"Naruto mused thoughtfully, "Sakura's behavior just now was just like the mutual flattery between Kakashi and Zabuza back in the day!"
"Exactly! It's wild how two regular genin duking it out can somehow feel like watching immortal beings clash—all thanks to a little well-placed praise!" Naruto grinned.
"Good job. You're actually teachable!" Sakura gave an approving nod. "The whole point of strategic mutual praise is to flatter others while boosting yourself. Someone like Sasuke who doesn't get this has basically no future at all!"
"Pfft, I'd never waste time on that nonsense. Real fights should be straightforward—just cut down your enemy directly," Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes. He had no intention of engaging in such weird behavior. After all, wasn't it better to just take enemies out instead of wasting breath?
Chapter 172: Orochimaru or Hebihime? [Part 2]
"Give me a break—I'm not even going to try explaining. Your head is stuck so far up your precious *brother's* ass there's no room for anything else!" Sakura waved her hand dismissively, her tone dripping with disdain toward Sasuke.
"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted coldly, wearing that smug expression he always got when thinking about his beloved older brother.
After using Earth Release to bury the three Rain Village ninja extras in a large pit, Team Sakura pressed on.
Perhaps because this Chunin Exam had drawn such a massive crowd, they had already encountered several enemy teams from minor villages within a single day. However, none of the official Five Great Shinobi Villages' genin had crossed their path yet.
After picking up one Heaven Scroll after another, Sakura's team had finally gotten their hands on the Earth Scroll they so desperately needed.
"What a relief! We've finally collected all the scrolls!"
Sakura let out a deep sigh, suddenly feeling tears well up. While these enemies hadn't been particularly strong, they had been extremely annoying. And every time they fought someone, they only ended up with another Heaven Scroll—she had nearly gone mad from frustration. Fortunately, obtaining that final Earth Scroll had significantly lifted their spirits.
"It's getting late. Let's find somewhere to rest, then continue tomorrow."
Looking up at the sky, they saw the sun had already set and night was beginning to fall. After discussing with Naruto and Sasuke, they decided to camp right here until dawn.
They quickly created a temporary shelter using Wood Release, lit a campfire, and roasted some small animals they'd caught for dinner. After this simple meal, they returned to their shelter to recover their strength.
Early the next morning, they packed up quickly after breakfast and resumed their journey. Though the morning air still carried a slight chill, for trained ninjas, this temperature was hardly worth mentioning.
"Watch out—attack incoming!"
Suddenly Naruto shouted, yanking Sakura and Sasuke sideways just in time.
A massive earth-brown serpent shot out from the trees, slamming into the exact spot they'd been standing moments ago. Had Naruto not sensed the danger and pulled them away, they would've taken the full impact of the monstrous snake's strike.
"Mm, your vigilance is impressive. You actually dodged my attack?"
A low, slithering voice emerged, like a venomous snake whispering right into your ear, sending an uncomfortable chill through the heart.
"Your hiding technique's pretty good. I couldn't sense you at all!" Sakura narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected Orochimaru to track them down so quickly and tail them so closely. His concealment ability was terrifying—she'd been careless for just a moment, yet still failed to detect any presence at all.
"Oh? Are you a sensor ninja?" Orochimaru arched an eyebrow, more intrigued than surprised.
"I guess you could say that," Sakura replied casually before asking, "So what do you want, blocking our path like this?"
"This is the Chunin Exams venue. What do you think?" Orochimaru sneered, pulling out a scroll and swallowing it in front of everyone. "If you want my scroll, come take it!"
"No thanks. We've already got our own scroll!" Sakura shook her head, declining Orochimaru's challenge. "If you're short on Heaven Scrolls, we can spare you a few."
Orochimaru's expression immediately froze—how was he supposed to respond? He wasn't really here for the Chunin Exams after all. Recovering from the surprise, he shot Sakura a murderous glare. "Is that right? Rather than accepting scrolls from you, I think I'll just take them myself!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like your real goal isn't the scroll at all!" Sakura feigned sudden realization. "I know your target is one of us!"
"You're correct!" Though slightly caught off guard, Orochimaru soon wore a look of admiration. "You're quite clever to figure it out so fast. Judging by your manner, you must be the leader of this team. How about coming with me? With me, you'll unlock your full potential—and power beyond what you can imagine."
"No thanks. I'm quite satisfied with my current life, so I don't plan on defecting!" Sakura shrugged. "Besides, I doubt there's much future in becoming a rogue ninja."
"Hehehe... Konoha will only hold you back. Follow me, and you'll finally break free and reach your full potential!" Orochimaru was relentless in trying to lure Sakura away.
"Really? A guy who hides his face even in Konoha like a coward? How can you claim you offer a better future than Konoha?" Sakura scoffed.
"You know this face is fake?"
"Your strength isn't something a mere Genin should have. And since your original target was us, you must've investigated us beforehand. Someone infiltrating Konoha with such careful planning—I wouldn't believe you'd appear using your real face!"
Naturally, Sakura knew the face Orochimaru wore now belonged to some minor Grass ninja. [Shisetsugan no Jutsu] allowed Orochimaru to literally peel another person's face off and graft it onto his own, creating the perfect disguise.
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