The Forest of Death Ends Early

When everyone saw the three approaching, they hurried forward. The trio was covered in wounds, their faces filled with grief. Sakura in particular had tears streaking her still-pretty face, looking utterly despondent.

"Sakura, Xiao He, Shirazawakun, where's Sasuke?"

Xiao Yun was filled with a terrible premonition.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, he... sob..."

Sakura immediately broke down in tears.

"Sasuke-kun died protecting us! This is what Sasuke-kun left behind."

Xiao He's face was stricken with grief. After speaking, he took out Sasuke's forehead protector.

Everyone fell silent for a long time.

Xiao Yun frowned deeply. How could this have happened? In the original story, Sasuke was supposed to fight Uchiha Madara alongside Naruto, seal Kaguya Otsutsuki, and face Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. How had he died already?

Just then, six figures suddenly appeared beside Gaara.

Xiao Yun recognized two of them: Kankuro and Temari.

"Impossible! How could Gaara have been defeated?"

Kankuro and Temari cried out in unison. In their minds, Gaara was synonymous with invincibility among Genin. Even Chunin would find it difficult to injure him, let alone Genin.

Yet now, Gaara lay on the ground like a dead dog, while Xiao Yun stood unharmed across from him. Clearly, Gaara had been defeated by him.

Konoha truly was a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked!

"Xiao Yun, those four killed Sasuke!"

Sakura stepped forward furiously and pointed at the four remaining people across from them.

Xiao Yun turned his gaze toward the four. Their chakra felt familiar, very similar to the three Sand Shinobi he had killed. They should have curse marks.

And judging from their presence alone, these four were far beyond the three pieces of trash he had taken out.

Huh!?

Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes. These four seemed to be the Sound Four from the original story, the ones who had helped Sasuke defect from Konoha.

That meant Sasuke probably wasn't dead! He had most likely gone to join Orochimaru in pursuit of the power of the curse mark.

Still, Xiao Yun did not dare be certain, because this Naruto world was vastly different from the one he knew.

"Xiao Yun, hurry up and kill them! Avenge Sasuke!" Sakura's eyes were bloodshot as she practically itched to rush forward and fight them to the death.

Xiao Yun ignored Sakura. Their side was wounded or unconscious, while the other side had four uninjured ninja with curse marks.

"Xiao Yun, get up there! Kill them, did you hear me!?"

Like a crazed shrew who had lost all reason, Sakura frantically shoved Xiao Yun.

"Shut up!"

Xiao Yun roared.

It was already good enough if he could keep himself alive. Avenge Sasuke? To borrow one of Wunanalashi's classic lines: This humble servant truly cannot do it.

Facing their hostile gazes, Xiao Yun had already prepared for the worst. If they attacked, protecting himself would not be a problem, but what about everyone else?

His greatest trump card, Dual Synergy, would not be usable for several more days.

Damn it!

In the end, he simply had too few trump cards. Once he got out of here, no matter what, he had to develop a few more ultimate moves.

However, in the next moment, the Sand Shinobi across from them showed no intention of fighting. They picked up Gaara, leaped away as a group, and vanished from everyone's sight.

The group was dumbfounded. What kind of madness had the Sunagakure ninja come down with? Were they blind? Couldn't they see that Xiao Yun's side was at a disadvantage? Did they not want to win the match?

Too many question marks surfaced in their minds, but no one could be bothered to investigate. They all let out long breaths and collapsed onto the ground.

Ninjutsu—Two Suns Crimson Violet Flame Array, activate!

Suddenly, a melodious voice echoed from all directions.

The purple sky abruptly vanished, and bright sunlight instantly shone into the Forest of Death.

Everyone was stunned once more. Had the match ended early?

Sure enough, a voice came from speakers hidden throughout the Forest of Death. "Attention, all contestants. Attention, all contestants. Please remain where you are. Ninja will soon arrive to escort you out."

Not long afterward, ten Jonin hurried toward Xiao Yun's group...

