Under the shade of the dense canopy, two teams clashed fiercely. However, due to their equal strength, neither could gain an advantage, resulting in a stalemate.
"Natsuki, these two teams below are so weak. Aside from the basic Three Body Techniques, they don't know any other jutsu.
"Can I go down and finish them off?" Kiba, perched on a tree branch, suggested eagerly.
Natsuki had flipped tails, so they had chosen to pursue these two battling teams.
"Quiet! Let's watch the show. Wouldn't it be better to go down and reap the rewards after they've tired themselves out?
"Here, have some fruit." Natsuki tossed an apple to Kiba.
Catching the apple, Kiba asked with confusion, "Where did you get apples from?"
"My sister packed them for me."
"So it was Teacher Kurenai. Damn, your sister is too good!
"Unlike my sister, Hana. She not only didn't help me prepare my ninja tools, but she also took away all the soldier pills I had prepared.
"She said that the Chunin Exams are meant to test true strength and that we're not allowed to bring extra things. Damn it, doesn't one's own assets also count as part of their 'strength'?"
Kiba was utterly envious as he bit into the fruit ferociously, as if he were taking a bite out of someone.
"Oh, is that so? Then you can't have these." Natsuki pulled out a pile of fruit, eating some himself while feeding the rest to Hinata in his lap.
"Natsuki...it's too...too much... I can't eat anymore," Hinata stammered, her face flushed, patting her slightly distended belly.
She had already eaten ten bowls of rice at home before leaving.
"Oh, okay. I'll save them for next time." Natsuki nodded, putting the fruit away and gently rubbing Hinata's stomach.
Across from them, Kiba endured another wave of cringe. He secretly vowed to find a girlfriend after the Chunin Exams.
"Woof!" Suddenly, Akamaru let out a low bark.
Kiba looked at him quizzically.
You don't want to be my girlfriend, do you? Akamaru, that's a dangerous thought. Do you even understand what a girlfriend is?
However, a moment later, he realized that Akamaru was staring at the two teams fighting below.
The two Genin teams, after exchanging blows, had suddenly stopped fighting.
They seemed to have realized that they were evenly matched and wouldn't be able to determine a victor anytime soon.
To avoid being ambushed by others, they had decided to call a temporary truce and seek out other targets.
You guys are the weakest ones here. Do you really think you can take on other targets? Kiba couldn't help but retort.
Just as he was about to go down and finish them off, Natsuki flicked a kunai downwards.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air as the kunai precisely sliced off a lock of hair from a tall ninja below.
It startled both teams, who had just shaken hands and were still wary of each other.
Instantly, chaos erupted.
"Bastards! They weren't sincere after all! Kill them!"
"They used a clone to trick us! They're treacherous!"
"Finish them off!"
"Bullshit! You're the ones who attacked first!"
"Don't waste your breath on them! This time, we'll make sure they don't see tomorrow's sun!"
Amidst a cacophony of angry shouts, the two teams clashed once more.
This time, fueled by rage, their attacks were lethal. Soon, blood was spilled, and casualties occurred.
"Well...Natsuki...I just realized, you're pretty sly yourself," Kiba said admiringly, watching the dramatic turn of events.
Natsuki ignored Kiba's teasing and instead turned his attention to the other side of the clearing. "Careful, a terrifying guy is coming."
As soon as he finished speaking, a bone-chilling killing intent surged through the forest.
Sand Binding Coffin!
Yellow sand flowed rapidly across the ground, instantly forming a pair of gigantic hands that ensnared several members from both teams.
"What's happening?"
"Enemy attack!" The members of the two warring teams stared at the newcomer in horror.
A team of three, led by a red-haired boy, emerged from the forest without any attempt at concealment.
It was Gaara's team from Sunagakure.
"Trash should all die!" Dark circles underlined Gaara's bloodshot, bloodthirsty eyes.
A overwhelming wave of killing intent washed over the clearing.
