"Ah—!!"
A sudden scream rang out from deep in the forest. Sasuke and Naruto frowned and turned to look behind them.
The thick, dark woods didn't carry sound very far, but the cry still echoed through the trees for a while.
A flock of birds shot up into the sky, startled from the trees behind them.
"Someone already made a move this fast…?"
Sasuke looked toward the sound, alert and tense. They hadn't even figured out their bearings yet, and someone was already starting a fight!?
"This place feels kinda scary..."
Sakura held her hands close to her chest, looking around with worry.
The thick, silent forest and the giant trees blocking out the sky made it feel like danger could be hiding anywhere.
"It's fine, Sakura!"
Naruto rested his hands behind his head and tried to act cool as he reassured her.
Even though he said that out loud, Naruto still squinted nervously. No matter how much he tried to act tough, he couldn't help but feel this place was kind of scary.
Before this, no matter what happened, Kakashi was usually with them.
Not that Kakashi actually had to do anything, but as long as he was there, their safety was guaranteed.
Now they were suddenly in a place they didn't know at all, surrounded by people who could turn into enemies at any moment.
The excitement from entering the exam was gone, and deep down Naruto was starting to feel uneasy.
"F-Forget it… I think I need to pee first!"
Naruto didn't even hold out for half a minute before awkwardly turning and running toward the trees.
"Huh?"
"What do you think you're doing in front of a lady?!"
Sakura suddenly smacked Naruto on the head with a punch.
Naruto did understand the difference between boys and girls, but in a situation like this, he really didn't want to be far from his teammates!
"Ugh…"
Holding the bump on his head, Naruto quietly ran off to the other side.
"..."
Sasuke glanced to the side, clearly unimpressed. He really started to wonder if his two teammates were actually going to make it through this.
After a short wait, Naruto came back from behind the tree with a silly grin.
"Ah, much better…"
The wound was gone.
Sasuke instantly became alert. The cut on Naruto's cheek that Mitarashi Anko had left—was missing.
Going to the bathroom couldn't make a wound disappear.
Naruto had been swapped out. No doubt about it…
Sasuke frowned slightly. Naruto was still pulling up his pants as he walked back over, while Sakura stood nearby muttering in annoyance.
Without warning, Sasuke punched Naruto hard in the face, sending him flying.
"Huh!?"
Sakura looked shocked, staring back and forth between the two of them.
Was there really a need to fight over something like this?
"What are you doing, Sasuke?!"
Naruto crashed under a tree with a red mark on his face and glared at Sasuke angrily.
But Sasuke didn't hesitate at all. With one hand in his pocket, he looked at him coldly and said,
"Where's the cut on your face that the teacher gave you?"
"And your shuriken pouch is on the wrong side. Naruto's right-handed, but yours is on the right."
"If you're going to disguise yourself, at least try harder."
In an instant, white smoke burst out. The "Naruto" leaning against the tree turned into a ninja from Amegakure Village, wearing a half-mask that looked like a breathing device.
"Well, now that you found me, there's no choice."
The Amegakure ninja held a kunai and charged at Sasuke the moment his transformation ended.
Sasuke slammed his foot into the ground and jumped into the air, quickly forming hand signs.
Rat – Tiger – Dog – Ox – Rabbit – Tiger!
Flames burst out, turning into several small fireballs like flower pods falling from the sky. The Amegakure ninja who had been closing in was forced to back away step by step.
He quickly turned and ran, and not far from him lay the real Naruto, tied up.
Naruto wriggled on the ground like a cocoon and shouted Sasuke's name.
"What a huge idiot."
Sasuke briefly paused his attack, then quickly threw a kunai, cutting through the ropes around Naruto.
The Amegakure ninja quickly turned and ran into the forest.
"Phew, thanks. He ran off," Naruto said as he pulled off the rope tied around him and looked around awkwardly.
It was clear the Amegakure ninja had rushed in alone, probably to stay hidden. Even though Naruto had messed up a bit, Sasuke was clearly tough to deal with.
Instead of facing both of them alone, it made more sense to run away.
Sasuke scanned the area carefully. After making sure no one else was around, he took a deep breath.
They hadn't been in the forest long, but now wasn't the time to head deeper.
The closer they got to the center, the harder the opponents would be.
Sasuke pulled the other two over and started discussing plans for special situations.
After all, they didn't have much experience fighting in a group without a teacher helping them.
"Don't let your guard down. There are more than just people from our village here."
"If we get separated, don't trust anyone, even if they seem like teammates. Let's come up with a signal."
High up in the trees, Hatake Satoru crouched on a branch, raising an eyebrow with interest.
"As expected of three kids—they've barely gone far and they're already holding a little meeting~"
But Sasuke, the only one with a working brain, seemed more reliable than the others.
He really was better suited to lead the team.
Hatake Satoru glanced at a branch sticking out below. It was hidden well and looked like just a rotten twig poking up.
But with his sensing skills, he knew someone was hiding there.
Well now, someone's eavesdropping, huh?
Still, with how sharp Sasuke is, he should be able to notice that easily.
Hatake Satoru stood up casually. He didn't want to step in too soon. If something serious happened and they almost died, he'd consider helping out.
Right now was the perfect time to test their skills—he didn't want to mess with the results.
"I wonder how Kimimaro and the others are doing."
"Don't tell me they already got a scroll as soon as they entered. That'd really throw the balance off."
Hatake Satoru stretched lazily and then suddenly vanished as he stepped off the branch.
"Alright then, I'll take the scroll."
Right after Sasuke said that, a thin cut appeared on Naruto's face, and blood started to trickle down.
All three of them turned to look in the direction the wind was blowing.
In the next second, a strong gust surged up from the forest, stirring up a huge noise through the trees.
Then, countless wind blades, thin and sharp like needles, came flying straight at them!
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