In a remote sector of the Forest of Death, Temari and Kankuro followed closely behind Gaara.
"Let's just get this over with, you Rain geezers," Gaara said, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared calmly at the three Rain Genin before him. The giant gourd sat heavy on his back.
"Hey, Gaara, shouldn't we track them first? Figure out which scroll they have before we start a fight?" Kankuro interjected. "If they have the same scroll as us, there's no point in—"
Before Kankuro could finish his sentence, Gaara cut him off.
"What does that matter?"
"I'm going to kill every last person who crosses my sight."
Gaara was a man of his word. Two minutes later, all three Rain ninja lay dead, crushed by his sand.
Hidden in the nearby brush, the members of Team 8 held their breath, their brows furrowed in dread. Gaara had barely moved an inch; his Absolute Defense had effortlessly deflected every desperate attack. Beneath his feet lay three mangled, blood-soaked corpses.
…
By the side of a clear running stream, Naruto and Kanon shared a knowing smirk. Naruto had stripped down to nothing but his boxers, ready to dive in.
Kanon stood beside him, a smile playing on her lips. Her three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, precisely tracking the movements of the fish beneath the water's surface. Though she found the taste of fish repulsive, surviving the Chunin Exams required rations, and she needed to do her part.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Both of them formed the hand sign simultaneously. Dozens of Kanon and Naruto clones popped into existence, all wearing identical mischievous grins.
"Hey! Kanon! Naruto! Make sure you catch plenty!" Sasuke shouted from the bank.
"Got it! Leave it to us, nii-chan!"
"Honestly..." Sasuke shook his head, a small smile escaping him.
Kanon's trench coat had been patched up; though a visible stitch remained on the back, she didn't mind. She and the Naruto clones plunged into the lake, initiating "harvest mode."
While Naruto's original body dove in, Kanon's original self remained perched atop a large boulder, prepping kunai alongside Sasuke. Suddenly, four fish leaped from the water. The Uchiha siblings reacted instantly, their shuriken whistling through the air and pinning all four fish to a nearby tree in a single motion.
"Kanon, Naruto, four isn't enough!" Sasuke called out. "We need more to stock up as travel rations."
"Catch four more! Naruto, you big idiot!"
"Why do you only yell at me and not Kanon?!" Naruto barked back, annoyed.
"Because she's a hot-headed idiot too!"
From her high vantage point, Kanon glared down at her brother. "Hmph! Fine then, no delicious home-cooked meals for you when we get back!"
"Wait! Don't be like that, Kanon!" Sasuke muttered, his composure cracking slightly.
"I'm just kidding," Kanon teased, sticking her tongue out at him.
Just as Sasuke and Naruto were about to start bickering again, Sakura's voice drifted over from a distance.
"Sasuke! Kanon! Naruto! I've got the campfire ready!" she yelled. "Can one of you use a Fire Release jutsu to light it?"
…
The four of them sat in a circle around the crackling fire, four fish roasting on spits.
"It's already the fourth day of the second exam," Sasuke said, shifting into tactical analysis.
"Yeah..." Sakura nodded. "There are less than twenty-five hours left."
"I bet several teams have finished already," Sakura murmured, while Naruto sat nearby, practically drooling over the cooking fish.
Sasuke reached into his gear and pulled out a single scroll. "This is the Earth Scroll we have. The tower is about an eighteen-hour trek from here. We have to find a Heaven Scroll in that time."
"Eh?" Kanon blinked, looking at the three of them with a confused expression.
"Kanon? What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.
"So, the situation is... we're still missing a Heaven Scroll?" she asked.
"Yeah. To pass, we need both the Heaven and Earth scrolls."
"You should have said so earlier."
Kanon reached into her trench coat and pulled out three scrolls, tossing them onto the grass. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura froze. There lay two Heaven Scrolls and another Earth Scroll, discarded by Kanon as if she were shaking out old toys.
"Kanon... you!" Sasuke stared at her, stunned.
"While I was looking for you guys, I ran into some ninja who tried to block my path. I took them out and figured I might as well take these. Waste not, want not!"
Bonk!
A small bump sprouted on Kanon's head as Sasuke delivered a swift chop.
"Why didn't you bring them out sooner?!" Sasuke yelled.
"Nii-chan, you never asked..." Kanon grumbled, rubbing her head.
"Unbelievable... well, let's eat quickly and head for the tower to end this exam!" Sasuke said, a triumphant smile finally breaking across his face. "Good job, Kanon!"
Sakura was so thrilled she lunged forward and hugged Kanon. It was a massive weight off their shoulders. Only Naruto remained focused on the task at hand—the food.
"I think they're done..." Naruto whispered.
The four of them shared the roasted fish, energized by their sudden stroke of luck.
"Alright, let's move out!" Sasuke commanded.
As they set off, Kanon asked worriedly, "What if someone tries to ambush us near the tower?"
"We break through," Sasuke replied simply, charging ahead to lead the way.
Sakura patted Kanon on the shoulder with a helpless shrug and followed. With Sasuke and Sakura in the lead and Naruto and Kanon bringing up the rear to guard their flanks, Team 7 sprinted toward the center of the forest.
The journey was largely uneventful. Aside from a few wild beasts, which Sasuke dispatched with ease, providing even more meat for the road, they encountered no major threats.
Thus, Team 7 completed the trial of the Forest of Death.
When Uchiha Sasuke handed over the sets of Heaven and Earth scrolls, Iruka could only stare at the four of them in pure shock. Three twelve-year-olds and one eleven-year-old... were they truly this capable?
…
The Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, seated near Anko Mitarashi.
"How is it? Does the Curse Mark still pain you?" Hiruzen asked.
"No... thanks to you, it's much better," Anko replied, touching the mark on her shoulder.
Behind them, Kotetsu Hagane spoke with a heavy tone. "Regardless, Orochimaru is one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. Even the Anbu are outmatched against him."
"He's an S-Rank criminal in the Bingo Book. Why would he show up here?"
"Perhaps..." Anko started, remembering Orochimaru's confrontation with her and how he had laid bare his intentions.
Before she could continue, the Third Hokage voiced the realization they all shared: "It's Kanon and Sasuke, isn't it?"
Suddenly, a voice crackled from the monitor in front of them. "Anko-sama! Twenty-two candidates have been confirmed for the end of the second exam. According to the rules, the third exam will utilize the format that hasn't been used in five years."
"The second exam is officially over!"
After careful deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided that the Chunin Exams must proceed. However, he issued a strict order: Orochimaru was to be monitored at all times.
He had a premonition. This exam would bring a new tide of change to the entire Konohagakure.
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