Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Bell Test Preparation
Sasuke and Naruto had dragged Sakura to the Uchiha district for dinner with Sasuke’s family. His mother had insisted they come meet her, wanting to see her son’s comrades. Though Sakura had no particular desire to be there, she couldn’t refuse her teammates.
As they walked through the familiar, somber streets, Sakura couldn’t help but suppress a wave of sadness. She could see Uchiha children running freely, laughing, and playing. The sight was jarring, triggering memories of a much darker time. She had often been in the district before—but not as a guest.
She had once entered the Uchiha district under the cover of darkness, a ROOT agent ordered to kidnap children and carry out unspeakable tasks for Danzo’s insane agenda. She had desecrated graves, stolen lives, and broken spirits in the service of a man who thought of people like her as tools.
The memories of it were as fresh as ever, but she had gotten rid of Danzo. Yet, the scars he left behind—on her body, mind, and soul—were still there. She was free, but not all the victims of his madness had been so lucky. Some were still in pieces.
Sasuke hummed beside her, his steps light as Naruto whistled, greeting the Uchiha clan members they passed by. Sakura walked beside them, her posture stiff as she forced herself to act like she was here for the first time.
Then, deciding to break the silence, she spoke up quietly. “I’m good at medical ninjutsu, genjutsu detection, and traps. That’s it. Besides the basic Academy Three, I know all medical ninjutsu and one genjutsu technique. I don’t know my chakra affinity,” she added, deliberately downplaying her abilities. It was true, but not the whole truth. She couldn’t afford for her teammates to know everything about her. If they knew how much she could do, it would raise too many questions.
Sasuke nodded. “I think my brother may have chakra indicator papers somewhere in his room.” He paused and then added, “Okay, besides the Academy Three, I know the Great Fireball Technique, shurikenjutsu, kunai throwing, and Uchiha taijutsu.”
Sakura blinked. The Great Fireball? How could he do an A-rank jutsu so easily? Right—he was Uchiha. Uchiha children performed feats like shooting fireballs at six years old as part of their coming-of-age rituals. She should’ve expected that. But then, why was she freaking out?
She clenched her fists. I could do S-rank jutsu at the age of seven.
But the reality hit her like a punch to the gut. I’m not Uchiha, though. I’m just a civilian. After everything Danzo did to me... She tried to push down the feelings of unease. She had bigger things to worry about, especially since her chakra reserve had grown significantly—far beyond that of a normal civilian. The Chimera Project had enhanced her abilities, for better or worse.
Chakra was supposed to reflect your life span, but if you used too much, it could lead to exhaustion and permanent damage.
She shook her head. Focus, Sakura.
She turned to Naruto, who was chatting animatedly. “Oh, yours truly is a seal freak. Shadow clones are my specialty, and I’m really good at setting up traps.”
Shadow clones. Sakura’s stomach dropped. He knows shadow clones? That was a forbidden jutsu. Naruto’s natural talent for it was both impressive and terrifying. She had to adjust if she didn’t want to fall behind.
Finally, they arrived at the Uchiha compound. The smell of food wafted through the air as they removed their shoes and stepped inside.
“Hello, Sasuke, is that you, team?” a warm voice called.
Sakura turned to find an older woman with black, curly hair and dark eyes—Sasuke’s mother, Mikoto Uchiha. She smiled warmly at Naruto, then her gaze shifted to Sakura. “Sakura Haruno, is it?”
Sakura nodded, slightly taken aback. “Yes, Mikoto-sama.”
Mikoto raised an eyebrow and waved her hand. “Don’t use that! Mikoto is fine. Even Miko works!” She gently rubbed Sakura’s shoulder, a welcoming gesture that made Sakura feel both at ease and, at the same time, strangely uncomfortable.
Sakura managed a smile, but it felt forced. If only Mikoto knew... how many Uchiha children she had seen torn apart for Danzo's cause. The thought made her stomach churn. She wanted to apologize, to confess, but the words stuck in her throat.
Mikoto, noticing the tension, sighed. “It’s alright. I understand. You’re welcome here, Sakura.”
Sasuke awkwardly rubbed his head as they all sat down to eat. After dinner, Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi, joined them. Itachi was kind enough to provide Sakura with chakra conduction papers.
Sakura accepted them, pretending to be unsure of how they worked. She already knew her affinities, but she couldn’t afford to reveal them. If they knew I was attuned to four of the five elements, they’d think I’m a freak. No one is supposed to be able to do that.
She focused on the seal on her right foot, feeling the subtle, hidden chakra suppressing and masking her true abilities. As she activated the paper, it first dampened, then became earthy, indicating her affinity for earth.
“Nice! We almost have all five elements in our team,” Naruto celebrated, oblivious to Sakura’s deeper concerns. “I have wind, Sasuke has fire, and you have water and earth!”
Sakura smiled faintly. Water, earth, and silver chakra. I also have fire, wind, and lightning. But I can’t show them that. I can’t let them know everything I can do.
Mikoto smiled and offered her more mochi, but Sakura politely declined. Her thoughts drifted as she forced herself to ignore the simmering anger inside. She had no right to be treated well by the Uchiha clan, not after everything that had happened. But as long as she kept her secrets hidden, maybe she could find some semblance of peace... or so she hoped.
“Then let’s go to the training ground!” Naruto said, excited. “Kakashi’s not going to know what hit him!” He rubbed his hands together as if preparing for a fight.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. “These two are going to cause so much chaos,” he muttered under his breath.
Itachi, who had been silently watching, gave Sasuke a light smack on the shoulder. “Protect them,” he said with a knowing smile.
Sasuke nodded, a rare moment of softness in his expression. “I will.”
He ran after Naruto and Sakura, who were already heading out the door. “Wait up, you guys!”
Sakura followed behind them, but her heart was heavy. She could feel the weight of the coming test pressing down on her. She had to fight Kakashi without revealing what she was truly capable of, but she couldn’t afford to hold back too much. The pressure was building, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up the act.