A Hero's Journey

by mugiwara-no-lucy

Boruto has always wanted to know more about his father, especially his past when he was younger. Thanks to a forbidden jutsu in a scroll found in the Hokage's office, Boruto and his teammates find themselves traveling through Naruto's memories. However, not all things are meant to be seen. How will Boruto react to seeing his father's various triumphs, pains, successes and failures?

14. The Forest of Death

Hehe, we're really getting into the content you guys as well as I are gunning to see as well as the content I have been waiting to write ever since I first started this story!

I gotta say I'm loving this story and how Team Konohamaru is seeing how they essentially grew up in a Disney Fairy Tale compared to what their parents went through!

Not to mention this chapter has the introduction of a certain snake! ^_^

But before I begin I wanna give a HUGE sorry on a huge folly on my part! So when I originally posted this chapter I posted that Chapter 14 would come out October 10th before I changed it to come out today October 21st and stupid me thought I changed it as such BUT I started getting guest reviews asking where the chapter was and I was confused before I looked at the chapter and saw that I didn't change it so I'm VERY sorry for the confusion guys! XD

I won't make the same mistake again!

Now with all that said, let the chapter commence!

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"….Yeah that's a way to get people excited…." Sarada muttered, noticing how a good deal of the examinees looked a little….green to say the least.

"And I knew the times were different back then…." Boruto began.

"But it's definitely like we grew up in a fairy tale." Mitsuki chuckled as Sakura shivered at the sight of the humongous forest.

"This whole place just completely creeps me out." Sakura cringed as Anko merely chuckled at the discomfort of some of the contestants.

"It should. They call it the Forest of Death and soon enough, you're going to find out why." Anko grinned.

"I remember we had our final exams in there and it may've been creepy but it doesn't have the same bad air it has here." Boruto shook his head as Naruto was definitely not fazed by this threat.

Or at the very least, he tried not to show it, outwardly.

"Hmph! They call it the Forest of Death but soon enough, you're going to find out why'. Do your worst! You're not gonna scare me away! I can handle anything!" Naruto declared as he pointed straight at Anko while his teammates and his son both looked like they had second hand embarrassment.

Anko on the other hand appeared to find all of this endearing.

"So, looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy." Anko slightly giggled before a kunai flew right by Naruto, leaving a bloodied scratch behind as Anko's kunai was embedded in the ground directly behind him, unnerving nearly everyone watching.

"Okay isn't that going a bit too far!?" Sarada asked, not a fan on how things literally went from zero to a hundred within the span of less than five seconds.

"I guess this is her way of making a point…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as Anko appeared as fast as behind of him as a flash of light.

"You're not afraid, are you? You guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest." Anko purred like a kitten before she actually licked the blood from Naruto's cut with her tongue, much to everyone's disgust.

"Disgusting!" Sarada grimaced.

"Yeah that's going way too far!" Boruto agreed, not believing this deadly, crazy lady was the same cheerful Anko that was the sensei of Chocho's team.

Before anyone knew anything, a lady with a particularly long tongue casually returned the kunai that Anko used as Anko was mere seconds from turning the woman into a pincushion.

"I was just returning your knife." The woman purred as Anko cheekily grinned.

"Why thank you, Grass Ninja. You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end." Anko smirked as she and the grass ninja's eyes met for a split second as the woman's tongue ejected back into her mouth.

"My pardon. With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair, mhm, I'm afraid that I just became a little too excited. I meant you no harm." The grass ninja apologized before taking her leave as everyone was definitely unnerved at what they had just witnessed.

"Geesh, this is the same Anko we know now?" Sarada cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah she's even deadlier than she is now…" Boruto muttered, just wondering what happened to take this edge off of the former disciple of Orochimaru.

"And what about that grass ninja? There's definitely something more to her…." Boruto's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah something about her is…suspect…" Sarada looked at the grass ninja's retreating form as Anko merely chuckled.

"This is gonna be fun." Anko shook her head in amusement before she made her way to the front of everyone.

"Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all." Anko began as she fished inside of her long trench coat before pulling out a handful of papers.

"It's just a general consensus form. Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form and sign it." Anko explained.

"What for?" Naruto curiously asked.

"Som of you might not come back from this test and I have to get your consent to that risk. Otherwise it would be my responsibility." Anko replied before she began laughing though no one laughed back as some looked serious, some looked ready and some looked ready to piss themselves.

"Now I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out." Anko said to Naruto as Naruto did just that in passing out the consent forms to everyone.

"The first thing you need to know is that this test will tax every one of your survival skills." Anko said as everyone skimmed over all the different rules and procedures of the second exam.

"First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The 44th Battle Training Zone has forty four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located 10 kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test. The test consists of an anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls." Anko added onto her precious explanation as she held up two different scrolls, a white and black one.

"Way different than what we had to do." Sarada said.

"Yeah it sounds like when we had to get those flags." Boruto agreed, not quite looking back on that test with a fond perspective.

"Both of them?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes, you'll be fighting to get both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll. Altogether, 26 teams will be taking part in this test. So half of those teams will be going after the Heaven Scroll and the other half will be trying to get the Earth Scroll. I'll hand over one kind of scroll to each team and that's what you'll be vying for." Anko told everyone as they listened.

"Definitely like our flag test." Mitsuki said.

"Okay so how do we pass the test?" Sasuke asked for everyone.

"Your entire squad must bring both the Heaven and Earth scroll to the tower." Anko answered.

"That means at the very best, half of us will fail-more, if not every team is able to get the scrolls." Sakura theorized.

"No one ever said it would be easy. And one more thing, the test has a time limit. You must finish it within five days." Anko said, to the interest of everyone as some looked squeamish at that.

"We had an afternoon for our tests. Geez, times are really different." Boruto sighed.

"Five days out there?" Ino looked freaked at this sudden limitation.

"What're we supposed to do for food!?" Choji looked even more freaked as Anko grinned, no doubt taking pleasure in everyone's discomfort.

"Just look around. The forest is full of things to eat and there's plenty to feed all of you." Anko replied amusingly.

"Yeah but that's not all the forest has plenty of. There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there." Kabuto smirked.

"Oh man…" Choji groaned.

"This is why they call it 'survival', you know." Ino rolled her eyes at Choji's ridiculousness.

"That means with these circumstances there's no way half the teams will pass the test." Neji stated, matter of factly.

"With the days getting longer, the nights are getting shorter. So we will have less time to sleep and less time to recover. It is a challenge indeed." Lee grinned.

"A true survival test." Mitsuki said.

"A part of me is excited to see what our parents are gonna have in store of them." Boruto grinned slightly.

"Completely surrounded by enemies, there won't be time to rest. We'll have to keep a constant watch." Sasuke added onto what Lee and Neji previously said.

"Right. This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge." Anko said as Shikamaru raised a hand.

"So uh, let's say mid exam, can we quit?" Shikamaru asked as Anko darted her eyes at the Nara.

"Of course not. In the middle of a battle you can't say, 'Sorry, I quit.'. Well…I guess you could but it's probably going to get you killed." Anko smiled as Shikamaru looked unsatisfied with that answer.

"Oh just great." Shikamaru deadpanned as Ino looked even meeker while Choji scarfed down his chips in a flurry of fear.

"There are also some ways you can get disqualified. The first is simple-if all three members of a team can't make it to the story with both scrolls after five days. Number two-if a team loses a member or if a member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue. But most important, none of you, absolutely none of you may look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower." Anko explained, putting very specific emphasis on that last method of disqualification.

"Why not?" Boruto asked.

"Something tells me we're better off not knowing." Sarada muttered.

"W-what if it just happens to flap open and you just read it?" Naruto asked, unintentionally asking the next question on Boruto's mind as Anko merely chuckled at the question.

