[The scroll scramble in the second stage of the exams has finally begun. I'm on my own, so others might target me. Looks like I should wait for Naruto and the others to meet up with me. That should make things a little easier.]
[Going alone is too complicated. I hope they're coming to find me. Otherwise, I'll have to hide for a while, then head out and try ambushing someone.]
He had only just entered the Forest of Death.
Luo Mang immediately started with a diary entry, urging Sasuke and the others to find him quickly.
It wasn't that he was afraid. He just wasn't sure what methods to use against his opponents.
He was just about to find somewhere to lie low and wait for Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno to find him.
Then a shuriken came flying at him.
Whoosh!
"Who's there?!"
Luo Mang turned, but instead of looking toward the source of the shuriken, he looked in the opposite direction. He discreetly activated his Sharingan.
"Gaara?"
Three people approached, led by someone carrying a gourd on his back. It wasn't hard to guess who he was.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect to run into you right after coming in!"
Gaara folded his arms across his chest and stared coldly at Luo Mang, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes.
"Become flesh and blood beneath my sand!"
Wherever he went, Luo Mang seemed to be the center of the world. People valued him, loved him, and cared for him. He had friends and teachers. His very existence felt like a mockery of Gaara.
"Hey, your name is Luo Mang, right? Could you tell us which scroll you have? If you hand it over to us..."
Temari spoke slowly. She hadn't wanted to stir up trouble on someone