Don't Underestimate the Nara

The smell of blood from the earlier slaughter still hung in the air over the clearing.

Tsukimi kept his hands in his pockets, a mild smile on his face and his eyelids half lowered. He looked utterly unconcerned.

He hadn't been bluffing Raiga Kurosuki. He really did intend to let Raiga make the first move.

The second exam had only just begun. There was plenty of time to clear out the hunting ground. Since he had nothing better to do, he might as well have some fun with this mad dog.

But just as Tsukimi readied himself for Raiga's attack, a flood of live images poured into his mind.

The Shadow Ninja stationed four kilometers away, right at the edge of their scouting range, had sent back what they could see.

Through layer upon layer of overlapping tree shadows, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin stood on a rolling slope, poised for battle.

Kakashi held a short blade, his back straight and tense. Obito and Rin stood behind him, Kunai gripped tight as they watched for movement around them.

Two figures slowly emerged from the shade ahead of the three. They were so far away that the images from the Shadow Ninja showed little of their faces.

They were practically pixels!

But two unmistakable features were enough for Tsukimi to identify them.

One figure moved with an unnatural stiffness. That had to be a puppet body.

The other had striking red hair.

Both details fit.

Sasori of the Red Sands!

The smile faded slightly from Tsukimi's face. His gaze sharpened, and he grew completely serious.

He had expected Sasori to target Team Kakashi.

Kakashi was no less talented than Sasori, but five years separated them. Talent alone couldn't erase that gap.

At this stage, Kakashi and Obito both had the strength of