"Let me put it to you this way young man, you-don't-want-to-know." Anko answered, deliberately spacing out the last portion of her answer as Naruto was definitely unsatisfied with her answer.

"What'd I tell you?" Sarada turned to her teammate who merely huffed in response.

"There are times when a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents. The scroll is to test your integrity. Okay, we're done. Each team take your consent forms and exchange them over there for your scrolls. After that, each team pick a gate and you'll be let inside." Anko finally concluded everyone's orientation of sorts to the Forest of Death before sighing.

"Oh and I have one more word of advice…..just don't die!" Anko yelled as everyone prepped themselves mentally for the hell they were guaranteed to experience ahead.

"Well that's some healthy motivation." Boruto mused.

"At least everyone seems at least somewhat pumped?" Mitsuki offered as Naruto walked around reading his flier as he noticed a certain shy Hyuga standing by a tree.

"Hey it's mom!" Boruto pointed out.

"What's she doing hanging there?" Sarada asked.

"Oh hey! What're you doing all the way out here?" Naruto asked as Hinata nearly fainted at the sight of her crush.

"Oh Naruto! I um, I just…..nothing…" Hinata darted her eyes away as Naruto merely closed his eyes in confusion, no doubt thinking on how weird Hinata is.

"Anyone notice how Lord Seventh used to always shut his eyes when he was a kid?" Sarada noted as Boruto blinked.

"Huh….I never really noticed. He didn't do that when I went back in time…" Boruto cocked his head.

"Somehting must have changed." Mitsuki shrugged as Hinata then noticed the cut on Naruto's cheek.

"I, uh, oh, you're hurt!" Hinata noticed Naruto's injury as she started to dig in her medicine pouch.

"Here, I have some-"Hinata tried to offer Naruto some ointment as Naruto walked off, clearly losing interest in the conversation.

"Well anyway, see ya later." Naruto walked off as Hinata was no doubt disappojnted in losing her chance with Naruto.

"You know, now I'm starting to understand why mom didn't wanna tell me or Hima some stuff that happened when she and dad were my age." Boruto sighed.

"Well she's not really making it easy for herself either. If she gets more confidence, she's sure to woo over Lord Seventh." Mitsuki laughed as Team Konohamaru followed Team Seven to where they were given their scrolls as they waited expectantly with the other teams for the gates of the Forest of Death to open.

Three….Two….One…

"Alright, heads up you maggots! The second part of the test has begun!" Anko announced as the gates to the forest officially opened as Team Seven looked very excited for the second exam to officially begin.

"Well, alright! Here we go guys!" Naruto broadly grinned as Team Seven dashed and advanced through the forest as Team Konohamaru eagerly chased behind them.

"Man I'm so excited to see what's gonna happen!" Boruto pumped his fists as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded just as excited as their boisterous teammate.

However, upon descending and walking through the forest, sounds of anguished and fearful screams emanated through the air, unnerving both Teams Seven and Konohamaru.

"T-that sounded like someone screaming…." Sakura nervously gulped as birds fluttered through the area.

"Geez, looks like this place is really living up to its name of The Forest of Death…." Sarada grimaced as more screams of people no doubt losing their lives.

"I can only wonder what they're going through…" Boruto gulped.

"I do not like this place…." Sakura muttered.

"Same here, momma." Sarada whole-heartedly agreed with her mother.

"Oh c'mon! It's nothing to be scared of! It's gonna be a piece of cake." Naruto tried reassuring his teammate before suddenly turning around and darting off.

"Excuse me a second, I've really gotta you know…" Naruto unzipped his pants.

"Are you kidding me!?" Sarada yelled as Boruto face-palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

Sakura however was nothing short of unamused before she whacked Naruto dead in his skull leaving swelling.

"Yeah, right! Get outta here! What is this, a kennel!? Not in front of me, you don't! Find a bush or something!" Sakura yelled.

"Although…something tells me if it was dad needing to pee, she'd be all for it." Sarada rolled her eyes in embarrassment as she noticed Sakura's eye gleam in excitement.

"Ugh….fine…" Naruto groaned as Sasuke huffed.

"Idiot." Sasuke scoffed, utterly convinced his teammates were the craziest folks in the universe.

As Naruto did his business, he suddenly heard the sound of leaves shuffling and dark chuckling.

"What the!?" Naruto asked before he suddenly found himself on the floor of the forest.

"Who the hell is that!?" Boruto yelled as Team Konohamaru looked to see a ninja around the same age of Naruto wearing a yellow jumpsuit and a weird mask over his mouth.

"It looks like he's trying to usurp Lord Seventh's scroll…." Mitsuki surmised as the ninja held a Kunai to Naruto's head.

"Hello there, brat." The ninja smirked under his mask as Naruto growled at him.

"Who the hell are you!?" Naruto glared as Naruto was suddenly restrained through a flurry of ropes.

"Just here to get a little gift, you know." The ninja said as he dug his hand through Naruto's pouch before realizing he was coming up short.

"Hmph, so you don't have the scroll my team and I are looking for. No matter, I'll kill your teammates and get the scroll for myself." The ninja smirked as he threw Naruto to the ground like a piece of meat.

"You bastard!" Naruto yelled as the ninja laughed.

"Don't worry. You'll meet them soon enough." The ninja laughed before transforming into Naruto as he walked off.

"No! Sasuke and Sakura are gonna be in danger! I won't let that rat bastard hurt them!" Naruto growled before slowly dragging himself across the floor with his chin.

"How despicable! Masquerading as someone to steal their scroll!" Sarada crossed her arms, annoyed that she couldn't free Naruto from his bindings.

"I wouldn't worry too much. Master Sasuke and Sakura won't fall to someone like that." Mitsuki was quick to remind his friends before they followed "Naruto" back to where he met with his teammates.

"Ah man, that was a lot! I wrote my whole name!" The imposter laughed as Sakura and Sasuke were not too receptive of his brand of toilet humor.

"You are such a pig! You're really disgusting sometimes, you know that?" Sakura growled, eager to smack Naruto in his skull before Sasuke actually did just that, taking full initiative of the situation at hand.

"That was fast." Boruto blinked.

"Guess he figured out that was an imposter." Mitsuki assumed.

"But how though?" Sarada asked as "Naruto" and Sakura stared at the Uchiha with equal levels of surprise.

"Sasuke? It wasn't that bad. Don't you think you're going a little overboard?" Sakura took a step back in surprise at how vicious Sasuke was being.

"She of all people talking about going overboard on someone?" Boruto snickered as Sarada sighed, not willing to disagree remembering all the times she saw her mother smack Naruto silly over the course of all of the memories they had seen so far.

"Yeah, what the heck was that all about?" "Naruto" glared at Sasuke who gave him no time to recover as he was on him like cheese on macaroni as he followed him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

"You better watch out, Sakura, I think he's gone crazy!" "Naruto" yelled out to Sakura in a request for a hope of help as Sakura actually looked compelled to help Naruto while Sasuke merely scoffed.

"Yeah, you wish. I just struck before you could!" Sasuke said, pulling out a kunai as "Naruto" did the same before the two clashed their blades several times with Sakura running to Sasuke's backside with "Naruto" getting a fair share of distance.

"Sasuke, what're you doing?" Sakura could only wonder what came over Sasuke as she was still oblivious to the fact that the Naruto that was standing before them was not the real one.

"Take a good look at him." Sasuke said as Sakura did just that as she was even more puzzled.

"What about him?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow, not realizing what Sasuke was getting at.

"Talk! What have you done with Naruto?" Sasuke demanded.

"What do you mean? I am Naruto!" The imposter grew shook that Sasuke was on to him.

"Then where's the cut on your cheek?" Sasuke stated more than asked as everyone's eyes widened in realization before Sasuke continued.

