Ino immediately released the Mind Body Switch Technique and returned to her own body. However, the Nine-Tails didn't care about the minor Chakra loss at all. Instead, it desperately squeezed its Chakra out of the prison like toothpaste, taking advantage of the last moments of the Mind Body Switch Technique's connection to forcefully pour its Chakra into Ino's body.
Still so naive! You stupid fox have no idea how dirty human tactics can be!
Ino commented in her mind, then waved at Choji to signal that he didn't need to worry about her. She quickly returned to her Demon Fortress.
At this moment, her appearance was somewhat terrifying. Her body was enveloped in red Chakra, and the blood beneath her skin was surging wildly. Even though her own Chakra was desperately resisting, she couldn't completely avoid the damage the Nine-Tails Chakra was inflicting on her body. Her entire body was red, and she was on the verge of being burned.
Karin, who had been spacing out, heard the noise and hurriedly ran out to see what was happening. She happened to see Ino quickly ascending the stairs to the third floor.
"Are you okay?"
Ino's entire body was red, clearly not okay.
She just shook her head, indicating that she was fine.
Originally, she wanted to tell Karin to return to her room, but after a moment of thought, she gestured for Karin to follow her.
Ino led the way to a room deep within the castle. Here, she had drawn nine Sealing Formations and stored enough water to fill three swimming pools.
Like a maid serving a queen, Karin helped Ino slowly enter the water. Then, she picked up a bath ball and shower gel nearby, her face full of anticipation.
Ino glared at her. What are you doing? Karin, feeling she had misunderstood, awkwardly extended her arm, offering it for Ino to bite and heal her injuries.
"Should I really bite?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Aren't you afraid of the pain?"
"I... I'm not afraid of pain."
"Why are you blushing then?"
Ino ultimately didn't bite. She didn't need such methods to recover from her injuries. She always remembered her identity—she was a Medical Ninja! She instructed Karin to go and activate the Sealing Formations.
These formations required a sealing team, meaning six ninjas working together to activate them. Originally, Ino had planned to do it herself, but now that she had a free helper, she didn't hesitate to make use of her.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Karin's Chakra wasn't as vast as Naruto's, but it was still more than an average person's. However, her Ninja techniques were lacking, and she was sweating profusely from the effort. Ino's lower body was submerged in water, while her upper body leaned against the pool's edge as she guided Karin.
The water in the pool quickly evaporated, and the Nine-Tails Chakra, which couldn't be decomposed or transformed, slowly seeped out of her body.
Soon, she changed to another pool, and then moved to the third one.
After all three swimming pools of water were depleted, Karin had also set up the Sealing Formations.
Ino began forming Hand Seals.
The red, mist-like Chakra in the room continuously gathered, taking the shape of a small, foggy fox that darted around. Ino firmly controlled the formation, using its power to corner and trap the Chakra. Finally, the remaining Nine-Tails Chakra condensed into a basin-sized mass of scorching energy within the Sealing Formation.
Ino didn't have the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline like Kinkaku and Ginkaku, so she had no intention of stuffing the Nine-Tails Chakra into her own body. However, keeping it around certainly wouldn't hurt. If it weren't for the Nine-Tails Chakra, she wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.
On her side, the process of hydrification, separating the Nine-Tails Chakra, and sealing the Nine-Tails Chakra took quite some time. By the time she emerged, Naruto had already woken up.
Sakura had also defeated the Kunoichi from the Sound Village, and her confidence was soaring. The psychological shadow cast by Orochimaru on the three of them was quickly fading.
As night fell, the two teams, along with Karin, rested in Ino's Demon Fortress. Choji prepared a meal for everyone, and they all enjoyed it heartily.
Only Naruto felt uneasy. He feared nothing in the world, but ghosts were his one exception. The eerie atmosphere of the Kubisaki Castle made his liver tremble.
The next day, the two teams split up to continue their search for the "Heaven" scroll.
Karin also parted ways with Team 10. After all, she was a ninja from the Grass Village, and it wasn't appropriate for her to keep mingling with Konoha ninjas.
Ino made a recruitment offer to Karin, who was willing to work for her. Later, in front of several Grass Village ninjas, Ino "killed" Karin, resolving the issue of her identity. Ino then instructed her to go to the Waterfall Village to find Kawaragi, as she would join her in a few days.
A day later, Team 10 obtained the "Heaven" scroll from a team of Genin. Without wasting any time, they immediately headed to the central tower.
On the way, they encountered Gaara's Sunagakure trio. Both sides were wary of each other, but no fight broke out, and they each went their separate ways.
"Hmph, it's just that I'm low on Chakra. Next time we meet, I'll show them what I'm made of! Especially that strongwoman from the Sand Village. Her arrogance really gets on my nerves!" Ino complained a couple of times.
Shikamaru and Choji both looked at her, utterly confused. Strongwoman? Who was she talking about? Ino's ability to criticize others was truly top-notch: "Well, it's that Temari. Didn't you see her? She swung her fan, and whoosh, three ninjas were sent flying. She really has some strength!"
Shikamaru was dumbfounded and didn't know how to respond. Describing a woman as a strongwoman? That didn't sound like a compliment at all. Women were truly terrifying. Ino wasn't exaggerating; later on, Temari could send Uchiha Madara flying with a single swing of her fan. Her strength was undoubtedly significant, and even now, Ino estimated that Temari's strength wasn't much less than Choji's.
The second exam lasted five days, and only three days had passed. They could use the remaining time to rest.
Upon arriving at the central tower, Ino immediately reported Orochimaru's presence.
Whether the Third Hokage knew about his former disciple's arrival was his business. As a Konoha ninja, Ino had to report the sighting of a rogue ninja.
Orochimaru's attempt to disguise himself seemed somewhat unnecessary. He barely concealed his identity, and Sakura already knew his name. Ino also reported details about his snake transformation, Wind Release, and the Five Elements Seal. After that, it was no longer her concern.
The resting conditions at the central tower weren't as comfortable as in Ino's Demon Fortress, but she didn't flaunt it. She greeted Hayate Gekko, the proctor of the preliminary matches, and then found a place to rest.
Two days later, the Genin who passed the exam gradually arrived at the central tower for the preliminary matches before the final round of the Chunin Exams.
Sasuke easily defeated Akado Yoroi, and Shino Aburame also defeated the injured Sound Village's spirited young man, Zaku. The order of the matches was exactly the same as in the original timeline.
After Kankuro from the Sand Hidden Village defeated Tsurugi Misumi from the Hidden Leaf Village, the butterfly effect took place, and Ino did not face Sakura.
This time, Sakura's opponent was arranged to be Hinata.
The two kunoichi began with various feints and probes, followed by a clash of the Clone Technique against the Gentle Fist, and the Water Prison Technique against the Byakugan.
Before losing consciousness, Hinata finally deciphered the Chakra flow pattern of the Water Prison Technique. With a swift palm strike, she knocked Sakura out. Despite her own dizziness, Hinata stood her ground until the referee, Hayate Gekko, declared her the winner. Only then did the young girl collapse to the ground.