The Chunin Exams were over.
They had ended in a way no one had expected.
All the Chunin Exam participants had been taken out in one sweep by six people.
But when the participating ninjas who had entered the Forest of Death emerged, everyone was shocked once again.
Aside from two people going missing, not a single person had died in this exam.
This was something that had never happened in any previous Chunin Exams.
Ninjas were killing machines trained by ninja villages.
So casualties during every Chunin Exam were an ordinary occurrence.
What they had not expected was for Wave Country to be so kindhearted.
Even Inuzuka Kiba, who had originally held deep hostility toward them, now looked at them with an extremely complicated expression.
He realized that they did not seem to be entirely bad people.
After all, if the other side had not shown mercy, they might truly have died in the Forest of Death.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Chiyo walked unsteadily up to Wave Country's participants.
Even under Madara Uchiha's pressure, she had to demand an explanation from them.
"Gaara, where did you hide Temari and Kankuro?"
Gaara had no intention of concealing it. "They went to Wave Country."
"Why..."
"Because I didn't want them to die!"
Gaara's words were so blunt that Chiyo froze after hearing them.
She stared at Gaara for a moment.
"Gaara! Sunagakure is not as weak as you imagine!"
With that, she turned and left.
"Granny Chiyo!"
Gaara suddenly called out to stop her.
Chiyo's body trembled slightly, but she did not turn around. "This old woman cannot bear to be called that by you anymore."
"No." Gaara shook his head. "It was Brother Sasori. He wanted me to apologize to you on his behalf."
Chiyo immediately turned around, staring