"Ah!" A sharp cry of pain rang out.
While dealing with the enemy before him, Aoshi had also detected a third figure hidden in the shadows. With lightning-fast reflexes, he threw a kunai laced with an explosive tag, catching the hidden enemy off guard and successfully injuring them.
As the smoke from the explosion cleared, the third figure was exposed to both Aoshi and Kushina. It was the only female among the three Takigakure ninja.
She had taken a direct hit to her right leg, now a mangled mess of blood and flesh, bleeding profusely. The injury completely disabled her.
And just like that, in mere moments, the three Takigakure ninjas who had attempted an ambush were all neutralized.
"Damn it! Kill me if you want, do as you please!" The male ninja Aoshi had taken down—evidently the team leader—stared defiantly at Aoshi, his expression unyielding.
Aoshi didn't respond.
The most famous ninja—or more accurately, the most infamous rogue—from Takigakure was none other than Kakuzu, one of the most loyal members of the future Akatsuki.
Beyond that, Aoshi didn't have any particular impression of Takigakure. Naturally, he didn't recognize the three before him.
After a brief moment of reflection, Aoshi spoke up. "I'm a medical ninja. If you don't mind, I can treat your injuries."
At his words, all three Takigakure ninja were stunned. Wait… seriously?
We literally ambushed you and tried to steal your scroll—why would you help us? And you're a medical ninja? With that kind of strength?
"Don't worry, I'm serious. And if you don't treat your teammate soon, she might suffer permanent damage. It could even end her ninja career." Aoshi gestured toward the wounded female, emphasizing her critical condition.
Hearing that, the leader didn't hesitate any further and quickly requested Aoshi's help. If there's a chance to survive, who would willingly choose death?
Aoshi didn't worry about any potential sneak attacks. He stepped forward without any precautions and began treating the wounded kunoichi.
Seeing that Aoshi really was a medical ninja, the one who had earlier demanded death, Kenshu, frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask,
"You're treating us with no defense at all… aren't you afraid we'll take advantage of it and attack you?"
"Not at all. You're just too weak."
"Pfft!" Kushina couldn't hold back a laugh. But realizing it might come across as rude, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the rest.
The Takigakure trio had no choice but to remain silent. But the three of them were well aware of their own strength. Compared to other Genin, they really were on the weaker side.
It wasn't for lack of effort—but the truth was, Takigakure had long fallen from grace. Its former glory was a thing of the past.
Once, the village had been powerful enough to be entrusted with a Tailed Beast. It had even been considered the strongest minor village beneath the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
But then Kakuzu defected, using his Earth Grudge Fear technique to rip the hearts from the village's leadership.
From that point on, Takigakure had never recovered. Even now, it hadn't regained its former strength.
The title of "strongest village beneath the Five Great Nations" had since been claimed by Amegakure, thanks to the presence of the so-called "demi-god" Hanzo the Salamander.
These three Takigakure Genin had barely passed the first exam. In a desperate bid for a slim chance of success, they'd decided to set an ambush near the central tower.
Fortunately, Suzu—the only female in the team—possessed a wide-range genjutsu technique.
They had hoped that with a bit of luck, they could pass the second exam and bring some honor back to their village. But unfortunately, they ran into Aoshi and Kushina—and ended up worse off than before.
Looking at the now-silent Kenshu, Aoshi smiled and said, "I was just joking. Don't take it to heart."
"Honestly, I just want to say—friendship first, exams second."
"This is just the Chūnin Exams. If you fail this time, there will always be another chance. No need to treat each other like mortal enemies."
That was a lie. Aoshi simply wanted more system rewards. He had no intention of just sitting around the central tower doing nothing for the next five days.
Soon, the treatment was finished.
[You have completed one treatment on Suzu. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have gained 10 Chakra.]
Indeed, with the system validating it, Aoshi confirmed that these Takigakure Genin were truly weak and had no chance of advancing.
[You have completed one treatment on Hoshino. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have gained 10 Chakra.]
[You have completed one treatment on Kenshu. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have gained 10 Chakra.]
Aoshi then treated the remaining two and, unsurprisingly, earned more White Orbs—gaining a total boost of 30 Chakra.
"Thank you for treating us despite everything. Here, take our scroll." As team leader, Kenshu sincerely expressed his gratitude and handed over their Heaven Scroll.
He understood well enough—reaching this point had already been a miracle for them. Given their current condition, there was no way they'd be able to win another scroll from other teams.
And not everyone was going to be as generous as Aoshi and Kushina. So rather than risking their lives for a hopeless cause, it was better to admit defeat and withdraw.
Although slightly surprised by their decision, Aoshi did not refuse the scroll.
After thanking Aoshi again, Kenshu and his teammates reported to the examiners inside the tower to officially withdraw from the exam—something permitted by the rules.
In fact, during every Chūnin Exam, the second round always had the highest number of voluntary withdrawals.
These were usually first-time Genin participants. Compared to the first written exam or the final public battles, the second exam was indeed far bloodier and more brutal.
"All right, we should head in, too." Kushina turned and started walking toward the central tower.
But Aoshi suddenly stopped her. "Kushina, this second exam is incredibly dangerous for many. I'd like to stay behind and treat the injured—do what little I can to help."
This had been his plan from the start. As a medical ninja, there was nothing wrong with wanting to help others.
"So I'll send a Shadow Clone in with you." As he spoke, Aoshi handed Kushina the Heaven and Earth scrolls they had gathered.
"Are you sure this is allowed?" Kushina had no intention of stopping him, but she was curious whether this kind of move was even permitted.
After all, no one had ever done anything like what Aoshi was doing.