Robbery Successful

Moriyue learned a piece of information from Shino, the truth of which remained to be seen. Although its veracity was yet to be verified, at least there was a lead on the talismans.

"Hmm, the news you mentioned is quite interesting. Whether it's true or not, at least you've spoken up. Let's talk about other things now."

Upon hearing this, Shino wore the same expression as Hinata did before. Wait, aren't you even going to pretend? Is this a blatant admission of breaking your word?

"Listen, I know you're anxious, but please don't be. I always keep my word. If I say I'll let you go, I'll let you go. I won't go back on my promise."

Seeing Shino's expression, Moriyue waved their hand. To show sincerity and prepare for the upcoming interrogation, Moriyue signaled to untie Kiba.

Dizzy from the stench, Kiba's head gradually cleared after the process of being unbound and then re-bound. The ropes on him weren't as elaborate as Hinata's. According to Moriyue, binding a grown man and a dog like that felt a bit perverted.

"My nose hurts... You damn brats! You ambushed me? Let Shino and Hinata go! Akamaru, let's go..."

"Wait, Kiba! Calm down..."

Shino knew that with Kiba's reckless nature, he would do something out of line again. Even with the three of them together, it was difficult to win. Kiba going alone was pure suicide.

As expected, the youthful and arrogant Kiba and Akamaru were subdued by Ando and Kazeki within a minute. To make Kiba behave, Moriyue lent them their unsharpened Blunt Saber. Kiba was stuffed into a sack and beaten soundly.

"Hmm, the annoying guy has calmed down. You saw it yourself, we did let your companions go, they just didn't seize the opportunity."

"But I don't hold grudges. I'll still let you go, after all, one more person means more expenses for food."

Moriyue waved a hand, displaying a demeanor that indeed didn't seem like someone who would haggle over details.

"We aren't enemies, are we? You're also participants, and you want to pass the exam. Isn't this a coincidence..."

Their tone was full of temptation, but Shino remained unmoved. During this time, Shino had recovered quite a bit of Chakra, and the Parasitic Insects residing within had quietly begun to gnaw at the ropes. Shino just needed to stall for time.

"Say on, I'm very interested. We certainly aren't enemies."

Shino's small movements continued, but Moriyue didn't seem to mind much. If they could get valuable information, they'd let these people go.

"We have a complete set of scrolls here, all of which we can give you. Let's see what you have to exchange with me."

Moriyue stretched and tossed the Heaven and Earth Scroll into the air. Seeing these scrolls, which all participants dreamed of, being played with so casually by Moriyue made Shino a bit envious.

"Speak your mind. As long as I'm satisfied, your companions and the scrolls will be yours..."

Moriyue squatted in front of Shino, looking down from above at the bound and immobile Shino, revealing a... captivating smile.

Sandstorms swept across the semi-deserted region. This oasis was one of the few not-so-harsh areas at the border between the Hidden Sand Village and Konoha. Most of the border between the two villages was patrolled by ninjas. However, due to the ongoing Chunin Exams, both sides had reduced their forces to some extent as a gesture of goodwill.

But this gap also provided opportunities for those with ulterior motives. Whether it was Konoha or the Sand, there were those who reveled in chaos. Moreover, Danzo was secretly fanning the flames of this rebellion in the Sand Village. With moles on both sides, it was normal for a group of strange individuals to infiltrate the Chunin Exams.

"Captain, do you think... what that person said is true?"

Kazeki looked troubled. After learning some information from Shino, she had become worried.

"Hmm? Are you referring to the possibility of someone attacking Gaara? Let them attack, as long as it doesn't involve us."

Moriyue didn't look back. The main reason was that Hinata behind them was desperately resisting, and Moriyue feared being headbutted if they turned around.

That's right, after obtaining the information they wanted and some Ninjutsu scrolls from Shino, Moriyue... still kidnapped Hinata.

It was a joke. Among all the participants, Hinata was the most valuable. She could be considered a universal exchange coupon. As long as they encountered a Konoha team, Hinata could be exchanged for many good things. How could Moriyue let her go?

Kazeki, with a furrowed brow, shook her head. She truly didn't care about the Kazekage's affairs, but she was somewhat worried about the mysterious power Shino mentioned, which was suspected to be the power of the talismans.

Although this information might not be entirely accurate, she knew that once this news reached the Cloud Village, the Raikage would definitely send people to investigate the intelligence about that power. From any perspective, Moriyue, as a test subject, was suitable for carrying out this mission. However, she didn't want Moriyue to undertake such risky endeavors anymore, as their body... probably couldn't withstand so much strain.

Moriyue, of course, didn't know what Kazeki was thinking. They wished they could go and investigate those things.

On the journey, Moriyue had also figured things out. Instead of searching for isolated teams in the vast crowd, it was better to ambush them directly on the path to the final destination. This way, they could conserve energy and guard against potential attacks. Why not?

Moriyue hadn't been idle along the way either. They had extorted quite a few Ninjutsu from Shino. Although those Ninjutsu weren't very powerful and didn't seem to have any advantages, they were still Ninjutsu. For most ninjas, without special contributions, they wouldn't learn any other Ninjutsu from graduation until they were sent to their deaths as cannon fodder. To learn Ninjutsu, one had to either steal or trade for it.

"Hmm, the Reverse Jutsu Formula allows Ninjutsu to operate outside its original pathways. However, not all Ninjutsu are effective when reversed. The routes and advantages still need to be explored independently. It's somewhat useful, making it worth giving them a set of scrolls."

Moriyue was secretly pleased. Along the way, they had tried running those Ninjutsu using reverse routes. Most of them made Moriyue cough up blood, but a small portion produced miraculous effects.

"Pfft~"

Another mouthful of blood was coughed up. Clearly, the effect of this Ninjutsu reversal wasn't very good. Moriyue's occasional spitting of blood was the source of Kazeki's concern. With such a large amount of bleeding, she genuinely feared Moriyue might die while walking.

Hinata, struggling behind them, was also somewhat bewildered. Could it be that her Gentle Fist training was too good? Could she have made him spit blood even through the sack?

"Captain, look over there! Someone's fighting!" Ando signaled for them to stop, pointing to a spot not far away where two squads were confronting each other.