Just when Naruto and his crew were attacked by the Iwagakure Genin team,Saya had already captured a team of Kusagakure shinobi and another from Takigakure.
The members of both teams were now tightly bound by Kisame using reinforced ninja rope and tossed onto the forest floor, writhing like helpless caterpillars.
"Talk. Now."
Kisame slowly unsheathed his most treasured weapon—Samehada—and ran its rough, spiny scales across the back of a masked Takigakure Genin.
"I'd advise you not to move. My little cutie here prefers chakra… but it'll chew through blood and flesh just as happily."
Samehada's scales twitched, slithering up the Genin's back like living parasites. A grotesque maw appeared at the side of the blade and pressed against the boy's temple. It licked his cheek with a grotesque, bloated tongue, leaving a thick smear of drool and blood.
"MMMMPH!! MMMPHHHH!!"
(Please don't eat me! Please! MMMPHHH!)
The Taki Genin's teammates, along with the Kusagakure shinobi nearby, trembled violently, paralyzed with fear.
Meanwhile, Saya was examining the two scrolls they had just obtained. She pulled her team's own scroll from her ninja pouch and narrowed her eyes in thought.
"…Three Heaven Scrolls?"
"Are we really this far off, in Lord Hikaru's words?"
Maruboshi Kosuke, the deceptively kind old man, walked up beside Saya and spoke in a gentle voice, laced with morbid humor.
"Heh… Miss Saya, if three won't do, then why not go for thirty?"
"There are what, seventy, eighty scrolls out there? With our strength, wouldn't grabbing more be the smarter move?"
"Once we're done, we can resell the extras to teams from other villages—make a little pocket change, hmm? Isn't that great?"
At those words, Kisame's eyes lit up like gold coins under sunlight. He immediately seconded the idea.
"Miss Saya, I've been thinking about getting a new house closer to Lord Hikaru's compound in the Uchiha district. But I'm a bit short on funds lately…"
"And just like Kosuke-senpai said! You only just arrived in Konoha yourself. You must be strapped for cash—it's not right to keep leeching off Lord Hikaru!"
"If we don't hustle now, when will we?"
Saya blinked, then broke into a warm grin. The gloom in her heart evaporated. She looked at Kisame and Kosuke, smiling.
The three of them exchanged a silent nod—the hunt was on.
Saya wanted to buy a gift for Lord Hikaru.
Kisame wanted a mansion near his idol's home.
And Kosuke… just wanted a retirement plan.
Ever since Lord Hikaru had once performed a song in the village, a bizarre square-dancing craze had spread through the elderly. Kosuke, despite never marrying, now found himself swept into that culture. A surprising number of widowed old women—whose husbands had died in the last war—still retained their charm, at least in his eyes.
Lately, he'd been dancing nightly in the square, gossiping and laughing, rediscovering feelings he thought were long dead.
The only problem? All those dinners and drinks weren't cheap.
And his current savings? Barely enough for a decent funeral.
"Then we split up. The exam lasts three days. Let's regroup at the tower tomorrow and start selling."
With that, the three of them nodded knowingly and dashed off in different directions.
Saya headed toward the location where Naruto and the others currently were.
At that moment, Naruto was staring at Sasuke—who was restrained by two enemies—and at the camouflaged enemy rushing straight toward him and Sakura.
Naruto smirked, clapped his hands, and quickly performed hand seals.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
In an instant, dozens of Naruto clones filled the forest floor, circling around him and Sakura protectively.
Each clone charged in with exaggerated battle cries.
"Uzumaki Secret Technique: Blind Hook and Eight-Random-Punch Style!"
The Iwagakure Genin who had just closed the distance to within a few meters suddenly panicked. Though his kunai struck two clones, dozens of others overwhelmed him, fists flying.
He was pummeled viciously. His chakra flow disrupted completely, breaking his camo and exposing his body.
Sasuke seized the chance.
With a surge of strength, he twisted his body, yanked out a pair of shuriken, and launched them into the trees. The steel wires looped around the trunks, and with a powerful pull, Sasuke launched himself upward—dragging the two Iwa Genin clinging to his legs with him.
Then, releasing the wires, he formed seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
His clone dropped low, bracing its palms against the earth.
Sasuke twisted mid-air, extended both legs, and smashed his heels into their stomachs.
WHAM!
The Iwagakure Genin flew backward like rag dolls, spewing white foam from their mouths as they tumbled across the ground, clutching their stomachs.
One of them immediately curled into a ball, groaning and gagging.
Another instinctively covered his groin with both hands, his face frozen in pure anguish.
"Little bro… little bro… don't die on me!"
He winced, patted his pants twice… and then breathed a long sigh of relief.
Still intact.
His head dropped to the ground, and he fainted with a content smile.
Meanwhile, the third Iwa Genin—who had used camouflage—was lying on the ground in a sobbing heap, surrounded by battered Naruto clones.
Sasuke stared at the scene, reminded of the time Itachi beat him up for refusing to take a written test. His butt ached just thinking about it.
Eventually, Naruto and Sasuke tied up all three and looted their scrolls.
Naruto cheered the moment he saw one.
"Nice! It's a Heaven Scroll! Just what we needed!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"We need both Heaven and Earth Scrolls, idiot. Just one pair's not enough—we'll need two complete sets to pass the test."
"What are you so excited about?"
Naruto paused, then glared at him.
"Excuse me!?"
"Are you questioning the judgment of the great Uzumaki Naruto? I just saved Sakura's life!"
Their foreheads pressed together, mouths twisted in indignation as they bickered like old women.
"Hmph! I, Uchiha Sasuke, just took out two enemy ninja myself!"
"And if you hadn't been so damn loud, they wouldn't have known we spotted them in the first place! Sakura wouldn't have been in danger!"
"Loud!? What the hell does that mean!?"
"You scared to make the first move, huh?! That it?! You wanna go?!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
Did this moron just say he was scared to fight?
He clenched his fist—and punched Naruto straight in the face.
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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