Nine from Konoha emerged, one dead.

Seven from Sunagakure emerged, three dead.

Konoha won!

An upset!

An absolute massive upset!

Those who had bet on Sunagakure winning had lost everything, and cries of despair soon filled Konoha, because the overwhelming majority had bet on Sunagakure!

"Fixed match! Fixed match! Fixed match!"

"Give us our money back! Give us our money back! Give us our money back!"

Those who had lost money were already marching through Konoha with banners in protest.

But it was useless.

The troublemakers were all rogue ninja. Marching and protesting was fine; whenever a major competition produced an upset, such things were unavoidable.

But if they went too far, the Konoha Military Police Force would directly arrest them, fine them, and detain them. In more serious cases, they might even make them pick up the soap.

As for Xiao Yun and the others, once they left the Forest of Death, they each went home to find their own families.

Naturally, Xiao Yun was picked up by Tsunade. The moment they returned to Tsunade's residence, she grabbed him and dragged him into a room.

"Tsunade, listen to my explanation!"

Seeing the scissors on the table and Tsunade's furious expression, Xiao Yun panicked.

"You'd better give me a reason I can believe."

As Tsunade spoke, she snipped at a sausage in her hand with the scissors.

Xiao Yun's eyebrows twitched. What the hell was she trying to do?

"Tsunade, listen to me. There's absolutely nothing between Hyuga Yumi and me. I haven't even touched so much as one of her fingers. I swear to the lamp!"

Xiao Yun panicked, pointing his left hand at the overhead light as he swore fervently.

"You think I'd believe that? Do you think I'm blind?"

"If you hadn't slept with Hyuga Yumi, would she obey you so completely?"

"If Hyuga Yumi weren't carrying your child, would she have risked her life to save you?"

Tsunade grabbed Xiao Yun by the collar. In her stunning eyes were thirty percent fury, thirty percent pain, thirty percent tears... and another ten percent jealousy.

"Why can't I explain this clearly? How about this? Once Hyuga Yumi recovers, we'll go ask her together and get to the bottom of it, all right?"

"Baby, don't be angry. Here, this is five million. It's for you."

Xiao Yun looked at Tsunade ingratiatingly and pulled out the five million he had won from Gaara from his crotch.

"That's more like it."

Tsunade's expression softened slightly. After accepting the check, she asked again, "You really have nothing going on with that slut Yumi?"

"My dear Tsunade, I can barely handle serving just you. Would I dare provoke other women?"

Xiao Yun gave a bitter smile.

"Who wants you to serve me? Let me make this clear: if I find out you lied, see this sausage?"

With that, Tsunade cut the sausage on the table into more than a dozen pieces and swallowed them.

Xiao Yun could only smile bitterly.

For some reason, no matter how violent Tsunade was, even if she occasionally used a little domestic violence on him, he simply liked her more and more. It was not merely physical desire; he was willing to do anything for her.

As for Hyuga Yumi, although she was beautiful and had an incredible figure, aside from physical desire, he always felt something was missing emotionally.

"Oh, right. Go take a shower. Later, come with me to see the Hokage. You stink."

Tsunade said this while covering her nose.

"Well... Tsunade, why don't you come scrub my back? Or we could bathe together."

Xiao Yun gave a lecherous grin. Although he knew Tsunade would most likely beat him up for saying that, for some reason, he seemed to enjoy Tsunade's little fists, even if they sometimes made him cough blood.

"Sure. You go first. I'll be right there."

Tsunade smiled sweetly, her seductive charm overflowing. Xiao Yun instantly fell under her spell, unable to pull himself free.

"You mean it?"

Xiao Yun looked at Tsunade in disbelief.

"Of course."

Tsunade chuckled.

Five minutes later, Xiao Yun was dumbfounded. When Tsunade said she would bathe with him, she meant two bathtubs, one for each of them. He could look but not touch. Could this woman stop sticking out her leg now and then to tease him...