As Anko and her team finally reached their destination, they were met with an unsightly scene. Even from a distance, they could smell the thick stench of something rotten here. It had already been a while since Orochimaru had taken the place of the Grass ninja along with replacing even his teammates with his own men.
As Anko looked over the area, her attention immediately went to the three dead bodies lying on the ground near the Buddha statues. Traces of blood stained the statues themselves, which loomed just above the corpses. It felt almost sacrilegious disrespectful to do something so vile in a place like this.
The moment Anko laid eyes on the bodies, her entire body shivered. Unwanted memories surged up from the depths of her mind, memories she desperately wanted to forget but knew she never could.
One of the bodies had its face torn clean off.
She knew without a shred of doubt whose jutsu this was. She had seen no one other than Orochimaru himself use such a twisted technique before.
"It's definitely Orochimaru," Anko said with a solemn expression as she turned to the rest of the ninja. "We have to report this to Hokage-sama immediately. If Orochimaru has infiltrated the Chūnin Exams, then all of the participants are in grave danger."
Without wasting another second, Anko quickly instructed one of the squads to head out and inform the Hokage. As for her, she turned and darted into the Forest of Death—toward Orochimaru.
'This time, I won't let you go' she thought, quickening her pace. She had to find him before things escalated even further.
Inside the core of the Forest of Death
Naruto dispelled his Transformation Technique in an instant, seizing the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Orochimaru. He had been waiting for this one vulnerable moment, unleashing all his strength as he drove his kunai toward Orochimaru.
Spurt!
But reality didn't play out the way Naruto had imagined.
He was just a hair's breadth away from landing his strike when his gaze flickered to his opponent's face. It was dark and unsettling, with a knowing smile on his face that shocked Naruto — the other party didn't even look mildly surprised.
'Why?' Naruto thought. 'Why wasn't he caught off guard?'
In the very next moment, Orochimaru effortlessly dodged Naruto's attack.
"Heh… I have to admit, that was a clever tactic," Orochimaru said, his voice soft and eerily feminine, laced with dark amusement. "If it had been anyone else, they might've actually fallen for it."
Before Naruto could react, Orochimaru twisted the kunai Naruto's own weapon driving it into his right arm. A sharp jolt of pain shot through him as blood began to well from the gash on his forearm.
While Naruto reeled from the pain, Orochimaru grabbed his wrist tightly. His serpent-like eyes scanned Naruto's hands carefully and then he let out a chilling, dark laugh. His gaze shifted to Sasuke with even more interest.
His forked tongue slithered out of his mouth repeatedly, licking the air as he stared.
Naruto shuddered. Seeing him up close like this was far worse than anything he'd imagined.
"I don't really see any marks on his hands. You were making things up, weren't you?" Orochimaru said coldly, his gaze shifting toward Sasuke as he held Naruto tightly by the wrist, making it impossible for him to escape.
Then, with a casual flick, he tossed Naruto aside and turned his attention back to Sasuke his true objective from the very beginning.
Naruto, flung with incredible force, went crashing through a series of thick branches before finally hitting the ground hard. The impact knocked him out of his transformation jutsu, revealing his true form along with his vibrant red Uzumaki hair. Cuts and scrapes now lined his arms and face from the rough landing.
"Tch… This bastard—ouch!" Naruto winced, scowling as he brushed the dirt from his clothes. He clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his right hand, then looked up at Orochimaru again.
'This guy... he's on a whole different level.'
Orochimaru hadn't even used a proper jutsu yet and still, he'd overwhelmed all three of them like it was nothing.
Fueled by anger and determination, Naruto rushed back into the fray. Sasuke followed immediately, joining him to double-team the threat. Orochimaru, seeing the two of them attack together, smiled even wider. There was something twisted and fascinated in that expression.
But Orochimaru had no interest in Naruto. He wanted Sasuke. So his first decision was simple—take Naruto out of the fight.
Just as Naruto closed the distance his fist barely inches away from Orochimaru's face—Orochimaru shifted his head ever so slightly, dodging the blow by a hair's width. The precision of it was terrifying.
But then something unexpected happened.
As his gaze landed on Naruto again, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed for the first time, he noticed Naruto's vibrant red hair, now fully visible after the Transformation Jutsu had been dispelled.
In the heat of battle, Naruto couldn't maintain the Transformation, making his true appearance plain for all to see.
His entire body went rigid, as if something had clicked deep inside him. His gaze locked onto Naruto's hair with wide, snake-like eyes that shimmered with excitement. His grin stretched unnaturally as his tongue flicked out again.
It was as if he had just laid eyes on a hidden treasure.
Orochimaru had studied Naruto's records thoroughly. According to the data, Naruto was said to have inherited his father's blond hair a detail that had disappointed him, knowing that those of pure Uzumaki lineage were typically born with striking red hair.
Until now, Orochimaru had experimented on many bloodlines—but some, like the Uchiha and the Hyūga, remained elusive.
