Chapter 55: Great White Shark in the Pond
The examination hall was silent, with only the faint sound of pens scratching against paper.
Morino Ibiki, acting as the proctor, coldly observed the hundreds of Genin candidates in front of him.
Sakura glanced at the test paper in front of her, filled with questions far beyond the Genin level, but without hesitation, she picked up her pencil and swiftly completed it.
Such things were mere child's play for her.
With one hand supporting her cheek, Sakura idly spun her pencil, her gaze drifting out of the window.
Not far behind her, Ino stole a glance at the spinning pencil in Sakura's hand, her eyes lighting up as she quickly formed a seal directed at Sakura.
Mind Transfer Jutsu!
This was a secret technique of the Yamanaka clan, allowing the user to project their consciousness into another's body and take control of it.
Like the Nara clan's shadow techniques, this was a form of Yin Release ninjutsu.
With a faint hum, Sakura momentarily froze as the Mind Transfer Jutsu hit her.
She watched as her hands, seemingly moving on their own, picked up the test paper in front of her and quickly scanned the answers.
So this is Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu?
Sakura felt that if she wanted, she could eject Ino from her body at any moment.
Is this Inner Sakura?
She remembered that in earlier stories, Sakura had another personality known as Inner Sakura.
Apparently, Inner Sakura had the ability to resist genjutsu and even techniques like the Mind Transfer Jutsu.
And during the Chūnin Exams, when fighting against Ino, Inner Sakura had indeed played a key role.
After a brief moment of thought, Sakura decided to let Ino control her for now and cheat.
Testing the effectiveness of the Mind Transfer Jutsu on herself could wait; the exam was more important at the moment.
After Ino memorized enough answers, she quickly left Sakura's body, needing to help both Shikamaru and Chōji with their tests.
Time ticked away, and many candidates were disqualified for failing to cheat discreetly enough.
In the final ten minutes, Naruto made his dramatic declaration about his ninja way and, by sheer luck, managed to pass.
Next came the second stage of the Chūnin Exams.
This was the stage Sakura took most seriously.
The reason was simple: in this stage, Team 7 would encounter a legendary member of the Sannin...
A figure suddenly burst through the window and into the classroom, accompanied by two kunai embedding themselves into the walls on either side.
A massive banner unfurled in front of the remaining candidates.
Anko Mitarashi!
"Idiot," Ibiki muttered under his breath, watching the flamboyant newcomer.
"Idiot," Sakura thought, expressionless, as she silently judged her former teammate from the ANBU's Seventh Division.
"I'm your proctor for the second exam!"
"Introducing the one and only~ Mitarashi Anko~~~"
The purple-haired woman struck a dramatic pose as she introduced herself, though she faltered halfway through her speech.
The reason? She spotted a familiar pink-haired individual among the crowd of candidates.
No way... How is she here, taking the Chūnin Exams...?
Anko's expression turned strange as her gaze lingered on that unmistakable shade of pink.
It felt like throwing a ferocious great white shark into a pond full of harmless fish.
She turned to Ibiki with a questioning look.
However, Ibiki merely shrugged, indicating he had no clue either.
Though Ibiki also recognized Sakura, he wisely chose not to comment, focusing instead on his duty as a proctor.
Division leader from the ANBU?
What ANBU division leader?
That pink-haired girl was just a fresh Genin!
Ibiki was certain of it—no doubt about it.
"Alright, everyone! Follow me!"
With a clear, crisp command, Anko led the candidates out of the classroom.
The Forest of Death
Anko stood before the group of Genin—most of whom were still wet behind the ears (except for a certain pink-haired one)—and began explaining the rules of the second stage.
The exam would last seven days, requiring the collection of both Heaven and Earth scrolls to reach the central tower.
After finishing her explanation, Anko assigned each team their entry gate to the Forest of Death.
As Sakura approached the A4 gate, Anko suddenly placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
"Hey, let go of Sakura, you tomboy!"
Nearby, Naruto immediately jumped to conclusions, leaping to Sakura's defense.
"Naruto, she's someone I know," Sakura said calmly, grabbing Anko's hand to stop her from pulling out a kunai.
"Huh?"
Naruto looked dumbfounded as Sakura explained.
Anko smirked at the blonde boy before leaning close to Sakura's ear, whispering softly:
"What's going on?"
"How did you end up here?"
The warm breath from Anko's whisper made Sakura's ears tingle.
"Don't ask too many questions. During these seven days, have Kakashi and Might Guy on standby. Watch for my signal."
"If anything happens, assist immediately."
Anko blinked, puzzled by Sakura's cryptic instructions, but nodded nonetheless.
Sakura's gaze shifted to a red-haired figure entering the exam area, her tone urging:
"Don't worry about this. Do as I say. I'll handle the rest."
"Wait, hold on—"
Anko wanted to complain about her boring life as a regular ninja.
But the pink-haired girl didn't pay her any attention, dragging Naruto and Sasuke into the A4 gate.
"Hey, Sakura, who is that person to you?"
Naruto's curiosity persisted as they entered the Forest of Death.
"Stop asking questions. Let's find a safe place first," Sakura said, scanning their surroundings and pulling both Naruto and Sasuke along.
Naruto scratched his head but obediently followed Sakura's lead, chasing after a group wearing headbands marked with the Grass Village symbol.
Sasuke frowned but remained silent, trailing behind Sakura.
He recognized the Grass Village ninjas. Their scroll matched Team 7's—it was also a Heaven scroll.
Did Sakura have a grudge against the Grass Village?
Ignoring the scroll entirely to pursue them...
That was the only explanation Sasuke could think of.
Even so, he didn't oppose Sakura's decision.
He, too, wanted to test his strength.
The Grass ninjas would be perfect practice.
With that thought, Sasuke sped up, closing the distance.
The pink-haired girl led the way, leaping nimbly from branch to branch with a triumphant smile.
"Karin, you're mine..."
-------
more chapters on patreon