To ensure Sasuke could take the Chunin Ninja Exams in good condition, Kakashi had no choice but to find a way to bring in a medical ninja specifically to treat him.
Sasuke did not want to explain how he had gotten those injuries, and Kakashi did not press him.
Only after hearing Sasuke say that he would take first place in these Chunin Ninja Exams, no matter the cost, did Kakashi spend several days considering it before deciding to teach Sasuke that move once his injuries healed.
Meanwhile, though they were a few days late, Sunagakure's delegation finally arrived safely in Konoha.
Leading them was none other than the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa!
Shinji, who was mingling with the Kirigakure delegation, showed a slight change in expression when he saw the people Rasa had brought.
Gaara and his two older siblings went without saying.
But the others all carried traces of cursed spirit scent to varying degrees, which caught his attention.
He did not think Sunagakure would join forces with cursed spirits at this point, unless they had gone mad.
But it was not impossible that cursed spirits had slipped into Sunagakure's delegation.
Moreover, the Kazekage's ambiguous attitude made it genuinely difficult to tell what purpose had brought them to Konoha.
Of course, apart from him, probably no one would dare imagine that Sunagakure would actually attack Konoha during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Aside from that, Shinji had been trying to track down Orochimaru.
For these joint Chunin Ninja Exams, Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields, Kusagakure in the Land of Grass, Amegakure in the Land of Rain, and Takigakure in the Land of Waterfalls had all sent teams as well.
The total number of participants in the Chunin Ninja Exams came to a full 170.
If Orochimaru really was