Raito showed up at the arena for the final examination. He wanted to see what he could use to his advantage. Such open air could provide him a chance to have Karasu spy on the proceedings from above. They would most likely begin the attack from in the arena, and Raito truly wanted to be ready.
It was there he found what he was going to go find. Gekko Hayate stood directing people who were planning seating arrangements. Hayate saw the genin approaching and turned to see what was up.
"Hayate-san. I was wondering if you could teach me how to do Kenjutsu."
Hayate replied, "I've got a lot on my hands but I can spar with you weekly and give you pointers on your stances… Also don't forget kenjutsu is per person, I use the Konoha crescent moon because it works for me… And anyways I owe you one.."
Raito nodded and replied, "I'd love to spar in kenjutsu. I appreciate the help though, a lot."
Raito began to train after leaving the arena, he was going to do the forms with ease.
Sasuke stood looking at Kakashi who'd just demonstrated how to complete the Chidori.
"That's not helpful for me. I'm fighting Gaara, I need a way to get through his defense while not being right in front of him."
Kakashi chuckled, "I agree. I think that you'll need a lightning technique with range and power…"
Kakashi made a pensive face and then said, "You'll learn chidori and another jutsu since you can make a shadow clone. The other jutsu will be lightning release, lightning hounds."
Sasuke then said, "I like that and I want to practice my speed as well…"
Kakashi replied, "We'll spar for that. He'll be fighting you at low Chunin speed unless you pop him. In which case the next one will fight you at high Chunin level. You get it…"
Sasuke nodded and turned to practice the Chidori.
Sakura did not desire combat prowess, so she'd gone to the medical corps to begin learning medical ninjutsu. One day as she was walking back after spending all her chakra, she saw Raito training.
She thought, Hey, that's Sasuke and Naruto's rival. I wonder what he's doing.
Sakura was tired but she decided she could check up on her friends' rival. Raito was moving too fast for her to see but when he stopped moving he saw somebody else there too. He had a senbon in his mouth and bandana covering the top of his head. She realized that it was the third exam proctor. She wondered why he'd be training with Raito.
With almost no chakra she was undetectable and so listened in.
Hayate said, "You've got the basics perfectly. I can't stress that enough, you've got even me beat in that. Now I think you've just gotta add your own flair to it."
"Thank you! I plan to add my own philosophy to the blade work. Would you like to see that?"
Hayate looked at the setting sun and replied, "Yeah, I've got some time still."
Hayate's eyes widened as Raito completely switched stances. He thought, No way, did he make that up on the spot? Or has been doing both? Either way he perfected basic and is already prepared for another type?
Raito stood, his blade was light in his hands. He was not gripping it as hard as other swordsmen might. Instead he let it seem to wobble in his hands. He kept both his feet equidistant from his center mass. Then he pushed.
Hayate saw what the trick was but realized the Crescent Moon Dance was the only style able to counter it. With it's wide swings and use of clones as deception, it was a decent but not perfect counter. He found that out really quickly.
Sakura watched as Raito pestered Hayate and peppered him with cuts all over. Hayate was not defenseless, in fact he had avoided all potentially fatal attacks. He'd taken to counterattacking using the basic style of restricted movement. Raito thrust continuously and because of the deceptive wobble of the blade, and at that speed, it was a mystery to both Raito and the enemy where the blade was going to hit.
Sakura noted that Hayate was probably holding back as they were simply sparring, but still, she was amazed by the power. She watched the fight finish with a draw as both of them had the blade to the neck.
Hayate said, "Your style is confusing, but it's dangerous for an enemy. You're a master of Multi-level deception aren't you?"
Raito laughed and said, "I am. Though master is a very dangerous term. I'm an expert though, would you like to learn it?"
"It would not trouble you. Next week, teach me the basics of Multi-level Deception."
Raito nodded and said, "Alright. Sounds good, I've gotta get back before my mom yells at me from across the village."
Hayate chuckled before watching Raito run away. Sakura walked off then and decided she'd head to the library instead. She wanted to know what Multi-level Deception was.
When she arrived, she found a white haired girl about double her age with funky glasses. So she decided to ask her where a book on it could be found. The girl pushed chakra through a blank book and found that the information was chunin level access. Sakura begged but to no avail and so she went home. She would just ask Raito himself.
It was the night before the end of the training period, and the day of the exam. Sakura was standing in a hospital room healing a little kid's sprained ankle. She used her chakra to wind around the muscular tissue and slowly move it back to a normal position. Then switching the output of her chakra she soothed the muscles.
This was the first time she'd gone unobserved. She'd had another trainee with her, but he was watching the vitals and taking notes as he was her junior. In a month Sakura had quickly taken to medical ninjutsu.
Her skills had gone from very basic to being able to relieve minor injuries multiple times a day. However because of her genjutsu abilities she had an ability to give people pain relief using her chakra and a slight genjutsu. She'd also taken to sparring with Naruto and Sasuke. Both of them had learnt two new jutsu and so she restricted it to just taijutsu.