"I guess you didn't know the real Naruto got a cut on his face before the exam. You also have your shuriken holster on your left leg, not your right. But the real Naruto is right-handed. Your transformation skill is even worse than Naruto. Tell me who you are!" Sasuke finished off his analysis of the imposter's follies before demanding to know Naruto's location, ready to shove his kunai within the imposter's throat.

"….I didn't even notice that…" Boruto blinked as he looked to his teammates.

"Me neither. Way to come through dad?" Sarada hesitatingly complimented her dad. Not that he could hear it anyways.

"Guess that goes to show just how resourceful Master Sasuke is." Mitsuki mused as the imposter finally dropped the ruse, revealing his true self.

"Alright, you got me. So what? I'm still gonna take your scroll! Now hand it over or else. Now which one of you has it?" The ninja ordered Sasuke and Sakura as they were nothing short of unwilling to comply with his terms.

"Hmph, fine then. I'll just have to take you both out!" The ninja charged both Sasuke and Sakura as Sasuke jumped to the sky, readying a fire style jutsu.

"Fire Style-Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, spitting out several balls of flame which the ninja was able to evade before they clashed kunai against kunai with Naruto finally reaching where his friends were.

"Hey! Get me outta here!" Naruto wiggled around as Sakura looked relieved while Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration.

"Tch! Little idiot!" Sasuke growled before throwing a kunai in Naruto's direction, freeing him from his ropes.

"Thank you!" Naruto gratefully smiled, ready to get himself into the game as the ninja tried getting away.

"Better get your mind in the game!" The ninja threw several kunai and paper bombs in Sasuke's direction.

"A paper bomb?" Sasuke asked as he narrowly got away from the explosions before feeling something metallic inches from his throat.

"Sorry, this is one test you fail. Now hand over the scroll and you die." The ninja threatened.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled in panic as he merely smirked, noticing the ongoing kunai headed in his direction.

"Oh no you don't!" As the kunai was revealed to have come from none other than Naruto as Sasuke threw the kunai in the ninja's direction.

This was merely a distraction as Sasuke slammed his kunai dead into the mysterious ninja's chest, making blood spray out.

"Are you alright!?" Sakura asked, not sure if the blood was from Sasuke or not.

"Don't just stand there, Sakura! Chances are this guy's not alone. Watch out! The others could strike any second now!" Sasuke yelled before the man freed himself from the kunai lodged in his chest, cradling his bleeding wound.

"I wish….I came along so as to not arouse suspicion….big mistake." The ninja said before high-tailing it out of the area.

"Hey! He's getting away!" Boruto yelled.

"Talk about the forest of death…." Sarada shook her head as Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration, no doubt upset that he had let the bastard flee away to fight another day.

With those thoughts in mind, Sasuke decided to gather his comrades to have a very important meeting.

"That proves that we can't just trust appearances. We have to come up with a way of knowing that each of us is who we say we are and not some imposter using a transformation jutsu." Sasuke announced to his teammates who seemed receptive at that idea.

"Yeah that sounds good." Sarada nodded in agreement.

"Especially with how dangerous this forest is, it would be in their best interest to be able to accurately identify their teammates." Mitsuki agreed.

"Alright so what do we do?" Sakura asked with Naruto nodding in agreement.

"We need a password." Sasuke said.

"What kind of password?" Naruto asked.

"A secret one. Something known only to the three of us. And don't trust anyone who doesn't know it, no matter what. Okay, listen closely, because I only want to say this once. The question will be, when does a ninja strike? And the response is, a ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike. Got it?" Sasuke told to his teammates.

"….And that's one hell of a tongue twister…" Boruto muttered.

"It looks like mom's got it." Sarada said.

"But it doesn't look the same for Lord Seventh." Mitsuki chuckled.

"I've got it." Sakura smiled as Naruto's eyes were narrowed in confusion.

"…You…got one a little shorter?" Naruto blinked as Mitsuki chuckled, Sarada smiled sympathetically while Boruto rolled his eyes.

"No Naruto, that's it." Sasuke said, sharing Boruto's annoyance.

"Oh c'mon! What's wrong? Didn't you get it? I memorized it easy!" Sakura chastised her teammate who didn't like how everyone was turning on him.

"Yeah sure, I got it. No problem. I just thought it was going to be a password and not a pass speech." Naruto muttered.

"Alright then, I'll take the scroll." Sasuke stated as he stood up along with the others.

"Wait a second, Sasuke. I-" Naruto was about to say before something grazed his cheek.

"What was that?" Naruto and Boruto simultaneously asked before a large gust of wind flew threw the area sending Naruto skidding away from his teammates several miles away.

"Holy crap!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled.

"A new enemy?" Mitsuki asked.

"C'mon, let's go after him!" Boruto said as he ran to where his dad was, on his head looking dazed and worse for wear.

"Okay…upsy daisy…." Naruto muttered before he flew himself to being able to stand on his knees.

"Hey….where did Sasuke and Sakura go?" Naruto's eyes darted both left and right looking for both of his teammates, hoping they were okay from the huge blast that attacked them before hearing something slither his way before he found himself face to face with a ginormous snake.

"That's one huge snake!" Boruto yelled.

"Where did it come from!?" Sarada asked, just as disturbed as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"So…it must be…" Mitsuki surmised.

"T-that's one big snake!" Naruto yelled, nearly frozen in fear as he tried getting away but the snake was very fast despite its huge size.

"I can't move!" Naruto yelled and before anyone knew anything, he was swiftly eaten by the huge reptile, much to everyone's horror.

"Dad/Lord Seventh!" Boruto and Sarada yelled as they noticed Naruto slowly slither down the throat of the snake before the snake started to leave.

"Hey! You can't just swallow a guy and leave!" Boruto and Sarada yelled, completely in disbelief that Naruto was actually eaten.

"I…..just can't believe that happened…..dad….was actually eaten…." Boruto couldn't believe what he had just seen.

"If I didn't know he was your dad later in time, I'd say he was completely toast." Sarada sighed.

"Let's go after him!" Mitsuki said as the group all left to go after Naruto and the snake before they noticed that the snake was stopping, no doubt ready to chill.

However before the group of teens noticed anything, they noticed the snake started to slowly blow up and expand like a balloon.

"What's going on?" Sarada asked before the cry of "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" indirectly answered her question before the snake expanded, sending blood and snake guts flying all over the forest.

"Gross!" Sarada cringed in disgust.

"At least he's alive!" Boruto pointed at his dad, happy he came out of the whole experience relatively fine.

"Sorry but you picked the wrong shinobi. I'm gonna be the Hokage one day. If you think I'm gonna end up a pile of snake crap in the woods, you're crazy!" Naruto sighed in relief, thankful he had his Shadow Clones to use as impact.

"Can you just imagine how bad he smells though?" Sarada wrinkled her nose.

"Well it'd be better smelling like snake guts than ending up as snake stool in a couple of weeks, right?" Mitsuki joked.

"No arguing with that." Boruto snickered before he got serious.

"But still that snake…where did it come from?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki decided to speak what was on his mind.

"It might be…..Orochimaru…." Mitsuki surmised as his teammates stared at him in shock.

"Orochimaru!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled in dismay.

"It….would explain the snake." Mitsuki crossed his arms as Boruto and Sarada stared at Mitsuki before looking at each other.

"Then again, from what dad told me when I went back in time, that Orochimaru guy was a big villain back in the day…." Boruto recounted the conversation he and Naruto had back at Ichiraku after a long day of training.

"And even though so much time's passed, I still remembered an awkward air when both Lord Seventh and Papa were in the same room with him…." Sarada added on, remembering the dynamic between the men during the Shin incident.

"We should probably hurry then." Mitsuki said to his teammates.

