Why did Kabuto choose to fake his death and escape at this time? Ino didn't know.
At this moment, Kabuto was completely defenseless, lying as still as a corpse.
She could easily slit his throat with a kunai, but she felt it was unnecessary and didn't want to bear the consequences of such an action. This path was frequently patrolled by ninjas, and if they saw Ino killing a fellow villager, what would they think? If she told them that the guy on the ground was the Dream Master, who would later bring disaster to the Shinobi World, no one would believe her.
Kabuto's choice of timing and location was quite clever.
Ino sighed inwardly. Comrade President, since you want to put on a show, let's keep playing along! Following the village's protocol, she loudly called for help, summoning the patrolling ninjas.
She recounted in detail what Kabuto had said before his "death," and handed over the "corpse" to the village for processing. Ino didn't fail to honor Kabuto's request, specifically mentioning that he wished to be buried by the sea.
Kabuto was just a Genin in the Hidden Leaf Village, but he was still a ninja of the village.
The medical team quickly issued an autopsy report, concluding that Kabuto's body was in terrible condition, riddled with illnesses. It seemed he had suffered many injuries during missions, and today, after being heavily punched by Dosu, all his ailments flared up, ultimately leading to his death.
Several Genin who had interacted with him during the day's exam rushed to the Konoha Hospital. Seeing the "Pot Brother," who had been talking to them just hours ago, now lying lifeless, Naruto cried uncontrollably. He didn't blame Dosu, but his gaze toward him was far from friendly.
Dosu, who looked 54 despite being only 14, was utterly confused. Was he really that strong? Did he really kill a grown man with just one punch? Sakura and Hinata, kind-hearted as they were, were also shocked. It was just too sudden—this big brother had died too quickly. Kabuto's two teammates wanted to continue participating in the Chunin Exams, and the Third Hokage granted special permission for them to find a temporary replacement for Kabuto.
The Hanfang Director, knowing that Kabuto and Ino were close, comforted her for a few minutes, saying things like "life and death are unpredictable" and "the world is full of uncertainties."
At 8 PM, Ino sparred with Hinata. At 9 PM, she encountered Kabuto. By 10 PM, she was being questioned, and by midnight, "Pot Brother" was buried.
Her understanding of advanced Medical Ninja Techniques was too limited to know when "Pot Brother" would rise from his coffin. She didn't have time to wait around either—so, old man, do as you please.
Early the next morning, Ino arrived punctually at Training Ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death.
A total of 78 Genin had passed the first exam, forming 26 teams. Each team would randomly receive a scroll—either a "Heaven" scroll or an "Earth" scroll. Collecting both scrolls and reaching the central tower within five days would mean passing the exam.
As per the usual rules, they signed consent forms, and then each team went behind the curtain to receive their team's scroll.
Ino secretly observed the participants, remembering that Orochimaru was among them at this time.
She didn't dare to use her sensing abilities, instead scrutinizing the competitors with a critical eye. However, she didn't notice anything unusual.
Though 78 Genin didn't sound like a lot, their scattered positions made for quite a crowd.
In addition, Konohamaru's trio was writing a school newspaper for the Ninja Academy, and the three kids engaged in a chaotic conversation with Naruto, making the scene even more disorderly.
Shikamaru, finding it troublesome, hastily signed the consent form with the other two. Afterward, they stepped behind the curtain and received their team's scroll—the Scroll of Earth.
The scroll for their team was entrusted to Choji, who had thick skin and was tough. Following a Chunin in charge of the exam, they arrived at Entrance 27.
Thirty minutes later, 26 teams entered the exam grounds simultaneously from different entrances. The Ino-Shika-Cho Formation team dashed through the Forest of Death at an impressive speed.
"The exam content seems simple, how boring. Let's quickly find the Scroll of Heaven and then rest at the central tower," Shikamaru said.
Having experienced much, Shikamaru now had great confidence in their team, not believing that ordinary Genin could stand against their lineup.
At this moment, he just wanted to finish the exam quickly and find a place to sleep.
Ino had similar thoughts. She remembered that after the second exam, they would directly enter the preliminary matches, leaving little time for rest.
They moved swiftly through the forest, heading toward the central tower.
Along the way, using Ino's sensing ability, they located two teams. Unfortunately, after defeating them, they only found identical Scrolls of Earth, while the Scroll of Heaven they needed remained elusive.
The third team, the fourth team, the fifth team—with Ino's powerful ninja techniques, it was a complete sweep. The third and fifth teams were Genin from the Hidden Leaf Village. Relying on their seniority, they looked down on Ino and the others as "kids," only to end up fleeing in disarray.
"Ugh, this is so unlucky! It's still the Scroll of Earth!" Ino's face darkened. Five teams! They had consecutively obtained five Scrolls of Earth. Their luck was truly terrible!
It was like opening loot in a game. The three of them took turns, but the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation's fortunes were tightly linked. If one had bad luck, the others couldn't turn it around.
At first, Shikamaru tried calculating the odds, but now he had given up. This wasn't a math problem. The three of them stood there sulking, while nearby lay three Genin from the Hidden Leaf Village, knocked out in a sprawled position. Their strength was so weak it wasn't even worth mentioning.
Ino weakly sensed around. "There seems to be a Chakra reaction to the northwest. Should we check it out?"
Shikamaru gritted his teeth and stashed the Scroll of Earth they had taken from the fifth team. Why return something they had worked so hard to obtain? Eliminating one team was one less to worry about.
Including the one they already had, they now had six Scrolls of Earth.
"Let's go check it out."
"P-please don't come closer... I'm, I'm really strong! I'm truly strong!" Karin from the Grass Village trembled, her limbs weak. After being separated from her companions, she had the misfortune of encountering a massive bear. One was like a small mountain, the other like an ant—the size difference was immense. She could only grip her kunai tightly, hoping the weapon would give her enough courage.
The bear let out an earth-shaking roar, and Karin's newfound courage vanished instantly. Weak and powerless, all she could think of was running, running far away!
Karin was in a panic, running blindly when she tripped over a tree root and fell heavily to the ground, her glasses flying off.
The giant bear raised its right paw, and it seemed she was about to meet her end under its claws. Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from the side.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A silver line of water shot across dozens of meters, swiftly slicing through the bear's neck.