Haruno Sakura stared in horror at Sasuke Uchiha, whose body radiated a strange and sinister chakra. Earlier, in the dead of night, Sakura had been jolted awake by a chilling aura at close range. Alarmed and assuming it was an enemy infiltration, she was stunned to discover that it was Sasuke—unconscious until moments ago—who had begun to stir.
From the area on Sasuke's neck where Orochimaru had bitten him, flame-like markings of the Cursed Seal began to spread across his skin. A dark purple chakra, thick and visible to the naked eye, erupted from his body, giving rise to an oppressive, malevolent atmosphere.
While Sakura was distracted, the small sealing array she had set up began to activate automatically, attempting to absorb and suppress the chakra leaking from Sasuke. But the seal—hastily constructed and weak due to her limited fuinjutsu knowledge—quickly became overwhelmed. The cursed chakra surged faster than it could be absorbed, and some of it began to leak into the surroundings. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed.
At dawn, Team 8—Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuga Hinata—made their way swiftly through the Forest of Death. Known for their exceptional tracking and sensory abilities, the team had little trouble navigating and gathering both scrolls early on. However, another team—one from Sunagakure—had beaten them to the tower. With time to spare, Team 8 decided to remain nearby and investigate disturbances in the forest.
Meanwhile, another group with a Byakugan user—Team Guy, led by Maito Gai's genin—was patrolling the forest. Excluding outliers like Orochimaru and the jinchūriki, they were arguably the strongest team in the Chunin Exams. If Neji Hyuga had not insisted on a fair fight, they could have eliminated half the competition with ease.
As they moved through the trees, the trio suddenly sensed a burst of violent chakra. It was brief, but intense. They changed course immediately—by the time they arrived, the fight had ended. All that remained were the battered and bruised members of Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino.
Shikamaru was the first to regain consciousness. Drawing from his family's herbal knowledge, he administered their clan's secret medicine to himself, Choji, and Ino. Thanks to his natural toughness, Choji was already munching on snacks like nothing had happened. Shikamaru had managed to dodge major injuries. Ino, however, had taken the worst of it—though her external wounds were minor, she had sustained internal damage, which could affect her ability to fight. Thankfully, her clan's jutsu didn't rely on physical combat.
As they rested, Team Guy approached. Neji stood perched on a branch above them, gazing down with his usual stern expression.
"Rough morning, huh?" Shikamaru muttered. "Maybe we should just give up our scroll."
Choji and Ino nodded reluctantly. Strength decided everything in this exam, and they were in no condition to fight.
"Who attacked you?" Neji asked, his tone cool and authoritative.
"It was the Sound team," Shikamaru answered, his sharp mind quickly analyzing the situation. "Dosu, Zaku, and Kin."
"Which direction did they go?"
Shikamaru pointed. "That way."
Neji gave a nod. "Let's move."
"You're not taking their scroll?" Tenten asked, raising an eyebrow. Her voice made Team 10 flinch instinctively.
"It wouldn't be worth it," Neji replied flatly. "Weaklings aren't worth our time. And taking advantage of injured comrades from the same village? That's beneath us. You should leave the exam before you humiliate yourselves further."
With that, Neji, Lee, and Tenten departed, leaving behind a slightly humiliated—but grateful—Team 10.
"…He's not wrong, but damn that was harsh," Choji grumbled, chewing loudly.
"Because he's looking down on us," Shikamaru muttered. "Even if he's the top rookie from last year, we're not completely hopeless. We still have a shot."
Elsewhere, the Sound trio had finally tracked down their target. Zaku sneered. "So close the whole time. Hiding right under our noses."
"Genin using barriers... impressive," Dosu admitted. "If not for that chakra outburst, we wouldn't have found them."
"Let's get this over with," Kin said impatiently. "I want my reward from Orochimaru-sama."
Inside the barrier, Haruno Sakura was still anxiously watching over Sasuke. The cursed seal had spread across his entire body, and though the initial surge of chakra had subsided, the air still felt cold and unnatural. The sealing array was functioning again, draining the corrupted chakra little by little.
Sakura, focused entirely on Sasuke's condition, didn't sense the approach of their enemies.
A violent shockwave shattered the stillness, tearing through the forest and triggering every trap she had laid outside. The barrier flickered as it absorbed the brunt of the attack, then gave way under a second, more powerful blast.
"There it is," Zaku said with a cruel grin. "Time to drag the rat out of its hole."
As the smoke cleared, the Sound team stepped forward. In front of them stood Haruno Sakura, blocking the bodies of Naruto and Sasuke, who remained unconscious.
She trembled—but didn't back down.
She knew she wasn't strong enough to win. Just the chakra they used to break the barrier had proven that. But glancing at her teammates, something hardened in her chest.
Sometimes… you just can't run.
Tying her hair behind her head, Sakura stepped forward like a soldier walking to a battlefield. She had no illusions of victory. But some things could only be understood by facing them head-on.