"Sakura!"
The second Sakura stepped into the exam hall, a sweet floral scent hit her along with a girly squeal. A blur of blonde launched straight at her.
"Yo, long time no see, Ino!"
Sakura opened her arms and caught the soft, flying girl.
"Long time no—whoa, you're tall!"
Ino had aimed for a full hug but ended up face-planting into Sakura's stomach. She tilted her head up, blue eyes wide with confusion.
"Naruto, why'd she have to grow so much? I can't even hug her properly now!"
Ino nuzzled her cheek against Sakura's abs like a clingy cat.
Throat clear.
Sakura sighed lightly and poured willpower into every cell.
Her tall frame shivered and started shrinking fast.
Life Return: Paper Art Martial Body!
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, plus Naruto and Sasuke, gawked as Sakura dwindled down to their height in seconds.
"YES!"
Ino cheered, wrapping her arms around Sakura from behind and sniffing that unique scent she'd missed.
"Sakura… was that Partial Multi-Size Technique?"
Chowing down on chips, Choji blurted the question on everyone's mind—including a bunch of eavesdropping foreign genin.
"Nope. It's an advanced effect of a body-training system called the Six Powers."
Sakura smiled, gently patting Ino's arm to let go.
She hadn't planned to show this off in front of so many outsiders, but… it was Ino. Bestie privileges.
Sasuke opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it.
He'd begged her for those same Six Powers during training. The fact she'd handed them over so casually… he had no idea how to repay that.
"Don't overthink it," Sakura murmured, brushing past him. "Just get stronger and spar with me a bunch."
Sasuke's eyes flickered, but he gritted his teeth and nodded.
Over with Kabuto, Naruto was hyped after the intel dump. He thrust two fingers in the air and yelled at the whole room of genin:
"Listen up! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm not losing to any of you! Got it?!"
Pure hot-blooded challenge.
Instantly, the room's vibe turned murderous. Every stare aimed at Naruto carried killing intent.
Unlike the original exams, this hall was packed with elite young blood from every notable nation on the planet.
Getting taunted like that? Unacceptable.
In a heartbeat, Sakura's Observation Haki caught four or five different chakra flares.
"Full of energy as always, Naruto!"
She grabbed the back of his collar and yanked.
POOF!
An ice wall shot up in front of her, blocking a barrage of lava, sand, kunai, and a longsword.
"This year's candidates are spirited," Sakura said with a grin, "but this is Konoha!"
She raised her right fist. Armament Haki wrapped her arm.
The ice melted fast under the heat, steam flooding the classroom.
Sakura cocked her fist back and punched the air.
Fish-Man Karate: Tile Shatter Straight Punch!
HUM—
A low buzz rippled through the room like water rings.
Every genin felt a gentle but firm push sliding them backward.
Yet… not a single scratch.
Big-nation genin darkened. The proud Sound Village trio snorted.
"That's it? You brag we're small-fry villages, but all you've got is parlor tricks."
One Sound ninja rolled up his sleeve, revealing a heavy, multi-holed weapon strapped to his arm.
"Enough, Sound guys. Stop embarrassing yourselves."
A lollipop-clacking Cloud ninja stepped forward, hands in his hoodie pockets.
"Huh? You wanna go too, Cloud?"
Tosu, the bandaged Sound ninja, glared with his one visible eye.
"We already lost. From the start."
Omoi spun his lollipop and pointed at his own vest.
"When the other side's stronger, best not to run our mouths—or we'll get killed with no comeback."
Everyone followed his finger. The tight stitching on his vest had burst into a perfect fist imprint.
Small-village genin who got the hint looked down—and found the same mark on their own clothes.
Chills crawled up spines. Fabric crumbs still fluttered down.
All eyes locked on the pink-haired girl casually lowering her fist.
One word echoed in every mind:
Monster.
"No way!"
Kurotsuchi slammed the desk and stood—completely unharmed.
Except… her fishnet stockings were shredded to threads.
"You little—mmph!"
Akatsuchi clapped a hand over her mouth before she could finish.
"Nothing to see here, folks. She's just in a mood."
He laughed it off and dragged his teammate to the corner.
"Sakura, you got beef with her?" Ino asked, clinging to Sakura's arm and eyeing her smirk.
"Nah. Just thought bullying her would be fun."
Sakura tilted her head and winked a green eye at her bestie.
"You're so mean~"
Their whisper session got cut short—the proctor burst in.
After rules, chief examiner Ibiki Morino handed out tests. Chunin proctors filed in to grade.
Sakura glanced at the paper.
Yeah—no way regular genin who only did D-ranks could answer interrogation, code-breaking, or enemy ninja tactics.
But it was child's play for her.
She breezed through, then leaned back and started eyeing the proctors.
Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki:
…Why are we the ones getting stared down like suspects?
Using speed and skill far beyond the chunin, Sakura beamed answers to Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Choji, Shino, and more.
In her spare time, she peeked at the proctors' scoring boards.
Saw Kotetsu and Izumo gave her a bad mark in intel gathering.
Furious, she flicked each of them a light punch. The two winced and exchanged confused looks.
Up on the podium, head jōnin examiner Ibiki vaguely caught traces of Sakura's movements.
Hmph. Space-time ninjutsu user…
Hands behind his back, the tall man sighed at his toyed-with subordinates.
Then he stared at the "sleeping" Sakura and zoned out.
Third Hokage… you really slipped something insane into this exam.