Chapter 56: The Written ExamIn an instant, the air in the classroom seemed to have been sucked away, leaving it deathly quiet; some Genin in the back rows couldn't help but swallow their saliva.Ibiki Morino's gaze slowly swept across the entire classroom. He spent no more than a second on each face, but every Genin he stared at unconsciously straightened their backs a little."Now, I will announce the rules for the first exam."Ibiki Morino nodded in satisfaction and held up two fingers: "Step one, submit your application forms and receive your seat numbers at the same time.""The seat numbers are random. You may not change them, and you may not swap seats with anyone.""Step two, sit in your assigned seats, and the proctors will distribute the written exam papers.""That is all. Now, begin submitting your application forms and take your seats in order."Upon hearing this, everyone began to follow Ibiki Morino's instructions, lining up to walk to the podium to submit their application forms, receiving small slips of paper with seat numbers from the proctors, and then finding their seats according to the numbers on the slips.Naruto took the slip, glanced down at the number, and found his seat. He sat down, and as he turned his head, he saw a pair of white eyes in the adjacent seat quickly dart away from his gaze.Hinata sat in the seat to Naruto's right, her knees pressed together and her hands resting on them.Her body trembled slightly, revealing that Hinatawas far less calm on the inside than she appeared on the outside."Hinata, what a coincidence."Seeing Hinata, Naruto turned his head and lowered his voice to greet her."Na... Naruto-kun, let's do our best on the exam!"Hinata seemed to have used all her strength to finish that sentence. After she spoke, she quickly lowered her head, her hair covering her entire face, leaving only two bright red ears visible through the strands.Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head. Just as he was about to say something else, Ibiki Morino's voice once again rang out through the entire classroom."The exam rules are as follows. First, everyone starts with ten points for the entire written exam, and there are nine questions in total on the paper.""Second, candidates caught cheating will have two points deducted each time.""Third, if the three members of the same team have a cumulative total of more than three deductions, the entire team fails and is eliminated on the spot.""Fourth, the ninth question will be announced in the last forty-five minutes of the exam.""The exam duration is one hour.""Now, the exam begins."With points being deducted, even if just one person on a team was caught cheating three times, the whole team would be eliminated.This rule was equivalent to weaving an invisible, high-voltage electric net among all the candidates; one person's mistake would implicate the entire team.The moment the exam papers were distributed, the air in the classroom changed.The Genin who received the papers had varying expressions; some furrowed their brows, some turned pale, some picked up their pens only to put them down again, and beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads.Naruto flipped open the first page of the exam paper and scanned it from top to bottom.The first question was code-breaking, requiring the analysis of the encryption rules for a non-standard code and the writing out of the plaintext.The second question was about the mechanics of Chakra nature transformations, providing a Chakraattribute distribution chart for a seven-man squad and requiring the deduction of the optimal counter-strategy under various battlefield terrains.The third question was even more absurd; it provided half of an incomplete paper bomb talisman diagram and required the examinee to complete the remaining runes and mark the detonation time deviation value.Flipping further, the subsequent questions were even more outrageous than the last; one question even asked them to calculate the ballistic trajectory of a shuriken under headwind conditions.Naruto closed the exam paper.These kinds of questions were simply not something a Genin could answer; one could even say they weren't meant to be answered at all.Asking twelve-year-old Genin to complete paper bomb talisman runes?Paper bomb talisman runes were dangerous formulas that only Jonin and Special Jonin would come into contact with; the Ninja Academy had only taught the basic principles related to them for two lessons.The true purpose of the first exam was not to test whose knowledge base was more solid, but to test who could gather intelligence under high-pressure environments without revealing themselves.This exam didn't test the candidates' brains; it tested their core qualities as a Ninja: intelligence gathering ability and anti-reconnaissance concealment skills.Naruto scanned his surroundings without changing his expression.As expected.A few Genin in the back rows with steady expressions had already begun to move.After realizing the content of the exam, many Ninjabegan to cheat.A Kusagakure Genin secretly released a Chakraspider smaller than a fingernail, which crawled down the table leg.Gaara had his eyes slightly closed, and the sand in front of him slowly spread out across the table and then gathered, arranging itself grain by grain into the shape of words.And not far in front of him, Shino, who was wearing sunglasses, tilted his head slightly, and a Kikai insect peeked out from his collar....Sakura received the exam paper, quickly browsed through all nine questions, and then the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.These questions were indeed like a heavenly book to ordinary Genin, but not to her.When she was at the Ninja Academy, she was the top student in the theory classes; she scored full marks in everything from cryptography and Chakraattribute analysis to pharmacology.Sakura pulled out her pen, took a deep breath, and then lowered her head, the tip of her pen scratching across the answer sheet.Uchiha Sasuke also flipped open his exam paper.He read the stem of the first question and realized: were these exam questions something a Genincould normally answer?No, this was a pure selection test; what was being selected was not knowledge reserves, but another kind of ability.Then, how many could he answer himself?Uchiha Sasuke flipped through the exam paper from beginning to end, and then curled his lip slightly.Alright, he couldn't answer a single one.However, Uchiha Sasuke didn't panic, because he had already noticed that the actions of several candidates nearby were suspicious.Uchiha Sasuke loosely clenched his hands on the desk and then slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his pupils had transformed into the two-tomoe Sharingan.It was just copying answers; the Sharingan could even copy Ninjutsu instantly, so copying a Genin's written exam paper posed absolutely no technical difficulty.The candidate sitting two rows in front of Uchiha Sasuke was lowering their head and scratching away at the exam, their movements neither fast nor slow, and the handwriting on the answer sheet was clearly visible.Uchiha Sasuke directly used his Sharingan to copy the other person's movements, as if the other person's hand were his own."Hmph, easy!"Uchiha Sasuke looked smug....Soon, only the scratching of pens and the occasional heavy breathing remained in the classroom.Ibiki Morino and the group of proctors behind him stood on the podium and by the windows like stone statues; their eyes slowly swept across the entire room at an extremely low frequency, capturing every subtle flaw.Suddenly, a Genin in the back left row let out a miserable scream, and was then dragged up from his seat by two proctors and hauled out, along with his two teammates, who were also escorted out of the exam hall.In less than ten minutes, several groups were dragged out one after another.After watching this spectacle, Naruto withdrew his gaze and looked at Hinata on his right.
