"What a stroke of luck. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki happens to be here too."
"Should we just grab him while we're at it?" Kisame asked, itching for action now that Orochimaru was gone.
Deidara quickly waved him off. "No, not now. We'll alert the others if we make a move."
When it came to reviving the Ten-Tails, obtaining the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails wasn't the tricky part—only a portion of their chakra was needed. The real issue was the Five-Tails and Six-Tails. With both missing, any other moves would just be wasted effort.
"Ah! It's you, you liar! What did you do to Sasuke?" Naruto, having finally defeated Orochimaru's snake summon, charged over furiously.
"Relax, he's fine. Just received a little love from his big brother, that's all," Deidara replied mockingly.
With the show over, the group began to disperse. Only Kakashi lingered behind, his silence betraying his struggle to face his former students.
Deidara, meanwhile, stayed behind, wandering aimlessly around the exam grounds in search of Kurotsuchi and the others.
"Ah, it's so hot!"
"I feel like I'm going to die of dehydration…" Suigetsu complained loudly, trudging along behind the group.
The Hōzuki clan's Hydrification Technique had its perks, but its major drawback was their constant need for water.
This year's exam arena wasn't the Forest of Death from the original story but rather an arid wasteland of yellow soil. The biggest challenge here was securing food and water, making the search for pre-hidden supplies every team's top priority.
Of course, if you had survival skills like a certain Bear Grylls, you wouldn't need those supplies. But expecting girls like Kurotsuchi and Karin to eat bugs was clearly out of the question.
"Shut up, Suigetsu! You're so annoying!" Karin snapped. She'd had enough of his endless whining.
"Hey, Karin, can't you use your sensory abilities to find the supplies?" Suigetsu asked, his head momentarily bursting into a spray of water before reforming.
"Idiot! My sensory abilities detect chakra, not food!" Karin shot back, exasperated.
"Then what do we do?"
"Let me handle it." Kurotsuchi stepped forward confidently. "The exam lasts five days, so there should be plenty of supplies scattered around. Since it's only the first day, it shouldn't be too hard to find some."
"Earth-Style: Earth Clone Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi created two earth clones, which immediately began forming hand signs.
"Earth Style: Underground Move Jutsu!" This advanced earth jutsu allowed its user to move underground while sensing the environment—a perfect technique for locating hidden supplies.
"Found something!" After about ten minutes, Kurotsuchi's head popped out of the ground. She'd located a hidden cave with enough supplies to sustain the three of them for a day.
With a quick hand sign, the ground beneath them sank, depositing the group into the hidden cave. Once inside, Kurotsuchi sealed the entrance, allowing them to finally relax.
"Water! Water!" Suigetsu eagerly grabbed a bottle and began chugging it.
Kurotsuchi and Karin exchanged a glance, both visibly unimpressed by Suigetsu's behavior. For girls their age, loud and careless boys were particularly annoying.
"What now? We can't just stay holed up here forever," Suigetsu said after quenching his thirst.
"We still need to collect map scrolls," Karin pointed out.
"We'll wait until the later days to take them from other teams," Kurotsuchi suggested.
"Good idea, but we won't be the only ones thinking that," Karin added.
Kurotsuchi smirked confidently. "Don't worry. We're stronger than most of the competition."
The trio spent the rest of the day in the cave, eating and conserving their energy.
By the second day, they needed to resupply again. With Kurotsuchi's Earth-Style techniques, it wasn't too difficult. Soon, they found another stash hidden among the rocks of a nearby hill.
As night fell, the three returned to the cave and settled in. But their lack of experience began to show—they hadn't set up a proper watch rotation or enough sensory traps, leaving them vulnerable.
Their negligence didn't go unnoticed.
Two figures silently approached the cave. Judging by their movements and demeanor, they weren't Genin—they moved like seasoned operatives, likely elite Chūnin or spies.
Using Earth-Style to infiltrate the cave, the attackers moved in close without making a sound. They waited until they were within striking distance before launching their assault.
Jingle!
A small alarm trap finally activated, jolting Kurotsuchi, Karin, and Suigetsu awake. But it was already too late.
Slash!
Blood sprayed through the air.
Suigetsu's chest was sliced open, though he quickly liquefied to avoid further damage. Kurotsuchi wasn't as fortunate—her abdomen was gashed deeply, blood pooling beneath her.
"Who are you?! You're not even wearing headbands!" Kurotsuchi demanded, clutching her wound and dropping to one knee.
The attackers didn't reply, pressing their advantage instead.
"I'll cut you both in half!" Suigetsu roared, hefting his massive blade and charging in. His water-body technique allowed him to keep fighting despite his injury, but against two skilled opponents, he was struggling.
"Karin! Heal Kurotsuchi now! I can't hold them off for long!" Suigetsu shouted, his voice strained.
Karin glanced at Kurotsuchi's wound, her expression tightening. With a resigned sigh, she rolled up her sleeve.
"Kurotsuchi, bite me."
"What?!" Kurotsuchi stared at her in disbelief. "Karin, I know some people have... strange preferences, but now isn't the time for that!"
Karin flushed red and hurriedly explained, "That's not what I meant! My body has special healing properties. If you bite me, you'll heal!"
"Seriously?" Kurotsuchi hesitated before cautiously biting down on Karin's arm. Instantly, a surge of restorative energy flowed through her, and she could feel her wound closing rapidly.
Within seconds, she was back on her feet, good as new.
"I'm healed…?"
"If you're done marveling, hurry up and help me!" Suigetsu yelled, barely fending off the two attackers.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!" Kurotsuchi sprang into action, launching a barrage of stone spikes at their assailants.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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