But no matter how fierce they were, it was no use. Sakura and the others watched Mitaraishi Anko jump down from the tree trunk, their faces lighting up with joy.
Anko looked at the three of them and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I thought you three brats were going to lose! Come on, there's not much time!"
Without waiting for an answer, Mitaraishi Anko left with the three bound captives. Hinata and the others watched her go, then exchanged glances, relief and delight written all over their faces.
Hinata looked at the Scroll in her hand and smiled. "Now we just need to get through the forest. But we might run into someone later, so let's rest a little before we set off!"
Ino nodded in agreement. "Let's try to make it through tonight. I don't want any more surprises. I've had enough ups and downs these past few days!"
Sakura had already sat down while they were talking. The fight had taken a lot out of her, and she had been on high alert the whole time. Now that she could relax, exhaustion swept over her all at once.
Watching the three from the shadows, Samui finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was pleased with how the children had handled themselves. After all, they had pulled through when things had looked hopeless.
The three rested for about an hour, took a moment to regroup, then raced toward the finish. They ran flat out, but stayed alert the entire way.