Stealing the Chicken

What's going on?

Upon hearing this unexpected turn of events, Temari was both surprised and secretly relieved.

Otherwise, if the strongest Sunagakure (Kazekage's Child), were eliminated in the first exam, it would be a disgrace to the entire Shinobi World.

"Actually, there isn't a real tenth question." Morino Ibiki smiled faintly. "If you really have to name one, then the choice between the two options just now was the tenth question."

"What?!" Naruto's forehead bulged out. "Then all those nine questions we did were for nothing?"

"Hmph, of course not. The first nine questions were essentially testing your intelligence gathering abilities..." Morino Ibiki looked at him with a slightly strange expression.

Problems that stumped many Chunin were easily solved by Naruto. It's unbelievable that this impulsive guy doesn't seem like a ninja with exceptional intelligence.

"Because often, intelligence is more important than life. Especially on a rapidly changing battlefield, you might as well risk your life to obtain intelligence..."

"The tenth question was specially arranged by me to weed out those weak-willed good-for-nothings. As Chunin, one must have enough responsibility; this is an essential quality for a captain-level ninja..."

"..."

Through the Crystal Ball, Shuichi scanned each examinee's exam paper in turn.

When they discovered Kankuro's and Temari's blank papers, they couldn't help but smile.

"I never expected this to happen. The information I compiled about the Puppeteer is already publicly available in the village, and many people have already seen it. I really don't know if this is lucky or unlucky for them."

Seeing Mitarashi Anko suddenly appear in classroom 301, Shuichi and then called over the ANBU Anbu on duty nearby:

"Go and inform Anko Jonin to remind the candidates taking the Second Stage exam that Konoha has set up numerous surveillance cameras throughout the Forest of Death, and their every move is likely to be recorded."

"To avoid escalating national conflicts, casualties from normal combat will be disregarded, but provocative acts of cruelty and violence should be toned down."

"Yes!" The Anbu received the order and quickly left.

Shuichi was indeed a little worried that the battles between the ninjas from different countries would be too bloody. It wasn't that the Konoha 12 would be in big trouble if they encountered Gaara and the others. After undergoing high-intensity training, these promising youngsters should be able to protect themselves without any problems.

However, the Kirigakure faction is also involved this time, making the clash of three major powers far more unpredictable than that between two major powers.

If the aggressive style of the exam leads to a real fight and reignites past grudges, then holding the exam will lose its meaning.

After the first exam, the remaining candidates looked around and found that the number of people had decreased by almost half.

Originally there were 57 teams, but now only 30 remain standing at the entrance to the Forest of Death. It seems that none of the powerful Genin have been eliminated.

Having witnessed the dark and terrifying nature of the Forest of Death and heard the rules of the Scroll Battle, everyone knew that a fierce battle was about to begin.

It was easy to guess that someone would die during the exam, yet no one backed down.

These are all elite ninjas from various countries. If they are frightened into submission like this, they will never have the courage to face people again.

After signing the waiver, each team received Scroll in turn, and upon hearing Anko's command, immediately followed the person in charge to the corresponding entrance.

Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

When the time came, the iron gates at all entrances to the Forest of Death swung open, and all the examinees filed in simultaneously.

Swish swish swish --

Numerous dark figures darted and moved among the trees.

For ninjas, the first thing to do upon arriving in an unfamiliar environment is to scout and adapt.

It is essential to quickly ascertain the level of danger in the forest, its terrain, the types of venomous insects and wild animals, and then make a reasonable decision based on the team's capabilities.

The sun was shining at an angle at this time, and the second exam was scheduled to begin around 3 p. m.

Everyone knows that nighttime operations are extremely risky, and that the amount of food and water they carry is limited. Therefore, the few hours before nightfall are when the team is at its most combat-ready.

Therefore, the Genin were confident in their own strength decisively searched to the side after going a certain distance, and some teams even split up into groups of three, obviously trying to seize the Scroll as quickly as possible.

Swoosh--

Several nimble ninjas, dressed entirely in black, lay prone on the tree trunk.

Every now and then, they would move forward silently, like geckos.

They quickly infiltrated above the other team, quietly observing their movements.

"Konoha's environment is so nice, much better than our village."

In the middle of the open space below, the girl wearing the Kirigakure- Forehead Protector said with a grin, "There's even such a large training ground, specially used for arranging so-called exams. I wonder how strong the ninjas are."

