"Whew~~"
Satisfied, Hinata slid down from the peak of her frenzy, leisurely rising from Karin's slender body. As her second female intimate partner, Karin's development was truly lacking at the moment, far inferior to Haku's. However, there would undoubtedly be plenty of opportunities for her to grow in the future.
"Very good, you do just fine. I'll take you out of here."
Picking up her clothes and slowly putting them back on, Hinata's words made the flushed Karin shyly raise her head. She clearly still couldn't fully accept what had just happened, but strictly speaking, whether she accepted it or not didn't matter.
Taking out the sealing urn scroll from her pouch, Hinata calmly opened it. Since she felt she might find some special 'materials,' she had gotten into the habit of carrying it with her.
"Huh? This... am I supposed to go inside?"
Karin, naked, was somewhat embarrassed to ask, but her clothes had just been torn by Hinata. If she didn't want to run around naked, then entering this container to be carried out by the other party was the best option.
"Of course. Once this exam is over, I'll teach you how to serve me."
Hinata's words made Karin hesitate for less than a second.
Although she had always been submissive, it didn't mean she was unaware of her situation. Now, her two 'comrades' had been annihilated by Hinata. If she returned to the Grass Village alone, even if she wasn't executed for mission failure, she would likely be sent to areas with many injured, to be bled dry by those crazed and greedy Grass ninja patients.
While Hinata was indeed a completely dangerous individual, at least the Byakugan girl hadn't caused her pain. Moreover, that kind of strength and independence, far surpassing Karin's, from someone who was also a woman, made Karin, who yearned for freedom, long for it immensely. So, the red-haired girl quickly mustered her courage and actively stepped into the sealing urn. At the very least, she was well aware that returning to the Grass Village would lead to no good outcome, so it was better to risk everything for another path.
After packaging Karin, Hinata leisurely set off on her return journey. Karin's group happened to have an Earth Scroll, which, combined with her original Heaven Scroll, completed her set. If no unforeseen circumstances arose, after waking up tomorrow, everyone could head directly to the Central Tower, fully refreshed.
Meanwhile, at the Nine Rookies' campsite.
"Good, the trap in the northeast corner is set."
Carefully pulling the last steel wire taut, Sasuke took a satisfied step back. This was a very ingenious tripwire trap. As soon as someone tripped the wire, the surrounding shuriken and explosive tags would immediately activate, and the resulting noise would definitely wake up everyone in the camp.
"Honestly, Sasuke, you're perfectly capable of setting traps~ Hinata asking me to set traps was completely unnecessary!"
Shikamaru on the side spoke with some dissatisfaction. Sasuke, in response, nodded slightly, a hint of pride in his expression: "No, I think what she meant was probably for you and me to compare, and use whoever's trap is better."
"Ha~~ Give me a break. The Nara clan isn't skilled in shuriken jutsu or doujutsu. But, Sasuke, your ability to set these traps saves me some effort."
Shikamaru yawned, unconcerned by Sasuke's reply. He wasn't interested in competing with anyone. And so far, everything they had experienced had been without any real challenges. If anything, it was the frustration of being forced by Hinata to work for the film crew, often working late into the night and being utterly exhausted.
"But, didn't Shikamaru already leave traps inside the camp?"
Shino on the side spoke softly at this point, which made Sasuke frown. Although he didn't necessarily intend to argue with Shikamaru, this feeling—that he had already set up the outer traps, but others were still setting more traps beyond his own—made him feel somewhat uneasy, as if he wasn't fully trusted.
"Ah~~ So troublesome~~ That's why I hate troublesome work like this the most. Just consider it insurance. After all, if someone breaks through the outer traps with brute force and gets into the camp, it might still cause them some trouble. You, Mr. Shades, talk too much."
Shikamaru clearly sounded a bit annoyed by Shino's words. Shino, however, seriously replied, "This is Hinata's assigned task, so I personally believe it needs to be taken seriously."
Hearing Shino's response, Sasuke also subconsciously paused. The Uchiha boy looked up at his two comrades in front of him. When they were in the academy, he might not have understood these two.
However, after experiencing life with the film crew and the collective training process, Sasuke more or less knew that he had underestimated these people before.
Without mentioning anything else, Shikamaru's powerful secret technique, the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, was definitely quite troublesome. Coupled with the pineapple-headed boy's outrageous on-the-spot intelligence, Sasuke didn't think he could perfectly defeat him.
