"Banben Jiro, it's been half an hour, and the exam has already begun. Those three brats are being watched by two teams now. Do you think we should wait for an opening, or make our move first...?"
About two hundred meters in the six o'clock direction, three boys around fourteen years old stood atop a tree branch eight meters above the ground, its thickness matching an adult's thigh. They stared intently at a large rock beneath a tree more than twenty meters tall. Three children around seven years old were hiding among the bushes and rocks nearby. WWW COM
The moment they entered the Forest of Death, they had noticed the three children. Their short figures stood out like beacons in a crowd. What kind of strength could a team made up of children that age possibly have? They were practically walking scrolls. After exchanging a few hand signals...
They had decided to make the three children their first target!
But what they hadn't expected was that they weren't the only ones with the same idea. Two other teams had noticed the situation as well and were following closely behind the three children, one team on either side. They seemed to want to make the children their target, too.
"I think we should make our move first. What do you say? Let's vote..."
The boy who had just spoken wore an impatient expression. He turned to the two who were keeping watch from the tree, curled his lip, and said,
"I agree. Taking care of those three kids will only take a moment. The real problem is avoiding the other two teams' notice. As long as we don't face them head-on, we still have a chance!" said the boy known as Sakata Jiro, nodding.
"Good. We'll move now. I have the scroll, so they can't take it from me. Cover me as you break through. If anyone gets separated, we'll meet at the designated spot, ten kilometers away in the two o'clock direction, in three hours."
The stern-looking boy at the very top of the tree branch spoke without expression.
The two teammates below silently clicked their tongues. The scroll was in his hands. If the other scroll happened to be the same type, that would be one thing; the three of them would be stronger working together. But if he got both different scrolls, who knew where he'd run off to? Would he really meet them at the designated spot?
Whether the other scroll was a Yang Scroll or a Yin Scroll, the two of them secretly vowed to get their hands on it. Only by keeping the scroll themselves could they be sure they were safe. Given the situation, only fools would entrust their lives to someone else's promises!
With two other teams watching their target, the three planned to sneak to within fifty meters, then swiftly end the fight before the others could react. After grabbing the scroll, they would immediately retreat...
Using the stealth techniques they had carefully studied at school, the three silently crossed the bushes. The three children they had been watching were sitting at the base of a tree, leaning against its thick trunk. Their breathing was steady, as if they were asleep!
"Tch, what a bunch of brats. They actually fell asleep in such a dangerous place as the Forest of Death?"
The two boys without scrolls were delighted. They hurried over to the three and began searching them for scrolls. The stern-faced boy who had a scroll turned pale, as if he had realized something, and quickly followed them!
"Nothing. How can they not have any scrolls on them?!"
The three searched Sato Hideaka, Yuhi Kurenai, and Hyuga Xiangning for a while, but couldn't find the scrolls they had expected. They couldn't help cursing in frustration.
Just as they let their guard down, the three people lying in the tree as if asleep all opened their eyes. Their gazes were blank, devoid of any emotion. Taking the boys by surprise, they suddenly reached out and grabbed them!
"Damn it, what's going on with these brats?!"
"Hmph, get off me. You think you can hold me down with your strength?"
"Damn it, how are these brats so strong? I can't break free!"
"Crystal Release: Crystal Technique!"
A cold voice came from behind them. The three boys suddenly realized that the children holding them were slowly changing, their human forms becoming three humanoid figures made of red crystal. They reflected brilliant red glints in the faint sunlight. Then the parts of the boys' bodies touching them were swiftly covered in red crystal...
The crystal continued to spread upward. Starting from the legs and waists where their bodies made contact, it rapidly crept up toward their chests, turning everything it touched into crystal and leaving them unable to move—
"What kind of ninjutsu is this? Damn it, I can't move! We fell into these brats' trap!"
The three boys suddenly realized they had fallen into a trap. The three people sleeping by the tree weren't the same children they had seen earlier, but a restraining ninjutsu trap!
The three people who had been lying beside the tree were actually clones created by Sato Hideaka's newly developed Crystal Release: Crystal Clone Technique. They had then used the Transformation Technique to take on the appearances of Sato Hideaka, Yuhi Kurenai, and Hyuga Xiangning. Since the clones contained Crystal Release chakra, Sato Hideaka could release it by forming Hand Seals...
The air covered by the Crystal Release chakra quickly solidified into crystal, trapping the creatures caught inside and rendering them unable to move. In truth, Sato Hideaka had shown mercy. If the Crystal Clones had been carrying Crystal Kunai and pierced these three boys' skin, the Crystal Release chakra would have flowed through their blood to every part of their bodies, cutting off any chance of survival and turning them into lifeless human crystal statues!
Of course, this tactic had worked so well because it had been precisely calculated. Hyuga Xiangning's Byakugan could accurately track the opponents' direction, movements, and positions. From their actions, Sato Hideaka could devise the most accurate and effective battle plan. This only made him feel more satisfied with his wise decision to bring Hyuga Xiangning onto the team.
"Ningxiang, which of them has the scroll?"
Sato Hideaka came over to the three and asked calmly. Hyuga Ningxiang observed them with her Byakugan for a moment, then pointed to the stern-faced boy. "That scroll is hidden against his chest!"
The three boys' expressions changed at once. They realized not only had their plan failed, but they might also lose their own scroll. The three before them were no lambs waiting to be slaughtered—they were ravenous wolves with their jaws wide open!
Following Hyuga Xiangning's pointing finger, Sato Hideaka placed his hand against the stern-faced boy's chest. The solid red crystal there dissolved into the air as if it were melting, and he took the scroll from the boy's chest...
Sato Hideaka opened the scroll and examined it. Seals and symbols for various ninjutsu were drawn around its edges. Inside a circle painted in ink-black pigment was the character "Yang." This was the Yang Scroll. They only needed to find a Yin Scroll to make a pair!
"Hideaka, it looks like the other two teams noticed something. They're both heading this way. They'll be here in less than ten seconds. What should we do?!"
Hyuga Ningxiang seemed to have spotted something and shouted urgently. But her voice no longer carried the panic and helplessness of before. Sato Hideaka's plan and the strength he had shown had given her a sense of security, and she was now much calmer when facing opponents.
"Don't panic, Ningxiang. If we could deal with this team, then we can deal with the other two as well..."
A sharp glint flashed in Sato Hideaka's eyes as he spoke with confidence. An astonishing aura surged from his small frame!