Deep in the Forest of Death, Team 7 was finally taking a break. They'd just dealt with another squad and were feeling the strain of surviving in this hellhole. All three of them were completely worn out.
Just as they started to relax, a sudden, violent gust of wind ripped through the trees, blasting them off their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Naruto yelled, scrambling to grab a tree branch to keep from being blown away. "What's happening?!"
"We're under attack!" Sasuke's instincts flared. His eyes flashed red, his Sharingan already scanning the direction the wind came from.
The enemy's power was horrifying.
He hadn't sensed their approach or even the casting of the jutsu. All he could do was react, yanking the weakest link, Sakura, behind him for cover.
"Sasuke..." Sakura stammered, pressing herself against his back, her body trembling.
Just as quickly as it started, the wind died down. Two figures appeared in the distance.
All three members of Team 7 tensed. The killing intent rolling off the two silhouettes was so overwhelming it made their hair stand on end.
In the suffocating darkness of the Forest of Death, it felt even more terrifying. For a split second, they could almost see their own deaths, a flash of fear and confusion in their eyes.
"This is wrong... this killing intent..." Sasuke's body shook, locked in place by the crushing pressure. "These two... they're even stronger than Zabuza!"
No. Not just stronger.
This was a primal fear that made his Uchiha blood run cold. He was panicking from their presence alone. These two were on a completely different level than Momochi Zabuza.
What the heck were monsters like this doing in the Chunin Exams?!
"Looks like they're too scared to move," Obito Uchiha sneered, watching Sasuke's reaction. He took the chance to mock their leader. "Guess that Kakashi really is a lousy Jonin."
Heh. These three brats...
Just what you'd expect from that loser Kakashi's students.
Useless teacher, useless students.
"They seem to know Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura whispered nervously, not recognizing the masked man. His words barely registered in her frozen mind. She had no idea what to do. Her brain was so overloaded she couldn't even think about running.
"And," Sasuke added, cold sweat trickling down his cheek, "they aren't afraid of him."
The gap between them and these two enemies was impossibly wide. Unlike Sakura, Sasuke's mind was racing. He understood that these two not only knew Kakashi but had probably fought him before.
How could monsters like this be in the Forest of Death?!
"We're not scared of them, either!" Naruto shouted, leaping onto a branch beside Sasuke. He clenched his fists, trying his best to look brave.
"Naruto, don't be an idiot!" Sasuke hissed, trying to grab him. This wasn't the time to lose their heads. This was nothing like their fight in the Land of Waves. Back then, they could get by on sheer willpower. Here, the power gap was so huge that their fighting spirit meant nothing.
Who are these people?
"The scroll—take it!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, pulling their Heaven and Earth scroll from his shirt and throwing it toward the two figures. "If you're here for the scroll, we give up!"
"Sasuke, what are you doing?!" Naruto yelled, lunging for it. That was their only way to pass the second exam! How could he just throw it away?!
"Naruto, get back here!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's collar, his eyes glaring fiercely at the two enemies. "You have what you want. This forest is crawling with enemies. Fighting us isn't worth your time."
"Hmph," Obito's expression twisted into one of pure contempt.
"Hehehe... how naive," Orochimaru chuckled, as if mocking Sasuke for thinking they'd come all this way for a simple scroll.
He caught it effortlessly. "What makes you think... we're here for this?"
The next moment, Orochimaru slowly swallowed the scroll whole, proving his point.
Sasuke's face went pale. It wasn't because of the bizarre act, but the horrifying realization that followed.
If they weren't here for the scroll... then what did they want?
"Run!" Sasuke's legs were still locked in place, sweat pouring down his face. "Naruto—take Sakura and go!"
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Naruto screamed back, pointing a finger at him. "Sasuke, I know these guys are strong, but I'm not gonna run! I won't give up, even if it kills me!"
"Hahaha... Jiraiya raised you well," Orochimaru said with a creepy smile, his gaze shifting from Sasuke to Naruto.
Even under his crushing killing intent, the kid still had guts. Maybe it was just stupidity, but it reminded him of that idiot Jiraiya.
Unfortunately, that kind of fool wasn't his target. His real prey was turning out to be a disappointment.
"Still want to test them?" Obito asked, glancing between Sasuke and Naruto. "If he doesn't even have the courage to face you, there's no point in testing this kid."
"Of course we'll test him," Orochimaru's smile tightened into something more serious as he stared at the two boys, as if lost in a memory. "So many precocious kids in this world think every step they take is perfectly logical..."
"So they fear hardship, they fear danger."
"But... there are always a few reckless ones who don't fear death. Their recklessness often drags their friends into hopeless situations."
"But sometimes," he mused, "it also gives their friends the hope they need to survive those desperate moments."
"Hmph, what nonsense," Obito scoffed. But before he could say more, Naruto charged at them.
That idiot kid. He was actually doing it.
"Sasuke! You're not the type to give up!" Naruto yelled as he ran, shouting back at his teammate. "The you I'm seeing right now isn't the Sasuke Uchiha I know!"
"...That idiot," Sasuke's arm fell limply to his side.
Watching Naruto charge in alone, his heart sank.
Don't. Don't go over there.
We can't win. We'll die.
This time, we're really going to die.
A bottomless despair washed over Sasuke. As he watched Naruto's back, he felt his spirit hit rock bottom.
"Stop that kid," Orochimaru said, his eyes still fixed on Sasuke. He was curious to see just how much lower Sasuke's head would hang as Naruto cursed him out.
"Something interesting," he whispered, "is about to happen."
"Hmph, whatever." Obito leaped forward, intercepting Naruto in an instant.
He grabbed the boy's arm and slammed him to the ground, pinning him with his foot.
"Kakashi's students really are all useless," he spat.
"Don't you insult Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto screamed, struggling uselessly against Obito's leg. "We're not useless, and neither is our teacher!"
"He's completely worthless," Obito sneered. "And you're just another useless brat dragging your team down. Sasuke is the smart one here. He knows you're no match for us. No matter what you do, you'll never escape... but you're the one pushing him into despair."
Before Obito could finish, a shuriken whizzed past his head.
"Let go of Naruto," Sasuke's voice was ice. He gripped two more shuriken, his Sharingan locked on Obito.
He shouted again, his voice filled with conviction, "Let go of him!"
In that instant, the boy who had given up on fighting had his will reignited, all because he saw his friend stomped into the dirt.
"Interesting things," Orochimaru's smile grew wider as he watched Sasuke's spirit surge back.
"They're happening, just as I thought. I may not care much for the stories of these children, but they do make for a nice little bit of spice to remember in a long, boring life..."