Sakura's all - out strike not only stunned Shikamaru but also the other two of the Sound Ninja trio.
They almost popped their eyes out, staring at this once - ordinary little girl. It was this battle that brought about an astonishing transformation in her.
But the speed and power of this transformation were simply terrifying.
Naruto and Sasuke, who had just woken up, as well as Neji and Tenten, who had rushed over from a distance, stared blankly at what was happening in front of them. They hadn't seen each other for just a little while, yet it felt like they were looking at strangers.
Sakura was so exhausted that she slumped on the ground, but her eyes remained fixed on Toss without the slightest relaxation.
This guy was the most troublesome one among the Sound Ninja trio, and his movements had to be watched at all times.
Toss scanned the surroundings and found that there were more and more Konoha ninjas. Moreover, it seemed that they had a good relationship with the woman in front of him. Now that Zaku was seriously injured, it wasn't the best time for them to counter - attack.
It seemed that this mission couldn't be completed, and it would be hard to explain to Lord Orochimaru. But seeing that determined look in her eyes, he couldn't help but flinch.
"Hand over your Scroll later!"
Sakura saw that Toss was thinking of retreating and shouted loudly.
Toss was angry, but in this situation, he had to give in. He took the Earth Scroll from his backpack and placed it on the ground, then told Jin, who was still in a daze, to run away quickly.
After yelling that, Sakura seemed to lose all her energy and plopped down on the ground, gasping for air.
"Sa... Sakura..."
Naruto and Sasuke both looked a bit pale. Seeing their teammate getting stronger should have been a happy thing, but was this a bit too strong?
They dared not even imagine how terrible it would feel if that punch landed on them.
Sasuke recalled that in his past life, Sakura had never said a harsh word to him or seriously beaten him, while Naruto seemed to have had quite a few such experiences.
But this time, Sakura wasn't so infatuated with him. Just thinking about the possibility of her getting angry and suddenly hitting him made him break out in a cold sweat.
"Naruto, Sasuke, you're both awake. That's awesome!"
"Yeah, Sakura, are you okay?"
"Me? Other than a bit of pain on my face, I'm fine. Oh, right, I have to treat Rock Lee quickly!"
Sakura propped herself up and barely stood up, then walked towards Rock Lee. Suddenly, her legs gave way and she was about to fall forward, but Ino caught her.
"Ino, thank you."
"Do we need to say such things to each other? Come on, don't be so stubborn. I'll support you."
"Sakura..."
She came to the side of Rock Lee, who had just regained consciousness, and gently placed her hands on his ears. The green chakra slowly healed Rock Lee's injuries.
"Sakura, I'm fine. Use your ability to treat yourself first."
Rock Lee refused Sakura's treatment. He was a man, but he not only failed to protect the woman he loved but also had to be protected by her. Looking at Sakura's bruised and purple cheeks, he felt useless, and his already - dejected face drooped even more.
Seeing Rock Lee like this, she instead spoke seriously and earnestly.
"Rock Lee, don't say that! If it weren't for your desperate protection, if it weren't for the perseverance you showed in front of me, if it weren't for you being so brave and never backing down, I might have been finished long ago. So never think that you're good - for - nothing!"
Perhaps intimidated by such a strong aura, Rock Lee got rid of his previous depression.
"But you're a girl. Don't you want to treat the wound on your cheek first?"
"I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound. It looks serious, but just apply some medicine and it'll be okay. What about you? You're so badly injured. What'll you do for the subsequent exams?"
"Oh, this. Don't worry about our group. There's still Tenten and Neji. They're both very powerful!"
She saw the smile on Rock Lee's face when he talked about Tenten and Neji. She really could empathize with how happy it was to have such reliable companions.
"Yeah!"
................
"What? What happened? How come the two of you passed out at the same time?"
Neji came to Sasuke's side and asked about the specific situation they encountered. What kind of big event was it that even the two of them together couldn't handle it?
"There was a guy who looked like a strange - looking snake. He had an extremely long tongue and could summon gigantic pythons. That guy was too strong. Anyway, I just passed out during the fight."
"A snake? I do know someone who fits the description you gave."
"Who?"
Naruto looked curiously at Neji's solemn face and asked.
"Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha!"
"Isn't he from Konoha? Why is he causing trouble for me?"
"Although he was a disciple of the Third Hokage, he defected from Konoha a long time ago. Now his whereabouts are a mystery. No one knows where he is!"
"Tsk! I didn't expect that effeminate - looking guy to be so powerful!"
Naruto glanced at the silent Sasuke. He had fainted long ago and didn't know what happened later.
What on earth did Sasuke do with Orochimaru? How did they manage to escape Orochimaru's clutches?
Feeling Naruto's solemn gaze, Sasuke sighed and returned the look. Naruto, feeling Sasuke's gaze, shyly turned his head away. He hadn't forgotten that they were still in an argument!
"Naruto!"
"Wh... what?"
He hadn't even thought about how to talk to Sasuke, but this guy actually took the initiative to talk to him. It was really a once - in - a - blue - moon thing!
"Don't you think you're the weakest one among us now?"
Sure enough!
You can't get a pearl from a swine's mouth! You can't expect a single good word to come out of his mouth!
"I'm just stating the facts. Rock Lee has outstanding Taijutsu. Neji and I both have Kekkei Genkai, Sharingan and Byakugan, among the three great Dōjutsu. Even Sakura has grown to an incredible level. Do you have the confidence to take Sakura's full - force attack now?"
Naruto recalled that terrifying scene just now and frantically shook his head.
"Right now, among these people, who do you dare to say you can defeat?! But when danger comes, are you still going to just sleep away like you did today?! Let alone you're such a Rash One! You never think about the consequences before you act! I really feel it's been such a waste of my time accompanying you in your cultivation these years!"
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