"Oh, so you guys passed the assessment too," Naruto broke the silence first, greeting the Sunagakure team in a natural tone, "To arrive successfully on the first day, that's really impressive."
Satsuki and Sakura were already used to Naruto's personality, how he maintained politeness and kindness to everyone, and simply turned their gaze to the three at the door.
It's that guy… Kankuro recognized the smiling face he had seen not long ago at a glance. Besides his surprise, a strong sense of vigilance instantly filled his heart.
This guy who could easily take his life… he seemed to be around the same age as Gaara. Although his heart was full of apprehension, Kankuro stubbornly believed deep down that Naruto could never be stronger than his monstrous younger brother.
Gaara's lifeless eyes fixated on Naruto, especially that smiling face which he found too dazzling, and the feeling of inexplicable irritation and Throbbing emanating from the other party, all made him extremely uncomfortable.
However, he ultimately said nothing, merely sweeping his cold gaze over the three members of Team 7, then walked directly to a corner of the lounge, sitting down by himself far from them and closing his eyes.
Kankuro was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words, and finally responded in a tone that was completely different from his previous arrogant attitude, showing clear restraint. "No, compared to you guys… I'm still a bit lacking."
After speaking, the two also found seats near Gaara, but not right next to him, clearly maintaining a certain distance from Gaara.
This guy… his attitude is much more polite.
Naruto was a little surprised by Kankuro's almost "humble" response. One must know that Kankuro, who had long lived under the threat of death from his younger brother, always held contempt and dislike for younger children.
It seems that the strength he showed earlier indeed had an effect, forcing this guy to treat him cautiously.
Kankuro thought that Naruto was just an exception, and other Konoha Genin shouldn't be this strong.
However, what the three Sunagakure Ninja didn't expect was that Naruto actually initiated a conversation with them again. He pulled out several clean bento boxes from who knows where, his face still adorned with an unclouded smile, and said.
"By the way, this assessment requires candidates to bring their own dry rations. Since we've all passed now, if you don't mind, please have some. These are homemade."
The expressions on Kankuro and Temari's faces instantly froze, once again taken aback by Naruto's unexpected action.
In fact, as soon as they stepped into the lounge, they were already attracted by the tempting aroma of food wafting through the air, even unconsciously swallowing their saliva.
Sharing food with rivals? Is this guy… a bit too kind? Temari's heart was filled with confusion. Even though she and Kankuro had developed some recognition, apprehension, and even admiration for Naruto's strength due to their previous encounter.
But they were not truly here to participate in the Chunin Exams, and accepting the other party's kindness at this moment was clearly inappropriate.
"No, thank you for your kindness."
Kankuro and Temari exchanged a look, and Temari ultimately stepped forward, refusing as tactfully as possible, "We brought our own food."
As for Gaara, he merely frowned more deeply, casting a cold glance at Naruto with his gloomy eyes, maintaining a suffocating silence.
Faced with the Sunagakure team's refusal, Naruto did not insist, merely smiling and nodding in understanding, then returned to his seat. Satsuki and Sakura, seeing this, couldn't help but cast slightly displeased glances at Gaara.
What kind of attitude is this guy displaying? Naruto kindly shared food, and he can't even say thank you? He's so rude, Sakura grumbled inwardly.
However, Gaara's inner world was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface. Naruto's previous act of giving Kankuro an out during their conflict, and this current act of selfless sharing, made him incredibly annoyed and confused.
Shouldn't human relationships… be filled with hatred, vigilance, and mutual killing? Why was he doing these meaningless things?
This behavior, completely contrary to his understanding, was like countless fine needles, constantly probing his long-sealed mental defenses.
Naruto naturally understood that given Gaara's current state, any attempt to get closer might be counterproductive.
It seems that anything said now would be futile. Perhaps only by pushing him to a dead end through strength, making him recognize some facts, would there be a chance to persuade him.
Just thinking about the potential confrontation and lecturing ahead gave Naruto a headache. Sigh, he was clearly worst at things that required talking to persuade others… After that, the atmosphere in the lounge fell silent once more. Temari's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the Konoha team in the distance—the three members of Team 7 were conversing in low voices, occasionally punctuated by light laughter, their atmosphere appearing natural and harmonious.
She then secretly glanced at her younger brother, Gaara, who was still meditating with his eyes closed beside her, exuding an aura that warned people to stay away; a trace of envy uncontrollably welled up in her heart.
As time passed, scattered teams of candidates also began to arrive at the tower. However, the first few teams to arrive either held only one scroll or were completely empty-handed, clearly knowing that passing was hopeless and having given up the assessment early.
It seemed that the third team to successfully collect both Heaven and Earth scrolls and pass the second exam had yet to appear.
It wasn't until evening that the lounge door was pushed open again. Three Konoha Ninja walked in—a stern-faced young man with pure white pupils, an emotional spiky-haired boy in a green jumpsuit, and a young girl with twin buns and a rather helpless expression.
Team 3, consisting of Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten, had finally successfully collected the scrolls and completed the second assessment.
As soon as Neji and Lee entered, their gazes immediately locked onto Team 7, who were resting, and both their eyes lit up almost simultaneously.
Neji's eyes showed the urgency of finding a clue, while Lee's face displayed excitement at seeing Sakura, and he was about to approach her again.
However, Tenten, who was prepared, reacted extremely quickly. She was first surprised that Team 7 had passed the assessment so quickly, then immediately stretched out both hands, firmly blocking her two troublesome teammates.
Naruto was currently unsure how to deal with Neji's overly persistent inquiry, and Sakura, seeing Lee's fervent gaze, immediately felt her scalp tingle, and deeply troubled, she instantly got up, and the three quickly left the lounge, avoiding potential entanglement.
As night deepened, the question that finally faced all candidates who had arrived at the tower was—where would they spend the night?
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