Despite managing to obtain samples from both clans, he'd never truly been able to unravel the full potential of their dōjutsu. Years of research had taught him one thing: to unlock a bloodline's true power, you need a body born of that bloodline. Implanting it wasn't enough—it would always be inferior.
he Uzumaki clan remained just out of his reach, its people nearly wiped out with only a handful of survivors left behind none of whom Orochimaru had been able to find, at least not yet.
There were exceptions, like Kushina but he hadn't dared to get within ten meters of that woman. And in the end, she had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
And now, here stood Naruto now.
Orochimaru's expression shifted again another glint of hunger flashing in his eyes.
He had just stumbled across something entirely unexpected. Something precious.
Until now, Orochimaru had researched bloodlines extensively. One thing he'd confirmed through years of study was that individuals with Uzumaki lineage always had red hair from birth. The same rule applied to many other clans as well—distinct physical traits linked to powerful bloodlines. This fact had helped him identify and hunt down numerous Kekkei Genkai users over time.
But now, Naruto had shattered that worldview. Perhaps he was an exception but it raised a far more intriguing question: could someone develop their bloodline later in life? If that were possible...
In that moment, Orochimaru felt like he had glimpsed heaven itself.
But reality soon crept in. He knew it wouldn't be that simple.
Naruto was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—something the old Hokage and the entire village wouldn't allow him to touch. Even if he could tempt Sasuke, there was no way Naruto would ever turn his back on the village. Everything he'd read about the boy showed just how strong his will was. His dream of becoming Hokage was etched into his soul.
And it meant Naruto was unreachable at least, for now.
but… the question kept echoing in his mind repeatedly:
Can bloodlines awaken later in life?
If that were true, it could change everything.
If the traits of a bloodline could emerge unexpectedly—then why couldn't he replicate that process inside his own body?
It opened up a whole new realm of possibilities.
If he could trigger bloodline awakenings artificially… if he could combine traits without drawbacks… then the ultimate vessel was within reach.
While Orochimaru spiraled deeper into his twisted dreams, Naruto and Sasuke launched themselves forward with everything they had.
But the bastard kept dodging every time with angles that defied logic. His movements were unnaturally smooth, avoiding every attack by mere inches. The precision was maddening.
Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and pulled out his thin steel wire strings, preparing for a full-scale assault. Orochimaru, snapping out of his thoughts, let out a low, delighted grin as he noticed their coordinated intent.
Naruto and Sasuke locked eyes for a moment—then nodded.
Without a word, they broke into a pincer attack, approaching Orochimaru from opposite sides, trying to close the space and limit his ability to dodge. The plan was simple: force him to defend while landing an actual hit.
Naruto struck first.
He hurled a barrage of kunai, each armed with at least one explosive tag. His face showed a trace of satisfaction at the setup though he still had a larger scroll tucked safely in his pocket. He was saving that one for the right moment…
…in case things really went south.
As they closed in on Orochimaru, Naruto took the lead, engaging him in fierce taijutsu while Sasuke moved quickly to surround their enemy with wires and kunai. The high-pitched twang of the steel wires stretching echoed through the forest as they tightened, forming a web around the area, locking down Orochimaru's movement.
Orochimaru began retreating, leading them higher into the treetops to shift the battleground. But Naruto and Sasuke didn't let up for even a second. Their continuous, relentless attacks gave him no time to breathe, no space to counter.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto mid-fight, his mind briefly distracted by something strange.
'Red hair?'
He had always known Naruto to have blond hair ever since they were kids. But now, in the middle of battle, Naruto was unmistakably showing the crimson red hair of the Uzumaki clan.
Sasuke didn't know much about the clan, but the change confused him.
'I'll ask him later… if we survive this fight,' he thought, his expression turning serious.
Without wasting time, Sasuke pulled out several kunai, each attached to wires. With expert precision, he flung them toward Orochimaru who had just dodged Naruto's last strike and taken a step back to regain his footing.
The wires whipped through the air.
In seconds, they coiled around Orochimaru, binding him tightly against the trunk of a tree. He struggled, twisting against the wires, but they had him pinned—immobilized and unable to move.
From below, both Naruto and Sasuke began forming hand seals in perfect sync.
Naruto finished his sequence first.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Sasuke followed instantly.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
The fire from Sasuke's jutsu latched onto the wires—using them as a conduit to travel and blazed straight toward the trapped Orochimaru. The metal wires carried the flames with brutal speed, reaching him almost instantly.
Naruto's wind jutsu collided with the fire midair, amplifying it into a roaring inferno.
Flames crackled and roared as the enhanced fire surged forward, engulfing Orochimaru completely in a torrent of burning wind and fire. For a moment, the forest lit up with orange and red light, shadows dancing wildly across the trees.
Then came a long, agonizing scream like the cry of someone being burned alive. The piercing sound echoed through the jungle, chilling everyone who heard it.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!"
Naruto and Sasuke stood their ground, breathing heavily as they watched the inferno consume their enemy.
"…Did we get her?" Naruto asked, still staring at the flames, uncertain.