One of the ninjas, caught in the brunt of Gaara's killing intent, was so terrified that he fell to the ground.
"We can't handle this! Run!" The two teams instantly recognized the terrifying power of their opponent and scattered like birds and beasts, frantically fleeing in the opposite direction of Gaara.
"Sand Drizzle!" A hoarse voice, like something from hell, echoed through the forest. Above the fleeing ninjas, countless grains of yellow sand rapidly condensed into small pebbles.
The next moment, they bombarded the ground like a deadly hail storm. Blood splattered everywhere.
The two teams, who had been locked in a fierce battle moments before, were annihilated in an instant before Gaara.
Witnessing the ground covered in mangled corpses, Temari, as an older sister, couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
Mustering her courage, she nervously tried to persuade Gaara: "Um...Gaara...this is the Chunin Exams. There's no need… to be so… merciless… We already have enough scrolls."
Before Temari could finish, Gaara's murderous gaze fell upon her. "Shut up! Say another word and I'll kill you both."
Kankuro quickly pulled Temari back a couple of steps, his expression tense.
Temari wanted to speak but ultimately dared not provoke Gaara any further.
Gulp.
Up in the trees, Kiba was also shaken by Gaara's killing intent. He swallowed nervously, not daring to move a muscle for fear of attracting attention.
Just then, Natsuki's sudden action nearly made Kiba's heart leap out of his chest.
"Hey, those two teams below were our prey," Natsuki called down, revealing himself from the treetops. "Taking the scrolls without our permission is a bit rude, don't you think?"
Kankuro and Temari, who were collecting the scrolls, froze.
They never expected anyone to dare appear before Gaara so brazenly.
His chilling aura, the Murder happy vibe, and especially the carnage on the ground… hadn't deterred this newcomer?
Even Gaara was slightly taken aback. Then, an expression of rage twisted his features. "You Imbeciles! Sand Binding Coffin!"
Countless grains of sand surged towards Natsuki, forming a monstrous claw that lashed out.
Boom!
Amidst the flying dust, Natsuki effortlessly evaded the attack, hovering calmly in mid-air.
"What? He can fly?!" Kankuro's eyes narrowed.
Flight was a considerably difficult skill to master.
Moreover, the ease with which this newcomer achieved it… could it be a new type of jutsu or a Kekkei Genkai?
The unknown was truly frightening. No wonder he dared to show himself despite witnessing Gaara's power.
He was clearly very confident in his own abilities.
This realization made Kankuro and Temari instantly become serious.
They both moved to Gaara's side, ready to fight alongside him.
No matter how ferocious Gaara was, he was still their younger brother. Although they had always believed that no one among their peers could match Gaara, protecting him was still their instinct.
This was also the reason why Gaara, despite his frequent harsh threats, had never actually harmed them.
"Sand…" Failing to hit his target further enraged Gaara. He raised his right hand, and the sand on the ground began to stir once more.
"Say, with those dark circles, do you ever get a good night's sleep?" A slightly lazy voice suddenly sounded beside Gaara, accompanied by a light pressure on his head. "I see, so you're also someone who has a great demon sealed inside them."
"What?!" Kankuro and Temari's eyes nearly popped out of their heads in astonishment.
The enemy, who had been floating in the air just a moment ago, was now standing next to Gaara, a cheerful smile on his face as he patted Gaara's bright red hair.
Damn it, are you even close to him? We, as his older siblings, don't even dare to do that!
Wait, why isn't Gaara's sand automatically attacking him?
The sand in Gaara's gourd was capable of automatic defense; any attack with malicious intent towards Gaara would be blocked by the sand.
At this moment however, even Gaara stared at the newcomer with wide, disbelieving eyes, as if frozen in place.
Natsuki beamed, a bright, sunny smile gracing his lips.
"See, you look quite cute when you're not scowling. It must be tiring carrying that burden all these years.
"How about joining my Dimensional End's Congregation? We seal away great demons that threaten the world. You'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep."
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