"Bang, bang, bang..."
Just like that, ten minutes passed before the dense barrage of "bangs" finally stopped.
Outside the arena, beyond the poisonous smoke, every examinee stared into the haze. Though they could not see what was happening inside, the unmistakable sound of fists striking flesh was enough for them to imagine Kankuro's miserable situation.
Who knew which unlucky bastard would be next?
But even if the next one was not them, what about the one after that? There was no guarantee it would not be their turn.
Thus, every time a "bang" rang out, all the examinees' brows twitched and a trace of sorrow rose in their hearts—not for Kankuro, who was currently being beaten, but for themselves, who might soon be beaten.
Right now, they only hoped someone would descend from the heavens and stop Naruto from doing this.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept up the poisonous smoke and blew it toward another patch of open ground, revealing the scene within.
Naruto stood there, his face full of joy.
Kankuro lay on the ground at Naruto's feet, all five limbs twitching faintly. His entire face was covered in fist marks, bruised and swollen, his gaze unfocused. He looked like a young woman who had just been violated—her body might have been opened up, but all hope for a beautiful life had vanished.
Seeing that Kankuro's fate was even more miserable than they had imagined, the other examinees all shuddered.
As expected.
That was what Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto's other friends were thinking. They had been through it before and knew exactly what happened when one became Naruto's friend.
The chill in Tenten's heart grew colder and colder. Looking at Kankuro's face, she suddenly no longer wanted to become Naruto's friend.
She turned her head and looked at