stonecrandall Page 76
Page 76
After saying that, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and walked quickly to a big tree, bent down and helped up a thin figure.
It was only then that Sakura noticed that there was another person sitting under that giant tree!
In the dim light, her attention had been completely drawn to Naruto and the fallen enemy, and she had almost missed them.
Naruto helped the person up, and upon closer inspection, he realized it was a young girl.
The girl looked to be about their age, with long, waist-length hair that was an unusually vibrant red, with bits of messy, withered leaves and dust peeking through the strands.
The girl wore small black-rimmed glasses on her nose, a headband from the Hidden Grass Village on her forehead, and her clothes were tattered, covered in mud and scratches from the battle. Her exposed fair skin also had some bruises and cuts, making her look extremely disheveled.
Even in such a disheveled state, it's not hard to see that the girl has a pretty and charming face, with delicate features on her pale face.
Who is this girl?
Sakura saw Naruto carefully helping the red-haired girl to sit down, and for some reason, a sense of wariness and bitterness rose in her heart.
She strode forward, stood beside Naruto, and asked sourly, "Naruto, what's up with this red-haired girl?"
Upon hearing this, Naruto honestly shook his head: "I don't know her either."
Then, he scratched his head and explained innocently, "I was just fetching water from the nearby stream when I saw her being chased by a bear. If she had been any slower, that big, clumsy bear would have eaten her! The situation was quite dangerous, so I just rescued her."
"I see……"
Sakura nodded in realization, then understood and couldn't help but smile.
As expected of Naruto.
Naruto continued, "Before I could even ask her how she was, two people suddenly jumped out from behind the bushes, those two guys lying on the ground. They attacked me without saying a word. I guess they were the girl's teammates and mistook me for an enemy."
He gestured towards the two grass ninjas rolling their eyes on the ground, saying, "I had no choice but to take them both down."
"cough!"
At that moment, a weak cough drew everyone's attention.
The red-haired girl, supported by Naruto, slowly woke up.
She blinked her somewhat blurry red eyes blankly at first, then seemed to remember something, and a look of horror appeared on her face. She subconsciously shrank back, looking warily at Naruto and Sakura and Sasuke who were surrounding her.
The red-haired girl raised her head, glanced at Naruto with a complicated expression, and then looked around.
She gently bit her lower lip, as if making a decision, then took out a scroll from her bosom, presented it to Naruto with both hands, and said respectfully, "I...I am Karin, a genin from Kusagakure. Thank you for saving me. This is our scroll...We lost. I'm giving you the scroll; please allow me to leave..."
After speaking, she tremblingly presented the scroll, bowing her head and waiting for the other party's response.
Seeing that Karin was so sensible, Naruto scratched his head and chuckled, "Uh, well..."
He was about to say something to comfort her when Sakura, who was standing next to him, deftly took the scroll from Karin's hand.
Sakura looked down and saw the words "Book of Earth" written on the scroll cover, which was the same type of scroll that their team already had.
She pursed her lips, waved the scroll, and said to Naruto, "It's the Book of Earth, just like ours. There's no use keeping it."
As he spoke, he casually handed the scroll back to Karin.
"you……"
Karin was stunned for a moment, then looked up in disbelief.
In the second exam, if you encounter a lone enemy team, you'll usually kill them and steal their scrolls.
Even if it's the same scroll, eliminating it early can reduce subsequent threats.
But the pink-haired girl in front of her returned the scroll to her?
Before Karin could react, Sakura had already stepped forward and stood beside Naruto.
With a quick reach, Sakura took Naruto's arm, a gesture that startled Karin slightly.
Sakura smiled at Karin, but her smile carried a subtle warning: "Your companions have all fainted. If you want to withdraw from the exam, you can leave now. But an exam is an exam, and we don't want to take advantage of someone's misfortune to get extra scrolls. Keep your scroll safe, and be careful on your way. We're not going to send you out."
These words, though polite, actually implied that the guest was being asked to leave.
Karin stared at her for a moment, then involuntarily looked away guiltily.
Sasuke, standing to the side, had no attention on Karin or Sakura at all.
"The genin of Kusagakure Village..."
"Three people per group..."
"They're fighting over something..."
The forest... an unfamiliar environment... a sudden enemy... and the now clearly defined rules of "scroll capture"...
All the clues quickly connected and combined in Sasuke's mind.
The answer is already obvious.
Could it be... that he's currently in the Chunin Exams testing grounds?!
In the dream world, the Chunin Exams have already begun?!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke have been detected! Emotional value +200!]
Karin gave a wry smile and used the tree for support to stand up.
She knew her situation; staying meant certain elimination or even death, so she decided to leave now to save her life.
However, facing Naruto, she had a thousand words she wanted to say but didn't know whether she should or shouldn't...
Karin was momentarily dazed, but quickly smiled sadly again.
You're just a low-ranking ninja from another village; they only saved you as a favor...
Thinking of this, Karin whispered "Goodbye," gritted her teeth, turned around, and limped away.
Unexpectedly, she had only taken two steps.
"Wait a moment!"
Naruto's voice rang out from behind.
Karin was startled and instinctively stopped in her tracks.
Naruto quickly walked up to her and blocked her way.
Karin looked up and, whether it was her imagination or not, Naruto's expression seemed tense and serious, his deep blue eyes fixed intently on her...
hair?
"Um... is there anything else?" Karin felt a little embarrassed by his gaze and asked softly.
Naruto did not answer immediately.
He stared intently at Karin's long, fiery red hair, his gaze complex.
After a moment, he slowly asked, "Hey, I said... do you know about the Uzumaki clan?"
Karin's petite body jolted violently.
"W-what did you say?" She wondered if she had misheard.
"The Uzumaki clan!" Naruto repeated, his face serious.
“Your hair color is very similar to my mother's. Such red hair is quite rare. And…”
"And your chakra gives me a very warm feeling, like—like seeing family."
Karin was completely stunned.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
His mother?
A feeling of warmth?
Sakura, who was standing nearby, suddenly realized and slapped her forehead: "Oh right! Your hair color is exactly the same as Naruto's mother's!"
"Naruto's... mother?"
Karin looked completely bewildered, her mind reeling.
"I……"
Karin stared blankly at Naruto's expectant eyes, her throat tightening, "I am indeed... a member of the Uzumaki clan..."
When Naruto heard Karin admit it herself, his eyes lit up and he clapped his hands excitedly: "Great! I knew I wasn't mistaken!"
He then scratched his head, asking shyly yet expectantly, "Um... Karin-chan...did I call you the right person? Would you like to come with us first? After this exam, I'll take you to meet my mother. She'll be so happy to see you!"
Karin froze upon hearing this, her pretty face instantly turning crimson: "Eh? This...this..."
Book promotion, commission in hand, wooden tubes shredded!
Chapter 82 Chunin Exam Registration
[This time, the dream-fulfilling recipient is: Uchiha Sasuke]
[Viewers: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, Ino Yamanaka]
[Total Emotion Points Gain: 10200!]
[Current sentiment score balance: 341131 points!]
[Current Dream Fulfillment Level: 4 (395631/400000)]
"There's not much room for maneuver in the Death Forest, and the gains are rather meager."
Hidden in the darkness, Shigure couldn't help but sigh softly.
……
The next morning, Naruto woke up.
Last night's dream still left him somewhat bewildered.
The members of the Uzumaki clan...
Do people of the same kind exist in the real world?
The image that lingers in my mind is that of the red-haired girl from Kusagakure who appeared during the Chunin Exams.
Naruto couldn't help but clench his fists, his heartbeat quickened, and his drowsy state vanished instantly.