If there was one thing that could be considered Sasuke's ultimate taboo, it would be the pain of his clan's massacre and the hatred toward Itachi Uchiha. Provoked by such a sensitive wound, Sasuke burned with fury inside, yet he remained helpless against an enemy whose location he couldn't even determine. He could do nothing but waste his chakra entangled in genjutsu. Although his Sharingan allowed him to see through illusions, mixed among them were occasional real attacks, forcing him to remain fully alert without a moment's lapse.
"This is turning into a disaster," Sasuke thought grimly, bitterly regretting his rash decision to act alone. Previously, he had reason to fear formidable opponents like Gaara, Rock Lee, and especially Neji Hyuga—who was said to surpass even him in natural talent. Now, facing just one unknown adversary had already thrown him into disarray. Clearly, he had underestimated the Chunin Exams; there were far too many experts out there. "I hope Sakura and Naruto realize something's off soon and come pull me out of this mess. Right now, I can only rely on Sakura's brains and Naruto's monstrous stamina to save my skin." As proud as Sasuke was, having to rely on those two—Naruto and Sakura—felt bitterly humiliating… But right now, he had no other choice.
Meanwhile, Mizuki's shadow clone lurking in hiding was calculating his remaining chakra reserves, pondering whether it was worthwhile to keep engaging Uchiha Sasuke further.
"The data is mostly gathered now. Sasuke should have learned his lesson and won't pursue this any longer. Hmm? What's that over there?" Suddenly sensing another intruder mid-thought, Mizuki mused, "Those two Sound Ninja again? They've noticed the commotion here and are planning to reap the benefits quietly? Perfect. I'll leave you here—I won't need to create another opportunity."
Elsewhere, Karin found herself in grave danger. As an outsider from the Hidden Sound Village, she lacked formal ninja training. She relied purely on natural talent, making her combat abilities quite pitiful. Facing a monstrous beast within the Forest of Death—a creature even seasoned shinobi would avoid—her tiny frame stood practically no chance of resistance. This time, there was no Sasuke around to play hero.
Mizuki naturally couldn't let such a rare chance slip by—to earn her gratitude and quietly sway her allegiance. He wasn't aiming for anything as ambitious as instant love or marriage—he knew his own limits well enough. But if he could stop her from easily defecting to Orochimaru later, and instead make her consider joining his side when decisions arose, that'd be sufficient.
Seizing the moment while Karin panicked, fell over, and shut her eyes tight awaiting death, Mizuki made his move. Handling large beasts wasn't new to him; dealing with clueless big guys came naturally and effortlessly. The Binding Seal Formation immobilized her instantly, a potent anesthetic rendered her unconscious, and the sealing scroll absorbed her away effortlessly. Whether she'd end up as test material or worse was a matter for another day.
Having dealt with the beast, Mizuki turned his attention back to Karin. He picked up her glasses from the ground and handed them to her.
"Can you stand up?"
"Yes, I can," Karin replied nervously, hastily rising to her feet, quickly taking the glasses from Mizuki and placing them on her nose, all the while watching him warily.
"A Terrestrial Scroll? I didn't expect someone like you to be trusted with it," Mizuki remarked after glancing at it.
"Examiner-san, will we be expelled? Have we failed the exam already?"
"Huh? How did you know I'm an examiner instead of a student participating in the exams?"
"Your chakra is just like that examiner from the first test—the strict one sitting by the door. That's why I paid special attention," Karin replied.
"Although you look very different now."
"The strict one?" Mizuki asked, puzzled. He truly didn't understand what she meant. It seemed Karin's talent was already remarkably impressive, even though her combat ability was lacking.
"He was the only examiner who constantly wrote down names from the start to the end, and then all those students were disqualified," Karin said cautiously.
At this, Mizuki finally realized—it had all been a misunderstanding. He hadn't intended to come off as a threat. Unexpectedly, he had become the villain unintentionally.
"Then why would you think I'd disqualify you?" Mizuki asked, confused.
"Isn't the examiner already here? He's been watching us all along and will surely disqualify us in the end." Karin spoke with disappointment. "In the end, I still couldn't do anything useful."
Another misunderstanding, Mizuki thought as he began to explain, "First, I'm not here to disqualify you. You don't need to worry about that."
"Really? That's great news!" Karin brightened up unexpectedly.
"Second, I need you to keep our meeting a secret. My being here is unauthorized, so I don't want anyone else to find out."
"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."
"Lastly, should you ever leave the Sound Village or have nowhere else to go, please come find me. I genuinely believe in your talent and could really use your help." Mizuki made no effort to hide his intentions. After all, this girl with amazing chakra sensitivity could easily detect lies—so there was no point in concealing anything.
