My Techniques are a bit off

"Even though I can't see chakra..."

The sensation of cutting something, however, was unmistakable.

Link gripped the Chakra Scalpel, carefully tracing around the three comma-shaped marks of Anko's curse seal. Considering that Orochimaru's consciousness could potentially reside within the chakra of the seal, he meticulously sliced through every bit of it, carving out the fragmented chakra piece by piece.

The process was swift. Under the influence of the Mystical Palm Technique, his hands moved with precision and extraordinary speed, executing his thoughts almost instantaneously. The only limiting factor was the speed of his own mental processes and reflexes.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Anko Mitarashi watched as Link's hands blurred, moving so quickly that afterimages formed. In mere moments, the curse seal's chakra was completely excised before she could even register what had happened.

She lowered her gaze to the three dark commas on her collarbone. They felt inert now, as if they were nothing more than lifeless marks.

"It's done. It shouldn't have any effect anymore…"

Link pressed his hand over the marks, releasing chakra to check for any residual activity. There was none. With the structure of the seal dismantled and the chakra removed, it was effectively neutralized.

However, the seal's foundation, derived from the infusion of Jūgo's enzymes, remained physically intact. The Chakra Scalpel could remove chakra but couldn't destroy the biological material.

Now, the curse seal was little more than a tattoo.

A rather unique one, he thought, glancing at the trio of dark commas etched against Anko's pale skin.

"Hmm~" Before he could ponder further, Anko suddenly lunged forward, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Link," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"This woman…" Link tried to push her away, not out of embarrassment but sheer discomfort. At ten years old, he didn't possess any particular feelings toward women; he was simply suffocating under her grip.

If it weren't for his awareness of her lack of hostility, he would have kicked her away on instinct.

Anko didn't seem to care. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and laughed heartily. "I've decided! I'm treating you to dango and red bean soup!"

"If there's nothing else, you can leave now." Link's tone was resolute. "Examiner Mitarashi Anko."

"Come on, don't be so cold! You like sweets too, don't you? We could—hey, hey!"

Anko's casual demeanor and playful attempts to close the distance were abruptly halted as Link forcefully guided her to the door and pushed her out.

Standing in the doorway, he looked up at her and said evenly: "If you experience any issues later, feel free to find me."

"Click." The door to the medical room shut firmly.

Anko stood outside, staring at the closed door. Memories of Orochimaru's remarks about Link resurfaced in her mind.

"He's nothing like you, Orochimaru…"

"Huh?"

Her attention shifted to the hallway's end, where a boy with a gourd on his back stood silently, his cold gaze fixed on her.

"That kid… he's the Sunagakure genin who completed the Forest of Death in one hour and thirty-seven minutes."

Anko grinned, her curse mark no longer hindering her. In a flash, she vanished from her spot.

"Kid," her leisurely voice echoed in Gaara's ears, "don't look at me with such murderous eyes…"

"Or else—"

"Swoosh!"

A swirl of sand rose behind Gaara, forming a shield that lunged toward the examiner—only to meet empty air. In the next moment, a kunai was pressed against his neck.

"I might just kill you first." Anko's voice turned chilling, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across her face.

This was the woman known as Konoha's most dangerous kunoichi.

Gaara's hand remained poised in front of his chest, half-formed seals frozen mid-motion.

"This kid's gaze… it's unsettling." Anko narrowed her eyes. "Is Sunagakure here for Link?"

She lowered the kunai slightly but didn't let down her guard. Her smile was deceptively sweet as she warned: "If you dare attack another proctor or staff member, I'll disqualify you immediately."

Gaara hesitated before releasing his seals.

Anko removed the kunai, brushing past him. As they passed, her tone grew icy. "Stay away from Link."

Gaara remained rooted in place, trembling with anger as her words echoed in his mind.

"Again… always the same…"

Link, with his enigmatic demeanor and protective allies—teammates who bore peculiar expressions and an adult ninja who shielded him—stood in stark contrast to Gaara's own isolating existence.

"I can't stand it anymore… I'm going to kill you…"

"Link!"

…

Back in the medical room, Link sat contemplating his findings.

"The Mystical Palm Technique lets me physically compress natural energy, disrupting chakra infused with Sage energy…"

He activated the technique again, waving his hand through the air, yet felt nothing.

"Natural energy is everywhere, so why can't I sense it now?"

After a moment, realization struck:

"It must be a density issue. When the curse seal attracts natural energy, the concentration increases enough for me to interact with it. Without such attraction, natural energy is likely too diffuse, like a mist, to grasp."

Link's thoughts deepened. If this technique truly interacted with natural energy, it must be tied to Sage Mode. But without a curse seal or access to Sage Mode, how could he test it further?

He briefly regretted destroying Anko's seal so decisively—it would've been a valuable research tool.

Then he remembered: besides Anko, there was one other in Konoha with a curse seal—Uchiha Sasuke.

If Orochimaru hadn't yet bitten Sasuke, Link would have to consider capturing one of Orochimaru's test subjects from the Sound Four.

Or several.

"So many possibilities…"

Realizing there was no immediate solution, Link sighed and set aside the Mystical Palm Technique for now. The second stage of the Chūnin Exams would last five days, and only one day had passed.

With long nights ahead, he resumed his studies.

~~~

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