Night descended upon the Forest of Death.
As the moonlight filtered through the canopy, the jungle came alive with predators.
Several fat rats scurried through the undergrowth. From the darkness, a venomous snake struck, its fangs piercing one unlucky rat. It injected its venom and quickly released it, slithering behind its prey at a lazy pace.
The poisoned rat continued to run until, at last, it collapsed.
The snake coiled around it—and feasted.
Just as the venomous snake finished swallowing its prey and began slithering off to find a place to digest, a pale hand shot out from beneath the ground, clamping down on its head.
The snake hissed in terror, its body writhing wildly—then went limp as the hand squeezed. With a single pull, the serpent's life ended instantly.
From the soil, Hinata slowly sat up, brushing off the dirt that clung to her body. Without hesitation, she skinned the snake with practiced precision, sliced off the meat, and infused her palm with chakra to cleanse it—burning away parasites and bacteria. She took a bite of the raw flesh, swallowing it quickly.
It barely filled the gap between her teeth. Her stomach still ached with hunger.
Wiping her mouth, Hinata stood, eyes sharp and focused. Her Byakugan flared open, scanning the area around her as she searched for the nearest large prey.
Tigers. Bears. Pythons.
Those were her targets now.
In her previous life as an assassin, Hinata had faced far worse environments. Eating raw meat and drinking blood didn't faze her in the slightest. Survival came before disgust.
By the time she was done, two tigers, one bear, and three massive pythons lay motionless on the forest floor. The air was thick with the scent of blood. Hinata, her face faintly flushed and chest rising with steady breaths, exhaled a satisfied sigh.
Her hunger eased, she determined her direction and resumed her journey toward the tower, her steps silent and sure.
…
Meanwhile — Konoha
Unbeknownst to Hinata, her previous battle had sent waves of shock through the village.
"This is… Orochimaru!"
The Third Hokage's cigarette slipped from his fingers as he froze, eyes widening.
"Yes!" Anko—kneeling on one knee before him—looked pale and shaken. "When I arrived at the scene, his body was already there. As for who killed him… we still don't know."
"Which candidates were closest to that area?" the Third asked gravely.
"Team 7—Kakashi's students," Anko answered without hesitation.
The Hokage frowned deeply. He knew those children. They were talented, yes—but killing Orochimaru? Impossible. Even Kakashi himself would have struggled against such a foe.
After long consideration, the Third could only sigh. "Continue the investigation. And… send more squads to confirm the situation."
As Anko departed, the Hokage stepped closer to the body.
The sight before him was grotesque—Orochimaru's corpse was riddled with countless spikes, like a human pincushion, with three kunai embedded in his forehead, throat, and heart. Whoever had killed him had done so with ruthless precision, leaving no chance of survival.
"Hair…?"
The Third gently plucked out several thin, metallic strands. As soon as they left the body, the strands softened, turning limp in his fingers. He stared down at them in silence, lost in thought.
…
The Forest — Team 8 and Team 7
"Stop! What do you think you're doing?" Shino called sharply.
"What do you think? We're going to find Hinata! She hasn't come back yet," Kiba replied, his tone tense and defiant.
Shino adjusted his glasses.
"Hinata told us to go on ahead. She never asked for help. If you rush in now, you'll only be a burden."
"Then what—just sit here and do nothing?" Kiba growled in frustration.
From the corner, Sasuke, who had been sitting cross-legged and refining his chakra, opened his eyes.
"I'll go with you."
"Sasuke!" Sakura's voice rose in alarm.
"She saved us," Sasuke said evenly. "We can't just abandon her."
He turned to Sakura and added, "You stay here and look after Naruto. We'll be back soon."
Even Shino hesitated this time.
Sasuke's expression darkened slightly.
"That man… he was a monster. His killing intent alone nearly froze me in place."
He shuddered faintly at the memory, then looked toward Kiba and Shino.
"Hinata is probably already…"
He trailed off, but everyone understood.
Still, Kiba's eyes burned with determination. "Let's go."
"Sasuke!" Sakura called again, voice trembling.
The three left her behind, setting explosive tags and traps at the entrance for defense.
But before they could leave, Shino suddenly spoke.
"Wait—someone's coming."
"How many?" Sasuke asked, drawing a kunai.
Shino tilted his head slightly. His expression was strange.
