Chapter 41: Tower and Trouble
When Sasuke heard this, her eyes lit up briefly, but she said nothing more, merely continuing to walk ahead, her pace slightly quicker.
Karin was left to observe the trio with a new, curious intensity. Her sensitive nature picked up on the subtle, tangled undercurrents between them.
After walking together for a while longer, Karin announced she needed to split off to find her own team. Naruto didn't try to stop her; that was her group's business.
But before she turned to go, Karin looked back at Naruto one last time, an unreadable mixture of gratitude and something else in her gaze.
Watching her figure vanish into the dense foliage, Team 7 resumed their own trek toward the central tower. With two complete pairs of scrolls now in their possession, their objective was technically complete. All that remained was the journey. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke were particularly worried about being ambushed for their scrolls now. From Sasuke's perspective, she was itching for a fight to vent her frustrations. From Sakura's, she trusted that with Naruto's newly demonstrated power, no one—short of another visit from Orochimaru—could take what was theirs.
Scene Eight: The Tower's Shadow
It was nearly noon by the time the imposing silhouette of the central tower came into view through the trees.
"We're finally here! Yes!" Sakura cheered, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
The three of them picked up their pace.
However, Naruto knew the most dangerous stretch was often the last. Many examinees, confident in their strength, would lie in ambush near the tower, preying on those who had already secured their scrolls, saving themselves the trouble of hunting.
He explained this to his teammates. Both Sakura and Sasuke nodded in understanding. Even Sasuke, despite her cold front, internally agreed and raised her guard.
Just then, the distinct sounds of clashing metal and pained shouts echoed from a clearing not far off the main path.
Naruto's brow furrowed. Sakura tensed immediately. Sasuke's posture shifted, a spark of anticipation lighting her eyes.
"There's a fight over there. Let's just go straight to the tower," Sakura urged, wanting no part of another conflict.
But when she looked at Naruto, she found him wearing a strange, focused expression. "Sasuke, Sakura," he said, his voice decisive. "You two head for the tower. I'm going to check that out. I'll catch up."
"Eh? Naruto, why?" Sakura couldn't hide her confusion and concern. Sasuke also shot him a sharp, questioning look.
Naruto offered a small, cryptic smile. "There's an… acquaintance over there. I need to see." Without waiting for further argument, he kicked off, a blur of motion speeding toward the source of the commotion.
Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance. Wordlessly, they changed direction and followed him. Unconsciously, Naruto had solidified his role as their anchor. Even the defiant Sasuke found herself compelled to move with him.
The scene Naruto raced toward was one of carnage. The Gaara trio had encountered a team of rogue Rain ninja. By the time Naruto was close, the battle was already a slaughter. Gaara's sand, moving with a life of its own, had crushed and engulfed the unfortunate Rain nin in a technique of terrifying, absolute violence—Sand Waterfall Funeral. The splattering blood painted the clearing in grim patterns.
This horrifying spectacle was being witnessed by two other Konoha teams hiding in terror nearby: Team 8 (Hinata, Kiba, Shino) and Team 10 (Shikamaru, Choji, Ino). They had sensed Gaara's overwhelming power and wisely chosen stealth over confrontation. But the sheer, casual brutality on display now froze them in place.
Raised in Konoha's relative peace, none had witnessed such merciless, recreational killing. Hinata and Ino were trembling visibly, paralyzed with fear. Kiba's partner Akamaru had buried himself deep inside his master's jacket, whimpering. Shino's insects were unnervingly still. Choji's usual appetite was gone, replaced by pallid terror. Only Shikamaru maintained a semblance of calm, though cold sweat slicked his brow. One thought united them: If we're discovered, we end up just like them.
Gaara, having disposed of the "distraction," spoke indifferently to his siblings. "Let's go. Their scrolls are pulp. So weak. This exam is boring. No one worth turning me on."
Temari and Kankuro shared a look of profound relief and fear, nodding hastily.
Suddenly, Choji's grip, slick with sweat, failed. The bag of chips he'd been clutching for comfort slipped from his fingers and hit a root with a soft crunch.
Gaara's head snapped toward the sound. His eyes, devoid of warmth, locked onto Team 10's hiding spot.
We're finished, Shikamaru's mind supplied, coolly resigned.
The three members of Team 10, realizing concealment was pointless, gritted their teeth and leaped into the open, forming a defensive line before the terrifying Sand genin.
Gaara's lips curled into a cruel, delighted smile. "Oh? More insects were hiding. How… entertaining." A palpable, suffocating killing intent rolled off him, enveloping the three boys.
Seeing it was their classmates, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, hiding on the opposite side, felt a jolt of protective panic. Despite the exam's competitive nature, these were their friends.
"Oh? And even more?" Gaara's excitement visibly grew. Temari sighed inwardly. More victims for Gaara's sand. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity, especially for the two pretty Konoha kunoichi.
"Which of you…" Gaara mused, raising a hand. Sand grains lifted from the ground, coalescing into a lethal stream. "…is worthy of being killed by me?" The sand shot forward, its target: Ino, who stood frozen, wide-eyed with terror.
"Let's start with you!" Gaara chuckled.
"INO!" Shikamaru and Choji yelled, but they were too slow, too unprepared for the speed of the attack.
At that critical moment, Naruto arrived at the edge of the clearing. He was still too far. He could not reach Ino before the sand did.
His mind, however, was ice-cold and clear. In one fluid motion, he drew a kunai. The unstable, golden aura of the Curse Mark flickered briefly around his arm as he channelled power into the throw. His arm became a blur.
Swish—THUNK!
The kunai, trailing a faint golden light, tore through the air with a sonic crack. It crossed the distance not to intercept the sand, but to go straight for the source.
Gaara's predatory instincts screamed. His eyes widened in surprise. He jerked his arm up. A thick wall of sand erupted from his gourd, forming a shield before his face.
Clang! A sharp, metallic ring echoed as the kunai embedded itself deep in the sand barrier, quivering. The sand stream aimed at Ino lost its cohesion and slumped harmlessly to the ground.
Ino gasped, her legs nearly giving way, her beautiful eyes wide with shock at her narrow escape.
And then, a familiar, steady voice cut through the tense silence.
"Gaara. Is killing people really that much fun?"