"Took you long enough," Erza said, leaning casually against the wall, her piercing gaze fixed on Itachi as he approached. There was a slight smile playing at the corners of her lips, but her tone was edged with impatience.
"I had to take care of some things on the way," Itachi replied evenly, his usual calm demeanor unaffected. "Besides, today isn't a training day. I'm here to tell you about the Chunin Exams that are coming up."
"Mhm," Erza nodded, her curiosity piqued. She straightened up, giving him her full attention.
"The Chunin Exams are…" Itachi began, but before he could continue, they were interrupted by the sound of an explosion in the distance. Both of them turned their heads sharply in the direction of the noise, their senses heightened.
Inside the Hidden Leaf Village, a commotion was brewing. The usual bustling energy of the streets was disrupted as villagers and ninjas alike turned their heads toward the source of the disturbance.
Three unfamiliar figures stood in the village square, attracting attention from everyone around. They were dressed in the distinct garb of the Sand Village. The tallest, with a painted face and a smirk of superiority, was holding a small boy by the collar. The child kicked and struggled, clearly outmatched.
"Put him down now!" Naruto shouted, his voice carrying across the square as he dashed forward.
"Hmph, do something about it, then," Kankuro sneered, his grip tightening on Konohamaru's shirt. Naruto charged forward, his fists clenched, but before he could close the distance, something tightened around his ankle, yanking him to the ground with a thud.
"Ouch!" Naruto yelped, his face hitting the dirt.
Kankuro laughed mockingly. "Is this the strength of the Leaf Village's Genin? Pathetic." He glanced down at Naruto with disdain. "You're even weaker than I thought."
"You…! Shut up and let him go!" Sakura shouted, stepping up beside Naruto, though she hesitated to get any closer.
Kankuro ignored her, his attention still on the struggling boy in his grasp. "Seeing a runt like this makes me want to break him even more."
"Kankuro, stop it," a voice called out, calm but commanding. All eyes turned toward a new figure perched high on a tree branch. With a gourd strapped to his back and a stoic expression, Gaara stood watching the scene unfold. Even Sasuke, who had been observing from the sidelines, hadn't noticed him until now.
"You're embarrassing us," Gaara said, his cold eyes narrowing.
Before Gaara could continue, the air around them suddenly shifted, becoming noticeably colder. Kankuro flinched, his grip on Konohamaru loosening instinctively as a sharp, chilling sensation ran down his spine. He let the boy drop, his gaze darting around to find the source of this oppressive presence.
"Who the hell is that?" Kankuro muttered, scanning the crowd.
"I don't know," Temari replied, her eyes widening as she, too, felt the intense aura pressing down on them. "We didn't sense anyone this strong on our way here."
Gaara's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the street corner. "There's a Genin here… and she's strong."
The tension was palpable as everyone turned their attention to the source of the chilling aura. From around the corner, a figure stepped into view. She moved with an elegance that contrasted sharply with the weight of her presence. Long black hair tied into a neat ponytail, eyes as cold as ice, and a black haori embroidered with blue flowers, she exuded an aura of both grace and danger.
She carried a blade by her side, the hilt gleaming under the sunlight, but it wasn't the weapon that commanded attention. It was her calm, unflinching demeanor. Just her presence made the very air around them turn frigid.
"Tsk, it's her… Erza Koyama," Sasuke murmured, his teeth clenched. Even at this distance, he felt the shiver running through his body.
"The strongest in our class… Damn it! I got shivers just from her presence!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear.
The Sand siblings, however, were caught between disbelief and unease. For the first time since entering the village, Kankuro's confident smirk faltered.
Erza approached the scene, her gaze sweeping over the Sand ninjas before settling on the trembling Konohamaru. "What's happening here?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with a hidden edge.
"These guys were bullying Konohamaru for no reason! He's just a little kid, and they're picking on him!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Kankuro.
Erza turned her gaze to Kankuro, her expression unchanging. "Apologize," she said flatly. "You were in the wrong here, bullying an innocent kid."
Kankuro's jaw tightened. Apologize? To a Leaf ninja? His pride flared, his muscles tensed. There was no way he could do that—especially not in front of everyone. He sneered, reaching for the strings attached to his fingers, and sent them flying toward Erza. There was no way she could see it coming—
Or so he thought.
In a single, fluid motion, Erza unsheathed her blade, the metal singing as it cut through the air. The strings that had been rushing toward her fell away, severed into useless strands. Kankuro stumbled back, eyes wide in shock. He hadn't even seen her move.
"It was one thing to bully a little kid," Erza said quietly, her gaze never leaving his. "But to have the audacity to launch an attack at me in my own village?" Her voice dropped, carrying a chilling authority. "You must have a lot of misplaced pride."
A bead of sweat trickled down Kankuro's temple. There was something about the way she looked at him—like a predator sizing up prey. He gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting. He charged forward, launching himself at her with strings trailing from his hands.
He didn't even make it halfway.
Before anyone could blink, Erza was behind him. The world turned upside down for Kankuro as she flipped him effortlessly, using his own momentum against him. With the hilt of her blade, she struck the center of his back, sending him crashing into the ground.
Kankuro gasped, the air knocked out of his lungs. Pain flared up his spine, and he struggled to get up, only to find himself pinned by an unseen force—her sheer presence.
"Lay down, dog," Erza said softly, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
Temari and Gaara didn't move. Everything had happened so fast that they barely had time to react. Gaara's expression remained neutral, but his eyes were locked on Erza, a flicker of interest sparking in their depths.
Without sparing them another glance, Erza sheathed her blade and turned on her heel. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
The crowd parted instinctively, making way for her as she strode past. Her aura lingered in the air long after she was gone.
"Erza Koyama… interesting," Gaara murmured under his breath, his gaze following her retreating form.
Erza knocked softly on the door of the Hokage's office before stepping inside. The room was occupied by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, along with Kakashi and Iruka. They were deep in discussion but turned their attention to her as she entered.
"Ah, perfect timing, Erza. We were just about to discuss the Chunin Exams," Iruka said, smiling.
"Did something change?" Erza asked, her expression neutral.
"No, it's the same as before," Hiruzen replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Except for your test. You'll be heading straight to the Second Stage, which is the Forest of Death."
"Why is that?" Erza asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because your abilities are way ahead of everyone else's," Kakashi explained. "We've decided to let you skip the preliminary rounds and get straight to the more challenging part."
"Yes, Itachi's report stated that there was nothing left for him to teach you," Hiruzen added. "And for a genius like him to say that, it means you're truly something special."
Erza considered his words carefully. "Alright, I don't have any complaints about that. But what exactly is the Forest of Death?"
"You'll be given a Heaven or Earth scroll, and you'll need to take the opposing scroll from another team to win," Hiruzen explained. "However, since you'll be starting earlier, we'll have a few of our Jonin-level ninjas inside to test you."
"So it's just taking a scroll from another team? That's it?" Erza questioned, her skepticism evident.
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. "Don't take this lightly. The Jonin we've assigned to your test are no pushovers. If you can't get the scroll, you'll fail the exam."
Erza's eyes narrowed, then she nodded. "Understood."
"Good luck on your exam," Hiruzen said with a small smile. "You'll need it."