The Hunt Begins!

Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

After three Kunai pinned an arm-thick serpent to the tree trunk, Li and his two companions halted beneath the massive tree. Half an hour had already passed since the start of the Chunin Exams.

"Li, if those three Sand Ninja are truly targeting our squad, they'll likely be here soon. Should we take the initiative and strike first?" Minato Namikaze asked, looking at Li with a puzzled expression.

"Hmm!" Li frowned slightly. He had a nagging feeling that those three Sand Ninja were not as simple as they appeared; there was no way they were mere Genin. Furthermore, since Chiyo and the Third Kazekage had already gauged his strength three years ago, they certainly wouldn't send three low-level Genin if they truly intended to deal with him.

"Minato, Kushina, we need to split up!" Li said, waving his hand to silence their protests. He continued, "I know what you want to say, but I can tell you in all seriousness that those three Sand Ninja are definitely not just Genin. I can sense it. Individually, they might not be my match, but they are at least elite Chunin or even Jonin-level ninja. Kushina, Minato, if you stay with me, we'll likely all be wiped out!"

"How is that possible? This is the Chunin Exams! If they were really Chunin or Jonin, they would be disqualified!" Kushina stared at Li in disbelief.

"That's just a simple case of 'crossing the sea under the cover of darkness.' If the Sand Ninja claim they are Genin, then they are Genin. There's nothing strange about that. Enough talk—take the scroll and head in the other direction!" With that, Li pulled the Heaven Scroll from his ninja pouch and shoved it into Minato Namikaze's hands.

"Li, this won't do. We are teammates. Even if there is danger, we must face it together. We will never abandon our companions, and I believe Kushina wouldn't agree to it either!" Minato Namikaze held the Heaven Scroll, shaking his head slightly to reject Li's proposal. Abandoning a teammate was something he could not do.

"That's right! Li, we are ninja now, not helpless children. I want to stay with you and help beat those bad guys up!" Kushina glared at Li, looking indignant.

Li's heart softened at her words, but thinking of what lay ahead, he shook his head again. "Don't be foolish. Your strength is decent, but it's not enough to face those three Sand Ninja. If you insist on staying, I won't just have to deal with them during the fight—I'll also have to waste energy protecting you. That will only increase our danger!"

Hearing Li's words, Minato Namikaze and Kushina were left speechless. Since Li had put it that way, they couldn't argue. Both knew full well that during the last test, Li had defeated all of them single-handedly. If even Li said those three Sand Ninja were incredibly strong, they had no room to refute him. Staying behind would only make them a burden, a fact that didn't need to be spoken aloud.

"Then... be careful. Kushina and I will find another squad to take an Earth Scroll from. Once you've finished, we'll meet at the central tower!" Minato Namikaze didn't insist on staying, saying this to Li with a somber expression.

"Mn. I'll leave Kushina's protection to you!" Li nodded, then looked at Kushina. His expression softened slightly as he whispered, "Kushina, wait a little longer. Before long, I promise I won't let you leave my side again!"

He currently had six thousand points. If he could just earn four thousand more, he would immediately upgrade his Mangekyo Sharingan. With that, killing a few Jonin would be a simple task.

Kushina had been unhappy, but upon hearing Li's gentle words, a smile bloomed on her face. She nodded and pouted, "That's a promise! If you do this again, I won't talk to you!"

"Mn. It won't happen again." Li nodded with a faint smile.

After watching Kushina and Minato Namikaze depart, Li's smile vanished. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. If they dared to come after him, they had better be prepared to be hunted. Leaping onto the tree trunk, Li headed in the opposite direction from Kushina and Minato Namikaze.

The Forest of Death was dense with trees that blotted out the sky, resembling an ancient wilderness teeming with venomous insects and wild beasts. A colorful serpent slithered through the branches. Before long, the shadows of three Sand Ninja appeared in the snake's vision. Without hesitation, the serpent lunged, baring its fangs to bite the burly, stout man.

"A mere beast thinks it can make a meal out of me?" The burly man snorted, his eyes filled with malice. He threw a punch directly at the serpent's neck. The immense force sent the arm-thick snake flying; it hit the ground, thrashed a few times, and went still. It was clearly dead.

Elsewhere, Li, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward a certain spot. "Found you?"

That serpent had been a puppet controlled by Li's Sharingan, used to track the Sand Ninja. Now that the snake had lost its connection, there were only two possibilities: either the snake had broken free of the Sharingan's control, or it was dead. The first possibility could be ruled out—Li's Sharingan wasn't so weak that a mere beast could break free. That left only the second: the snake had been killed.

"Then, the hunt begins. I wonder how many points these three Sand Ninja will bring me?" Li curled his lips slightly, then rose and headed toward the Sand Ninja.

"Boss, where do you think that brat is? We've been searching for so long and haven't seen a soul. If we keep this up, we'll reach the central tower!"

The three Sand Ninja were speeding through the forest. The burly man kept complaining, while the lean Sand Ninja remained silent. Leading them was the Sand Ninja with a white cloth tied around his head.

"Number Three, shut up. Have some patience. This is a rare hunt; wouldn't it lose its charm if it ended too soon?" The leader with the white cloth stared coldly at the burly man with his exposed right eye, malice flickering within. He was a man who held life in low regard.

Hearing the boss's words, the burly man shivered. He feared no one but his own leader, so he obediently shut his mouth.

Chirp!

Just then, a massive eagle plummeted from the sky, diving straight toward the three men. In the eagle's pupils, a scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly...