Chapter 16: A Standoff with Gaara
Anko's words were meant to stir up trouble within their team. After she finished, she watched them from the corner of her eye.
But even after Takahashi's arrogant statement made their task harder, she saw no anger or frustration from the others. They stayed perfectly calm. This annoyed her a little.
They must be faking it, she thought. Yes, just pretending. She didn't believe they could really be so united. The Forest of Death lasted five days. They might be fine now, but what about when things got tough? Would they still feel the same?
Thinking this, she smiled. "Alright then. I now announce the second exam... begins!"
The moment she finished, everyone shot off like arrows, scattering in all directions. They all wanted to strike first, before their opponents were ready.
Only one team was the exception: Gaara's. Temari looked anxious, but with Gaara there, she didn't dare speak. She could only follow his lead.
You could see the confidence in Gaara's eyes. Of all the people present, he only gave Naruto a brief glance, because he knew a little about the Nine-Tails. The others, he completely ignored.
Takahashi's team rushed into the forest and found a secluded spot to plan how to get the scrolls.
Takahashi had already decided. He didn't plan to fight Orochimaru head-on. They would grab the scrolls as fast as possible, pass the exam, and be done with it. It sounded simple.
But saying it was easier than doing it.
While they were talking, a group of idiots attacked from behind. Because of their high-profile entrance, they'd been spotted. Two teams had joined up, planning to take out Takahashi's team first, then fight each other.
Guys who teamed up like this were usually cannon fodder. The truly strong didn't need to rely on sneak attacks.
Takahashi didn't even need to move. Tenten had already set up dozens of explosive tags around their spot. One unlucky guy tripped a wire, setting off a chain explosion. Two of the six attackers were blown up instantly. The other four were stunned by the blast and were quickly captured by Lee and Neji.
They easily took the Heaven and Earth scrolls from them.
Combined with their own, they now had a full set. It was a gift from heaven.
Takahashi shrugged, joking, "I was going to make a plan, but I guess we don't need one now. Let's just head for the finish line."
No one had expected it to be so easy. It was all thanks to Takahashi's big speech earlier. If he hadn't drawn so much attention, those six unlucky guys might not have tried to ambush them.
They moved forward at top speed. Neji kept his Byakugan active the whole time. It used a lot of chakra, but it was the best way to spot enemies and avoid fights, saving them precious time.
There was another reason, too. Takahashi wasn't 100% sure he could fight off Orochimaru while also protecting his teammates.
At this speed, they would likely be the first team to reach the tower.
But just as they were getting close, on the only path forward, a single figure stood blocking their way. It was Gaara and his team.
They hadn't bothered hunting. They just planted themselves on this main road. Anyone who wanted to pass had to go through them. It saved a lot of effort—they could just take the scrolls from others.
Takahashi frowned. He didn't remember Gaara acting like this before. Had his own presence changed things?
But they were already here. To go around would mean backtracking and taking a long detour, wasting a lot of time. And they'd risk running into Orochimaru.
Neji spoke up, confused. "Why are they just standing there? They must have seen us. Are they waiting for us to attack?"
A thought suddenly struck Takahashi. "Scatter!" he yelled.
He shoved everyone away. The moment they moved, hundreds of sharp needles rained down from the sky, sticking into the ground where they had just been standing. An ugly puppet creaked as it appeared, then shot out more needles, homing in on them.
Kankuro was a puppet master, and a skilled one. The reason the others hadn't moved was because he had already sent his puppet to attack. If Takahashi hadn't realized it, they would have been hurt.
None of the others had ever seen such a strange thing. They all watched it with extreme caution.
"Everyone, stay calm," Takahashi ordered. "That puppet is controlled by the guy in black. The only way to stop it is to beat him. Now that we've found it, let's break through."
They listened to his command. Takahashi took the lead, his nerves tense, ready to turn his body into light at any moment to dodge an attack.
For some reason, maybe because Gaara knew one puppet was useless against all of them, the puppet stopped attacking.
The two teams stood facing each other. Gaara stood with his arms crossed, looking completely sure of himself. He stretched out a hand, his voice cold. "Leave the scrolls. You can go."
Temari and Kankuro sneered beside him, looking down on the "greenhouse flowers" of Konoha.
Takahashi held a stack of scrolls in his hand and walked toward them, step by step. Gaara frowned. "You don't need to bring them. Just put them on the ground."
A faint smile touched Takahashi's face. He obediently placed the scrolls on the ground. The Sand siblings relaxed, their eyes growing even more scornful. So Konoha ninja were just cowards after all.
The moment they let their guard down, Takahashi moved. A Flash Kick. His body became a stream of light, shooting forward like a blast.
At the same time, Tenten threw dozens of small mirrors into the air around them. This was a new tactic Takahashi had developed recently.
It was an efficient trick he'd created to save time and energy.
The Mirror Jutsu.