The trees and vines surrounding them, which looked perfectly ordinary a moment ago, suddenly sprang to life. Thick roots, acting like giant pythons, instantly coiled around the ankles of the Sound trio, binding them tightly. These wooden ligatures possessed incredible constricting power and were exceptionally tough. No matter how much the three struggled—even using kunai to hack at them—the wood remained unyielding, only tightening its grip.
"What is this?!" "Let me go!"
The three screamed in terror, their faces a mask of fear and disbelief.
"Now's our chance!" A cold glint flashed through Sasuke's eyes. Holding his blood-stained kunai, his figure blurred like a phantom as he swept past them.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three cold flashes of steel zipped across their throats.
Spurt!
Blood sprayed. The terror and resentment in the eyes of Zaku, Dosu, and Kin froze instantly. Their struggling ceased, and the breath of life vanished from them. Sasuke flicked the blood droplets from his kunai, his expression grim. He was breathing heavily; the encounter had clearly drained him.
"It's... it's over!" Naruto collapsed onto the ground, his body shaking like a leaf.
Yao stepped out from the bushes with Karin, glanced at the two boys, and offered a word of praise: "Well done!"
Sasuke gave a cold huff, clearly not entirely satisfied with his performance. If Yao hadn't intervened at the end, the Sound trio would have surely escaped. He wanted to stand on his own feet, not remain under Yao's protection forever.
Seeing the wounds on Sasuke and Naruto, Karin hurried over. "Please... don't move..." Soft green chakra light manifested in her palms as she pressed them against Naruto's most severe injuries. The gashes from the senbon on his shoulders and the bruises on his body began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye. A moment later, they were completely gone!
"All done!" Karin exhaled, withdrawing her chakra. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and moved to treat Sasuke.
"Whoa! Amazing! It doesn't hurt at all!" Naruto jumped up in surprise, rotating his arm and hopping a few times, feeling completely refreshed.
"That's the Mystical Palm Technique, a high-level medical ninjutsu," Yao said to Naruto. "Aren't you going to thank her?"
"Oh! Right! Thank you, Karin! You're incredible!" Naruto immediately bowed to her in gratitude.
"N-no... you're welcome... it's what I should do!" Karin waved her hands frantically, her face flushing. Being praised so bluntly by Naruto made her shy, but she could feel that his gratitude was sincere, which warmed her heart. The ninjas from the Hidden Grass never thanked her; they only treated her as a mobile healing pack.
"Karin, you're a sensory ninja, how do you know such powerful medical ninjutsu?" Naruto asked curiously.
"I... my perception is just strong, and I've... studied a bit of medical ninjutsu!" Karin replied softly. She didn't want to reveal her unique constitution for fear of being treated as something to be bitten for healing.
Yao smiled and said, "Karin is likely a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki are famous for their powerful life force, massive chakra, and exceptional talent for sealing jutsu. Speaking of which, Naruto, your mother was also an Uzumaki! The blood of the Uzumaki flows through your veins as well!"
"EH?!!" Naruto's eyes widened. He pointed at himself, then looked at Karin, his mouth hanging open. "I... I'm also an Uzumaki? Like Karin?"
This was the first time he had ever received information about his mother's family. The Uzumaki clan? His mom was an Uzumaki?
"Of course," Yao smiled. "Why else do you think your last name is Uzumaki? The 'Uzumaki' in Uzumaki Naruto is the surname of the Uzumaki clan!"
Naruto was stunned. "Uzumaki... Uzumaki clan..."
Karin covered her mouth in surprise. No wonder... no wonder she felt a strange sense of familiarity and warmth from Naruto's chakra earlier. It turned out Naruto was a descendant of the Uzumaki, just like her. Sasuke, listening from the side, also raised an eyebrow. The Uzumaki? He remembered learning about them in the Academy—distant relatives of the Senju clan that had eventually gone extinct.
"Yao, you know about my mom? What was her name? What was she like? How did she die?" Naruto grew emotional, grabbing Yao's arm and pressing for answers.
"Well..." Yao felt a bit of a headache coming on. "I only know your mother was an Uzumaki. As for the rest... I don't know much! We're the same age, after all. I don't have much more information than you do!"
"Oh..." Naruto said, sounding disappointed.
"Alright! Let's keep moving!" Yao changed the subject. "We've gathered the scrolls; let's head straight for the tower in the center of the forest!" Naruto's life story was something he should uncover himself; there was no need for Yao to reveal everything now.
"Okay!" "Right!"
The four of them didn't delay any further, traveling in a straight line toward the central tower. Along the way, other teams occasionally tried to probe them, but after Yao showed a fraction of his strength, most chose to retreat. Thus, in just half a day, Team 7 arrived at the tower.
They were the first team to arrive. The proctors on duty were visibly shocked.
"Konoha Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yao, and..." The Chunin in charge of registration looked at Karin with some hesitation.
"She is Karin, a surviving candidate from the Hidden Grass. She was separated from her teammates in the forest," Yao explained. The proctor nodded and made a note in the records.
Inside the tower, the spacious hall was empty except for them. Following the instructions on the wall, they presented the Heaven and Earth scrolls, completing the core requirement of the second exam. What followed was a long wait—five days spent in the relatively safe but dull confines of the tower. During this time, other teams that passed the exam began to arrive. Aside from the Sand Trio, most teams looked quite disheveled.
Five days later, the second exam in the Forest of Death officially ended. All teams were gathered in a hall within the tower. The atmosphere was heavy; many candidates were wrapped in bandages, and the air smelled faintly of blood and medicine.
One of the chief proctors, Hayate Gekko, announced the list of those who passed:
"After review, the teams and members who have successfully passed the second 'Forest of Death' exam are as follows!" "A total of six teams!" "Team 1: Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Yao, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke." "Team 2: Hidden Leaf, Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame... and Sakura Haruno."
"Team 3: Hidden Leaf, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka." "Team 4: Hidden Leaf, Rock Lee, Tenten, Neji Hyuga." "Team 5: Hidden Leaf, Kabuto Yakushi, Yoroi Akado, Misumi Tsurugi." "Team 6: Hidden Sand, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro."
The list was finished.
The hall fell into a profound silence. On the surface, except for the Sand Trio, the rest were all ninjas from the Hidden Leaf. However, in reality, Kabuto Yakushi, Yoroi Akado, and Misumi Tsurugi were spies from the Hidden Sound Village.
Hayate Gekko coughed several times. "The above... are all the candidates who have passed the second exam! The content and rules of the third stage of the Chunin Exams will be personally explained to you by Lord Hokage. Now... please take a short break to prepare for the upcoming preliminaries!"