The midday sun was scorching. Sand grains cracked with faint popping sounds under the intense heat, as if the earth was being forged by an invisible giant hammer. The air distorted into flowing ripples, and distant sand dunes collapsed and deformed like melting wax figures.
But the group on the desert had no mind to wipe their sweat. Looking at the corpses of black-clad Ninja before them, they even felt a chill in their hearts.
"Dead. All dead."
"How many waves of assassins is this we've seen?"
This group was the rescue team Sunagakure had organized overnight. They had searched the desert with tense hearts, worried about finding a horrific scene of examinee corpses strewn everywhere. Instead, they found batch after batch of black-clad Ninjas' corpses.
"I know this man. He was a former member of our Iwagakure's Explosion Corps. He defected three years ago due to dissatisfaction with the Tsuchikage's policies," the Iwagakure's team leader said with a grave expression.
"This person is a Jonin from the Hozuki Clan. I've seen his portrait on a bounty poster issued by Kirigakure," Minato said, pulling off a black-clad Ninja's mask.
"What exactly is Sunagakure playing at? Why did so many assassins break into the Chunin Exams, only to die here mysteriously, each in different ways? Don't tell me they were all taken down by the examinees?" The Iwagakure's team leader demanded fiercely.
Rasa's expression was solemn, 'Given Sasori's methods, it was entirely possible for him to counter-kill these assassins. But judging by the wounds on the deceased, only the assassins at the last location were killed by puppets.'
'So that means there is at least one more 'Genin' at the Elite Jonin-level in this exam,' Rasa's mouth twitched slightly. He thought he was being excessive, but it seems Konoha and Iwagakure are just as bad.
'It's just a Chunin Exam. Is it really necessary to go this far?'
"Forget about these dead people. The exam is still ongoing. There might still be assassins lurking in the Demon Desert. We must find the participating children as quickly as possible," Rasa said.
…
At the edge of the desert, Setsuna's group could see the Sunagakure's outpost in the distance.
"Haha, we're finally out!"
"We've reached the exit. Surely we can't encounter any more danger here, right?"
Everyone cheered, not wanting to stay in this desert a moment longer.
Just then, a Sunagakure's Ninja came out to greet them. "Truly astonishing. You actually crossed the desert in just one day."
"It's all thanks to Setsuna-sama's help. Otherwise, we would have died inside long ago," An Iwagakure's Ninja said with lingering fear.
The welcoming Sunagakure's Ninja was quite surprised. "Aren't you from Iwa-"
"I've seen the light now. Struggles, exams... they are all false. Only peace is real. We should pursue peace," The Iwagakure's Ninja lifted his head, as if radiating a holy light.
The Sunagakure's Ninja was speechless, 'Is this something a Ninja should say?'
'Without conflict, how would we Ninja make money?'
"Yes, only after experiencing life and death can one understand the value of life."
"I have attained enlightenment."
Genin from other teams also expressed their sentiments one after another. The world of Ninja really wasn't suitable for ordinary Genin like them.
"Regardless, please sign in first," The Sunagakure's Ninja took out a sign-in sheet and approached Setsuna.
Just as Setsuna picked up the pen to sign, the Sunagakure's Ninja before him suddenly pulled out a specially made small kunai from under the sign-in sheet and stabbed at him.
But Setsuna's reaction was faster than he anticipated. Holding the pen in his right hand, his left hand still easily caught the attacker's wrist. Setsuna asked with a mocking smile, "Your acting kinds of such, you know?"
The Ninja opposite was somewhat shocked, but his reaction was extremely quick. The wrist caught by Setsuna suddenly turned into numerous black threads that entwined around him.
These signature black threads naturally allowed Setsuna to recognize the other's identity. "Kakuzu? You are cautious enough, but also not cautious enough."
Kakuzu was quite surprised, "You know me?"
"I heard you challenged the First Hokage. You should have done the same as you did when challenging him… just throw a shuriken at me from afar and consider the task completed. Why risk your life?" Setsuna shook his head and sighed.
"Nonsense!" Kakuzu corrected angrily. "I was clearly defeated by his Wood Release's secret techniques! When did I ever throw a shuriken?"
"Is that so? That's what I heard from others. Can't blame them, that version sounds much more reasonable."
"Die!" Kakuzu roared. Four masked monsters woven from black threads burst out from under the sand and swallowed Setsuna.
"Ah! What's happening now?"
"Is the nightmare not over yet?"
It was only then that the Ninja teams under Setsuna's protection realized what was happening.
"Bastard! Let go of Setsuna-san!" Guy instantly opened three Gates and charged at the enemy.
"Such Chakra... truly remarkable for a Genin," Kakuzu's eyes flashed with surprise.
Shizune raised her fist, leaped high, and slammed down. The monstrous strength concentrated with Chakra even forced the masked monsters back.
"The monstrous strength passed down from the First Hokage? How nostalgic," Kakuzu sighed softly.
"Let's attack too! If Setsuna-sama is killed by him, we will definitely die too!" Gantetsu overcame his inner fear and formed hand seals for an Earth Release Ninjutsu.
"It's time for us to repay our debt!" Another Sunagakure's Ninja roared.
Seeing this scene, Kakuzu fell silent.
Such a harmonious scene was far too incongruous among Ninja. The way Ninja should interact was through killing and betrayal.
"Pity. But it's just a useless struggle."
Kakuzu's sutures hissed and slithered through the sandstorm like countless hungry black centipedes, easily knocking everyone back.
After dealing with the youngsters' uprising, Kakuzu finally looked at his prize.
"Your heart... I'll take it," Kakuzu's eyes burned with intensity. His voice seeped from the mass of Earth Grudge Fear's tendrils. The Wind Release mask began to glow with blue light, but the figure before him suddenly blurred-
The sutures were torn apart. A figure closed in. The pure physical explosive force made the air sound like a cannon firing.
Kakuzu's retina didn't even have time to form an image before his jaw took an uppercut.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu's skin hardened, but the next moment, intense pain shot through him.
Kakuzu clearly heard the sound of his jawbone shattering. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
His Earth Release was strong enough to resist steel, even ignoring the damage from explosive tags. Yet it couldn't withstand the other's ordinary punch.
"Cough-!" Kakuzu coughed up black blood. Earth Grudge Fear's tendrils surged out madly, trying to entangle Setsuna's arm. But Setsuna completely ignored the entangling tendrils, forcibly lifting Kakuzu's body and swinging it like a whip to smash against the ground.
"You are too arrogant," Kakuzu used Earth Grudge Fear to repair his jaw, shouting out a few broken syllables with difficulty. The tendrils stabbed into Setsuna's body like steel needles, trying to suck blood from him.
"Want to suck my blood? Then let you have your fill," Setsuna smiled slightly and tapped over a dozen points on his own body with his left hand.
The next moment, Kakuzu vomited a large mouthful of black blood, and one of his masks shattered along with it.
"What is this situation?" Kakuzu was dumbfounded.
"These are the hidden injuries accumulated in my body during my recent training. Thank you for sharing the burden," Setsuna said with a laugh.
"It can be like this?" Kakuzu almost suffered internal injuries from anger. He had actually absorbed the other party's injuries.