Forest of Death — Nightfall
The forest grew colder as the light died.
What little sunlight managed to pierce the canopy vanished completely, leaving only shadows and the distant sounds of predators moving through the undergrowth.
Team 7 didn't stop until Naruto raised a hand.
"…Here."
They dropped into a natural alcove formed by massive, twisting tree roots. The space curved inward like a shallow cave—concealed from most angles, elevated just enough to avoid ground-level threats.
Sasuke scanned once.
Twice.
"…Good cover."
Sakura exhaled, finally allowing some tension to leave her shoulders.
"…We're really staying here?"
Naruto nodded, already moving.
"Yeah. Defensible. Limited entry points."
A beat.
"And I'm not trying to get jumped in my sleep."
Trap Setup
Naruto slipped back out into the clearing silently.
Hands already moving.
Wire.
Tags.
Metal spikes.
He crouched low, embedding the Exploding Makibishi Spike Trap just beneath the top layer of dirt, carefully disguising it with leaves and loose soil.
Ping
Trap Making – LVL 4 (39/40) → LVL 4 (40/40)→ LVL UP! Trap Making LVL 5 (2/50)
A faint grin.
"…Perfect."
He dusted his hands off and slipped back into the alcove.
Fire Argument
Inside—
Sasuke was already gathering small branches.
Naruto immediately joined him.
Sakura turned—
And froze.
"…What are you doing?"
Naruto blinked.
"…Starting a fire?"
"NO."
Immediate.
Absolute.
"You will NOT light a fire in the Forest of Death!"
Naruto pointed at her.
"Counterpoint—it's cold."
Sasuke didn't look up.
"…And visibility isn't an issue if it's controlled."
Sakura stared at both of them like they had lost their minds.
"Visibility isn't the problem—other teams will SEE IT!"
Naruto shrugged.
"Let 'em."
A beat.
"We'll just beat them up too."
Sakura grabbed her head.
"That's NOT a strategy—!"
Too late.
A small flame sparked to life between Sasuke's fingers.
A moment later—
A controlled fire burned low in the alcove, shadows dancing across the root walls.
Sakura sat down, defeated.
"…I hate both of you."
Naruto grinned.
"Love you too."
The flickering light cast exaggerated shadows against the curved root walls.
Naruto leaned back, stretching—
Then froze.
"…Wait."
He looked at the wall.
Then at Sasuke.
Then back at the wall.
A slow, stupid grin spread across his face.
"…Yo."
Sasuke didn't respond, digging into his pack for survival rations/a sleeping roll.
Naruto shifted closer to the fire—
Positioning himself just right—
Sasuke's and Naruto's shadows stretched across the wall behind them.
"…Hey Sasuke, need any help repacking your bag?"
Sasuke glanced up.
Paused.
Then—
Without a word—
"Why not?"
Naruto picked up an unused ration, stuffing it into Sasuke's sack.
From Sakura's angle it looked like something was… very wrong with his silhouette.
"—What are you doing?" Sakura asked, mortified.
Naruto tried (and failed) to keep a straight face.
"…Nothing, helping Sasuke with his bag."
Sasuke, for once, played along—
"Hn..."
Naruto pulled out more items, from Sasuke's pack as his counterpart got on all fours to make it easier.
An umbrella was wrenched from the bag. "Good lord Sasuke, what do you keep in here?"
Sasuke shifted, looking back at his counterpart. "Anything that I fancy I suppose."
Naruto struggled to pull out the next item.
"Ugh, gosh why is this so hard?"
Sasuke, growing inpatient stated:
"Give it a good tug! It should come loose eventually." A knotted rope stretched itself out of his bag, shadows dancing.
Finally, a makeshift smoke bomb rolled out that quickly dusted all of the members of team 7 in their makeshift camp. The shadows, ever present, offered a suggestive view of what was actually happening.
Sakura stared at the wall.
Then at them.
Then back at the wall.
She blushed and turned away.
"…Sasuke...are you really into this?"
Naruto broke first—
Laughing.
Sasuke smirked, the closest thing to amusement he'd show.
Far beyond the firelight—
Hidden in the darkness—
Something watched hungrily.
"Oh Sasuke my boy ku ku ku...you may be an even better vessel than I anticipated."
Orochimaru stood silently on a high branch, golden eyes reflecting the faint glow of the fire.
His eyes shifted slightly—
To Naruto.
Sensing his chakra.
Chaotic.
Massive.
Interesting.
"…Keep your hands out of my toy! He's mine..."
