up at Kaido, tilting her head curiously. Yip! ~So why're we here?~
Tatsuo bows slightly to Kaido before shuffling quickly to a seat in a corner, about as out of the way as he can possibly be. The boy remains silent as Kaido speaks and Kame…yips. He assumes it was some kind of response to the question but he can't be completely sure. So he just sits.
Hige (Hi) pages Daisuke and Kaido: Yeah, no kidding.
Kaido smiles, "It's time for you to graduate, but before you can, you need to take the Final Exam that all students do." He pauses to let that sink in and then says, "The Exam will take 3 stages, the first, a written exam that you'll have 3 hours to finish. After that, you'll have to demonstrate that you have the basic skills necessary to be a Genin. Finally you'll undergo an oral exam to test your mental state and preparedness to be a working shinobi in the village.
Shinobu blinks. She was graduating? What? But she had just joined… She was still working on the Henge (which was actually pretty good at this point)! She was still learning! At least that's what Shinobu felt. Kame is excited, though, as she knows her partner is definitely ready for this sort of thing. Yip! ~Really? Cool! Let's get started!~ Then Shinobu realizes Tatsuo is still here and makes two handseals (Dog, Ram) to allow the Nara to understand Inuzuka language.
Tatsuo shifts in his corner, making himself comfortable since he plans to stay and watch. Until he mentions such a long written portion. Hrm. The boy hesitates some as he glances towards the door. Should he really stay here for that long? Would it make Shinobu nervous to have him just kind of lurking during the written and oral parts of the test?
Kaido nods and motions Shinobu over to a desk that's set up just for her in the middle of the exam room. He waits until she's sat down and places a duotang filled with pages, an answer sheet that have a hundred A B C and circles next to each letter all down the sheet as well as a Number 2 HB pencil in front of her. He pulls out a pocket watch and checks to make sure it's synchronized with the clock on top of the exam room door and says, "When I say start, you may open your booklet and start the test, you have 3 hours to finish. I will warn you when each hour passes, and then give you warnings at 45 minutes, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minutes left and then when I say stop, you are to put your pencil down immediately even if not completely done. Do you understand?" He asks the young student.
Shinobu stares down at the page, wondering what the heck she's supposed to do in three hours. Will it take the full time? She nods quietly when Kaido asks if she understands, picking up a pencil and testing its tip before adjusting so that she's seated before the exam. All she could do was try her best, after all.
Tatsuo considers his options for a time before finally folding his legs beneath him in the dark corner. While Shinobu works on the test it seems that Tatsuo is going to meditate in his little corner. It'll keep him 'busy' while at the same time letting him focus inwardly on things while the time passes. Dark eyes close and his breathing beco es measured and even as he delves into himself.
Kaido holds the pocket watch in one hand and the answer key in his other… … … hint hint… … … At any rate, the ticking of the seconds of both the clock on the wall and in Kaido's hand seems ominous and loud as it heads inexorably towards Shinobu's fate. As the clock strikes on the hour, Kaido says simply, "Begin…" He then crosses his arms and puts the pocket watch in his vest and sits down in the proctor's desk, putting the answer key in full view of Kame (if she looks)… … … hint hint… … … and settles in for the full three hours.
Shinobu looks through the questions, unsure if she could answer some of them. Some of these answers she just happens to know! Wait, no she doesn't. She just misread one of the characters… Kame blinks and peeks at the sheet of paper, peering at it with her dark eyes. Were those useful? A scan of the sheet would reveal that it's the answers! Huh! Wait, how is she going to tell Shinobu, though? It's too obvious if she starts yipping, and Kaido and co. would understand her anyway.
Kaido periodically checks his watch and puts his feet up on the desk and grabs a novel, starting to read it, leaving Shinobu and Kame to figure out things for themselves. If they can't handle this, then they obviously can't handle missions that include getting intelligence stealthily without being noticed.
Shinobu's eye flicks over to Kame, knowing that her partner was thinking deeply. There was a stillness about Kame that didn't feel right… She tilts her head a bit, peering at her partner as if waiting for an answer. With unseen communication and a bit of Genjutsu to help with that not-being-seen, the girl wonders just what it is that Kame's looking at.
