Chapter 113

Chapter 113 - 113 Kakashi and Anko were even more surprised by Natsuki. Back when they were near the Forest of Death's edge and Natsuki had detected and held off Orochimaru, that was already impressive enough to prove his strength. But now they realized—he had been holding back all along. Only now, when forced to go all out, did they see he actually had the strength to defeat Orochimaru. Truly formidable. Kakashi smiled. "Looks like Guy and I didn't pick the wrong person. Teaching you kenjutsu and the Eight Gates was the right call. You've taken what we taught and used it to protect your comrades and repel a powerful enemy. You're now a capable shinobi who can stand on his own. Honestly, your strength has already surpassed mine." Natsuki quickly waved his hand. "Kakashi-senpai, you flatter me too much. I still have a long way to go. I need to get stronger!" He wouldn't dare claim to be stronger than Kakashi. Kakashi still had the Mangekyō Sharingan and its Kamui that he hadn't even used yet. Without learning Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), Natsuki had no way to contend with Kamui. Seeing Natsuki's humility, Kakashi nodded approvingly. This kid had a good character—modest and driven. A truly good kid. Kakashi added, "Since you're all safe, continue the exam. Anko and I can't help any further—that'd be against the rules. But we'll go after Orochimaru. He shouldn't have another chance to cause trouble, so don't worry." With that, he exchanged a glance with Anko, and the two of them sped off in the direction Orochimaru had fled. Natsuki and the others didn't linger either. They soon found a hidden spot to rest. Tenten brought out a scroll and summoned a bunch of food, distributing it around. Everyone eagerly dug in to replenish their strength. Only with full energy could they continue the exam. "Oh right. I tried to summon Birdra earlier, but it failed." Natsuki brought it up. "Instead, I summoned a young hawk, who told me Birdra had been injured. That's how I realized things weren't going well on your end, so I rushed here at full speed. Good thing I made it in time." Tenten immediately looked worried. "Birdra was ambushed by Orochimaru... pierced right through by the Kusanagi Sword. I hope it's okay." If Birdra hadn't been caught off guard, they would've flown off long ago. There's no way they would've been bullied by Orochimaru like that. Fortunately, Natsuki and Tenten avenged Birdra—severely injuring Orochimaru, killing two of his summoned snakes, and even taking down Manda. Orochimaru really took a huge loss! Thinking about that cheered Natsuki and Tenten up quite a bit. With that topic passed, the group turned to something else. "So, how's your scroll collection going? Our Team 9 already has both scrolls. We can head to the tower anytime." Lee immediately raised his hand. "We've got ours too! We got lucky earlier—defeated another team and got the scroll we needed!" Now, all eyes turned to Sasuke and Sakura. The two immediately looked awkward. Not only had they failed to collect both scrolls, they'd also been unfortunate enough to run into Orochimaru. And Naruto was still unconscious. How were they supposed to continue the exam? Natsuki asked bluntly, "Sasuke, what's your plan? Kakashi-senpai said we don't have to worry about Orochimaru attacking again, so things should proceed normally. Do you need our help?" Sakura looked tempted, but quickly suppressed the thought. She'd already been useless enough. If they had to help her with the exam too, how could she still call herself a ninja? And Sasuke definitely wouldn't agree. Sure enough, Sasuke shook his head. "You've already helped a lot. No need to worry about the exam. Team 7 will pass—we'll make sure of it!" Team 9 and Team Guy exchanged glances and didn't object. "In that case, once we've rested up, we'll head to the tower first. You guys be careful." "Don't worry." Sasuke seemed to regain some confidence. Then, with a bit of awkwardness, he added, "Also... thanks for everything." Sasuke, who'd always been proud, actually thanked them. It was a rare sight, but it meant he was still mentally stable. With such great help, expressing thanks was only natural. Sakura seemed to realize too and quickly said, "Yeah! Thanks a lot!" The two teams didn't think much of it—just waved it off. Everyone focused on resting after that. They didn't speak much, and by the next morning, they had mostly recovered. So Team 9 and Team Guy said their goodbyes. "Be careful!" Natsuki reminded them—he knew the Sound Trio was still out there. "Thanks!" Sasuke's farewell made Natsuki pause. That word brought a wave of nostalgia to his heart. After the two teams left, Sasuke returned to his usual cold expression. He walked over and kicked Naruto. "Hey! Get up! We're already behind—this isn't the time to be sleeping!" Naruto slowly woke, then suddenly shouted, "Orochimaru?! Where's Orochimaru?!" Sakura immediately scolded, "You're the only one who was sleeping while everyone else was fighting. You've got some nerve!" Sasuke glanced at Sakura. She had no right to speak. At least Naruto had charged in to fight. Sure, something Orochimaru did knocked him out—but Sakura? She had spent the whole fight trembling in fear and couldn't even heal a wound. What right did she have to criticize Naruto? Meanwhile, Team 9 and Team Guy picked up their pace. Natsuki wasn't sure if Team 7 would face another attack from Orochimaru—or if they could handle the Sound Trio. But since Kakashi had said it was fine, it probably was. Besides, Sasuke now was different from the original timeline. He hadn't been marked with the Cursed Seal, his condition was stable, and he had learned Hatake-ryū Kenjutsu. Dealing with the Sound Trio shouldn't be a problem. As for Teams 8 and 10, both had solid skills. As long as they didn't run into Orochimaru or Gaara, they should be okay. And they were too far away—Natsuki couldn't help even if he wanted to. All he could do was hope for the best. After half a day of travel, with help from Pakkun and Neji, they avoided unnecessary danger and successfully reached the tower. Finally, a real breath of relief. After entering the tower and submitting their scrolls, designated proctors came to greet them and gave them a lecture about the "Will of Fire." After a bunch of formalities, both teams officially passed the second stage of the exam. They had three days of rest before the next round. Though they couldn't leave the tower, they could relax however they liked—and the place was stocked with plenty of food. Naturally, everyone indulged. That evening, Team 8 arrived successfully. Natsuki and Tenten rushed to greet Shino — their good friend. Another day passed, and Team 10 also made it, though they looked quite beaten up. Apparently, just before reaching the tower, they'd run into Team 7 being attacked by the Sound Trio, and stepped in to help — getting battered in the process. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]