It seems I've provoked someone formidable.

Deep within the dense, ancient forest, beside a gnarled and tangled willow tree, stood three dashing young ninja.

They were Nara Akiteru of the Nara clan, Yamanaka Koichi of the Yamanaka clan, and Akimichi Kenta of the Akimichi clan.

Ever since stepping into this forest shrouded in the shadow of death, the three had moved as one, inseparable and unified.

The three clans shared a close bond, and for this second stage of the scroll-snatching exam, the trio had agreed to cooperate from the start.

Although Orochimaru had declared this an individual competition, the three had decided to work together first, aiming to collect three sets of the Wind, Fire, Mountain, and Forest scrolls so that all of them could pass.

If they only managed to secure one set by the end, they would then discuss among themselves who would be the one to advance.

While they were not the contemporary Ino-Shika-Cho formation, their coordination was quite impressive, thanks to their deep understanding of each other's clan secret techniques.

"Akiteru, how should we proceed?" Koichi's gaze fell upon Akiteru, waiting for his decision.

Akiteru gently rubbed his chin, his eyes revealing a calm and sharp intelligence. "Let's organize what we've gathered first," he said, his voice brief and firm.

Kenta, ever the carefree one, dumped the scrolls from his ninja pouch onto the ground. "You guys look through them; I'm going to refuel."

As he spoke, he pulled various snacks from his robes and began to chew heartily, restoring his energy.

Akiteru and Koichi exchanged a glance and began to carefully inventory their spoils.

"One Wind scroll, two Fire scrolls, one Mountain scroll, and three Forest scrolls." Akiteru's voice was calm and clear. Their harvest was bountiful, a result of their seamless teamwork and brave fighting.

Two of the Fire scrolls and the Wind scroll were their original possessions, while the remaining four had been obtained by joining forces to defeat other opponents.

"Now we have two choices: either we ensure one person passes while the other two leave, or we continue working together and try to get all three of us through." Akiteru's gaze shifted between his two teammates, awaiting their response.

Kenta waved a hand dismissively. "You two decide; I'll follow whatever you choose."

Thus, the burden of decision fell once again upon the shoulders of Akiteru and Koichi. The two looked at each other, and without a word, they were of one mind.

"I lean toward playing it safe. Let's keep moving as a trio. After all, there is still some time left before the exam ends." Akiteru's words were filled with resolve.

Koichi nodded with a smile in agreement. "That's what I was thinking, too."

"Then let's take a rest. Recovering our strength is vital." Akiteru found a sturdy tree to lean against, closed his eyes, and began to recuperate.

However, just as they were resting, a pair of sharp eyes was fixed on them from a nearby thicket.

It was Hayato. He crouched low like a stalking leopard, observing the three below with great interest.

"It seems there are indeed those in this exam who refuse to be lonely and choose to huddle together for warmth." A playful smile tugged at the corners of Hayato's mouth, his eyes glinting with cunning. "Heh, resting? Or are they... fishing?"

Within the group resting with their eyes closed, Koichi leaned over slightly and whispered in a voice only Akiteru could hear: "Akiteru, will that guy take the bait?"

Akiteru shook his head slightly, signaling him to stay calm. "Don't show any openings. We've already intentionally displayed the scrolls in front of him; he can't help but be tempted. Wait a little longer; patience is the key to success."

Hayato's position was currently beyond the maximum range of his Shadow Imitation Technique.

He could only wait patiently until Hayato stepped into his trap.

Finally, Hayato stood up slowly and walked toward the trio.

As he drew closer, the heartbeats of the three accelerated. When Hayato finally stepped into the optimal range for the Shadow Imitation Technique, the three acted almost simultaneously!

"Now!" Akiteru shouted, his hands forming seals in a blur.

"Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Technique!"

Under the midday sun, Akiteru's shadow writhed like a living thing, instantly entangling itself with Hayato's shadow.

