---
After being "attacked" by Orochimaru, everyone rested for a long time. Once Sakura and Naruto recovered, they ran towards the central tower.
---
After Sasuke and his team left, three familiar figures arrived where Sasuke's team had been resting.
"Ah~ Is that Orochimaru? Why does he seem so familiar? He feels very similar to Sasuke," said Suigetsu Hozuki, wearing a Sound Village headband.
"Idiot! How can Lord Sasuke be compared with that stinky snake!" Karin angrily punched Suigetsu, but Suigetsu easily dodged it. Karin's fist hit the ground, leaving a huge pit!
Mangetsu showed an evil and helpless smile, shook his head, and patted the shoulders of the two. "Okay, don't forget the purpose of Sasuke asking us to come here."
"Humph! Brother, aren't you here to catch the One-Tail? It's just the lowest and weakest one-tail, I can do it myself!" Suigetsu boasted.
"Don't make a mistake~" Karin said sarcastically. That's right, Karin, Suigetsu, and Mangetsu were sent by Sasuke to fight the One-Tail to test their abilities. It's useless to train without actual combat. They were afraid of hurting each other when they practiced against each other. It was only the last Chunin Exam competition a month later. Although the three of them were wearing Sound Village forehead protectors, they had not seen Orochimaru and Kabuto yet, and only had some information, so Suigetsu said those words when he saw Orochimaru.
---
The scene changed, and it was already two days later.
"Oh! Finally we've reached the central tower, we should be the first group! Teacher Gai, have you seen our youth!" Rock Lee wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted excitedly.
"I'm so tired... Lee, how can you still have the energy to shout, eh," Tenten squinted her eyes and bent over to look at the passionate Lee in confusion.
At this time, Rock Lee showed his big white teeth and his shiny bowl cut and gave Tenten a thumbs up. "Tenten, it seems that you need to practice more physical fitness! Now, how about following me to walk 500 times upside down around the central tower? If you can't complete 500 laps of handstand, then do 2000 poppies. If you can't complete it..."
"Okay, Lee, you have to rest well too," Neji watched all this and smiled but said nothing.
---
At this time, Moonlight Gai came to the side of the few people. "Ahem, congratulations on completing... ahem... the second round of the Chunin Exam qualifiers, ahem... ahem... ahem!!! And... ahem... you are the second group to reach the central tower... ahem..."
"Um, teacher, do you want to check your body first..." Tenten asked about Moonlight Gai's health with concern, fearing that he would cough to death in front of her in the next second.
"It's nothing... cough cough... The doctor said I... just have kidney deficiency... cough cough."
"Damn! How weak is this guy!"
"I can't help it... cough... As soon as I got home, Yugao forced me, uh... cough cough..."
Moonlight Gai's old face turned red and turned away. But only Neji heard the key point.
"Wait, aren't we the first group? And what are the preliminaries? Isn't this the second exam?"
As soon as Neji finished speaking, Sasuke came quietly behind Neji and patted him on the back. Neji rolled forward and pulled away, and only when he saw who was coming did he let down his guard. "Good reaction."
"The first team to reach the central tower is Naruto's team! Ahahaha!" Naruto laughed and stood on the railing, but he didn't stand firmly and fell down with a plop, hitting the ground with his face first.
"Oh my god! I'm disfigured!" Naruto wiped the blood from his nose and smiled awkwardly.
"That guy, still the same," Sakura angrily and helplessly treated Naruto's injuries.
Moonlight Gai turned around and said: "Oh, you'll know in a few days, ahem."
---
Elsewhere, Suigetsu, Karin, and Mangetsu are on their way.
"Brother, where are you going? That's not the central tower."
"Mangetsu, you don't want to go find Ichibi now, do you?"
"Hey, just play for a while." Mangetsu ran towards Gaara's position with a sly smile.
"Sandstorm funeral!!!"
"Monster! Ah!"
"Help!"
Gaara summoned the sand in the gourd like he was crushing an ant, crushing several ninjas. This set of ninjas had already been killed. There was a river of blood.
Temari and Kankuro dared not move, fearing that Gaara would kill them too, but Temari pretended to be calm and said: "Brother...just listen to your sister for once...let's go to the central tower to gather first." Temari wanted to use family affection and identity to stabilize Gaara's emotions. Gaara glanced at Temari fiercely, and then prepared to wave his hand to control the sand and kill Temari too.
The three members of Hinata's team and Shikamaru's team hiding nearby did not dare to make a sound.
"That sand monster is so scary, that guy is stronger than Sasuke!"
"Woof‒Woof‒" Kiba and Akamaru were sweating profusely.
"Kiba~Hush, don't make a sound, be careful of being discovered." Ino reminded Kiba and Akamaru fearfully that they were afraid that they would be crushed by the sand in the next second.
"Gaara, what do you want to do! I'm your brother!" Kankuro knelt on the ground and begged Gaara to stop. The sand was about to wrap around Temari and Kankuro. Temari and Kankuro were already half disappointed, but Gaara's hand did not move for a long time, and finally, he put the sand back into the gourd.
"Hmph, trash, let's go."
Just as Gaara and the other two were about to leave, a loud voice came. "Hey! That guy called Gaara, come and compete with me? You only know how to bully the weak!" It was Suigetsu.
"Huh? The weak things in this world should die! You too," Gaara was a little angry, and after that, he waved his hand, and the sand attacked Suigetsu like the sea.
"Sand waterfall funeral!" The few people hiding nearby were only surprised and panicked after seeing this scene.
"Isn't that white-haired kid afraid of death?"
"How can such a large-scale attack be avoided!"
"Don't call others brats, you may not be as big as them..."
Seeing this, Temari collapsed to the ground, Gaara said "Stop it! Stop killing people!" Temari and Kankuro were worried that Gaara would go crazy and transform into a tailed beast here.
Suigetsu saw the sand waterfall funeral without any panic, and fired a "Flying Thunder Gun Technique" at the sky. The sand pressed Suigetsu down, but an inconspicuous water gun broke through the layers of sand and rushed into the sky.
"Don't overestimate your own abilities!" Gaara turned around expressionlessly. When everyone thought Suigetsu was gone, the familiar yet strange voice came again.
"Huh, that's it?"
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