The Pact

-Of Messengers, Principles, and Preliminaries-

"Okay, here goes nothin'..."
After peeling back the edge of the paper, both unravel the scroll quickly, revealing the kanji for man in the center. "What? What does this mean?" Naruto asks, bringing the scroll up for closer examination.
Sakura's eyebrows furrow. "A man?... Person?"
Amaya reaches out and brushes her fingers along the print. "This looks like a seal of sorts..."
At her words, Sasuke's eyes widen in realization. "Oh no... this is a Summoning Jutsu! Naruto, Sakura! Quick, get rid of the scrolls!" He exclaims, making the two look at each other for a moment before throwing the scrolls down.
Both fluttered softly to the floor and right as they touched the tile a loud bang resonated throughout the room, making the four tense and squint through the blinding smoke.
Sasuke relaxes his stance as the smoke clears. "What? It's you?"
"Hey, long time no see, huh?"
Sakura tilts her head to the side, confusion alight in her green orbs. "Iruka-sensei?"
The older male smiled softly. "Looks like you've gone through a lot, in this test."
Amaya huffed, earning his attention. "Don't we know it." She grumbled, reaching up to touch the scar on her shoulder before looking up at him with a smile. "It's good to see a friendly face, though... Wait, you are a friendly face, right?"
Iruka followed her hand with observant eyes, concern practically oozing from his body. However, he decided to brush it off for the time being and chuckled. "Yeah, I'm a friendly." He replied, raising his hands in a mock surrender as he walked closer.
"Hey, wait! What's the deal with the surprise entrance? Why are you appearing with the summoning?"
Iruka turned to Naruto. "At the end of the second exam, we Chunin are supposed to welcome the test takers back. And well, it was just good luck that I got to be the one given the important task of being the messenger for you guys."
"The messenger?" Amaya parrots with a raised brow.
Iruka nods and digs into his pants pocket, pulling out a watch to check the time. "Whew! And you made it just in time, too!" He said before looking up at them with a small smile. "And now... Congratulations! You passed the second exam! To celebrate your passing, I would love to treat you all to one Ichiraku Ramen, but I--"
"Ramen?! Seriously?! That's so cool!" Naruto exclaims, cutting Iruka off as he clings to him like a monkey.
"I'm not done!"
"So cool!"
"Let go...! Hey, Naruto!"
Finally, Naruto lets go. "Awe yeah! Ramen would be awesome! Especially after all of the bugs and plants we've had to eat for the last two days! So gross! I'm gonna eat every noodle ever made!" He yells happily as Amaya, Sakura, and Sasuke fall to the ground tiredly.
"Where does he get all of his energy?" Sasuke murmurs earning a nod from Sakura and a laugh from Amaya.
Naruto pays the three no mind and gives a small jump. "Yeah!"
Sakura flinched at the blond's loudness and scowled. "Ugh, shut up!"
"All right..." Iruka called out placatingly, already feeling drained from Naruto's endless energy. "Well, I can see you're still as hyperactive as ever, Naruto." He comments, earning a laugh from the blond in return.
Sasuke smirked. "Heh, now I see. So then if we had looked at the scrolls in the middle of the exam, what would you have don't to us, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka paused before walking back over to the scrolls to pick them up. "As usual, Sasuke, you're as sharp as a tack." He mumbles before turning to face them, a stern look forming on his face as he answered the question. "You'd figure out the secret. Part if this exam was to test how well you could see a difficult mission all the way through. Simply put, you knew that opening the scrolls was against the rules of your mission and if you had tried to open one..."
Naruto looked up from the scrolls to his teachers face as he trailed off. "What? What would've happened?"
"If a scroll was opened, we were ordered to knock out whoever opened it. Some ninja found that out the hard way."
Sasuke's smirk widened as he side-eyed Naruto. "Heh, it's a good thing you didn't open up yours, huh, Naruto?" He asked, causing Naruto and Sakura to blanch at the thought.
Naruto closed his eyes and tilted his head back while bringing his hands together. "I owe you one... Thanks a million, Kabuto!"
