After a loud bang, a scream echoed through the forest.
Not far away, the Sunagakure Siblings stopped in their tracks. Temari quickly turned towards the direction of the sound, and asked nervously, "What's that noise?"
"Why don't we go check it out?" Kankuro said confidently.
"That's the Kyubi." Gaara said coldly, "If you want to die, go ahead. But if the mission fails, you'll bear the consequences yourself."
As the moonlight shone into the forest, Kankuro's face flushed with embarrassment.
"But didn't Baki-sensei say that the Kyubi brat was trying to deceive us?"
Gaara didn't say anything, but just stared at Kankuro coldly, then turned around and left without looking back. Temari and Kankuro looked at each other, and they could only follow Gaara quickly after seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.
By the river.
Naruto's sudden and unpredictable movements left the Kusagakure's Shinobi completely defenseless.
Soon, all the Kusagakure's Shinobi were knocked out cold by Naruto's lightning attacks. Naruto didn't want to kill anyone during the Chunin Exams, so he electrocuted them four or five times to be safe. In fact, after the second shock, the Kusagakure's Shinobi had already taken out their scroll and begged for mercy.
But Naruto was afraid that they were trying to trick him, so he shocked them twice more until they were foaming at the mouth and fell unconscious.
After the battle, Naruto bent down to pick up his kunai, looking a bit disheveled but otherwise fine.
Flying Thunder God Technique could raise the upper limit of a Shinobi's strength. In simple terms, even Obito would have to take a few hits if he showed up now.
Many teams have arrived from all directions, but none dared to make a move.
They had witnessed the fate of the Kusagakure's Shinobi, so they knew attacking Naruto's team would be a foolish risk.
"Naruto is planning to clear the area," Shikamaru, who were hiding in the distance with his team, suddenly realized something and said.
"What do you mean by clearing the area?" Ino asked confusedly.
"According to the exam rules, if a team member dies or is too seriously injured to fight, the entire team will be considered to have failed the exam." Shikamaru explained, "If Sasuke doesn't wake up by tomorrow, then the Team 7 will have to forfeit the exam to get medical help for him."
Hearing this, Ino understood.
Although the second round lasts for five days, the first lesson that Konoha's Shinobi learn when becoming a Genin is to cherish their companions. Sakura and Naruto would never drag Sasuke along for five days. If Sasuke was still unconscious by tomorrow morning, they will probably have to withdraw from the exam so that Sasuke can receive treatment from the medical team.
"So, they only have one night?" Ino asked.
"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded and said, "Naruto is taking a big risk. He deliberately lit a fire to roast fish to attract nearby teams."
"Wouldn't that make their situation more dangerous?" Choji squinted as he asked.
"Maybe for others, but that guy Naruto..." Shikamaru also frowned.
They kept watched all night without saying a word, and no one came forward to attack Team 7 again.
The next morning.
Yawning, Naruto returned from the river after washing up and found Sasuke, who is lying on the ground, was already awake. While Sakura was taking a light nap on the other side of the fire.
"You're awake?" Naruto picked up the fishing rod beside him, "Wait here, I'll get you something to eat. I ate your fish last night as a midnight snack."
Sasuke didn't show any reaction on his face. He looked indifferent, as if he had entered a state of indifference to life and death. Sakura, who was nearby, was awakened by Naruto's voice. Seeing Sasuke awake, she couldn't help but overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Sasuke-kun, you're awake? How are you feeling?"
Sasuke still didn't speak, his head slightly tilted to stare at Naruto standing by the river ready to fish. It wasn't until Naruto flicked the rod and instantly caught a fish that Sasuke's gaze became unsteady. He coughed heavily and finally said in a strained voice, "I'm fine. How long have I been unconscious?"
"One night," Sakura replied.
Not far away, Naruto was already walking back with a few processed fish. His fish processing skills were already perfected through practice. He skillfully removed the innards, scales, and gills, expertly wielding a kunai.
Sakura stood up as well, helping to move the firewood pile over.
"I've come to realize that Ninjutsu is really convenient." Naruto said casually with his back to Sasuke, "It only takes a second to start a fire. It's really handy for camping."
After resting for a while, Sasuke struggled to sit up, watching Naruto and Sakura busying themselves.
"You use Ninjutsu when fishing too?"
"No." Naruto turned back to look at Sasuke, "Why do you ask that?"
Sasuke didn't reply, but made a motion of pulling the rod after one second.
"It's just a matter of practice." Naruto said nonchalantly, "There are always geniuses in this world. Maybe I'm just better at fishing."
Hearing this, Sasuke didn't pursue the matter further.
After grilling the fish and adding some salt, the three of them ate. Then, Naruto pulled out the scrolls and said, "Let's go to the tower."
Without much delay, they extinguished the campfire, buried the food scraps, and hurriedly left.
The central tower was some distance away from their current location. Sakura suggested taking a detour, but Naruto insisted on going straight through.
"No one came last night despite the campfire being lit all night. If we detour now, it will only cause more trouble." Naruto said confidently, "Going straight through is the safest way."
"Because now, those teams consider us as the tough ones."
The three of them jumped across the giant tree trunks without detouring. And just as Naruto said, they reached the central tower without any issues.
Before they arrived, Team 8 was already waiting there.
"Naruto! You guys are so slow!" Kiba said arrogantly, "We've been waiting for you here for so long!"
"Shut up, Kiba. I'll definitely give you a good beating later." Naruto, who had a good relationship with Kiba, punched him hard.
Team 8 was known as the top reconnaissance team among Konoha Twelve. They didn't engage in much fighting, and after obtaining the scrolls, they quietly made their way to the edge of the central tower, avoiding confrontation. It was like a team hiding at the edge of the final circle right from the start of the game.
With the Byakugan, Kikaichu, and super-sensitive sense of smell, it was like they had wallhacks activated. Avoiding troublesome enemies was a piece of cake for Team 8.
"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"What can be wrong with me?" Naruto chuckled.
Hinata pointed at his clothes. Naruto looked down at his dirty self. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched his head and said, "Surviving in the wild is tough. I'm just trying to fit in with the atmosphere."
"Hmph." Kiba made a face and mocked, "You guys must be starving since yesterday, right?"
"Sorry, , but we had grilled fish until we were sick of it, all cooked and hot." Naruto replied with a fake smile, confronting Kiba. At this moment, the two almost got into a scuffle, "What about you? Did you steal Akamaru's dog food?"