Kaido checks his pocket watch again and then the clock on the wall and says, "2 hours remaining…" He glances at Shinobu for a moment before he sticks his head in his book once more.
Shinobu and Kame seem to just stare at each other for a bit. They have a stronger bond than most Inuzuka at that particularly age, somehow able to communicate despite not speaking. There are a few signals that the two know between themselves, like all partners would tend to do, so they use that. Shinobu looks down at her sheet again, flipping through the pages and starting to bubble some things.
Kaido doesn't make it too easy for Shinobu and Kame, he does look up now and then from his book to look at his watch and towards Shinobu. However, if the two are careful, they should easily be able to avoid getting caught cheating. Kaido glances at his watch, then at the clock and intones, "1 hour remaining…"
Shinobu and Kame don't really let in the fact that they're cheating. Well, they try not to. It's likely that Kaido can key in onto their signals at some point since he's pretty smart, and he may be observant enough. Regardless, Shinobu continue to fill in random bubbles until the whole sheet is filled, going in random order, too, so it looks like she's just sort of guessing.
Kaido continues to observe and calls out in sequence, "45 minutes remaining", followed by, "half an hour remaining", "15 minutes remaining, "10 minutes remaining" "5 minutes… 4 minutes… 3 minutes… 2 minutes… 1 minutes… 45 seconds… 30 seconds… 15 seconds… 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… and pencils down!" He puts his book down and heads over to collect the test booklet and answer sheet and brings them back to his desk. He glances over it and tosses everything in the garbage after a couple of minutes, "Excellent, now then, you have 30 minutes to go take a break, get a drink, have lunch or whatever and then return here for the next portion of the Exam."
Shinobu set down the pencil as instructed, waiting for it to be lookedd over. Oh… Guess it wasn't that important. And multiple choice is fast to grade. The girl picks up her ninken and gets up, walking over to Tatsuo and poking him in the shoulder curiously. Was he even alive?
Kaido speaks up then after half an hour has passed, "Alright, Shinobu and Kame, the second phase is about to start." He motions them forwards, the desks having been put away for the time being and has her stand in a sparring circle. He says, "We are going to now test to see that you have learned the basic skills necessary to being a Genin. I want you to demonstrate them all for me."
Shinobu wasn't able to get Tatsuo's attention. He was too deep into meditation… The girl went to go get some water, and it's likely that in that timeframe Kaido had changed the room. She blinks at the new set up and looks at Kaido, nodding quietly and setting Kame down once more. The girl wonders, though… How she's supposed to… Well, she could start with the more obvious ones, right? First she gets out a rope and ties herself up with it with Kame's help, the knots tight and keeping her from making handseals since her arms are to her sides. Her feet have been tied together, too. After a bit of wriggling around, though, the ropes are suddenly loose and Shinobu is free.
Kaido has a stopwatch and is timing Shinobu and says, "Very good, next… work from the easiest to the hardest, the last one I want you to do is to Henge into me."
Shinobu takes a breath, then nods, dashing off to hide somewhere. She makes it sort of obvious that she's going to disappear, but she doesn't reveal where she's aiming to disappear to. The girl is gone, as is Kame, and both have split up so Kaido would have to work to find them. It would be easier for him to seek them out, though, considering he has the same nose as all Inuzuka. Just catch her scent, and he would see her in the ceiling, the girl having managed to climb up using her claws and kunai.
Kaido gives her 60 seconds to ninja vanish and then look up and nods, "Very good, continue…" He pulls out a clipboard and checklist and marks off the skills she's shown so far with a red pen.
Shinobu hops down to the ground, thinking of what to show off next. It takes a handseal, and then the girl is switched places with Kame, chakra aiding her in her speed to allow her to replace herself with the pup. That one was easy. Then she makes a different set of seals, resulting in a *POOF* A clone of Shinobu appears beside her, the girl glancing over to it and poking it with a kunai to make it *POOF* away.
Kaido watches and nods, checking "Replacement Technique" and "Clone Technique" off on his list and most of them have been covered and then he says, "Alright… here is the last one you need to do… I want you to Henge into me as best you can."
Shinobu hesitates, knowing that it's this skill that she struggles the most with. But she nods and makes a handseal, summoning her chakra for this final test. The girl disappears in a cloud of smoke, and it clears to reveal Kaido. She can't really act like him, but she can look like him! The girl holds the henge for a few seconds before reverting back to her usual form, looking at Kaido nervously. Did she do okay?
