The iron gates roared open, and teams of ninjas vanished into the dense vegetation like arrows released from a bow. Team 7 chose a direction and blurred inward.
The Forest of Death lived up to its name. It felt like a different world from the peaceful Konoha. Ancient trees blotted out the sun, and the light was dim. Beneath their feet were gnarled roots and a thick layer of decaying matter. The air smelled of rotting vegetation, damp earth, and the musk of wild beasts.
Danger was everywhere. In less than half an hour, the trio had encountered over ten waves of animal attacks: venomous pythons lurking in the grass, packs of wild boars, and even a massive black bear. Deep in the forest, colorful poisonous insects rustled about, all demonstrating the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.
However, for Team 7, this was just an appetizer. Because of the butterfly effect caused by Yao, both Sasuke and Naruto were much stronger than their peers. The two coordinated perfectly, pushing through and handling dangers with ease. They even had time to observe their surroundings for other teams.
"Help!! Somebody help me!"
A shrill, terrified scream rang out from not far ahead. The voice was filled with despair and horror. This was followed by the roars of beasts and the sound of trees snapping!
"Someone's in trouble!" Naruto stopped and looked toward the source of the sound, instinctively wanting to rush over.
Sasuke immediately entered a state of high alert, his Sharingan activating. "The sound is close. The one crying for help is a girl. The beast sounds are loud—there's more than one!"
Sasuke looked at Yao, his eyes clearly asking: What should we do? Save them or not? Although Sasuke was aloof, he had tacitly accepted Yao as the team leader.
Yao raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of the screams.
That cry for help... it sounded a bit familiar!
"Let's go! Let's check it out!" Yao waved his hand.
Naruto, unable to wait any longer, was the first to dash toward the source of the sound. Sasuke followed immediately. Yao trailed behind them at a leisurely pace, looking perfectly relaxed.
Soon, a forest clearing appeared, with trees knocked askew. Seeing the scene, Naruto and Sasuke both froze for a moment. A faint, almost imperceptible curve formed on Yao's lips.
"Oh? It's her!"
A red-haired girl wearing glasses was running desperately. Chasing behind her were three frenzied black bears, their sizes comparable to small elephants, eyes glowing crimson, and saliva dripping from their maws. The three bears were clearly driven mad by something, relentlessly pursuing the girl.
That girl was indeed Karin! Looking at her, Yao couldn't help but recall the original plot. One of the main reasons Karin became so devoted to Sasuke was that he saved her during this Chunin Exam. That feeling of being rescued in a moment of despair, combined with a psychological admiration for the strong, eventually transformed into an obsessive attachment.
Such a useful human radar and mobile blood bank... why should I let my "foolish little brother" have her? I'll be the one to save this person!
"I'll handle this!" Yao suddenly spoke. He vanished from his spot and reappeared instantly between the three bears and Karin.
"Roar!" The three berserk bears bared their fangs and swiped at Yao. Yao raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together like a sword.
Crackle!!!
Blue lightning extended from his fingertips, forming a long, slender spear of electricity.
Chidori Sharp Spear!
Yao slashed through the air in quick succession.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three beams of blue light precisely sliced through the bodies of the three bears. The extreme penetration and destructive properties of Lightning Style chakra were displayed to their fullest. The three fearsome bears stopped dead in their tracks before splitting apart and crashing to the ground. Chunks of meat hit the earth, shattered into dozens of pieces. No blood flowed; the cuts were smooth, even, and charred black.
A total one-shot! From the moment Yao struck to the bears' deaths, less than two seconds had passed.
Yao landed lightly, barely kicking up any dust. The lightning dancing on his fingertips flickered out as if it had never been there. He turned around to face Karin, who was sitting on the ground with a dazed expression. "Are you alright, Miss?"
Sunlight filtered through the broken canopy, dapping Yao in a soft glow. In Karin's eyes, the entire world went quiet and faded to grayscale, leaving only this black-haired youth who had descended like a god.
Karin was a tragic soul. From childhood until now, aside from her mother, no one had ever smiled at her like this, and no one had ever treated her this way.
"..."
Not far away, Sasuke didn't even look at Karin. His gaze was fixed solely on Yao's right hand. His Sharingan was active, the two tomoe spinning slowly as he tried to capture and analyze the Chidori Sharp Spear he had just witnessed.
The sharpened form, the extreme condensation of Lightning Style, that familiar screeching chakra sound... Sasuke's throat felt dry. Was that... Chidori? No! It's not just Chidori! It's more condensed, pushing the piercing power to the absolute limit... a different form of Chidori!
Yao... not only mastered Chidori, but developed a stronger application for it in such a short time? Sasuke clenched his fists. He had thought mastering Chidori would close the gap between them, but now... he realized he was being naive. The gap was far larger than he had imagined!
Unaware of Sasuke's inner turmoil, Yao reached his hand out toward Karin. Karin snapped back to reality, her face turning bright red instantly. She shook her head frantically, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"Th-thank you for saving me!" She didn't dare look Yao in the eye; her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of her chest.
Naruto ran over then, looking at Karin curiously. "Huh? You're from the Hidden Grass? Where are your teammates? Why are you being chased by these big bears all alone?"
At the mention of teammates, the blush on Karin's face vanished, replaced by a dark, dejected expression. She whispered, "They... they're dead. Not long after entering the forest, we ran into some very powerful enemies..."
She didn't feel much grief, mostly just confusion and fear. She had no real bond with her Grass Village teammates; they were only grouped together for the exams. Now that they were dead, she—a support-type ninja—could barely survive in this dangerous Forest of Death. What should she do next? Would she even make it out alive? Karin felt a sense of despair.
Yao smiled slightly. "I see! In that case, why don't you come with us?"
"Eh?!" Karin looked up sharply, her eyes wide behind her thick lenses, filled with disbelief. Follow them? These powerful Konoha ninjas? Is... is that even possible?
Naruto agreed readily; he had a good impression of this timid, red-haired girl. Sasuke frowned; she was a ninja from another village with an unknown background. Bringing her along might slow them down and carried unknown risks, like a sneak attack or leaked intel—it could even be a trap. But seeing Yao's indisputable expression, he swallowed his words.
Though the brothers lived together and Sasuke acted "cool," Yao was the one who made most of the decisions. Sasuke was used to following his lead.
"How about it? Interested in coming with us?" Yao asked with a smile.
To Karin, Yao's words were like music from heaven! A massive surge of joy crashed through her heart. Tears welled up instantly, and she bowed repeatedly. "Th-thank you! I promise I won't be a burden!"
"I believe you," Yao nodded, smiling.
Karin was a pure-blooded Uzumaki—more so than even Naruto! Her Mind's Eye of the Kagura provided incredible sensory abilities. Taking her along was like having a human radar. Her value was immense! Furthermore, many people in the Naruto world are incredibly single-minded. Once won over, they become fiercely loyal—like Kimimaro, Haku, Karin, or Neji.
"Thank you!" Karin was moved to tears, standing up and bowing again and again.
The four of them prepared to set off.
At that moment, Yao let out a soft exclamation. He turned his head toward a patch of shadow to his side and rear, a faint curve forming on his lips.
"Finally, you've arrived..."