After watching the *Chunin Exams*, Yang Tao turned off the TV.
"Why'd you turn it off? What happens next?" Kakashi, still emotional after seeing the Third Hokage's death, asked urgently.
"Do you even know what time it is? And don't forget, there are still three people trapped in Genjutsu over there!"
Who told you to drag the story out so much? The *Land of Waves* arc alone took you over ten episodes.
Even cutting out the intros and outros, each episode was still about 20 minutes long. A lot of time had already passed.
Kakashi suddenly remembered Sasuke and Sakura—he had completely forgotten about them. He was too caught up in the events just now because they were simply too shocking!
Sasuke and the others were still too weak, and they hadn't managed to break free from the Genjutsu. Kakashi quickly dispelled it.
Sasuke, being the strongest among them, was the first to wake up. He immediately jumped to his feet and took a defensive stance.
Looking around in confusion, Sasuke was completely lost.
Weren't they in the forest? But judging by the surroundings, this was clearly an indoor space. Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and a group of strangers were standing together.
"Kakashi-sensei, why was I unconscious?"
Kakashi wasn't sure how to explain. Should he just say, "You fell into my Genjutsu"?
At that moment, Yang Tao stepped forward. "Your Kakashi-sensei asked us to help train your abilities. I didn't expect you guys to be so weak—you got caught in a Genjutsu and passed out instantly!"
"That's right. Looks like I'll have to give you some special Genjutsu training after this mission," Kakashi quickly added.
Something didn't feel right.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, why are there Kirigakure ninja here? Aren't they with the ones who attacked us before?"
Haku, who had been silent, stepped forward and smiled gently. "We're part of Kirigakure's hunter-nin squad. Our job is to eliminate rogue ninjas from our village. The two you fought earlier were our targets."
After hearing the explanation, Sasuke finally let his guard down. If their teacher trusted them, there wasn't much else he could say.
Outside, the sky had already turned completely dark. Yang Tao took out a large amount of food and called everyone over. "Let's eat first. We'll talk after that!"
Everyone sat on their stools in silence. No one spoke—each of them had something on their mind.
"It's already late. Let's rest here for the night. Tomorrow, Naruto, you and your team can continue your mission," Yang Tao said after everyone had eaten.
Since Sasuke and the others were around, Yang Tao didn't want to say too much and kept certain things to himself.
The next morning.
"Naruto, go ahead! If anything happens, contact me!" Yang Tao waved as he bid them farewell.
But just as they were leaving, Kakashi suddenly walked back.
"Sir, that thing I was watching earlier… could I get a copy?"
"Which one?" Yang Tao didn't catch on right away.
"You know… the one with the lady," Kakashi whispered.
"…"
"I'll get you a copy next time we meet. Now go!"
Yang Tao didn't expect to run into someone who understood this kind of thing. No wonder Kakashi was known for always carrying his little *orange book*. His opinion of Kakashi just went up a few points.
As the group disappeared into the distance, Zabuza walked over.
"Sir, where are we going next?"
Zabuza hadn't forgotten the reason he was recruited in the first place—to serve as a guide.
"We're going to find Orochimaru. There's a job I need him to do."
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