Just as Hatake Sakumo was thinking this, Hyuga Kazuya suddenly spoke up behind him. "They've picked up speed. They'll catch up any moment!"
Hatake Sakumo and Heizo Hattori looked back and saw three indistinct figures in the distance. Without a doubt, the other team spotted them at the same time. During the first exam, Sakumo had already noticed the red-haired boy leading them. He had looked particularly capable, standing out from the shinobi of the other villages. Sakumo had long since made a mental list of opponents worth watching.
"Looks like we'll have to fight," Heizo Hattori said.
"Yeah, looks that way. Running won't solve anything. They're a troublesome bunch, so we might as well strike back here." With that, Hatake Sakumo drew his short sword and shifted his stance slightly, planting his feet against the side of a treetop. Then he pushed off, lightning release chakra coursing through his body as he shot forward like a streak of light.
After spotting the Konoha ninja, Liu had intended to pursue them. He never expected one of them to strike first and come straight at his team. Rather than follow a fixed course, Sakumo zigzagged between the trees at tremendous speed. By the time the trio caught sight of Hatake Sakumo again, he was already closing in.
—He's too fast, this guy...
Liu was shocked, but his movements were anything but slow. As Chiyo's son, he had undergone rigorous training from an early age. Neither his experience nor his strength could be compared to an ordinary person's. A scroll dropped into view, releasing the puppet sealed inside. Rather than having a fixed shape, it consisted of separate components that swiftly surrounded Liu.
At that moment, Hatake Sakumo's short sword struck the puppet that had appeared beside Liu just in time. Although