The First Exam Begins

Why ask for information about yourself? You know your own strength best! Everyone around was stunned for a moment, and then began to ponder the reason why Sakura did this.

Was she trying to confirm the accuracy of the information Kabuto possessed? And at the same time, to see how much of her own information had been leaked? Shikamaru quickly came to the conclusion. As expected of Sakura, who was ranked first in the Ninja Academy, her mind was indeed meticulous!

Unbeknownst to Shikamaru, these were all secondary reasons. The real reason was simply that Sakura needed a suitable excuse for her earlier intervention. Of course, Sakura was also quite curious about how Kabuto would evaluate Naruto, Sasuke, and herself, who had deviated significantly from the original story. Orochimaru paid close attention to Sasuke, so Kabuto should have very complete information about Sasuke, Naruto, and herself...

The only one not thinking was Naruto: "Sakura, why are you asking about our own information? We know our own strength best! Hmm--"

Sakura didn't even glance at him, and slapped Naruto across the mouth behind her. "You idiot, listen up!"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the glare from the lenses concealing a fleeting flicker in his eyes. He certainly had information on the three members of Team 7, especially Sasuke, and it was more detailed than these newcomers could have imagined. Even regarding the mission to the Land of Waves, he had dispatched people to gather intelligence from various sources, including remaining battlefield traces. What surprised him most was that the strongest member of the talented Team 7 didn't seem to be Sasuke, whom Orochimaru favored, but rather Sakura, whom most people didn't think much of. According to the intelligence analysis, Sakura Haruno had calmly and swiftly dealt with three quite capable Chunin in a short time, and the intelligence assessment suggested she was at least at the level of Elite Chunin or Special Jōnin.

With Sasuke's current strength, he probably can't do that yet, right? Kabuto thought to himself.

However, this information cannot be shown to them now... Of course, his publicly available information card will not contain information from unknown sources.

"Sasuke... Naruto... and Sakura Haruno... I've got it!"

Kabuto's hands moved with the dexterity of butterfly wings, quickly drawing out three cards. He laid the three cards out on the ground, about to read them aloud, when suddenly a hand blocked his view. Kabuto looked up and saw that it was Sakura who had interrupted him this time.

"Excuse me, Kabuto-senpai..." Sakura half-squatted down, smiling, "This is, after all, our information, so please don't read it aloud!"

Sakura moved her hand away and quickly glanced at the three cards. The information on the three cards was nothing unexpected.

Sasuke's five attributes— Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, and ninja tools—are all very high, with his Kekkei Genkai score being a perfect 100. The above assessment makes Sasuke the strongest Genin overall among this year's rookies. Next is Naruto, whose Taijutsu score is very high, followed by ninja tools, and his Ninjutsu also has a decent score. However, his Genjutsu and Kekkei Genkai limit scores are zero. Naruto is described as Genin with outstanding strength, not to be underestimated. Finally, there's Sakura's information: her Ninjutsu score is perfect, her Taijutsu and ninja tool scores are also good, her Genjutsu is slightly lower, and her Kekkei Genkai score is zero. She is described as a Genin who has mastered powerful Ninjutsu, a ninja who requires careful handling.

Sakura glanced at the contents expressionlessly, then passed the card to Sasuke and Naruto so they could also look at it. All three of them tacitly refrained from offering any opinions.

Sakura remained noncommittal about the information above, secretly pleased that she was being underestimated. Being seen at this time was actually an advantage. Sakura knew that the contents of the card reflected the outside world's perception of Team 7; only those familiar with them and their inner workings would understand Team 7's true strength. Sakura was curious to know if Kabuto had given Orochimaru the same information; if so, all the better, as she didn't want to attract that pervert's attention.

Sasuke returned the card to Kabuto: "So, what about Gaara, Lee, and Neji?"

Without Sakura's interference, Kabuto read the information directly this time.

"First, there's Lee Rock... He improved his Taijutsu significantly this year, but he's weak in other areas..."

"Then there's Neji Hyuga... With his Byakugan, he has a strong advantage in observation. Furthermore, his Taijutsu is even stronger than Lee's!"

"Finally, there's Gaara from the Sunagakure... There's not much information about him, after all, he's a newcomer from another country... All we know is that he's quite strong, and he once carried out a B-rank mission, and according to him, he's never been injured during missions!"

The assembled experts gasped in astonishment. Missions of B rank or higher involved combat between ninjas, and for a Genin to emerge unscathed and successfully complete such a battle...

"Every single one of the villagers who came to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams is an elite among the Genin their respective countries, just like Lee and Gaara! So—"

"Bang!"

Just as Kabuto was about to leave, a huge surge of Chakra interrupted him. A dozen ninjas simultaneously Body Flicker Technique into the classroom. "Quiet, you bunch of bastards!"

"Put your cards away and all of you back in your seats! Now, the exam begins! I am Ibiki Morino, the proctor for the first exam!"

A burly man in a black trench coat roared at the crowd!

"Now, I will write the rules of this exam on the blackboard and explain them... No one is allowed to ask questions, listen carefully!"

The first written Chunin Ninja Exams, or rather, the cheating contest, has begun.