As for Shino, there was even less to say. His insect manipulation ninjutsu was practically impossible to guard against. After all, on the battlefield, it was impossible to constantly guard against the small insects around you, and who knew if those insects were spies or assassins controlled by the enemy.
Although in one-on-one combat, Sasuke didn't believe anyone in this organization, other than Hinata and Naruto, could pose a threat to him. But in a real battle, he knew very well that he absolutely couldn't be careless.
So... why?
"Why do you two listen to Hinata so much? Is it just because she can bring in a lot of money?"
Holding his arms, Sasuke looked at Shino and Shikamaru with some uncertainty. These two, with their backgrounds and intellect, were currently the two main strategists within Hinata's group, and also Hinata's most trusted and relied-upon subordinates.
"Huh? What kind of question is that? Being able to earn money is a very important job, isn't it? No matter what, we are men... Although it's troublesome, earning money and supporting our families is the most basic thing."
Glaring at Sasuke in exasperation, Shikamaru clearly didn't think this question needed an answer. His words could be explained more bluntly: "Isn't it obvious? Hinata offers a high salary, so isn't it just natural to listen to her?"
"Cough, cough... I mean, you two, do you only serve her because she can make money?"
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sasuke knew what he wanted to ask.
Shikamaru and Shino were both descendants of prominent Konoha clans, and both were very excellent, essentially representing the new generation's standing within their respective families.
Their loyalty to Hinata, in itself, was equivalent to their families bowing down and serving Hinata. In this way, once Hinata came of age, she would naturally continue to receive support from the Nara clan and the Aburame clan, effectively becoming her vassals.
Thus, no matter what Hinata did in Konoha later, it could be seen as an action supported internally by these clans. When she spoke, her voice would absolutely not represent only her own power, but the combined energy of these clans serving her.
Even though Sasuke wasn't proficient in political maneuvering, he could see how high Hinata's political standing would be.
Moreover, the Uchiha clan before... never had this kind of history of other clans serving them, right?
"I see... that's right. You're a member of the Uchiha clan, and like Hinata, a descendant of a prominent family. So, you want to know how to cultivate people who will support you, right?"
Pushing his glasses up his nose, Shino clearly understood Sasuke's meaning. This direct question made Sasuke awkwardly hummed in response.
"Ugh... why does the conversation suddenly feel more and more troublesome? You don't mind if I opt out, do you?"
Shikamaru, sweating coldly, clearly did not want to participate in such a conversation. But not wanting to miss this opportunity to ask, Sasuke bit his lip slightly and spoke awkwardly: "But... Shikamaru and Shino are the smartest people in the organization... so, I'd like to ask for both of your insights... please... I beg you..."
Clearly, there weren't many times when the cool-headed Sasuke would humble himself. Even Shikamaru, who wanted to leave, instinctively stopped. After exchanging a glance with Shino, the pineapple-headed boy finally sighed, then covered his forehead and spoke.
"Alright... then we'll keep it short. I'll talk about my own situation, why I serve Hinata: because she pushed me into a corner and I couldn't escape anymore. It's that simple."
Shikamaru's answer made Sasuke slightly frown. He could certainly hear that while Shikamaru's words seemed simple, the meaning behind them was absolutely profound.
Nodding, Shino also spoke softly.
"Then I'll talk about my situation, why I serve Hinata: because she allows me to fully display my value."
Their answers made Sasuke nod awkwardly: "Then... thank you very much... both of you..."
"Tsk~~ That's the stiffest 'thank you' I've ever heard. Forget it, if you really want to thank us, just treat us to a meal after this exam is over. Well~ we should probably..."
Rarely, Shikamaru reached out and patted Sasuke's shoulder. His answer clearly made the latter's body relax. Undoubtedly, this was the comfort and guidance that only comrades could give each other.
However, just then, a female voice, full of amusement and coldness, suddenly rang out from a nearby tree branch!
"So that's it, they are indeed a rather excellent group of children~!"
The sudden voice made all three of them tense up, instinctively activating their Sharingan and assuming battle stances. Sasuke loudly demanded, "Who's there?!"
"Hehehehe... Of course... it's the enemy~~"
Accompanied by an ominous hiss, a grass ninja wearing a straw hat slowly emerged from a tree trunk in front of the three. His sinister eyes were fixed on Sasuke.
"I have come to hunt your scrolls and your lives, thus I present myself~!"