In the quiet forest, a figure rapidly shuttled through.
Suddenly, the figure crossed a clearing, and the dim light illuminated the person's face.
Bare-chested, the evenly distributed muscles were covered in bloodstains, and the refreshing, delicate face was very handsome.
It was exactly Jokichi.
He had searched the forest in a circle.
The teams that hadn't had time to enter the tower yet all had their hair pulled by him.
However, without exception, none possessed potential.
Now, he was preparing to meet up with Naruto and Sakura, and then enter the tower.
While running.
Suddenly, a familiar figure caught the corner of his eye.
Under the setting sun, dim light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating a young woman leaning against a giant rock.
Alluring figure, fishnet shirt, with a trench coat worn outside.
However, the woman who usually wore a bright smile had her brows tightly furrowed at this moment, seemingly pondering something.
Jokichi's eyes lit up.
He changed direction and landed in front of the woman after a few jumps between the large trees.
The woman was startled and quickly assumed a counterattack stance.
However, the stirring of the curse mark made it difficult for her to move. As soon as her body moved, she fell to the ground.
"Yo, isn't this the Chief Examiner?"
Jokichi squatted in front of the woman, teasingly saying hello.
That's right, this woman was none other than Mitarashi Anko.
Calling her a young woman wasn't quite accurate; she wasn't that young anymore, and should be called a young lady.
However, her delicate face and lively personality made her look just like a young woman.
"It's you!"
Seeing Jokichi's face clearly, Anko breathed a sigh of relief.
She propped herself up on the ground, shifted her position to rest her back against the giant rock, and then stared intently at Jokichi.
"I've looked at the profiles of all the examinees. You're the top student of this year's rookies, right!"
"Correct."
Jokichi nodded in admission.
Anko looked left and right, saw no one else, and asked, "Where are your comrades?"
"We got separated, I'm just about to go look for them!"
"No need to look for them." Anko said, "You forfeit the exam and leave the Forest of Death with me later. I'll have someone look for your comrades."
"Eh?"
Jokichi looked surprised. He reached out and felt her forehead, asking in disbelief, "You don't have a fever!"
"I am very aware of my own condition, at least my mind is clear." Anko slapped Jokichi's hand away and said seriously, "Although saying this to you so suddenly is a bit abrupt, believe me, it's for your own good."
Jokichi didn't answer, just staring straight into Anko's eyes, making her frown.
"What do you mean by staring at me?"
"Are we close?"
"Not close."
After speaking, without waiting for Jokichi to reply, Anko continued, "I know you find this baffling, but..."
"It's Orochimaru, right!"
Jokichi interrupted Anko's words, making the scene fall silent for a moment.
Anko stared at him blankly, taking a while to recover. "You've seen that guy?"
"I saw him shortly after entering the Forest of Death."
"Then how are you..."
"I don't know what he said to you, but that guy was defeated by me and fled with his tail between his legs like a stray dog."
"What did you say!?"
Anko looked at Jokichi in disbelief, her dark gray eyes wide open. "Even if you are the top of this year's rookies, also..."
"Alright, alright." Jokichi waved his hands repeatedly.
"I roughly know what you want to say, but I'm too lazy to explain it to you, and I won't forfeit the exam. If you have the capability, use force to take me away."
"You—!"
Jokichi ignored her, reached out, and pulled two hairs from her head.
"What are you doing?" Anko questioned, wincing in pain.
Jokichi reached out and pulled two more, laughing lightly. "You keep talking, and I'll keep pulling until I strip you bald."
"You—"
Jokichi pulled another one.
Anko instantly shut her mouth, just glaring at him with a murderous look.
Suddenly, soft footsteps came from the surroundings, and a few mutated giant tigers with colorful stripes walked out of the forest.
Anko instantly became tense.
Her curse mark was currently flaring up, and all her chakra was being used to suppress it. It was difficult for her body to even move a little.
And Jokichi—
It was impossible for a Genin to defeat five or six mutated giant tigers.
However, Jokichi just turned his head and glared at them.
The giant tigers, as if seeing their natural enemy, turned around and ran.
Their animal instincts made them sense the danger.
"This!"
Anko opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She had absolutely no idea what had happened.
"The Anbu seem to have arrived!" Jokichi looked up toward the pitch-black depths of the dense forest.
"Since you have comrades coming, I'll be leaving first."
After saying that, regardless of Anko's expression, he stood up and jumped away in the opposite direction.
Soon, four Anbu arrived.
Anko looked in the direction Jokichi left, her face full of astonishment.
Is that guy a sensory ninja too?
However, no one answered her.
...
The sun fell behind the western mountains, and the crescent moon hung high.
A river.
The bright moonlight shone down, making the river water sparkle, reflecting the moon.
Jokichi found a place nearby to stop.
Having obtained three special materials in a row, he couldn't hold back his urge and wanted to forge them.
First was Anko's hair.
There were only three strands.
However, because she was a woman, her hair was quite long, so it was enough.
[Ding! Detected special material "Dango Girl's Hair", can forge special item "Sage's Feather Robe". Do you wish to forge?]
What the hell is Dango Girl's Hair?
Jokichi really wanted to complain.
However, the name of the item "Sage's Feather Robe" suppressed his desire to complain, and he immediately forged the item.
"Yes."
Chanting silently in his mind, a piece of clothing instantly appeared in his hands.
It was a black and white haori, a bit like the captain's uniform in the anime "Bleach" from his past life, but with some differences. The hem was a bit longer, and the overall look was more elegant.
"Sage's Feather Robe: A haori containing Senjutsu chakra. The size changes freely according to the wearer. The wearer can freely control the Senjutsu chakra within the clothing."
"It really is the curse mark!"
After reading the description of the Sage's Feather Robe, Jokichi understood.
In Room 301, the first time he saw Anko, Jokichi had thought that the item forged from her might be related to the curse mark.
Although the curse mark is Jugo's power.
However, since it was extracted from his body, it no longer belonged to him.
When the curse mark was implanted into Anko's body, the power of the curse mark belonged to her, even if she hated it, rarely used it, and kept it sealed.
But it didn't change the ownership of the curse mark.
Jokichi glanced at the bloodstains on his body and threw the Sage's Feather Robe into the system space.
He didn't want to dirty this new piece of clothing.