"Just one."
Akamaru's ears perked up. He leapt down from Kiba's shoulder and dashed outside. Footsteps soon followed—soft, light, but deliberate.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "No way… She faced that monster alone and came back alive?"
The vine curtain covering the tree hollow was pulled aside.
There stood Hinata, holding Akamaru in her arms. Dirt streaked her clothes, and blood stained her sleeves—but her eyes were calm. She smiled faintly, her voice gentle.
"Sorry for worrying everyone."
"Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed in disbelief.
"I'm glad you're safe," Shino said, his voice carrying a rare trace of warmth.
Sasuke remained wary, scanning her from head to toe.
"Are we sure it's really her?"
Kiba snorted. "We've been together since graduation. I know Hinata's scent anywhere. And look—Akamaru's with her."
Akamaru barked in agreement.
Shino nodded slightly. "My insects recorded her chakra signature. Nothing else matches it."
Sasuke finally exhaled and lowered his guard. Still, his gaze sharpened.
"You defeated him?"
Under their collective stare, Hinata lowered her head bashfully and began to fidget with her fingers. When Sasuke opened his mouth to ask again, she simply gave a small hum in acknowledgment.
"!!"
Sasuke's eyes widened. For a long moment, he said nothing.
"Incredible…" Sakura whispered, awe-struck.
Hinata stepped past them without another word, kneeling beside the still-unconscious Naruto. She examined him briefly, then selected several pills from her pouch and gently placed them in his mouth, helping him swallow with a sip of water.
The group spent the rest of the night in tense quiet. Nothing attacked them again.
…
The Next Morning
At dawn, Hinata and her teammates prepared to part ways with Team 7.
"Wait," Sasuke said suddenly. "Leave the scroll."
Kiba froze mid-step, eyes narrowing. Shino said nothing.
Sakura immediately tugged at Sasuke's sleeve.
"Sasuke—what are you doing? That's not funny!"
"I'm not joking," Sasuke said coolly. "In this exam, everyone who isn't your teammate is an enemy. You have scrolls. We don't. It's simple."
Kiba's temper flared.
"Hey! What the hell? Hinata saved your life yesterday!"
"Saving people and winning the exam are two different things," Sasuke replied evenly, his Sharingan flickering faintly. Then, he turned his gaze toward Hinata.
Before Kiba could retort, Hinata stopped him with a calm gesture.
"You're right," she said softly. "If that's what you want… then come and take it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Hinata took two scrolls from Shino's hands and held them up, her expression tranquil yet unreadable. She was already aware of Sasuke's thoughts. As Naruto's teammate, his pride wouldn't let him refuse a challenge.
"Come, then," Hinata said simply.
Sasuke inhaled deeply, centering his chakra, his Sharingan fully awakening. Hinata's Byakugan opened in response, veins rising around her temples.
The tension crackled between them like lightning.
Then Sasuke moved—blindingly fast.
Hinata didn't flinch. Her right hand lifted, chakra condensing invisibly around her palm. Through her wireless puppet control, she subtly interfered with Sasuke's movement, disrupting his rhythm.
In the same instant, she struck.
A single Gentle Fist palm landed squarely on his abdomen.
To the others watching, it looked as though Sasuke had run straight into her attack.
"Cough! Pfft—!"
Sasuke's body arched sharply, as if his internal organs had shifted from the impact.
It was just a physical blow—Hinata hadn't used chakra to damage his internal systems. Still, it was enough to leave him breathless and writhing. Naruto was unconscious, Sakura was helpless in a fight, and Sasuke was their only combatant. If he fell, Team 7 would be in serious danger.
Hinata and her teammates turned and left without another word.
Sasuke remained on the ground, unmoving for a long time. Sakura rushed to his side, speaking to him anxiously, but her voice barely reached his ears. He couldn't hear anything—only the echo of his own frustration.
The gap between them, despite being the same age, was like an unbridgeable chasm. It was a bitter blow, and with it came despair.
"If I had that kind of strength right now…" Sasuke muttered through clenched teeth, his fists trembling.
…
Meanwhile, Hinata and her teammates wasted no time. They traveled straight toward the central tower without delay.
When they arrived, they learned they were the second team to reach it.
Kiba, however, was dissatisfied.
"Damn it! We should've taken out more teams. We didn't even get first place!"