Among the participants of the exam, Sakura appeared the most nervous. After introducing each other's names, she immediately asked Kabuto for advice on what to pay attention to during the Chunin Exams.
Kabuto, like a salesman, introduced his self-made "Ninja Info Cards" on the spot. Ino had seen these cards twice before at the Konoha Hospital. Now, adhering to the covert policy of the "Baroque Workshop," the "President" and "Vice President" acted as if they were merely acquaintances in public. Ino automatically stepped aside, letting Kabuto fool around with the Genin.
Ino began observing the many Genin participating in the exam.
After all, this was an exam hosted by Konoha. Among the participants, 87 were Genin from Konoha, making them the absolute majority. There were 30 Genin from Sunagakure, 21 from the Rain Village, 15 from the Grass Village, and 12 from the Waterfall Village, where Ino had old friends. Only 3 Genin came from the Sound Village.
Kabuto's remark that the Sound Village was just a small ninja village angered the three Sound Genin present. Dosu, who was supposed to be 14 years old, was wrapped in bandages, had arms that hung past his knees, a lecherous gaze, and a hunched back. He looked like he could easily pass for 54.
Kabuto's identity as a spy was completely unknown to these discarded Sound ninja. Ino stood by, amused, watching Dosu show off his might by shattering Kabuto's glasses and then spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Dosu single-handedly demonstrated the strength of the Sound Village, suppressed Konoha's momentum, and helped Kabuto establish a weak and incompetent persona—killing multiple birds with one stone.
Sakura and Naruto, being the good kids they were, helped Kabuto up. With a bitter smile, Kabuto wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and then stepped aside. The attention on him immediately dropped by ninety percent.
Not long after, the Special Jonin, led by Morino Ibiki, entered Classroom 301 to begin the first exam.
Ino glanced at the proctors. Heh, they were all ninja from the intelligence division. She recognized every single one of them!
Her knowledge hadn't been returned to Teacher Iruka yet. After receiving the exam paper, even though she knew the final outcome, she still reviewed the questions.
Since she had nothing better to do, she thought about following Sasuke's example—glancing at the questions, throwing down her pen, and striking a cool pose while declaring she couldn't answer a single question. But with so many acquaintances around, Ino couldn't afford to embarrass herself! Deciphering codes, calculating the maximum range of shuriken, chemistry problems, physics problems—Ino didn't use any cheating methods. She picked up her pen and started answering the questions.
Ino could solve all these problems, and so could Sakura and Hinata.
The original seating arrangements had been completely disrupted. Except for Naruto, who was sitting next to Hinata, everyone else was surrounded by strangers. Each person had to rely on their own skills.
Kiba had his Ninja Dog peek at others' answer sheets and then relay the answers to him.
Shino Aburame used his insects, Gaara used his Eye of Sand, and Neji Hyuga used his Byakugan.
Naruto stared blankly at the exam paper, his mind completely empty.
Sasuke sneered, focusing his Sharingan on Ino in front of him, preparing to mimic her movements to answer the questions.
"Ouch!" Two magatama spun in his Sharingan. He had just mimicked two characters when he felt an intense pain in his eyes.
The Dojutsu that had been sealed away suddenly went berserk.
Ino, who was in the middle of answering questions, also felt as if someone was hammering a chisel into her skull.
She almost cried out in shock, the intense pain causing her to snap the pen in her hand. What the hell?
Her consciousness was forcibly pulled into a pitch-black space.
Beneath her feet, it felt as though liquid was slowly flowing, and when she stepped on it, the water roughly reached the top of her feet.
There wasn't a single ray of light in this world, but Ino could sense her own existence.
In the distance, there were three light sources of varying intensity. Unable to comprehend the situation, she hesitantly walked toward them.
When Ino was within arm's reach of the three light sources, her body was drawn by some force, automatically merging with one of them.
The entire world underwent a dramatic transformation before her eyes. Countless things—some clear, some blurry, some with names, some without—flashed past. It felt like an eternity, yet also just a fleeting moment.
When she regained her ability to think, she saw a figure with a blurred face and a voice that sounded quite elderly speaking to her.
"The most important thing between people is communication. The essence of our Ninshu is to attempt to connect with the hearts of everyone. The heart drives our bodies, and our bodies, in turn, bring about changes in this world—whether good or bad. Only by mastering the heart can we truly understand ourselves and this world. Yamanaka, did you understand today's lesson?"
A voice that was neither distinctly male nor female responded from Ino's light source: "Teacher, I'm dull and slow-witted. I'm afraid I'll never be able to grasp the world you've described in my lifetime."
The old man referred to as "Teacher" smiled faintly. "Change doesn't happen in an instant. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Do a little today, and a little more tomorrow. One day, you'll understand what I mean. Talent isn't what truly matters. Indra, did you understand what I said?"
The third light source let out a cold laugh. "When you and my uncle rebelled against our grandmother, how many years did you fight? Ten? Twenty? Why didn't you talk about heart-to-heart communication and resolving conflicts through dialogue back then? Now you regret it, doing a little today and a little more tomorrow, trying to mend the world you shattered? Father, I feel nothing. All I see is your weakness!"
The "Teacher" fell silent. After what seemed like a long time, he sighed. "It's alright. One day, you'll understand me too. I'll wait for you."
The black, tide-like world rapidly receded, and everything she had seen and heard within it vanished in an inexplicable manner. Ino opened her eyes again, finding herself back in Classroom 301, holding the broken halves of her pencil.
Though she had lost ninety-nine percent of her memories from the black world, her spiritual energy had grown significantly stronger than before. In the final moments, she had managed to grasp a fragment of memory.
A name that wasn't entirely familiar, but certainly not unfamiliar—Indra! Indra's Chakra was still affecting her? This thing was practically a bug! Without any cellular-level contact, could it have been transmitted through spiritual energy across space?
The memories of Indra in the illusion were like trying to hold sand in her hand—the tighter she grasped, the faster they slipped away. As she struggled to recall, even the last fragments of those memories vanished, leaving only the name "Indra" in her mind. What he had done or said was completely forgotten.
Inoichi's subordinate, Tobitake Tonbo, noticed that Ino looked unwell and quietly asked if she was feeling sick.
"Sorry, that last question was a bit difficult. I got too worked up and ended up crushing my pen," Ino made up an excuse to brush it off and continued to focus on answering the questions.