While Sakura and her friends were frantically cheating, outside the exam hall, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai, along with their three new students' teachers, were leisurely eating at a nearby cafe.

"Kakashi, did you know? The examiner for the first exam this year... is Ibiki Morino!" Asuma slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly.

"No way, it's that sadist..." Kakashi was surprised. Ibiki Morino? Knowing Kakashi as he did, even with a simple written test, that guy could always find a way to torment people.

Seeing Kurenai's somewhat confused expression, Asuma explained, "Kurenai, you're a newly Jonin might not have heard of him. That guy, Ibiki Morino, is a professional interrogator..."

Ibiki Morino, head of the Konoha Anbu's interrogation unit, is particularly skilled at physically and mentally torturing prisoners...!

"Although there won't be any physical torture in the written exam, that guy will definitely use interrogation techniques to mentally torment the candidates!" Asuma took a deep drag on his cigarette, frowning. "However, judging from my men's personalities, they won't be defeated by these difficulties—"

"That's not necessarily true," Kakashi suddenly said. "Given Shikamaru's personality and intelligence, he might just take this opportunity to withdraw from the exam! I heard he was forced to take the exam by you!"

"It seems quite possible!" Kurenai recalled her Ninja Academy teacher's evaluation of Shikamaru, and upon closer reflection, realized that Shikamaru might indeed blunder. She burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Cough cough!" Asuma nearly choked on his coffee after Kakashi's words. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Asuma glared at Kakashi: "How could that be! Don't joke around. He knew it would implicate Choji and Ino, so he definitely wouldn't have backed down! It's your problematic subordinates who are more likely to cause trouble!"

"No way, Sasuke Sakura Haruno are both top students, and Naruto is also a very thick-skinned person. How could they be down here?" Although she didn't know much about Team 7, Kurenai couldn't accept Asuma's method based on common sense, so she retorted.

"Being a top student... doesn't necessarily mean you have great mental fortitude! They've encountered fewer setbacks, so sometimes they find it harder to cope with them. Take Sakura from Team 7, for example. She's a girl, and from the moment she entered the school until now, everything has gone smoothly for her, and she hasn't encountered many setbacks. Who knows? And Sasuke, he has his own problems too. I think Naruto is the most reliable."

Kakashi pulled down his mask, took a sip of coffee, and didn't rush to refute Asuma. Upon reflection, Asuma's words weren't without merit; it was simply that from the perspective of the instructor of Team 7, Kakashi understood his subordinates better, knew their personalities, and was therefore more willing to trust them. So, realistically speaking, would Sakura and Sasuke be stumped by Ibiki Morino's test?

Kakashi's first thought was of Sasuke's indifferent face. This stern-faced boy, always with a cold expression, probably still couldn't let go of his hatred and couldn't open his heart, hence his perpetually aloof demeanor. As his mentor, Kakashi didn't have a good way to untangle Sasuke's inner knot. Fortunately, Naruto and Sakura were in the team, providing Sasuke with the bonds of camaraderie. Sakura, essentially a tomboy, was quite admirable for setting aside her pride and acting cute towards Sasuke.

A man obsessed with revenge is both fragile and strong, which is why Sasuke isn't going to fall here yet.

And what about Sakura? Sakura Haruno... the only girl in the team, and the unofficial but de facto leader of the three. She has a tomboyish, carefree personality, cheerful and sunny, somewhat like Naruto, but also a sharp and sensitive mind, more like Sasuke. How do these two completely opposite personalities blend seamlessly into one person?

When Kakashi first encountered the files of the three of them, he thought he had stumbled upon a replica of Team Minato. Both were children who lost their parents at a young age, both were carefree and cheerful underachievers, so he naturally assumed Sakura would be the mediator between them, liking Sasuke and being liked by the underachiever. However, he later discovered that Sasuke was very much like him, and Naruto was very much like Obito, but Sakura... was completely different from Rin. In Team 7, Sakura's role went far beyond simply connecting Sasuke and Naruto. If there was any resemblance, Kakashi saw the shadow of another member of Team Minato in Sakura.

Kakashi's mentor, Minato Namikaze.

Both from humble backgrounds, both exceptionally talented, both sunny and cheerful, both ruthless towards enemies—she could even be a female version of the Fourth Hokage. Thinking of Sakura's silly and cute antics in front of her comrades, Kakashi sometimes wondered if the Fourth Hokage had ever acted similarly.

On a side note, before Kakashi knew Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki described him as effeminate.

Kakashi sometimes looked at Sakura's Ninjutsu with awe, and for a moment he even thought he was seeing Minato again...

How could Sakura, with her Ibiki Morino?

Kakashi smiled slightly.

"No, the three kids in Team 7 are all exceptionally skilled ninjas, and they won't stop here!"

However, while Kakashi was leisurely expressing his trust in his subordinates outside, he was completely unaware that one of his subordinates was already in dire straits, worried that he would fail the written test.

[I also took a jab at my blog, sigh, I'm so impulsive.]

P. S. I'm taking the train home this afternoon, so updates this weekend might be delayed. (It's not J anymore!)