Anko left without hesitation, leaving behind only the sight of her receding figure in earthy yellow.
Son Goten rubbed the outside of his thigh, which still held a little warmth, and pursed his lips.
"Leaving already?"
He turned around, looked at his teammates sprawled all over the ground, and sighed.
"Hey, still sleeping? Time to get up."
Son Goten walked over and gave Naruto a kick in the backside.
"Ow!"
Naruto sprang up like a spring, clutching his backside and shouting, "Who? Who dared sneak up on me!"
He looked around and saw Son Goten staring at him with disdain.
"Goten? Where's that long-tongued freak? How's Sasuke?"
"Long gone." Son Goten pointed to the side. "Sasuke's over there brooding."
Not far away, Sasuke had already woken up.
He leaned against a tree trunk, his face as pale as paper, one hand pressed tightly over the Cursed Seal on his neck. Sweat had soaked his black hair, plastering it to his forehead.
Although he trembled all over from the pain, he still forced himself to his feet, his gaze gloomy.
"Let's go." Sasuke's voice was terribly hoarse. "It isn't safe here."
Sakura slowly came around too. Seeing Sasuke's condition, she nearly burst into tears again and hurried over to support him.
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay? Should we withdraw..."
"Shut up." Sasuke shook off her hand and staggered forward. "I'm continuing the exam."
Son Goten rested both hands behind his head and followed leisurely.
"What a stubborn mule. Still, that's fine. If I go back now, Teuchi will definitely nag me again for not getting a good result."
The battered group made their way through the forest.
They had walked for a little over ten minutes.
Son Goten's previously leisurely steps suddenly stopped.
His ears twitched twice, and his nostrils flared slightly.
"Hmm?"
This smell...
It wasn't the aroma of ramen or the greasy scent of grilled meat.
It was a very distinctive scent.
It was a little like a freshly picked honey peach, brimming with vitality, with a sweetness mixed in that made his heart itch.
It was the scent of female hormones, and a very high concentration of them.
"Help!"
A piercing female cry reached them through the dense woods.
Son Goten's eyes lit up.
"Something fun to watch!"
That voice alone sounds so silky. She's definitely a beauty.
And that cry for help was strong and full, which meant good lung capacity. She must be in good physical shape.
"Over there!"
Naruto heard it too, and, overflowing with a sense of justice, was about to rush over.
"Wait." Sasuke frowned. "It could be a trap. In our current condition..."
"Who cares if it's a trap? If we're late, there'll be nothing left to watch."
Ignoring Sasuke's caution entirely, Son Goten pushed off the ground and shot forward like a cannonball.
Up ahead was a patch of low bushes.
Son Goten pushed aside the branches blocking his way and whistled at the sight before him.
An enormous brown bear was roaring as it lunged forward.
The bear was at least three meters tall, its entire body knotted with muscle. Its paws were a good two sizes larger than Naruto's head, and it clearly ate well.
In front of the brown bear, a girl wearing red-framed glasses had fallen to the ground in a bedraggled heap.
The girl had conspicuous short red hair and wore a Kusagakure uniform.
But the uniform was now in a sorry state.
Whether snagged by branches or clawed by the bear, her top had several tears in it, exposing large patches of fair skin. Below her shorts, both legs were covered in mud spots and scratches.
She stared in terror at the huge bear charging toward her, her glasses askew, her whole body curled up and trembling.
"Roar!"
The brown bear opened its gaping maw, foul-smelling saliva dripping onto the grass in front of the girl.
Its enormous paw rose high, then swept down with a rush of wind.
If that blow landed, this delicate little beauty would probably be reduced to pulp.
"Whoa! What a huge bear paw!"
Son Goten's voice rang out abruptly.
The girl closed her eyes in despair.
Thud!
A dull impact sounded.
The pain she had expected never came.
The girl felt a tightening around her waist, and a warm, powerful presence instantly enveloped her.
She opened her eyes shakily.
The previously overbearing giant bear had been sent flying backward, smashing through two large trees before crashing into the dirt with a boom. It lay motionless with all four paws in the air and its eyes rolled back.
And there before her.
A black-haired boy in a martial arts uniform held her waist with one hand, his other hand still maintaining the pose from his kick.
The boy's face was very close.
His large eyes were clear, their black and white distinct, and a mischievous grin hung at the corners of his mouth.
"You okay, beautiful?" Son Goten drew the girl closer into his arms. Her waist was so slender, soft to the touch. "You look pretty shaken. Need me to give you mouth-to-mouth too?"
The girl stared blankly at his face.
Her mind was completely blank.
What had happened in that instant?
That terrifying giant bear had been kicked away by this boy, who didn't even look as old as her?
"Hey? Gone dumb?"
Son Goten waved a hand in front of the girl's eyes.
"Did the bear scare you mute? What a shame. You have such a lovely voice."
He brought his face even closer, almost touching the girl's nose.
Son Goten sniffed, looking utterly intoxicated.
"Pretty girls really do all smell nice."
"Not only are you pretty, you smell appetizing too. Hehehe!"
The girl finally came to her senses.
The word "appetizing" made her shudder all over.
As she looked at Son Goten, her cheeks reddened visibly, the flush spreading all the way to her ears.
It wasn't because she was shy.
Or rather, it wasn't entirely because she was shy.
As a sensory ninja, the instant this boy touched her, she had sensed the terrifying energy contained within his body.
It wasn't cold, sinister chakra.
It was a blazing fire, a pulsing sun.
Warm, domineering, overwhelming.
For someone who had long lived in dark corners, accustomed to being treated as a tool and a blood bag, this presence brimming with masculinity and vitality was nothing short of a deadly poison.
Her legs grew even weaker. Unable to stand at all, she could only lean limply against Son Goten, her hands unconsciously clutching the front of his clothes.
"Th... thank you..."
Karin stammered, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Son Goten chuckled. Not only did he not loosen the hand around her, he even gave her two brazen squeezes.
"You're welcome. It was nothing."
"But that bear is my spoils." Son Goten pointed at the distant "corpse." "I want that bear paw braised later. You don't mind, do you?"
Karin shook her head, her gaze somewhat hazy, a layer of mist forming on her glasses.
At this point, never mind eating bear paws-even if Son Goten said he wanted to eat her, she probably wouldn't resist.
Before you continue