Surrounded?

Can I keep following you forever?

That question left Tianming completely stunned, but upon thinking it over, it did not seem strange. Karin Uzumaki was someone starved of love.

Before meeting Qingchuan Tianming, she had been nothing more than a mobile blood bag. Because of the Uzumaki Clan's unique constitution, Karin Uzumaki's chakra possessed extremely powerful healing effects. As long as someone drank her blood, it was sometimes even more effective than medical ninjutsu.

Other than that, Karin Uzumaki seemed to have no value. Even her participation in the Chunin Exams on behalf of the Hidden Grass Village was merely as a "resource."

"I-I didn't say anything..." Karin Uzumaki's beautiful eyes shifted as she hurriedly changed her words.

She was just a mobile blood bag. What right did she have to hope for anything?

"You can," Tianming said seriously.

"What?" Karin Uzumaki suspected she had misheard him.

"I said you can." Tianming repeated himself. "You can keep following me until the day you want to leave."

"Then let's make a promise?" Karin Uzumaki held out her pinky.

Tianming lowered his head and saw the dense bite marks covering her snow-white arm, and his heart felt uncomfortable.

"A promise!" Tianming decisively reached out and hooked his finger with Karin Uzumaki's.

From then on, the ninja world gained Qingchuan Tianming's most devoted fangirl...

Meanwhile, night fell!

By the small river, Team 7 still had not seen Qingchuan Tianming return.

"Qingchuan Tianming hasn't gotten into trouble, has he?" Sakura Haruno asked worriedly.

"Impossible." Sasuke Uchiha had always been sparing with his words.

"Tianming is so strong. He'll be fine," Naruto Uzumaki reassured her. After all, no one should have doubted Qingchuan Tianming's strength anymore.

Even though Sakura Haruno had not experienced the events in the Land of Waves, ever since the Chunin Exams began, Qingchuan Tianming had been Team 7's undisputed backbone.

"May I offer an opinion?" Kabuto Yakushi interjected at that moment.

"Go ahead."

Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses and said meaningfully, "I think we should immediately head for the Central Tower. From my experience taking this exam so many times, if we delay any longer, I'm afraid we won't have enough time."

"But we don't have a Sky Scroll," Sakura Haruno pointed out.

"The Sky Scroll is easy to deal with." Kabuto Yakushi said confidently, "All groups in the second round will eventually head to the Central Tower. We just need to get there ahead of them and wait for them to come to us."

"Right!" Naruto Uzumaki's eyes lit up. "That really is a good idea."

"Waiting for prey is indeed better than searching at random, but what about Tianming?" Sakura Haruno was starting to waver as well.

"There's no need to worry at all." Kabuto Yakushi continued, "Perhaps he ran into some trouble? But with Qingchuan Tianming's strength, there should be very few people in the second round capable of hurting him. I believe that if he returns here and finds us gone, he will definitely head for the Central Tower."

"If we choose to wait, it won't be long before we run out of time, even if we wait until dawn."

After that long speech, the group fell into an eerie silence.

"Kabuto, what about you?" Naruto Uzumaki asked.

"I've already been separated from my companions. It won't work if I rashly head out alone, so I've decided to go with you. I respect your choice. Even if I fail the second round, at worst I'll just try again next time."

With Kabuto Yakushi's temperament, manipulating Team 7 was as easy as turning his hand over.

With things having been said to this extent, there was no reason to refuse him.

"Then it's settled! We'll go to the Central Tower with Kabuto and take another team's Sky Scroll!" Naruto Uzumaki said. "When Tianming gets there, we'll be able to advance, and Kabuto can reunite with his companions too! A win-win!"

"I have no objections," Sakura Haruno stated.

"Let's do it." Sasuke Uchiha was already packing his bag.

Kabuto Yakushi's gaze lightly swept over Sasuke Uchiha before returning to clarity.

The night passed without incident! After resting on the grass for the night, Tianming had recovered. Karin Uzumaki had not been seriously injured, so she had also fully recovered.

"Let's go," Tianming said.

"Okay." Karin Uzumaki did not ask where they were going. Once she had decided to follow him, the answer no longer mattered.

The two retraced their path and soon returned to the small river where Team 7 had previously stayed.

"Strange, where is everyone?" Tianming frowned as he looked at the empty riverbank.

Right! Kabuto Yakushi!

How had he forgotten about that? Kabuto Yakushi at this point in time was practically boss-level.

"Tianming, there are people nearby!" Karin Uzumaki, whose sensory abilities were exceptionally powerful, quickly noticed something was wrong.

The next instant, the previously calm water of the small river suddenly began rushing. The grass and trees beside them rustled and shook as several squads emerged from within them in the blink of an eye.

"Captain?" Karin Uzumaki was instantly dumbfounded when she saw who had arrived. Wasn't that the leader from the Land of Grass?

"Oh? Karin, why are you with the target? Come here, quickly!" the leading Land of Grass ninja said flatly.

"No! You're not the captain!" Karin Uzumaki instantly sensed that the other party's aura was different.