31What are you mumbling about?AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 31: What Are You Blabbering About?
Physical exhaustion and mental tension had slowed Sakura's reactions by half a beat.
In the next second, her ankles were snagged by several Shuriken attached to steel wires.
Swoosh!
The steel wires were suddenly pulled taut.
Losing her balance, Sakura fell from the tree trunk.
Her back slammed heavily against the ground, and a wave of numbness washed over her entire body.
"Talk about luck—our scroll was just stolen, and now someone delivers themselves right to us."
"Oh? Just a little girl?"
From the shadows, three Ninja wearing Hidden Rain Village Headbands stepped out.
One of them ran straight toward the unconscious Sasuke.
The other two approached her.
Sakura tried to pull a Kunai from her Tool Pouch, but in the next second, an Amegakure Ninja pinned her arms behind her back, pressing her firmly into the ground.
"Where is your scroll? Hand it over!"
The leader of the three was a large man with a scarred face.
At this moment, a cruel grin was plastered on his face, like a predator catching its prey.
"We don't have a scroll!"
"Liar!"
With that, the scarred man threw a punch, slamming it into the dirt beside Sakura. The impact made her ears ring.
Up on the tree trunk.
A skinny, monkey-like Ninja was patting down Sasuke, searching him thoroughly, but found nothing.
"Boss, nothing here!"
He stood up and shook his head. "Looks like we're too late."
"Who said that? Even if that guy doesn't have it, we haven't searched this little girl yet, have we?"
Saying this, the scarred man reached out toward Sakura.
Sakura's pupils contracted sharply. A powerful sense of humiliation and resentment instantly overcame her physical exhaustion.
"Don't... touch me!!"
At that moment, she exploded with unprecedented strength.
The Amegakure Ninja pinning her down didn't have time to react before being thrown off by a surge of monstrous strength.
"What?"
Ignoring the numbness and pain in her body, the newly freed Sakura delivered a fierce kick toward the scarred man in front of her.
Bang!
Although the kick lacked the enhancement of Chakra, it still carried immense explosive power.
The scarred man couldn't dodge in time. He let out a muffled groan and staggered back from the kick.
Sakura didn't stay to fight.
This was her only chance to escape.
She scrambled to her feet, preparing to grab Sasuke and leave.
But on the tree trunk, the skinny Amegakure Ninjahad already begun forming hand seals.
Water Release: Water Crossbow Bullet!
High-speed compressed water bullets shot down like a volley of arrows.
Sakura had only taken two steps when a water bullet struck her shoulder. She was sent tumbling and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Cough—!"
Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Before she could crawl up, a rough, large hand grabbed her back collar, hoisted her up, and slammed her back into the ground.
Bang!
Every bone in her body felt like it was falling apart.
The scarred man stepped over, his shadow looming over her face.
"You brat... you still dare to resist?"
He raised his foot and stomped down hard.
The intense pain from her abdomen caused Sakura's consciousness to flicker.
She curled into a ball, unable to make a sound as her stomach cramped violently.
"If you had just handed over the scroll, I might have considered letting you go."
"But now... humph, after I've had my fun, I'll throw you to the wild boars!"
Sakura's vision grew increasingly blurry.
The scarred man's laughter, the footsteps of the Amegakure Ninja, the rustling of the leaves... it all blurred together like a tightening net, trapping her completely.
Am I really going to die here?
Dad, Mom... Sasuke... I'm sorry.
Just as she closed her eyes.
A familiar voice, tinged with a hint of playfulness, suddenly pierced through the thick fear and reached her ears clearly.
"Oh? Having a party?"
Sakura snapped her eyes open.
She saw the familiar Blond-haired Youth, who had appeared behind the scarred man at some unknown point.
Even the three Amegakure Ninja hadn't reacted.
Naruto?!
"You little brat..."
The scarred man spun around, staring in shock at the Blond-haired Youth who had suddenly appeared behind him.
His first instinct was to form hand seals, but just as his fleshy hands were about to come together—
In the next instant, Naruto's foot slammed hard into his mouth, smashing his entire head into the ground.
"Ouch, watch your mouth. What do you mean 'little brat'? And where did an old geezer like you come from?"
"You can't even drop any evil points. Useless piece of junk."
The remaining two Amegakure Ninja were completely stunned by this sudden turn of events.
They hadn't even seen when this Blond-haired Youth had raised his leg.
All they saw was their leader being one-shotted, without even a chance to resist.
Naruto walked over to Sakura, pulled her up, and handed her a Food Pill.
"Alright, stop playing around. Take your Sasukeand come with me."
"You..."
"Hmm?"
Sakura swallowed the Food Pill. A warm flow of Chakra surged into her nearly depleted body, allowing her to recover some strength.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled as she looked at the Blond-haired Youth and questioned him:
"You bastard, where on earth have you been!"
"Do you have any idea what we've been through? First, we were attacked by a terrifying guy named Orochimaru, and then by three Otogakure Ninja!"
"If Rock Lee and the others hadn't arrived in time to help, Sasuke and I would have been dead already! Do you know that!!"
She roared at the top of her lungs, as if pouring out all her fear and pain.
"But you?! You were hiding who-knows-where! When we were in the most danger, you disappeared like a coward!"
"And now you suddenly jump out and say'stop playing around'? Do you think you're being funny?!"
"Team 7—why do we have a teammate like you?!"
"You've been showing off since the first exam. If it weren't for you, if it were anyone else, we wouldn't have suffered like this!!"
The wind of the Forest of Death blew, carrying her cries and fury deep into the shadows of the trees.
Naruto stood there quietly.
For a moment, he didn't quite know how to respond.
So, he could only helplessly raise his hand.
And gave the pink-haired girl in front of him a slap.
"What are you blabbering about? I just saved you. Did I save the wrong person?"
Naruto turned his head to look at the two Amegakure Ninja who were still dazed.
"Since that's the case, have it your way."
The two Amegakure Ninja looked at each other.
"What... what do you mean?"
Naruto tilted his chin, gesturing toward the scarred man lying on the ground with his head crushed, and then pointed at Sakura.
"Continue the scene from before. Do whatever you were going to do—just leave her alive. I'll knock her out and take her away in a bit."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
The moment Naruto's back was turned, the skinny Ninja saw an opening. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and his hands quickly formed seals.
"Brat, don't be so arrogant!!"
Water Release: Water Crossbow Bullet!
The same Ninjutsu. Just as the water bullet was about to hit Naruto's back, Naruto didn't even turn his head as he threw a Shuriken with his right hand.
The Shuriken spun through the air and with pinpoint accuracy, sliced the skinny Amegakure Ninja's throat.
In the next instant, his figure vanished, dodging the water bullet and appearing in front of the last Amegakure Ninja.
"Sigh, I gave you guys a chance, but you're just useless."
The last Amegakure Ninja let out a scream of absolute terror. He completely broke down, muttering repeatedly, "I was wrong, please let me go!"
Naruto didn't even look up.
"You don't know you were wrong; you just know you're about to die."