'CHA! THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE!' Sakura's inner self raged on. The pinkette then looked up to the Chunin as a thought came to her. "Hm...? Oh yeah, Iruka-sensei!"
"Yeah?"
"What does the writing in the wall mean? The parchment the letters are written on is kind of eaten away, so it's difficult to read it. We can't understand it."
Naruto waved her off and leaned in close to her face, with a wide grin on his. "Oh please! Look, we passed, didn't we? That stuff doesn't matter now!" He said happily, making the pinkette scowl at his volume.
Iruka looked away from the parchment in question and back to the four beside him. "Well, actually explaining that is another one of the duties I've been sent here to take care of."
Naruto looked up, surprised. "Hm? What, seriously?"
Iruka nodded. "That's right. It's serious business... Give it a good read. They're instructions Lord Hokage recorded as principles that Chunin should follow."
"Instructions?" Amaya asked as she leaned forward, intrigued.
"Yes. Heaven stands for your mind, and Earth for your body. If qualities of Heaven are what your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. Get it?" Iruka asked, looking back at the four. Amaya, Sakura, and Sasuke nodded while Naruto hummed to hisself before shaking his head no. "Alright, I'll explain. In other words, if your weakness lies in your intellect, Naruto, then you have to make doubly sure that you work hard to learn all the information and skills that you need to prepare for your missions."
Naruto groaned at the emphasis on his name. "Ugh... okay, I get your point." He muttered, earning a snicker from Sakura as she laughed into her hand.
Iruka then locked his eyes onto the pinkette. "And you. If your Earthly qualities lack, train your body and prepare to attack. So, if your weakness lies in your physical strengths, Sakura, then you have to make sure that you work on your physical conditioning every single day, so it improves all the time... "When Heaven and Earth are open together, the perilous path will become righteous forever." Meaning, if your mind and body are working together as one, then a very dangerous mission can become an easy one."
Sakura looked away with a small, bashful nod before looking back to her former teacher. "So, what about that spot with the missing letter?"
Iruka grinned. "Well, that part is meant for you to fill in. Do you see that symbol on the scroll? It's the character for person, a reference to you Chunin... You see, these five days of survival were to test your abilities as Chunin and to see if you were any good at it. And I gotta say, you guys really did magnificently. A Chunin is a leader. A guide. It's a Chunin's responsibility to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those serving under him. And to know what skills and training those ninja are going to need in order to succeed on a mission. You did an excellent job on this mission and I want you to remember these instructions on your next one." Once he finished, no one said anything in return, causing his smile to grow wider. "Well? That's it! That's everything I was supposed to say to you."
Naruto grins and salutes. "Got it."
Iruka stares quietly at them all for a moment, his mind flashing back to the conversation he had with Anko. "Uh... One more thing. For the third exam, don't push it too far. Especially you, Naruto, I'm worried--"
Naruto waved the older male off, stopping him mid-sentence. "Iruka-sensei, when I got this headband, I stopped being a student. So, you don't need to worry about me, not anymore! I mean, this headband is proof that I'm a full-fledged ninja, right? You gave it to me. I may still be hyper, but I'm not a kid. Like you just said, I got through the second chunin exam and just you watch, I'm gonna pass the third one for sure!... Right now, I'm a ninja, too!"
Iruka stared at Naruto for a moment before glancing at the other three who were watching silently. Sasuke smirked while Amaya and Sakura both gave him a bright smile. Looking away from them, he focused back on the blond. "Naruto, you're right. I'm sorry about that." He apologizes, earning a laugh in return. 'It seems to me now, that the one who truly understands the strengths and weaknesses of these young ninja best, might very well be you, Kakashi.'

