In the sky, a dark shadow was falling rapidly against the blinding sunlight. Against the light, only a blurry silhouette could be seen, making it difficult to discern exactly what it was.
"That looks like... a person?" The short, stout Ame ninja squinted, shielding his eyes with his hand as he murmured uncertainly.
Under everyone's gaze, the dark shadow fell toward the center of the clearing between the two parties.
However, the expected heavy impact and flying dust did not occur. There were only two crisp "da-da" sounds as the soles of feet lightly touched the ground.
The figure that appeared was none other than Mamoru. He remained in a standing position, looking around somewhat blankly.
Instantly, the gazes of the two teams originally in a fierce standoff were all drawn to him like magnets. This sudden uninvited guest had a presence too strong to ignore. Moreover, rumors that he held a Heaven scroll had already quietly spread among the candidates.
"This kid... why is he appearing here?" Kankuro stared at Mamoru who had fallen from the sky, his expression shifting as he spoke solemnly. "Could he be coming specifically for us?"
"Don't act rashly yet." Temari maintained her defensive posture, analyzing calmly. "Wait until we figure out his intentions. If he really is looking for trouble, we'll try to negotiate. If not... at worst, we fight."
Gaara frowned slightly, his scrutinizing gaze lingering on Mamoru for a moment before he remained silent.
"Are you guys about to fight?" Mamoru looked left and right at the two sides in the standoff, raised a hand to scratch his head, and said with a flat expression.
"Sorry, my bad. Please, continue."
Having said that, under several gazes of varying meanings, he walked straight toward a nearby large tree as if nothing had happened.
Reaching the tree, he slumped down without any regard for his image, then simply leaned back and lay flat on the ground, letting out a long sigh of relief as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.
Lying on the ground, Mamoru seemed completely unconcerned about the two teams eyeing him. Right now, he just wanted to rest for a while and wait for his Shadow Clone to bring Hinata and Shino to rendezvous with him.
The brief exchange with Orochimaru just now had made him truly realize the weight of the title "Sannin." Although it seemed like he had been suppressing Orochimaru with his offensive, the truth was that Orochimaru hadn't used his real strength at all. The entire battle was more like he was playfully testing the potential of this "vessel."
For him, as long as he ensured Hinata and Shino escaped safely, there was no point in continuing the fight.
Just like his accidental encounter with Itachi and Kisame last time, he didn't choose to fight to the bitter end. Instead, he quit while he was ahead and seized the opportunity to flee immediately. After all, he still cherished his own life.
Thinking of this, the corner of his lips twitched in self-deprecation. Ultimately, it was because there wasn't a sufficiently enticing reward, so there was no need for him to risk his life.
Kankuro carefully observed Mamoru for a moment before concluding cautiously, "He doesn't seem... to be coming for us. It really looks like he's just passing through."
"Passing through, huh..."
Temari looked at the figure lying down nearby with absolutely no sense of tension and curled her lip in annoyance. "This way of passing through is a bit too eccentric and arrogant."
Gaara indifferently withdrew his gaze from Mamoru and turned back toward the three Ame ninjas. A cold killing intent filled the air again, his voice low and dangerous. "In that case... let's deal with these Ame ninja uncles first."
In fact, the scroll held by the three Ane ninjas happened to be the same Heaven scroll as Mamoru's.
Thoughts raced through the burly Ame ninja's mind. If he could explain the situation to this Konoha youth of unknown strength, they might be able to form a temporary alliance to deal with the troublesome Suna brats first. They weren't like the Suna trio, who harbored many misgivings about Mamoru's presence.
However, faced with Gaara's repeated provocations, the burly, tall Ame ninja finally snapped. The veins under the bandages on his forehead throbbed as he roared viciously, "Since you want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish!"
With that, he suddenly pulled out five bamboo umbrellas from his back, his arm muscles bulging. Just as the umbrellas were about to open, a lazy voice cut in at an inappropriate time.
"Sigh... I'd advise you guys to just obediently hand over the scroll and leave as quickly as possible."
Mamoru wasn't speaking out of the goodness of his heart. He simply felt that the upcoming scene might become very bloody. And since he was resting right here, if the surroundings were filled with flying limbs and bloodstains, how could he lie peacefully?
These sudden words caused the Ame ninja uncle, who was preparing to attack, to freeze.
He frowned in confusion and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Gaara turned his head displeasurably, sweeping a cold gaze over this meddling Mamoru, a flash of hostility appearing in the depths of his crimson eyes.
"Exactly what I said."
Mamoru slowly sat up from the ground, casually grabbing a handful of grass and tossing it listlessly into the air.
Watching the blades of grass flutter down, his tone was indifferent. "The scene in a moment is probably going to be very bloody. If I see it, I might end up with psychological trauma. It wouldn't be good if nightmares affected my sleep quality. After all, I'm still a growing boy."
Hearing this, the Ane ninja who was about to perform Ninjutsu felt his heart skip a beat. He mistakenly thought this unfathomable youth had seen through the lethal secret hidden within his bamboo umbrellas and was subtly advising him to show mercy and leave the Suna brats a way out.
He thought to himself in shock, 'This kid really isn't simple. I felt he was hiding his strength during the first exam, but I didn't expect his insight to be so sharp.'
If Mamoru knew the other party's rich, dramatic inner thoughts at this moment, he wouldn't be able to resist making complaints.
Your ability to overthink is way too strong, isn't it? You clearly don't realize death is at your doorstep.
But clearly, someone couldn't wait any longer.
Gaara's words, filled with extreme mockery, were like a poison-tipped blade, cleanly cutting through the last possibility of de-escalation. "Are Ame ninjas only good at flapping their lips?"
Battle was inevitable.
"Since you aren't afraid of death, then come!" The Ame ninja uncle roared, throwing his last shred of doubt to the back of his mind as he flung the five bamboo umbrellas into the air.
"Idiot."
Mamoru watched this scene, which looked like the prelude to a death ritual, and muttered a single word in a voice only he could hear.
The five black bamboo umbrellas instantly bloomed and hovered in mid-air. The umbrella surfaces spun, swaying gently in the forest breeze and casting ominous shadows.
The Ame ninja uncle's hands moved in rapid seals as his Chakra surged. His roar echoed through the entire forest clearing. "Die, you arrogant brat!"
Ninja Art: Senbon Shower!
The Ame ninja uncle formed seals, and the five black bamboo umbrellas took to the air in response. Under his precise Chakra control, they spun rapidly, making a humming sound as they cut through the wind.
As the umbrellas spun, countless senbon poured out like a rainstorm, weaving a dense, airtight silver net in the air. These slender steel needles changed trajectories under the guidance of Chakra, sealing off all escape routes from all directions.
"Up, down, left, and right are all within the attack range." The Ame ninja uncle's lips curled into a confident arc. "Under Chakra control, these senbon will definitely hit the target."