Chapter 288: Did Sunagakure Crush the Entire Ninja World?
As expected, the team that completed the assessment first was from Sunagakure...
The team composed of Pakura, Sasori, and Baki completed the entire route in just two and a half days, faster than Dana had anticipated.
It was evident that Pakura's team wasn't too bedraggled; indeed, this kind of assessment was just daily life for Suna ninja.
The second team to arrive was also from Sunagakure...
The third team was...
The faces of the other Kages were turning sour. Although the Third Kazekage was secretly smug, he had to keep a straight face on the surface, pretending to be impartial and selfless.
A total of 34 teams participated in the first round. According to the rules, half would be eliminated; only the first 17 teams to arrive could pass. Abandoning teammates was forbidden; only if all members arrived did it count. As a result, Suna swept the top four spots. The fifth was a Konoha team, and the sixth was Suna again.
In short, out of the 17 qualifying teams, Suna alone occupied 6 spots, and they were all ranked very high. It was quite ridiculous. Those who didn't know better would think Sunagakure had already crushed the entire ninja world.
The Cloud contestants adopted a strategy of moving in a group. Their speed wasn't fast, but four teams arrived at once on the fourth day, ranking 12th to 15th. Kakashi's team came in 16th, and the Rain team 17th.
With the arrival of the 17th team from the Rain Village, the assessment concluded. Those still in the desert, whether persisting or not, were forced out. The winners had been decided.
Among the eliminated teams, only a small portion failed to reach the destination in time; most were eliminated due to combat.
Dana welcomed the Cloud contestants. He found them somewhat disheveled by the wind and sand, but no one was injured. Thinking about it, with so many Cloud ninja moving together, probably no one was blind enough to try robbing them.
The two teams that fell behind did so because some members suffered from acclimatization issues, ate something wrong, and had severe diarrhea.
Having four teams advance in the first round was quite good. Tetsuo Okine, as the leading senior, had chosen a very suitable strategy.
Patting Tetsuo on the shoulder encouragingly, Dana said to everyone, "Good work, everyone. Go back to the dorms and take a shower. Tonight, we'll have a feast together!"
"Oh! Yeah!"
"Long live Dana-sama!"
After everyone dispersed, Dana and Hiroto exchanged a glance, then tacitly began communicating via Communication Snail.
"I've set up warning seals in every dorm room. No abnormalities found so far. Dana, I feel that if there is a trap, it's likely not targeting the contestants, but you."
Dana replied, "Four Kages arriving at once... of course there's a problem. However, Sunagakure won't agree to problems arising during the Joint Chunin Exams. They'll probably wait until it's over and make their move when we return."
Hiroto thought for a moment. "What if you return early? Presumably, they won't target the young ones; the loss outweighs the gain."
"No plan for that yet. I'm actually quite curious about what they intend to do. Let's take it one step at a time. It's still early; this is only the first event."
The contestants washed off four days of sand and wind, restoring their original appearances. It was said that the drains were clogged by the amount of mud and sand coming off them.
Night fell. Dana and Hiroto led the team to the reserved restaurant—a desert barbecue place said to use hot stones instead of iron plates, quite unique.
Upon entering, everyone paused. They saw the Konoha contestants, who also seemed to be having a gathering. They had been raising their glasses to celebrate, but seeing the Cloud enter, they stopped.
The atmosphere became tense for a moment. The young ones wiped the smiles off their faces and put on serious expressions.
The competitive spirit among young people was everywhere; everyone was putting on airs.
Dana greeted Minato Namikaze calmly, but a thought suddenly struck him.
If the villages were joining forces to act against him, this Minato Namikaze should be a key figure. Last time, he had already tested that Minato had mastered the Flying Thunder God. Konoha had no reason not to use this trump card.
"Flying Thunder God... indeed a difficult jutsu to deal with. Crossing space and all..."
Thinking of this jutsu, Dana suddenly thought of another jutsu he had always wanted—one he believed had immense development potential.
"Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique."
"Why do I feel like Kakuzu has disappeared for the last six months... Is that guy working properly?"
Putting aside the subtle confrontation between the young ones, Dana, Hiroto, and Minato acted normally. The Cloud side started ordering, and Minato continued hosting his table.
The restaurant was interesting. People sat around a fire pit with a stone slab on top. Once heated, meat could be grilled directly on the stone.
Then Dana started his standard operation.
"Boss! Start with 60 portions of premium beef!"
The owner rubbed his hands in excitement, but the Konoha side froze.
Because beef was expensive... they were eating pork.
Young people's rivalry was most obvious and hardest to hide. Obito immediately felt the meat in his bowl wasn't fragrant anymore.
Minato sweated a little. Treating a dozen people to barbecue out of his own pocket was already very generous. Dana's move made things awkward!
He had just hinted for everyone to go easy and not order beef. These 60 portions of beef felt like a slap in the face.
After all, they were the only two groups in the restaurant...
He didn't care personally, but so many juniors from the village were blinking at him expectantly!
Screw it! It's not like I can't afford it! I'll just do a few more missions when I get back!
"Boss! Add... 40 portions of premium beef here too!" Minato gritted his teeth and called out a number.
The young Konoha ninja instantly sat up straighter.
Dana raised an eyebrow and continued, "Also, 20 portions of Sand Goldfish."
Minato paused. What is a Sand Goldfish? He subtly checked the menu, and the price made his blood pressure rise. But he steeled himself and said, "Sand Goldfish here too... 10 portions!"
However, Dana didn't stop.
"And three of these Supreme Desert Roasted Whole Lizards!"
Minato quickly found the so-called Whole Lizard in the most conspicuous spot on the menu... The price listed made his temples throb.
Kakashi grabbed Minato's hand. "Stop it, Minato-sensei. There are others outside... We'll go bankrupt if you order more."
Yotsuki Dana had no intention of competing. He ordered a dozen more dishes without repeating, not looking at the price, only at what interested him.
A contest with no suspense ended before Dana even realized it had begun.
While the Cloud side was eating heartily, the Konoha side finished. Minato stood up to pay, but touching his pouch, his heart went cold. Facing the enthusiastic owner, he pretended nothing was wrong and said, "Boss, I'd like to use the restroom."
Under the owner's suspicious gaze, Minato found a corner and activated the Flying Thunder God, disappearing to who-knows-where to get money.
Dana caught this scene. Seeing Minato disappear, he had a flash of inspiration and activated his "Pulse" Vision, wanting to analyze more intel on the Flying Thunder God. But suddenly, his expression froze.
In the next instant, ignoring everyone's surprise, Yotsuki Dana flew straight out the window, heading toward the outskirts of Sunagakure.
Hiroto stared blankly at Dana's departure. Just as he was hesitating whether to follow and see what happened, the barbecue restaurant owner suddenly blocked his path, trapping him securely.
"This Ninja-sama... the cashier is about to take a break. Could we settle the bill first?"
Saying this, he handed over a small slip. The string of numbers on it made Hiroto's face collapse...