The next day, under the blazing sun, all the teams gathered before the gates of the Forest of Death.
Before entering, each participant signed a waiver acknowledging the risk of injury or death. Then, each team received two scrolls—one of Heaven, and one of Earth.
The rules were simple: acquire the opposite scroll and reach the central tower. Only teams possessing both scrolls would advance.
Standing before their assigned gate, Hinata's team waited for the signal. Kiba held one of the scrolls, but before they entered, he handed it to Hinata.
She accepted it calmly. Allowing Kiba to hold it would be reckless; with his impulsive nature, she preferred to manage the item herself. Still, she had let him hold it initially to maintain the illusion that he was the one carrying it.
This was, after all, a test—not just of combat, but of judgment and leadership.
Hinata viewed herself as a Chunin already, thinking and acting as one.
Strength alone did not define a Chunin. If that were the case, the exams would simply be a tournament where the strongest remained standing. No—what mattered was the ability to complete a mission under pressure.
At last, the gates creaked open.
"Go!"
Hinata, Kiba, and Shino leapt forward, vanishing into the dense foliage of the forest.
"Should we head straight for the tower," Kiba asked eagerly, "or hunt down other teams first? We could take them all out and grab extra scrolls!"
"Priority is the mission," Hinata replied calmly.
Kiba groaned, disappointed.
"Aww, come on, Hinata! With you around, we're the strongest team here! We could wipe out everyone and finish early!"
Hinata didn't respond. Instead, she leapt lightly onto a tree branch, scanning the surroundings with her Byakugan.
"Shino," she said softly, "we're moving toward the tower."
Shino simply nodded in silent agreement.
Kiba sighed but followed reluctantly.
Before long, Hinata detected movement within her Byakugan's extended range—another team nearby. With precise coordination, she ambushed them effortlessly, subduing all three in seconds.
When they checked the spoils, Kiba's eyes lit up.
"Ha! It's the Heaven Scroll we needed!"
Hinata placed the scroll securely in her pouch.
"Good. Let's head for the tower."
"Really? You're not even going to consider it? This is a perfect chance to show everyone how strong we are!" Kiba protested, unwilling to give up.
Hinata ignored him, already springing ahead through the trees.
"Follow me," she called back.
Shino adjusted his glasses slightly and spoke in his usual quiet tone.
"She's right. The exam isn't about defeating others—it's about completing the mission efficiently."
As they continued their journey, Hinata maintained constant surveillance with her Byakugan. Whenever she detected other teams from a distance, she steered her group away from unnecessary conflict.
Kiba muttered a few more complaints under his breath but ultimately fell in line, following Hinata's lead.
Under her guidance, Team 8 advanced through the Forest of Death swiftly and without incident—every move precise, every decision measured.
Hinata wasn't here to prove her strength.
She was here to prove her discipline—and her worthiness to stand as a true Chunin.
…
As noon approached, Hinata felt her stomach growl in protest. She took a few nutrient pills to stave off the hunger, but they barely worked. With a sigh, she decided to find something more substantial.
Spotting a large snake slithering nearby, she moved in silence. A precise strike to the head ended it instantly. With practiced efficiency, Hinata skinned the serpent and sliced away the meat.
She infused her palm with chakra and slapped the flesh sharply, releasing a faint burst of blue energy that killed any lingering parasites or bacteria. After rinsing the meat with a small bottle of water she carried, she began to eat it raw without hesitation.
When she offered some to Kiba and Shino, both recoiled immediately.
The two exchanged glances, shaking their heads vigorously.
"To avoid revealing our position, we can't light a fire," Hinata explained calmly, tearing another strip of meat. "The smell would attract animals—and possibly enemies. Be cautious. But if you don't want to starve, you'll have to eat."
Despite her rational explanation, neither of them could bring themselves to do it. Shino quietly gathered wild fruit from nearby, while Kiba reluctantly opened a pack of ration bars.
Hinata simply shook her head, unbothered by their squeamishness. She cut open the rest of the meat, cleansing it again with chakra before eating steadily.
Akamaru sat beside her, wagging his tail. Hinata smiled faintly and sliced a few pieces for him as well. The little dog accepted eagerly, munching contentedly.
Within minutes, the six-meter snake was reduced to nothing but bones. Hinata wiped her hands clean, restored her composure, and signaled to continue moving.
…
Suddenly, she halted. Her Byakugan flared open, veins forming around her temples as her gaze locked onto something deep in the forest.
"Hinata?" Kiba called, pausing mid-step. Shino also turned to look, his face unreadable behind his collar.
Hinata said nothing for a long moment. Then she tossed two scrolls toward Shino.
"I have to go," she said quietly. "It might be dangerous. Please—do me a favor."
"What kind of favor?" Shino asked, though his voice carried a trace of concern.
Hinata didn't answer. Her expression had hardened, her pure white eyes focused in another direction. Whatever she had sensed, it demanded her immediate attention.
