The moment the names stopped, the chamber shifted.
Not physically, of course, but Karin felt it all the same. The attention of nearly everyone present turned toward Sasuke Uchiha.
That was only natural.
The Uchiha name still carried great importance, even in the clan's current diminished state, and Sasuke?
Well, he had the dubious benefit of being Itachi's brother.
Itachi had personally made the name Uchiha famous once more; their poor showing in the past few wars had somewhat diminished the reputation.
Something Kaguya seemed to think was a very deliberate move to limit the influence of the clan within village politics.
Something she thought was stupid, and on which Karin couldn't agree more.
But it had indeed worked until Itachi appeared, and the name Itachi Uchiha spread across the Elemental Nations.
Clan Killer.
Kin Slayer.
And much, much more.
Few people knew any of the truths behind the event; all they knew was that one man had killed an entire clan in one night and escaped after doing it.
He was a legend.
A cruel and bloody one, one that made people shiver in fright, but a legend all the same.
Karin adjusted her glasses as Sasuke stepped forward, and for a moment, her senses settled over him more deeply.
His chakra was not in good condition.
It wasn't simply exhaustion. It was worse than that. His chakra pathways were agitated, raw, and unstable, as if something had chewed through them and left poison in the wounds. Near his neck, hidden beneath his collar, there was a knot of something foreign.
Orochimaru's chakra.
It was dormant, but not asleep.
No, Karin thought, eyes narrowing slightly. It was waiting.
Like a snake curled up under a warm stone.
Kakashi Hatake appeared beside Sasuke before he could fully walk down to the arena floor. The silver-haired Jōnin leaned in, one hand resting on Sasuke's shoulder as he spoke too quietly for most to hear.
Karin could not hear the words, but she could guess easily enough.
Don't use chakra recklessly.
Don't do anything reckless.
Be careful.
Things like that, the things any concerned adult would do in such a situation.
Though personally, Karin didn't see why Konoha didn't just make up an excuse to delay this for a few days and deal with the problem before doing this.
She saw no reason they couldn't have done that, so that was another black mark against the village, not treasuring their genius young shinobi.
Sasuke's expression barely shifted. He nodded once, then shrugged off Kakashi's hand and walked down the stairs toward the arena floor.
Across from him, Yoroi Akadō stepped forward as well. He was one of Kabuto's teammates, though unlike Kabuto, he hadn't withdrawn. His face was mostly hidden behind round glasses and a cloth mask, but his posture gave away enough.
Confident.
Too confident.
Not because he thought he was stronger than Sasuke, no. Karin doubted he was that stupid. Rather, his confidence came from knowing something others didn't.
That was rather suspicious; on the outside, Sasuke didn't look overly hurt, not to the point that it would really diminish his fighting strength.
Karin knew he was in less-than-great shape, around maybe half his total power, but that was only because she was an Uzumaki and likely the best sensor currently within the Hidden Leaf.
So, that was how she knew, but what about this person? How did he know?
Well... maybe it wasn't just Kabuto alone that had problems; indeed, as she thought about it, it did make sense that the entire team was somehow compromised.
Maybe they all worked for Orochimaru... or for Danzō; he too hated the Uchiha, and as an important Konoha official, he would likely know the truth about Sasuke, so maybe he had told his agent?
Then again, that likely wasn't the entire reason for his confidence.
It was one thing to know your opponent was weakened, but unless you yourself were strong enough to take advantage of that, it hardly mattered.
So, he must have something to be confident about.
A hidden technique, most likely.
Karin's senses dipped toward him, then her lips twitched.
Ah.
So that was it.
"Chakra absorption," she murmured.
Tōji leaned closer. "What?"
"His hands," Karin said. "If he touches someone, he can pull chakra out of them."
Tōji looked down toward the arena floor. "That's nasty."
"It is."
Naho tilted her head. "Bad match for Uchiha?"
"Very," Karin said. "Especially now."
Because Sasuke could not afford to lose chakra.
Not with Orochimaru's mark inside him.
That curse mark wanted chakra. It wanted weakness. It wanted an opening. If Yoroi drained Sasuke too much, the thing in his neck might wake up on its own.