-Meanwhile-

Anko's groans filled the room as she leaned forward on the sofa, clutching her neck tightly. Hiruzen puffed on his pipe for a moment as he watched her before exhaling a cloud of smoke. "How is it? Does the curse mark still cause you pain?"
"No. Not really. Thanks to you it's much better." She replied, earning a nod from the elder.
"That's good, but we better get back to business. This Orochimaru is one of the Sannin. The legendary three ninja, isn't he? He's supposed to be so incredibly powerful that not even the ANBU Black Ops Unit could bring him down. And I heard a rumor that he died, but I guess that wasn't true." Kotetsu said, looking around at everyone in the room from his spot behind the sofa.
Izumo scoffed. "Why did he even come to this village now, anyway?"
Kenji looked out the window in thought before turning to the only female in the room. "Anko..." He called, gaining her attention. "You encountered him. Did he say anything? Hint at any motives as to what he wants now, of all times?"
Anko looked down, racking her brain for anything specific that would be helpful. Then it came to her. '"He's a very promising prospect. He's inherited the sublime abilities of the Uchiha clan. Not to mention, he has quite the interesting teammates, especially the one from the Minamoto... I've always been curious about them, as you know."'
Anko's eyes widened as she took a sharp breath. "Those kids..."
Hiruzen closed his eyes knowingly. "He's after Sasuke, right?... Who else?"
"Wha--?!" Anko stammered, looking up at the elder wide eyed before regaining her composure. "He said something about his teammates... He named one, the one specifically from the Minamoto Clan."
"I see..." Hiruzen murmured, looking over to Kenji who took a deep breath.
The white-haired males fists were clenched and his eyes had gone hard and cold. "He's always been the curious one. My father always warned me to stay away from him as soon as his interests turned to us."
Anko looked between the two. "I'm sorry if this comes off as rude or incompetent, but... Why exactly would he have an interest in your clan?"
Kenji laughed humorously. "It's rarely known, but our Kekkei Genkai revolves around a special kind of chakra. It's only found in my clan, and that's what he's had his eyes on ever since he learned of our existence."
Anko opened her mouth to question more but stops as a nearby tv kicks on, revealing a Chunin staring back at them as he stood in front of a security camera. "Anko, we confirmed that twenty-five ninja have finished the second exam. And as for the third exam, according to the rules, we'll have to hold a round of preliminaries first. The first time in five years." The security footage then shut off not long after that, leaving the room in silence.
Hiruzen looked around and took a long drag on his pipe. "Now. For the time being, we'll just continue with the exams as planned. But I also want to keep an eye out on his movements as well."
"Yes."

"First of all, congratulations for finishing the second exam!" Anko congratulates as she stared down at the twenty-five Genin, who were lined up into neat rows. 'Huh, there were seventy-eight ninja who took that exam. Frankly I'm surprised that even twenty-five passed. I knew that less than half would make it, but I really thought the number would be in the single digits.'
Gai looked over to Kakashi, who stood on his right, with a smug smirk pulling at his lips. "I see your team didn't do so bad, Kakashi. They must've gotten real lucky. Of course, with my team still around, your team is doomed to failure. After all, what matters on the next test is ability and we've got you far outclassed... Well, I guess part of growing up is learning to deal with heartbreak, huh, Kakashi?"
The silver haired Jounin looked over with a raised brow, his one eye staring blankly back at Gai. "Hm? Did you say something?"
Gai felt like his world crumbled at that one single question. Screaming internally, he turns his back to his "eternal rival" and clenches one of his hands into a fist, his eyes fiery and full of determination. 'Alright, Kakashi, you win this round! Boy that drives me nuts when you act so cool! There's no way I'm gonna let you get the best of me!'
Kakashi stares at Gai's back for a moment longer before shrugging it off. Looking back, his eye focuses on a certain quartet. All four looked exhausted, that much was obvious, what with their dirt smudged faces and bodies littered with scratches. But it was the large blood stain on Amaya's clothing and Sasuke's grimace that proved they had been put through the ringer.