"Right!" Boruto and Sarada nodded.

As the team followed Naruto to where he hoped his teammates were, they noticed a dead snake was lying from a tree with blood oozing from its mouth.

"That's another dead snake but where's dad and Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked.

"Over there!" Mitsuki pointed seeing Sasuke and Sakura panting in both exhaustion and….fear?

"Dad and Mom really look spooked…." Sarada frowned in concern for her parents.

"Can you blame them….they were attacked by one of the Legendary Sannin….something that no genin would be prepared for." Mitsuki pointed out.

"I sense your fear and desperation….it's only natural…the prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment in the presence of its predator…." A voice appeared from the snake as it was revealed to be the grass ninja from earlier.

"Wait, it's that ninja from earlier!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I thought Orochimaru was supposed to be here?" Boruto quirked an eyebrow.

"It must be a jutsu then!" Sarada pointed out as the woman extended her limbs like rubber across the tree that Sasuke was stepping on and was about to gut Sasuke before a pair on ninja weapons literally blocked his path.

"Thank god." Sarada sighed in relief as everyone looked to see the source of the weapons fall was from none other than the Leaf's Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja.

"Looks like I came just in time!" Naruto smirked as he looked at his teammates with his arms crossed.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed in glee as even Sasuke looked relieved while the Orochimaru stared at Naruto with slight curiousity and intrigue.

"Oh and by the way, what was the password again?" Naruto asked.

"Talk about an entrance." Boruto mused good-naturedly.

"Forget it, I know it's you. You made it." Sakura couldn't believe how goofy her teammate was being in a chaotic time like this as Naruto merely chuckled at Sakura's irritancy at his behavior.

"Naruto, get out of here! What're you thinking? You don't know what you're up against! Hurry! Go now, while you can!" Sasuke yelled to his friend, not sharing Naruto's amusement as Orochimaru chuckled at Naruto's impudence.

"So Naruto, you managed to escape from my friend. Well done." Orochimaru praised the orange clad genin as Sasuke grit his teeth as Naruto clearly had no idea of what he was up against.

"Okay, Okay, I don't know what's going on here but you've been picking on my friends and I don't like that. So you'd just better slither on back into your hole Snake Lady before I make a pair of shoes outta you!" Naruto threatened Orochimaru who actually looked amused while Sakura and Sasuke looked as if they thought Naruto was even more insane if that was even possible.

Sasuke looked deep in thought before making a surprising decision.

"You can have it…" Sasuke stated, deactivating his Sharingan.

"Wait, what!?" Sarada asked, not believing that her dad was throwing in the towel that it seemed.

"He can't be giving up…right? No….he has to have some secret agenda!" Boruto commented, just as much in disbelief.

"The scroll, right? That's what you want? Alright, then. Take it and leave us in peace." Sasuke offered his team's scroll to the rogue ninja much to his teammates' disbelief.

"Huh!? Sasuke! Are you crazy or what!? We're gonna to just hand the scroll over to the enemy? No way! What's wrong with you?" Naruto commented in disbelief in how cowardly Sasuke was being.

"Shut up and stay out of it!" Sasuke spat.

"It's not just an agenda…he's just gonna give it up?" Sarada asked, not believing in how her father was acting.

"Given their current skill level, if they tried to fight Orochimaru, they would no doubt have a date with death." Mitsuki said.

"Very wise, very sensible. Sometimes the helpless prey, if they are to save their own skins, realize that their only hope is to distract the predator with something even more precious." Orochimaru mused at how Sasuke was being.

"Take it." Sasuke spat, throwing the scroll to the undercover Sound Ninja as he held out his arm before Naruto quickly snatched it, much to the amazement of everyone watching.

"What's he doing?" Sarada asked as Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration with how hard-headed Naruto was being.

"Stop playing the damn hero! Just stay out of this and leave it to me!" Sasuke yelled in indignation to Naruto who rolled around before he clocked Sasuke dead in the face much to the shock of everyone watching.

"What the hell!?" Sarada asked as Boruto and Mitsuki were silent, already understanding why Naruto did what he did as Sakura gasped while Orochimaru quietly watched these proceedings.

"Stupid fool! You don't know what you're doing!" Sasuke gave Naruto a deadly glare as Naruto huffed and puffed before returning Sasuke's death glare.

"I may not know the password but I know who I am. You're the one I'm not so sure about. How do we know who you say you are?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke.

"Huh? It's him, don't be so stupid!" Sakura reminded her teammate as Sasuke looked ready to rip his hair out in frustration.

"What sort of nonsense is this!? It's me you loser!" Sasuke spat as Naruto remained unfazed with his teammates' attitude.

"What is he talking about?" Sarada asked.

"After everyone we've seen in these memories so far, do you really need to ask?" Boruto asked.

"Liar….Liar! You may look like him….you may sound just like him but there's no way you're the Sasuke I know! I don't care how tough a fight you've been through-surrendering, giving up the scroll, when did Sasuke become such a coward!? You keep saying I don't understand what's going on but I do! You've choked, that's what it is!" Naruto spat.

"…I see now…." Was all that Sarada could say while Sasuke and Sakura had no idea on what to say.

Orochimaru decided to finally end all of this bravado so the fight could start again.

"Sad but true. It doesn't matter. As far as the scroll goes, I could simply kill you and take it!" Orochimaru said, lifting his sleeve before biting his thumb, drawing blood and applying it to his palm as this was enough incentive to get Naruto charging.

"Oh let's see you try it!" Naruto roared, charging the rogue Sannin with a Kunai.

"That idiot!" Boruto yelled.

"Don't! Naruto! No!" Sasuke yelled as Naruto lunged at Orochimaru, ignoring Sasuke's protests.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Orochimaru said before another huge snake appeared from a huge gust of wind, sending Naruto flying back to a nearby log.

"Hehe, what a tasty little meal, you'll make for him. Careful, he likes to play with his food." Orochimaru looked down at Naruto with a combination of glee, curiosity and amusement.

"Okay I'm starting to get a little tired of all these snakes." Sarada muttered.

"Hey! Snakes are awesome!" Boruto said, offended with Sarada's snake bias.

As the huge snake knocked Naruto from the branch he was standing on, Naruto's eyes opened, revealing crimson orbs, turning the memory a light red.

"What's that?" Sarada asked.

"The Nine Tails' power!" Boruto and Mitsuki answered.

"Eat this!" Naruto tried stomping the snake away that knocked the orange clad ninja again who readied his fist for round two as he lunged at the humongous reptile as he hammered the monster with blow after blow.

"Look at him….he's gone nuts…." Sakura was in disbelief at what she was seeing as Naruto continued wailing on the creature.

"You don't say." Sarada was still a bit in disbelief at how Naruto was still a bit uncontrolling with his Nine Tails as Orochimaru's lips curled in an amused smirk as Naruto was sending skidding several yards back.

"That fire in his eyes, there's no mistaking it." Orochimaru noted in realization as Sasuke was just in disbelief as Sakura was.

"Whoa…is that Naruto?" Sasuke blinked in surprise as Orochimaru grinned in glee.

"Oh….things have gotten very interesting. Now then…let's see what you do, Sasuke." Orochimaru turned his eye to Sasuke before lunging at Sasuke with his huge snake.

"Dad!" Sarada's eyes widen in horror.

"Dad! Do something!" Boruto yelled as before anyone knew anything, Sasuke was spared from being flattened into a pancake by Naruto who managed to hold the snake back with lodging two kunai into its skull, killing the poor animal.

"Thank god…." Sarada gasped.

"But man just how heavy is that snake…." Boruto muttered, wondering how much arm power it would take to restrain and hold back such a heavy reptile.

"Hey kid….you're not hurt…are you…." Naruto huffed before his crimson eyes met Sasuke's onyx ones.