Stunned by this unexpected offer, Karin felt shocked. As an orphan raised by the Sound Village, despite possessing a valuable bloodline trait, her weak combat ability had always made her a burden, and she was often treated harshly by others. Therefore, hearing Mizuki's straightforward appreciation deeply moved her.
"But I am a ninja of the Sound Village. The village has raised me since childhood, so—" Karin hesitated slightly before continuing, "And can I really be of any help?"
"You don't have to doubt this. Since I said it, I've definitely looked into your background," Mizuki assured. "Also, I'm not asking for a decision right now. Just think about what I've said should an opportunity arise in the future. Oh, and if you decide to come find me one day, just destroy this scroll. I'll know immediately." So saying, Mizuki handed her the scroll.
Karin accepted it and said, "I'll definitely consider it carefully. Thank you."
"Alright, my business here is done. I have to go now," Mizuki stated, having achieved his goal. "Oh, one last reminder: this Chunin Exam is particularly unusual. There are far too many exceptionally strong candidates this time around. In previous years, you might have stood a chance, but this year… you'd better prepare well in advance! Also, although officially we don't allow withdrawal during the exam, should things turn desperate, just open the scroll in your hand—you can exit the exam anytime."
"I understand. Thank you, Examiner-san," Karin bowed gratefully.
"My name is not 'Examiner-sama'," Mizuki replied. "I'm Mizuki." With those words, the figure in front of Karin vanished.
"Not yet the strong-willed onee-san from three years later—right now, she's just a frail, timid girl who gets pushed around all the time. What a difference."
On another battlefield, Naruto's Shadow Clones were not only skillfully surrounding Sasuke, but they'd also trapped two Sound Ninjas in a trap. The enemy was completely stuck, unable to move forward or back. Even the real Naruto hadn't appeared yet, yet he'd already made all three look like fools.
Inside the genjutsu formation, Sasuke continued struggling to endure, anxiously awaiting backup that might arrive at any moment.
"Hmm? The intensity of the genjutsu has weakened—is their chakra running out, or has the battle disturbance attracted another powerful enemy?" Sasuke thought. "Either way, it's a good sign." He suddenly became alert. "Is it Naruto and Sakura? Doesn't seem like it. Naruto's fighting style isn't this quiet. Dammit, this genjutsu barrier blocks perception—it's impossible to know what's going on outside."
Meanwhile, the two Sound Ninjas had already been exhausted and collapsed, one after another.
"Time to end this and leave. Hmm? What? Someone else is approaching—and from so close by? That's impossible! Why didn't the alert traps activate?" As Mizuki pondered this, countless Shadow Clones burst forth, hurling kunai like falling rain and clearing away the illusions. It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki. Seeing his teammates coming to assist him, Sasuke wasted no time taking advantage of the opening.
[Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu!]
Several streams of fire shot forward, clearing a path through the chaos. Sasuke sprinted along the trail of flames toward where Naruto stood ready.
"Hey, what took you so long, Sasuke? Weren't you supposed to run errands or something? Since when did you start fighting without telling me?" Naruto loudly complained about Sasuke acting alone without considering his teammate.
"Stop talking nonsense and let's get out of here fast," Sasuke snapped, still cautious since they were far from safe. "How exactly did you find your way here anyway?"
"Sakura led the way. That route had so many twists and turns."
"Sasuke-kun, over here!" called Sakura Haruno waving at them from not far away.
"Let's go together. Hurry up and get out of here," Sasuke urged urgently.
"Why run away?" Naruto asked excitedly. "We finally ran into an enemy—we should fight and see if they have the Celestial Scroll!"
"You idiot! Fighting in a trap set by the enemy is just plain stupid. We need to retreat first. Plus with all this commotion, more enemies might show up, and if we're surrounded, it'll be really bad."
Though reluctant, Naruto followed Sasuke away. Seizing the opportunity provided by the Shadow Clones covering their escape, and with Sakura leading the way, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto managed to leave the battlefield safely.
"What incredible talent," Mizuki mused, impressed. "In just a few days' time, she's already understood barrier techniques and seal arrays to such an extent—able to maneuver calmly through such a complex situation. Should I call myself foolish or say the opponent is simply beyond reason?" He couldn't help but envy Sakura's gift. "No wonder she deserves to inherit Tsunade's legacy. The Konoha Twelve Shinobi really are fated geniuses."
Seeing that everything had settled down, Mizuki was about to leave. However, just as he turned around, a sharp killing intent surged forth, and a figure blocked his path.
"Who exactly are you?" The man glanced at the forehead protector on Mizuki's head. "I don't recall anyone like you among the Leaf Ninja candidates participating in the Chunin Exams."
What rotten luck. It's Orochimaru. Seems I made too much noise and drew the attention of this dangerous man, Mizuki sighed bitterly.
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