章 4: Chapter Three: Entrance Exams 2/2
That was the last straw. In a single fluid motion Yoruichi stood up and initiated Shunpo. A single Flash Step was all it took to close the gap between her and the failed enrollee, and a swift gut-punch was more than enough to make her target double over before passing out entirely.
Yoruichi then effortlessly tossed the unconscious oaf with one hand to a nearby assistant. "Take out the trash for me, will you?"
The assistant, a blonde-haired girl, looked at her in a mix of awe and fear before hastily replying. "Y-yes, ma'am!"
Yoruichi then gave the rest of the applicants a hungry grin. "Anyone else want to play 'overgrown spoiled brat' with me? I'm game if you are!"
As she'd expected, none of the applicants took her up on the challenge. Most of them were appropriately terrified, although more than a few had looks of awe on their faces. Quickly picking out Itachi and Jiraiya amongst the crowd, she saw that the later actually looked rather amused at what had just occurred. The former was harder to read, although as their gazes met Yoruichi could detect more than a hint of admiration in his calm and thoughtful eyes.
You're one cool customer, aren't you, Itachi?, she mused as she gave him a playful wink, I like that.
Dropping back into Shunpo, a single Flash Step later and she was back at the front desk. The exam continued apace once the majority of the remaining applicants were able to regain their wits, and Yoruichi did a quick headcount of the survivors.
We started out at 1,947 applicants, she thought as she finished her tally, and we're down to 1,403 now. That's about on track with the average pace recorded for the first phase of prior entrance exams. Another straggler here and there might fall, but at this point I think I've got my crowd that's moving on to Phase Two. All that's left for me to do now is wait for them to finish up.
The minutes gradually ticked by, and ten minutes after the one-hour mark passed applicants began to rise to turn in their tests. Periodically her gaze drifted over to Itachi and Jiraiya; as proctor, she wasn't supposed to play favorites, but their performance the night before was never far from her mind and she was genuinely intrigued with how they were tackling the first phase of the exams.
One hour and twenty-five minutes later she saw Jiraiya stand up and walk forward. As he dropped his test into one of the baskets on the desk he gave her a smirk.
"That was interesting," he said with a chuckle, "I'm looking forward to Phase Two."
Yoruichi gave him a sly smile. "Trust me; you won't be disappointed."
At the hour and a half mark Itachi rose and came forward. He lingered in front of her desk for a moment with a thoughtful gaze on his test before he dropped it into the basket.
"Nice trick with the pens," he said, "That was… unique."
Yoruichi grinned. "That's what I was going for. Afraid I can't take all the credit, though; I had a buddy put them together for me. If you thought this was fun, just wait until you see what comes next!"
She saw what looked like the slightest hint of a smirk appear on his face. "Very well, then."
Good thing you and Jiraiya got done relatively early, Itachi, she thought as she watched him leave the room, I hope you take this chance to rest up, because Phase One's a walk in the park compared to what I've got set up for you in Phase Two!
The final half-hour passed relatively uneventfully. When time had finally run out, only three additional students had washed out, leaving an even 1,400 to proceed to the second phase.
I'll have to split them up into waves for Phase Two, she mused as the last applicant left the room, otherwise the field's gonna be way too crowded. 140 per wave should work just fine.
There was a knock on the door, and Yoruichi smiled; she could tell from their spiritual pressure who they were. "Test's over, so come on in, Tessai!"
A tall, muscular, lightly tan-skinned man wearing glasses entered the room. His black hair was cornrowed and he continued to sport that large handlebar mustache that Yoruichi loved to sprinkle pepper in whenever he fell asleep at parties; the resulting sneeze was always worth a laugh or two. As both the Kidō Corps Commander and the Grand Kidō Chief of the Soul Society, he wore the standard black Soul Reaper uniform, but over that he sported an ornate dark blue robe with an upturned collar to signify his rank. The greatest spell master in the Soul Society and an old friend of Yoruichi's, Tessai Tsukabishi and his subordinates were to play an important role in Phase Two of the entrance exams, and the Captain of Squad Two wanted to make sure that they were all set to go on their end.
"How did it go?" he asked as he shut the door behind him.
"Pretty well, all things considered," she replied, "It wasn't quite as boring as I thought it'd be. There's a couple of special candidates I've got my eyes on, and they did pretty damn well from the looks of things. I can't wait to review their tests later. There was also an idiot who thought it'd be a good idea to pick a fight with me, so that was entertaining."
Tessai winced. "I do hope that you refrained from doing any permanent damage to the buffoon in question."
Yoruichi laughed. "Come on, Tessai, you know me. I just gave him a little love tap and sent him on his way!"
Tessai nodded. "Hopefully he'll learn his lesson from that encounter."
Yoruichi shrugged. "If not, then he'd better pray he doesn't get Unohana as the proctor next year. She'd do far worse to him than I did."
