Gaara's abrupt departure left everyone in the clearing momentarily stunned.
Despite the numerical advantage they now held, both Naruto and Sasuke intuitively understood a troubling truth—Gaara hadn't retreated because he felt outnumbered or threatened. His withdrawal stemmed from some other, unknowable motivation. The realization sent an unsettling chill through the assembled genin.
"Is she alright?" Tenten asked, returning her weapons scroll to her pouch as she glanced with concern toward Sakura.
"Yes, thank you for your help," Sakura replied with a grateful nod. Her injuries were largely superficial—minor cuts and chakra depletion rather than serious wounds.
"If you want to thank someone," Tenten said with a mischievous wink, "you should direct your gratitude to Lee. He's the one who jumped in without hesitation when he saw you were hurt."
An awkward expression crossed Sakura's face, but she recognized the truth in Tenten's words. Regardless of her personal feelings toward Lee's eccentricities, he had indeed rushed to her defense without a second thought.
"Thank you, Lee-san," she offered sincerely, meeting his eyes.
Lee's reaction was immediate and dramatic—his round eyes widened further, his face flushing crimson as he fumbled for words. The normally verbose taijutsu specialist found himself rendered speechless by this simple expression of gratitude from his crush.
Nearby, Neji's pale eyes shifted to Naruto, who returned his gaze with equal intensity. The friction between them from their encounter before the first exam still lingered, an unresolved tension that both acknowledged silently.
After a brief moment, Neji's attention moved from Naruto to Chiharu, his expression betraying a flicker of genuine curiosity. What had impressed him most wasn't the confrontation with Gaara, but rather how this seemingly gentle girl had detected their presence in the forest even before the Sand ninja had—a feat that suggested sensory abilities well beyond ordinary genin level.
Chiharu offered him a friendly nod, which Neji deliberately left unacknowledged.
"Lee, Tenten, we're leaving," he announced abruptly, leaping onto a nearby tree branch. "We've wasted enough time here."
Lee cast a longing glance toward Sakura. "Until we meet again, Sakura-san!" he called out with his characteristic enthusiasm partially restored.
Tenten offered a casual wave to the assembled genin before following her teammates. Within moments, Team Guy had vanished into the dense foliage, leaving only Team 7 and Team 8 in the clearing.
"Neji, weren't you planning to settle things with Naruto?" Lee inquired as they traveled, perplexed by his teammate's sudden withdrawal.
"We've already secured both the Heaven and Earth Scrolls," Neji replied evenly. "There's no strategic advantage in creating additional conflict at this stage."
Though his response was logical, his reasoning extended beyond mere practicality. While he certainly had unfinished business with Naruto, confronting him with Sasuke Uchiha watching so intently would have been tactically unsound. Moreover, something about Namikaze Chiharu set his instincts on edge. Despite her harmless appearance, Neji sensed she might be the most formidable of the group—a subtle danger easily overlooked by less observant opponents.
Back in the clearing, the tension remained palpable. Sasuke suddenly turned to Naruto, his dark eyes reflecting an intense competitive fire.
"Now that those interfering elements have left," he stated with a challenging smirk, "let's settle this once and for all, idiot."
"You're on!" Naruto responded immediately, his own eyes blazing with equal fighting spirit.
"Sasuke, Naruto—didn't I just explain why fighting now would be counterproductive?" Chiharu interjected, her previously calm demeanor giving way to exasperation.
"I understood your point perfectly," Sasuke replied without taking his eyes off Naruto. "That's why I propose a different resolution."
His voice deepened with strategic intent. "I've observed since we entered the forest that your team possesses a Heaven Scroll—exactly what we need. With your sister's strategic mind and Shin's reconnaissance abilities, you could easily remain concealed until the exam concludes."
Contrary to appearances, Sasuke wasn't suggesting an immediate battle with Naruto. Instead, he was acknowledging the practical reality of their situation—his team still lacked the second scroll necessary to pass the examination.
Rather than continuing to search blindly for another team, he recognized an opportunity to resolve their dilemma more efficiently. As Chiharu had noted, their current position near the central tower meant any teams they encountered now would likely be among the strongest participants—increasing the risk of failure.