***

"Hey look! All of the Leaf Village rookies are here, too!" Sakura's voice whispered from the back of their line, prompting the three to glance around.
"Woah, everybody's here. Old man Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Bushy-Brow, and even your dad, Amaya! It looks like absolutely nobody got left out this time!"
Amaya looks up at Naruto's voice, her eyes instantly meeting her father's relieved ones. She shot him a small smile before looking over her shoulder to Sasuke as he spoke.
"I don't have a very good feeling about this..." He trailed off, reaching up to touch his shoulder.

***

Hiruzen took a drag on his pipe for the umpteenth time that day. 'It's hard to believe there are so many left after the second test. And so many rookies... So that's why they fought so hard to recommend them.' He thought, looking from the corner of his eye to the Jounin standing a little ways behind him.
Anko stepped forward. "Alright pay attention! Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you! You better listen carefully, maggots!" She yelled before turning to the elder, giving a small polite bow as she spoke. "Lord Hokage, they're all yours."
Hiruzen nods and walks forward, clearing his throat as he looks over the gathered Genin once more. "First, before I inform you of what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now, it's something that all of you need to understand. I'm going to tell you the true purpose for these exams... Why do you suppose our country holds these exams in conjunction with our allies?" He asks and after giving them a moment to think, he continues. "To raise the ability levels of the shinobi and increase friendship between allied nations, to be sure. But it's important that you understand it's true meaning. The exams are so to speak..." He trails off, puffing on his pipe as he thought out the best way for explaining the exam. "They're a representation of battle between allied nations. Now, if we look at our history, all the countries that we're currently allied with we're once neighboring nations that continuously fought with each other for power. In order to avoid destroying each other's military strength meaninglessly, those nations picked champions to do battle on behalf of their countries in a mutually selected location. That was how the Chunin Selection Exams originally began."
Naruto's brows furrow. "Well, that's great, but why do we have to go through these exams then? I mean it's not like we're doing this to pick Chunin to go fight."
"Well actually, there is no question that part of the point of these exams is to select shinobi worthy of becoming Chunin. That's just not the whole story. These exams also allow for a place where shinobi can carry the pride of their nation on their backs, and fight against ninja for their very lives."
"The pride of their nation?" Sakura asks, her head tilting to the side.
Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and nodded. "Many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to attend this exam as guests. And also, possibly to seek shinobi to work for them. This exam could determine the course of your ninja work from here on out. And more importantly, those rulers will watch your battles and take note of the strengths that each ninja and each nation is developing. If there is a gap in power between countries, the strong nations are inundated with job requests for their ninja. And conversely, requests to countries deemed weak decline. Therefore, the stronger our nation is, the better our position when negotiating with neighboring countries. So, it's important to show how much military strength our village has."
"Okay, but even so, why is it necessary for us to risk our lives?" Kiba asked from his spot beside Naruto.
"The countries strength is the villages strength. The villages strength is the shinobi's strength. And the true strength of the shinobi is only achieved when it's pushed to its limits. Such as in a life or death battle. This exam is a chance for each nation to display the strength of its shinobi and hence the strength of the nation itself. It's because this is an exam where your life is on the line that it has meaning. And it's for this very reason and for the strength of the nation, that your forerunners fought in this exam. It's truly a dream worth striving for."
"But then why did you use the expression of "friendship" before?" Tenten asks.
Hiruzen sighed softly. "But you've only remembered half of what I said. You also mustn't have the wrong idea of the exams meaning. This is a custom in which balance is preserved by fighting and dying, in the world of the shinobi, that is friendship. The third exam is a fight for life with the pride of your village and your own dreams at stake."
Naruto huffed, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Hmph. Well he sure convinced me."
"Any test is fine. Just tell me what the details of the exam are already. I can handle anything you throw at me." Gaara spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes held the same deadly look they had when he first arrived in the Leaf.
Hiruzen hums and pulls down on his hat. "Very well then. Now listen closely, I'm going to tell you exactly what you'll be doing on the third exam." He informs before clearing his throat.
However, before the elder can go on to say anymore, a nin jumps down into a low crouch before him. "Lord Hokage, before you do please allow me, Hayate Gekkō, appointed as proctor of the third exam to speak first."
"So be it."
Hayate stands and turns to face the Genin with a small cough. "It's nice to meet you all. There's something I would like all of you..." He trails off as a coughing attack takes over him. "To do before the third exam. Uh... we have to have a Preliminary Exam before we can move onto the real one."
Sounds of confusion fill the air. "Preliminary?! Just what do you mean by that?!" Shikamaru exclaims, a scowl forming in his usual blank face.
"I'm sorry... Sensei, excuse me, but I really don't see the point. What's this Preliminary all about? Why can't we just move onto the third exam?" Sakura asks, her eyes shining in confusion.
"Uh.. well you see... The first and second exams might've been too easy. The fact is, we never expected so many of you to still be here. According to the rules of the Chunin Exams, a Preliminary Round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the number of candidates remaining."
"But is that fair?" The pinkette asks again, this time in disbelief.
"It's just that, at this stage we have to speed things up a bit. As Lord Hokage said, a lot of important guests will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time, they've come to see only the best. So, if there are any of you who feel you're not in top physical condition, now's your chance to--"
Amaya sweatdrops as his sentence is cut short by another coughing fit. 'Saa~... Somebody get this guy some cough syrup... If anything, he's the one who isn't in the best shape...'
Hayate, once his coughing stops, clears his throat. "Erhm... Sorry about that... As I was saying, any of you who don't feel up to this, now's the time to for you to bow out. The preliminaries will be starting immediately."
Kiba's eyes widen. "C'mon! You mean right now?!"
Ino's shoulders drooped, her face falling as she spoke. "We just barely survived the last exam; don't we get a break?"
"Man, what a drag..." Shikamaru groans, looking back to Chōji briefly as the latter whines out. "Hey, when are we gonna eat...?"
'Well, they pulled a fast one, but I'm in! All the way, no matter what! I gave my word to Kabuto!' Naruto thought to himself, clenching his fists determinedly.
"Oh yeah, uh... The winners will be determined by one on one combat, sudden death. So, like I said, if there's anyone who doesn't feel up to it, now's the time to raise your hand."
'Does he really think anyone's gonna quit?' Sasuke thought to himself before wincing as another sharp pain emitted from his neck, prompting him to reach up to grip the area tightly.
Sakura, noticing the action as she was at the back of the line, felt her stomach drop. "Sasuke?" She murmured, gaining Naruto and Amaya attention as the duo looked back curiously.
Sasuke grimaced and looked to his feet. 'Waves of pain... They're coming sooner and sooner!'
'Oh no... I knew it!' Sakura thought it herself, making eye contact with Amaya before tuning to look at Sasuke's back. "Sasuke... Listen to me, you have got to quit...! You've been like this ever since you tangled with Orochimaru, and it's getting worse... It's that mark he put on you, isn't it?"
Naruto, having not seeing the curse mark for himself, looked between the three confused. 'Mark?'
"You can't deny it, Sasuke...! Please... Please, Sasuke, quit now before... I don't know what...! I'm scared!" The pinkette pleaded, her green orbs filling up with tears.