Before this, Akiteru had carefully adjusted his position to ensure his shadow could make contact with Hayato's. Now, the two shadows were tightly connected, as if they had merged into one.

"Koichi!" Akiteru called out his companion's name, preparing to launch the next attack.

Regardless of who the opponent was, they always gave their all—this was one of the key factors in their string of victories.

Koichi was already prepared. Dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, he formed seals with his hands, focusing his mind on Hayato as he prepared to unleash his secret technique.

Their coordination was flawless, as if they had practiced it countless times.

However, facing this sudden attack, Hayato remained unusually calm. "So it was bait, huh? Heh." He chuckled, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"But you still walked right in, driven by your own greed." Akiteru maintained the Shadow Imitation Technique while trying to distract Hayato with words, buying time for Koichi.

Hayato smiled faintly. "You're mistaken. I just have absolute confidence in myself."

Hearing this, a flicker of unease rose in Akiteru's heart, but he quickly adjusted his mindset and steadied his focus. "The fact is, you're in our hands now."

"This move of yours can only control my movements, but it cannot control my chakra." Hayato's tone was calm, yet it revealed an unquestionable confidence.

Before the words had even faded, the Flying Thunder God Technique was instantly activated! His figure vanished from the spot without a trace.

"What? He shouldn't have been able to form seals!" Akiteru exclaimed in shock.

However, it was too late; the restriction of the Shadow Imitation Technique had been lifted the moment Hayato disappeared.

The next moment, Hayato appeared at the three o'clock position, a triumphant smile on his face. "That is why, in the face of absolute strength, all schemes are futile."

Seeing this, Akiteru realized that their previous battle plan was no longer viable. "It seems we have no choice but to execute Plan B! Kenta!"

"Oh!" Kenta clapped his hands together at the command, instantly activating his secret technique.

"Secret Technique: Multi-Size Technique!"

As his low shout rang out, Kenta's figure expanded rapidly, reaching a staggering height of five meters in the blink of an eye.

He curled into a massive sphere, resembling a cannonball on the verge of being fired.

Minghui quickly formed hand seals: "Shadow Gathering Technique!" His shadow connected with Kenta's, manipulating Kenta forward like an invisible puppet string.

"Human Bullet Tank!" Accompanied by violent tremors in the ground, Kenta, transformed into a human bullet, charged toward Hayato like a runaway truck.

However, Hayato deftly dodged every attack using the miraculous ability of the Flying Thunder God Technique. After steadying himself, he spoke calmly, "Although you aren't this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho, I acknowledge your coordination."

Before the words had even faded, Hayato condensed two dazzling Spirit Bombs in his hands and fired them at Minghui and Koichi respectively.

"What the hell! Signless ninjutsu?" Minghui was shocked, leaping backward just in time to barely evade the strike.

However, in the process of dodging, his shadow connection with Kenta was briefly severed.

Driven by momentum, Kenta slammed directly into a tall tree nearby, producing a thunderous roar.

Having just escaped disaster, Minghui wiped the sweat from his forehead, a look of panic inevitably appearing on his face. "No! The real target of his move wasn't me or Kenta—it was Koichi!"

Their original plan was for Koichi to accumulate mental energy on the sidelines, waiting for the perfect moment to launch the Mind Body Switch Technique to control Hayato.

Yet, Hayato seemed to have seen through their plan and struck at Koichi directly.

Minghui hurriedly looked toward Koichi and shouted anxiously, "Are you alright, Koichi?"

Koichi stumbled out from the smoke.

Koichi staggered out from the swirling smoke, his face as pale as paper. "No major issues for now..." But before he could finish, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Being interrupted at the critical moment of accumulating mental energy had forced him to abruptly cut off his energy flow, causing a severe backlash and internal injuries.

"Minghui... it seems we've provoked someone incredible..." Koichi said with difficulty.

Minghui nodded with a grave expression: "Yeah... we're in trouble now!"