Sarutobi's Watchful Eye: Sandstorm Gaara!

Watching the words "Slightly Accomplished" change into "Entering the Hall," Chen Feng smiled.

Right afterward, he felt his understanding of Tai Chi Fist deepen considerably. The parts that had once confused him suddenly became clear, and with a little more practice, he would be able to master it completely.

Although his cultivation had not fluctuated much, his strength had clearly improved.

At the same time, his reputation points had dropped to 276. This upgrade alone had cost him more than 300 reputation points.

He remembered that the last time he upgraded Tai Chi Fist, it had only cost a little over 100.

Still, feeling the surging power within him, he decided the expense had been worth it. After all, several of the participants in the Chunin Exams were quite strong. Upgrading Tai Chi Fist would give him better odds in the battles ahead.

With that thought, Chen Feng stopped dwelling on it. After closing the system panel, he shut his eyes and continued enjoying the rare pleasant weather.

Before he knew it, he had gradually fallen asleep...

In the blink of an eye, two hours passed. As though sensing something, Chen Feng's expression shifted, and he immediately woke from his sleep.

He rose from the stone, stretched lazily, then turned to look into the woods on his right. With a light chuckle, he said, "Since you're here, stop hiding. Come out."

As soon as he spoke, several figures darted out nimbly and appeared directly before him.

Two men and a woman. Their faces were unfamiliar, but judging from the symbols on their forehead protectors, they should have been a Sand Ninja team.

"Heh, pretty alert, aren't you? You knew we were here, yet you still dared to stay?"

One of the men sneered.

Chen Feng looked at him and said, "Cut the nonsense. You're here to steal my scroll, right? If you've got the ability, come take it."

"Then don't blame us for being rude."

As soon as the words fell, they charged at him together. In their eyes, even if he had some skill, there was no way he could stand against the three of them.

Yet after only a few exchanges, the three of them were lying on the ground with swollen, bruised faces, unconscious.

Chen Feng shook his head. "They really can't take a beating. Even together, they're not as good as Sasuke."

As he spoke, he searched them and took out their scrolls.

With the Universal Scroll in hand, all he needed to do next was reach the tower at the center of the Forest of Death to pass.

However, Chen Feng was in no hurry to head over. According to the map, he was only about ten kilometers from his destination. He could reach it in a single day.

The time allotted for this test was five days, which was far more than enough.

After following the route on the map for a while longer, he began to feel hungry. He then caught a wild rabbit to fill his stomach.

After roughly preparing the rabbit, he lit a fire and set up a simple wilderness barbecue.

Before long, an enticing aroma spread through the air. Fat dripped and sizzled from the plump rabbit meat, making it look especially appetizing.

As the scent drifted outward, it naturally drew the attention of some interested people.

A short while later, just as Chen Feng finished eating the roasted rabbit, more people came looking for him—also ninjas taking part in the exam.

This time, however, it was not just one team.

Whether by coincidence or because Chen Feng was especially lucky, two teams happened to run into each other. They had originally intended to settle things between themselves, but after seeing Chen Feng, they changed their minds.

All six pairs of eyes fixed on the red scroll at his waist. Clearly, every one of them wanted it.

They were not idiots. They certainly would not start fighting each other before getting the item. After exchanging glances, they quickly made their decision.

Neither group wasted any words. They launched an attack on Chen Feng at the same time.

Facing two teams at once, Chen Feng became more serious. He unleashed Tai Chi Fist, flashed forward, and met them head-on.

The fierce battle lasted for a quarter of an hour. When the dust kicked up by the aftermath finally dispersed, Chen Feng's figure emerged.

He no longer looked as composed as before. Several strands of hair had fallen loose, and two tears had appeared in his Daoist robe, but there were no visible injuries on him.

The six people opposite him, meanwhile, were all sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Chen Feng let out a long breath, then found the scrolls carried by the two teams. With a burst of inner force, he destroyed them.

Since they had chosen to attack him, he would cut off their hope of passing the test. It was a small punishment to serve as a warning.

He casually stamped out the remaining sparks on the ground and was about to leave.

But then, Chen Feng seemed to think of something and paused slightly.

He turned and gazed in the direction of the Hokage Building, saying, "Thank you for your special attention, Senior Sarutobi."

With that, he turned and left.

At the same time, in the tightly shut Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen, a pipe clenched between his teeth, was momentarily stunned.

Looking at the crystal ball before him, he said in surprise, "That kid noticed me?"

Then he frowned slightly. "That can't be right. It might have been possible for that little girl, but his strength is at most below jonin. There shouldn't be any reason..."

While Sarutobi Hiruzen was still puzzled, Chen Feng had already left the area and continued toward the central tower.

Naturally, he had no ability to detect the observation of a Kage Level expert. The reason he had said that earlier was merely to test the waters.

If someone really had been watching him, they would likely become somewhat wary and would not so easily set traps for him in the future.

And even if no one was watching, it did not matter. He had already knocked everyone out anyway, so shouting a line or two would not be embarrassing...

Just as he thought this, several screams faintly reached his ears.

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, then headed in the direction from which the cries had come. Before long, he arrived at a sparse patch of woods.

What he saw was a miserable sight.

The lush green grass was stained with scarlet blood. Several bodies lay on the ground, all genin participating in the exam. Their faces were twisted in terror, clearly showing that they had been filled with fear when they died.

Before those grotesque corpses stood a young man carrying an extremely conspicuous large gourd on his back. It was Gaara from the Sand Ninja team.

Looking at the bodies on the ground, his face was icy, and his eyes showed not the slightest ripple of emotion.

Then, as though sensing something, he suddenly turned toward a patch of faintly rustling grass nearby and shouted coldly, "Who is it?!"

At the same time, a stream of yellow sand erupted from the gourd and swirled around his body.

Just as he was about to make a move, a voice came from the other side.

"Tut, tut. You were pretty ruthless, little brother."

Hearing this, Gaara immediately turned his head. Chen Feng had somehow already appeared before him...