In a dimly lit underground room
"Kabuto, the Sand ninjas have already entered Konoha, haven't they?" a raspy voice came from the darkness ahead.
"Yes, they have already entered Konoha, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied respectfully from the side.
"Hehehe... It's time for us to act, too, Kabuto," Orochimaru said, his eyes revealing an unconcealed fervor as he gazed into the darkness ahead. "The Sharingan!! Hehehe... Lord Sarutobi, let me stir up this wind."
"Waaaaa~~~~~ Kakashi-sensei, I love you so much!" Naruto was currently clinging to Kakashi and swinging back and forth.
"Alright, Naruto, get down," Kakashi said, a headache starting to form. Was his recommendation really the right choice? "Ahem... Anyway, I've applied for your eligibility for the Chunin Exams. Whether you participate or not is up to you."
"What's there to decide, Kakashi-sensei? Of course, we're participating!" Naruto said, clutching the Chunin Exam application form and looking at it repeatedly with glee.
"Of course, we're participating. This exam is a chance to test our strength!" Sasuke thought of Gaara, whose dismissive attitude really irritated him.
"What about... Sakura?" Kakashi asked, though it was more of a formality. He was most confident in this disciple of Lady Tsunade.
"What else can I do? I have to participate," Sakura said with a shrug.
"Then fill out the forms first. Then, before 4 PM tomorrow, hand them in at classroom 301 at the Academy," Kakashi said, relieved that all three wanted to participate. The Chunin Exams required team applications. Although he felt that his three subordinates wouldn't refuse, it was best to ask first. "Then I'll be going."
With that, Kakashi disappeared in a Body Flicker.
"Sakura-chan, this is great! We can become Chunin!" Naruto excitedly expressed his joy to Sakura.
"It's not like participating in the Chunin Exams automatically makes you a Chunin. Of the three of us, Sasuke has the best chance of becoming one," Sakura said, unable to resist dampening Naruto's enthusiasm.
"Why does only Sasuke have the best chance of becoming a Chunin?" Naruto asked, dissatisfied.
"Naruto, for a Chunin, strength is only one part. You also need to be able to formulate battle plans, have extensive knowledge and experience, and the leadership skills to lead a team and complete missions," Sakura said, looking at Naruto teasingly.
"And, Naruto, the Chunin Exams have a written test. I suggest you cram tonight on the knowledge you learned at the Academy," Sakura suddenly remembered. There was apparently a written test in the first stage, so she tried to give Naruto a heads-up.
"A written test!!!!" Naruto was stunned. "Why is there a written test? Isn't this the Chunin Exam?"
"Good luck! I believe in you. I'm leaving first," Sakura said, giving Naruto a thumbs-up and a fist bump before leaving.
The next day
Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto arrived at the Ninja Academy at the same time.
"Hmph, I thought you wouldn't come," Sasuke said, seeing Naruto. Because Sakura had told Naruto about the written test, and written tests weren't Naruto's forte, Sasuke had thought Naruto wouldn't participate.
"No way! You just watch, Sasuke. I'll definitely pass the exam!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke, dissatisfied.
"Stop arguing, you two. Let's go in," Sakura said, seeing that the two were about to start bickering again. She quickly interjected.
"Hmph." "Hmph."
Ignoring their mutual dislike, Sakura pushed open the door to the hallway and entered. There were quite a lot of people, ninjas from various villages. Everyone was being blocked by two people in front of classroom 301.
"Why won't you let us in?" a ninja with a watermelon-shaped haircut and wearing a green jumpsuit asked.
"Hmph, becoming a Chunin isn't that simple. Chunin are equivalent to captain-level figures. Failure or death in a mission is unavoidable. Little brats like you definitely won't pass. There's nothing wrong with sending you away!" one of the people at the door said.
Sakura had already sensed the presence of a genjutsu barrier. This type of genjutsu didn't affect a person's chakra; it only worked on objects, achieving the effect of visual deception. It was a relatively low-level genjutsu. If she could sense it, then Sasuke should be able to as well.
"That may be so, but we have to go through. You should quickly dispel this genjutsu barrier." Sure enough, Sasuke had also noticed. He was, after all, an Uchiha. Even if he wasn't proficient in genjutsu, he could still see through such a low-level one. "We're going to the third floor. This is only the second floor."
"You saw through it..." one of the people at the door said. "But just seeing through the genjutsu... isn't enough!"
As he spoke, the person lunged forward, aiming a roundhouse kick at Sasuke. Sasuke reacted quickly, responding with the same move. Just as the two were about to collide, the watermelon-haired ninja from earlier suddenly appeared between them, grabbing each of their legs with his hands and forcefully throwing them back.
"Why did you change your mind? Didn't you say we should keep a low profile to avoid being targeted?" a boy with Byakugan eyes next to him said to the watermelon-haired ninja.
"That..." The watermelon-haired ninja turned and walked towards Sakura.
"Huh?" Sakura was a little confused. "!!!" Suddenly, it seemed like Sakura remembered something.
Sure enough, "Excuse me, what's your name?" Lee stood in front of Sakura, his face slightly flushed. "My name is Rock Lee."
Calm down! Calm down! Gather chakra, concentrate it throughout your body, and then... "Haaaa~~~~" She threw a punch. Lee immediately flew backward, his face covered in blood.
"Sorry, force of habit. My hand slipped," Sakura said, rubbing her fist and smiling at Lee, who was lying on the ground.
"!!" "!!"
Neji and Tenten were instantly shocked. "Such fast speed! Even Lee couldn't keep up." Neji knew Lee's strength. Although it was a sneak attack, Lee shouldn't have been so easily defeated, especially since Lee himself specialized in taijutsu.
"Sasuke, Naruto, let's go," Sakura said, a little depressed, calling her two teammates to head towards classroom 301.
"Hey, what's your name?" Neji asked, seeing Sakura about to leave.
Sakura turned her head to look at Neji, a little annoyed by Rock Lee's near-confession. "What? Do you want a punch too?"
"Hmph! You're a rookie this year, aren't you? Don't be too arrogant. You might have hit Lee, but you definitely won't hit me, not with these eyes of mine," Neji said, activating his Byakugan, ready to spar with Sakura, hearing her taunt.
In short, the Chunin Exams were about to begin, and everyone was on edge. Engaging in combat beforehand could provide information about opponents. When they actually met, they would have time to consider countermeasures. Neji didn't mind sparring now to gather information about his opponents.
"Hey, Sasuke, this guy seems to have the Byakugan, which is said to be on par with your Sharingan. Can you beat him?" Sakura turned to Sasuke and asked.
"Of course," Sasuke said with a cold smirk, stepping forward and activating his Sharingan. "Sasuke Uchiha... State your name."
"Neji Hyuga," Neji said. Seeing that it wasn't Sakura stepping up but Sasuke, he wasn't dissatisfied. He also wanted to test himself against the sole remaining member of the Uchiha clan.
The surrounding area immediately erupted in discussion. "He's the last member of the Uchiha clan." "I heard he's the top rookie this year." "Neji Hyuga was the top rookie last year. I wonder who's stronger." "It must be Neji Hyuga. He graduated a year earlier than Sasuke Uchiha." "I think Sasuke Uchiha has a better chance of winning."
Sakura heard the surrounding chatter but noticed that no one was talking about her. It seemed that after being away from Konoha for three years, she had been forgotten. But that was fine, too. She wouldn't be targeted during the exams.
Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuga stood facing each other. The battle was about to begin.