Despite the abject chaos of Maita’s uproar just beyond the door, no one in Team 3 could intervene. The doors were fiercely sealed and even if they wanted to do sothing about Maita’s unbridled rage at flunking out of the chuunin exams, neither Utakata nor Mangetsu were willing to risk what consequences forcing their way out would bestow upon them.
And Zabuza definitely wasn’t about to lose his spot. It was a shock to all of them to hear that surrender, shaful too, especially in an audience of foreign teams. The Iwa and Suna teams eyed them with a more predatory gaze now that they’d lost a whole team thanks to a single person's cowardice.
It hadn’t even been five minutes. Zabuza shook his head as Maita’s protests continued. He refused adamantly to leave without completing his test, to leave a failure. The kunoichi at fault could only whimper against Tamura’s protection by the sound of things but it wasn’t long before Pakura had enough of his tantrum and squarely kicked them out.
The next hour was spent listening to other teams pass or fail. And soon enough Team 5 was brought to the sand chamber to take their test. Haruka and Akane didn’t seem to have any trouble answering the questions, and even Yaga fared well against the ntal pressure.
By Zabuza’s observations Team 5 had one of the shortest test tis among successful teams, only second to the two Suna teams but that had to be as a result of native favoritism— a thing Zabuza didn’t mind or even snide at, after all, their Kage had given as much special aid to them as possible.
Akane and Haruka walked into the winners room with relieved faces that brightened up considerably at the sight of Team 3. They got the vibe of the room imdiately and quickly huddled around Team 3 as their own little observations began.
“Where’s Team 8?” Akane asked after a while, scanning the room. “Don’t tell …”
Zabuza smirked at her but before he could tease or joke of Team 8’s suffocating death her sister answered for her. “They flunked out, didn’t they? That’s the only reason you guys would be so calm in their absence.”
Utakata nodded sadly. “Shizuka surrendered.”
The twins gasped and shared a look. “Maita won’t be happy.” Yaga said, scratching his head.
“Oh, he wasn’t.” Mangetsus scoffed, arms folded as he leaned against the pew they gathered around. “I don’t know if they’ll send us right into the second exam after this but we should probably do sothing about him.”
Zabuza nodded, humorous as it was to see less than failing, he couldn’t forget his job here was not just to pass the exams but to manage both Team 5 and 8. “With how angry he sounded, I hate to say it but I’m worried about that girl.”
Akane raised a brow at him, staring at him in an odd manner as she asked. “I thought you didn’t care about anything?”
Zabuza stared down at her. Akane and Haruka were fiercely identical Karatachi twins but over weeks of travel he’d begun to catch the differences between them. For one, Akane was specially observing him and his attitude with the rest of the team.
It was like she was testing the infamous stories and rumours about him against the reality. She was constantly prodding, jeering and searching for a reaction. What kind of reaction she was expecting he wasn’t sure— most people like this usually wanted to see him act as the Demon of the Mist he was lauded as; violent, unreasonable, viciously wicked. He was enough of that but he refused to be only that for people, he was done eting their false expectations.
Lord Fourth’s given this opportunity to be more than a monster. Even if all Zabuza’s known was violence, brutality and hate, he’d use that to forge more of his true self. He hardened his gaze against Akane’s and caught her shrink a bit as he stood straight.
“I don’t care but Team Kirigakure can’t be fractured, even if one of us has flunked out of the exams. Maita needs to be watched and controlled.”
She didn’t seem to want to back down even then, she leaned back with her sister and pressed. “What would you have done if he made it to the second exam?” she said this glancing at Mangetsu who caught her stare and sneered. “What? It’s obvious the two of you were planning to go at each other in the second exam. Free for all, right?”
“Akane…” Yaga muttered next to her, shifting uncomfortably as the entirety of Team 3 went stone-faced.
“We would have done as Lord Fourth asked, we’d ensure Team Kirigakure advances, however we plan to go about that isn’t your concern as of yet. Now can we all shut up? We have eyes on us.” Utakata stepped up to shut down the line of questioning, his voice was strict and left no room for further discussion.
Another hour passed before the first exam ca to an end. The door opened up and the last successful team, one from a minor village, stepped in with Pakura not far behind them. She scanned the room with a tired, almost bored gaze, “So… thirteen teams managed to pass.”
The way she said that made Zabuza think she was disappointed she couldn’t lower their numbers even further.
“Congratulations to all of you. The second exam will comnce at exactly dawn tomorrow, so return to your accommodations, rest, eat and prepare yourselves for an even tougher challenge. Goodluck.”
Without any more fanfare and just as quickly as she entered, the legendary Jounin walked out of the room, leaving the door open as she went. Team after team filed out and though so chose to linger for whatever reason. Zabuza took note of those and found it very suspicious.
What is Iwa scheming with Suna? It was only one of the Suna teams but even then, their collective experience in the dinner hall should’ve discouraged them from forming an alliance.
Zabuza put it out of mind for the mont as Team Kirigakure or at least, what was left of it, made their way back to their lodgings with Maita and Shizuka in mind.
“Maybe Ao-taicho has already noticed.” Yaga naively suggested as they sprinted over the rooftops.
Mangetsu snorted, “Ao cares even less.”
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