In the Land of Water's plaza, in front of the large screen, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive.
Deva Path's black trench coat billowed around him without wind, his Rinnegan fixed intently on the screen, his eyes seething with cold fury.
Konan stood beside him, her origami fluttering rapidly in her fingertips, clearly angered by the scene on the screen as well.
On the screen, over thirty Kumogakure Genin were forming a siege, attacking more than twenty Akatsuki examinees.
The Kumo ninjas wore deep blue ninja uniforms, their bodies wreathed in pale purple Lightning Chakra, their Kunai and blades glinting with cold light as they continuously launched attacks at the Akatsuki examinees.
Though the Akatsuki examinees resisted fiercely, they were gradually falling behind due to the disparity in numbers, and several had already been struck by Lightning Release, lying on the ground, barely clinging to life.
Pain's voice carried a cold, oppressive tone, and the Chakra around him began to stir. "These guys think Akatsuki is easy to bully. For the three great ninja villages to gang up and kill our examinees, they really think highly of us."
Konan softly asked, "Pain, should we concede? If this continues, all of our examinees will be wiped out."
Pain was silent for a moment, his Rinnegan sweeping across the corner of the screen.
"No need. The Chunin Exams are not yet over, and we cannot act rashly lest we give them cause for complaint. Moreover... someone has already made a move."
Indeed, the screen switched, showing Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura standing not far away, watching the scene of Kumo ninjas attacking Akatsuki examinees.
Sakura's brows were tightly furrowed, her tone anxious. "Sasuke, Naruto, there are too many Kumo ninjas. The Akatsuki examinees can't hold on much longer."
Sasuke's eyes were cold as he stared at the Kumo ninjas, then he quickly rushed forward. "Hey! You guys, ganging up on people like this, what kind of skill is that? If you've got guts, come at me. I'll take all of you on by myself."
Seeing this, Naruto immediately rushed over and grabbed Sasuke's arm. He shouted in dissatisfaction, "Sasuke! How can you hog all the action by yourself? I haven't had enough fun yet! I want to fight too!"
Sasuke disdainfully shook off his hand, letting out a cold snort. "Naruto, you already fought once just now and used up a lot of Chakra. It's my turn this time."
Naruto immediately retorted, Chakra flaring around him as well, "I didn't use that much. And I hate it when people gang up on others the most."
The two argued back and forth, completely disregarding the Kumogakure examinees in front of them.
The Kumogakure examinees exchanged glances, and one of them, staring at Sasuke's face, suddenly changed his expression.
He tugged at his companion beside him and whispered, "Hey, look, isn't he the Prince of the Land of Water? Shun's son, Sasuke."
The other person scrutinized him for a moment, his expression also changing slightly. "It really is him. What a troublesome person. We were told not to provoke anyone from the Land of Water. What should we do now?"
"Then what do we do? Do we still fight?"
Some hesitated. Shun's renown shook the Ninja World. If his son were injured, Kumogakure would likely face utter destruction.
The leading Kumogakure examinee pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Even if he is the Prince of the Land of Water, we can't embarrass our village. Alright, ten people go teach him a lesson. Stop before he gets seriously hurt, so Shun doesn't come looking for trouble."
Soon, ten Kumogakure examinees stepped out from the group, their Lightning Chakra surging around them as they charged towards Sasuke.
"Kid, even if you're the Prince of the Land of Water, don't get too arrogant."
The leading examinee roared, his blade crackling with electricity as it slashed towards Sasuke.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his footsteps shifting slightly, easily dodging the blade. At the same time, he raised his hand to form a hand sign.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, carrying a scorching aura, and swept towards the Kumogakure examinees.
The Kumogakure examinees hadn't expected Sasuke's Fire Release to be so powerful. They quickly scattered to dodge, and the fireball slammed into the ground, igniting a sea of flames.
Before they could regain their footing, Sasuke had already leaped into the air, pale blue Chakra gathering in his hand.
Chidori!
The Chakra emitted a piercing shriek, and Sasuke, like a blue lightning bolt, instantly appeared before a Kumo ninja.
That ninja had no time to react before being struck by the Chidori, his body instantly paralyzed, falling to the ground, and losing his ability to fight.
"So fast!"
The other Kumo ninjas' expressions changed drastically, and they quickly teamed up to attack.
Lightning Release: Lightning Net!
Several streams of Lightning Chakra interwove into a net, closing in on Sasuke.
Sasuke's lips curled into a cold smile, his footwork changing, easily evading the Lightning Net. At the same time, he flicked out several Kunai with his backhand, precisely striking the wrists of several Kumo ninjas, causing their weapons to drop to the ground.
Naruto stood to the side, watching Sasuke display his skills, stomping his feet in frustration.
"Damn it! Sasuke is stealing my thunder again."
Sakura shook her head helplessly. "Naruto, don't worry, Sasuke can handle it."
But just then, several more Kumo ninjas quietly circled behind Sasuke, their blades aiming for his back.
"Sasuke, watch your back!" Sakura shouted a warning.
Sasuke, however, seemed to have anticipated it. He spun around abruptly, Chidori reforming in his hand, and thrust it towards the Kumo ninjas behind him.
Just then, a golden figure suddenly flashed by. Naruto instantly appeared beside Sasuke, punching those Kumo ninjas.
"Sasuke, I'm here to help you. We agreed you couldn't have all the fun yourself."
His fist, carrying a faint Natural Energy, instantly sent several Kumo ninjas flying.
Sasuke frowned. "Naruto, I told you this time was mine."
Naruto smiled and waved his hand. "Sasuke, don't be so stingy."
Seeing Naruto trying to steal his kills, Sasuke knew he needed to speed up, so he formed hand signs.
Shadow Clone Technique!
In an instant, over two hundred Sasukes appeared around him. These Shadow Clones immediately activated Chidori and charged towards the Kumo ninjas, their speed astonishing.
The Kumo examinees' faces instantly turned pale as they watched the scene before them.
"How can there be so many Shadow Clones? How much Chakra does he even have?!"
They had originally thought ten people could easily teach Sasuke a lesson, but they hadn't expected to gain no advantage, and Sasuke's strength far exceeded their imagination.
The Akatsuki examinees in the distance stopped resisting, looking in Naruto and Sasuke's direction with complex expressions.
"Quickly use area-of-effect Ninjutsu to eliminate these Shadow Clones!"
Lightning Release: Ground Flash... Lightning Release: Thousand Birds... Lightning Release: Lightning Net...
For a time, Lightning Release Ninjutsu flew wildly in the battle, but none could stop the advance of Sasuke's Shadow Clones.
Naruto, being a bit slower, anxiously shouted, "Sasuke, hold back, leave some for me to practice on!"
...
Meanwhile, in front of the screen, the anger in Pain's Rinnegan gradually subsided.
"Interesting... these two brats from the Land of Water are quite interesting."
Konan softly said, "It seems our examinees are temporarily safe."
The high-ranking officials from various countries in the plaza were also drawn to the scene on the screen.
A watched his examinees being suppressed, his expression darkening.