In the woods outside the tower, sunlight filtered through the clouds in the deep blue sky, casting a warm glow.
A bonfire was burning brightly in a clearing, with a skinned wild deer roasting over the flames.
This deer was unfortunate. It had merely poked its head out from the bushes as it passed by, only to lock eyes with Mamoru, and in the blink of an eye, it had become roast meat on a rack.
Fat sizzled under the heat of the flames, occasionally dripping into the fire and making popping sounds. A rich aroma of meat filled the air, making one's mouth water.
The three members of Team 8 sat around the clearing, watching the roasting deer on the bonfire.
"It smells pretty good. This is my first time eating venison." Mamoru stretched his legs out, propping himself up with his arms behind him as he looked up to feel the sunlight.
"It's my first time too." Hinata chimed in softly, sitting beside him with her knees hugged to her chest.
"Just a bit longer and it'll be—"
Shino stopped mid-sentence, suddenly turning his head toward the bushes on the side and lowering his voice. "Someone's coming."
"It's fine, they're people we know." Mamoru had already sensed the newcomers' identities through his Six Eyes.
A rustling sound came from the bushes.
"I smell a delicious meat aroma! It's this way, definitely!"
Before the voice had even finished, Lee, dressed in his green jumpsuit, burst out from the bushes, sniffing the air and looking around.
Tenten followed closely, poking her head out from the bushes with two tender green leaves still stuck in her hair. She looked around cautiously and chided, "Lee, don't always be so reckless. At least let Neji check if there's any danger before you act."
However, when her eyes landed on Mamoru, they immediately lit up, and she bounded out of the grass cheerfully. "It's Mamoru!"
"It's meat!"
Tenten and Lee started running almost at the same time—one toward Mamoru, and the other toward the roast meat.
Neji was the last to emerge from the bushes. He scanned the surroundings, his gaze pausing briefly on Hinata.
Before Mamoru could even stand up, Tenten plopped down beside him, her eyes shining as she stared at his face.
"Huh?" Mamoru blinked, meeting her expectant gaze. "Tenten?"
"Hehe." Tenten chuckled sheepishly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"What is it?" Seeing this, Mamoru couldn't help but laugh, his eyes softening a bit.
"We haven't met for a few days, so I just..." Tenten hesitated, her voice trailing off.
"It's only been two days, right?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing.
"It feels like a long time." Tenten muttered, lowering her head to hide her burning cheeks.
"Is that so." Mamoru reached out and gently plucked the leaves from her hair, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her strands.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of Hinata out of the corner of his eye. She had lowered her head, looking lonely.
Mamoru immediately felt a headache coming on, and he couldn't help but lament in his heart, 'I really am a sinful man.'
His gaze shifted between the two girls. Just as he was unsure what to do, he had a sudden flash of inspiration and pointed at the golden-brown, crispy venison on the bonfire, shouting, "The meat is ready! Any longer and it'll be overcooked!"
He stood up swiftly, naturally leading Tenten forward while looking back to signal Hinata to follow. "Everyone's hungry, right? Come and try it. This venison was roasted using my Great Fireball, it's delicious."
Arriving at the roasting rack, he first gave a disdainful glance at Lee, who was dancing around the rack, but then he seemed to have a change of heart, and his gaze turned gentle. One should be more understanding of hyperactive children.
The bonfire gradually died down, the embers emitting a warm red glow.
Shino carefully distributed the roast meat to everyone, occasionally having to stop Lee from burning himself while gasping for air from the hot meat.
Everyone sat around the roasting rack and began to feast. The aroma of roast meat permeated the forest, and under the lively atmosphere, Mamoru deliberately created, laughter and chatter were heard incessantly.
Neji sat quietly to one side, enjoying the roast meat elegantly, his gaze occasionally drifting thoughtfully between Mamoru and Hinata.
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, their rustling lending the tower an extra hush.
Mamoru and Tenten sat on the stone steps in front of it.
Mamoru propped his chin in one hand, gaze unfocused, as though the woods and sky had nothing to do with him. Beside him, Tenten spread a scroll across her knees. Brush dipped in ink, wrist flicking, she inked complex seals at lightning speed.
She said, setting the brush down and blowing on the wet ink, a satisfied note in her voice, "Done. The array's finished."
Mamoru murmured, tilting over for a look, "Lemme see. Hmm... Good enough, I guess."
Tenten puffed her cheeks and shot him a glare. "What's that supposed to mean? People who don't work don't get to make snide comments."
Mamoru said, "Qualifications? If I did everything, what would the idiot do all day?"
Tenten snapped, "You're the idiot!"
Footsteps filtered through the trees. Four figures moved from shadow to sunlight, heading for the tower.
Mamoru glanced up—Team Seven's Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Their Chakra had already pinged on his senses, so he wasn't surprised.
His gaze slid past them and locked on the mild, round-spectacled youth at their side— Kabuto.
"Hey, look! It's Mamoru!" Naruto shouted, waving wildly.
"Idiot Naruto! We saw him ages ago, keep it down!" Sakura scolded, though relief colored her tone.
"So he really did make it." Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing in appraisal and silent comparison.
Kabuto's smile stayed gentle, but when he noted Mamoru's pristine clothes—no battle scars, no dirt from the Forest of Death—his brows twitched.
Something had veered off Orochimaru-sama's script?
As they neared, Mamoru greeted Sasuke with lazy amusement, "Yo, why're you three so beat-up? Rolled in a mud pit?"
"Every step was a fight, do you know how rough it was?" Naruto wailed, then puffed his chest. "But I crushed 'em all! Wahahaha!"
"Shut up, Naruto! Most of those foes fell to Sasuke!" Sakura cut in.
"Idiot." Sasuke clipped.
"Hey! Without me, Sasuke'd be flat on his back!" Naruto protested, arms flailing.
"Yeah, yeah." Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples.
Ignoring them, Sasuke stepped to Mamoru. "When did you get here?"
Mamoru replied, "Not long after the exam started… didn't keep track. Under an hour, easy."
Sasuke fell silent, lips tight.
Under an hour and unscathed? We crawled here. The gap's already this big?
His fists clenched.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the sheen hiding the calculation in his eyes.
Naruto and Sakura exchanged blank looks, unable to fathom clearing the second stage that fast.