Chapter 47: His Wings Are Not for Just Anyone to Beat

"Were those two people nearby your companions? They ran off as soon as they saw me," Yagyu asked.

"That's just how they are," Karin responded. "Both my mother and I were outsiders, and Kusagakure never trusted people like us. When they sent me here to participate in the Chunin Exams, I was already prepared to die."

"Did you have a Jonin supervising you?"

"No, Kusagakure is just a small village with very few Jonin. They only sent two teams to fulfill a neighboring country's invitation."

"In that case, let me handle things for you."

"Mm-hmm… Yagyu, whatever you say, I'll do. I'll follow your lead!"

In the stillness of the nighttime forest, two figures walked along the forest path, chatting. Just like Haku and Kimimaro, once Karin decided on someone to follow, she would devote herself to them for life. Even if she could never become his equal, even if she were hurt countless times by the person she loved, Karin would never hate him or turn into some twisted, obsessed version of herself. As long as the one she loved was happy, she would be satisfied, living out her days without marrying.

This was the difference between an ordinary admirer and the ultimate devotee!

And Yagyu now had two of these ultimate followers.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Yagyu secretly activated his Sharingan to use both telescopic and x-ray vision as he led Karin to one of the entrances of the Forest of Death. There, he formed a hand sign and created a shadow clone. He then pulled out an envelope full of money from his clothing and handed it to Karin.

"The Chunin Exams will take some time. To prevent your companions from discovering you, and since you can't leave the village officially yet, I suggest you stay somewhere in the Land of Fire for now."

"Once the Chunin Exams are over, I'll bring my Jonin sensei to find you and escort you back to Konoha."

"Take this money and use it to rent a place and get some decent food."

Karin hurriedly shook her head, waving her hands in refusal. "Yagyu, you don't need to give me money. I can find someplace to stay on my own."

"Take it."

Yagyu's gentle demeanor suddenly shifted as he forcefully pushed the envelope into Karin's hand. Then, with a soft smile, he said, "Your body is too weak right now. If you don't take care of yourself, the Hokage might not believe you're a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."

"If you feel bad about it, consider it a loan. Once you join Konoha and start earning money from missions, you can pay me back."

"...Alright!"

Once again, Karin felt the warmth that only her mother used to give her, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she nodded vigorously.

"Go ahead now. While it's dark and no one's around, my shadow clone will lead you out of Konoha," Yagyu said.

"Okay."

Just as Karin was about to leave with the shadow clone, she turned and asked, "Yagyu, where should I wait for you?"

Yagyu smiled faintly and softly spoke a name, "Tanzaku Town."

After seeing Karin off, Yagyu quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to return to where Shino and Hinata were waiting.

Yagyu felt no concerns about Karin's safety. It was the dead of night, and with the illusory powers of his Sharingan, which even the Byakugan couldn't detect, Karin could easily walk out of the village without raising any alarms.

Using his Sharingan to scan the area, Yagyu searched for Team 8's position. Once he entered a certain range, the shadow clone, which had been with Team 8 and also using its Sharingan to keep watch, vanished in a puff of smoke.

Shino and Hinata didn't react with surprise. Yagyu's shadow clone had already informed them it wasn't the original Yagyu when it returned with the hunted prey.

When Yagyu's real self appeared, Shino asked, "Did you find who you were looking for?"

"No, I wasn't searching for anyone just now," Yagyu replied, shaking his head with an already prepared answer. "While I was out hunting, I met someone interesting. I'll introduce them to you when there's a chance."

"Someone from another village?" Shino asked.

"Yeah. Her identity is a bit special, and I'll need to speak with Kurenai-sensei after the exam," Yagyu replied with a nod, hinting that he didn't want to elaborate further.

Shino didn't press for more details, but both he and Hinata became a little curious about this mysterious person.

If Yagyu, who rarely wasted time, thought highly enough of this person to speak with Kurenai, they must be someone significant.

Both Shino and Hinata started thinking about the various candidates from the first exam, wondering if any of them matched Yagyu's description.

Seeing them deep in thought, Yagyu smiled. "You two can rest now. I'll keep watch."

"Alright."

———

The next morning arrived quickly. After retrieving some water from a storage scroll to freshen up, Team 8 resumed their search for Team 7 and Team 10.

Suddenly, as if something came to his mind, Yagyu's expression shifted slightly. He quickly formed hand signs and created several more shadow clones.

This time, the clones moved at lightning speed, spreading out with their Sharingan activated, searching for Team 7's location.

Even without finding them yet, Yagyu knew what had happened to them.

By now, Team 7 had definitely encountered Orochimaru disguised as a Grass ninja. Sasuke Uchiha had likely been marked with the Curse Mark of Heaven, and Naruto had fallen under Orochimaru's Five Elements Seal, leaving both unconscious.

The only one still awake was Sakura.

That was why Yagyu's shadow clones were moving with such urgency.

Because Yakushi Kabuto didn't get a chance to display his acting skills in the first exam, Yagyu had momentarily forgotten about a few lesser threats.

But suddenly, he remembered: after Orochimaru gave Sasuke the Curse Mark, he ordered the Sound ninja trio to eliminate him. Orochimaru's real goal was to provoke Sasuke's curse mark and make him crave the power that Orochimaru could offer.

However, the Sound ninja trio was a bit too eager. They found Team 7 before Sasuke even woke up.

With both of her teammates unconscious, Sakura was left to face the trio alone.

In the original story, this was the battle where Sakura had her first transformation—cutting her hair and taking her first step toward becoming the formidable "Sakura-chan" we know.

While transformation was beneficial for the original Sakura, this Sakura didn't need it.

Having grown up alongside Yagyu and the others, Sakura had already gone through her transformation. Now, she was a competent and even exceptional support ninja.

If it weren't for her limited chakra as a child, Yagyu would have taught her Water Release techniques long ago.

Sakura's chakra attributes, much like Yagyu's before graduation, were Yin, Yang, Water, and Earth.

After graduating, Yagyu didn't teach her new jutsu but instead had her focus on honing her sensing and medical skills—setting her up to leave a lasting impression on Kakashi. After Team 7 temporarily disbanded, Yagyu planned for her to follow the same path as in the original story and be recommended by Kakashi to Tsunade.

However, Sakura still wasn't much of a fighter yet.

Before she got hurt at the hands of the Sound ninja trio, Yagyu had to find her.

No one can harm my wings!

With his shadow clones working at full speed, they quickly located Sakura's position.

The moment the shadow clone dispelled itself and sent back its memories, Yagyu's eyes flashed with cold determination. He turned to Hinata and Shino and said, "Sakura's in trouble. I'll head there first. Follow me as fast as you can."

Before they could respond, Yagyu's body flickered out of sight, leaving behind only a faint, barely visible afterimage darting across the treetops.

In a blink of an eye, Yagyu vanished from Shino and Hinata's view.

Shino's pupils shrank behind his dark glasses.

So this is Yagyu's real speed?

Even his Body Flicker Technique was hidden so deeply!

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