"You scaredy cat!?" Naruto spat as time practically stopped between the two rivals as the memory flashed back to the land of waves mission.

"Hey, you're not hurt are you? Scaredy Cat?" Sasuke in the memory smirked at Naruto's cowardice before the memory returned back to the present.

"That time, huh…." Boruto said as Naruto glared at Sasuke who looked too frozen to speak.

"Standing there frozen like a frightened rabbit. No way, you're not the Sasuke I know!" Naruto spat with clear disdain in his voice, almost as if he was disappointed with the Uchiha Avenger.

"That….was blunt and harsh but…..in a way….he is…right…." Sarada admitted.

Before anyone knew anything, a long tongue slithered around Naruto's arms before hoisting the young boy up in the air to where he was in Orochimaru's level in the air as he stood atop the ginormous snake.

"Ugh! Disgusting! Put me down before I yank this tongue out of your head!" Naruto spat as he tried squirming out of Orochimaru's grip but to no avail.

"What the hell is he doing!?" Boruto yelled in anger as Orochimaru stared at the angered boy in amusement.

"I see….when your anger is aroused, some of the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra is released. What an interesting childhood you must have had….the spell that seals him within you has appeared on your skin…." Orochimaru mused as his five fingers emanated a purple glow as he lifted up Naruto's jacket, revealing the Nine Tails seal on Naruto's skin.

"Five-Pronged Seal!" Orochimaru yelled before slamming his fingers on Naruto's flesh, making the boy scream out in pain.

"What the hell did that bastard do!?" Boruto demanded.

"He put a seal on him…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as his teammates turned to him in shock.

"What!?" Sarada asked as Naruto's eyes returned to its usual blue color, returning the colors of the memory back to normal before he lost consciousness.

"It was a seal to contain the Nine Tails' chakra." Mitsuki explained to his teammates not believing what they were seeing.

"Geez, just how powerful is this guy!?" Boruto asked as Sarada had another question in mind.

"If Lord Seventh lost consciousness, how can we see this?" Sarada pondered as Mitsuki decided to give a theory.

"Maybe a part of him was still conscious." Mitsuki surmised.

"Or…it could be the Nine Tails in him?" Boruto asked as Sakura's voice cut off their conversation from continuing.

"Sasuke! Hurry! Do something!" Sakura yelled to Sasuke who looked utterly and completely petrified.

"Why can't she do something?" Boruto asked.

"What can she honestly do?" Mitsuki asked before Naruto was suddenly flung away but not before Orochimaru stole Naruto's scroll.

"That bastard! He stole their scroll!" Boruto angrily yelled.

"Who cares about that!? Lord Seventh will die from a fall that big!" Sarada pointed out before Sakura was quick to save Naruto, embedding him in the tree behind him making Boruto and Sarada sigh in relief.

"Thank god." Sarada breathed grateful as Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke! Do something!" Sakura yelled to her teammate who looked even more fearful as he realized just how outclassed he was in battle.

"Poor guy…..if Lord Seventh and his Nine Tails could do nothing…." Sarada frowned in concern as Sakura looked just as concerned before gritting her teeth.

"Okay, say what you like about Naruto; that he's a pest, that he gets in the way, that he's just a kid but at least he's doing something!" Sakura yelled.

"…I think that might be the first time I've heard Auntie Sakura actually stand up for dad against Uncle Sasuke." Boruto noted, slightly amused.

"I guess this is her seeing Lord Seventh in a new light." Sarada gave a small smile as Mitsuki noticed Sasuke clench his eyes tightly shut before closing them and looking up at the evening sun before he grit his teeth.

"No…no way!" Sasuke yelled before his eyes evolved into a two tomoe Sharingan.

"Guess he found his second wind." Mitsuki noted with a small smile as Orochimaru looked pleased at this turn of events.

"I knew it. It's finally happened. His Uchiha blood has come to a boil. I think I'll play with him a little a learn the full extent of his powers." Orochimaru donned a fighting stance as Sasuke pulled out a kunai before sticking it in his teeth.

Before anyone knew anything he got into a small Taijutsu scuffle with the Sannin.

"Man look at Uncle Sasuke go!" Boruto cheered as Sasuke shot a huge ball of fire at the criminal which he was able to evade.

"It's not enough though…" Sarada frowned as Sasuke was seemingly getting overwhelmed by Orochimaru. However, he failed to notice the bells at the bottom of his robes. This led to his downfall as Sasuke was able to restrain him with several long threads of wire before Sasuke let out a huge fire ball jutsu at the Orochimaru, seemingly destroying him.

"He did it!?" Sarada and Boruto exclaimed in joy and surprise.

"No….that was mere child's play to someone like Orochimaru…." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as Sakura ran to Sasuke happily.

"Sasuke, you did it! You okay?" Sakura smiled though all she got in response were a bunch of exhausted breaths.

"Don't worry…it's all over…" Sakura bent over to where Sasuke was before Orochimaru finally decided to break the façade of being "dead" as he unraveled himself from the wire holding him with half of his real face exposed.

"Looks like he's finally decided to show himself…." Mitsuki noted as Boruto and Sarada cringed at the other face nearly ripped off.

"That's so creepy…" Boruto cringed with Sarada grunting in agreement.

Before Sasuke and Sakura knew anything, they suddenly found themselves paralyzed and unable to move.

"No…impossible…." Sasuke growled out, not believing his current predicament. Didn't they win?

"What the hell did that bastard do!?" Boruto yelled as Orochimaru chuckled at their expressions of dismay.

"Such mastery of the Sharingan at so young of an age. You're a true Uchiha after all. Yes….you'll do nicely." Orochimaru said as Sasuke grit his teeth.

"You are indeed his brother. If anyting, your eyes are even keener than Itachi's." Orochimaru stated as Sasuke's eyes widened in horror at the name.

"Itachi?" Sarada asked quietly to himself.

"Who are you!? What do you want!?" Sakura demanded in rage as Orochimaru laughed before taking the scroll in his hand and destroying it.

"My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, I will have to wait until we meet again which won't happen unless you finish this test. First you'll have to defeat the Hidden Sound Ninja who serve under me." Orochimaru practically ordered the two.

"I have no idea what you're talking about but if you're finished why don't you just beat it!? If we ever meet again, it'll be too soon!" Sakura spat in anger, hoping this creep would just leave her alone but Orochimaru merely laughed at her idle threat, dismissing her as a simple house fly.

"Oh? He and I will meet again." Orochimaru stated in amusement before stretching his neck like a snack. Before anyone knew anything he sunk his teeth into Sasuke's neck like a vampire, eliciting shock from everyone watching.

"What the hell!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"So…it's that…." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell did that bastard do to him!?" Boruto yelled as he ripped his fangs from Sasuke's neck, leaving two rivulets of blood with a bizarre insignia of three tomoe like marks appearing around his neck.

"What the hell is that!?" Sarada demanded as Boruto tensed, instantly being reminded of what it was that Momoshiki did to him. Mitsuki saw Boruto look at his hand but chose not to say anything.

Sasuke screamed in pain as tightly clenched his neck.

"You! What did you do to Sasuke!?" Sakura demanded, wishing she had the power to put this bastard down but knew she was utterly powerless.

"I just gave him a little parting gift. Very soon, Sasuke will seek me out. He'll desire my power. In the meantime, I enjoyed the demonstration of the powers you already possess." Orochimaru chuckled before he slipped underground.

"Hey! Get back here!" Boruto spat out as Sarada turned to her future father.

"Dad's of more issue here!" Sarada reminded her dad before she looked over his aching and trembling form.

"What the hell did that bastard do to him?" Boruto demanded as Sarada looked over her dad.

