Chapter 19: Chunin Exams Begin

As dawn broke, Sakura woke just before the sun and slipped into the kitchen, finding Ino, Hayate, and Genma already gathered around the table, her plate ready and waiting. She smiled at their thoughtfulness, recalling how moody she had been the day before.

Genma beamed at them, pleased to see Sakura emerging from her recent funk. He had always promised to support her, even going so far as to arrange for her orders to be sent to a neutral mailing address through a secret summon he had kept hidden for quite some time.

After finishing breakfast, Sakura decided to clean up, determined to help out since she wasn't sure who had cooked. She insisted on handling the dishes herself, but Hayate playfully put them on the higher shelves, making her pout.

"Not my fault you're vertically challenged!" Hayate laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, rolling her eyes in response. Grabbing her basic pack, she headed for the door. When she opened it, she was greeted by Shikamaru, Chouji, and their fathers standing on the other side. Blinking in surprise, she offered, "Good morning! Uh, come in. We just cleaned up from breakfast. Would you like some tea?"

Shikamaru chuckled, handing her a large bag. "It's ready. Go put it on!"

Sakura rushed to comply, prompting laughter from the group. She dashed into her room to try on the new armor layer that blended seamlessly with her clothes. A symbol had been added, and it made her smile as she read the note attached from its maker. Shikato was a Nara unlike any other—clever, personable, and anything but lazy.

Sakura-chan,

I know you worry for your family, but I hope this calling card serves as a symbol you can proudly display on all your armor and weapons if you choose. I may have snuck over to your home to find a meaningful signal. I saw the necklace you wear, the blossom, and felt it suited you perfectly. Sorry if that seems strange; I just believe everyone deserves a sign of their own that reminds them of home.

I hope this armor gives you the boost you need!

Shikato Nara

Sakura smiled, recalling the exact necklace he mentioned. She had never taken it off, regardless of anyone's suggestions. The necklace was a gift from her father, a custom piece meant to remind her of home. Emerging from her room, she noticed Shikamaru's surprised expression at the symbol, though his father remained unfazed.

Searching her face for clues, Shikamaru found only contentment. She revealed the necklace, and he nodded, recognizing its significance. It was a reminder of her love for her family, but also a potential target for enemies. 'Good move, Shikato,' he thought.

Sakura spun around, beaming. "I really love it! It's perfect! I owe Shikato a big thank you!"

She turned to Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, and their family members in the apartment. "Ready to go?"

Ino jumped up with excitement. "Yeah! Let's ace this exam!"

With that, the three genin left to meet Ino's teammates at the Exam Entrance. The adults left behind shared smiles laced with worry. They didn't appreciate the early nomination either, but those decisions rested with their sensei and Hokage-sama.

As soon as the four genin entered, Ino rushed over to her two teammates, who were making a scene and groaning. Once they rejoined Team 10, Sakura whispered, "We're going to send you guys up the steps and keep quiet—no fighting or arguments. We'll join you in about three minutes."

Ino followed the instruction while Shikamaru set a timer. Chouji waved over Hinata, who brought her teammates along. "Head to the stairs, and we'll see you in a few minutes. This is the second floor according to Sakura."

Hinata smiled and thanked Chouji before heading up the stairs. As soon as Shikamaru's timer went off, they followed suit, but Sakura groaned as she spotted Lee and Sasuke in a heated argument. Moving closer to Ino, she muttered, "Do they not understand the concept of subtlety at all?"

Ino glared, her frustration evident. "That's like asking me to be ugly or Naruto to be quiet. It just won't happen, no matter how hard we try, and it's ridiculous!"

Sakura gently patted her friend on the back before approaching the two older genin. "He knows that fighting without the proctor's permission can get him kicked out of the exams, right?"

Both teammates looked at her in disbelief as she called out, "Sasuke, get back with your team and stop causing a scene! Do you want to be disqualified before the tests even begin? Fighting isn't allowed without the proctor's permission and supervision. Now move!" After that, she turned to grab her team and headed into the room, where they were met with a line of surprised sensei. "What? It's true!" she shrugged.