***

Hiruzen kept his knowing eyes locked on the quartet as they whispered amongst themselves. "It's just as I feared."
Ibiki, who stood next to Kenji, looked over to the elder. "What do we do with him?"
"We take him out of the exam, hand him over to Black Ops and let them keep him locked up. We have to keep that seal under control--"
"Oh, and he's just going to go along quietly with all of this, huh?" Kakashi asked, butting into the conversation as well as cutting Anko off. Once the female locked her eyes with his, he continued. "You really think so? You're forgetting, he's of the Uchiha clan."
"I don't care what he is! If he stays here, he's a danger to everyone! Don't you see?! If he gets stronger, so does the curse mark! That thing is feeding off his chakra!" Anko hissed quietly in response, reaching up to touch her own mark as she looked down solemnly. "It's a forbidden jutsu that bounds the one who bears it. It's incredible the kids still standing. By now he.. he should be dead."
Kenji sighed. "We understand where you're coming from, Anko." He informed, causing her to look up at him. "But nonetheless, we can't ostracize him for it. It'll only make him want to use and gain from it out of spite. The boys already filled with a darkness... It surely doesn't need to grow bigger."
Anko looked down to her shoes for a moment before looking up to the silent Sarutobi. "Lord Hokage?"
The elder stayed silent as he continued to observe the four, specifically Sasuke who kept his grip tight on his shoulder.

