Haruma took this year's chunin exams very seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that he had started laying out his "Leaping over the Dragon Gate" plan several years in advance. For someone like Haruma, who knew the plot inside and out, Konoha was both one of the safest shelters in the ninja world, and the largest of cages.
Being born in Konoha ensured that Haruma could grow up safely, but being born in Konoha also shackled his growth.
The Third Hokage's crystal ball technique, along with Danzo's lurking in the shadows, constantly suppressed Haruma's "appetite" while forcing him to perfect his acting skills.
Back in the Academy days, Haruma had longed for graduation, longed for the chunin exams to arrive sooner, longed for the Third Hokage to die quickly.
As long as that old man died, and once the hidden root of evil underground was eradicated, Konoha would become the best place in the ninja world.
As long as that old man died, Haruma could finally act without restraint.
That was why, even now, Haruma wished he could fast-forward time and reach the Konoha Crush a month away.
Of course, the chunin exams weren't just about the third test. For Haruma, even the second exam carried immense importance.
So important that he chose to act personally and deliberately avoided Hinata and Shino.
After slipping away from the team, Haruma unleashed his immense sensory powers. Soon, the entire chakra landscape of the Forest of Death projected itself inside his mind.
Some of the chakra signatures were small, others large, each representing their owner's reserves and among them, two stood out immediately. Immense, towering signatures. Without doubt, those belonged to the Jinchūriki Naruto and Gaara.
Another one, colossal and slightly nauseating, surely belonged to Orochimaru.
After fixing the positions of those three, Haruma continued his search. Before long, he found another chakra, just slightly smaller than Orochimaru's.
This one was larger than Haruma's own reserves before he devoured Zabuza and Haku and this chakra signature was exactly the one Haruma sought.
Yes, the target was none other than Karin.
As a surviving member of the Uzumaki clan, Karin's talents were considered top-tier even within that exceptional bloodline. The Uzumaki were most famous not only for their diverse sealing techniques and their three unique abilities.
Those abilities were:
Kagura's Mind Eye – one of the strongest sensory powers in the world, able to detect anomalies within dozens of kilometres.
Vitality-based Healing – by letting others bite her skin, she could instantly restore their chakra and heal even life-threatening wounds. The ability was so strong that even if someone were cleaved in half, as long as they still drew breath, she could restore them.
Adamantine Sealing Chains – the ultimate anti-tailed beast technique, rivaling the mangekyo sharingan. Offence, defence, sealing, it could do all.
Even among the Uzumaki, very few could awaken all three.
But Karin, by the age of sixteen or seventeen, had possessed every one of them.
Had she been trained in the sealing arts, Karin would have been among the brightest stars of her generation.
It was thanks to Karin, in fact, that the "darkened" Sasuke Uchiha was able to escape death so many times.
And Sasuke being able to gain her help was due not only to his looks, but to something crucial.
The hero who saves the damsel in distress.
Now, why was it that although both girls were "love-brained," Karin received far more praise than Sakura?
The answer was simple.
Karin loved Sasuke because he had once saved her life, and because he was handsome. For that, she was willing to do absolutely anything for him. Even when Sasuke tried to kill her alongside his enemies, Karin bore him no resentment. When she heard he had died, she fell into despair, forcing her injured body to rush and find him, and in the end, even though Sasuke never chose her, Karin was content simply knowing that he could live happily.
Now look at Sakura.
She loved Sasuke because he was handsome and strong. For that shallow affection, she was willing to betray a close friend who had once rescued her from bullying. She belittled Naruto just to gain Sasuke's attention. Even knowing Sasuke felt nothing for her, she was ready to abandon her parents and run away with him.
After being knocked unconscious by Sasuke, she begged Naruto to bring him back, declaring it her life's wish, yet she never had the courage to chase after him herself.
And then came that infamous "snow confession" in Shippuden, earning her the nickname "Sakura the Fake."
Compared to Hinata, Sakura was already overshadowed but even compared to Karin, it was an insult to Karin herself.
Both were love-brained, but Haruma far preferred Karin's type. That was why Haruma decided to "steal away" Sasuke's chance with her, rather than devouring Karin for her abilities.
Even though the Uzumaki clan had long perished, with only a few scattered descendants left, Haruma knew there were other ways to obtain a Sage's Physique.
So rather than consuming Karin, he wanted Karin herself.
After locating her chakra, Haruma immediately flickered in her direction.
At the same time, Orochimaru, who had snuck into the "pond" to stir the waters, also made his move.
For Team 7, facing one of the Legendary Sannin only a few months after graduation was a truly despairing scenario. The only fortunate part was that Orochimaru bore no killing intent toward them. All he wanted was to implant the Curse Mark into Sasuke's neck.
Though his constant reincarnations among Sasuke and Anko had left his essence pathetically fragile, making him vulnerable to genjutsu, Orochimaru's knack for leaving backup plans everywhere still made him one of the hardest shinobi to ever kill.
While Team 7 was being brutalized by a Kage-level powerhouse, Karin, then a twelve-year-old under Grass Village colors, had become separated from her companions. Of course, had she not been used as a walking battery, constantly drained of chakra, her Sage's Physique would have made her anything but weak.
But unfortunately, her role in Kusagakure was precisely that, a mobile charger. To Haruma, such waste was almost laughable, no wonder Kusagakure was nothing more than a pathetic minor village lacking vision.
Having found her, Haruma did not appear immediately. Instead, he split off a shadow clone to eliminate her two teammates, then lured a giant beast nearby.
Casting genjutsu over it, he directed the beast toward Karin.
"Rooooar!"
When a tiger emerged from the trees, Karin's face went pale with terror.
As it stalked closer step by step, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground unable even to run.
"S-save… save me…"
Her trembling plea barely escaped her lips. But fear strangled her voice, keeping her from crying too loudly, lest the beast pounce at once.
Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh
Luckily, her faint cry reached someone's ears.
Countless sharp sounds filled the air, followed by a storm of senbon that rained down like a storm, instantly skewering the tiger before her.
The beast gave no chance for a final cry, reduced to a lifeless, bristling carcass at her feet.
"…Are you alright?"
A voice sounded, as a figure appeared before Karin.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting rays that seemed to halo his body.
In that moment, as Karin looked up, she saw only a radiant hero, his hair shining beautifully, his mouth in a straight line, the small mole on the left side of his lip making him all the more handsome.
It was as if an angel had descended from the heavens.