…
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the forest. Sasuke Uchiha unleashed a massive surge of chakra, casting the Dragon Fire Technique that engulfed Orochimaru in blazing flames.
When the fire finally died down, the charred body of Orochimaru lay motionless on the scorched ground.
"Did they… did they beat him?" Sakura asked anxiously, stepping forward.
"Don't come any closer!" Sasuke barked, his Sharingan spinning. "It's not over yet."
Under Sakura's horrified eyes, the blackened shell on the ground cracked open. A pale hand emerged, then another, followed by a familiar, serpentine grin. Orochimaru stepped out, completely unharmed, peeling away the dead skin from his face.
"Excellent… such sharp insight," he said with a delighted smile. "I like you more and more, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke gritted his teeth and lunged forward again, throwing himself into another desperate assault. His chakra blazed, and his movements sharpened under pressure, but to Orochimaru, it was nothing more than a child's tantrum.
The Sannin toyed with him—testing, measuring—before finally deciding it was time to brand him with the curse seal.
Sasuke's breathing grew ragged. Am I… going to die here?
"No!" he shouted inwardly, forcing his body to move despite his exhaustion. "Move, damn it!"
But his chakra was spent. His Sharingan dimmed and faded. Powerless, he could only watch as Orochimaru's head loomed closer.
Then—
Whoosh! Boom!
A dark shadow flashed past, followed by a thunderous impact. Orochimaru's head snapped backward, his body crashing into the ground.
Sasuke blinked in confusion and turned weakly toward the source.
A young woman stood between them, her face concealed by an iron mask that covered her eyes. She wore a modified kimono designed for combat—graceful yet functional. Her movements were swift and fluid, her chakra pressure heavy.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, palms glowing faintly blue. In a blur, she unleashed a barrage of Gentle Fist strikes, each one connecting with frightening precision.
Finally, she drove her knee into Orochimaru's skull. It exploded like a crushed gourd.
"Who… who are you?" Sasuke breathed, his voice shaking.
Before she could answer, Orochimaru's chilling laughter echoed.
"An interesting little mouse has appeared," his voice drawled from behind.
From the shadows, a new Orochimaru emerged, unharmed, watching with serpentine amusement. His slitted eyes narrowed as he looked past the masked girl—toward the treetops.
…
In the distance, Hinata, hidden in the canopy, realized she had been discovered. Her eyes sharpened.
"Go," she ordered firmly.
Kiba and Shino obeyed immediately, sprinting away at top speed, carrying the unconscious Naruto and supporting the wounded Sasuke.
Orochimaru's tongue flicked out as he drew his sword—one that extended unnaturally from his own throat.
But Hinata's Byakugan had already predicted his movements seconds ahead. She commanded the puppet remotely, forcing it to dodge the strike, then countered with a powerful palm strike that smashed into Orochimaru's face.
The puppet's steel arm dented his cheekbone, twisting his features grotesquely before the impact sent him flying backward.
Before he could recover, Hinata directed the puppet again. It twisted mid-air, launched toward a nearby tree, and came down like a falling meteor, delivering a crushing axe kick that split the trunk in half.
Hidden within another tree through substitution, Orochimaru cursed inwardly.
What is this girl? Why can't I escape her perception?
…
Meanwhile, Kiba raced ahead with Naruto slung over his shoulder, Shino supporting Sasuke, and Sakura close behind.
"Trying to run, are we?" Orochimaru sneered, stepping out from the shadows.
But as he prepared to pursue, a second puppet suddenly landed before him, blocking his path. Like the first, it resembled a masked girl clad in battle attire.
Looking up, Orochimaru finally spotted Hinata herself standing high among the trees, her Byakugan blazing with intensity.
"Don't get in my way, girl," he said, smiling dangerously. "Or I'll kill you."
Hinata didn't reply. She only watched silently as her teammates disappeared from sight. Then her hands formed seals, and both puppets launched forward simultaneously.
Orochimaru dodged easily at first, his amusement fading into irritation.
"So, you really wish to die?" he hissed.
He darted toward her, his movements like a blur of serpentine motion. The two puppets intercepted, leaping into the air as Orochimaru closed the distance.
When they met face-to-face, he finally saw her eyes clearly—calm, pale, unwavering.
"Ten Gods Vacuum Strike!"
A resonant hum filled the air.
Hinata's palm glowed as a sphere of condensed chakra formed, then exploded outward into countless phantom fists that struck all at once. The ground quaked as Orochimaru was pummeled into the dirt, unable to defend or counter.
The two puppets narrowly avoided the blast radius, flinging themselves backward into separate directions.
From the crater below, Orochimaru's laughter echoed once again. Emerging from his own shed skin, he looked up with unsettling delight.
"Interesting… very interesting. Let's see how long you last."
Suddenly, one of Hinata's puppets shifted its aim—not toward Orochimaru himself, but toward an inconspicuous, moss-covered patch of ground dozens of meters away.