For Sakura Haruno, Mizuki considered the greatest gain to be this battle itself. The outcome wasn't particularly important—after all, the Chunin Exams would ultimately be interrupted anyway, and even promotion to Chunin didn't matter all that much.
After all, ninjas weren't performers, and public brawls weren't their real way of fighting. More often than not, these matches were meant to showcase one's strength to influential spectators for political gains.
Each village's ninja promotions only referenced the Chunin Exam results as a guideline, with an entirely separate system actually in place. Take for example how Naruto Uzumaki, who defeated supposedly the strongest Genin, Neji Hyuga, wasn't promoted, while Shikamaru Nara, who lost to Temari, became a Chunin instead.
In fact, Sakura might have been the most inexperienced among all the Genin. Her civilian background offered little help in training to become a ninja. After graduating from the Ninja Academy, she had powerful teammates like Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, so she rarely ever faced enemies alone.
In the Land of Waves, with Kakashi Hatake as the mainstay, everything ultimately concluded safely despite the initial dangers. Even the scare they faced in the Forest of Death hadn't been truly dangerous. As for Orochimaru, that was simply too great a gap in power to take as a real measure. In the original storyline, her fight against the three Otogakure ninjas was interrupted midway because of Mizuki's interference. Then, during the preliminary rounds against Ino Yamanaka—where Ino unexpectedly injured herself—Sakura advanced through sheer luck. This fight against Dosu might have been her first real test facing a strong enemy alone.
A small difference in battle could mean the difference between life and death in real combat. Especially against someone like Dosu, who fought with a never-retreating mindset, it had been a valuable lesson for Sakura. Being a ninja wasn't a game—it wasn't some innocent profession; if you didn't work hard, you could die.
Watching Dosu being carried away unconscious—or possibly worse—Sakura steadied herself. Looking up at the audience applauding and cheering for her, she struggled to understand her own emotions. She followed the inner passage back up to the stadium seating area.
At that moment, however, loud complaints rose from the stands. The next match featuring Sasuke Uchiha was delayed, and everyone was dissatisfied. Many had come specifically to see what kind of genius the orphaned survivor of Konoha's former great Uchiha clan might be, yet he hadn't appeared. Complaints filled the air.
With no other option, Hayate approached Hiruzen Sarutobi for instructions. After discussion, they ultimately decided to postpone Gaara's match with Sasuke and hold the match between Shino Aburame and Kankuro first. As Mizuki expected, Kankuro—who meant to hide his strength—readily forfeited.
Seeing such an absurd display only increased the crowd's dissatisfaction. Under pressure, even the fifth match participant, Temari, reluctantly made her way down.
Both sides seemed to agree silently to stall time, while the main attraction—the match between Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake—hadn't started yet because neither had arrived on time.
"So," Mizuki said aloud, "do you think Shino Aburame's default victory is a blessing or a curse?"
Winning is naturally good in the Chunin Exams, but securing victory without a fight doesn't always work out well. Whether one can advance to become a Chunin still depends on their performance. Advancing through sheer luck only leads others to assume it was due to chance, which does little to enhance one's reputation.
Given Shino Aburame's strength, going up against Kankuro could challenge Shikamaru Nara's position as the top performer. Advancing to Chunin would still be very possible.
Kurenai Yuhi replied, "Whether it's down to luck or not is still unclear, but Shino definitely wouldn't want to win like this."
Indeed, he already had such low visibility. Without chances to demonstrate his abilities in front of others, he'd naturally draw even less attention. No wonder Shino really cared whether people he knew greeted him or not.
The next match had already started, but for someone like Shikamaru—whose tactics relied on precision over speed—the pace felt painfully slow. The waiting time became somewhat tedious.
"Asuma," Mizuki said casually, joining the conversation now that the fight was over, "you were so confident about Shikamaru earlier, but now you seem pretty anxious."
"It's because the kunoichi facing him is no pushover—she might be exactly the kind of opponent Shikamaru struggles with," Asuma said, taking a puff from his cigarette.
Just then, Sakura came over once her injuries had been treated and walked up from backstage.
"Teacher Mizuki, your method worked very well. Thank you."
"You're welcome—it was all thanks to your own effort," Mizuki replied warmly. "Rest well; there will be more battles ahead."
It could also be seen as an early investment in her potential. Since Naruto and Sasuke were beyond his reach, it made sense to invest in the top girl instead. Besides, it didn't go against his true feelings anyway—he was merely going with the flow.
Meanwhile, hearing the noise, Naruto and Ino had already wandered over to chat with Sakura.
As everyone watched Shikamaru Nara's performance below, Kakashi finally arrived, bringing along Sasuke Uchiha.
"Hey, everyone's here. Which round are we at?" Kakashi greeted. Then, excitedly, Naruto pulled Sasuke aside to show him off and boast about his victories.
"Sasuke's match was postponed. His will be the next one up."
Relieved that Sasuke hadn't been disqualified for being late, Kakashi relaxed.
Mizuki also let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Konoha's strongest fighter had finally arrived.
"Now listen carefully, everyone. Don't act impulsively yet," Mizuki quietly instructed.
"Huh?" His serious tone startled everyone.
"Pay attention to the Anbu member seated in the far left rear corner of the stadium seating area. That person isn't one of ours."
Kakashi asked calmly, "Are you sure?"
The security presence at the stands was already weak, and now enemies had infiltrated even among the Anbu.
"I've watched carefully and am certain that individual wasn't among us from the start—they must've found a way to slip in later."
Nodding understandingly, Kakashi subtly glanced toward the stand's layout and security precautions.
"For now, don't act impulsively. Let's confirm if there are any other spies among us," Kakashi ordered.
"Breaking into the Anbu's ranks under such tight security wasn't easy. Can we really afford not to strike first?" Asuma strongly favored taking immediate action.
"Not yet. We still don't know their main objective. If we make our move too soon, we risk scaring them off."
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