Chapter 57: The Tenth QuestionHinata was bowing her head, staring intently at the exam paper in front of her, her hand holding a pen as she wrote down the answers neatly.To a Genin, these questions were like a foreign language, but to the young lady of the Hyuga Clan, they were probably just moderately difficult homework.Hinata was being raised by her family as the heir to the main branch, and the educational resources and depth of instruction of the Hyuga Clan were incomparable to the average Ninja Academy.Not to mention cryptography and Chakra attribute analysis, even the completion of explosive tag runes was something Hinata had practiced at least dozens of times at the family training grounds.Naruto leaned slightly toward Hinata and lowered his voice: "Hinata!"Upon hearing Naruto's voice, Hinata's hand holding the pen paused slightly, and she lifted her head to turn toward Naruto.The moment she met Naruto's eyes, Hinata's face flushed red once again in a flash.Naruto didn't speak; he merely glanced at Hinata's exam paper, then pushed his own blank answer sheet forward by half an inch, gesturing toward his paper with his chin.The gesture was simple and clear: Could I copy off you?Hinata's face turned even redder.Her heart experienced a superstorm in an instant: "Naruto-kun is looking at my exam paper, Naruto-kun wants me to help him, I'm helping Naruto-kun."Without any hesitation, Hinata moved her exam paper a good distance toward Naruto—the movement was so large that Kiba, who was sitting in the row behind her, saw it.Kiba opened his mouth wide in the back, while Akamaru lay on the desk and covered his eyes with his two front paws.Naruto's mouth twitched."Hinata, I'm very touched by your intentions, but that movement of sliding the exam paper was way too obvious.""Ibiki Morino's eyes are scanning from the podium, you know."However, Ibiki didn't seem to be looking in this direction.Or rather, he saw it but didn't react at all.Naruto turned his attention to Hinata's exam paper, his pen quickly writing on his own sheet.As Naruto wrote, he had a brand-new experience regarding cheating on homework.In his past life, he had at least been a college student, and now, having a twelve-year-old girl let him copy her homework, the feeling was a little subtle, to say the least.The exam time ticked away, second by second, amidst silent pressure.When the timer hit forty-five minutes, Ibiki Morino's deep voice rang out right on time."Stop writing, put down your pens, and everyone look up at me."The scars on Ibiki's face looked particularly menacing under the fluorescent lights. After the last examinee put down their pen, he spoke: "Enough have been eliminated.""Now, I will announce the tenth question."The atmosphere in the classroom suddenly tightened to the extreme.The tenth question—the sword that had been hanging over everyone's heads since the start of the exam—was finally about to fall.All the examinees who had luckily passed the first nine questions held their breath, waiting for Ibiki to state the question."But before I announce the tenth question..."The corners of Ibiki's mouth curved up slowly: "I want to add an extra condition."Watching the expressions of the sixty-plus examinees below stiffen, he continued, enunciating every word: "For the tenth question, you may choose to answer, or you may choose not to.""If you choose not to answer, you are eliminated on the spot, and all three members of your team must leave the exam hall.""But if you choose to answer and get it wrong, then you will be permanently stripped of your eligibility to take the Chunin Exams.""Not this year, not next year, but for the rest of your life.""Those who choose to answer and get it wrong will never be able to become a Chunin.""Wait... what kind of bullshit rule is this!"A burly Genin from Amegakure at the back of the classroom slammed his hand onto his desk with a loud bang as he stood up abruptly: "If you get it wrong, doesn't that ruin your whole life?""Some people here have taken the Chunin Examsseveral times; by what right do you get to make the rules?"Ibiki wasn't angry.Instead, he grinned, his smile looking particularly sinister on his scarred face."You can only blame your bad luck; the proctor for this year's first exam is me.""The rules I set are the rules.""All examinees under my supervision have only two choices: obey or be eliminated.""If you don't like it, try your luck with a different proctor in the next exam."A deathly silence fell over the classroom."You still have the right to choose not to answer.""Think of the tenth question as a threshold. If you aren't confident in crossing it, then leave it outside. Whether to step forward or not, the choice is in your hands now.""I will not say this a second time.""Starting now, those who want to give up, raise your hands.""Those who raise their hands, along with their entire team, will be eliminated."The classroom went quiet in an instant, so quiet that you could hear the rapid breathing of many people.Some stared at the exam paper in front of them with pale faces, some braced their elbows on the desk with their hands clasped so tightly their knuckles turned white, and some were exchanging intense glances with their teammates.All this information was running at high speed through the brains of the examinees.Giving up meant this year was a wasted trip, but there was still next year, and the year after that.But it also meant your teammates would have to give up along with you.And if you chose to answer and got it wrong, the door to becoming a Chunin would be closed forever.The silence was broken.A pale-faced examinee slowly raised their hand.Everyone looked at him; his teammates sat beside him without speaking, merely bowing their heads deeply.Immediately after, one after another, a few more trembling hands rose from behind the desks.Ibiki didn't say another word; he called out names, and the proctors quickly stepped forward to lead away those who had raised their hands, along with all the members of their respective teams.Among those being taken away, one person squatted on the ground and cried when they reached the classroom door, only to be silently helped up by their teammates and dragged into the hallway.Time ticked away, second by second, as Ibiki's gaze swept over the examinees who still remained in the classroom."There is one minute left before the tenth question begins. Does anyone else want to quit?"No one spoke.Not a single hand was raised again.Every breath of those remaining in the classroom was heavy, but not a single seat was empty.Sakura sat in her seat, her clenched fists trembling slightly on her knees.She glanced at Sasuke, glanced at Naruto, then took a deep breath and gripped the pen in her hand tightly.Ibiki looked at the remaining twenty teams of Geninand was silent for a moment.The next second.The menacing scars on his face spread out as he smiled.Chapter 58: Forest of Death"Now, based on everyone who remains, I hereby declare that you have all passed the first exam."In an instant, the heavy atmosphere in the classroom deflated like a punctured balloon."Huh?""Why?"Everyone was completely baffled, having no idea what was going on!"As Chunin, you may be sent to execute missions under any environment and in any situation in the future. Quite a few of these missions will involve highly opaque intelligence and unpredictable high risks..."Ibiki looked at the bewildered crowd and explained, "Ninjas who do not want to accept risks, dare not take on heavy responsibilities, and can be easily dissuaded by others will ultimately pass the casualties of the entire mission onto the comrades they were supposed to protect.""We do not need such people to become Chunin.""You have made your choice, so there is no need to take the remaining ninth question.""Congratulations, there are even more difficult trials waiting for you next."Right at the moment Ibiki's voice fell.The glass of the classroom window was shattered into pieces.While the shattered glass was still scattering in mid-air, a figure wearing a mesh top and fishnet stockings leaped in from outside the window.The person flipped in the air and landed steadily on the podium.This person had a tall figure, with her short dark-brown hair tied into a neat ponytail at the end. She wore a beige trench coat over her shoulders, which was open at the chest, revealing a fishnet shirt underneath.Anko Mitarashi.Konoha's Special Jonin, the proctor for the second exam, and also Orochimaru's disciple.Anko, holding a dango skewer in her mouth, looked around the classroom at the twenty-odd groups of candidates, then turned to Ibiki with a grin."Out of over sixty registered groups, twenty groups actually remained. Ibiki, are you being too soft this year?"Anko took down the dango skewer, her tone light and cheerful.Since Naruto did not make any shocking declarations like he did in the anime, there were a few less groups now compared to the anime.Ibiki looked at Anko expressionlessly: "There are quite a few outstanding prospects this year.""Doesn't matter.""For the second exam, I will eliminate half of the people."Anko nodded, looking completely indifferent.The crowd in the classroom, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, was choked up again by Anko's words.Cut by half?The second exam hadn't even started, and she had already announced in advance that half would be eliminated.At this moment, Anko spread her arms and flashed a wide grin at all the candidates."I am the proctor for the second exam, Anko Mitarashi!""The first round is over! You trash, don't just lounge around on the floor wasting time. Follow me immediately to the location of the second exam!"The Forest of Death.This name was not a modifier or an adjective, but a heavy, official place name.Primeval trees dozens of meters high blotted out the sky, their branches intricately intertwined, allowing almost no complete sunlight to filter through.Even at noon, the forest was incredibly dark.From deeper in the forest, the faint roars of some large creatures and the sounds of startled birds taking flight could be heard.Standing before the Forest of Death, all the candidates lowered their voices as they stared at the jungle before them, which resembled a giant, man-eating maw."This is the venue for the second exam, the Forest of Death."Anko walked in front of everyone, a stack of documents appearing in her hand at some point.She shook the stack of papers."Before officially entering the Forest of Death, everyone must sign this consent form.""Because you might very well die in there, and if you don't sign, I'll be held responsible!"Anko didn't deliberately lower her voice, speaking casually in a tone similar to everyday conversation before slapping the consent forms onto a nearby simple registration desk."What a drag!"Shikamaru sighed, muttering as he was the first to walk up and sign his name.Following that, each team stepped forward in turn to sign, and no one spoke another word.After they finished signing the consent forms and returned to the queue, Anko had the proctors bring out two scroll boxes sealed with opaque Ninjutsu seals, opening the lids in front of everyone.The two boxes were neatly filled with scrolls; the left box was stuffed with scrolls labeled "scroll of heaven," and the right was labeled "scroll of earth.""The rules for the second exam are very simple."Anko said, pointing to the Forest of Death behind her: "Each of your teams will be randomly assigned a scroll.""There is a tower in the center of the forest. Any team that can gather a set of both the scroll of heaven and the scroll of earth and bring them to the tower within five days will be considered to have completed the task.""Five days. No exceptions for latecomers.""There is only one rule restriction: the scrolls cannot be opened before reaching the tower. Any team that opens them without permission will be immediately eliminated, and all members will be escorted back to the starting point."The battle for the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.After receiving their scrolls, each team was assigned to an individual entrance.Naruto stepped forward and received the scroll of heaven. He handed it to Sasuke for safekeeping, then closed his eyes, silently spreading out his Sense of Good and Evil.Then, an extremely massive and cold Chakraappeared in Naruto's perception.Orochimaru.One of the Legendary Sannin, a rogue Ninja of Konoha, a former member of the Akatsuki Organization, and one who coveted Sasuke.With his current strength, if he did not activate his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto was not confident he could defeat Orochimaru in a head-on clash.The chasm in strength was right there; there was no point in a Genin going head-to-head with a legendary Kage-level Ninja.However, Orochimaru also did not want to expose his presence ahead of time during Konoha's Chunin Exams. Sneaking into the Forest of Death disguised in a candidate's skin, his primary goal was to place a curse mark on Sasuke rather than being discovered by Konoha. Therefore, while Naruto might not be able to defeat him, driving him back was still possible.Time passed.Each team took their positions at their designated entrance points.Anko stood on a high tree branch right in the center of all the entrance points, holding a Kunai high in her hand.She looked at the dense crowd of candidates, her lips curling into an excited smile."The second exam of the Forest of Death starts now!"In an instant, dozens of figures simultaneously turned into afterimages and vanished into the Forest of Death.Naruto pushed open the wire mesh gate, Sasukekept pace at his side, and Sakura followed closely behind.The shadows of the primeval trees swallowed the figures of the three bit by bit, and the wire mesh gate automatically swung shut behind them, letting out a heavy, clanging echo.Unlike the teams that dashed at full speed as soon as they entered the forest, Naruto's group of three did not walk very fast.