Shikamaru sighed as they entered the classroom, lining up quietly against the wall. Sakura peeked at the competition through her hair while Shikamaru started to doze off. Chouji munched on his chips, needing the energy boost before the exam nerves kicked in.

"I'm gonna beat all of you, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, prompting Sakura to facepalm. "Idiot…" she muttered, then looked over fondly. "Hey, Loudmouth, get over here and pipe down. The exams are gonna start when the proctor arrives."

"Why'd you ask him over here, Sakura? Now he's just going to be loud right next to us," Shikamaru complained, which made Sakura smile.

"Ino hasn't figured out how to rein him in yet. Maybe a few demonstrations will help her out. He seems to listen just fine to me," Sakura pondered, then thought to herself, "I wonder why that is?"

Chōji chuckled as his best friend grumbled in protest. They walked closely together while Ino and Sasuke trailed behind, accompanied by Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. Once they had gathered, Sakura began quietly, "So, our sensei wants us to work together. I'm guessing the exam will have three phases: a written test, survival challenges, and then one-on-one or team battles. Any thoughts?"

Shino raised his hand, summoning a few kikaichū from his sleeve. "These bugs are easy for me to track." Sakura glanced around at their teams and asked, "They consume chakra, so which of us has the most? I can carry one for us." Sasuke silently extended his hand, allowing a bug to settle on him.

"But how will we track them?" Naruto whispered, still feeling the weight of earlier glares.

"Look, things are tense enough. You shouldn't be grouped together and chatting like this. These exams are serious." A new voice interrupted.

Sakura fought to keep her irritation in check, and Kiba noticed, giving her a questioning look. She smiled at him and replied, "Thanks, but we can manage, nin-san. Please return to your team. We don't recognize you from around the village."

Ino joined in with a smile. "Yeah, if we needed help, we'd ask someone we know. Bye!"

Their rookie group moved to ignore the silver-haired genin who had intruded on their conversation, missing the flicker of annoyance that crossed his face. He managed to regain his smile, introducing himself, "I'm Kabuto Yakushi. The reason you don't see me often is that I usually work at the hospital or with the orphanage I grew up in."

Sakura sighed. "Name's Sakura. Please leave us alone, Yakushi-san. You're a stranger, and we don't need anything from you." She turned her attention back to her moment of meditation, keeping her senses sharp for any disturbances. As she did, her bangs shifted just enough to reveal her seal.

'Is this the girl Orochimaru-sama mentioned?' Kabuto mused, catching sight of the mark that no child should have been able to achieve with such discipline.

Sakura continued her focus until Ibiki Morino entered to assign seats. Looking around the room at the proctors, she smirked at Kotetsu and Izumo. "Your henge jutsu as gate watchers wasn't very convincing," she teased, grinning as their eyes narrowed at her.

She felt a poke from behind. "Sakura, don't pick on the proctors. That was their genjutsu, not their henge," Ino chimed in.

Ibiki barked, "Quiet down, ladies. I've got a test to administer."

Sakura shrugged casually. "Bluff? Trick question?" She held up the paper. "This isn't the real test. Some of these questions require a jōnin or ANBU mindset to answer." She laid the paper on her desk and muttered, "Psychological warfare?"

Ibiki narrowed his eyes at his favorite pinkette. "Brat, why are you even here? You should have been skipped to the next phase."

Sakura pouted, "Aw, but then you'd miss my pretty face, Ibiki!" She fluttered her eyes dramatically, causing most of the genin to gag, while Ino laughed.

A smirk crept onto Ibiki's face. "Brats, step out and sit with Izumo and Kotetsu as extra proctors. Your team scores will determine if you pass this round." His gaze hardened on the remaining four. "If you fail, your two lady friends fail with you."

Sakura winked at her teammates and took her seat with the proctors, Ino joining her as they shared a laugh. Her voice turned serious. "They wouldn't dare."