"From what I can tell, he was injected with several toxins and poisons. It makes his survival very low in percentage…..if I didn't know he'd survive…." Sarada's eyes narrowed.

"But like dad would ever go to someone like Orochimaru!" Sarada scoffed, laughing at the absolute absurdity of such a thought.

Boruto and Mitsuki shared a look at each other ebfore deciding not to say anything.

Sasuke cradled Sasuke's body as tears left her eyes.

"Sasuke….hold on! Please…." Sakura started to sob as Sasuke made no signs of getting better.

"Naruto! Please! We need you!" Sakura sobbed out hoping that Naruto would make some sign of reawakening. When he made no such effort, Sakura sobbed harder realizing she was all alone.

"I feel really bad…..it's all on her now…." Boruto frowned in sympathy.

"We all have to grow up sometime…." Mitsuki sighed as Sakura eventually got Naruto down from the tree he was on along with dragging Sasuke away to a safe location in an area with a small cave in it, hopefully being able to hide from opposing teams.

Sakura then placed a warm cloth on Sasuke's head as the color in his skin started to slowly return though he seemed to be running a fever with Naruto still out of it.

"At least dad looks somewhat better…." Sarada said.

"But I can't say the same for Auntie Sakura…" Boruto frowned at Sakura's state as she was slowly falling asleep and was only keeping herself awake through pure will.

"It would be quite disastrous if she fell asleep during the current circumstances. If she fell asleep, an opposing team could come and cut her head off." Mitsuki bluntly said as Sarada glared at Mitsuki for his morbid comment but she couldn't disagree with him.

And much to everyone's dismay she actually fell asleep. Though she quickly jolted awake almost as quickly as she fell asleep.

"I wonder what she dreamt about…" Sarada looked worried at her mother and how shaken she looked.

"It must've been something awful given how freaked she looks but at least her head is back in the game." Boruto noted before the bush behind the Genin rustled.

"An enemy?" Mitsuki asked as Sakura gulped nervously as her hands twitched on the kunai blade she pulled from her pouch before slowly turning to the bush behind her as it revealed a squirrel carrying an acorn in its mouth.

The disappointment but relief was present on mother and daughter alike.

"A squirrel? Oh well at least it's not an enemy!" Boruto noted in relief.

"Oh man, don't surprise me like that, little guy." Sakura said before gasping and throwing the kunai in her hand at the small animal, making it scurry away in fear.

"What was that about?" Boruto asked, the sudden change surprising him.

"There must be more people in the area." Mituski surmised.

"You really think so?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow.

"That squirrel must've been some sort of decoy." Mitsuki said.

"That animal must've been some decoy for someone or some people….I can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs. I've got to have some sort of traps ready!" Sakura said as she walked around the area, not going too far from Naruto and Sasuke before finding a pair of grass, not familiar within the area before putting it down not that far from the exhausted team as Team Konohamaru watched with a raised eyebrow as she carried a rather large tree log which was no doubt tough to carry for someone as small as Sakura.

"Oh I see….she must be making a decoy trap of herself. Nice!" Boruto smirked as he watched Sakura use vines and wrappings on trees above to hide the huge plank of wood from plain view.

"That's my mom for you." Sarada smiled as Sakura was quick to look out from any potential eavesdroppers before nearly falling asleep again.

"Hmph. Some lookout. You're half-asleep." A deep voice announced making Sakura jolt awake as she turned to her side as she looked to see the three same sound ninja from the first exam across from her.

"Ah, damn it! These clowns again!?" Boruto groaned in frustration. Couldn't Team Seven catch a break?

"No rest for the weary." Mitsuki said, seemingly sensing Misuki's age.

"At least you don't have to keep watch anymore. What's the point after we've already found you? Now wake Sasuke up. We want to fight him." The ninja resembling a mummy smirked under his mask.

"He's not even up, dumbasses!" Boruto spat.

"How disgraceful. Not even playing fair and waiting until he's back at 100 percent…" Sarada frowned in anger.

"Who says these ninja have to play fair?" Mitsuki asked.

"What do you want here!? I mean what do you really want? I know Orochimaru was calling the shots from the shadows! What's that strange bruise on the back of Sasuke's neck!? You're behind this too, aren't you? And now you want to fight him when he can't defend himself!?" Sarada spat as the mention of the three sound ninja's master made them all lose the cool edge they had on just seconds ago.

"I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that. First I'm going to kill this girl and then I'm going to kill Sasuke." The sound ninja with black hair smirked.

"What!?" Sarada growled in anger.

"Wait, Zaku." The mummy lookalike said to his teammate.

"What, why?" Zaku asked, making no effort to hide the annoyance at his idea getting shafted.

"This is the color of dirt that's recently been dug up. And this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this. You know, if you're going to lay a trap, there's no point unless you make sure it's actually hidden." The mummy said in a mock-disappointment voice. Though Sakura didn't look too worried.

"Hmph, you're just a joke. You threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh?" Zaku smirked as the mummy cocked his head back.

"Now we take you out!" Zaku said as the three lunged at Sakura who smirked before using a kunai to cut the wrap, springing the real trap she had places.

"A log!? She also laid a trap above?" The mummy's eye widened before she smirked.

"Nice try, little girl." The mummy applied chakra to the amplifier around his wrist before the log burst into little pieces.

"What the hell was that!?" Boruto asked in dismay.

"Now what!?" Sarada looked around, hoping her mother had another trap, a backup one, in case her previous plan backfired.

"Clearly you have no talent as a ninja. Someone like you needs to make a little more of an effort, don't you think!?" Dosu grinned, ready to end Sakura's life before a familiar voice rang out in the distance.

"LEAF HURRICANE!" The voice of the energetic Rock Lee rang through the air as all three sound ninja were kicked square away, hitting the ground.

"W-what's he doing?" Sakura blinked, not expecting Lee to literally fall from the sky below.

"Looks like you need to make more of an effort." Lee smirked as Dosu's eye narrowed under his bandages.

"Who are you!?" Dosu asked, not happy being interrupted.

"I am the handsome devil of the Hidden Leaf Village. My name is Rock Lee." Lee smirked as Team Konohamaru could feel a sense of relief.

"Finally, someone good has arrived!" Boruto smiled, happy that Sakura was saved.

"I wonder where he came from and I wonder where Masters Neji and Tenten are." Mitsuki mused.

"Who knows and who cares? At least mom's safe." Sarada sighed in relief.

"W-what are you doing here, Lee?" Sakura asked the protégé of Might Guy, obviously not expecting him to literally fall from the heavens.

"I will always appear, anytime and anywhere that you are in trouble, Sakura." Lee acknowledged Sakura, not taking his eyes off of Sakura's enemies before gently putting the squirrel that was on his shoulder on the ground below.

"This was really all thanks to you, little one but now it is time for you to run along." Lee patted the squirrel who ran along.

"I see. That squirrel was what led Uncle Lee to everyone." Boruto smiled in gratitude.

"…But right now on this test, I'm your enemy." Sakura looked down, slightly feeling a bit awkward, given the circumstances.

"Sakura, I already told you, I will protect you until I die." Lee simply told Sakura as Sakura looked down, no doubt feeling a degree of guilt on how rude she was to Lee when she first met him.

"T-thank you, Rock Lee…" Sakura thanked Lee with a small smile while the sound ninja looked uninterested in these proceedings.

"It looks like I have no choice. Zaku, I'll let you have, Sasuke. I'll take care of these two." The mummy said, throwing their scroll to Zaku as he unfurled his amplifier.

"That guy with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good at Taijutsu. It looks like I get to have some fun!" Dosu announced as he lunged at the two as Sakura threw a kunai at the enemy who dodged it with ease before Lee casually pulled part of the ground above.

