Anko chuckled coldly, her laughter echoing alongside the beastly roars from within the Forest of Death, making it all the more chilling.
No one spoke. Each simply chose a direction and quickly vanished into the Forest of Death. Once inside, they swiftly left their starting points. Before long, there wasn't a single examinee left at the forest's edge—only Anko, happily munching on snacks, and a group of ninja in charge of the second exam remained behind.
Chapter 171: Orochimaru or Hebihime? [Part 1]
"Are we heading straight to the Central Tower now?" Naruto asked impatiently the moment they entered the Forest of Death. "Or should we try to snatch one or two scrolls first?"
"Let's take it slow for now," Sakura mused thoughtfully. "We've got seven whole days—plenty of time. Might as well stroll toward the Central Tower. Who knows? Lady Luck might even drop a scroll right into our laps along the way."
In the quiet Forest of Death, the only sounds were beastly roars and the crunch of dry twigs underfoot. Towering trees loomed overhead, small creatures scurried about, and patches of sunlight filtered through the leaves.
Suddenly, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke came to a stop.
"Come out. You really think that cheap disguise can fool us? Are you calling us blind?"
The trio turned their gaze to the left front. Sakura held Make Out Paradise in her left hand, her tone unchanged. "Not even using an Explosive Tag on that trap wire? You really think that's going to ambush anyone?"
Right ahead of them, a thin steel wire caught the sunlight, clearly visible and not even slightly hidden. Anyone with decent eyesight could spot it easily. On either side, several Kunai hung from tree branches, ready to shoot forward if someone tripped the line. But the trap was far too obvious—it was clear the enemy had no real skill in setting traps.
"I didn't expect you'd actually detect our trap. No wonder Konoha is known as the strongest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Seems like we've run into a strong opponent this time."
A slightly hoarse voice called out. Three figures leapt from the shadows ahead, landing on the branches of a large tree opposite Sakura's team.
"Hehe, flattery aside—you're quite skilled yourselves," Sakura replied calmly, accepting their compliment while tossing one back. "Judging by your forehead protectors, you're from Amegakure, right? Ambushing us right at the start of the exam… you must be pretty confident in your strength."
"You flatter us. Truthfully, we didn't expect the ones who came would be ninja from Konoha. It's truly our honor to face off against the legendary shinobi of the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!" The trio from Amegakure smiled, one of them carrying an umbrella on his back. Yet the disdain in their eyes was unmistakable.
"Where, where? Your Amegakure village is also very powerful! Especially Hanzo Sansho'o, the semi-god from Amegakure back then, was a well-known and mighty ninja in the shinobi world. It's quite an honor to be fighting someone like you!" Sakura said humbly.
"Amegakure and Konoha... this reminds me of the battle between Lord Hanzo and the Sannin from Konoha back then. Who could've imagined that these two villages would actually fight each other again today? Fate really is unpredictable!" One of the Amegakure Trio wore a nostalgic expression as he said, "Back then, Lord Hanzo had the slight advantage. As for who will win our fight today, nobody knows yet!"
"Fate is indeed hard to predict. Although Hanzo Sansho'o won last time, he didn't harm the lives of the Sannin from Konoha. Today, let's also stop at just showing our skills!" Sakura put away her Make Out Tactics book and said, "Competition comes second, friendship is first after all. There's absolutely no need for fighting—it harms harmony too much!"
"That's right! Exactly!"
The two youths engaged in mutual exaggerated praise looked at each other with admiration, quite surprised they'd met someone equally fond of over-the-top compliments under such circumstances. You have to admit, it's quite a lucky encounter.
Compared with the two enthusiastically exchanging flattery, Naruto, Sasuke, and the two Rain ninjas could only wear expressions of helplessness. After all, what was originally a routine Chunin Exam match had been hyped up by these two as if it were an epic legendary battle. They were so over-the-top with the flattery, even they had to stifle a laugh at times.
"If fate brought us together by chance, then let's settle this through battle!" Sakura's face suddenly turned serious. Her hands formed seals instantly, and boundless torrents surged from underground, spiraling upward into the sky. [Water Release: Water Pulse Wave]!
"What?! Using Water Release ninjutsu in an area without water? How is that even possible?"
Surprised at Sakura's sudden attack, the Amegakure Trio were greatly shocked. Usually, Water Release users can demonstrate their power only in areas with water—like how the Mist village rarely went on missions outside Land of Water during The Great Ninja World War because once leaving their homeland filled with water, they would lose their environmental advantage, significantly diminishing their strength.
To perform powerful Water Release techniques in waterless areas not only required immense chakra reserves but also mastery over Water Release itself. The Amegakure Trio never expected anyone in the forest—who obviously wasn't near a lake or river—could possibly use such formidable Water Release technique relying purely on personal chakra.
Before they could even express their astonishment, the three Rain ninjas were immediately swept up into the air by violent swirling currents. When they fell back down, their necks were twisted into bizarre angles. All three had already died.
Too bad for them—they even had the Heaven Scroll.
After looting the corpses, Sakura looked somewhat disappointed holding the Heaven Scroll, but soon she showed a lonely expression. "Didn't expect them to be so easily defeated. Indeed, true experts are always lonely at the top. I wonder who in this world could possibly be my equal opponent?!"
"Oh please, stop pretending. They were just three ordinary genin; any decent chunin could've taken them down. Can you please stop making that expression like you're invincible?" Sasuke rolled his eyes secretly nearby. Watching Sakura act like this, someone who didn't know better might think they'd faced an incredibly strong enemy.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>