Kotetsu groaned, "Boss, what have we ever done to you?!"

Izumo rolled his eyes, smiling at the two. "Hello, ladies, sit with me while Ko's being a baby."

Ino and Sakura hugged their favorite gatekeeper, sighing playfully. "Now everyone knows why you're our favorite."

Shikamaru groaned. "Troublesome, stop flirting with the chunin girls. Your dads will be pissed."

Ino and Sakura pouted. "Spoilsport!"

Meanwhile, in another office, several jōnin sensei and parents, including the Hokage, were observing. Inoichi and Kizashi were groaning in a corner while others laughed.

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. "Why did they reject that young man's help? And why did those girls call out the point of the exam?"

"To confuse the competition, most likely. No one expected them to figure it out. Being singled out and forced to depend on their team is a twist just as much as a cover. Ibiki knows he can't fail them now," Inoichi sighed.

"My little Petal is growing up too fast. What do I do?!" Kizashi lamented as he watched his daughter maneuver through the proctors.

Hiruzen chuckled. "They're being kunoichi, Kizashi-san. They're using their charms to sabotage and outplay the teams unfamiliar with their antics. Keep a close eye on the competition."

Kizashi and Inoichi leaned in, eyes widening in surprise at the fear etched on some teams' faces. The Suna team seemed amused, along with those from Sound and Grass. Sakura's gaze swept the room, identifying the weaker teams by their reactions.

Meanwhile, Ino used her skills to help both teams with answers using her jutsu after discreetly copying Sakura's responses. She was proving that they had what it took to pass.

Shikaku groaned, glancing at Chōza. "We should have had a team dinner at our houses. We should have recognized just how dangerously intelligent and advanced she is."

Chōza chuckled. "Hindsight is 20/20, my friend. We can hold one before the final round of the exams." Shikaku nodded in agreement, eager to get to know Sakura better.

Time passed, and eventually, the known teams were cleared for the second round. All spectators shuddered as Anko burst into the room, announcing the next exam. "Welcome to the Forest of Death! Waivers must be signed, and each team will receive one scroll—either Heaven or Earth. To advance to the third exam, you need to obtain the other scroll from another team. If you die after signing the waiver, no one can blame us."

Returning to her team, Sakura double-checked, "Everyone got your supplies?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Extra food and weapons. Did you grab the medical stuff?"

"Extra food for all of us, weapons, medical supplies, and of course, my armor," Sakura replied.

"My cousin told me to stock up… now I see why," Chōji remarked, glancing at Sakura in surprise. "You really went all out for this, didn't you?" He recalled her extensive list, his eyes widening further. "You didn't use all your mission pay for us, did you?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nah, I sealed away most of my mission pay for savings. This was just my mission prep money, which I spent carefully."

Shikamaru looked intrigued. "You're already thinking about budget? Why?"

Sakura smiled. "I'll be on my own eventually, so I might as well get a head start in case of emergencies." She glanced around. "I plan to move out sooner rather than later, which is also why I don't wear my clan symbol. My problems will be mine, and no one else's."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding and quietly told Chōji, "I'll explain later."

Chōji moved closer. "Who should carry the scroll?"

Sakura pondered for a moment. "How about you?"

Chōji was taken aback. "You'd trust me with it?"

Sakura looked genuinely surprised. "Of course! I trust both of you equally, you know." A hint of sadness crossed her face. "Do you think I don't?"

Chōji exchanged glances with Shikamaru. "It's not that exactly… some of the things Kakashi asked about you seemed really private."

Shikamaru added, "Let's talk about this after the exam. We trust you, Sakura… you're just not as easy to read. We can work through it."

Sakura nodded and positioned herself at her team's gate. "Right, let's do this, guys."

Chōji and Shikamaru smirked in unison. "Right!"

"And GO!" Anko bellowed as all the gates swung open, allowing their team to leap into the forest without hesitation.

