"Ah!"
Sakura, who moments ago had a joyful expression, let out a sharp scream!
Though the examiner had warned her that casualties were possible in this exam, the bloody scene before her left her panic-stricken.
Naruto, beside her, was furious. "What are you bastards doing? They were your comrades!"
"Comrades?!" Sakon and Ukon chuckled lightly. "Heh, those weaklings don't deserve to be our comrades!"
Naruto was stunned. "Aren't you all from the same village?"
Sakon and Ukon said casually, "So what? The moment they groveled before you and handed over their scroll, they didn't deserve to live!"
Sakura was shocked. "This… this is just an exam!"
Sakon and Ukon sneered. "Hey, are you an idiot? We're shinobi. Did you think this was a game?"
"You scum who attack your own comrades are disgusting!" Naruto rolled up his sleeves. "Today, I'm gonna teach you a lesson!"
Sasuke raised a hand to stop Naruto, then glanced at Sakon and Ukon. "So, you're saying you won't have any complaints if you die by my hand?"
Sakon and Ukon laughed. "Of course, but do you have the strength?"
"Looks like Shinji was too lenient when he dealt with you!" Sasuke paused, placing a hand on his hip. "But I'm not like him. When I meet trash I despise, I show no mercy!"
Sakon and Ukon, who had been mocking him, froze when Sasuke mentioned Uchiha Shinji, as if their sore spot had been struck. "Hmph, let's see if you can keep talking big in a moment!"
…
Elsewhere.
Ryuzetsu, Chino, and their Hidden Grass teammate were locked in a standoff with two other teams.
By sheer coincidence, the teams they faced were Yakumo's team, which Chino had narrowly defeated before, and Gaara's team.
Yakumo and Gaara had no rapport, and given that this was the Chunin Exams, it was impossible for the two great shinobi villages of Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand to team up against a smaller village like Hidden Grass. Thus, rather than a two-sided standoff, it was more accurate to call it a three-way stalemate.
Because it was a three-way standoff, none of the teams dared to act rashly.
Seeing this, Chino whispered to Ryuzetsu, "What do we do?"
Ryuzetsu shook her head. "You know how strong Hidden Leaf's Kurama Yakumo is. The other team has Hidden Sand's One-Tail Jinchuriki, who's said to communicate with his tailed beast—a genius Jinchuriki. We can't make any reckless moves!"
Chino nodded slightly.
She knew her own limits. Her victory over Yakumo last time was only possible because their leader had remotely sent her a massive amount of chakra at a critical moment.
Without that chakra support, she would have lost!
Their Hidden Grass teammate, meanwhile, was on the verge of tears.
It was supposed to be a straightforward exam, but he never expected to be cornered right away by Hidden Leaf's genius and Hidden Sand's Jinchuriki—figures he'd only ever heard about in rumors.
On Hidden Leaf's side.
Shion whispered, "Yakumo, talk about bad luck—we ran into the Hidden Grass team that beat you so soon. What do we do now?"
Tenten, looking serious, leaned in, waiting for Yakumo's decision.
Yakumo said, "They're strong. I'm not completely confident. Plus, with Hidden Sand's Jinchuriki right there, we need to stay cautious!"
In the standoff, the most relaxed team was undoubtedly Hidden Sand's.
After all, Yakumo and Chino's rivalry was well-known, making it impossible for Hidden Leaf and Hidden Grass to join forces. This gave Hidden Sand's team more flexibility—they could choose to help Hidden Leaf against Hidden Grass or assist Hidden Grass to take out Hidden Leaf first.
Kankuro grinned. "Gaara, which side do we take out first?"
"Doesn't matter!" Gaara replied, arms crossed.
Hearing this, Kankuro's gaze shifted between Hidden Leaf and Hidden Grass, as if picking a target.
Ryuzetsu and Yakumo both tensed.
Whichever side Gaara's team leaned toward could break the fragile balance, meaning their fate in this exam seemed to rest in Hidden Sand's hands.
Tenten, carrying her giant scroll, said, "If a fight breaks out, I'll hold off Hidden Sand's puppeteer!"
Shion added, "I'll take on their Jinchuriki!"
"Good!" Yakumo nodded slightly.
If Shion and Tenten could hold off Hidden Sand's team, Yakumo was confident she could stall Hidden Grass's team until other Hidden Leaf teams arrived to support.
On the other side.
Ryuzetsu instructed, "If we get caught in a pincer attack, I'll handle Hidden Sand with Tsubaki. Chino, you hold off Hidden Leaf's team until we deal with Hidden Sand's Jinchuriki team, then we'll back you up!"
"Got it!" Chino and their Hidden Grass teammate, named Tsubaki, nodded.
For a moment, both Yakumo's and Ryuzetsu's teams prepared for the possibility of being attacked by the other two.
Just as Kankuro was about to speak, Temari said calmly, "Let's take out Hidden Grass first. At the end of the day, this Chunin Exam is a contest between the five great shinobi villages!"
"Hm!" Gaara nodded.
Seeing Gaara's decision, Kankuro smiled at Ryuzetsu's trio. "Sorry, looks like you're out of luck running into us!"
Temari called out to Yakumo, "Kurama Yakumo, let's team up to deal with this Hidden Grass team first!"
"Alright!" Yakumo hesitated briefly before nodding.
Hearing that Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand were joining forces, Tsubaki, unable to bear the pressure, shouted and charged at Hidden Sand's team.
"Careful!" Ryuzetsu warned.
But before her words fully landed, Tsubaki, halfway through his charge, was caught by a chakra thread hidden in the grass, triggering a trap that left him dangling in mid-air.
"What an idiot!" Kankuro chuckled.
His simple trap wasn't particularly impressive, but it served its purpose as a test. Getting caught by it proved that, aside from Chino, the rest of the Hidden Grass team was at an ordinary level.
This wasn't surprising.
For Hidden Grass to produce someone like Chino, who defeated Kurama Yakumo, was already shocking. Another standout would be unthinkable!
Ryuzetsu and Chino exchanged a glance. "Chino, you keep an eye on Hidden Leaf's team! I'll handle Hidden Sand!" Ryuzetsu said, stepping toward Gaara's team.
Kankuro said, "I'll take her on!"
"Hm!" Gaara nodded casually.
From start to finish, his gaze remained fixed on Chino. There weren't many people worth his caution in this Chunin Exam, but Hidden Grass's Chino was one of them!
As for the rest of Hidden Grass, only Koshi Shinji, who had defeated Uchiha Sasuke, was marginally worth noting.