The Forest of Death.
The central Tower.
With the scrolls handed over, Hinata Hyuga's team had also gathered everything they needed. Naturally, there was no reason to keep waiting here.
Hinata Hyuga came over to Luo Mang and quietly gazed at him, her expression as sweet as honey.
She was fuming.
Off to the side, Sakura Haruno watched them with puffed-up cheeks.
Hmph!
She snorted inwardly. She had thought that finishing the competition early would give them some time together while they waited for the others. Who could have expected Hinata Hyuga to pop up as a romantic rival!
Sakura Haruno had been tense the whole way here. After all, this was her first time seeing Konoha face a crisis like this. The last one had been the Nine-Tails' rampage, which she had only heard about from her family.
Luo Mang had comforted Sakura Haruno along the way, and it had taken quite a while before she recovered.
Once she calmed down, her imagination began to run wild.
Finishing early and spending the wait together-wouldn't that practically be a date? Or wouldn't it be like being back on the Land of Waves mission?
This was definitely a date!
Reality, however, never quite matched her expectations.
She sighed helplessly.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha walked on his own, with Karin beside him, staring at his profile. The way he had protected her earlier had completely won her heart.
As for Naruto Uzumaki, he was chatting with Kiba Inuzuka's...
Little dog, Akamaru, who sat on his head.
"Woof, woof, woof-"
"Mm-hmm."
Naruto Uzumaki nodded, then withdrew his gaze and looked curiously at Kiba Inuzuka.
"By the way, can you really talk to your little dog?"
"He's not a little dog. He's my partner."
Kiba Inuzuka lifted his chin proudly.
"Of course we can communicate.