"Oh no!"
Seeing Kiba pinned to the ground and pummeled by the red-haired woman before he even had a chance to react, Shino immediately released a massive swarm of black insects. They blanketed the area like a dense, roiling dark cloud. Even those without entomophobia or trypophobia would have broken out in goosebumps and uncontrollable shivers just by looking at them.
It had to be said that regardless of their actual combat efficacy, the visual impact of the Aburame clan's secret insect techniques imposed immense psychological pressure on an opponent. No sane person would enjoy being surrounded by black bugs, let alone having those terrifying things crawl over them, into their clothes, or even under their skin.
"Fire Release: Giant Flame Bullet!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Allen unleashed a B-rank ninjutsu. As someone who utterly loathed insects, he incinerated the swarming cloud instantly, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.
"No! My bugs!"
Seeing the majority of his painstakingly raised Parasitic Insects wiped out in a flash, Shino felt his heart bleed. But there was nothing he could do. These insects were most vulnerable to wide-range offensive ninjutsu, whether it was Lightning, Fire, Wind, or Water Release, such attacks could cause mass casualties in an instant.
In truth, the Aburame clan was never suited for direct head-on confrontations; they excelled in reconnaissance, distraction, harassment, and ambushes while coordinating with teammates.
"I suggest you stay right where you are. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind burning every last bug left in your body," Allen warned meaningfully.
"Kiba!"
Just as Hinata assumed the Gentle Fist stance, Haku instantly activated his Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. He froze the feet of the shy and delicate Heiress of the Main House, rendering her completely immobile. Under Allen's tutelage, the orphan once taken in by Zabuza had learned how to utilize his Ice Release with far greater precision and efficiency.
In less than five seconds from start to finish, Team 8 was completely routed.
Kiba, in particular, was taking a brutal beating. Not only him, but Akamaru as well, received a sound thrashing. Both were pummeled until their faces were so swollen they looked like pig's heads. To make matters worse, Karin thoroughly embodied the spirit of "beating him as hard as possible without killing him"—she actually injected Chakra into Kiba as she struck him to heal him just enough so that, no matter how much pain he was in, he remained wide awake.
A demon! This red-haired woman is an absolute demon!
Infinite terror and dread finally surfaced in Kiba's eyes. The beating lasted for a full ten minutes, only coming to an end when Allen gave a slight nod.
Looking down at the arrogant boy lying on the ground in a state of relieved exhaustion, Allen squatted and spoke with deep meaning: "Remember, the next time you speak to a stranger, you'd better be a little more humble and friendly. Otherwise, your end might be even worse than this."
"Who... who exactly are you people?" Kiba struggled to crawl up, his voice thick with indignation and fury.
"Us? We're just a few insignificant Genin."
With that, Allen led Haku and Karin away, heading toward the Central Building without looking back.
As the silhouettes of the three faded into the distance, Shino finally felt his taut nerves relax. He said with a bitter smile, "What terrifying people. Luckily they had no intention of killing us, or we'd all be dead."
"Not... not just that. Inside that man's body, I saw a gargantuan amount of red Chakra... as vast as the ocean," Hinata whispered.
"AAAAHHH! You bastard! You saw that and didn't warn me?!" Kiba yelled, nearly losing his mind.
"I... I did warn you, but you didn't listen..." Hinata lowered her head, muttering in a voice only she could hear.
"Enough, that's enough. It's over now, and they already had their scrolls, so they didn't take ours. Instead of wasting time on this, we should find a safe place to recover. We need to find an opportunity to take the scroll we need from another team," Shino said, cutting off Kiba's complaints.
"Damn it! Give me a hand! And Akamaru too! Neither of us can stand! That red-haired she-devil really didn't hold back!"
"Hinata, you take Akamaru. I'll support this guy."
Shino quickly issued instructions based on their disadvantaged state. Together, the teammates beat a hasty retreat from the dangerous area. For them, the priority was hiding to preserve their strength rather than taking further risks with a severely diminished combatant.
…
On the other side of the Forest of Death, Allen, who had treated the entire trial like a picnic vacation, finally arrived at the Central Building. Under Konoha's arrangements, he began to rest and patiently wait for the second stage of the exam to conclude.
Observing the wary Chunin and Jonin stationed around the area, he chuckled mockingly. "It seems the old man, the Third Hokage, caught wind of something and tightened security for the exams. A pity he'll never realize that the most dangerous enemies are always within."
"Has that guy Orochimaru arrived yet?"
Karin briefly extended her senses through the tower, her expression turning puzzled.
"Orochimaru's target is Sasuke Uchiha. Until he finishes his 'observation and testing,' he won't arrive at the Central Building easily. Besides, the proctor for the second exam, Anko Mitarashi, was once his disciple. Perhaps he's taking the opportunity to catch up on old times," Allen said with a nonchalant shrug.
"Huh?! That slightly unhinged female proctor was Orochimaru's disciple? No wonder I felt a familiar vibe!" Karin was clearly surprised, but soon nodded in realization.
After all, Orochimaru was a legendary Sannin of Konoha and one of the most formidable commanders from the Great Shinobi Wars. Although the Third Hokage had performed rigorous screenings of his former subordinates and disciples after his defection, it was inevitable that some would remain. Encountering one or two former students was hardly something to be shocked about.
"Well, whatever he does is his business. It's not our concern. Rest while you can. Once the preliminary selections are over, we'll likely have to sleep with one eye open."
With that, Allen lay flat on the floor and closed his eyes to rest. In an environment crawling with Konoha ninjas, staying low was the best way to avoid exposure.
He wasn't the only one; Genin from other villages were doing the same. A few fools, unaware of the situation, were even surreptitiously recording gathered intelligence on paper to bring back to their Jonin teachers. Little did they know that every move was being watched. Their "intelligence" would be copied word-for-word and sent to Konoha's intelligence department. If any sensitive information was deemed a leak risk, those Genin would face ambush and assassination by the Anbu or the Root on their way home.
Such was the reality of the Chunin Exams: a miniature war between great nations where every side used any means necessary to secure their interests.