Within the Forest of Death, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto finally reached the central tower just before nightfall. Pushing open the tower's large doors, they found the interior completely empty. Not a single person was inside.
Naruto went up to a piece of paper hanging on the wall and read what was written on it: "...If Heaven's scroll you lack, seek wisdom to prepare for what's to come. If Earth's scroll you lack, venture forth and seize what's needed. Open both Heaven and Earth, and the perilous path shall be made right. This is the essence...of leadership. --The Third Hokage."
"Sakura-chan, what does this mean?" Naruto asked, completely baffled.
"I don't know," Sakura replied. She simply didn't have the mental energy to decipher its meaning.
"Ahem, congratulations. You're the second team to pass the second stage," a voice called out from ahead.
The three of them looked up to see a pale-faced ninja suddenly appear before them.
"Second?" Naruto was shocked not to be first. "Then who was first?"
Sasuke was also surprised. He thought his team had been fast enough, but another team had beaten them.
"Ahem, it was a team from the Hidden Sand Village. They finished in only 97 minutes. They're over there," the pale ninja said, gesturing towards the Sand Village trio standing in the nearby training area.
"It's them!" Sasuke said, a thoughtful expression on his face as he saw the Sand Siblings.
"Could we find a place to rest? We're exhausted," Sakura asked the pale ninja.
"No problem. There are temporary lodging areas here. I'll show you the way," he said, leading the way.
"By the way, there are a lot of ninjas here, right? We encountered Orochimaru in the Forest of Death," Sakura added, still somewhat apprehensive.
"The Third Hokage is currently here," the ninja replied. He didn't seem surprised by the news, likely having already received the report. He was probably here specifically to meet them.
"Oh, the Third Hokage is here? That's good. Did the Third Hokage say he wanted to see me?" Sakura didn't believe for a second that the old man wouldn't want to question her.
"Ahem, the Third Hokage instructed that you all get some rest," the ninja replied, still maintaining his calm demeanor.
It seemed the Third Hokage was too busy to deal with her right now. Capturing Orochimaru was the priority, and he was personally overseeing the operation from the central tower.
"Let's go, then," Sakura said, feeling a wave of dizziness. Although her body was healed, the mental exhaustion couldn't be remedied simply by the absence of physical injuries.
After a night's rest, Sakura and the others finally regained their energy.
In the central tower's simple cafeteria, the three finally met up with Kakashi.
"Yo, you guys did pretty well," Kakashi said, a hint of happiness in his voice.
"Kakashi-sensei! Ah, when did you get here?" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, spotting his teacher in the cafeteria.
"I arrived yesterday, but I had a temporary assignment," Kakashi answered.
A temporary assignment, probably searching for Orochimaru, Sakura thought.
"Sakura, the Third Hokage wants to see you. Come with me," Kakashi said to Sakura. "You two," he addressed Naruto and Sasuke, "try your best to improve your skills before the third exam begins."
With that, Kakashi led Sakura to meet the Third Hokage.
Inside the central tower's temporary office:
"Sakura, you certainly didn't disappoint me. You performed excellently in the second exam," the Third Hokage said with a look of satisfaction.
"Thank you for your confidence in me, Lord Third," Sakura replied politely.
"Let's get to the point," the Third Hokage said, cutting straight to the matter. "Was the person you fought in the Forest of Death yesterday Orochimaru?"
The Third Hokage didn't doubt that Sakura knew who Orochimaru was. From yesterday's reports, it was clear that all three of them knew the identity of their enemy. As for how they knew, it was likely that Tsunade had told her.
"Yes, it was Orochimaru. His features matched what Tsunade-sensei told me," Sakura replied. She saw this as an opportunity to potentially derail Orochimaru's Konoha Crush plan.
"Then, what was his objective?" The Third Hokage followed up, confirming his suspicions about Tsunade's involvement.
He should have asked yesterday, but first, Orochimaru was on the run in the Forest of Death, and capturing him was the immediate priority. Second, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke had been utterly exhausted after their ordeal. The Third Hokage, being considerate, had allowed them to rest first.
"Orochimaru's objective is Sasuke. He wants Sasuke's Sharingan..." Sakura paused, then continued, "And the Konoha Crush plan."
Orochimaru hadn't actually said anything during the battle, but that didn't matter. Unless they captured Orochimaru – and even if they did, Sakura hadn't lied – her words held weight.
"Uchiha Sasuke, huh?" The Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe and sighed. "Could he have completed that jutsu?"
He furrowed his brow in deep thought for a long moment, then muttered to himself, "Konoha Crush plan?"
"Yes, Lord Third. Orochimaru plans to launch his attack during the third stage of the Chunin Exams," Sakura continued, adding with a touch of self-deprecation, "He probably thought we'd all die, so he had no qualms about telling us everything."
"Hmm... I see. Did Orochimaru say how he plans to attack?" the Third Hokage inquired.
"Uh... Orochimaru didn't reveal any specifics. He only mentioned that he'd have help from allies in the Sand," Sakura admitted. She genuinely couldn't remember the exact details of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, only that he disguised himself as the Fourth Kazekage and attacked the Third Hokage.
"Allies in the Sand?" The Third Hokage pulled out the files of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro from a drawer in his temporary office and began to review them.
After a long silence, the Third Hokage spoke.
"I understand. Sakura, thank you for providing this information. You may go now," the Third Hokage said, dismissing her. "Kakashi, stay!"
After leaving the temporary office, Sakura reflected that the Third Hokage likely wanted to discuss countermeasures against Orochimaru's impending attack and assign tasks to Kakashi.
But that was no longer Sakura's concern. She had shared all the information she knew with the Third Hokage. It was up to him to decide how to proceed.
In the training area, Sakura watched Sasuke and Naruto sparring below.
It was only the second day. Besides her own team, only Gaara's team had passed so far. Typically, most teams wouldn't arrive until the third day. Currently, aside from the existing tower personnel, only Gaara's group was present.
Sakura leaned against the railing on the second floor, her gaze unfocused as she watched the two boys spar below. Judging by the dilation of her pupils, her attention wasn't on the intense fight unfolding beneath her at all.