***

"C'mon, you know as well as I do, you're in no condition to keep on fighting!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he looked back at the pinkette.
"Shut up, Sakura!" He hissed out, not wanting to draw more attention than they already had.
"You think I'm blind or something?!" Sakura asked, her body beginning to tremble.
"That's enough, Sakura."
The pinkette shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't let you do it to yourself! I'm going to tell them about that mark! Then maybe you'll..."
Amaya and Naruto's eyes widen as Sakura slowly begins to raise her hand, though before she could get it high enough into the air the room fills with low murmurs. Looking over, they spot Kabuto raising his hand.
"Okay! You got me, I'm out!"
Naruto's breath hitched slightly. "But... Kabuto!"
'Why would he drop out? He's made it this far...' Amaya thought to herself, her eyes narrowing at Kabuto's smiling form.
"Oh..." Hayate stumbles over his words for a moment in surprise before looking at his clipboard. He flips over a few pages with a small cough. "Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf Village, right...? Okay, you can go on and step back."
"Gotcha." Kabuto replies with a small nod before turning to leave the room.
"Kabuto! Hold on a second, you can't quit! I don't get this, what's going on?!" Naruto asks, stepping forward as the older male begins to make his way through the small crowd.
Kabuto stops and turns to the blonde. "Oh, Naruto... I'm sorry, but my body's just too beat up. I can't hack it... The fact is, ever since orientation in that dust up with the Sound Village team, I've had no hearing at all in my left ear. And now I have to put my life on the line? To fight again, right away without a break? I can't do it."
Amaya scoffs, gaining the older male's attention. "Listen, I'm grateful for what you did for us during the second test and all, but why are you even here then?" She asks, crossing her arms.
"Amaya!" Sakura hisses, reaching out to lightly hit the brunette's arm for her rudeness.
The Minamoto briefly glances at her before looking back to Kabuto. "What? It's the truth. I'm honestly curious. Shinobi put their lives on the line during difficult missions all the time. You proved to be quite able and confident during that last scuffle before we reached the tower, so what's changed?"
Kabuto smiled, though Amaya could tell it was insincere. "Like I said, I just can't take it."
"Then maybe you're not cut out to be a ninja." Amaya replied back tersely.
Kabuto's smile widened, a glint coming to his eyes that the four couldn't place. "Maybe, maybe not..." He said, trailing off as he moved his gaze towards the front of the room. "Anyways, I should be going now. We don't want to take up too much time from Lord Hokage... Good luck to you all." And with that, he made his way towards the door.
Once he was out of sight and the sound of his footsteps fade, Hayate lets out a small cough before clearing his throat. "Now then. Does anyone else want to quit?"
Sakura and Amaya share a look. 'I can't let this go on! I have to tell them!' The pinkette thought to herself, beginning to raise her hand a second time.
Suddenly, Sasuke reaches out and slaps her hand down, keeping a tight grip on the pinkette's wrist. The sound of the hit causing the three to flinch. "Don't you even think about telling them of this mark!"
"I don't get what you're trying to prove! Am I supposed to just stand by and watch you tear yourself apart?! I can't bear to watch it."
"Then don't watch but stay out of it! This has nothing to do with you! I told you before, what I am is an avenger."
Amaya snorted and shook her head, rolling her eyes as Sasuke turned his gaze to her. "No, you're an idiot, that's what you are. Sasuke, that curse mark is only gonna make things worse! Stop being such a self-righteous asshole and listen for one second!"
Sasuke scoffed. "And what do you know about it? I'll be fine... For me, this is something far more than just an exam. Whether I become a Chunin or not means less than nothing to me. Am I as strong as I can be? All I want is the answer to that. But I can only find out by fighting the strongest, the best. And the best of the best are all here. This is the path I walk, not you or anyone can change that."
By this point Sakura's tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she stared at the ravenet dismayed. "Oh, Sasuke..."
Amaya scowled. "I know a lot of things." She snapped, reaching forward to release Sakura's hand from the Uchiha's grip. "I know what you're doing is irrational and childish, not to mention dangerous! That curse mark could kill you, Sasuke. Then where would you be? You're only gonna hurt yourself in the long run and I'm not gonna be there when you crash and burn, and maybe I won't be the only one."
"I never asked you too. Or anyone else for the matter."
Amaya's face flushed slightly from anger. Letting out a huff, she turned back around. "Whatever. I'm done with this. Do what you like, I don't care."
Naruto looked between the two and then glanced at Sakura, who was still crying silently. His eyes narrowed, and he shot a glare Sasuke's way. "Man, you don't know when to quit! Why're you biting their heads off for, you idiot?! It's just because they care about ya!"
Sasuke glared back for a moment before a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Naruto. You're one of the ones I want to fight the most."
"Huh?"

