"Examiner, don't be stubborn!
You can't fight back against ordinary beasts, so don't push yourself.
I'll make sure you get out of here safely..."
Naruto remained unfazed, holding Anko even tighter as he continued forward.
Anko's face reddened even more upon hearing his words. She felt both embarrassed and angry...
She was a Special Jōnin examiner, yet here she was being rescued by one of the examinees.
This... this was humiliating...
"Anko, so here you are.
What are you doing?"
Just as Anko was stewing in shame and frustration, a voice that deepened her misery rang out from in front of them.
Naruto looked up to see several Anbu approaching swiftly.
"You know them?" Naruto asked, halting abruptly and looking down at Anko as if he didn't know the answer.
"Why couldn't they come just a little later..." he muttered to himself.
The Anbu reached them quickly, their masked faces glancing at Anko with strange looks in their eyes.
"Umm... you should continue the exam," Anko said, regaining some of her strength. She freed herself from Naruto's embrace, brushing her hair to hide her embarrassment.
She gestured to the Anbu, signaling she had something to discuss.
"Let's go, Anko..." one of the female Anbu immediately moved to support her, and they quickly left the area.
Naruto watched their figures disappear, spat on the ground in boredom, and then turned to sprint off in another direction.
"Huh...
Where is everyone..."
Karin leaned back against a large tree, fear gripping her as a huge black bear advanced toward her. Trembling, she clutched the Earth Scroll in her hands, cold sweat dripping down her face.
"Is this... the end?"
The massive bear, moving on all fours, glared at its prey with furious eyes before lunging at Karin the moment she screamed.
"I'm done for..." Karin closed her eyes in fear, bracing for the worst.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, a pained roar filled the air.
Karin opened her eyes, shocked, to see the ferocious black bear kicked to the side.
A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood before her.
"I'm... I'm saved..." Karin muttered, staring at the fallen bear in disbelief.
"The Earth Scroll?
This must be my lucky day!" Naruto exclaimed dramatically, noticing the scroll in Karin's hands.
Their own Sky Scroll hadn't been destroyed by Orochimaru, and now Karin's Earth Scroll would complete the set.
"Thank you for saving me! Please, take this scroll as a token of my gratitude," Karin said, deeply moved. She hurriedly offered Naruto the scroll, her hands trembling as she glanced nervously at his face.
Wow, he's really handsome...
"Oh? Thank you...
I'm Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha Village. What's your name?" Naruto didn't take the scroll, instead introducing himself grandly to set the stage for making another admirer.
"Uzumaki? Uzumaki Naruto?? I'm Karin Uzumaki, a Genin from the Hidden Grass Village!" Karin stared at the handsome blonde in shock, wondering how his surname could also be Uzumaki. His hair wasn't the signature red of their clan!
"Uzumaki Karin? I thought your red hair was striking.
You must be from the Uzumaki clan, just like my mother!
Your hair is as beautiful as hers."
Naruto pushed the scroll back to her, flashing a bright smile.
"Your mother was from the Uzumaki clan?!" Karin exclaimed excitedly.
"Well, I've got to go now. Take care of yourself. See you around!" Naruto waved nonchalantly and vanished in a flash.
Don't overdo it when flirting with girls. Too much enthusiasm can backfire. Besides, Karin's still too young... in more ways than one.
"What a handsome guy! And he's from the Uzumaki clan too. Could he be my true destiny?" Karin whispered to herself, clutching the Earth Scroll as her eyes sparkled with admiration. She was already imagining their future!
Ding! [Emotional shift detected. 1000 Honkai points earned.]
Naruto, hearing the prompt in his head, grinned to himself as he ran. The second fangirl was officially in place.
Karin, with her loyalty as strong as her love for Boruto and her future as Sarada's godmother, could easily be a little lover one day. But first, she'd need to grow a bit...
When Naruto returned to Sakura and Sasuke, he spotted the Sound Ninja trio that Sasuke had just finished annihilating.
Poor fools! Did Orochimaru abandon them?
Trying to take on Sasuke is like lighting a candle in the wind...
Naruto glanced over at the three defeated Sound Ninja, showing no sympathy.
Even though the female Sound Ninja was somewhat attractive, he turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Come out, Shikamaru, Ino, Chōji..." Naruto called out to the nearby bushes.
He could feel their presence without even using his Byakugan.
"What a drag. I guess we've been found..." Shikamaru groaned, stepping out from behind the bushes. Ino and Chōji followed him.
"Here's our scroll. Take it if you need it," Shikamaru said with a sigh, handing over the scroll without hesitation.
After all, they knew Naruto's strength from his fight with the Four-Tailed Beast, and now with Sasuke's power, what could they possibly do?
Except for Sakura, Team 7 was full of monsters.
"Uh, no need for that... We can just take someone else's," Naruto said with a sigh, already expecting this.
"Naruto, did you find another scroll?" Sakura rushed up to him, asking eagerly.
"Sorry, no luck!" Naruto lied effortlessly.
"No need. I've got it," Sasuke said, holding up the Sound Ninja's scroll as she joined them.
Sasuke knew how to hold back now, defeating the three Sound Ninja without killing them.
"Miss Sasuke, I've come to protect you!" A green blur suddenly appeared in front of them, and Rock Lee announced his arrival with excitement.
"Rock Lee, seriously?" Sasuke stared at him coldly, her crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan spinning. Lee immediately froze, squatting down and drawing circles in the dirt like a sad puppet.
Everyone else stood there speechless.
This guy... is he really here to protect anyone?
"Naruto..."
"Sasuke..."
Hyuga Neji and Tenten soon appeared behind Lee, greeting everyone.
"Are we camping together now?" Naruto shrugged and joked as the whole group gathered.
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