Karin glanced toward Orochimaru.
He stood among the adults, still hidden beneath another person's skin, still close enough to the Hokage that Karin had to fight the urge to laugh all over again.
He looked calm. No, not just calm. He looked interested.
Then maybe he was behind it? It would make sense, as this particular technique was indeed a perfect foil for Sasuke, and for whatever attempts Konoha had made against whatever Orochimaru had left inside him.
Which meant... the entire match was rigged.
Once again, she couldn't help but feel disdain for Konoha, and for the current Hokage.
He was right there, and one of his own village's traitors didn't just stand within arm's reach; he even manipulated the entire selection.
Such a brazen display of arrogance; it should by all means have caused Orochimaru to be discovered, but there was no sign of that at all.
Hayate stepped between the two fighters, coughing once into his hand.
"Begin."
Yoroi moved immediately.
He was fast enough for a Genin, Karin supposed. His opening was direct, but not sloppy. One hand reached toward Sasuke's chest, fingers spread, clearly aiming to make contact as quickly as possible.
Sasuke didn't retreat.
That surprised Karin.
Instead, he stepped forward.
Yoroi's hand brushed against his shoulder.
For a fraction of a second, chakra began to flow from Sasuke into Yoroi's palm.
Then Sasuke's elbow slammed into Yoroi's wrist.
Hard.
The contact broke.
Yoroi's fingers spasmed, and Sasuke followed with a knee to the stomach that forced the other boy back several steps.
Karin's eyes sharpened.
Oh?
He had noticed instantly.
Not after losing a lot of chakra. Not after being caught and panicking. Instantly.
Yoroi's posture shifted.
So did Sasuke's.
The Uchiha did not look shocked. He did not even look particularly surprised. His Sharingan spun slowly, watching Yoroi's hands with cold focus.
"He figured it out," Naho said quietly.
"Yes," Karin said.
Tōji crossed his arms. "That fast?"
"He let himself be touched."
Tōji turned his head toward her. "What?"
"He wanted to know what the technique was," Karin explained. "He offered a shallow contact, then broke it before the drain mattered."
Tōji stared at Sasuke again.
"Huh."
Karin couldn't help but agree.
It was a good choice.
Risky, but good.
It also meant that Sasuke had seen the confidence on his opponent's face and reached the same conclusion as Karin had, or at least as close to the truth as he could given his limited information.
He had then baited the secret technique out of his opponent, all while ensuring it wouldn't hurt him, or at least doing his best to reduce the harm.
Yes, it was a good move, a smart move, though Karin personally found it far too risky; she would have just killed the fool right as the match started.
Yoroi clicked his tongue and rushed again, this time feinting with his right hand before reaching with his left. Sasuke read the shift easily. He ducked under the real grab, stepped around Yoroi's side, and struck the back of his knee with a low kick.
Yoroi dropped.
Sasuke's foot came up toward his chin.
Yoroi barely leaned back in time, the kick scraping past his mask. His hand shot up and caught Sasuke's ankle.
There.
Chakra began to drain again.
Sasuke's curse mark stirred.
Karin felt it clearly.
A cold pulse from his neck, dark and hungry, pushing against the restraint of his own chakra.
Sasuke felt it too.
His face tightened.
For half a second, Karin wondered if he would lose control already.
Instead, Sasuke spun with the grip.
Rather than trying to pull free, he used Yoroi's hold as a pivot, twisting his body and driving his other heel into Yoroi's face.
The kick landed cleanly.
Yoroi was sent skidding back, glasses cracking across one lens.
The contact broke again.
Karin smiled.
Good.
Very good.
Most Genin would have panicked once they felt their chakra being drained. Sasuke had treated the grip as part of the movement and punished it immediately.
Sasuke landed lightly, though not perfectly. His hand twitched toward his neck before he forced it back down.
He was hurting.
But he was still in control.
Yoroi rose more slowly this time.
"You really are hard to grab," he said.
Sasuke didn't bother answering his cheap taunt.
Something which seemed to annoy Yoroi.