"I am positive there is some kind of trick to your attack. Therefore, I will not waste my time trying to dodge it. After all, I have seen your jutsu before. Therefore I have to take a chance, one at a time. I will attack each of them with all my might!" Lee's eyes narrowed before he unfurled his bandages.

"I'm real pumped to see what Uncle Lee can do!" Boruto pumped his fist.

"Ditto!" Sarada agreed with Mitsuki nodding in agreement.

"To protect the life of someone precious!" Lee donned a stance before vanishing as soon as the mummy appeared where he was.

"Did he disappear!?" The mummy tried scanning for any sign of Rock Lee before he suddenly found himself ejected into the air.

"Not yet!" Lee said before the bandages wrapped around the mummy like a cocoon as Lee grabbed the sound ninja in a tight bear-like hug as the two suddenly fell down like a missile.

"Oh no, Dosu. There's no way he can break his fall!" Zaku grit his teeth as the two were soon about to descend on the ground below.

"Take this! Primary Lotus!" Lee yelled, about to complete his jutsu.

"Go Lee!" Boruto cheered.

"Take him down!" Sarada joined her friend in cheering before Zaku was able to use a jutsu to cushion the blow, saving Dosu at the last second as Lee jumped away in the nick of time.

"What the hell was that?" Boruto asked, no doubt disappointed this bastard had to ruin things.

"Hmph, got you just in time. That impact could've been much worse for you." Zaku smirked.

"What did he do?" Sarada asked as Dosu was able to wedge himself from the ground below.

"What!? This cannot be!" Lee remarked just as perplexed as Boruto and Sarada was.

"That is a frightening jutsu. It nearly took me out even though I landed on this soft dirt." Dosu mused getting up before lifting up his sleeve.

"Now, it's my turn." Dosu said as Lee was huffing and puffing out of clear exhaustion.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Boruto asked in concern.

"It looks like that jutsu takes a lot out of him…" Mitsuki surmised as Lee could barely dodge an incoming attack from Dosu before Lee's body started to shiver as if he was in a tundra.

"Your jutsu is indeed fast but ours is even faster because it travels at the speed of sound." Dosu explained as Lee actually fell to one knee.

"Uncle Lee/Lee-Sensei!" Boruto and Sarada yelled respectively.

"Now watch, we're going to show you something called the wall," Dosu cocked his head back as Lee looked as if he was about to empty all of the contents of his stomach at that exact moment.

"Lee! What's wrong!?" Sakura asked, alarmed at the sudden change of pace. Wasn't Lee owning this fight a second ago?

And before anyone knew anything, Lee's left ear started to slowly leak blood.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Boruto asked, perplexed as Lee cradled his now injured ear.

"M-my ear…." Lee muttered.

"Oh, I forgot to mention this little gadget that I wear. You might be able to dodge my blows but you can't get away from it." Dosu explained, gesturing to the amplifier on his wrist as the Sound Trio all chuckled.

"I don't need to strike you with my fists. I can hit you with the power of sound." Dosu added on much to the intrigue of everyone watching.

"Sound?" Sarada asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's that haxed?" Boruto could hardly believe his ears.

"What makes it possible for the ear to hear things? What is sound, really?" Dosu asked, almost rhetorically.

"Vibrations….." Sakura said in a voice of realization.

"Give the little lady a prize. Yes, the vibration of molecules in the air creates a sound wave. These vibrations are collected by the ear then directed to your eardrum. The human eardrum, the tympanic membrane ruptures when exposed to sound levels in excess of 150 decibels. Moreover, if the sound is powerful enough to upset the fluid within the deepest inner ear canals, it becomes impossible for you to maintain your balance. Feeling a little dizzy? Nauseous? That's right, it's best if you don't even try to stand up for a while." Dosu smirked as his teammates decided to add in their own two cents.

"You see buddy that old-fashioned Taijutsu stuff won't work against us. Not that you're not pretty good at it. If it's just that then what's the point? Compared to our jutsu, that stuff's totally yesterday's news. See, I can manipulate ultrasonic waves and air pressure. I can do things you've never even dreamed of. I can obliterate boulders or make the ground itself soft as a feather cushion. Face it, little man. You're up against the jutsu of the future." Zaku smirked with air coming out of his hands.

"This guy just loves to hear himself talk." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I guess this is where the inspiration for the ninja tools came from…" Mitsuki noted.

"Huh….jutsu of the future? I guess you're right…" Boruto said in remembrance at how advantageous the ninja tools were for him.

"Now you're next!" Dosu said as he ignored Lee and charged straight at Sakura.

"That bastard! He's going after her with her defense down!" Boruto yelled in anger.

"Someone! Do something!" Sarada yelled as she knew how much of a mismatch Dosu versus Sakura was.

However as Sakura pulled out a kunai to defend herself, Lee dashed in front of her.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee tried swiping Dosu away but he wasn't as fast as before, something that Dosu instantly took note of.

"Not quite as effective as it was before, is it? Still, it's impressive that you can move at all. We'll have to do something about that. Do you hear that?" Dosu asked, taking Lee's mind off the game before he literally put his amplifier over his had before turning his amplifier up to full capacity.

"Uncle Lee!" Boruto yelled in anger and horror as Lee tried his best to block out the sound with his arm but to no avail.

"This device amplifies the vibrations of the impact, transforming them into a wave of sound. A sound wave I can channel with my chakra, focusing all its energy on any target I desire." Dosu practically bragged as the sound literally went in one of Lee's ears and out the other as he screamed in agony.

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled before Lee finally collapsed to the ground defeat.

"Alright, little man. Time to end it." Dosu raised his hand over Lee, ready to end things as Sakura took the initiative to pull out weapons.

"That's what you think!" Sakura yelled as she threw a handful of kunai and shuriken which Dosu easily dodged with a simple raise of his amplifier.

"Huh…I'd almost forgotten you…." Dosu's visible eye narrowed.

"Oh man…..how is she gonna get out of this?" Boruto looked around, hoping someone could help.

"Yeah…" Sarada agreed as this girl and her mother were vastly different.

"Catch these!" Sakura yelled as she threw more Shuriken at Dosu, not willing to accept defeat which Zaku was able to blast away with little to no effort.

Before Sakura knew anything she suddenly felt her hair being tugged as she was restrained by Kin, systematically showing her defeat.

"Okay that's a low blow right there!" Sarada yelled, hating that someone would try such an underhanded move.

"I know, these guys play dirty…" Boruto shook his head in disapproval.

"We're ninja so it's not like we're under oath of being under a set of right and fairness." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada couldn't argue that.

"My, my, what soft and shiny hair but you know what? If you spent a little less time shampooing and a little more time practicing your jutsu, you might not be in this fix." Kin patronized the pinkette.

"Well….she's no wrong…..she spent most of her time fawning over dad rather that actually train and better herself…" Sarada looked down as her teammates chose not to comment as Kin turned to her teammates.

"Hey Zaku, I know what'd be fun. Let's make Miss Beauty Queen watch while you finish off that Sasuke guy?" Kin mockingly suggested, holding Sakura's hair tighter.

"Sounds like fun." Zaku cocked his head back, obviously on board with that idea.

"Don't you dare…." Sakura growled before Kin jerked her head back.

"Don't even." Kin warned as Sakura started to tear up no doubt realizing that Kin was right in that she was a sorry excuse for a ninja….how she is….

Sakura then growled before pulling out another kunai as Kin was close to laughing at the poor girl.

"It's pointless. That won't work on me." Kin snickered as Sakura turned to her with a fierce smirk.

"It's not meant for you." Sakura smirked before cutting the hair, Kin was using to restrain her.

"What….just….happened?" Boruto blinked as it looked as if the forehead protector Sakura once wore was slowly falling to the ground in almost slow motion….

"It's almost….symbolic…." Mitsuki observed as Sarada gasped as she seemed to be the only one who was understanding what was happening.

