On the screen

Sasuke remained unaware of the laughter and chatter from the audience outside.

Just as he was about to reach out and pat Sakura awake to ask what was happening, the sharp ding-dong clash of metal echoed from deep within the forest. Bushes shook violently, and the roar of a wild beast split the silence.

Not good!

Sakura snapped awake, her pretty face paling instantly. She shot to her feet and glanced around warily. "Did you hear that? The sound of fighting! Oh no it's coming from the direction where Naruto just went to fetch water! Could Naruto be fighting someone?!"

"Naruto is here too?"

Sasuke's confusion deepened.

He had been trying to piece together whether this was part of some special mission, but now Sakura claimed Naruto was also present.

Was this a team mission for Squad 7?

Then where was Kakashi-sensei?

A flood of questions rushed through Sasuke's mind, but he forced them aside.

Now was clearly not the time to get lost in thought.

If Naruto had run into an enemy, the situation could already be dangerous.

He quickly turned to Sakura. "Don't overthink it. Let's go check it out!"

"Right!"

Sakura didn't stop to question further. She gave a firm nod, and together, she and Sasuke sprinted toward the source of the noise.

The forest around them was dense and oppressive, filled with towering trees whose tangled roots clawed through the earth. Heavy vines hung down like ropes, and every step on the thick carpet of fallen leaves produced a faint rustle.

The canopy overhead blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the forest shrouded in gloom. Visibility was poor, and one wrong step could easily send someone crashing into a root or straying off course.

Fortunately, the fighting hadn't been far.

Sasuke and Sakura moved swiftly, weaving through obstacles with the keen reflexes of trained shinobi.

In no time, they broke through the last bush that blocked their path and froze in surprise.

There was no battle raging before them.

The clash of weapons had ceased. It was clear the fight was already over.

In the dim clearing, Naruto stood tall and unscathed.

His posture was relaxed, his breathing steady. His orange jacket and forehead protector were spotless, not even a fleck of dirt marring his clothes. It looked as though he hadn't fought at all.

Yet at his feet lay two collapsed figures.

Both wore dark green shinobi garb, their foreheads marked with the insignia for "Grass."

There was no mistaking it they were Genin from Kusagakure.

And not far from them, an enormous brown bear sprawled on the ground, its massive body overturned, paws in the air.

A beast that size, along with two enemy ninjas all taken down, lying defeated at Naruto's feet!

When Sasuke saw the scene before him, his pupils narrowed slightly.

Judging from the state of things, it was obvious that the brief clash just now had been nothing more than child's play for "Dream Naruto." He had ended it in an instant with his own power.

"Naruto!" Sakura was the first to recover from her shock. Seeing him standing there unharmed, her heart lifted in relief.

She hurried over, her wide eyes shining with surprise and joy. "That's wonderful, I'm so glad you're safe!"

At the sound of her voice, Naruto turned his head.

When he spotted Sasuke and Sakura, he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Haha, sorry for worrying you."

As soon as he spoke, Naruto's bright, sunny smile filled the enormous screen in the dream space.

At that moment, the two girls in the audience practically had stars in their eyes.

"So handsome…"

Ino clasped her hands together, gazing at Naruto's glowing smile with open admiration. "Dream Naruto is so strong and cool!"

"Yeah!" Sakura nodded in rapid agreement.

Watching the two girls fawn over his dream self, the real Naruto's mouth twitched. He quickly turned his head aside, jealousy prickling in his chest.

He had been feeling proud of himself just moments ago, basking in the majesty of his dream self. But now, all he felt was irritation.

These girls were impossible! They didn't care about him at all

As much as they adored Dream Naruto, they dismissed him completely.

Girls are way too shallow!

Hmph. He was obviously strong and handsome too!

Then, suddenly, a certain figure popped into his mind

Maybe not all girls were like that after all.

[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations detected! Emotional value +200!]

…

Back inside the dream.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, who stood there so casually after defeating his enemies, and the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.

Even though he had witnessed "Dream Naruto's" overwhelming strength multiple times in recent days, watching him wipe out opponents so easily still stirred an uncomfortable feeling inside.

This Naruto was completely different from the noisy, underperforming dead-last he remembered.

[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations detected! Emotional value +200!]

Sakura pressed a hand to her chest and let out a long breath of relief. A smile finally spread across her face. "That's wonderful, Naruto, I'm so glad you're alright."

From running all the way here, beads of sweat still clung to her forehead.

Naruto gave her a gentle nod. "Sorry for worrying you, Sakura."

Then, as though remembering something, he turned quickly and jogged over to the base of a large tree. He bent down and carefully helped up a thin figure.

Only then did Sakura notice there was someone else sitting beneath the giant tree!

The clearing's dim light had drawn all her focus to Naruto and the defeated enemies earlier, leaving her to overlook this presence entirely.

At that moment, Naruto helped the person upright. Looking closer, they saw it was a young girl.

She looked to be around their age. Her waist-length hair was a rare, striking shade of bright red, though it was tangled with dead leaves and dust.

Perched on her nose were small black-framed glasses, and a forehead protector from the Hidden Grass Village gleamed faintly beneath the dirt. Her clothes were torn, smudged with soil and scratches, and her pale skin bore bruises, giving her the battered look of a cornered wolf.

Even so, it was easy to tell she had a delicate, pretty face beneath all that grime.

Who is this girl?

Sakura watched Naruto carefully help the red-haired girl sit down, and for reasons she couldn't explain, a spark of jealousy and unease suddenly welled up inside her.

