"I want a big iron ball! Like, really big!"
"And make sure there are iron spikes on it for extra damage!"
The pink-haired girl waved her hands as she described her weapon, making the bun-headed girl across from her—who was jotting things down in a small notebook—feel a little overwhelmed.
If she remembered correctly, this crazy girl in front of her was going to be her teammate's opponent in the upcoming match.
Was this pink-haired maniac seriously planning to kill Lee?
No way, right?
Lee just liked her a bit, and she wanted to kill him for that? That's overkill!
Tenten broke into a cold sweat as she nervously scribbled in her notebook, jotting down all the absurd specifications Sakura requested.
Then she paused.
Was this... really a weapon meant for a human to use?
Two solid iron balls, each with a diameter of 3.5 meters, covered in deadly spikes, connected by thick steel chains forged from fine steel.
Was this meant to fight people or to fight monsters?
Tenten glanced up at the pink-haired girl who looked younger than her, trying to picture those slim arms and legs wielding something that size.
"Um... can I ask something?"
Tenten hesitated under Sakura's excited and expectant gaze.
"Hm? What is it?" Sakura tilted her head curiously.
"Sakura... you're not planning to use this on Lee, are you?"
Tenten felt obligated to voice her concern. If Sakura really could wield this thing, and it hit Lee even once... would he even survive?
"Uh..."
Sakura glanced at Tenten, immediately realizing what she meant.
The final stage of the Chunin Exams was just ten days away.
And here she was, asking Tenten to craft a weapon that sounded like something straight out of a nightmare.
Not to mention that her opponent in that final match was none other than Tenten's teammate, Rock Lee. Of course Tenten was worried.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't use this thing on someone from the village."
"You have nothing to worry about," Sakura said with a calm smile, trying to reassure her.
In truth, Sakura had a very specific use in mind for this weapon: she planned to use it in combination with her Giant Shuriken Technique, leveraging her monstrous strength to smash open the Sound Four's Four Violet Flames Formation.
Originally, if Rasa hadn't shown up, she planned to stick close to Hiruzen Sarutobi and help him crush Orochimaru together.
But now that Rasa had entered the picture, it was necessary to break the barrier, team up with Hiruzen and Jiraiya, and launch a righteous beatdown on Orochimaru.
Oh, and Rasa too.
As for Rasa...
Kakashi should be able to handle him… right?
After all, he is the great 50/50 of the Leaf.
"Phew, that's a relief then."
Tenten sighed and patted her chest, visibly relaxed. She really had been worried Sakura would crush Lee with that monster of a weapon.
"Alright then, thank you for your business. That'll be 300,000 ryo."
Tenten flashed a friendly and businesslike smile.
Sakura's heart ached a bit as she pulled all the money out of her wallet, reluctantly handing over every last coin.
Meanwhile, Tenten beamed, her eyes practically sparkling with the light of pure profit.
"It'll be ready in ten days. Tenten's Ninja Tools Shop—fair prices and guaranteed quality!"
"Come pick it up at 10 a.m. sharp!"
After bidding Tenten farewell, Sakura looked back at the ninja tools shop with a slightly melancholic expression before turning and walking away.
The Four Violet Flames Formation might seem like a weak barrier technique at first glance.
But its advanced version—the Four Red Yang Formation—required four Kage-level shinobi to maintain and was powerful enough to block a Tailed Beast Bomb from the Ten-Tails.
It was a battle-changing formation.
If her "Heaven-Piercing Iron Balls" couldn't break it, Sakura was prepared to tear down the entire Chunin Exams arena, leaving the Sound Four with nowhere to stand and ruining the formation's stability to break it that way.
---
Time passed quietly, like the stillness before a storm.
And finally, the final stage of the Chunin Exams officially began.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireworks exploded in the sky as the highly anticipated event—hosted by the three great nations—was declared open.
Dignitaries and nobles from the major villages had gathered in Konoha and taken their seats in the spectator stands.
The arena, capable of seating over ten thousand people, was nearly packed.
Clearly, this Chunin Exam was a grand spectacle the likes of which the ninja world rarely saw.
At the very top of the stadium, three stone chairs were placed on a raised platform, each with a different symbol engraved behind them: Fire, Wind, and Earth.
The Hokage sat in the center, with the Kazekage and Tsuchikage on either side.
Hiruzen Sarutobi observed the contestants below with a calm and composed expression, betraying nothing.
"I heard, Lord Hokage, that you've taken on a new disciple."
"Why don't I see her among the competitors?"
Onoki, the old Tsuchikage, peered down at the participants and spoke in his usual sharp tone.
"She's a young girl. Perhaps she's just taking a little longer to get ready in front of so many people," Hiruzen replied smoothly.
The arena was heavily guarded, with elite forces stationed all around, ready for any surprises.
"Hmph, what kind of ninja worries about appearances?"
"Or is she just afraid of facing my granddaughter, Kurotsuchi?"
Onoki knew he was just talking nonsense, but the old man couldn't resist a little verbal sparring.
"Tsuchikage-sama, that's quite an unfair assumption. Why would a disciple of the Hokage fear anyone?" Rasa interjected.
"When the elders are speaking, youngsters should stay quiet."
Onoki's retort made Rasa's face darken instantly.
Rasa cast a cold glance at the old fossil.
If circumstances allowed, he'd love nothing more than to bury these two old men alive with a mountain of gold dust.
---
"Sakura!"
"Aren't you leaving yet?!"
"Aren't you supposed to be at the exam today?!"
Haruno Mebuki sat in the living room, watching TV while shouting toward her daughter's room.
If it hadn't been for Sakura's insistence, she'd have gone to the arena in person instead of watching the broadcast at home.
Sakura looked at herself in the mirror, green eyes calm.
Pink ponytail, forehead protector around her neck, a green flak jacket marking her as an elite, black ninja gear underneath, and a distinctive Uzumaki symbol on her left arm.
Everything was ready.
All that remained was picking up her weapon from Tenten's shop.
With that in mind, Sakura bit her finger and quickly formed hand seals, summoning a small slug with the Summoning Technique.
"Sakura, do you need something?" the tiny slug asked, blinking its soft eyes at the girl dressed for battle.
"Lady Slug, I need you to stay here at my house for now. If anything happens, use the Reverse Summoning Technique to call me back."
Though the slug didn't quite understand what Sakura had planned, it nodded gently in agreement.
"Don't worry, Sakura."
"Leave everything to me."
(End of Chapter)
---