"Byakugan, activate!"
As the roar of battle came from every direction, Neji, moving through the Forest of Death, stopped in his tracks and activated his Byakugan with a puzzled look.
He had expected the second exam not to be easy, but he had not expected battles to erupt in every direction so soon after it began. The situation had instantly turned intense, and even the once-clear sky seemed to have grown much gloomier.
After a moment, Tenten beside him asked, "Well? Did you find anything?"
Neji shook his head. "The fighting isn't near us!"
Rock Lee looked puzzled. "But those sounds..."
The unceasing booms echoing in their ears and the faint trembling beneath their feet all indicated that fierce battles were taking place nearby—and in more than one location.
With a grave expression, Neji explained, "My Byakugan can observe everything within a one-kilometer radius, so those battles aren't actually close to us. The reason the aftershocks are reaching us is probably because the fighting is extremely intense, and the shockwaves are too powerful."
Tenten asked, "Then what do we do now?"
After pondering for a moment, Neji said, "None of the opponents this time are simple. Let's stick to the original plan and meet up with Shikamaru's teams first!"
"Yeah!"
Rock Lee and Tenten nodded at the same time.
Having reached an agreement, the three were about to continue toward the rendezvous point when Neji suddenly warned, "Stay alert! Someone's coming our way, and they're moving fast!"
Rock Lee and Tenten immediately went on guard.
The other side was charging straight at them. They had clearly discovered their tracks!
Before long, three figures appeared before Neji and the others. They were none other than Sunagakure's Temari, Kankuro, and Shira.
"I was wondering who it was. So it's a Konoha team."