Such a foolish move, to lose your cool over your own failed taunt. He formed a hand seal, then dashed forward again, his movements sharper than before. Karin felt chakra gather around his palms, strengthening the absorption.
So he could increase the effect.
Interesting.
But stupid.
Did he really think that after getting hit by the technique twice, his opponent wouldn't be prepared for it the third time?
Yes, Sasuke struggled using much of his chakra right now, greatly limiting his abilities and strength, but he was still no fool.
And indeed, Sasuke didn't meet him directly this time.
He jumped back, throwing two kunai and three shuriken. Yoroi deflected them, expecting the usual Uchiha wire tricks. To be fair, wires were present, but they weren't attached to the weapons Yoroi blocked—they were already on the ground.
Karin's eyes widened slightly as Sasuke flicked his fingers. Wire snapped tight around Yoroi's ankle, but not enough to fully bind him—just enough to disrupt one step. That was all Sasuke needed.
He vanished from Yoroi's front and reappeared beside him, punching Yoroi's ribs. Yoroi twisted, trying to grab Sasuke's wrist, but Sasuke was already gone, landing another strike. Then another—measured, not heavy. Sasuke aimed to break Yoroi's rhythm, striking just enough to keep him off-balance while avoiding contact.
Karin was surprised by his restraint.
And confused by it. She saw no reason to hold back; was it because he didn't want to hurt him? Though, for some reason, she didn't feel that was right.
Yoroi snarled and lunged, both hands reaching forward. Sasuke tracked the movement, stepped inside the grab, and for a moment, it looked like a mistake. Then Sasuke lowered his shoulder, driving it into Yoroi's chest and slipping beneath his arms.
Yoroi's arms missed, and Sasuke's palm hit upward beneath his chin. Yoroi's head snapped back, and Sasuke swept his legs out from under him, knocking him hard to the floor.
Before Yoroi could recover, Sasuke threw more shuriken, wires wrapping around his arms, pinning them briefly. Sasuke then stepped on one wrist and kicked the other hand away, targeting Yoroi's hands—crucial for absorption.
Yoroi hissed, chakra flaring as he tried to rip free. Sasuke jumped back before being grabbed again, then pulled sharply, forcing Yoroi's arms wide.
"Fire Style—"
Kakashi's chakra surged, as did the mark on Sasuke's neck. The chamber seemed to hold its breath as the curse mark reacted to the chakra buildup, eager to join Orochimaru's chakra, eager to spread.
Sasuke's jaw tightened, then he released the chakra—no jutsu. Smart. Very smart.
Instead, he moved quickly—faster than Sasuke's injuries and chakra deprivation should have allowed, but not as fast as Rock Lee earlier in the exam, according to Karin's sensing.
Sasuke then kicked Yoroi into the air.
Rock Lee adjusted his stance. Might Guy's teeth flashed. Karin watched them both, then looked at Sasuke.
Ah, so that was what was happening—the Sharingan. Sasuke had copied Lee's taijutsu style. That really was unfair.
Yoroi floated into the air, his arms still partly wrapped in wire. Sasuke appeared beneath him, then behind, kicking him higher. It wasn't a full technique, Karin realized. Sasuke couldn't do the full move—his body wasn't trained for it, and his chakra was unreliable. So he used a simpler version—less power, less risk, but still effective.
Yoroi tried to twist in midair, desperately reaching for Sasuke. Sasuke didn't let him. He kicked Yoroi's wrist with his heel, knocking the hand away, then elbowed him in the stomach. The chakra absorption never activated.
Then Sasuke wrapped wire around Yoroi's torso and pulled. They spun downward—probably not as smooth as Lee would have done, but close enough. At the last moment, Sasuke kicked off Yoroi, released the wire, and sent him crashing into the floor while Sasuke flipped back into a crouch. The impact cracked the stone.
Yoroi lay still. Sasuke paused briefly, one hand on the ground, the other near his neck. The curse mark flashed once. Karin sensed it. Orochimaru did too. Kakashi's eye narrowed as well.
Sasuke forced himself upright. The mark settled. Hayate observed Yoroi for a moment before coughing.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha," he announced.
(End of chapter)
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