Kaido raises an eyebrow and looks at Shinobu's Henge, it's not very good, but it is passable at least, enough that someone of Villager/Bandit level would probably be fooled long enough for it to work. He nods and checks it off and says, "Very good. Go and rest again for another half an hour and recover… maybe take some time to think about what I may ask you for your oral exam and the answers you'd like to give."
Shinobu guesses that she probably won't know her results until the very end. She nods and snuggles up to Kame, sitting down against the wall for the next half hour and just waiting there. Also napping a bit… She needed to relax, and sleeping was when her mind had the potential to be most calm. It could also be filled with nightmares, but she was sort of tired after all that.
Kaido waits, giving her the full half hour before calling someone to find her and return her to the Exam room. When she does, the lights would be off and a comfortable chair would be placed in the center of the room lit only by a spotlight. Kaido would say, "Please take a seat in the chair if you would, Inuzuka Shinobu and Inuzuka Kame." This is the most important part of the Exam, anyone can pass the first two parts, it's the oral that tends to fail even the most promising of students.
When Shinobu wakes up, she's a bit disoriented at first. She follows whoever it is that woke her up back to the exam room, looking around and adjusting to the odd darkness. She peers a bit, sitting down in the seat with Kame in her arms. A small genjutsu is woven, if Kaido allows it, so that she can talk a bit easier. If not, she'd have to make do with her own voice…
Kaido doesn't allow it this time, normally he would, but this has to be done on her own merits. He moves into the shadows and he, Bandit, Bolt and Doborou all stand 3 feet apart from each other. Apparently this is to be a quorum proctoring as Kaido steps forwards and says, "Inuzuka Shinobu, we are here to hear in your own words, why you wish to be a Shinobi of Konoha and why we should agree to let you." He steps back and Bandit steps forwards, "We're going to weigh and measure your words to find our what makes you tick inside." Bandit steps back and Bolt steps forwards, "To know if you can play nice with others and be serious when it's time." Bolt doggy-grins and steps back and Doborou steps forwards and says, "Yeah well, just tell the truth, be yourself and above all else… RELAX!" He steps back and Kaido steps forwards again, "Inuzuka Shinobu, having been rescued from your mother, why did you decide to join the Academy to join our ranks?"
Shinobu watches, still a bit nervous when the four step forward and offer their advice/instructions. She glances down to Kame briefly as she thinks, trying to recall /why/ she joined the Academy. Admittedly, the only reason was because she was poked and prodded into trying it. "F… Friends said… it was… good thing…" she says haltingly, referring to many of the genin she knew, as well as Mana and Taiki. And even her own ninken encouraged her to join, the pup thinking that Shinobu would do well. It would aid her healing process more, is what Mana thought, and the older woman had shared that thought with Kame. It was everyone's encouragement that pushed her through the doors of the Academy.
Kaido listens carefully and then steps back as Bandit steps forwards, "Yes… but what do you want? Do you do this out of loyalty to your friend? Or are you doing this for youself? Can you be counted on when your friends are hurt or dead to press on and complete the mission?"
Shinobu furrows her brow at the question. The reason she started was because of her friends. The reason she continued was a mixture of her friends' nudging and her own will to want to be with them. "B… Both…" she says, in regards to the first few questions. But then the question about hurt friends… She wanted to say 'yes, she would be fine', but she didn't know. "… N… not sure…" she admits, gaze turning to the ground. "Want … to finish…" There's a long pause before she continues, "But… friends are… important… to me…"
Bandit listens and then nods gravely and steps back as Bolt steps forwards, "Can Shinobu work with all shinobi friends? Even those not friends? Can Shinobu do what is best for village if ordered by Hokage?"
Shinobu mulls over the question, trying to think of her feelings versus her mind. It was weird, sort of, to analyze herself. Come up with something that followed what she would do without actually having done it. Eventually she manages to say, voice quiet, "H… Hai… C… can't do everything… but… do… my best…" The offer to try to get along with those she is not initially friends with in order to complete a mission. The promise that she would give it her all to do what would be best for the village according to the Hokage. That was all she could give, as definitives were not always definite.