"I'm really not used to the lack of humid air. Sigh, but I want to stay here a little longer..."

Can you stop talking nonsense?

The tall, blue-skinned boy beside him said in a deep voice, "The enemy has come knocking, let's make our move!"

What?! We've been discovered?

The ninjas lying in ambush on the tree trunk were immediately terrified.

Just as they were about to retreat to avoid the potential risks, countless black dots swarmed in from all directions, piercing the three of them with a series of "plop plop" sounds.

"Ugh..."

Facing the falling enemies, the tall young man moved beneath them in a few steps, and thrust his fist, the size of a sandbag, straight upwards—thump!

This punch almost broke the opponent's waist; you could even hear the spine cracking.

The other person was relieved that they had avoided the landing point when they suddenly felt a slight gust of wind behind their head.

The talkative girl, wielding a short, sharp water-splitting dagger, thrust it forward as the man retreated, instantly piercing his heart through his back.

A large amount of blood flowed out along the bloodletting channel, easily killing his opponent.

Whoosh!

The last attacker had several ninja tools stuck in his body, but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that they were all in non-vital areas.

He remained remarkably agile, immediately performing several backflips upon landing to create distance and prepare to escape the danger zone.

"Wait, the Scroll is on me. I'll give it to you if you let me leave."

The captain in black gripped the hilt of his sword, cautiously confronting the two Mist Ninja as he spoke, but immediately noticed that the third person opposite him had vanished.

"No need for all that trouble, it's much easier to just kill you first and then look for someone!"

The white-haired boy carrying a long sword that was half a man's length appeared behind him in a strange way, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth and chuckling softly.

"Not good..."

The captain in black felt his heart clench suddenly. Without hesitation, he unleashed his trump card, twisting his left hand behind him and slashing backward as if it had no joints.

Sizzle!

The strike landed, but the sound and the feeling in my hand were completely wrong. Even if it were a blow to the neck, it wouldn't be this easy...

He tried his best to turn his head.

In his field of vision, only an ordinary finger appeared, with a water droplet floating at its tip, which shot into his brow in an instant.

Water Release: Water Bullet, poof!

Seeing the person fall straight down, the tall young man calmly walked over.

"Your clan's Water Transformation Secret Technique is truly outrageous; no Genin could possibly break it. It seems no one can rival you in this Chunin Ninja Exams, Suigetsu."

Hozuki Suigetsu crouched down to search for the Scroll, replying nonchalantly, "Heh, nothing to be happy about. I'm actually looking forward to seeing someone worth fighting. Hmm... found it!"

"What kind of Scroll is it?" the Mist Ninja girl asked.

"Scroll of Earth, we're lucky." Suigetsu waved her hand. "We don't need to look for other teams anymore, we can go straight to the Central Tower."

The tall young man then asked, "Wouldn't it be good to eliminate some competitors? We're in excellent form; if we launch a surprise attack, we could even take down quite a few strong opponents."

"Ugh, this is taking too much time! Finding someone in such a vast forest isn't easy."

Suigetsu pouted, "Didn't Konoha say they had many surveillance cameras deployed? After all, our village has a small population, and it would be troublesome to be besieged if we angered the masses."

The other two had no objections after hearing this, and quickly estimated the time.

With more than an hour to go before nightfall, the six or seven-kilometer journey was no problem for the ninjas; they could easily walk to the Central Tower at their own pace.

So the three of them proceeded at a leisurely pace and soon disappeared into the forest...

Similar scenarios are not limited to this location.

Many confident teams took the initiative to compete, and the number of participating teams was far greater than that of events held within Konoha, so the intensity of the clashes was sure to be greater than ever before.

Some of the Elite Force from smaller ninja villages thought they wouldn't lose to the Genin from larger ninja villages, but reality quickly taught them a lesson.

The three major powers each dispatched exceptionally powerful teams. From an omniscient perspective, at least seven or eight of these teams were not to be trifled with, so the consequences for anyone who dared to come looking for trouble were predictable.

Somewhere in the northeastern part of the Forest of Death,

Several black umbrellas rose into the air, spinning and shooting out countless thick steel needles.

The gourds came crashing down on the red-haired boy carrying them.

Thump thump thump--

Thick sand walls surrounded Gaara, and steel needles pierced the entire sand sphere, making it look like a hedgehog.

When the dust settled, the people inside were completely unharmed, which greatly shocked the Rain Village Trio.

