As the various forces within Konoha slowly converged on the Forest of Death.
At that very moment, the candidates taking the Chunin Exams had already begun fierce battles to make it through the harsh Forest of Death.
"Ah!"
A miserable scream tore through the silent, shadowy forest.
Flocks of birds beat their wings and took flight from the direction the scream had come from.
Running along the thick tree trunks in the forest, several figures slowly came to a stop upon hearing the sound. They straightened up and stared sharply in that direction.
"Looks like it's already begun..."
Naruto, with his blond hair and azure eyes, slightly narrowed his gaze and murmured gravely.
Hearing his words, Sakura suddenly found Naruto beside her somewhat unfamiliar.
At that moment, she suddenly felt as though Naruto had become a different person. His usual playfulness and mischief were gone, replaced by a steadiness and an indescribable air.
While Sakura was still lost in thought, Sasuke beside her spoke in a cold voice.
"Are you scared?"
To her surprise, Naruto did not immediately retort. Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted.
A confident smile gradually appeared on his face. Glancing at Sasuke, who was watching him, he said with a self-assured grin.
"I'm just a little excited about the battle ahead. Thinking about how the elites from every major ninja village are gathered in this forest right now makes me tremble with excitement!"
Hearing that, Sasuke lightly turned his head away, concealing his expression as he spoke coolly.
"That's good..."
"Otherwise, if an idiot like you were too scared to even walk, that would be a real headache..."
Naruto merely grinned brightly, the confidence on his face undiminished. Rather than arguing with Sasuke, he laughed.
"Oh? Looks like you bastard are ready to fight too!"