Bolt doggy-grins and wags his tail and steps back and then Doborou steps forwards and says, almost sounding bored and rehearsed, "If it was needed, even though as a Genin you will not be sent on many dangerous missions, some can become dangerous so can you lay down your life for Konoha if need be?"
Shinobu's eye drifts up to Dorobou as he speaks, his tone not exactly encouraging. Was she doing something wrong? Was he bored? Should she give better answers? She almost misses the question thanks to her worrying! So now… would she give her life for the village? Death… She would miss her friends a lot… But she wasn't scared of death. The girl nods her head slowly, though the question is still on her mind long after she's given her answer.
Doborou steps back and Kaido will probably have words for his summon later. Kaido steps forwards and then says, "Finally, before we four decide your fate, there is one more question you need to answer." He pauses and then looks Shinobu straight in the eye, "Do YOU feel you deserve to be a shinobi of Konoha?"
Shinobu wilts just a bit under Kaido's gaze. The questions from before flitted through her mind for a bit before eventually settling down so she could actually answer the question. Did she feel like she deserved to be a shinobi? Certainly, the Instructors thought she was ready. She didn't know if she was /ready/, but a Genin is still learning. She had time to learn. The girl isn't sure again… The answer should be obvious, but it wasn't in her mind. All she could do in reply was shrug and say, quietly, "Sh… Shiranai… (I don't know). Feels like… there's lots… lots more to do…"
Kaido steps back then and four spotlights appear in front of the four judges and Kaido says, "Bandit, step forwards." Bandit steps forwards into the spotlight and looks up at Shinobu and Kaido says, "What say you, is Shinobu worthy?" Bandit speaks then, "AYE!" Kaido then says again from the shadows, "Bolt step forwards…", Bolt steps into the spolight, "What say you, is Shinobu worthy?", Bolt doggy-grins and vigorously wags his tail and says, "AYE!" Kaido then speaks once more, "Doborou, step forwards…" and now Doborou steps into the spotlight, "What say you, is Shinobu worthy?" Doborou says bored-like, "AYE!" There is silence and then Kaido steps forwards into the spotlight, holding a Konoha head protector as well as a smaller nin-ken sized one and says, "Then say we, as proctors of this Academy, Inuzuka Shinobu and Inuzuka Kame rise and step forwards and receive the symbol of our village. Bear the weight and responsibility wisely, never stop learning, never give up hope and always remember that your greatest strength lies with the bonds you make with your friends, family, clan and village. Serve the village as one of it's protectors." AS the two of you step forwards, he offers you the headbands and then gives you a big smile and bows deeply to you and says, "Congratulations cuz… you passed with flying colors."
Shinobu hugs Kame a bit tighter as she watches the spotlights come on. She wasn't sure what she was worried about… Mostly 'disapproval'. She didn't care so much if she graduated or not, as the fact she was taking the exam at all was impressive in and of itself. All four voiced their 'AYE' with varying degrees of cheer, which seem to shock the girl. She's frozen for a bit there when the hitai-ate are offered over, though Kame nudges the girl into action. She peeks down at the two, taking both and clutching them in her hand. She nods a bit to Kaido's words, then steps forward so that she's snuggled up against Kaido for a few seconds. Kame grins and gives Kaido's cheek a lick when it's in range, then both move away (one because she's being carried). "A… Arigatou…" she says quietly, bowing back.
Kaido smiles and helps her and Kame put them on and chuckles and pets Kame and gives Shinobu a gentle hug and then the lights come on and every single one of Shinobu's teachers and classmates all pop party poppers and a banner over the doorway reads, "Omeditou Shinobu-chan! Ike Ike Go Go!" or "Congratulation Shinobi! Hip-Hip-Hooray!" all waiting to give their congratulations and there are drinks and cake and all shout, "CONGRATS SHINOBU! WE KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"
Shinobu's and Kame's both go around their necks for now. They would figure out their preference later, as they never actually figured that out. They didn't think they'd be graduating, after all! When the lights come on to reveal … well, everyone, the girl's eye widens a bit in surprise, and she ducks her head a bit at all the congratulations. But she doesn't quite mind their cheers, so she doesn't flee or anything. The girl would stay for a bit of celebration, then make her way homeward.
