"Somebody is coming!"
Pakkun, who was always vigilant, said to the three team members.
Sakura and Sasuke were secretly wary, but Kazuki didn't care.
The only one who could arrive so quickly at this time was either Ino or Orochimaru!
If it was Orochimaru, Pakkun would have said, "It smells like snake," instead of "someone's coming."
Not long after, Ino and her team showed up.
"Kazuki-kun!"
Seeing Kazuki from a distance, Ino excitedly said hello! Sakura looked unhappy.
I have to do a mission to seduce Kazuki-kun, this hateful woman!
"We meet again, Sasuke, Kazuki, and Sakura." Shikamaru scratched his head and said with some embarrassment.
After all, he was here to tag along, so Shikamaru felt a little awkward.
As for Choji and Ino, one only had food in his eyes, and the other only had men in hers. There was no shame at all!
Kazuki nodded to Shikamaru. "Just follow us for the next action. By the way, what is your scroll?"
"It's also a Scroll of Heaven." Shikamaru said, taking out the scroll he kept on his body.
"That's just right. We just need two Earth Scrolls."
Kazuki said calmly and then threw their scrolls to Shikamaru. "Before passing the test, the scrolls are entrusted to you for safekeeping."
He was too lazy to carry a scroll around—it was quite troublesome.
Shikamaru was stunned for a moment and asked curiously, "You trust us so much? Aren't you afraid we'll run away with your scroll?"
"Try running." Kazuki glanced at him nonchalantly.
Shikamaru looked helpless. Kazuki was so confident in his strength.
If he had that kind of power, he wouldn't be afraid of anyone running away with his belongings because no one would dare face the consequences!
"Just take it if you want. Why all this nonsense! You think you can run away with the scroll?"
Ino showed off her big sisterly attitude and scolded Shikamaru. Shikamaru could only agree with Ino, bowing his head.
"Yes, yes, you're right!"
…
"Kazuki-kun, where should we go next?" After scolding Shikamaru, Ino asked Kazuki.
"Why don't we find something to eat? When we came in, they took away all my snacks. I'm starving now!"
Choji rubbed his belly, which growled in complaint.
"Eat so much every day...!"
Ino was dissatisfied with Choji's interruption and was about to give him a beating when Kazuki said, "Someone will deliver the scroll eventually, so it's okay for us to get some food first. But you'd better work in pairs to avoid danger. It's hard to react quickly otherwise."
Hearing they would be divided into groups, Ino immediately stepped forward and hugged Kazuki's arm. "Then I will definitely be grouped with Kazuki!"
Seeing that Ino was trying to compete with her, Sakura glared fiercely.
"Why are you following Kazuki-kun? What do you have to do with him when I'm accompanying Kazuki-kun?"
"What did you say? Ino-pig! You should be the one with nothing to do! Kazuki and I are on the same team; why are you here? Can't you act with your teammates?"
Seeing the two were about to start a fight, Kazuki pulled them back. "Forget it, you two come with me."
"Sasuke, Pakkun, you two go with Shikamaru and Choji."
Groups of two and two became groups of three and three. Although less efficient, it was safer.
After all, Orochimaru lurked in the darkness, ready to strike. If Shikamaru and Choji acted alone, they might be swallowed by the snake without any warning.
Remember how Naruto was targeted. If Naruto hadn't had a shadow clone and a massive chakra reserve, he would've been snake food!
To Orochimaru, Shikamaru and Choji were just ants, easily dealt with. Their lives held no value to him.
Though the Forest of Death was dangerous, it was rich in resources.
Kazuki's team saw various mushrooms and small animals after just a short walk.
Identifying edible wild foods is a basic course at the Ninja Academy.
So Kazuki and the others knew exactly what mushrooms could be eaten and which were poisonous.
After gathering some mushrooms, catching two hares, and even a wild boar, they had almost completed their foraging mission.
"We still need to find a water source. We can't wait until we're thirsty to start looking."
If they didn't plan to pass the exam quickly, they had to be prepared for survival.
They found a water source and collected dry firewood after some time.
Once all preparations were done, Kazuki and his group headed back to their temporary camp.
On the other side, Sasuke's group completed their mission easily with Pakkun's assistance.
Thanks to Choji's food expertise, they gained a deeper understanding of wild edibles.
Choji, driven by hunger, even chewed on some grass, much to Pakkun's dismay!
"Huh? Be careful, there's a snake! It's huge!"
As the three people and one dog gathered ingredients, Pakkun suddenly warned them, jumping back to avoid a massive snake's attack.
The snake swallowed a small tree in one bite, sending chills through Pakkun's fur.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would've been snake food.
"What a big snake!" Choji exclaimed, wiping his brow.
"This seems like someone's Summoning Beast. Be on guard for enemy attacks!" Shikamaru warned, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Sasuke remained calm, slicing the three-to-four-meter snake in two with a single strike.
The explosion's flames roasted the meat, and the aroma made Choji's mouth water.
"Such a big snake must taste great, right?" Choji muttered.
"This thing has probably eaten people. You might find half-digested bodies inside." Shikamaru deliberately scared Choji to make him think twice.
This was a life-and-death situation; they couldn't let their hunger rule them!
"Hehehe… Interesting. Is this the famed Uchiha genius? Uchiha Sasuke."
Orochimaru, disguised with a Kusakure forehead protector, emerged from the ground with a sinister grin.
His movements were as fluid as water.
Sasuke frowned, sensing that Orochimaru was targeting him.
Shikamaru also noticed Orochimaru's intentions, so he tried to stall for time.
"Are you from the Hidden Grass Village? Where are your companions? Are they hiding nearby?"
Orochimaru glanced at Shikamaru with interest. "With that look, you must be from the Nara clan. It's a pity your clan's combat skills are lacking; otherwise, you'd be a decent candidate."
The Nara clan's jutsu was unique, with strong control and some lethality, but their real strength was in their brains!
Orochimaru's jutsu could swap bodies, not minds. The brains of the Nara clan were of little use to him.
After all, Orochimaru didn't think anyone could outsmart him.
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+70 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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