"Wishful thinking! There's no way we're handing over the scroll to you!" one of the two captains of the six-man team from Iwagakure shouted angrily.
Hearing this, Chiba sighed. Why are these people so stubborn?
Since they refused to see reason, he wouldn't be merciful.
Initially, Chiba considered using Conqueror's Haki to deal with these small fry, but then he remembered that Nara Shikaku and Akamichi Choza were behind him. Using Conqueror's Haki would affect them as well.
With that thought, he dismissed the idea.
"If that's the case, then don't blame me."
Bang!
As Chiba finished speaking, the ground beneath him cracked instantly. The spreading fractures stopped just short of Nara Shikaku and the others.
Then, in a sudden gust of wind, two members of the Iwagakure team collapsed before they could even react.
"What just happened?"
"I don't know! I just felt a gust of wind, and then they were down!"
"..."
The remaining four members of Iwagakure now looked terrified. Such an overwhelming display of power was beyond their comprehension. Even the Jonin in their village rarely possessed this level of speed—speed that exceeded the limits of human vision.
"Are you ready to hand over the scroll now?" Uchiha Chiba asked from his new position, standing on a tree trunk behind them.
The four Iwagakure shinobi turned toward him, their expressions no longer fearless. The blue steam surrounding Chiba made him look like a Shinigami, harvesting souls with ease.
"What should we do, captain? Maybe we should just give him the scroll. We can always steal another one later," one of the team members whispered.
After considering for a moment, the captain nodded. With two of their members down and their fate unknown, they were in no position to fight.
"If we give you the scroll, will you let us go?" the Iwagakure captain asked nervously.
"You're in no position to negotiate," Chiba smirked. "Even if you refuse, do you really think I can't just take it? You know you're not my match."
He then added, "But I'm not a ruthless killer. As long as you hand over the scroll, I'll let you live."
Chiba had no interest in killing weaklings. He wasn't a mindless butcher—achieving his goal without unnecessary slaughter was preferable.
"Alright, we'll give you the scroll," the Iwagakure captain relented.
He retrieved the Earth Scroll and tossed it to Uchiha Chiba.
"Can we go now?"
Chiba nodded. "Leave. And take your teammates with you."
The four Iwagakure shinobi were surprised. Could it be…?
They hurried over to their fallen comrades and checked their breathing. Upon confirming they were still alive, they sighed in relief.
"Thank you," the Iwagakure captain said, looking at Chiba with gratitude.
Unlike the shinobi from Kirigakure, who could kill their own comrades without hesitation, these Iwagakure shinobi valued their teammates.
After they left, Chiba deactivated the Eight Gates and approached Nara Shikaku and the others.
"Thank you, Chiba. If it weren't for you, we would've lost our scroll," Nara Shikaku said with a smile.
Chiba waved a hand dismissively. "No problem. We're all friends, and you guys have helped me too."
"Chiba, why are you alone? Where's Nawaki?" Akamichi Choza asked curiously. That question had been bothering them ever since Chiba arrived.
"He should be here soon. I sensed your presence and rushed ahead," Chiba replied.
He had detected six unfamiliar auras surrounding Nara Shikaku's team and had immediately abandoned Nawaki to come help.
"Chiba, you b*****d! You left me behind!" a voice suddenly called out.
Chiba turned to the others with a smirk. "Here he comes."
"Chiba! Couldn't you wait for me?" Nawaki complained as he arrived.
Bang!
Chiba wasn't about to indulge his whining. He imitated Tsunade and landed a firm punch on Nawaki's head.
"You're too noisy, Nawaki."
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"Good to see you, Nawaki," Akamichi Choza said with a laugh.
Meeting up with friends in the Forest of Death was undoubtedly a relief.
"Yeah," Nawaki muttered, rubbing his head. He was growing frustrated—Chiba was becoming more and more like Tsunade, always hitting him for no reason. And the worst part? He couldn't even fight back.
Just then, Chiba took out the Earth Scroll he had taken from the Iwagakure team and tossed it to Nara Shikaku.
"Shikaku, this is for you."
Nara Shikaku caught the scroll instinctively, then quickly shook his head. "We can't accept this, Chiba. You helped us—we can't take your scroll."
"Yeah, Chiba, this belongs to you," Yamanaka Inoichi added.
"Just take it. You've seen my strength—I can easily get another one."
"He's right. Just accept it, Shikaku," Rope Tree agreed.
"..."
Realizing there was no point in arguing, Nara Shikaku sighed. "Alright, we'll accept it. In return, we'll help you find a team with an Earth Scroll."
"No need to go through that trouble. We can just head to the final destination and wait," Uchiha Chiba suggested with a wave of his hand.
Yamanaka Inoichi and the others were stunned for a moment before realizing the brilliance of his plan.
Only Chiba could pull something like this off. No other team has the strength to ignore the competition entirely.
Nara Shikaku couldn't help but feel fortunate. Thankfully, Chiba is our friend. If he were our enemy, we wouldn't stand a chance.
He and the others exchanged bitter smiles before finally nodding.
"Alright then, let's set off now."