Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 220, Rank 1

The next plan was to ambush them. Naruto made preparations with a hint of helplessness. The three of them had arrived near the central tower at top speed, but they hadn't encountered a single other team along the way.

It seems that to collect the missing [Book of Earth], we'll ultimately have to rely on waiting for it to come to us or... launching a sneak attack.

And so, the leader of the [Jin] organization, known in the ninja world as the "Shadow" and feared by all the major nations, was now diligently planning a famous ambush tactic in order to pass a Chunin Exam.

"The grass here is thick and the view is wide open; it seems like a good ambush spot..."

Naruto parted the dense grass on a high point, assessing its suitability as an ambush site. However—

"Bang!"

A sharp metallic clang rang out! A kunai came flying from the front at an extremely tricky angle, but Naruto parried it precisely with his own kunai.

With his already exceptional talent, and further enhanced by his reflexes honed through constant use of the Flying Thunder God Technique... Naruto felt he could easily score 3000 points even with Team 7.

Zuo Yue's eyes sharpened, and the kunai in his hand gleamed coldly, as if he was about to launch a counterattack.

However, the attacker let out a low cry filled with surprise and doubt, but without any murderous intent.

"It's you?!"

The shout made the three members of Team 7 pause. Naruto was also slightly taken aback when he saw the attacker's face clearly—what a coincidence, it was the same Kirigakure ninja who had been let go earlier.

At this moment, the expression on the Mist Ninja's face was complex and unreadable. It turned out that just a short while ago, he had escaped from Naruto and rushed back to the agreed-upon rendezvous point with his teammates, only to find two cold corpses—his teammates had been murdered!

Strangely, the attackers did not seem to be after the scroll, as the Earth Scroll, which represented their squad's qualification, remained intact on their teammates' corpses.

This feels... like it's not an exam at all, but pure torture and amusement.

A chill ran down his spine. Because his squad had been operating near Team 7, his teammates had unfortunately become casualties of Orochimaru's men during the cleanup.

"..."

The relief of surviving was intertwined with a deep regret for his own weakness. All his teammates were dead; there was no way he could possibly pass this brutal Chunin Exams alone…

The next moment, under the slightly wary and suspicious gazes of the three members of Team 7, this Mist Ninja made an unexpected move—he suddenly pulled out his team's copy of the [Book of Earth] scroll and threw it forcefully at Naruto!

He clearly remembered that Class 7 hadn't made any attempt to conceal their possession of the scroll when they received it; they were carrying the [Book of Heaven]. His team, on the other hand, possessed the [Book of Earth], which was precisely what the opposing team lacked—one of the reasons he had chosen to risk a surprise attack.

Seeing the three members of Class 7 catch the scroll in surprise, their faces filled with confusion, he opened his mouth, as if to say something. Perhaps, "I don't want to owe you any favors"? But given their strength, wouldn't it be incredibly easy for them to snatch the scroll away?

In the end, he said nothing, then turned around and sped off towards the central tower in a few leaps—he chose to give up, entering the tower ahead of time without a reel, and voluntarily withdrawing from this assessment that had lost its meaning for him.

Was it because they realized their own inadequacy that they chose to give up the fight?

However, from Class 7's perspective, the whole thing presents a completely different picture.

------

"If there is no heaven, then one must be wise to prepare for opportunities; if there is no earth, then one must pursue the source to seek profit..."

Sakura read the words on the walls inside the tower, and then the three of them slowly unrolled the Book of Heaven and the Book of Earth, following the instructions on the scroll.

As the scroll unfurled, a unique wisp of psychic smoke rose. Under the astonished gazes of Satsuki and Sakura, a figure they knew all too well gradually materialized within the smoke, appearing above the scroll.

"It's been a long time, Naruto, Satsuki, Sakura." Iruka's face was filled with an irrepressible smile of pride. "You guys make me so proud."

With Naruto's calm, "I knew it" expression on his face, and the other two still somewhat stunned, Naruto was the first to greet them with a smile. "Oh! Long time no see, Iruka-sensei!"

"Wait a minute, before we catch up..." Sakura couldn't help but ask, "Why is Iruka-sensei here?"

Iruka, clearly prepared with his explanation, calmly stated, "One of our Chunin's original missions was to welcome the candidates who passed the second exam here. I just never expected you to arrive so quickly!"

His tone was full of undisguised admiration. And this was only the first day! His students had completed the assessment so quickly, and with first place no less? This was probably a first in the history of the Chunin Exams.

"Congratulations everyone on passing the second exam."

Hearing this formal congratulation, Sakura seemed a little dazed. It's over? I just... passed? But... I don't think I did anything?

She looked at Naruto beside her, only to see that he still had that harmless, calm smile on his face. Iruka looked at Naruto like this and felt helpless and emotional.

This child is still the same as always, not at all as mature as someone his age…

Afterwards, Iruka patiently explained the meaning of the writing on the wall to the three of them. The general idea was that the so-called "Heaven" and "Earth" actually described the insights needed to become a Chunin. "Heaven" symbolizes wisdom and strategy, while "Earth" represents physical strength and combat power.

To become a qualified Chunin, one must be a ninja who is both intelligent and brave, and possesses a comprehensive understanding of the world; neither can be lacking.

"To celebrate your success, I'll treat you to ramen! ...Although I really wanted to say that." Finally, Iruka scratched his head a little sheepishly.

"Although your assessment is over, this exam is just beginning for the other candidates. I apologize, my reception duties are not yet finished, and you will need to wait here for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Satsuki and Sakura suddenly realized what was happening. Just started? Right, how long was the total exam again?

Are we... going to have to stay in this tower for five whole days?!

This thought instantly filled them with a sense of helplessness. However, when Satsuki's gaze fell on Naruto beside her, the boredom caused by the long wait quietly transformed into a slightly excited emotion tinged with secret anticipation.