A quiet chuckle slipped from his lips.
"…This exam is far more entertaining than I expected."
His gaze returned to Sasuke.
Sharper now.
The forest seemed to recoil slightly around him.
Night Deepens, 3 hours later
Back inside the alcove—
The fire burned low.
Sakura dozed lightly, kunai still in hand.
Sasuke rested with eyes closed—
But not asleep.
Naruto sat upright—
On watch.
The forest sounds shifted.
Subtle.
Wrong.
Naruto's eyes scanned the treeline.
"…Sasuke."
Sasuke's eyes snapped open instantly.
"…I feel it."
A presence.
Not like before.
Not genin.
Not even close.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Predatory.
The fire flickered violently before snuffing out
Then—
A killing intent flooded the area.
Cold.
Overwhelming.
Ancient.
Sakura jolted awake instantly.
"W-What is that—?!"
Naruto's grin was gone.
Completely.
"…Something bad."
Engagement Begins
A figure stepped into the edge of the firelight.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Grass headband.
Long black hair.
The same genin from earlier.
But now—
There was no hiding it.
The air around him felt wrong.
Like it didn't belong.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"…You."
Sasuke was already on his feet.
Body tense.
Every instinct screaming.
The figure smiled.
Too wide.
Too unnatural.
"Good evening… children."
A pause.
His killing intent surged again—
Crushing.
Suffocating.
Sakura's legs trembled.
Naruto clenched his fists.
Sasuke stepped forward—
Despite it.
Eyes blazing.
The figure's gaze locked onto him.
"…Ah."
A soft, pleased sound.
"That's the one."
Naruto formed his signature cross, a half dozen clones spawning into existence. POOF POOF POOF
Opening Clash
Naruto struck first.
No hesitation.
A kunai flashed forward—
But it wasn't the blade that mattered.
It was the tag wrapped around the handle.
"Fuinjutsu—"
He brought up his hand, forming a half tiger sign
The kunai struck the ground in front of the unknown grass ninja—
And detonated instantly.
THUMP
A minor concussive blast tore through the alcove, debris flew outward. The tag itself didn't have much power to it. What it detonated however did. The Makibishi spike trap Naruto had laid earlier BOOMED into action. Spikes of metal flew in a directional cone towards Orochimaru.
Sakura flinched.
"Did that—?!"
Smoke cleared.
The figure stood there.
Unmoved.
Unharmed.
Skin torn, hanging in shreds from a face unknown to the three genin.
"…Good attempt."
The figure took the loose skin and slowly pulled it from his body, as if shedding skin, revealing a milky white face underneath. A smile never leaving their face.
Naruto clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, figured."
The clones summoned previously attacked from all sides
Sasuke moved with them—
Perfect synchronization.
*Ping*
Perk: Uchiha's personal trainer activated!
+10% to all stats!
Naruto cleared the notification from his view, narrowing his eyes on the target.
His clones followed through with high-low combinations—
Shuriken and kunai, hiding in the shadows of other projectiles—
Academy Taijutsu pushed to its limits.
Naruto himself came in from above—
Tree Walking active—
Dropping with a downward heel strike.
Orochimaru didn't dodge.
He flowed.
His body bent backward unnaturally, spine arching like a serpent as the kick passed inches from his face.
A clone struck from the side—
A jab with a kunai at the end of the hand—
Intercepted.
Caught.
The pale ninja simply squeezed the clones hand in a vice like grip. POOF
The clone dispersed instantly.
Another came from behind—
Only for Orochimaru's body to stretch—
Wrapping around the clone like a boa constrictor with inhuman speed, the clone vanished in a puff of smoke.
Sasuke appeared in the opening—
Sharingan blazing—
A precise kick aimed for the temple.
Orochimaru raised a hand—
Caught it.
Easily.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he was held in the air by the pale beast.
Naruto landed beside him.
"Wind Release—Cyclone!"
Naruto slammed his palm to the left of Snake face—
A spiraling vortex of wind erupted outward, ripping through the roots and forcing Orochimaru's to let of Sasuke, throwing him back. While airborne, Sasuke performed an aerial flip, slowing his momentum, forming hand signs all the while.
"Fire Style—Fireball jutsu!"
An inferno barreled towards the snake—
Shuriken hidden within.
The combo was clean.
Deadly.
Wind fed fire—
Fire masked steel—
The attack engulfed the target completely.
BOOM—WHOOSH
The impact shredded the clearing.
Flames licked upward—
Smoke rising—
Silence.