Tessai shuddered. "Very true."
Yoruichi grinned. "All right, enough about people with brains the size of acorns. Are things ready on your end?"
"Yes," said Tessai, "although I still have my reservations about this."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "You were able to get enough specialists, right?"
Tessai nodded. "Of course."
"Then you've got nothing to worry about," said Yoruichi, "After all, I'm just looking to sting them, not kill them. If you've got enough people with that kind of finesse with Kidō then everything will be just fine. Who knows? They might even adopt this as the permanent template for Phase Two in future entrance exams."
Tessai chuckled. "Yes, and I bet you'd like it very much if they named it after you."
Yoruichi giggled. "You know me too well. How does 'The Shihōin Gauntlet' sound?"
"Rather fitting, all things considered," Tessai replied.
Yoruichi stood up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "That's why we're pals, Tessai. Come on; let's keep things rolling. After all, it's just starting to get fun!"
….
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!"
….
Over an hour and a half later the last of the surviving applicants had completed the Pillar Run and gone back above ground, leaving Yoruichi with a few free minutes to run through her sheet and do a fresh count. The attrition hadn't been quite as bad as she'd initially feared; there were still 1,207 applicants left in the running.
Looks like we've got a pretty strong pool of contenders this year, she thought with a smile, Phase Two is usually the one that gets the most washouts, and that was before I put my own spin on it!
"You seem rather pleased with yourself," said Tessai.
Yoruichi nodded. "You could say that. I do like to consider myself a good judge of talent, after all."
"You're referring to the two men who finished at the head of the first wave," said Tessai, "I take it those are the two special candidates you mentioned earlier, yes?"
Yoruichi grinned. "You got it. Pretty impressive, eh?"
"I would certainly say so," Tessai admitted.
Her grin became a smirk. "Even more so when you consider that they took down a Hollow barehanded the night before, don't you think?"
Tessai looked a bit taken aback. "You cannot be serious!"
"Oh, I totally am," Yoruichi replied, "Go ask Unohana if you don't believe me; the two of us saw the whole thing."
Tessai shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I've known you long enough to be able to tell when you're joking and when you're not. Do you think they have what it takes to pass Phase Three?"
Yoruichi nodded. "They've got strong spiritual pressure, even if they don't realize it yet. They'll be fine. That doesn't mean it won't be interesting to watch them in Phase Three, though; it's always fun to see how peoples' energy manifests in the Crystal Lens."
"That it is," said Tessai, "Will you be needing any further assistance from myself or my subordinates?"
Yoruichi shook her head. "Nope, Phase Two was all I required you guys for. Thanks for the help with that. I owe you one."
"Not at all," Tessai replied with a smile, "I'm always happy to lend a hand. Enjoy the final phase of the exams. I look forward to hearing the results later."
Yoruichi smiled. "Don't worry; after the Captains' review is finished, you and Kisuke will be the first ones I come find. Catch you later!"
Now, then, she thought as she headed up the passage towards the surface, It's time to move forward to the final act. I hope you're ready, Itachi!
….
Once again, Itachi was back in the meal hall trying to rest up before the next phase of the exams. Once again, he was all too aware that people were watching him. Jiraiya had him under the scrutiny that he had come to expect from the Sannin since the exams had begun, but he was still surprised at how many of the applicants kept glancing his way. Initially several had approached him and Jiraiya after they'd returned from Phase Two in order to gain insight into what lay ahead, but the two Shinobi had maintained their discipline and declined to answer all inquiries. After a while the applicants who hadn't taken the test yet gave up, the attention Itachi continued to receive from his fellow candidates for enrollment remained. It was especially noticeable amongst those who had actually been part of the same wave in Phase Two that Itachi and Jiraiya had been in when they'd taken the test; they could not believe that the two men had completed the Pillar Run so quickly and with such apparent ease.
To his right he heard Jiraiya chuckle. "It's tough being famous, isn't it?"
"I have no interest in fame or notoriety," Itachi replied, "What others think of me is their business. It does not matter to me."
Jiraiya smirked. "Oh, yeah? Does the same go for our lovely proctor?"
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Just what exactly are you implying?"
"Don't bother denying it," said Jiraiya, "In that last leg of Phase Two you pulled out all the stops to finish first. You wanted to impress her!"
"She's our proctor," Itachi replied coolly, "Whether we pass or fail these exams is up to her. It's only natural for me to desire her to witness what talents I have, even with my powers reduced as they are."
"Really?" said Jiraiya with a knowing look in his eyes, "It was just for the exam score, you say? How come I'm having a hard time buying that?"
"Because yours is the mind that came up with the Make-Out Paradise series," Itachi quipped, "You can't help but construe other meanings from the interactions between men and women."
