"Monsters of that caliber aren't the only ones in this forest."
Naruto looked at the three members of Team 10, his tone calm and certain, without the slightest hint of fear-mongering:
"This exam has already turned sour; the Forest of Death is extremely dangerous right now."
"With your current strength, if you keep going… the risk is no joke."
Shikamaru scratched his head, meeting Naruto's earnest eyes.
He could tell Naruto wasn't showing off, nor was he mocking them for cowardice.
He was genuinely worried about their safety.
And that was exactly why Shikamaru felt even worse.
It was like running a race thinking everyone was on the same starting line,
only to look up and discover you couldn't even see the other guy's back.
That sense of being utterly left behind was more crushing than any taunt.
"What a pain…"
Shikamaru gave a bitter chuckle, sighed, and swept his gaze across the devastated battlefield:
"It's supposed to be an ordinary Chunin Exam—how did so many monsters slip in?"
He hated trouble, but he feared death more, and he knew when to cut his losses.
So he clapped Choji on the shoulder, signaling a retreat:
"Yeah, in a fight like that, we aren't even qualified to intervene."
"Thanks, Naruto. We'll take your advice seriously…"
Watching Team 10's somewhat dejected departure, Naruto withdrew his gaze.
"Ahem…"
Just then, a sound came from beneath the tree.
Thanks to a Shadow Clone, the half-conscious Sasuke and Sakura were back on their feet… Meanwhile, Anko Mitarashi was darting nimbly through the trees.
She and the other proctors had already found the slaughtered Grass Ninja corpses.
And from the cruel Jutsu used, they'd identified the attacker—Orochimaru.
After dispatching a subordinate to request aid from the Third Hokage, Anko herself entered the Forest of Death to hunt Orochimaru.
The deeper she went, the more clearly she sensed that familiar Chakra.
"Found you!"
Anko slammed to a halt on a huge branch.
Before her, the pale man was leaning against the trunk, one hand pressed to his chest.
And… he didn't look well.
"Orochimaru!"
Anko formed hand seals, fury blazing in her eyes:
"You dare return to the Village! This Chunin Exam—"
"Long time no see, Anko."
Orochimaru lifted his head; golden pupils cold as ever, but his face paler than before.
The backlash from the soul fragment had left him with splitting headaches and a foul mood.
"I don't have time to reminisce."
His voice was hoarse, edged with impatient killing intent:
"Listen—if you people dare to halt this exam… I will destroy Konoha."
"You—"
Anko lunged to take him down with her, but the Cursed Seal of Heaven on her neck flared in agony.
"Ngh…"
She groaned, limbs locking as she collapsed, clutching her neck.
In an instant, Orochimaru was behind her, a knife-hand strike crashing onto the back of her neck.
"Sleep for now… the real show's just begun—don't spoil my game."
Watching Anko fall,
Orochimaru pressed his chest, eyes dark and unreadable, a mad smile curling his lips:
"Naruto-kun… since you've taken my soul,
let's see… just how far this wind of yours can blow."
…Sasuke jolted upright, gasping, fingers instinctively reaching for his weapon pouch,
terror of facing Orochimaru still lingering in his eyes.
"Where is that monster…?"
"Easy, Sasuke."
A steady voice came from beside him.
Sasuke turned and saw Naruto leaning against a tree—and the war-like devastation around them.
Huge craters, scorched earth, and the lifeless, staring head of a summoned giant snake.
His pupils contracted sharply.
"Battle traces like this… could it be… Naruto?"
A surge of disbelief welled up.
The monster that had frozen him in place had actually… been driven back by Naruto?
"Naruto… what happened?"
Sakura sat up, rubbing her groggy head. "That Grass Ninja?"
"Gone."
Naruto offered no details, only saying flatly:
"He just came to say hello; killing us wasn't required—bad luck, that's all."
Bad luck?
Sasuke stared at the dead serpent, jaw clenched.
A monster of that level didn't attack them just out of bad luck.
"I cowered in fear while he fought that thing—maybe even drove it off…"
"Right, this place isn't safe."
Naruto stood, cutting off Sasuke's spiraling thoughts.
Then he stepped aside, revealing the red-haired girl behind him.
"Meet Karin."
Naruto gestured to her and continued:
"I found her recently—she's from our clan. She'll be our temporary teammate."
"Teammate…"
Sakura eyed the girl wearing a foreign forehead protector, instinctively resistant.
"But she's from Kusagakure…"
"Sakura."
Naruto looked at her. "She's a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan—my distant relative. Got a problem with that?"
The words "distant relative" shut Sakura up at once.
She gave Karin an apologetic glance.
Sasuke merely glanced at Karin and said nothing.
His mind was full of frustration at his own weakness; he didn't care if one more person joined.
Even ten more wouldn't matter.
"The blood smell here is too strong; it'll draw trouble."
"Let's find somewhere safe to spend the night and plan our next move."
After Naruto gave the order, no one objected… An hour later,
Team 7 had relocated into a huge hollow tree.
Naruto's clones kept watch, Karin sorted supplies, Sakura laid traps.
Sasuke sat alone in a corner,
knees hugged to his chest, staring fixedly at the leaping campfire.
Again and again, he recalled Orochimaru's contemptuous gaze—and Naruto's back shielding him.
"Damn it… damn it! Damn it!"
Sasuke's fingers dug deep into the dirt.
A self-proclaimed Uchiha prodigy, aiming to kill that man… yet before a real powerhouse, he couldn't even fight back!
Weak—far too weak!
Could someone this weak ever avenge anything?
A violent urge to wreck everything just to prove himself swelled madly in his chest.
Right then, Naruto suddenly lifted his gaze toward the cave mouth.
"Enemy incoming—stand ready."
"What is it, Naruto?"
Sakura tensed, Kunai in hand.
"Three hostile Chakra signatures, closing fast."
Naruto adjusted his glasses.
Had Orochimaru sent them?
In the corner, the silent Sasuke raised his head.
Firelight glinted off the slowly spinning trio of tomoe, glowing blood-red.