"Completely unharmed? How is that possible!"

Rustle...

As they stared in astonishment, Gaara raised his hand towards one of them.

The ground softened rapidly, and a large amount of sand swirled up and enveloped him, Sand Binding Coffin!

"I will make you feel no pain..." Gaara said expressionlessly, "The quicksand infused with the blood and tears of the dead will grant Shura even greater power."

Sand Burial!

Crash!

The sand was compressed to a great extent, and blood rained down from the sky.

The dwarf Amegakure Ninja trembled with fear upon seeing the horrific state of his teammates.

"I... I've left the Scroll here, please spare our lives!"

Ignoring his words, the sand continued to flow, and in the blink of an eye, it entangled the remaining two people again.

"No...!"

Pfft!

Kankuro, standing behind Gaara, looked relaxed as he slowly walked towards the [Scroll of Heaven].

Although this younger brother is a bit mentally unstable and wants to kill anyone he sees, his strength is undeniable, so they don't even need to lift a finger...

Just then, an unexpected change occurred.

A long arm flew out from the bushes not far away, grabbed the [Scroll of Heaven], and pulled it back.

Partial Expansion Jutsu!

The three Sunagakure members were stunned. Having witnessed Gaara's strength, they were shocked that he would still do something so suicidal, clearly showing no respect for them.

Who is it?!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh--

"Well done, Choji!" Shikamaru encouraged him amidst the chaos. "Now, according to plan, run!"

The three dark figures turned and fled without hesitation, as if they knew they were in deep trouble.

Their unhurried movements instantly ignited the anger of Kankuro and Temari, not to mention Gaara, who was about to kill someone; the murderous intent in his eyes was visibly overflowing.

"Chase!"

The two teams sprinted at top speed, one after the other.

But the distance between them did not shorten.

In the eyes of the Sunagakure trio, that damned Konoha Ninja team was gradually pulling away.

Given the complex terrain, if you lose track of your opponent, you'll never find them again. The opponent who stole the [Scroll of Heaven] can go straight to the Central Tower.

Boom boom...

As if things weren't going to get worse, less than ten seconds into the run, a loud bang rang in my ears.

Several broken trees slammed down on the three Sunagakure members, their massive shadows engulfing their tiny figures, threatening to crush them completely in the next moment...

Bang!

The ground trembled violently from the impact.

Ino, running along, laughed heartily, "You're so clever, Shikamaru! You got the Scroll without lifting a finger. This trap should crush them to death!"

"It's hard to say..."

Shikamaru scoffed, "That guy who uses sand has a very strong defense; the chances of taking him down are slim."

However, we don't need to confront them head-on; in terms of speed, they definitely can't catch up."

During his time at the Ninja Academy, Shuichi certainly mentored the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

He had spent a long time considering what he should teach the disciples of the Secret Jutsu Clan.

It wasn't until they recalled the predicament the three faced with Kakuzu in the original story that they suddenly realized that escape ability... or rather, speed, seemed like a good option.

Aside from the technique of using Body Flicker Technique, the main focus is on the combination of chakra-based Body Flicker Technique and Taijutsu movements, making it more suitable for regular ninjas to learn.

Although the three of them later discussed it and found that the Lord Hokage taught exactly the same things, which seemed a bit lazy...

While things were getting a little awkward, Shikamaru immediately realized Shuichi's intention: the Ino-Shika-Cho trio should maintain as much consistency as possible, even when running away.

Therefore, he took it to heart, and every time he trained his physical fitness, the three of them would do it together, and the results were immediately apparent in this actual combat.

"The reason for this action is also related to the fighting style of that Sunagakure team," Shikamaru explained confidently, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the red-haired Sunagakure Ninja is using sand from a gourd for defense. Imagine how heavy it must be to carry so much sand on her back."

"The other two are also carrying large ninja tools, which are definitely their main means of combat. Even if we are evenly matched, it's only a matter of time before we manage to escape successfully."

Choji grinned sheepishly, pulled out a potato chip, and ate it. "As expected of you, you always manage to think of everything perfectly..."

Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel!

Before the words were even finished, the three of them felt a terrifying wind pressure coming from behind.

Looking back, his eyes suddenly widened.

Countless giant trees in the forest fell in clumps, and a fierce wind rushed towards the three of them. Judging from the intensity of the attack, they were likely still at the edge of its range.

"Get out of the way and back to the ground!"