***

Hiruzen blows out another cloud of smoke. "I'm still concerned about what Orochimaru said..." He informed, still observing Sasuke's form. "Allow the boy to continue with the exam for now and we'll see what happens."
Anko blanched at the thought. "What?! But... Lord Hokage--"
"However..." The elder began again, cutting the female off. "At the first sign of the curse mark growing or his power getting out of control, we'll step in and stop it."
Kenji and Ibiki nodded. "Right."
Anko looked between the three in shock. "But...!" She began before sighing, realizing that she wouldn't win the argument. "As you wish."

***

Hayate clears his throat for the umpteenth time. "Alright then, we'll now begin the Preliminary Round. This round will consist of one on one individual combat, full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are twenty-four of you remaining so that means we'll need twelve matches. The surviving candidates from these twelve matches will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one does or concedes defeat... or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the contest. Naturally, those who are losing are urged to concede defeat promptly in order to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor, I'm given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches." He takes a breath and opens his mouth to say more but is taken over by another coughing fit.
'Saa~... He was doing so well, too...' Amaya thought, staring blankly at the coughing male.
Once finished, Hayate continues. "I might occasionally intervene if a match seems hopeless, to save as many lives as possible... Now it's time to reveal what fate has chosen for you."
He then looks back at Anko and nods. She returns the gesture and turns, speaking into her mic. "Open the panel."
At her words, a large wooden panel on the wall opens up to reveal a blackened screen. "The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random. Before each match, these names will appear on the display behind me... As there's nothing more to say, let's begin. In a moment the names of the first two opponents will appear." Hayate said informatively. The screen then comes to life with names of the Genin moving quickly across it until it finally picks two.

Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akadō

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Amaya mutters.
Sasuke's smirk widens. 'Didn't waste any time, did they?' He thought it himself smugly before wincing as another shot of pain emits from his neck.
'No! Why did it have to be Sasuke?!' Sakura thought to herself, her expression growing concerned as she stared at the Uchiha's back.
Hayate turns away from the display and back to the Genin. "All right now, those of whose names have been drawn, come forward." He ordered, prompting Sasuke and, who Amaya realized to be one of Kabuto's teammates, to separate from the group. Once they were in front of him facing each other, the sickly proctor continued. "You have been chosen for the first match. Yoroi Akadō and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?"
"None here."
"No."
Sakura deflated and stepped closer to an annoyed Amaya, both watching as Sasuke flinched in pain.
Hayate nodded. "Uh.. alright then... Let's begin the first match." He says, giving a small cough before looking back to the rest of the Genin. "Okay, everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level."