Then—
The fire dissipated in but a second, revealing a smirking man.
Unburned.
Unharmed.
"…Excellent coordination."
Naruto's grin faltered slightly.
"…Okay."
"Now you're just being rude."
Sakura's Support
From the rear—
Sakura's hands formed a seal.
"Genjutsu—!"
A subtle illusion spread—
Distorting perception—
Altering depth and movement—
For a split second—
Orochimaru's vision shifted.
Three Narutos.
Three Sasukes.
Angles warped—
Timing skewed—
Then—
It shattered.
Instantly.
Like glass.
Orochimaru didn't even look at her.
"…Irrelevant."
Sakura's breath caught.
"…!"
The pressure alone nearly dropped her.
She staggered back—
Realizing—
She couldn't touch him.
Not like this.
Naruto inhaled sharply.
"Fine."
His hands blurred—
Chakra compressing—
Sharpening—
Condensing into a single point.
"Wind Release—"
His arm thrust forward—
"Gale Pierce!"
The air screamed.
A concentrated spear of wind tore forward—faster than anything they had thrown so far.
This time—
A snake sprouted from the ground, tanking the blast of wind
A clean line carved through flesh—
Before exploding into the trees behind it.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"…Snakes?—!"
Orochimaru peeked his head out from beside the snake's corpse, his tongue flicking out—
"…Interesting."
Naruto's stomach dropped slightly.
Seeking to recreate his effort from team Guy he formed 8 hand seals in a few seconds
"Back up!" Naruto barked.
Sasuke didn't argue.
They created distance desperately.
Naruto's chakra surged—
With no nearby water source his newfound water affinity drew on moisture within the air.
Pulling—
Forcing—
"Water Release—"
The ground trembled.
Moisture gathered—
"Tidal Wave!"
A surge of water erupted forward, smaller than what he used against team guy, but still a hefty weight in water—
Water crashed through the forest in a violent flood aimed directly at Orochimaru.
For a moment—
He disappeared beneath it.
The wave tore through trees—
Uprooted earth—
Flattened everything in its path.
Naruto breathed hard.
"Did that—"
The water split.
Not by force—
But by presence.
Orochimaru stood at its center.
Completely still.
Water flowing around him like a rock in a stream.
"…Raw power."
A smile spread wider.
"…but no refinement."
Faster than Naruto could see, a blast of wind launched him from his location on a thick branch, tumbling throughout the forest, far away from his teammates.
Realization.
Sasuke was alone with Sakura and this monster.
His Sharingan spun faster.
Analyzing.
Failing to see any hope.
"…We can't win."
Sakura responded with a panicked gasp:
"Sasuke-kun, we have to give away our scroll! There's no other way!"
Hidden in his pouch of unmentionables laid the 3 scrolls team 7 had earned in their time within the forest.
Orochimaru took a step forward, hand outstretched, "Yes Sasuke, give it here. I promise to leave you alone after I receive your scroll!"
The pressure spiked instantly.
Killing intent—
Real.
Ancient.
Overwhelming.
Sakura collapsed to one knee.
Sasuke's legs quivered. Primal fear freezing his entire body.
Another step from Orochimaru.
"You want our scroll?" said Sasuke, reaching into his side pouch retrieving an item.
In that moment, a kunai was drawn, stabbing into his shaking knees below—
The pain jumpstarted Sasuke's body, dashing at team 7's assailant.
'How can I expect to defeat Itachi if I can't take on this foe!'
Over 100m away
Naruto's head thunked against a tree, his body sliding down its great length.
*Ping*
Status debuff incurred: Concussion!
-30% intelligence and -15% Agility for 2 hours
As he lifted his head in a groan, Naruto heard a *HISSS* from above his head.
An elephant sized boa constrictor lunged at him swallowing him whole. In his concussion state, he could only watch as his body became wrapped in a slimy snakeskin wallet, helpless.
Struggling against the claustrophobic wet, squelching space, Naruto made his trademark handsign.
Within moments the snake was filled with dozens clones. Although Naruto created a noticeable pocket inside the snake, he was still trapped.
*Ping*
Skill: Shadow Clone Jutsu has leveled up! LVL 6 -> LVL MAX. Would you like to evolve the skill?
Naruto groggily affirmed the notification, a line of text filling his eyes.
Shadow Clone Jutsu has evolved into Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Summoning clones is more than just a hobby. With Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu you can now summon over 100 clones at once, with very little memory feedback fatigue!