Chapter 59: Orochimaru Attacks"Ah!!"Not long after the three of them entered the Forest of Death, a shrill scream erupted from deep within the forest, startling the birds in the nearby trees and causing them to flap their wings and fly away.Immediately after came a series of brief metallic clangs, followed by a second scream.Sakura's fingers instinctively tightened around her backpack straps, her knuckles turning white as her eyes quickly darted in the direction of the sound.Sasuke walked at the very front of the group, his face completely devoid of emotion.To Sasuke, these screams meant two things: a battle was happening nearby, and he would soon have an opponent to fight.Naruto walked slightly behind Sasuke to the right, his pace neither fast nor slow, his gaze fixed straight ahead. His Sense of Good and Evil spread out like an invisible spiderweb, covering a one-kilometer radius.He focused his perception on Orochimaru's cold, dark Chakra, but since Orochimaru hadn't entered his range yet, Naruto couldn't sense him. Instead, a weak Chakra signature was rapidly approaching them, then lay in ambush along their path.The corners of Naruto's mouth curled up, and his pace slowed by half a beat.Walking in front, Sasuke noticed that Naruto's steps had slowed slightly.Frowning, he heightened his own senses at the exact same moment.Without stopping, Naruto continued forward. As he passed a thick tree, he casually reached into his Ninja tool pouch and pulled out a Kunai.Then, with a sudden flick of his right wrist, the Kunaiflew out like a silver streak, shooting into the dense bushes ahead and to his right.Clang!!A sharp metallic clash rang out from the bushes, followed by a gray figure leaping out in disarray from behind them.It was a Genin wearing a Hidden Rain Villageheadband. His face was wrapped in several layers of mud-stained bandages, and his right hand was still in a blocking posture.Just now, he had used his own Kunai to forcefully deflect Naruto's, but the force behind Naruto's throw was far beyond his expectations. It left his palm completely numb, and his Kunai had almost slipped from his grip."Damn it, I've been spotted!"The Rain Ninja cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth.As soon as the words left his mouth, he discovered to his horror that Naruto's figure had vanished into thin air from his field of vision.The Rain Ninja's pupils contracted sharply. Instinct drove him to dodge to the left, but it was too late.A figure appeared behind him.Pfft!The sound of a Kunai piercing flesh echoed briefly in the silent forest.The Rain Ninja's movement froze halfway through his attempt to turn and defend. His fingers went limp, and the Kunai slipped from his hand, landing with a dull thud as it stabbed into the dirt.The Rain Ninja's eyes widened. His lips quivered as he said in disbelief, "How... how are you so fast..."With that, he collapsed face-first onto the ground, kicking up a small flurry of fallen leaves.Naruto stood up from behind the Rain Ninja, wiped the blood-stained Kunai on the man's clothes, and then squatted down to search his body.Ninja tool pouch, inside his shirt, and the scroll pouch on his back.A moment later, Naruto frowned.This guy didn't have a scroll on him. He guessed there was a high probability that the scroll had been left with his teammates.Naruto stood up and returned his Kunai to his tool pouch.Just then, Sasuke rushed over.Landing on a tree trunk, his eyes immediately fell on the unconscious Rain Ninja lying on the ground. He then calculated the distance between their current position and where Naruto had disappeared earlier.Nearly thirty meters, with several massive trees and a dense, impenetrable patch of bushes in between.From the moment he heard the sound of the Kunaiclashing to jumping over to check, no more than ten seconds had passed.Yet within these ten seconds, Naruto had not only finished the kill but had also looted the body.Following behind Sasuke, Sakura stepped onto a nearby branch. When she saw the Rain Ninja lying in a pool of blood on the ground, her footsteps ground to a sudden halt.This wasn't her first time seeing a dead body; the corpses of Zabuza and Haku from the Land of Waves mission were still fresh in her memory. But those had been Kakashi-sensei's battles.The corpse lying on the ground now had been taken down by Naruto alone.Sakura froze for three or four seconds before shifting her gaze away from the Rain Ninja's body, letting it rest on Naruto, who was standing up beside the corpse."When did Naruto become this strong...?"Sakura muttered, finding it hard to believe.She compared the Loser in her memory—who couldn't even throw a shuriken straight and was knocked down by Sasuke in a single move during every taijutsu spar—with the blonde youth before her, who had soloed an enemy Ninja in under ten seconds."This Loser..."Sasuke's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white.He hadn't noticed how this Rain Ninja had appeared at all, yet Naruto had not only detected him but had also killed him before Sasuke could even arrive.Ever since the Land of Waves, starting from that battle with Haku, Naruto had been constantly surpassing him.And the Naruto standing before him now was no longer the same Loser he had known growing up.Sasuke clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms, leaving four white marks.Unaware of what the two were thinking, Narutostood up, patted the dirt off his knees, and glanced at them. Not wanting to dwell on the subject, he pointed at the corpse on the ground."A pity, this guy didn't have a scroll on him.""He probably left it with his teammates."Sakura wanted to press him further on the previous matter, but before she could speak, Naruto shifted the topic, his tone growing a bit heavier."This means his teammates must still be nearby. They can't be too far.""If we stay here and wait for them, we need to prepare an ambush.""If we choose to leave, we have to decide on a direction now—whether to go deeper or take a detour in another direction."Naruto looked up at Sasuke and Sakura."What do you think?"Sakura parted her lips, about to say something, but in the next instant, her words were swallowed back down by the expression on Naruto's face."Hmm? Orochimaru is here?"Naruto's expression instantly switched from discussing tactics to high alert.In his perception, a cold Chakra was rapidly approaching, and would soon arrive right in front of them.Without needing to guess, Naruto knew who it was. He immediately warned Sasuke and Sakura:"Watch out, a powerful enemy is coming."Hearing this, Sasuke and Sakura didn't hesitate. Almost instinctively, they drew their Kunai and went on high alert.Naruto's eyes swept over them as he said as simply as possible, "Sasuke, Sakura, the person coming is extremely strong.""Remember, if you can't win, prioritizing survival is your top priority.""Don't try to fight them head-on."Before he could finish his sentence, a violent gust of wind suddenly blasted out from the dark forest ahead without warning.The gale was laced with a cold, sinister Chakra, blowing the fallen leaves on the ground backward. Sakura's hair was blown straight up, and the Kunaiin Sasuke's hand was forced downward by the pressure of the airwave.