She stepped closer, standing beside Naruto, and asked with a hint of sourness in her voice, "Naruto, who's this red-haired girl?"

Naruto shook his head honestly. "I don't know her either."

He scratched the back of his head and explained with his usual innocence, "I was just going to get water from the creek when I saw her being chased by a bear. If she'd been a second slower, that big dumb bear would've eaten her! It was dangerous, so I saved her."

"I see "

Sakura nodded slowly, and before she realized it, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

That was just like Naruto.

Naruto went on, "But before I could ask if she was alright, those two guys appeared out of the bushes." He pointed to the Kusagakure Genin lying unconscious nearby. "They attacked me without saying anything. I think they were her teammates and mistook me for the enemy."

He glanced at the two groaning figures and shrugged. "So I had no choice but to take them out too."

"Ah!"

Just then, a weak cough drew everyone's attention.

The red-haired girl Naruto had saved stirred awake.

Her blurry red eyes blinked open, and for a moment she looked dazed. Then, as if remembering something terrible, fear flashed across her face. She shrank back instinctively, her gaze darting nervously between Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

She lifted her head, giving Naruto a complicated look, then scanned her surroundings.

Finally, she bit her lower lip, seeming to make up her mind. From inside her clothes, she drew out a scroll. Holding it with both hands, she respectfully offered it to Naruto.

"My name is Karin, a Genin from Kusagakure. Thank you for saving me. This is our scroll we've lost. I hand it over to you. Please… allow me to leave."

Her voice trembled as she lowered her head, waiting for their judgment.

Naruto scratched his head, looking a little awkward. "Uh, well "

He had been about to say something comforting when Sakura quickly stepped forward and plucked the scroll right out of Karin's hands.

She glanced down and read the bold words on the cover: Book of Earth.

It was the same type their team already possessed.

Sakura pouted, waved the scroll, and said lightly, "It's another Book of Earth, just like ours. No point keeping it."

With that, she casually handed the scroll back to Karin.

"You "

Karin froze, staring up in disbelief.

Normally, in the second exam, if a team encountered an isolated enemy, they would either finish them off or eliminate them early to reduce future threats.

Even if the scroll was the same, it was still an opportunity to gain an advantage.

But this pink-haired girl had just… returned it to her?

Before Karin could fully react, Sakura stepped closer to Naruto.

Reaching out, she held onto his arm. The small but intimate gesture made Karin's heart skip and her suspicions deepen.

Sakura looked at Karin with a polite smile, though there was a faint warning behind it. "Your companions are all unconscious. If you want to withdraw from the exam, leave now. But the exam is the exam we won't take advantage of others just to snatch extra scrolls. Keep your own and be careful on the way. We won't be escorting you out."

Her words sounded courteous, but in truth, they were meant to send Karin on her way.

Karin glanced at her for a moment before quickly averting her eyes, guilt rising in her chest.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, who stood nearby, wasn't paying attention to Sakura or Karin at all.

Genin from Kusagakure…

A three-man squad…

Fighting over something…

The dense forest, the unfamiliar environment, the sudden enemy encounters and the clear rules of "scroll battles"

All the pieces snapped together in Sasuke's mind like a puzzle.

The answer was obvious.

Could it be that he was currently inside the exam grounds for the Chunin Joint Exams?

Had the Chunin Exam already begun inside the dream world?!

[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations detected! Emotional value +200!]

Karin gave a bitter smile and, with the help of a nearby tree, forced herself upright.

She understood her situation all too well. If she stayed, she'd only be eliminated or worse. Better to withdraw now and at least preserve her life.

Yet when she glanced at Naruto, a thousand unspoken words filled her heart. She didn't know where to begin.

She stood dazed for a moment, then gave a sad little smile.

He's just a Genin from another village. They saved me because it was convenient, nothing more.

Thinking this, Karin whispered, "Goodbye." She clenched her teeth and turned to limp away.

She had only taken two steps when

"Wait a minute!"

Naruto's voice rang out behind her.

Karin froze, startled, and instinctively stopped.

Naruto strode quickly ahead of her, blocking her path.

Karin looked up. Was it her imagination, or did Naruto's face look unusually tense? His blue eyes were locked onto her hair.

"Uh do you need something?" she asked softly, flustered under his gaze.

Naruto didn't answer right away.

He stared at her long, fiery red hair with a conflicted expression.

Finally, he spoke slowly. "Hey, I was wondering… do you know about the Uzumaki clan?"

Karin's petite body jolted violently.

"What did you just say?" she whispered, thinking she must have misheard.

"The Uzumaki clan!" Naruto repeated firmly, his face serious.

"Your hair… it looks just like my mother's. Red like this is really rare. And…"

His eyes softened. "Your chakra… it feels really familiar. Like I'm standing in front of family."

Karin stood completely stunned.

His… mother?

A feeling of family?

Beside them, Sakura suddenly smacked her forehead. "Oh, right! Your hair really is the same color as Naruto's mom's!"

"Na… Naruto's mom?"

Karin's face was blank with confusion, her mind reeling.

"I…"

She looked into Naruto's expectant eyes, her throat dry. Finally, she admitted in a trembling voice, "I… I am a member of the Uzumaki clan…"

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. His brows shot up, and he clapped his hands together with joy. "I knew it! I was right!"

Then he scratched his head, smiling a little nervously but full of anticipation. "Um… Karin-chan did I say that right? Would you like to stick with us for now? After this exam's over, I'll take you to meet my mom. She'll be so happy to see you!"

At those words, Karin's delicate face flushed scarlet. "H-huh?! T-this… this… this "

....

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