He formed a cross again, this time a cascade of Naruto's were summoned throughout the entire snake, causing it to burst from the seams. *SQUELCH* - exploding snake
As he collected himself, brushing off the gore and slime of the burst snake, Naruto heard a scream in the distance.
His brows scrunched in fury, the normal sky blue eyes turning a deep predatory red.
If he was in any mental state to notice he would've seen a *Ping*
Kyuubi Rage Mode induced!
x3 Strength 50 -> 150
x2 Agility 68 -> 136
x3 Endurance 60 (+10%) -> 198
X.2 Intelligence (12.2)
All status debuffs have been cured!
Back with Orochimaru and Sasuke
For the first time—
They clashed.
Blow for blow.
Sasuke's kicks cracked against Orochimaru's guard, performing acrobatic flips to keep his combos going
His punches followed, kunai being held in both hands to make himself more lethal. He spun in the air, adding momentun for a haymaker blocked by an outstretched palm—
The Sharingan burned in his eyes—
Pushing him further—
Faster—
Stronger—
Than he had ever been.
"…This is it."
Orochimaru thought.
Watching.
Testing.
Measuring.
"…This is the one."
Sasuke lunged again, a dynamic entry type kick actually knocking his opponent from the branch they'd found purchase on, sending them tumbling into the clearing below. Sasuke POOFed out of existence.
During Orochimaru's fall, Sasuke appeared behind him in a flash, mirroring the trajectory of his fall
His hands shot out, wrapping around his limp adversary.
In a suicidal dive, Sasuke's body wrapped around Orochimaru, placing the pale man's head as the first thing that would collide with the ground.
The two fell at blistering speed landing on the ground with a great WOOOSH, CRAACK
Sasuke flipped away at the last moment, releasing Orochimaru's body for maximum impact.
"—!"
The body he'd dealt a devastating blow to quickly melted into a useless sludge of mud.
In his shock, he was too late to dodge a pair of hands around his neck. He was choked until he almost blacked out.
Kicking—
Clawing—
Chakra flaring wildly—
But it didn't matter.
Orochimaru leaned in close.
Eyes locked onto his.
"…You have potential."
A pause.
His smile turned—
Dark.
"…But you're still incomplete."
Sasuke's eyes widened—
As Orochimaru's head tilted—
Mouth opening—
Too wide—
Far too wide—
Revealing elongated fangs.
"—What—"
Then—
He was blasted away by a punch from a streak of orange covered in a half made cloak of blistering red.
The choke was released, sending Sasuke toppling to the ground.
He sucked in air through wheezes and coughs. As he looked at his teammate's red slit eyes a look of terror and surprise marred his usually stone like face.
"What's wrong, Scaredy cat?" His teammate questioned in a low guttural growl.
Naruto turned back to the now recovered Orochimaru preparing to fight.
The pale faces criminal's face scrunched in an apparent displeasure. Flames of chakra ignited on his fingertips.
Naruto charged his opponent in a blind rage, dead set on ending the fight as soon as possible.
Orochimaru countered the predictable haymaker and shoved his fingers into Naruto's stomach, eliciting a loud "OOPH." He dropped to the ground lifelessly.
What happened next would haunt Sasuke's dreams. Their nightmare of an opponent's neck elongated to an inhuman degree, lashing out at his still weak form.
His pale neck was then bitten, leaving a spiraling mark along the nape of his neck, the ugliest hicky he'd ever seen. He too dropped to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Their opponent sauntered away, calling out "Come find me in the future," as Sasuke's eyes slid to a close.
Sakura, free from her fear induced paralysis, gathered her teammates and dragged them into the hidden alcove they had previously taken shelter in.
Scared and alone, she prayed that no one would be able to find them.
Skills leveled up in this engagement:
Trap Making – LVL 5 (02/50) → LVL 5 (18/60)
Academy Taijutsu – LVL 6 (05/60) → LVL 6 (59/60
Shadow Clone Jutsu – LVL 6 (35/60) → LVL MAX
Shadow Shuriken Jutsu – LVL 3 (9/30) → LVL 3 (24/30)
Fuinjutsu – LVL 3 (26/30) → LVL 4 (8/40)
Wind Release: Cyclone – LVL 5 (15/50) → LVL 6 (9/60)
Wind Release: Gale Pierce – LVL 4 (14/40) → LVL 4 (38/50)
Water Release: Tidal Wave – LVL 3 (19/30) → LVL 4 (02/40)
Stay tuned for mission updates and further rewards!