Shikamaru took the lead, while Sakura and Chōji flanked the rear, determined to keep their team safe.

"Sakura, should we wait by the tower or the gate?" Shikamaru asked.

"Are we faster or stronger?" Sakura queried.

Shikamaru sighed. "Faster, for now. Tower sounds good with you, Chōji?"

Chōji took a moment to consider. "If we're careful… but do we have anything I can eat easily to keep me moving?"

Sakura channeled a bit of chakra into her seal at her lower left stomach and handed Chōji a few granola bar flavors. "It's not much, but we should save the jerky for later."

Chōji hummed happily, relieved that he wasn't being teased for needing to eat. In their childhood training for Ino-Shika-Cho, Ino used to tease him relentlessly.

Sakura smiled, "Your body requires more fuel than ours since your jutsu are more taxing. There's no shame in that."

Not long after, a random Mist team mistakenly assumed Sakura had the scroll and decided to test their luck. Team 10 had set plenty of traps, grinning as they bound their unconscious competitors. Sakura retrieved two scrolls and laughed, "Look, guys! Just what we needed—and a spare!"

Shikamaru grinned, "To the tower, then?"

Chouji cheered, "To the tower so we can eat!" They all shared a relieved laugh as they ventured deeper into the forest, with Sakura silently hoping for the best.

As they approached a familiar part of the forest, Sakura felt a wave of apprehension wash over her when she heard Ino's whimpering voice.

She shot a look at Shikamaru, who wore a grim expression and nodded. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the sound, finding Ino curled up in a fetal position while a sound kunoichi, Kin, loomed over her with a kunai. Channeling her chakra, Sakura unleashed a powerful kick that sent Kin crashing into a tree, the sickening crack of bones echoing through the forest.

Shikamaru was busy restraining Dozu, while Chouji pinned Zaku down with an expanded limb. Sakura immediately rushed to Ino, assessing her injuries and doing what she could before hiding her away and turning to confront Dozu.

The sound ninja glared, "Orochimaru didn't mention Leaf ninjas would come crawling out of the woodwork."

Sakura sneered, "I couldn't care less what that snake says. You can either run or we'll make you." She lowered her body into a stable crouch, her beads clinking softly in the dappled light filtering through the trees.

Shikamaru readied his weapons, prepared to assist Chouji if necessary. He knew Sakura could mostly hold her own, but their attack on Ino was crossing a line. His eyes scanned the area, alert for any further threats.

Sakura discreetly moved her chakra to muffle her hearing, shielding her ears from any potential damage. Then she positioned her senbon in a circle around the sound ninja. Once in place, she signaled to Shikamaru and Chouji to release Zaku, setting off one of her beads. It contained a basic lightning jutsu that Hayate had sealed for her—not overly powerful, but enough to trap their enemies momentarily.

"Shikamaru, give our spare scroll to Ino if it's the one she needs, and get her straight to the tower. She needs to get out of this forest," Sakura urged.

Shikamaru grabbed her arm, "How long will that jutsu hold?"

"Ten minutes at most," Sakura replied, meeting his gaze.

"Chouji, grab Sasuke. I'll get Naruto. Sakura, you take care of Ino, and let's move to the tower before that jutsu runs out." Shikamaru's voice was commanding, and Sakura obeyed without hesitation. They encountered the remaining Leaf teams as they made their way.

Neji and Shino exchanged concerned glances with Team 7 while Sakura focused on stabilizing Ino. Her blonde friend would need to open the scroll for her team. Once inside the tower, Chouji opened Team 10's scroll, and Ino opened Team 7's. Tenten and Kiba did the same for their respective teams.

As the four Chunin arrived, they were both shocked and relieved to see all three rookie teams and Team Guy before them. Iruka sought to know what happened with Team 7, but Ino interjected, "Sensei, we need to get to a room before the third round begins!"

Sakura followed Iruka, helping Ino as the boys carefully laid the other two down in Team 7's assigned space. She removed her armor to access a seal containing her medical supplies.

