Are You Cheating at Fishing Too?

With a loud boom, a cry of anguish echoed through the air.

Not far away, the Sand Siblings halted in their tracks. Temari whipped her head in the direction of the sound, tense and alert.

"What was that noise?" she asked anxiously.

"We'll know once we check it out," Kankuro replied confidently.

"That's the Nine-Tails," Gaara said coldly. "If you want to die, go ahead. But if we fail the mission, you'll bear the consequences yourself."

Under the moonlight filtering through the forest, Kankuro's face turned awkward.

"B-but... wasn't Master Baki saying that the Nine-Tails brat was just bluffing?"

Gaara didn't answer, instead giving Kankuro a piercing glare before turning and walking away without another word. Left behind, Temari and Kankuro exchanged helpless glances and could only follow him in silence.

---

By the River

Naruto's ghost-like speed left the Grass ninja trio utterly defenseless, their faces and bodies littered with bruises.

Before long, all three Grass ninjas were knocked unconscious by a series of electric shocks. Not wanting to kill unnecessarily during the Chunin Exams, Naruto struck them repeatedly—four or five times in total. In truth, the Grass ninja had surrendered and offered their scroll after the second shock.

But Naruto, wary of tricks, shocked them a couple more times until they were frothing at the mouth before stopping.

As the battle ended, Naruto bent over to collect their kunai, looking somewhat disheveled. But no matter—his Flying Thunder God technique boosted his strength dramatically. Simply put, even if Obito showed up, he'd be taking a hit or two.

Several teams nearby had already gathered, but none dared to make a move.

The fate of the Grass ninja was clear to them; attacking Naruto now would be asking for trouble.

"Looks like Naruto is planning to clear the field," Shikamaru suddenly remarked to the other two members of Team 10, who were hiding nearby.

"Clear the field? What do you mean?" Ino asked, puzzled.

Shikamaru explained, "In the exam rules, if a team member dies or is severely injured and unable to fight, it's considered a failure for the whole team. If Sasuke doesn't wake up by tomorrow, Team 7's exam will have to end."

Hearing this, Ino understood.

Even though the exam lasted five days, Konoha ninja were taught to value their teammates from day one. Sakura and Naruto wouldn't drag Sasuke's unconscious body all the way to day five. If Sasuke didn't wake by morning, they'd likely withdraw to get him medical attention.

"So, Naruto and Sakura only have one night left?" Ino asked.

"Right," Shikamaru nodded. "Naruto's gambling everything on this. That's why he lit a campfire and started grilling fish—to lure nearby teams."

"Wouldn't that make their situation more dangerous?" Choji asked, squinting.

"For others, maybe. But for Naruto..." Shikamaru frowned slightly, trailing off.

---

The night passed in tense silence. No one dared attack Team 7.

The Next Morning

Yawning, Naruto returned from washing up by the river to find Sasuke awake, staring up from the ground. On the other side of the fire, Sakura stirred from her light sleep.

"You're awake?" Naruto picked up his fishing rod. "Wait here. I'll catch something for you to eat. I ate your fish as a midnight snack."

Sasuke's face remained stoic, as if he'd adopted a "life and death are trivial" attitude. Sakura, startled awake by their conversation, lit up when she saw Sasuke awake.

"Sasuke-kun, you're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked anxiously.

Sasuke didn't answer her, his eyes instead fixed on Naruto by the river, preparing to fish. When Naruto cast his line and instantly reeled in a fish, Sasuke's expression twitched. He coughed lightly and asked, "How long was I out?"

"Just one night," Sakura replied.

Nearby, Naruto was already returning with several fish, expertly cleaned and prepared. His handling of the fish showed practiced skill—scales, guts, and gills removed with ease, kunai in hand.

Sakura got up to help move the firewood closer.

"Honestly, ninjutsu is so handy," Naruto muttered while facing away from Sasuke. "Lighting a fire takes one second. It's the ultimate camping hack."

Sasuke, after a brief rest, managed to sit up. Watching Naruto and Sakura busy themselves, he suddenly asked, "Did you use ninjutsu to fish?"

"Nope." Naruto glanced back at him. "Why do you ask?"

Sasuke didn't reply, instead mimicking Naruto's quick rod movement from earlier.

"It's just practice," Naruto said nonchalantly. "There are geniuses in this world, and I might just be naturally gifted at fishing."

Sasuke decided not to pursue the matter.

---

After roasting and seasoning the fish with salt, the three ate in silence. Naruto then pulled out a scroll and said, "Alright, let's head to the tower."

Without wasting time, they extinguished the fire, buried the scraps, and set off.

The central tower was still a distance away. Sakura suggested taking a detour, but Naruto refused.

"We spent the whole night with a campfire and no one dared attack. If we take a detour now, we'll only invite trouble," he argued. "The safest route is straight through."

"Because right now, everyone considers us the most dangerous team."

Jumping through the trees, they reached the tower without incident, just as Naruto predicted.

When they arrived, Team 8 was already waiting for them.

"Finally! Took you guys long enough!" Kiba exclaimed loudly, oozing arrogance. "We've been waiting forever!"

"Shut it, Kiba. I'll smack you later," Naruto replied, punching him lightly. The two were on good terms despite the banter.

Team 8, known as the reconnaissance squad of the new generation, had avoided most fights by relying on their exceptional tracking abilities. It was like someone sneaking into the final zone of a battle royale game without firing a single shot.

Byakugan, tracking insects, and Kiba's sharp sense of smell made avoiding enemies a breeze.

"N-Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Hinata stammered.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto smiled.

Hinata pointed to his dirty clothes. Naruto glanced down at himself, momentarily embarrassed. Scratching his head, he replied, "Survival in the wild is rough. I just wanted to blend into the atmosphere."

"Yeah, right," Kiba snorted. "You guys have probably been starving since yesterday."

"Excuse me, we're sick of eating roasted fish," Naruto shot back with a smirk. "Fresh, hot, cooked food."

"You're just jealous because you've probably been eating Akamaru's dog food!"

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