For someone with at least Jonin-level abilities, having to resort to scheming to pass the Chunin Exams would be beneath them.
Moreover, Kabuto Yakushi hadn't entered the Chunin Exams merely for the title of Chunin itself.
Perhaps it was because Shiki Uzumaki had thrown it precisely, or maybe because Kabuto had caught it cleanly.
The Heaven Scroll landed steadily in Kabuto's hand. Immediately afterward, he handed his team's brownish-yellow Earth Scroll to Yuuma Akimoto.
"So, Senior Kabuto, are you going with us?" Shiki Uzumaki asked.
Kabuto shook his head. "No, this time, let's each proceed on our own."
"Okay then. We'll be off first." Shiki nodded. Truthfully, he wouldn't have minded sticking with Kabuto for a bit.
But if at all possible, they really shouldn't move together as one group.
After all, Kabuto was among the most dangerous individuals within Shiki's mind.
With that thought, Shiki handed over some medicine from his pack to the two teams that had just fought.
They were effectively out of the exam. Since they were all from Konoha Village, helping them under these circumstances was only appropriate.
"Thanks," Yuan Ye said, nodding toward Shiki Uzumaki. If earlier his impression of Shiki had been limited to simply recognizing him as a standout rookie,
now he felt that Shiki Uzumaki was at least someone who proved himself worthy of respect—either as an opponent or as a friend.
Some people prove themselves worthy of respect purely through their actions.
"Seiji Ito, Yuuma Akimoto, let's go first then."
Seiji Ito nodded. If not necessary, he seemed like someone who would never voice his opinions.
The group left. Even now, Shiki still felt a little surprised.
Without even lifting a finger, they'd already obtained an Earth Scroll. He rarely had such good luck.
But it was just luck, really. The real trials still lay ahead.
Shortly afterward, Kabuto also checked on these Konoha ninja. As a professional Medical Ninja, he was far more skilled than amateurs like Shiki Uzumaki or Yuuma Akimoto.
He also provided further help treating the wounded ninja's injuries, which left them deeply moved and slightly taken aback.
Among ninjas, it was rare to find someone so genuinely compassionate—and there were actually two such people here.
This naturally earned both Shiki Uzumaki and Kabuto Yakushi greater respect from them. Someone with the courage to treat their opponents this way would surely gain recognition from everyone.
After wrapping up the treatment, Kabuto turned and left.
After passing through layers of forest, one of the two silent shinobi behind him finally voiced a question.
"Lord Kabuto, truthfully, we didn't manage to obtain another scroll ourselves. Why did we exchange ours with Shiki Uzumaki?"
That was the part that confused him most. They had just entered the Forest of Death when they noticed movement nearby and came over.
In reality, they hadn't even had time to seize the second scroll themselves.
After all, they had entered through widely scattered locations. Even if they couldn't quickly grab a scroll and retreat somewhere quiet to observe for a short while, it wouldn't be a problem.
Even if they did have that capability, there was no need to rush so desperately. Whether or not they could pass this exam in the Forest of Death simply depended on whether this seemingly scholarly-looking person wanted to pass or not.
The scroll they received in exchange with Shiki Uzumaki wasn't taken by force—it was given to them willingly from the start.
They truly couldn't understand Kabuto Yakushi-sama's intentions.
"Because for us, possessing either type of scroll—heaven or earth—makes absolutely no difference. But it's different for Shiki Uzumaki. We might as well help him out a bit."
Kabuto Yakushi smiled gently, ready to politely answer any question anyone asked him.
Yet his subordinates couldn't help suspecting Kabuto's motives were genuinely good.
As they spent more time with Kabuto Yakushi, they discovered he was the type of person always willing to offer assistance. His kindness made it hard to associate him with being a spy.
In fact, this was an excellent spy's method of concealing himself. Moreover, Kabuto Yakushi offered help so naturally, never making others feel like his assistance was forced or insincere.
This instance was probably just another act of concealment, like always.
However...
It was rare for Kabuto to take such special notice of someone. What trait did that red-haired kid possess that warranted Kabuto Yakushi's attention?
Chapter 128: Cursed Seal of Heaven
The night passed in silence, tense and uneventful. Sakura remained completely vigilant, even setting up several traps.
The terror left behind earlier by Orochimaru still lingered around her, yet she had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the team.
Actually, Genin needed to master many skills. In this aspect, Sakura definitely ranked among the best.
She could be seen as the perfect unit, fitting seamlessly into any Genin team.
But units are just units; no matter how flawless she was, she couldn't match true brilliance.
During her time at the Ninja Academy, Sakura scored full marks on every exam—be it on the Ninja Code, trap-setting, shuriken throwing, or basic Ninjutsu.
She surpassed Sasuke in chakra control. During written exams, Sasuke needed to rely on his Sharingan to copy answers. Yet Sakura could complete most questions independently.
Back at the Ninja Academy, Naruto practically had no area where he could match Sakura. Nicknamed "the dead last," he persisted in his own Ninja Way, gaining strength through unexpected and unconventional methods.
Only Sakura could achieve full marks in every subject during her time at the Ninja Academy.
Even Sasuke was merely labeled a genius, unable to attain perfect scores consistently.
She could spend countless hours memorizing the Ninja Code and perfecting the Clone Jutsu until it was flawless.
Previously, everything she did was solely for passing exams.
Yet the Ninja Code that she had memorized perfectly failed to make her strong now, ironically making her the weakest among the three.
That's all her world was—there didn't seem to be anything more for her to aim for.
Back when she was younger, hearing that Ino also liked Sasuke, she could boldly declare, "Then we'll be rivals starting today,"
then spin around and walk away without looking back.
If not for Naruto's influence, Shiki believed Sakura's personality wouldn't have changed even by the end—she'd still be exactly the kind of person he hated the most.
Although Sakura hadn't yet matured into the person she'd become years later, she was already starting to change. At the very least, she was now capable of stepping forward to protect her comrades.
When her head was grabbed by Kin from the Sound Ninja Trio, she had the determination to cut off her long hair—the very same long hair she had specially grown because she'd heard Sasuke liked girls with long hair.
If something like that involves other factors, the outcome might be completely different.
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