Jiraiya laughed. "Is that what you think? Well… you might not be entirely wrong there, I suppose."
It was just at that moment that one of the doors opened, and in walked Yoruichi. She wasted no time in addressing the remaining applicants.
"All right, everyone, follow me!" she ordered, "Phase Three is this way!"
Itachi, Jiraiya, and the others did as they were told. Eventually the group found themselves inside a broad courtyard. There were rows upon rows of what looked like meditation mats, and sitting on each mat was a clear crystal about the size of a ball from a child's game.
"Congratulations on making it to the last phase of the entrance exams," said Yoruichi, "Brains and skill have gotten you this far, but your final test is going to examine something else entirely; the quality of your spirit energy."
She then gestured to one of her assistants, who brought her a crystal just like the ones on the meditation mats. "Phase Three is known as the Crystal Lens, and these rocks are the reason why. They're naturally forming crystals found in caves scattered across the Soul Society. These stones have a special property to them; they can create a visual manifestation of someone's spirit energy. Here's an example for you."
She held the crystal in one hand and focused her gaze purely on that stone. Itachi's eyes narrowed as a white flame suddenly appeared in the center of the crystal. The flame rapidly expanded until the entire stone was bathed in its light.
"The spirit flames that appear in these crystals will allow my assistants and I to measure your spirit energy," said Yoruichi, "These are the properties we'll be examining; the strength, durability, and most importantly the stability of your spirit energy. Don't be surprised if the flames that appear in your crystal aren't the same as mine; the color depends on the individual touching the stone. This phase of the exam will last a half an hour. In that time, my assistants and I will be wandering around the courtyard and monitoring your spirit energy. If either myself or one of my aides places a hand on your shoulder before time's up, that means you washed out. Everyone still in the courtyard at the end of the half an hour will pass the test."
Passing the crystal back to her aide, Yoruichi gave the applicants her final instructions. "When you hold the crystal in your hands, empty your minds of everything else except for the crystal. If you need to take some time to meditate before grabbing the stone, that's perfectly fine; just remember that you don't have all day for this. Now, I want all of you to pick a mat and sit down. Phase Three will begin on my mark."
Itachi grabbed a mat towards the rear of the courtyard, while Jiraiya took the one next to him. The Legendary Sannin looked perfectly at ease with the nature of the final test, which didn't surprise Itachi in the least. After all, Jiraiya had been renowned in the ninja world as a master of Sage Jutsu, which required plenty of meditation in order to gain proficiency in; an exercise like this would be a walk in the park for him. Sitting down, Itachi looked at the stone in front of him. He already had his approach in mind; just like during Phase One, he would take a little bit of time to center himself before beginning the test in earnest.
Ten minutes of warmup meditation should suffice, he thought as he watched Yoruichi, prepared to start his mental timer the second she gave the go-ahead.
A moment later the Captain raised her right arm. "All right, then. Three… two… one… begin!"
….
Yoruichi sighed as she touched a red-headed girl on the shoulder. "You're out. Sorry."
The girl's eyes widened as she stammered in protest. "B-but I've barely even started!"
Yoruichi shook her head. "You can't fool me. That crystal's all the evidence I need."
It was true; the tiny crimson flame within the crystal was very weak, barely clinging to life. The pitifully small bit of spirit energy flickered and sputtered, far too inconsistent and frail for it to receive a passing grade.
The girl hung her head in disappointment as the flame disappeared entirely a few seconds later. "But… I worked so hard…"
"This isn't the end of the line," said Yoruichi, giving the girl an encouraging smile, "This just means that your spirit energy needs a little more time to grow. Build up your strength and come back next year. The Academy's not going anywhere, I promise you that."
She nodded at an assistant who came over to lead the girl out of the courtyard. Turning her attention to the rest of the applicants, Yoruichi's smile grew when she finally saw Itachi reach for his crystal.
So he used ten minutes for preparation, she mused, Just like Phase One; he doesn't jump in without making sure he's ready. That sort of prudence will serve him well in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads…
Jiraiya had taken much less time to prepare than Itachi had; he had only spent five minutes in preliminary meditation. That smaller window didn't seem to hurt him in the least, though, for Yoruichi could see the blue-white flame within the crystal still burning brightly and steadily. The white-haired man seemed to be a natural at this exercise, and his was definitely the strongest flame that she had yet seen amongst the applicants.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied Itachi closely. The raven-haired young man held the crystal in both hands with his eyes closed. For a few seconds, there was no activity whatsoever, but that changed the moment he opened his eyes. A black flame ignited, and it quickly grew until it came to dominate the entire crystal. It was an entrancing sight, and Yoruichi wasn't the only one drawn to it; all the other aides had ceased observing the rest of the applicants and were staring in awe at Itachi's crystal.
