Team 7 strolled leisurely toward the center of the tower, looking as if they were out for a casual hike rather than participating in a brutal survival exam.
Occasional rustling noises in the woods didn't escape Naruto's ears.
It was obvious—some ninjas were hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to ambush passing teams.
But, to Naruto's disappointment, even though the three of them walked so openly—almost daring someone to attack—no one did.
A deep regret settled in his heart. He really shouldn't have gone so overboard in the first exam.
Sure, it was satisfying to beat up that hunchback guy, but now everyone was too scared to challenge him.
Where was the fun in that?
"Hey, Naruto, you noticed too?"
Sasuke calmly stepped up beside him, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings.
Now that his strength had improved, the unnatural silence along the way was painfully obvious.
"Yeah." Naruto sighed dramatically. "Just a bunch of cowards too scared to do anything but watch from the bushes."
It was honestly disappointing.
Since Anko had given them five days for the survival test, the forest had to be huge. There was no rush to steal another team's scroll.
Yet, after walking for nearly three hours, not a single fight had broken out.
By now, the sun was high in the sky. It was almost noon, and all three of them were getting hungry.
"Let's stop here for now," Naruto suggested, scanning the area.
Just outside the woods, a rushing stream flowed. From a distance, they could see fish swimming in the crystal-clear water.
Food.
They set up camp by the stream. Sasuke waded into the river to catch fish, while Naruto and Sakura gathered dry branches to start a fire under a large tree.
Soon, Sasuke returned with several large fish. He had already gutted them with his kunai and rinsed them in the stream.
The fire crackled, and soon, the fish on the simple grill gave off a delicious aroma.
"It's almost ready," Naruto said eagerly, practically drooling.
Seeing the fish turn golden brown, he didn't wait any longer. He grabbed a piece, blew on it, and started eating in large bites.
Although it lacked seasoning, the fish was perfectly cooked, with a natural sweetness.
"This is great!" Naruto grinned. "Who knew survival training came with a free buffet?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This isn't a vacation, dobe."
Sakura sighed. "We should be focused on the exam, not treating this like a camping trip…"
Suddenly—
"The Chunin Exams as an outdoor picnic? Only you three would be stupid enough to do that."
A woman's voice suddenly cut through the air.
Naruto nearly choked on his fish. "Gah—who?!"
A woman in a yellow cheongsam stood on the trunk of a nearby tree, smirking at them.
Then—
She licked her lips with an unnaturally long tongue, her gaze locked onto Sasuke.
"Who… is that?"
Sasuke stiffened. His Uchiha survival instincts screamed at him: DANGER.
This woman had approached them without any of them noticing. That meant—she was way beyond their level.
"A dangerous weirdo," Naruto muttered, suddenly feeling very, very uncomfortable.
A long tongue like that… yeah, there was only one person in the ninja world who fit that description.
Orochimaru.
'Great. Just what I needed—some creep eyeing Sasuke like he's a snack.'
"Naruto, do you know her?"
Sakura sensed the suffocating danger coming from the woman and turned to Naruto for answers.
Before he could reply—
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The woman bit her thumb, then slammed her palm against the tree trunk.
A circle of black markings spread rapidly across the bark.
Boom!
A thick cloud of white smoke erupted.
When it cleared, a massive ten-meter-long snake emerged, crushing trees with a loud crash.
"AHHH!! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Naruto shouted.
Sakura turned pale. "I-It's huge! What does she want?!"
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle.
"The battle for the scroll... the fight to the death begins now. Heh heh heh~~"
Then—
She suddenly pulled down her lower eyelid with her fingers, revealing bloodshot eyes.
And in the next instant—
Hum~~
A chilling wave of pressure crashed over them.
Sasuke and Sakura's bodies froze as if they had been struck by a heavy blow.
Their souls trembled.
Plop!
Sakura crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"HEY! SAKURA?! DON'T JUST FAINT LIKE THAT!" Naruto yelled.
"Ugh…" Sasuke gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his forehead.
It felt like countless needles were stabbing into his body.
He couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe properly.
Naruto, however, managed to snap out of it.
"Oh, hell no! I'm not letting some overgrown snake lady ruin our lunch!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a flurry of hand signs, multiple clones popped into existence.
In the blink of an eye, twenty Narutos surrounded Orochimaru.
Two clones grabbed Sakura and retreated, perching on a tree branch tens of meters away.
They'd stay there and observe… or, more likely, nap.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly, her eyes gleaming with interest as she looked at Naruto.
"So, you're the Nine-Tails brat? How… fascinating."
At that moment—
"Naruto… thanks," Sasuke suddenly muttered, his fists clenched.
An Avenger…
How could he allow himself to freeze in fear when facing an enemy?
How could he revive the Uchiha clan or seek vengeance if he was too scared to move?
No.
Not again.
"Sharingan!!"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened, turning crimson as a single tomoe spun into existence.
"Alright, snake lady," he growled, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see who's stronger in a real fight to the death."
He clutched his right wrist with his left hand, gathering chakra in his palm.
A sharp, crackling sound filled the air.
Zzt—Zzt—Zzt—
A violent burst of lightning formed in his right hand.
"Haah!!"
Sasuke charged, his electrified palm tearing through the ground, leaving a deep trench in its wake.
"Chidori!!"
Pfft!!
Sasuke's hand pierced through Orochimaru's body—
And continued straight through, stabbing a tree behind her.
Splinters flew everywhere.
But—
No blood.
Orochimaru's body flickered, vanishing into thin air.
"W-what?!"
Sasuke's eyes widened in horror.
What he had hit with all his strength… was just an afterimage.
"Heh... hahahaha~~"
A sinister laugh echoed through the forest.
Sasuke whipped around.
Orochimaru stood on a nearby tree, looking down at him with amusement.
"That was Kakashi's Chidori, wasn't it?" she mused. "How interesting."
Her lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Then, let's play some more, shall we?"
(End of Chapter)