"So that's your angle," Chiharu remarked with newfound understanding, exchanging a meaningful glance with Shin.
Without hesitation, Shin retrieved a Heaven Scroll from his equipment pouch and handed it to Chiharu. The scroll was a duplicate of the one they already possessed—acquired during their earlier encounter with the Sand team.
Holding the scroll aloft, Chiharu addressed Sasuke directly. "I'm willing to give you this Heaven Scroll, but only if you immediately cease hostilities and agree to two conditions."
Her voice took on a subtle edge as she added, "Otherwise..."
She glanced meaningfully toward Sakura, who still showed signs of exhaustion and injury from her encounter with Kankuro.
Sasuke's keen intellect immediately grasped the implied threat. If he refused Chiharu's terms, she and Shin could easily neutralize Sakura. Even if he then obtained the Heaven Scroll by force, without a complete team, he would fail the exam regardless.
"Those scrolls were hard-won! Why should we just hand them over to this jerk for nothing?" Naruto protested, clearly unhappy with the direction of negotiations.
While he didn't particularly care about the outcome of any personal contest with Sasuke, the principle bothered him. They had just helped Team 8 escape a dangerous situation, and Sasuke's immediate pivot to exploiting their resources felt like betrayal.
"Brother, please trust me on this," Chiharu requested with a reassuring smile before turning her attention back to Sasuke.
"What are your terms?" the Uchiha asked with reluctant curiosity. He prided himself on his tactical acumen, but Chiharu's diplomatic maneuvers consistently outmaneuvered him. No wonder Mikoto often remarked to her son that Chiharu had inherited Minato's extraordinary intelligence and composure, while Naruto more closely resembled Kushina's impulsive temperament.
"First, after receiving our Heaven Scroll, you must temporarily ally with us to help secure an Earth Scroll," Chiharu stated clearly. "Second, you will cease all hostilities with my brother until the completion of this stage of the exam."
Like Sasuke's team, Chiharu's group had experienced unfortunate luck in their scroll acquisition. Despite their efforts, they had only managed to collect duplicate Heaven Scrolls. Obtaining an Earth Scroll would not be trivial for either team individually, but through combined effort, their chances improved dramatically.
"I see—the scroll you're offering was taken from another team," Sasuke observed, finally understanding why Chiharu would use their spare Heaven Scroll as leverage. Given Sakura's injured state and Sai's evident exhaustion, the logical choice became clear.
After weighing his options carefully, Sasuke gave a single, decisive nod. "Very well. I accept your conditions."
"Good," Chiharu responded simply, tossing the Heaven Scroll directly to him.
With any other team, such an agreement would require careful consideration of the other party's trustworthiness. However, Chiharu knew that once Sasuke gave his word, he would never go back on it. For the Uchiha prodigy, personal honor held paramount importance.
Despite his initial objections, even Naruto recognized the practicality of this arrangement. Though his rivalry with Sasuke remained fierce, he couldn't deny the other boy's combat prowess. With Sasuke's assistance, their chances of successfully acquiring an Earth Scroll increased substantially.
"Only she could ever manage to get these two to cooperate peacefully," Shin observed with quiet amusement. Chiharu's solution represented the optimal strategy given their circumstances—a temporary alliance that would benefit both teams while minimizing unnecessary risk.
Chiharu approached her brother, speaking in a lower voice. "If possible, we should prioritize targeting one of the remaining Sand teams," she suggested.
"Agreed," Naruto nodded firmly.
Several other Leaf teams still navigated the Forest of Death—former classmates and potential future allies. Both siblings shared an unspoken preference to avoid conflicts with fellow Konoha ninja when alternative options existed. The Sand teams, particularly after Kankuro's earlier interference, represented more acceptable targets.
As the newly formed alliance prepared to depart from the clearing, an unspoken current of anticipation ran through the group. Through cooperation rather than conflict, they had improved their collective chances of success—though how long this fragile truce between rivals would last remained to be seen.
The central tower loomed in the distance, both literal destination and symbolic goal. With three days of the exam already elapsed, time pressured them as much as competing teams. The forest had proven far more dangerous than any of them had anticipated, filled with threats both expected and surprising.