Chapter 60: Fighting OrochimaruAfter the wind swept past, a shocking trench appeared on the ground.The cross-section of the trench was as smooth as if it had been forcefully ground by some massive, blunt object, with the soil beneath and shattered tree roots overturned from the edges."Hehehe... how interesting."At this moment, a hoarse, drawling female voice slowly drifted over from the direction the trench extended.Then, a tall, thin female Ninja wearing a Kusagakureheadband slowly walked out of the shadows.Her pupils were vertical black slits, and the lines of skin and muscle around her mouth curled upward slightly in a way that defied normal facial anatomy.She slowly walked to the edge of the blasted trench, looked down at Naruto and the other two, and then slowly pulled a black scroll from her robe.scroll of earthHolding the scroll before her, she tilted her head back, opened her mouth, and, under the gaze of all three, stuffed the entire black scroll down her throat.The scroll bulged against the skin of her throat, slid all the way down her esophagus, and finally disappeared into her abdomen.Having done all this, she closed her mouth, and a long tongue extended from the corner of her lips, licking all the way around them."Now then, let the scroll battle begin!"The moment the words fell, an undisguised killing intent poured out of her body.In an instant, under this killing intent, Sasuke and Sakura felt as if they saw their own deaths.Sakura collapsed onto the ground.This oppressive pressure was completely beyond her limit. Sakura's legs went weak, her whole body trembled, and with her back against the cold ground, every nerve screamed at her to "run," but her body refused to obey.Sasuke barely managed to maintain his offensive stance, but the hand tightly gripping his Kunai was trembling uncontrollably.His brain could analyze the opponent's strength, but in the face of such an absolute gap in power, his body instinctively signaled him not to attack.Sasuke bit his lip, beads of blood seeping from between his teeth, using the pain to force his weak legs to stand straight again."Oh? Completely unaffected?"Orochimaru's gaze swept from the collapsed Sakurato the fist-clenching Sasuke, and finally landed on Naruto, who stood at the very front."Loser..."The metallic taste of blood from Sasuke's bitten lip spread throughout his mouth.Staring at Naruto's back as he shielded him and Sakura, an unprecedented wave of frustration exploded from his chest straight to his head.Am I actually being protected by this guy?A surge of unwillingness overpowered his fear, pulling him back from the brink of collapsing.Sasuke forced his knees straight, pushing himself back onto his feet.He stepped up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Naruto, pulled up the Kunai stabbed into the ground by his feet, lowered his center of gravity into a lunge, and channeled all his remaining Chakra into his legs.Even if he couldn't win, he had to fight.An Uchiha would never hide behind anyone."Sasuke, you're no match for him."Naruto stopped Sasuke's movement. His tone was calm, like a captain issuing a mission, but his words made Sasuke feel stifled."Leave this place to me.""Take Sakura and leave now."Sasuke opened his mouth, glanced at Sakuratrembling on the ground, and then looked at Narutoin front of him.His throat bobbed violently."Don't die here..."After speaking, Sasuke slung one of Sakura's arms over his shoulder and dragged her quickly toward the depths of the forest.Sasuke knew that someone of this caliber was not someone he could deal with.Orochimaru did not stop Sasuke from leaving.Because the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in front of him was far more interesting than what was written in the files."Do you think that as a mere Genin, you can defeat me?"Orochimaru sized Naruto up with an appreciative look."Who knows!"As soon as Naruto finished speaking, five Kunaiwere thrown simultaneously in a fan-shaped spread.Five streaks of silver light locked onto Orochimaru's head, chest, and waist, as well as his retreat paths on both sides.Orochimaru easily dodged the five Kunai, his body swaying side to side in a snake-like fashion. Two of them grazed his clothes and embedded themselves in the tree trunk behind him.But in the next instant, Naruto's figure suddenly appeared in front of him.His right fist, wrapped in Chakra, blasted straight at Orochimaru's face, while his left leg swept toward the back of Orochimaru's knee.A textbook simultaneous high-low combo.This punch was so fast that Orochimaru didn't even have time to shed his skin, leaving him with no choice but to raise his arms to block.The moment his forearms collided with Naruto's fist, a harsh grinding sound rang out.After blocking the punch, Orochimaru pulled back his knee to avoid Naruto's sweeping kick on the ground, but he was surprised that a mere Genincould actually force him into active defense.This fact caught him quite off guard."So fast,"Orochimaru murmured softly.Naruto gave him no room to breathe.The moment his feet touched the ground, Narutoused the rebound force to twist his body and punch again. In an instant, the two traded blows at an extremely rapid pace.The sounds of fists colliding with flesh echoed continuously through the dense forest.Every punch Naruto threw pushed his body to its absolute limit. Under the regulation of Absolute Control, his stamina consumption was compressed to the optimal level.After a dozen exchanges, Naruto knew his current limit."Is this all?"Orochimaru parried another of Naruto's elbow strikes and backhanded away an incoming shuriken.He had already figured out the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's limit.Extremely fast, extremely fierce, but not enough to pose a fatal threat to an opponent of his caliber.It was time for a brief intermission."Hidden Shadow Snake Hands..."Orochimaru thrust his right hand forward, and his entire arm suddenly split into four giant brown snakes as thick as an adult's wrist, lunging from four directions at Naruto, who had not yet landed.Their jaws were wide open, and their fangs gleamed with a faint green light in the dimness. A single bite could inject a cocktail of toxins potent enough to paralyze a bull.Currently in mid-air with no point of leverage, Naruto had no way to dodge."Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."Several clouds of white smoke exploded in mid-air simultaneously, and over twenty Narutos appeared at various positions in the air at the exact moment the snakes' jaws snapped shut.The snakes bit empty air, their fangs colliding with a sharp, grating sound.Orochimaru withdrew his snake hands.In close-quarters speed battles, very few people could dodge by creating clones in mid-air. To be able to use a Shadow Clone at the exact millisecond his body was about to be enveloped by fangs required either mind-boggling talent or reflexes that had reached the level of pure instinct."As expected of Minato's son."Orochimaru muttered to himself.Naruto flipped and landed from mid-air, standing amidst rows of his Shadow Clones.He quietly swept his Sense of Good and Evilbackward, sensing that Sasuke and Sakura's Chakrahad already moved a safe distance away."That should do it. No more holding back!""Let's go, everyone!"Instantly,Over twenty Shadow Clones threw Kunai at Orochimaru from all directions at the same time.Countless Kunai rained down upon Orochimaru, covering the area so densely that not even the gaps between the leaves could be seen.Orochimaru's body moved at high speed amidst the storm of Kunai. After dodging and deflecting them numerous times, all the Kunai were either embedded in the tree trunks or blocked by him.