Shikamaru had known his teammate was prepared, but he had no idea how much until that moment. The supplies on the bed allowed her easy access to treat all of Team 7's members. Pulling out a scroll, she unfurled it and activated another seal, producing enough food for five teams. She turned to Shikamaru and Chouji, "I hate to ask, but can you two handle the food? I made sure to have enough for our four teams—and a little extra."

Shikamaru nodded, grabbing the supplies while Chouji grinned at the assortment of ingredients. "Sure thing! Just take good care of them, Sakura."

Once the boys left, Sakura focused on Ino, who lay unconscious and in pain. "Ino," she said gently, brushing her hair back. "I need you to tell me what happened—everything. I'm sorry, but I need to know to treat you."

Ino clenched her eyes shut, trembling in fear. "There was a man… he pretended to be a woman. He…" She paused, catching her breath. "He wanted Sasuke for his eyes… and he wanted information about you." She looked up at Sakura, desperation in her gaze. "I didn't give him anything! He used genjutsu… summoned snakes. Sasuke almost got bitten, but he missed." Her eyes flickered toward Naruto. "Naruto got really mad… he was cloaked in chakra so heavy I felt like I couldn't move."

Sakura sighed, "Did anything else happen?" She continued to stroke Ino's hair and back, watching as her breathing gradually steadied.

"He said his name was Orochimaru… he's the Sannin, right? The one who left the village when the Yellow Flash became Hokage?" Ino asked, her voice shaky.

Sakura nodded, her expression serious. "Summoned snakes… what did he look like?"

"Long black hair, soft pale skin with purple markings, a gentle but male face, and haunting gold eyes," Ino described. Sakura's expression hardened.

"That sounds like the Orochimaru I've heard about. Anko-san would know for sure. Are you okay?" she asked cautiously while binding and healing some of Ino's injuries. The severe bruising had faded and would be completely gone by morning.

Ino nodded, still trembling. "He… he said someone was coming and took off. He seemed a bit frightened." She watched Sakura as she calmly checked Naruto for chakra burns. Fortunately, he had mostly healed thanks to Kurama. As soon as her chakra made contact, she felt a warm surge from the fox in the form of a friendly shock.

'Good to know you still remember me, Kurama… just a heads-up: your chakra isn't always human-friendly,' Sakura thought toward the fox as she continued her examination. Once she finished, she gently woke Naruto. "You need to clean up and change. Food will be ready soon."

Ino waited for Naruto to head into the bathroom before she stripped and changed herself, planning to freshen up before bed with Sakura. Once she was done, she moved over to check on Sasuke as Sakura searched for any injuries.

Sakura examined him carefully. "Ino, are you sure Orochimaru missed Sasuke? He didn't bite him anywhere?"

"No, he missed and then ran off when he sensed someone. Why is being bitten by him such a big deal?" Ino asked, curiosity piqued.

"Have you ever heard of the curse mark on Anko's neck?" Sakura inquired cautiously. Ino shook her head, indicating she hadn't.

"Orochimaru gave it to her. It's a twisted form of sealing and senjutsu that's forbidden and dangerous. If Sasuke had that mark and used it willingly, Orochimaru's chakra would infect and possess his entire body like a parasite. It's not good news, Ino. I need to check to be sure."

Ino's eyes widened. "Why would he do that? Ew!"

Sakura shrugged. "Power, delusion… who knows what goes on in that man's mind?" She sighed in relief as she realized Sasuke was still clear of any marks. 'Whatever your plans are, Hiruzen… at least you didn't let him suffer for it. I wonder who made Orochimaru run away.'

Naruto emerged, fresh and showered. Sakura turned to Sasuke and said, "Dinner is almost ready. Shower and change. I'm glad you're alright."

Ino appeared to have a question on her lips but ultimately shook her head, deciding to leave Sakura to her work. She was as motherly and strict as ever—caring but direct, unwilling to tolerate any nonsense.