Haruno Sakura had been troubled lately—not because her relationship with Sasuke hadn't progressed, nor because Naruto had been getting on her nerves again—but because deep down, she truly felt like a burden to Team 7. Sasuke, the top student, was always exceptional. Even Naruto, the class clown once considered the dead last, was rapidly catching up. How could she, a model student at the Academy, possibly feel content when she was being left behind?
Sasuke is already so strong. And Naruto… he's changed too. It's just me. I haven't grown at all.
"Don't drag them down… don't hold them back…" she muttered, fists clenched.
As these thoughts consumed her, a voice suddenly called out her name.
Elsewhere, in a quiet forested test area, Hatake Kakashi stood with arms crossed, watching as Mizuki meticulously prepared an elaborate test site.
"You've got barrier seals, illusion arrays, and more traps than a Kiri black-ops zone. People might think you're laying down a warfront," Kakashi remarked dryly.
"Preparation is everything," Mizuki replied, placing another chakra-inscribed tag on a tree. "I'm doing this for your students, you know. A thank-you might be nice."
"This is just the preliminary round. Isn't this a bit excessive?"
"For the future of the village? We seniors should set a higher standard, Kakashi. Where's your sense of duty?" Mizuki gave a sly smirk. "Besides, I've already put in too much effort to back out now. Why are you loitering here anyway? Shouldn't you be watching over Naruto and Sasuke?"
"They're fine," Kakashi said with a sigh. "It's Sakura I'm worried about. Especially with you running the evaluation…"
"I'm done here." Mizuki dusted off his hands and looked up. "What was that about Sakura?"
"Nothing," Kakashi lied. "Just that she'll be arriving shortly."
From the path beyond the trees, two figures appeared—Sasuke and Sakura.
"Sasuke-kun? Did you need to talk to me?" Sakura asked hesitantly, glancing around at the unfamiliar clearing. "Why bring me all the way out here?"
"It's quiet. No distractions." Sasuke's voice was flat. "Let me get to the point. You should withdraw from the Chūnin Exams."
Sakura's breath caught. The words hit harder than any blow.
Hidden nearby, Kakashi furrowed his brow. That's harsh, even for a genjutsu projection…
Just then, as Sakura stood frozen with emotion, Mizuki activated the genjutsu array. The terrain shimmered, the seals and traps began to hum, and the illusion subtly took hold.
"Why, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, trying to smile through her shock. "Is it… because you don't want me on the team anymore?"
"No," the illusion replied coldly. "It's your strength—or lack of it. Once you withdraw, Naruto and I can find someone more suited to the exam."
"But… will Kakashi-sensei agree?"
"It's a voluntary exam. You quit, and that's that."
From the treetops, Mizuki turned to Kakashi. "Villain's on cue. Want a cameo appearance?"
"I'll pass," Kakashi grumbled.
"Pity. Could've used some real acting talent," Mizuki muttered. He formed a seal. A shadow clone appeared, disguised itself as a Grass ninja, and launched an attack. Traps flared to life, chakra strings snapped, and sealing arrays closed in around the two figures.
"Get back!" shouted the false Sasuke, shoving Sakura out of the line of fire.
He was hit by a barrage of chakra-laced kunai and collapsed like a pincushion.
"All weaklings should just quit," sneered the disguised clone. "Otherwise, this is your future."
But then Sakura's eyes sharpened.
She rolled and pushed the fake Sasuke aside. "You think we're so easily fooled? Genjutsu and shadow clones won't work forever."
Mizuki frowned from above. Not bad. She saw through it already. This is going better than I expected.
Kakashi smirked slightly. "Impressive. She's always had top-tier chakra control and excellent theory. It's good to see her instincts kicking in."
The shadow clone sneered and snapped its fingers. A second wave activated—genjutsu that blended illusion and reality. Dozens of kunai flew from all directions. Three puppet warriors surged from hidden compartments, blades raised.
Sakura formed hand signs and began to dispel the illusion. The kunai passed through her harmlessly. The first two puppets slashed her frame—illusionary. But the third… something was off. She shifted to avoid it, but not in time. A strand of her hair fluttered to the ground.
"That mix of real and fake… Mizuki, isn't this a bit much for Genin?" Kakashi muttered.
"It's tough, but fair. They are aspiring Chūnin."
"Too much flair for a simple evaluation…"
The clone re-engaged, attacking in tandem with the puppets. Sakura's reserves were low, but she didn't fall back—she lunged forward, shattering one puppet with a chakra-enhanced kick. She dodged the clone's kunai and leapt clear.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You planning to keep this going, Mizuki?"
"There's a beginning and an end. The clone's timer is almost up."
As if on cue, the shadow clone faltered. But just as Sakura exhaled in relief, one of the "destroyed" puppets abruptly reassembled and lunged.
"The array didn't vanish?" Kakashi snapped. He looked toward Mizuki—still idle. "Your clone vanished. Who's maintaining the chakra?"
He activated his Sharingan. "Wait. The puppet? It's not a puppet at all…"
The creature moved autonomously—chakra flowing through it like a construct rather than a simple doll.
"You disguised the control node itself?" Kakashi hissed. "That's your real experiment."
Sakura stumbled, too drained to dodge. The construct struck, slashing her across the shoulder. She dropped to her knees.
But the final blow didn't come.
She opened her eyes slowly—only to see another strand of hair falling. That was all.
"I got your left side earlier. Now I've trimmed the right. Symmetrical at last," the puppet said, its voice modulated with unnatural cheer. "In gratitude for your effort, here's a gift." It tossed her a scroll. "But remember what I said: without strength, you'll only be a burden."
"That's enough," Kakashi snapped. "You took this too far."
"Didn't I compensate?" Mizuki shrugged, making a hand sign. "Release."
The puppet dissolved in a puff of chakra smoke. The illusion barrier faded.
Kakashi approached Sakura, checking her condition as she lay slumped in the grass.
"What was in the scroll?"
"Some of my research," Mizuki replied. "Notes on sealing, chakra control, illusions. Perfect for a ninja like her—strong theory, fine control."
"She's a xuébà type, huh?" Kakashi muttered. "Isn't it a bit early?"
"You underestimate her," Mizuki said softly. "She's not like Naruto or Sasuke, no flashy jutsu or bloodline, but she's got potential. You just have to look past the surface."
"Maybe you're right," Kakashi said. "I'm not always the best with her type."
"Well, she's your student. I just ran the tests. Good luck cleaning this up—I've got a report to file."
"You always leave the mess behind," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples. "I had a bad feeling about this… I didn't think it'd be this much trouble."