Chapter 61: Flying Thunder God, OrochimaruDepartsAmidst the sky full of Kunai, Orochimaru did not notice a single Kunai, its hilt engraved with a five-pointed star pattern, flying past him and pinning itself into the tree trunk behind him.Or perhaps, he hadn't even thought about that possibility at all!"Rasengan..."In the next second, with a flash of golden light, Naruto's figure instantly appeared behind Orochimaru.At the same time, a blue sphere of Chakracondensed in his right palm."What?!"Orochimaru's slitted pupils dilated, his face filled with shock!"Oh no, at this speed and distance, there's no time to shed my skin!"In the next instant, the Rasengan slammed violently into Orochimaru's lower back.Rumble, rumble, rumble!!The Rasengan tore and spun inside Orochimaru's body before exploding.Orochimaru's lower body was directly shredded by the indiscriminate rotational force, while his upper body was flung high into the air by the shockwave, crashing heavily into a large tree and collapsing it, leaving his body wedged between the broken tree stumps.The booming explosion startled the entire Forest of Death area. In the distance, the teams that were currently testing each other stopped what they were doing and looked over.Sasuke, who was dragging Sakura along as they retreated through the woods, suddenly looked back: "Just what kind of battle is that Loser fighting..."Sasuke's pupils trembled violently, his teeth clenched tightly....At the scene,As the white smoke cleared, a shallow, hemispherical crater nearly three meters in diameter had been blasted by the Rasengan where Orochimaru had just been standing.His lower body had vanished completely, and his upper body lay beside a low tree stump, the edges of his torso torn like a broken clay doll.Seeing this, Naruto did not let his guard down.He knew that Orochimaru wouldn't be dealt with so easily!He activated his Sense of Good and Evil.Within his Sense of Good and Evil, a surge of Chakra inside the wreckage before him was rising in a bizarre, reverse manner."Don't hold back, continuous attacks...""Rasengan..." x23Naruto raised his hand to command all his clones. More than twenty Narutos each condensed a Rasengan in their palms. Locked onto their target by the Sense of Good and Evil, they lunged simultaneously at the severed torso and the ground beneath it.Rumble!One Rasengan after another blanketed the area where Orochimaru had fallen in a crushing close-quarters barrage. The violent explosions threw wood splinters and soil dozens of meters into the air.After the final blast, Naruto raised his hand, signaling all his clones to stop.Smoke swirled in the center of the explosion. The ground had been gouged down by more than half a meter, and the partially collapsed tree, along with its stump, had vanished entirely, leaving only a scorched, sunken crater.Orochimaru's remains were utterly pulverized, shattered beyond recognition."As expected of the Sannin!"Naruto didn't say it out loud, but he observed a snake-shaped opening about the thickness of an adult's arm in the soil, roughly half a person's depth directly beneath the bottom of the crater.Just before the massive Rasengans could completely engulf him, Orochimaru had used the Summoning Jutsu to have himself swallowed.Sure enough.A snake slowly poked its head out from a crack in the ground and opened its mouth wide.Immediately after, Orochimaru emerged dripping wet from the snake's mouth. Covered in mucosal fluid from the snake's belly and with his long hair matted together, he stood in the sunlight once more, looking as if he had been crushed and completely remolded.His appearance had also changed; no longer disguised as a female Ninja, he had returned to his original form."Hehehe...""The Flying Thunder God, the Rasengan, using Shadow Clones for instant mid-air evasion, and that sensory ability to locate your enemy just now..."Orochimaru's voice was deep and raspy. His pale, grayish skin still gleamed with a sickly luster under the shadows of the trees, and his slitted eyes shone with an excitement he couldn't hide.He wiped away the residual snake fluid from his chin with his finger: "As expected of that man's son.""Uzumaki Naruto, I am highly interested in you.""You are Orochimaru, one of the Sannin."Standing where he was, Naruto frowned slightly as he looked at Orochimaru."I didn't expect you to know my name. I am truly honored."Orochimaru spread his arms slightly, his bowing gesture carrying a touch of morbid ritualism."Rogue Ninja Orochimaru, what is your purpose in sneaking into Konoha? There is no longer any place for you here.""Leave this place now," Naruto said coldly."Oh? Knowing my identity, as a Konoha Ninja, shouldn't you be drawing your blade and hunting me down right now to do justice to the symbol on your forehead protector?"Orochimaru tilted his head and said, word by word, "Why are you letting me leave just like that?""I am well aware that I cannot capture you right now."Meeting Orochimaru's gaze, Naruto said very calmly, "So, there is no point in continuing this battle.""So leave this place, and don't make me say it a second time.""Smart!"Orochimaru's raspy voice rang out, "However, you have been stalling for time to let your teammates retreat since the very beginning.""Now, they have already gone far away.""Since my identity has been exposed, what makes you think I will obediently listen to you and choose to leave, Uzumaki Naruto?"Naruto did not answer.A deep red Chakra Cloak surged around his entire body. In the next moment, four materialized tails of the Chakra Cloak slowly unfurled behind him.The Chakra aura was so intense that it lifted the two nearest pebbles directly off the ground, leaving them suspended in mid-air.The ground let out a faint creaking sound, and the decaying leaves and grass ignited by the air currents began to emit wisps of black smoke around his feet.The nuclear-level Chakra of the Nine-Tailed covered the entire combat zone, causing the faces of several examinee team captains who were still watching from afar to instantly turn pale.They didn't know what was happening ahead; they only knew that the ground was shaking."Oh no, this feeling... could it be the Nine-Tails Chakra?""Damn it, has Naruto run into a powerful enemy? Did he use the Nine-Tails Chakra?"In the Forest of Death's Central Tower, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi, who were chatting, suddenly stood up!"Kakashi, should we enter the Forest of Death?" Asuma asked!"No, that would break the rules, and besides, I believe in Naruto!"Kakashi shook his head. Thinking of Naruto's changes during this period, he shook his head and refused!"Alright, I respect your choice!"Hearing this, the two of them slowly sat back down, while Kakashi looked in the direction of the Forest of Death, a trace of worry flashing in his heart!...Forest of Death"To think you can actually control the Nine-Tails Chakra to this extent while remaining conscious!"Orochimaru stared at the deep red Chakra radiating from Naruto, the smile finally fading from his face.He knew very well what Four-Tails meant. An uncontrolled Four-Tails rampage could blast a hole right through the middle of the Forest of Death. But if the Four-Tails Jinchuriki possessed active control, that hole could be blasted with much greater precision."I've truly underestimated you more and more, Uzumaki Naruto."Orochimaru completed his calculations within a few breaths.Continuing to fight would draw the attention of Konoha and the Sandaime, and they would be surrounded by the Anbu dispatched by Konoha.The risk far outweighed the reward.With this thought, Orochimaru locked eyes with Naruto for a moment: "Uzumaki Naruto, my interest in you is growing stronger and stronger.""I look forward to our next meeting..."With that said,Orochimaru's figure gradually merged into the giant snake's belly, and the giant snake then swiftly slithered underground through the crack in the earth.
Chapter 62: Uzumaki KarinAfter Orochimaru's figure completely disappeared, Naruto did not immediately let down his guard.Standing in place, he swept his Sense of Good and Evil over the area three times.Orochimaru's cold, dark Chakra was indeed moving away at high speed.Only after confirming that Orochimaru had completely left did Naruto drop his combat stance.Instead of immediately setting off to pursue Sasukeand Sakura, he cleaned up the battlefield first.During the battle just now, he had thrown dozens of Kunai. These Kunai cost money; he couldn't just leave them scattered all over the ground.After recovering all the Kunai, Naruto stood before the crater created by the Rasengan, looking at the devastated ground.These traces were too obvious. In Konoha, only a few people knew how to use the Rasengan. Any Konoha Jonin or even an experienced Chunin taking a single look here would immediately deduce that this destruction was caused by the Rasengan.He didn't want anyone to know he could use the Rasengan yet.A Genin who had only graduated from the Ninja Academy a few months ago, whom no one had taught this technique—if he couldn't explain the origin of the Rasengan, the Sandaime and the Anbu's reaction wouldn't be as simple as just caring about his growth.Naruto immediately directed his Shadow Clones to start filling the crater, shoveling back the dirt overturned by the Rasengan, dragging broken tree stumps over to cover the marks of the Wind Releasetrenches, and covering the charred bushes.After filling it, Naruto walked over the area himself, stamping the ground firm with his feet to check everything before dispelling his Shadow Clones.Having done all this, Naruto reactivated his Sense of Good and Evil, locking onto Sasuke and Sakura's direction.The Chakra of the two had stabilized in a relatively safe location ahead. Just as he was about to set off to catch up with them...Right at that moment, a flicker of Chakra brushed past the edge of Naruto's perception.The texture of this Chakra was highly unusual, carrying a strange sense of resonance, like a drop of water falling into another drop of the exact same composition.Naruto's footsteps paused.The bloodline resonance of the Uzumaki Clan.He had felt a similar vibration frequency in his mother Kushina's Chakra, and the vibration of this Chakra at the edge of his perception clearly overlapped with Kushina's.Naruto thought for a moment and turned toward that direction.A moment later,When Naruto arrived at the source of the Chakra, the scene before him came into view.A black bear over three meters tall was wildly swinging its paws, thrashing the large tree in front of it.On the trunk of that tree, a red-haired young girl was clinging tightly to a branch, curled into a ball. Her glasses were askew on the bridge of her nose, and her Kusagakure shinobi outfit was torn in several places by the branches."It's her..."Naruto recognized her instantly.Uzumaki KarinA Ninja of Kusagakure, an orphan of the Uzumaki Clan, possessing the unique Bloodline Limits of Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Heal Bite."Mind's Eye of the Kagura?""This is the perfect chance to test my theory!"With this thought, a slight smile played on the corner of Naruto's mouth, and his body vanished from where he stood."Rasengan."In the next instant, his figure appeared between Karin and the black bear, a blue sphere of Chakraspinning at high speed in his right palm.Immediately after, Naruto cleanly and decisively slammed the Rasengan right into the center of the black bear's chest. The spinning Chakra sent the entire bear flying. After rolling twice on the ground, it lay belly-up under a large tree, its eyes rolling before it completely lost consciousness."Saved..."Karin slid down the tree trunk, her legs giving out as she sat directly on the ground.She fumbled around on the ground for a long time before finding her glasses, which had fallen into a crevice in the tree roots. The lenses were covered in mud; she wiped them with her sleeve and put them on with trembling hands.Then, she saw a blonde boy standing beside the defeated black bear, his side turned toward her.Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting a glow exactly onto his golden hair and white trench coat.The boy turned his head to look at her, his blue eyes holding a gentle smile in the sunlight."Are you okay?"Karin's heart skipped a beat, then began to race at a completely uncontrollable pace....An hour later, the sky had turned completely dark.Night in the Forest of Death was much colder than in Konoha. Naruto had found a spot beneath a wind-shielded rock wall, where a campfire was burning brightly.The black bear killed by the Rasengan had been sliced into pieces, skewered on sharpened branches, and roasted over the fire. Grease dripped into the flames with a sizzling sound, filling the entire forest clearing with the aroma of roasted meat.Karin sat opposite the campfire, her knees pulled up to her chest, the dancing flames reflected in her glasses.Every now and then, she would steal a glance at Naruto, who sat opposite her turning the roasting bear meat, only to quickly dart her eyes back to the fire the moment his gaze shifted toward her. The tips of her ears were redder and brighter than the firelight."So, you were used as bait by your teammates to lure others in?"Naruto reached out, tore off a piece of fragrant, roasted bear leg meat, and handed it to Karin on a clean leaf.Karin took the bear meat, took a small bite, and then nodded vigorously.Her teammates had told her to make noise on purpose in the forest to attract other squads, planning to ambush them from behind once they were lured out.But she had run too slowly and got targeted by a bear. Instead of saving her, her teammates had abandoned her and fled.Karin spoke of this in a very flat tone, as if talking about something that had nothing to do with her, but her fingers were unconsciously tearing at the edges of the leaf.After taking a couple of bites, Karin looked up. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered the courage to ask, "Why did you save me?""We're clearly not from the same hidden village, and I don't even have a scroll on me.""You're being so nice to me, but I have nothing to give you in return...""My surname is Uzumaki," Naruto smiled.Karin's movements froze.She looked up at Naruto, her eyes wide behind her glasses. Her lips parted a few times before she finally made a sound:"You... you're also from the Uzumaki Clan?""No wonder I felt such a sense of familiarity with you, like we've known each other for a long time.""We both carry the blood of the Uzumaki."Naruto picked up another skewer of roasted bear meat. In the firelight, he studied Karin's red hair, which was identical to Kushina's, and nodded:"Probably because of that!"Karin lowered her head, burying her face in her knees. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve before looking up again."Aside from my mom, I've never met another Uzumaki.""They're all dead. Uzushiogakure has been gone for a long time."Naruto didn't reply to this, simply waiting quietly for Karin to calm down.A moment later, after Karin picked up the bear meat again and began eating it in small bites, Narutoasked a seemingly casual question."What are your plans for the future?"Karin's chewing slowed down, and the glow of surviving her ordeal dimmed on her face."Go back and find them."
Chapter 63: Curse Mark of Heaven"Looking for your two teammates?""The two who threw you to the bear as bait?"Karin nodded, her voice kept very low. "I have nowhere else to go.""Kusagakure needs my ability.""They will let me live.""What ability?"Karin bit her lip and remained silent for a dozen seconds, then rolled up her left sleeve, revealing a dense cluster of bite marks on her arm.These bite marks overlapped one another; some were fresh wounds that had only recently healed, with the light pink, tender flesh not yet completely smoothed over.Karin touched one of the deepest and darkest bite marks with the tip of her right index finger. "My mother used to be like this too.""Whenever the Ninjas of Kusagakure got injured, they would come to her and bite her arm. No matter how severe the wound was, one bite would heal it.""That's how my mother was sucked dry by them, bit by bit. In the end, she didn't even have the strength to sit up.""I was very small back then. I would lie next to her, watching those Ninjas walk in one by one to bite her.""On the day she died, she told me to make sure I found a way to leave this place, so I wouldn't end up bitten to death like her.""But after she died, they locked me in the exact same room.""Now, I've taken over my mother's role."Karin didn't cry when she said this; her voice was very calm, so calm that it sounded like she was reporting mission details.But Naruto could clearly see that Karin's entire body was trembling at an extremely subtle frequency.Naruto threw the finished stick in his hand into the fire and clapped the dust off his hands."If you don't want to keep being locked in that room, come to Konoha Village after a while!"Karin raised her head from her knees, her glasses almost sliding off."Konoha?""I... I'm a Ninja of Kusagakure. I can't just leave whenever I want.""We are both from the Uzumaki Clan. It's only natural that we look out for each other."Naruto added a new piece of firewood to the fire, squinting slightly as sparks flew. "Once you arrive in Konoha, you can choose to continue being a Ninja, or if you don't want to, you can just live as an ordinary civilian. You can do whatever you want, and no one will lock you up to use you as a first-aid kit anymore.""But... why after a while?""Why not now?"Karin asked in confusion, an urgency in her voice that she herself didn't even realize."Konoha won't be very peaceful for a while."Naruto didn't explain too much, only raising his eyes to look at Karin. "It will only stabilize in about two months.""Once the Chunin Exams are over, if you are willing to come to Konoha, I will come and get you!"Hearing this, Karin lowered her head and fell silent.The crackle of the bonfire, the cries of night birds in the distance, and the occasional clash of weapons from battles in the exam coming from far away filled the silence between the two."What do I want to do?""From the moment I was born until now, I have never thought about this."Karin muttered to herself, then looked down at the bite mark scars faintly visible under her sleeve. Her voice suddenly grew quiet:"What if they want to bite me again after I go back?""I've endured it for so long, I thought I had gotten used to it...""But now, I suddenly feel like that's not the case.""Now, it feels like I can't bear it anymore."Seeing this, Naruto took out a Kunai engraved with a star-shaped Flying Thunder God Mark from his Ninja tool pouch, reversed the handle, and handed it to Karin.The Flying Thunder God Mark on this Kunai was carved by condensing a large amount of his Chakra. If not used frequently, the mark wouldn't dissipate for half a year."Keep it with you.""Once the Chunin Exams are over and you go back, if you've made up your mind, channel your Chakrainto it. I'll be able to sense it and find you."Naruto paused, then added, "It's not made of any precious materials, just an ordinary Kunai.""It's just that my formula is on it. If you hold onto it, I'll know where you are."Karin took the Kunai with both hands.Her fingertips touched the raised star-shaped engraving on the handle, and she couldn't help but run her fingers over it a couple of times.Then, she slid the Kunai into the innermost layer of her Ninja tool pouch, gently pressing down on it after she finished.Having done all this, she seemed to make up her mind, sniffing hard to force back the tears behind her glasses."Yeah!"The night grew deep.The bonfire burned down to its quietest state of the day, the wood making dry, cracking sounds as the flames licked it.Naruto leaned against the rock wall with his eyes closed to rest, while Karin, wrapped in the white trench coat Naruto had lent her, curled up on the other side of the bonfire, her breathing gradually becoming even and steady.Naruto opened his eyes in the darkness to sweep his perception around, and after confirming there were no anomalies, he closed his eyes again.A lot of things happened in the Forest of Death that night.After leaving Naruto, Orochimaru tracked northward all the way, catching up with Sasuke by a stream as he struggled forward, dragging Sakura along.Sakura was already in a semi-conscious state due to continuous extreme tension and physical exhaustion. Sasuke was supporting Sakura with one arm while keeping his other hand in a defensive posture, holding his Kunai in a reverse grip.Orochimaru didn't give Sasuke any time to react; he lunged out of the shadows and bit the left side of Sasuke's neck.Sasuke didn't even have time to make a sound.The moment the toxin entered his body, he collapsed to his knees as if his bones had been removed. At the bitten spot on his neck, three tomoe-shaped black spots were spreading outward along his blood vessels at a terrifying speed.Curse Mark of HeavenOrochimaru left a sentence by Sasuke's ear: "I will be waiting for you to come find me..."Then, like a snake, he silently disappeared into the woods.Sasuke lay on the ground for the entire night.The Curse Mark burned through every inch of his meridians like lava. He struggled repeatedly on the brink of consciousness and unconsciousness, and each brief moment of waking was accompanied by a tearing pain throughout his body.When Sakura woke up with a start from her unconscious state and saw Sasuke collapsed by the stream, she was so frightened she almost fainted again.She dragged Sasuke out of the cold stream onto the bank, built a crude shelter out of branches and a cloak, and then guarded Sasuke's side with her Kunai for the entire night, her ears filled with his uncontrollable, hoarse groans.Just as dawn was breaking, several OtogakureNinjas followed the traces of Chakra left by Orochimaru to find Sasuke and Sakura.Their leader, Dosu, raised his Resonating Echo Speaker at Sakura's head, while Zaku stood beside him, ready to unleash his Decimating Air Wave, which was powerful enough to tear the ground apart.Then Rock Lee and Choji appeared.Rock Lee used Leaf Great Whirlwind to kick away Zaku's Wind Release Palm strike aimed at Sakura.But the trio's attack methods were too tricky. Rock Lee's leg showed obvious bruising after taking a soundwave head-on, and the fabric on Choji's left shoulder was also slashed open by a Decimating Air Wave, leaving a long, bleeding gash.Just then, Sasuke, who had been twitching on the ground, stood up.His entire left arm and half of his face were covered in black Curse Mark patterns, and the Chakra on his body diffused outward with a density completely different from that of an ordinary person.