As she thought about the past month, she wondered if after the exams she should ask Lee to train her in taijutsu. He was the best she'd ever seen at it, right next to Raito in technique. When she thought about the boy Raito she recalled talking to him about the Multi-level Deception.
—
It was a week earlier. The day was warm and she was walking with Naruto to Raito's place because he was training there. When they arrived, a very beautiful woman opened the door.
Her skin shone a beautiful chocolate, and her eyes were dark coals. Her figure was everything Sakura desired. Best of all, she had the warmest smile Sakura had ever seen. It was next to Naruto's capability.
The woman said, in a melodic voice, "Come inside. Naruto, my sister is waiting for you in the courtyard. She told me to remind you to have your pens, brushes and ink."
Naruto's face dropped and he rushed back home. Sakura on the other hand bowed politely before entering the home. Seeing the woman was barefoot, Sakura took her shoes and socks off before continuing forward.
Sakura asked, "Oh, what's your name?"
"I'm Kisari, I'm Raito's aunt. You are here to see him right?"
"Mhm, I am."
The woman gained a sly look on her face, one that Sakura was pretty sure was normal on her.
"Is that right? Are you…"
Sakura blushed at the idea but immediately refuted it, "No… I have another boy I have my sights on."
"Oh I see… What's he like?"
Sakura could feel the old gossip girl coming back up. She did not mind talking about her crush whatsoever. She noticed however as they walked, that there were a lot of random portraits.
"Oh he's so cute. He broods but he loves the team we're on. I think him and Naruto are a lot closer than either are willing to let on. Also he's so strong…"
Sakura stopped and looked at a portrait of the Fourth Hokage.
"Wait, why do you have the Fourth Hokage here?"
"Oh, look at the plaque, young lady. These are all important people to the Arashi clan, we've long suspected Minato Namikaze was an Arashi bastard. We've no proof yet."
The plaque read: Minato Namikaze? Saved Lord Yokage during a mission into Iwagakure.
Sakura nodded and decided to go back to gossiping, "So does Raito have any girls in his life?"
Kisari smirked and said, "I think he's too lazy to go pursue a woman. Do you have a suggestion?"
Sakura grinned, "No… but we can certainly find someone…"
The two talked all the way past the inner courtyard and when they slid Raito's door open they stopped. Raito was smoothly dodging his little sister's attacks with a kunai.
He said in a teasing tone, "You're a monster. How are you still attacking with such vigor?!"
Sakura giggled and Kisari sighed before moving so fast Sakura didn't notice. Kisari grabbed the little brown child in her arms. Raito sighed and thanked his aunt.
She replied, "You know, I keep saving you. Perhaps you ought to do something for me…"
Raito's face dropped. He did not like the sound of that.
Kisari said, "Oh it's nothing. I just need you to grab some groceries for me in a couple days, so I can go on a date."
Raito narrowed his eyes but agreed to it. Then he turned to Sakura.
"Why are you here?"
"Oh! I wanted to ask you about something."
Sakura stepped inside and watched as the door slid behind her. She turned to find Raito gearing up.
"I overheard you talking about Multi-level Deception. I tried to research it but it's a restricted technique or something?"
Raito raised an eyebrow before saying, "Yes. I talked to Hayate-san about it. You listened in on that conversation?"
Sakura grinned sheepishly before saying, "I did…"
"You're a very good infiltrator. Perhaps you should sneak around the city more often. Beside that fact, it is restricted in Konoha."
Sakura replied, "Oh.. Thank you!"
"I accidentally reinvented it when I was younger. It's simple, but extremely stressful on the genin mind. It's hard for most chunin to even learn. So come with me, I'll train you in the basics."
Raito slipped on a cloak and mentally reminded himself he needed to get a new blade before the time was up. His chokuto was beyond chipped.
Sakura followed towards the courtyard where she saw Naruto running through hand signs and summoning a scroll. A lady that looked almost exactly like Kisari sat down writing with a brush on scroll paper.
She spoke before they even got near, "Raito, the outer courtyard is empty. Go do your training there, Naruto needs peace of mind to finish his gravity seal."
Raito nodded and immediately turned around. This time, they went through one of the rooms and found another courtyard. This one was larger, and she could see the village clearly from inside it. That day, Raito shared a lot of information about the technique. Sakura understood the theory immediately, but practice was extremely grueling.
—
She'd practice with him every day for an hour before training her medical ninjutsu. The training did not require any chakra, just a decent amount of stamina.
Raito repeatedly reminded her that it took a lot of effort, and he didn't want her to exhaust herself during the exam.
Sakura got up from the table and notified other doctors to check up on the patient and have nurses take her away for rehab.
She returned herself to sleep that night happily prepared for the upcoming fight.