The Hunt Begins!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

After three kunai pinned a thick-bodied snake to a tree trunk, Li and the others stopped beneath the tree. Half an hour had passed since the exam began.

"Li, if those three Sand Ninja really are targeting our team, they'll probably come after us soon. Should we strike first?" Minato Namikaze asked, looking at Li with confusion.

"Yeah..." Li furrowed his brow slightly. He had a feeling those three Sand Ninja weren't simple opponents. They couldn't possibly be mere Genin. Chiyo and the Third Kazekage had already learned of his strength three years ago. If they truly wanted to deal with him, they wouldn't send only three Genin.

"Minato, Kushina, we need to split up from here!" Li said, waving a hand to stop them from speaking before continuing, "I know what you want to say, but I can tell you with complete certainty that those three Sand Ninja aren't ordinary Genin. I can sense it. They may not be as strong as me individually, but they're definitely elite Chunin, or even Jonin. Kushina, Minato, if you stay with me, we may all be wiped out!"

"How is that possible? This is the Chunin Ninja Exams. If they're really Chunin or Jonin, they should be disqualified!" Kushina said, staring at Li in disbelief.

"It's just a simple case of hiding the truth in plain sight. If the Sand Ninja say they're Genin, then they're Genin. There's nothing strange about that. Anyway, enough talking. Take the scroll and head in the opposite direction!" Li said, taking the Heaven Scroll from his pouch and handing it to Minato Namikaze.

"Li, we can't do that. We're comrades. Even if there's danger, we should face it together. We'd never abandon a teammate, and I'm sure Kushina feels the same!" Minato Namikaze said, holding the Heaven Scroll and shaking his head. He couldn't bring himself to leave a comrade behind.

"Exactly, Li! We're ninjas now, not helpless little kids. I'm staying with you, and we'll drive those bad guys off together!" Kushina said, glaring at Li indignantly.

Li's heart softened at their words, but when he thought about what they might be facing, he shook his head again. "Don't be foolish. You're both strong, but you still can't match those three Sand Ninja. If you insist on staying, I'll have to fight them and protect you at the same time. That'll only put us in greater danger!"

Minato Namikaze and Kushina had no answer. There was no arguing with Li after he put it that way. They both knew how strong he was: during their last test, he had defeated every one of them by himself. If even Li said the three Sand Ninja were powerful, they couldn't dispute it. They'd only hold him back if they stayed, and Li didn't need to say so for them to understand.

"Then be careful. Kushina and I will look for another team nearby and take their Earth Scroll. Once you've dealt with them, we'll meet at the Central Tower," Minato Namikaze said, giving in, his voice heavy with disappointment.

"Okay. I'll leave Kushina in your care!" Li nodded, then turned to Kushina, his expression softening as he spoke gently. "Kushina, just wait a little longer. Before long, I promise I won't let you leave my side again!"

Li had six thousand points now. Once he earned another four thousand, he could immediately upgrade to the Mangekyō Sharingan. With its power, killing a few Jonin would be easy.

Kushina had been looking unhappy, but Li's gentle words brought a smile to her face. She nodded, pouting as she said, "You promised! If you do this again, I won't talk to you!"

"Okay. I won't," Li said with a faint smile.

Li watched Kushina and Minato Namikaze leave, then let the smile fade from his face. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. If they dared come after him, they'd better be ready to be hunted. He leapt onto a tree branch and headed in the opposite direction from Kushina and Minato Namikaze.

The Forest of Death was dense with trees that blotted out the sky, like some ancient forest. It teemed with poisonous insects and wild beasts. A patterned snake slithered along a tree branch. Before long, it spotted three Sand Ninja below. Without hesitation, it lunged at them, opening its jaws wide to bite the burly fat man.

"Some lowly beast thinks it can have me for dinner?" the burly fat man sneered, his eyes flashing with menace. He punched the snake just below the neck with tremendous force, sending the thick-bodied creature flying. It hit the ground and writhed for a few moments before falling still. It was clearly dead.

Elsewhere, Li, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward a spot in the distance. "Found them?"

The snake had been a puppet controlled by Li with his Sharingan, used to search for the Sand Ninja. Now that it had suddenly gone out of his control, there were only two possibilities: either it had broken free of the Sharingan's control, or it had been killed. The first possibility was out of the question. His Sharingan wasn't so useless that even a beast could escape its control. That left only the second: someone had killed the snake.

"Then the hunt begins. I wonder how many points these three Sand Ninja will earn me?" Li's lips curled slightly. He rose and headed toward the Sand Ninja.

"Boss, where do you think that kid is? We've been searching for ages and haven't seen him. At this rate, we'll reach the Central Tower!"

The three Sand Ninja raced through the woods. The burly fat man kept complaining, while the lean Sand Ninja remained silent. Their leader was the one with white bandages wrapped around his head.

"Third, shut up. You need patience. This is a rare hunt. Wouldn't it spoil the fun if it ended too soon?" The bandaged Sand Ninja stared coldly at the burly fat man with his exposed right eye. His gaze glinted with menace. He was a man who held life in contempt.

At his boss's words, the burly fat man shuddered. He feared no one except his own boss, so he obediently shut his mouth.

Screech!

Just then, a huge eagle suddenly swooped down at the three men as they hurried along. In its pupils, a pair of blood-red Sharingan spun endlessly...