Sakura Haruno had been troubled lately. It wasn't because things with Sasuke weren't progressing, nor because Naruto had annoyed her again. It was because she'd truly begun to feel that she was the weak link in their three-person team. Sasuke, the top student, was one thing, but even Naruto, the dead-last, was gradually catching up. How could that make a top student like her happy? In Sasuke's eyes, she now seemed to rank below Naruto, which was heartbreaking. Even worse, she couldn't deny that it all seemed to be true.
"Naruto's gotten stronger, too, and Sasuke was already amazing. I'm the only one who can't help with anything!" Sakura Haruno lamented to herself on the balcony. "The Chunin Ninja Exams... should I even take them? I really don't have any confidence. Maybe I should just quit so I won't hold Sasuke and Naruto back!"
As she agonized over it, she suddenly heard someone call her.
Meanwhile, at another training ground, Hatake Kakashi watched Mizuki busily setting things up and sighed.
"You've set up a barrier, an illusion array, all these traps, and Sealing Jutsu formations. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were preparing a battlefield."
"Better safe than sorry," Mizuki replied. "I've gone to all this trouble for your students. You should be thanking me."
"It's just a preliminary test. Do you really need to go to all this trouble?"
"For the sake of the village's next generation, we seniors shouldn't be afraid of a little trouble. Kakashi, where's your sense of responsibility?" Mizuki had been planning this for a long time and couldn't give up halfway. "Why are you standing here watching me? Aren't you going to check on Sasuke and Naruto?"
"I'm more or less confident in those two," Kakashi said helplessly. "The only one I'm worried about is Sakura, especially since you're in charge of the test..."
"It's finally done." Mizuki turned around, having finished his work. "What was that you said?"
"Nothing. I said Sakura's almost here."
"You've got good eyes. I can't see her at all."
"I'm standing higher up..."
In the distance, two small figures gradually approached. They looked like Sasuke and Sakura.
"Sasuke-kun, you said you wanted to talk to me?" Sakura asked nervously. "But why bring me somewhere like this?" The surrounding woods were clearly deserted.
"It's quieter here, and no one will bother us. I'll get straight to the point. You should withdraw from the Chunin Ninja Exams." Sasuke's merciless words left Sakura reeling.
Watching from the sidelines, Kakashi frowned. "He really does say whatever he wants. What a malicious little brat."
Just then, while Sakura was still rattled, Mizuki quickly activated the illusion array. The barrier worked with it, altering the surrounding terrain as traps and small Sealing Jutsu formations sprang into action.
"Sasuke-kun, why do you want me to withdraw?" Sakura asked in surprise. "Is it because you don't like being with me?"
"No. It's because you're not strong enough. Once you withdraw, Naruto and I will invite someone more suitable to join our team for the exams."
"But will Kakashi-sensei agree?"
"Didn't they say participation was voluntary? If you withdraw, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei won't have anything to say."
Watching the fake Sasuke and the conflicted Sakura from outside the test area, Mizuki turned to Kakashi with a grin. "The villain's about to make his entrance. Want to play a part?"
"I'll pass," Kakashi replied flatly.
"What a shame. This is so boring. Honestly, I'm starting to worry about your sense of humor."
With that, Mizuki used the Shadow Clone Technique. His clone transformed into a masked Grass Ninja and charged forward, sending a rain of Kunai flying toward the two of them in coordination with the traps. The sudden attack covered every angle, leaving the two below nowhere to escape. They were instantly cornered.
"Look out! Get back!" Sasuke yelled, knocking Sakura to the ground. In an instant, he was riddled with Kunai and looked as if he wouldn't last much longer.
"Useless idiots like you should all withdraw from the Chunin Ninja Exams. Otherwise, you'll end up just like this!" The Shadow Clone made sure to taunt them at just the right moment.
"So the real one has finally shown himself?" Sakura flipped over and shoved the fake Sasuke away. "You think combining a Shadow Clone with an illusion is enough to fool Konoha Ninja so easily?"
Mizuki frowned at the sidelines. Compared to the traps full of obvious flaws in the original story, he felt he'd done a thorough job. If Mizuki, who was better at reading people, had been the examiner, surely she wouldn't have spotted it so easily. Still, the overall events were much the same; it didn't matter if the details changed a little.
"Kakashi, Sakura's perception is impressive. She even saw through the trap."
"She's the best among the Genin at theory, and she has the best chakra control. It's only natural she'd do this well." Kakashi let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least she'd done well so far. As long as she didn't do too badly from here on, he'd have grounds to let her take the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Since the deception had been exposed unexpectedly, the Shadow Clone had no choice but to attack head-on.
"You seem pretty confident in yourself, little girl. The Chunin Ninja Exams aren't a game like this. Everything becomes real. Since you refuse to give up, I'll teach you a lesson."
Before he'd even finished speaking, the illusion started up again. Kunai shot out in rows, sealing off every escape route. The ground shimmered, and three Wooden Puppet Samurai rose up, drawing their swords and charging at Sakura.
Faced with attacks from every direction, Sakura paid them no mind. She formed Hand Seals, ready to dispel the illusion. The Kunai passed through her body without harming her. The swords of two puppets swept through her as well, yet still didn't touch her. But when the third puppet's blade was about to strike her head, Sakura suddenly sensed something was wrong and hurriedly dodged. She was still a step too slow, and a lock of hair drifted down along the blade.
"Combining reality and illusion inside a genjutsu, Mizuki? This is too difficult for a Genin, isn't it?" Kakashi said with displeasure.
"It's definitely too difficult for newly promoted Genin," Mizuki replied. "But for Genin taking the Chunin Ninja Exams, it's just barely reasonable."
"Hmm." Kakashi reluctantly accepted the explanation.
"How about it, little girl? Can't hold out much longer? Hurry up and quit. Next time, it won't just be your hair."
"No! I'd never surrender to a coward who hides his face!"
"Pointless bravado? How naive. Then I'll show you how cruel the life of a ninja can be."
The barrier array fully activated. The Shadow Clone and the puppets closed in for a direct attack. Instead of retreating, Sakura charged forward and kicked the puppet Samurai, which looked like it was made of shoddy scraps of wood, into pieces. Then she leaped back, dodging the Kunai fired by the Shadow Clone.
"That's about enough, Mizuki. Do you want to keep going?"
"Let's see it through to the end. The Shadow Clone doesn't have much time left."
With Mizuki's Shadow Clone deliberately holding back, the fight continued with both sides taking turns on the offensive. At last, exhausted, Sakura managed to hold out until the Shadow Clone disappeared.
Just as even Kakashi thought it was over, the puppet Sakura had kicked away suddenly reassembled at high speed and swung its blade at her.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the barrier disappeared?" Kakashi was certain that Mizuki's real body beside him hadn't done anything. With the Shadow Clone gone, there shouldn't be anyone left to feed chakra into the barrier. Everything should have vanished. When he saw the supposedly ruined puppet move again, Kakashi was stunned. He lifted his Forehead Protector, revealing the Sharingan hidden beneath it, and studied the scene closely.
"What is that? It's not an ordinary puppet?"
Under the Sharingan's scrutiny, ordinary genjutsu and concealed truths were laid bare.
"Did the Shadow Clone use the Transformation Technique? It doesn't look like it. So this thing has been sustaining the illusion barrier all along." Kakashi turned to Mizuki in surprise. "So this was what you wanted to test. You really are devious."
Sakura dodged left and right, but her exhausted body could no longer keep going. Her strength gave out, her foot slipped, and the strange puppet-like creature caught up with her and slashed at her.
Unable to dodge, Sakura could only close her eyes helplessly.
But Sakura, who had shut her eyes and resigned herself to death, didn't feel the blade strike. She opened her eyes to look and saw a lock of hair drifting down along the blade.
No longer able to support her completely spent body, Sakura collapsed onto the ground.
"I cut the hair on your left earlier, and now I've cut the right. At least it's symmetrical now, and your hairstyle looks normal. Sorry for damaging the hair you've taken such care to style." A shrill voice came from the puppet's mouth. "To thank you for your spirited performance, I'll give you this." A scroll flew toward Sakura. "But you should still think carefully about what I said. Without the strength to match, you'll only be a burden to others."
Kakashi said grimly to Mizuki, "You went too far."
"Didn't I give her compensation?" Mizuki said with a shrug. Then he formed Hand Seals. "Release."
The puppet dissolved into a cloud of chakra and disappeared. The illusion barrier faded away after it.
"What did you give Sakura?"
"Some of my recent research: a little Sealing Jutsu, some medicine, and materials on genjutsu. They're very practical and perfect for a bookworm like Sakura who specializes in chakra control."
"A bookworm?" Though he didn't quite understand the word, Kakashi understood what Mizuki meant. "Isn't it too early for her?"
Mizuki shook his head and sighed. "Kakashi, you're playing favorites. She may not be a ninja like you or as naturally gifted as Naruto, but you shouldn't ignore Sakura Haruno's talents."
"Maybe you're right. I'm really not very good at dealing with kunoichi like her."
"Dealing with her?" Mizuki scoffed. "It's not my problem anyway. She's your student, not mine. Do as you like. I'm going to submit my report. I'll leave the rest to you."
"What a headache. I had a bad feeling about this from the start, but I never imagined it'd be this much trouble," Kakashi said, rubbing his temples.
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