"Impressive," she said softly, "Most impressive…"
As much as she wanted to focus her attention solely on Itachi, Yoruichi forced herself to pull away and scan the class as a whole. There were still about twenty minutes left in the exercise, and it looked like everyone had manifested their flames of spirit energy within the crystal. From here on out it would be a test of endurance and stability. There was no rule that stated someone had to maintain their flame from the moment it ignited until the end of the test, but doing so certainly wouldn't hurt that person's final score.
It's too bad Unohana's prepping for the physicals right now, she thought as her gaze went back to Itachi and Jiraiya, I bet she would've loved to see this…
The minutes slowly went by, occasionally interrupted by Yoruichi or one of her aides informing a student that they had failed the test. By the time Phase Three finally came to an end there were 1,105 applicants remaining. It actually was about the middle of the road as far as prior enrollment groups were concerned, but Yoruichi wasn't particularly interested in whether or not the exams proctored by her had the largest or smallest amount of people who were able to pass them. She was just glad that it was nearly over. She still had to go over the Phase One test results of those who had survived the whole process, but that was something she was actually looking forward to doing since she would have a considerable amount of help with it.
"All right, you can all rise," she said with a smile, "Congratulations on making it through the last phase of the Shin'o Academy entrance examinations!"
A round of cheering went through the group of surviving applicants. Jiraiya had a pleased grin on his face, and while Itachi appeared more subdued Yoruichi still caught a hint of a satisfied smirk from him.
"Okay, settle down," she said after a moment, "Feel free to throw a party later, but there are still a few things we need to get out of the way before you can officially start your freshman year at the Academy. For now, I want you all to return to the meal hall. You'll find members of Squad Four waiting there. They'll be handling your physicals, so cooperate with them fully if you want to make sure you get to go to class on the first day of the semester. Once your physical exam is complete, you'll be taken to the student dorms. Orientation will begin tomorrow morning, so make sure you rest up."
As the successful candidates began leaving the courtyard, Yoruichi called out to her two favorite applicants of the bunch. "Itachi, Jiraiya! Come over here for a minute, will ya?"
The two men glanced at each other for a moment before approaching her. The rest of the new students gave them curious looks before leaving the courtyard. Yoruichi didn't really care about impressions or appearances of favoritism now that the exams were officially over, especially since she had something special in mind for the stars of today's tests.
She grinned as the two of them came up to her. "Well done, both of you! I'm pretty sure I'm not blowing smoke when I say that you two blew these tests completely out of the water!"
Jiraiya smiled. "Well, now, it's a pleasure to hear you say that! Any chance you can pass that praise along to Unohana?"
Yoruichi smirked. "You can tell her I said that yourself; she'll be personally handling your physical, along with Itachi's. You two are getting the VIP treatment, so make the most of it!"
Jiraiya chuckled. "Oh, I will!"
"We weren't being given similar treatment during the tests without our knowledge, were we?" asked Itachi, his eyes narrowing.
Yoruichi shook her head. "No. You two went through the exact same tests as everyone else. You just happened to be by far the most gifted candidates this year. I was rooting for you guys, but I didn't do any favors for you; you passed the exams on your own merits, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Itachi nodded. "I see. Thank you for that; my success here would have no meaning if it were not achieved honestly."
Yoruichi smiled. "That's a good attitude to have. You'll go far in the Academy, Itachi. Hell, I bet you'll be the favorite of all the teachers before the first week of the semester is up!"
Jiraiya folded his arms and grinned. "Oh, yeah? What about me?"
"Gifted class clown, all the way!" Yoruichi replied with a laugh, "At least, that's the vibe I get from you, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya smirked. "That sounds fine by me."
"Good," said Yoruichi, "By the way, once your physicals are done, I want the two of you to return to the meal hall, all right? I'll swing by and pick you up; there's some people that I want to introduce you to."
"Colleagues of yours?" asked Itachi.
Yoruichi grinned. "Yup! You two scored one hell of an opportunity with the way you performed today; I'm gonna introduce you to some of the other Captains later! They're gonna want to meet you when they see your test results, and don't be surprised if they start throwing out recruitment offers!"
If I know them, those'll start flying as soon as I tell them about the Hollow incident, she thought, I'd like to get both of these guys into Squad Two when they graduate from the Academy, but if I have to share I suppose I can give up Jiraiya. That being said…
…you're gonna be all mine if I have anything to say about it, Itachi!
Author's Notes: So, I'm sure you noticed the bit early on in the chapter when Soi-Fon mentioned Five Great Noble Houses instead of four. No, that wasn't an error on my part. I'm expanding the Soul Society's high nobility, and you'll see why later on in the story.
With regards to the Academy entrance exams, I decided to make them a milder form of the Chūnin Exams. No life or death battles, but still a mixture of written and physical tests.
Hope you liked the chapter! Please review!
週次パワーステータス
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