"What on earth happened...?"
The Anbu, following the powerful Jonin, finally broke through the surrounding cold wave's blockade and barely managed to enter this forest that had turned into a snow-covered land.
Since many of them wore Anbu Attire that provided no protection against the cold, they could only hug their shoulders and shiver.
When they reached the epicenter of the battle, they saw the scene before them, like a frozen hell, and the pure white girl resting against a tree.
The Anbu's members widened their eyes, unable to speak for a long time.
"Sakura, are you okay?!"
Kakashi rushed out of the crowd, hurriedly running toward the girl.
But as he approached her, his legs were frozen by the solid ice on the ground, causing him to stumble.
Awakened by the noise, Sakura slightly opened her snow-white eyes: "Oh, it's Kakashi-sensei. You're here."
"What exactly happened?!"
Using Chakra to shatter the ice on his feet, Kakashi moved his ankles and cautiously stepped forward.
"Here, Orochimaru. Had a fight with him, and he ran away."
Sakura gestured with her chin toward the frozen snake meat in the distance.
Hearing Sakura's words and glancing at the permanently altered battlefield, the Anbu's eyes twitched.
'Lady, that's Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, now an S-Rank Missing-Nin.'
'Could you not describe your battle with him like going to the supermarket downstairs to buy rice? It makes those of us who can't even afford rice look bad.'
"You! When you encounter such a dangerous Ninja, why didn't you call for help?!"
Kakashi's usually lazy eye rarely showed such seriousness.
"I forgot during the fight~ and the signal flare for help is with Sasuke."
Sakura waved her hand, casually brushing off Kakashi.
After being stabbed through by that snake, only managing to punch him once, the girl was also feeling frustrated.
"You, you, and you… clean this up. And remember to report the intel to Hokage-sama."
Sakura pointed lightly, effortlessly directing the Anbu's members who were collecting evidence.
The pointed Anbu instinctively followed Sakura's orders, using Fire Release on the surrounding ice.
It took them a while to react:
'Wait, she's not our superior. Why should we listen to her?'
"Do as she says, and send someone to inform Hokage-sama!"
Kakashi, holding his head, helplessly added the order, then turned his gaze back to Sakura.
"So, what are you planning to do next? How are Naruto and Sasuke?"
"Naruto and Sasuke are fine. As for next... of course, continue the exam."
Sakura rolled her eyes, tying up her disheveled pink hair.
Not just Sakura, but any moderately well-informed Ninja in the village knew the Third Hokage's temperament.
As a political creature, how could Hiruzen halt the Chunin Exams just because of Orochimaru during this sensitive period when multiple nations were watching?
That would be like telling everyone that Konoha couldn't even handle a single Missing-Nin. Showing weakness while surrounded by wolves would be the dumbest move.
So, whether for dignity or substance, Hiruzen, as the Hokage, would ensure the exam was completed at all costs… even if he himself became the cost!
"Alright, anyway, you guys will have the hard part next. I won't keep you company~"
Sakura turned back, playfully winking her left eye at Kakashi.
Then she blew a long whistle, and immediately a giant sparrow descended from the sky, grabbing the girl's arm.
Her petite body, weightless, soared away with the night sparrow's spread wings.
"Ugh, trouble just keeps coming."
Kakashi watched the departing girl and sighed, scratching his messy white hair.
…
On the other side, at the edge of the frozen zone.
A girl wearing a heavy cotton coat with an Iwagakure's forehead protector sneezed.
Her senior, Akatsuchi, had exhausted too much Chakra and was lying on the ground, unmoving.
Four hours. They had dug for four whole hours.
Buried deep underground, the two had taken turns using Chakra to tunnel through the permafrost, barely carving a survival path to the surface.
By now, a third of the exam time had already passed, yet they still only had the Heaven Scroll they were given at the start.
Kurotsuchi took a deep breath, exhaled, and shouted to the sky:
"Damn it, Haruno Sakura!!!"
Instantly, dark wings cast an eerie shadow from the sky above.
The girl clad in night sparrow feathers descended like a phantom, sprinkling starlight from the lingering frost in her hair.
"What, looking for me?"
The girl's delicate toes in her ninja sandals entered Kurotsuchi's vision, a pure white color spreading from the tips of her lightly touching feet.
With those emerald-to-white gradient pupils and a beautiful face like a highland flower, the girl slowly walked toward Kurotsuchi.
Under the blood-like setting sun, the little princess of Iwagakure took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
'Kurotsuchi, believe in yourself! You can do this!'
'That girl must be covered in wounds too. After so many battles, she probably isn't in much better shape!'
Kurotsuchi clenched her fists, feeling Sakura's cold fragrance gradually approach.
'Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… if missed, I would surely regret it.'
'Come on, come on, Kurotsuchi.'
'Use your Blazing Fist on her... oh no, use the Added-Weight Rock Technique!'
'Charge at this approaching windmill like a knight of destiny!'
'Steal her scroll, make her taste the helplessness of defeat, force her to kneel in shame before you!'
"Earth Release: Added-"
As Sakura came within three steps of Kurotsuchi, Kurotsuchi suddenly lunged forward.
Unfortunately, her ninja sandals, soaked by the frozen ground, slipped on the deliberately formed frost.
The disordered Chakra forming the technique erupted on her body, causing the little princess of Iwagakure to use all her strength in a lunge, only to be pulled by gravity into a perfect dogeza.
The remaining momentum even pushed her, spinning in circles, until she slid right in front of Sakura.
Silence.
The entire forest fell into dead silence.
Kurotsuchi's face, pressed against the ice, flushed crimson with shame and anger. Her body trembled, tears rolling onto the ice.
'-Haruno Sakura! I... waaah!'
Sakura, with her emotion-reading Haki, naturally knew Kurotsuchi's inner thoughts. She withdrew the hand she had used her ability with.
The mischievous girl crouched in front of Kurotsuchi, gently stroking her head and smoothing her disheveled hair.
"You silly child, it's not even New Year's yet. Why are you bowing so early?"
Her words made Kurotsuchi, who had been maintaining a fierce expression while sobbing, cry even louder.
But because the Weighted Rock Technique was still in effect, she could only remain in the dogeza position, crying on the ground.
"Sniff... Haruno Sakura... sniff, just you wait!"
Kurotsuchi, who had been pampered all her life in Iwagakure, a genius who mastered the Added-Weight Rock Technique and a Kekkei Genkai at a young age, had never suffered such humiliation.
At this moment, she swore in her heart: 'What I had lost, I would one day take back with my own hands!'
Kindly flipping Kurotsuchi over so she could be pressed into a starfish shape by gravity, Sakura tilted her head at her and revealed a sly smile: "Hee-hee."
Kurotsuchi: "..."
'Haruno Sakura, you damn-!'