Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 84 84 : Let's Separate, This Is Your Exam

Tonight, Orochimaru didn't make a move on Riku. He wouldn't act unless he was certain of the outco.

Riku's strength was already above Kakashi's. If Orochimaru chose to attack him now, even if he succeeded, it would alert the enemy and force Konoha to raise its defenses.

After checking in with Kakashi, Riku found out where the exam would take place the next day.

By morning, standing outside the Forest of Death, Riku remained perfectly calm.

Their team was arguably the strongest among all the participants—entirely because of Riku's presence.

They stood amidst the other Genin teams, waiting quietly until Anko Mitarashi arrived.

Holding a docunt in her hand, she surveyed the crowd of candidates. "Before the second part of the Chūnin Exams begins, each team must co here and sign this waiver—a life-and-death consent form. Any team that wants to participate in this exam must sign it."

Anko's words caused a stir among the Genin.

"Why do we have to sign sothing like this just to take the exam?!" soone shouted. "Isn't this supposed to be a test? Are our lives really in danger?"

A smirk curled at the corner of Anko's mouth. Her voice lowered slightly, but carried an edge of nace. "What do you think the Chūnin Exams are? A ga? This is a battlefield, a stage to show off the strength of shinobi from all nations. This exam simulates real combat. In war, weaklings die. That's normal. If you can't accept that, then don't sign."

"You're welco to co back next year."

Her bluntness silenced many. Still, not everyone could accept the idea of risking their lives for an exam.

Truth be told, most Genin present were the elites of their respective villages. They were trained killers. But that didn't an they were ready to face death.

A few teams, after so hesitation, chose to withdraw.

But the majority stayed. They signed the waivers with grim expressions, unshaken by the danger. These were the best of the best—brave, ambitious, and determined.

Once the forms were submitted, Anko's expression softened slightly. She began to explain the rules of the second stage.

And finally, the reason for her earlier words beca clear: this exam was designed to eliminate at least half of the teams.

Still, Riku remained unfazed. To him, this entire test felt like child's play.

As the barbed gates creaked open, Anko gestured toward the dark forest. "Enter. The central tower is ten kiloters from the periter. You have five days. Within that ti, use whatever ans necessary to obtain one Heaven Scroll and one Earth Scroll. Once you have both, head to the central tower. That's all."

The mood turned tense. Many understood imdiately—this wasn't just a B-rank mission.

It was worse.

In normal B-rank missions, enemies might be limited in number or strength. But here, dozens of trained shinobi—potential killers—were their competition.

The danger level was high.

Riku's team was among the last to enter.

As he passed Anko, she gave him a teasing smile. "Hey kid—try not to go too hard. Leave sothing for the others, or this exam won't even be fun to watch."

Riku paused, glancing sideways at her. "I'm not that bored."

Then he stepped into the Forest of Death.

What he ant was clear—he had no intention of hunting down every scroll himself. That would be pointless, and honestly, stupid.

True strength wasn't shown through brute domination.

Anko watched his back as he walked away, a small smile on her lips. "Interesting boy. Bit cold, though. Still, he's already taller than . He's like an adult... unreal."

At 1.73 ters tall, Riku looked far older than his peers. And it wasn't just his height—his physique had matured too. Not bulky, but lean, solid muscle. Everything about him was well-proportioned.

Anko herself stood at 1.67 ters—one of the tallest female shinobi in Konoha. Even Tsunade wasn't that tall; she only asured 1.63.

Inside the Forest of Death, Riku followed behind Sakura and the others, walking casually.

He had no concern about being attacked.

So far, they hadn't encountered any other teams—likely because no one dared approach. Everyone seed to be avoiding Riku entirely.

Even Gaara was nowhere to be seen.

By nightfall, they had covered a lot of ground without incident. Near a small river, the group stopped to rest and grilled so fish.

This truly was wilderness survival.

And not the kind most Genin trained for—this forest teed with venomous insects and deadly beasts.

Even a careless Chūnin could lose their life here.

Later, as they sat around the fire in silence, Sakura felt an unexpected calm.

With Riku nearby, she felt safe.

But Naruto and Sasuke were growing frustrated. Riku's presence made other teams too afraid to approach them.

They had no one to fight, no scrolls to steal.

After eating, Naruto finally couldn't hold it in. "Riku," he said, "they're all scared of you. No one's even trying to co near us. If this keeps up, we won't find a single scroll. How about you go solo for a bit? Sasuke and I can search for teams, then et back up later."

Sasuke nodded in agreent. "He's right. You scared them off during the first exam. Now no one dares get close. At this rate, we won't even get to fight."

Sakura frowned. "That's not okay. We're a team. If they won't co to us, we can go to them. But we shouldn't split up."

She was worried that Riku might feel like they were pushing him away.

But Riku simply smiled. "Sure, that's fine."

Truthfully, he didn't mind. With his speed and sensory ability, he could detect any ninja within ten kiloters. He'd been holding back anyway.

And he knew full well his purpose here: to observe the exam and support his teammates.

Kakashi likely expected him to do just that.

Sakura was still uneasy. She didn't care much about having Riku there to protect them—she wasn't afraid of their opponents. What mattered to her was that Riku didn't feel excluded or unwanted.

But he spoke gently. "It's alright. I'm getting promoted regardless. The Third Hokage already promised—I'll beco a Chūnin this year. I'm just here to accompany you through the exam."

"If I stay with you the whole ti, it'll feel like I'm just babysitting. Let's rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, we go our separate ways."

Naruto and Sasuke grinned. "Thanks, Riku."

He smiled and waved it off.

Sakura clenched her fists, sadness in her eyes as she looked at him.

Riku saw her expression but just smiled again.

He didn't feel anything at all.

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