Chapter 64: Arriving at the Central TowerBefore Dosu could aim his sound-wave gauntlet at Sasuke, he was sent flying by a punch from Sasuke, snapping three trees in the process.Zaku tried to counterattack with his Cutting Air Wave, but Sasuke's body twisted in a serpentine angle to dodge the lingering shockwaves of the air blades. Then, he cut in from a blind spot and used a shuriken to slice through Zaku's forehead protector, along with the tree trunk behind him.The third Otogakure tried to run, but Sasukegrabbed his ankle, dragged him back, and slammed him into the ground with a single punch.After the battle ended, Sasuke rummaged through all the ninja tools and supplies on the three Otogakure and found the scroll of earth in the lead Otogakure's embrace.He then walked past the three fallen Otogakurewith an expressionless face, went up to Rock Lee, who was being protected by Neji, and tossed down a bottle of topical medicine he had scavenged from the Otogakure....When Naruto found the two, Sasuke was leaning against the roots of a large tree, clutching the scroll of earth in his hand.Sakura was swaying as she stood guard by Sasuke's side, her lips so chapped that they bled whenever she spoke.Seeing Naruto jump down from the direction of the forest, Sakura was stunned at first, and then felt a sense of relief in her heart."Naruto, you're finally back!"Then, finally feeling relieved, she leaned backward and passed out.Sasuke was quick to react, reaching out to support the back of Sakura's head so she wouldn't hit the stone.Naruto crouched down, checked Sakura's eyelids, and took her pulse. After confirming it was just exhaustion and extreme mental tension causing her to faint, he gently leaned her against Sasuke's knee.He then stood up and faced Sasuke head-on.Sasuke's gaze fell on Naruto, and he discovered that not only was Naruto uninjured, but he didn't even have a single minor scratch.That monster-level existence from yesterday—Naruto had tangled with him for so long, yet he didn't have a single injury on his entire body.Yet he himself had been bitten on the neck by that person and had laid on the ground all night like a dead dog.Thinking of this, the Curse Mark inside Sasukesuddenly surged violently, and the pattern of the Curse Mark began to spread outward from his neck."Sasuke."Naruto looked at Sasuke: "Control yourself, otherwise there is no difference between you and a beast."Hearing this, it was as if Sasuke had been splashed with a bucket of cold water.He gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead throbbing several times. After his eyes, stained by the Curse Mark, shook violently a few times, they finally slowly regained focus.Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the black lines on his face were already receding bit by bit.The Curse Mark retreated entirely back into the bite mark on his neck, leaving only a small circle of black tomoe.After waiting for Sasuke to suppress the Curse Mark, Naruto turned around and nodded at Neji and Rock Lee, who hadn't left yet."Thank you all for your help. After the Chunin Examsare over, I'll treat you all to a meal. We'll meet at the Central Tower.""That guy Naruto actually discovered us…"Shikamaru, hiding in the shadows, looked surprised.Choji shook his head, indicating that they were friends.Rock Lee gave a thumbs up, revealing his gleaming teeth as he said to Naruto: "This is youth…"After saying that, he disappeared into the forest.Naruto turned to look at Sasuke: "Sasuke, since we have the scroll of earth, let's head to the Central Tower at top speed!"Sasuke didn't say much, picked up Sakura on his back, threw the scroll of earth to Naruto, adjusted Sakura's position on his back, and then followed Naruto as they leaped onto the tree trunks.Naruto put away both the scroll of earth and the scroll of heaven, quickly analyzing the situation in his mind.Orochimaru had already accomplished his goal for this infiltration of Konoha: planting the Heaven Curse Mark on Sasuke.Next, his attention would turn to the final selection of the Chunin Exams, and the subsequent deployment of the Konoha Crush Plan.Naruto and Sasuke leaped at high speed between the giant trees, the sound of their feet hitting the branches repeating continuously in the forest.Sasuke, carrying the unconscious Sakura, followed half a step behind Naruto. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke:"Naruto, do you know that guy?"Naruto landed on a thick, protruding branch and proceeded to the next tree without turning back."Yeah, his name is Orochimaru, a Personal Discipleof the Third Hokage, and he was once known alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade as the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.""Later, because he was caught learning forbidden jutsu by the Third Hokage, he defected from the village."Sasuke frowned.He had heard of the title of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha back in the Ninja Academy; they were legendary figures on par with the Third Hokagehimself.For such a person to suddenly appear in the Forest of Death just to bite him?That's not right!Then how did Naruto survive after tangling with him earlier?Could it be that Naruto's strength has already reached Kage-level?Thinking of this, Sasuke immediately became uneasy."Did you defeat him?""No."Naruto shook his head: "I fought him for a while, just testing each other out.""He probably didn't think it was worth it to keep fighting, so he left first.""I couldn't catch him, and he couldn't kill me for the time being."Sasuke didn't ask any further.He followed Naruto, crossing the forest step by step, chewing over these words Naruto had said in his mind.Every word Naruto said sounded flawless, but he just felt like something was off.However, he didn't have the strength to delve deeper into it now.The Curse Mark on his neck was still faintly burning, and with every heartbeat, he could feel that power probing along his blood vessel walls toward his body's meridians.He needed to reach a safe place as soon as possible to suppress the Curse Mark; it wouldn't be too late to ask Naruto for clarification afterward.The two maintained a steady, high-speed movement rhythm, casting a long silhouette between the treetops of the Forest of Death....In the center of the Forest of Death, by the windowsill on the fourth floor of the high tower, Yakushi Kabuto pushed up his round-rimmed glasses and looked through the glass toward the far end of the forest.According to his calculations, Lord Orochimarushould have already planted the Curse Mark on Sasuke. Normally, Sasuke would need at least one to two days to adapt to the first wave of the Curse Mark's impact, and Team 7 would likely only reach the Central Tower by the third day of the exams at the earliest.He still had plenty of time to make preparations here, confirm Sasuke's adaptability to the Curse Mark, and then continue to lie in wait.Just then, he saw two figures rapidly moving through the forest at the edge of the woods.Looking closely, he saw Naruto and Sasuke leaping out from the last dense forest area, one after the other, charging straight toward the Central Tower.Sasuke was still carrying Sakura on his back, and the two were moving extremely fast. Based on their direction, they were clearly not being chased; rather, they were heading toward the Central Tower with a clear goal.His lenses reflected light for a moment. Kabuto's usual mild-mannered smile was still on his face, but the eyes hidden behind the lenses had narrowed slightly.He put down the ninja info card in his hand and tucked his pen back into his ninja tool pouch:"It seems this Uzumaki Naruto is indeed just as Lord Orochimaru said; he requires careful observation
Chapter 65: Meeting the Third HokageJust as Yakushi Kabuto was preparing to leave, he saw the person quickly leaping up, Uzumaki Naruto, raise his head and glance in his direction."Was I discovered?"Yakushi Kabuto's habitual smile remained, but the pupils behind his lenses contracted slightly."What terrifying perception..."Yakushi Kabuto said in a low voice and pushed up his glasses: "It seems this Uzumaki Naruto really needs to be observed closely."...Uzumaki Naruto withdrew his gaze and pushed open the doors at the base of the Central Towerwith Uchiha Sasuke.The light inside the tower was brighter than in the forest, and the torches on the walls illuminated the entire circular hall as if it were daylight.In the center of the hall was a level stone floor, and on the wall facing the entrance hung a huge scroll, with the core philosophy of this exam written on it with a brush.Uzumaki Naruto took out the scroll of heaven and the scroll of earth from his Ninja pouch, placed them side by side on the ground, and pulled the ropes at the same time.Immediately, two puffs of white smoke exploded simultaneously. After the smoke cleared, a figure wearing the uniform of a Konoha Chunin walked out."Good work. I am the Chunin messenger sent to receive you."Iruka Umino spoke in the official tone of a proctor.However, as his gaze moved past Uzumaki Narutoand Uchiha Sasuke, landing on Sakura Haruno, who was unconscious on Uchiha Sasuke's back, the muscles between his brows twitched imperceptibly."It looks like you went through quite a battle."Iruka Umino dropped his official proctor tone, and his voice carried a layer of concern that only the three of them could hear."Iruka-sensei, Sakura needs to rest.""Although I'd like to chat with you a while longer, now is not the time."Iruka Umino glanced at Uzumaki Naruto upon hearing this.In the past, every time Uzumaki Naruto saw him, he would pounce over and shout, "Iruka-sensei, I'll treat you to ramen," but now he radiated a sense of composure that only comes from being tempered.Iruka Umino nodded, turned around, and led them toward the resting area inside the tower."There are still a few days until the third stage of the exams; you should go and recover first.""There is clean water and a medical kit in the room, and food will be delivered to the door at regular intervals.""Take this time to adjust properly; there are tougher battles ahead."Uzumaki Naruto nodded, followed Iruka Umino through the corridor, and settled the still-unconscious Sakura Haruno in the lounge.After Uchiha Sasuke placed Sakura Haruno on the bed, he sat cross-legged in the corner without a word, closed his eyes, and began to suppress the curse mark that was faintly burning on his neck.Uzumaki Naruto checked Sakura Haruno's forehead temperature, and after confirming she was just exhausted, he lay down on another bed nearby....Time quickly reached the fifth day.The gates of the Forest of Death slowly closed at dusk on the fifth day. Anko Mitarashi stood on the top of the Central Tower, watching the last few disheveled candidates stumble into the tower gate, flicked the dango stick she had been chewing into the trash can, and clapped her hands to announce that the second stage of the exams had officially ended.The number of teams that finally gathered in the Central Tower hall was exactly half less than when the first stage of the exams ended, almost exactly matching what Anko Mitarashi had said about "at least half being eliminated."Uzumaki Naruto stood in the crowd in the hall, his gaze passing over faces that were either exhausted or excited, and captured a few familiar figures in the crowd.Inuzuka Kiba was leaning against Akamaru, complaining to Nara Shikamaru about how difficult a team from Hidden Mist they had encountered in the Forest of Death. Shino Aburame stood in the shadows, silent as always. Akimichi Choji was grabbing every opportunity to stuff potato chips into his mouth, and Ino Yamanaka was standing with her hands on her hips, arguing with Nara Shikamaruabout some tactical issue.Then he saw Hyuga Hinata. Hyuga Hinata was standing next to Inuzuka Kiba and Shino Aburame, wiping mud off her hands with a handkerchief, occasionally looking up and cautiously scanning the surrounding crowd, as if she were looking for someone.The moment her gaze collided with Uzumaki Naruto's in mid-air, the tips of her ears turned red instantly, and the handkerchief almost slipped from her hand.Uzumaki Naruto smiled slightly at Hyuga Hinataand nodded.Nara Shikamaru extracted himself from InoYamanaka's barrage, walked over to Uzumaki Naruto, and yawned."I heard you arrived on the second day?""What a drag. We were chased by a team from Amegakure for three whole days; we almost didn't make it."Akimichi Choji added from the side while chewing on potato chips: "But in the end, we still managed to grab a scroll of earth. Nara Shikamaru used a trap to lure those guys into a mud pit."Inuzuka Kiba also squeezed over, and Akamaru, lying on Inuzuka Kiba's head, barked twice at Uzumaki Naruto.Inuzuka Kiba crossed his arms and looked at Uzumaki Naruto sideways: "Hey, Uzumaki Naruto, you guy actually arrived so quickly. Don't tell me you found a tree hole and hid for four days?""You guess..."Uzumaki Naruto didn't bicker with Inuzuka Kiba, just smiled.Just then, a sound of rhythmic footsteps came from the passage directly in front of the hall.Immediately after, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, walked slowly into the hall surrounded by several Jonin, followed by the leading Jonin of all the candidates who had not yet been eliminated.Kakashi Hatake walked behind the Third Hokage on the left, and for once, he wasn't holding icha icha paradise in his hand.Might Guy puffed out his chest and grinned, revealing his signature shiny white teeth.Asuma Sarutobi was chewing on an unlit cigarette, hands in his pockets, his expression a mix of laziness and seriousness.Kurenai Yuhi walked next to Asuma Sarutobi in high heels, her red eyes scanning the crowd calmly before finally landing on the three students of her own team.Uzumaki Naruto saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his heart stirred slightly.Come to think of it, ever since his Transmigration, he had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding direct contact with this Third Hokage.He didn't dare to do anything that might attract the attention of the Telescope Technique, and even every time he would Cultivate, he had to set up a Perception Blocking Barrier before he dared to let loose.Fortunately, the Chunin Exams had kept Hiruzen Sarutobi's energy scattered, and he, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, hadn't been singled out by him yet.Now that he couldn't avoid it, Uzumaki Narutosimply smiled openly at Hiruzen Sarutobi.Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the center of the hall, hands behind his back, his aged yet sharp gaze sweeping over the twenty-odd Genin who had passed the test of the Forest of Death.When his gaze swept past Uzumaki Naruto, he paused. The blonde boy in front of him, wearing a black high-necked bodysuit and a short white windbreaker, had his forehead protector tied neatly, with golden locks of hair hanging naturally from both sides of the headband.There was no longer the silly excitement and the impatience to prove himself in his blue eyes; instead, there was a quiet composure.This stance, this look, this black-and-white outfit...Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if he were seeing the man from years ago who stood on the roof of the Hokage Building and announced to all the Ninja in the village, "From today on, I am the Fourth Hokage.""Little Naruto has grown up, he looks more and more like Minato."Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly, as if talking to himself, but Kakashi Hatake, who was standing behind him, heard it.Kakashi Hatake didn't speak, his gaze falling on Uzumaki Naruto in the crowd, a flash of fleeting softness in his eyes.The Jonin present who were in the know couldn't help but have their attention drawn to Uzumaki Naruto.Asuma Sarutobi almost choked on his cigarette the first time he saw Uzumaki Naruto, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at his father