"This must be it….the moment where she's turning into the mom we know now!" Sarada gasped happily as Boruto and Mitsuki turned to her quizzically.

"You really think so?" Boruto asked as Sarada's smile widened.

"I know so." Sarada smiled as Sakura readied her hands for a sign.

"Kin! Finish her!" Zaku growled, tired of this "game" before Sakura suddenly found herself impaled through the back but before anyone could say anything, "Sakura" poofed away.

"A substitution jutsu!?" Kin gasped, not expecting that the person she practically held captive a minute ago was now starting to turn the tables?

"Way to go, mom!" Sarada cheered as Zaku scanned the entire field for any sign of Sakura before she threw another handful of ninja weapons at Zaku.

"Hmph, pathetic! Thanks for the present. Hope you don't mind if I return it!" Zaku yelled, about to repel the metallic weapons before Sakura readied a hand sign as Zaku sent the weapons flying to Sakura who was revealed to be yet another substitution item.

"What a surprise. Okay, where are you now?" Zaku said as he noticed a flurry of pink hair above him.

Curiously, Sarada activated her Sharingan.

"Hey! That's no clone! It's pure legit this time!" Sarada was quick to point out worriedly as she noticed Zaku fish in his back pocket.

"Hmph, you really wanna keep playing this? Because I got news for you…I'm not falling for it! But if you insist!" Zaku yelled, throwing kunai at what he thought was another substitution log.

"Watch out!" Sarada yelled before Sakura took the impact of the weapons head on.

"Oh damn!" Boruto cringed as he could only imagine how much pain Sakura was.

"Okay so where you hiding next?" Zaku demanded before blood fell from up above, answering his question as he realized this was the real Sakura.

"Got him." Mitsuki smiled, impressed with Sakura as she impaled Zaku's right arm, pinning him to the ground below.

"Way to go, Auntie Sakura!" Boruto pumped his fist as he jumped in the air, no doubt amazed at the development his honorary auntie has received.

Before anyone knew anything, Sakura actually bit Zaku's left arm, surprising everyone, none more than Zaku.

"What're you crazy!? Get off me!" Zaku yelled, no doubt pissed at how the tables turned from his favor before he started to slowly wail on the pinkette.

Team Mitsuki were no doubt disgusted at what they were seeing….

"Those bastards…" Boruto clenched his teeth.

But none were more irate than Sakura.

"That bastard! Get away from her!" Sarada yelled, about to stomp over to where Zaku was and save her mother before Boruto held her back.

"Remember….we can't do anything…." Boruto reminded her as Sarada huffed.

"But c'mon! She can't fall here! She does survive after all…" Sarada turned her head as Sakura was finally smacked off of Zaku.

"Now you're gonna pay…" Zaku raised his hand, about to blast Sakura to oblivion before Team Ten suddenly appeared.

"Hey it's them!" Boruto pointed at their backs as Sarada sighed in relief.

"Finally…" Sarada sighed in relief that she didn't have watch her mother's face being bashed in anymore.

"So what's this, the second fiddle?" Zaku jeered at Team Ten as they glared at them.

"Ino…" Sakura blinked, in surprise that her rival either saved her or that she saw her in such a bad state.

"Surprised? I said I'd never let you show me up, didn't I?" Ino didn't even turn to acknowledge Sakura.

"Ino….but why?" Sakura asked again, not believing that Ino of all people would save her as Ino merely huffed in response.

"I'm tired of you showing off in front of Sasuke and trying to get all of the credit." Ino smirked.

"Girls." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada smacked his head.

"Shut up!" Sarada scowled at Boruto.

"These Leaf Village worms will be sorry they squirmed their way into something that doesn't concern them." Dosu scanned all of Team Ten before he turned his eye onto Choji who winced as soon as their eyes met each other.

"Are you two crazy!? What're we doing here!? These guys're bad news man…" Choji tried crawling away only to Shikamaru to restrain him using his scarf.

"Don't look at me. It was Ino's idea. But what're we supposed to do? Just sit back and let a girl do all the fighting?" Shikamaru responded.

"He's got a point there." Mitsuki chuckled as Ino nervously chuckled, hoping that she didn't bite off more than she can chew.

"Sorry for dragging you both into this. But we are a three man squad, right? All for one and one for all?" Ino nervously smiled.

"Heh, yeah. What's meant to happen will happen." Shikamaru shook his head as Choji looked even less unenthusiastic to join in.

"This ain't teamwork! I call this suicide so let me outta here! Please lemme go!" Choji was practically begging his teammates as Shikamaru sighed at Choji's cowardice.

"You're getting on my nerves." Shikamaru glared at Choji though Zaku though this was funny.

"Better a live sheep than a dead lion, right fatso?" Zaku asked as Choji immediately stopped fidgeting as his back was turned to everyone present.

"Oh…." Sarada began.

"Crap…" Boruto blinked, already knowing the impending meltdown that was gonna come if Chocho's obsession with getting thin wasn't telling…

"….Did I just hear that right? What did that guy just say? You wanna try saying that again?" Choji asked as the whole battlefield went silent as if the atmosphere knew of Choji's impending meltdown as Shikamaru nervously sweated as Zaku merely scoffed, perceiving Choji as a weakling.

"I said that you're smart to get out of here while you still can, fatty!" Zaku glared at Choji, still not expecting anything until…..

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT!? I'M JUST A LITTLE CHUBBY, OKAY!? CHUBBIES RULE!" Choji yelled as an almost yellowish aura fit for those of gods suddenly enveloped around him.

"….Guess…he's pumped…" Boruto blinked.

"Yep….like father like daughter." Sarada sighed remembering how Chocho reacted during the whole Tomaru incident as Sakura was wondering if these guys could actually save her life.

"Now this is personal! It's a fight to the eath between Leaf and Sound!" Choji declared to his teammates as Ino looked pleased while Shikamaru couldn't look anymore annoyed.

"Thanks a lot, now we gotta deal with him." Shikamaru shook his head at Zaku who scowled at him.

"Don't worry it won't be for long." Zaku scoffed while Ino decided to address Sakura again.

"Sakura, your teammates are down. Look after them." Ino reminded Sakura who smiled in gratitude.

"Okay, Team Ino, let's show them who's boss!" Ino said to her teammates as Choji and Shikamaru nodded.

"Got it!" Both boys agreed.

"Formation: Ino!" Ino started.

"Shika!" Shikamaru added.

"Cho!" Choji finished the Ino-Shika-Cho combination declaration.

"Can't wait to see the original trio!" Boruto smiled.

"You didn't see them fight in the past?" Mitsuki asked.

"No, when Urashiki invaded it was only me, Uncle Sasuke, Old Man Jiraiya and Dad against Urashiki." Boruto explained.

"Okay, take it away, Choji!" Ino said to Choji.

"My pleasure. Expansion Jutsu! Followed by Leaf Style Taijutsu!" Choji yelled before expanding into a giant ball.

"Human Boulder Jutsu!" Choji yelled as he rolled towards Zaku just as fast as a real boulder.

"Huh, maybe I'm supposed to laugh myself to death." Zaku growled as he tried pushing Choji back with his Slicing Sound Wave but surprisingly Choji held up well against Zaku before he jumped sky high into the air.

"Alright! He's gonna crush that guy like a bug!" Boruto cheered as Zaku actually looked troubled much to Dosu's dismay as he tried running to his teammate's aid.

"Oh no you don't, mummy man. Time to put you under wraps, Ninja Art Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru said before Dosu found himself restrained with Shikamaru's Shadow Jutsu.

"Got him!" Sarada smiled as Dosu looked down in surprise.

"W-what's this?" Dosu asked before turning to Shikamaru.

"Just me and my shadow." Shikamaru grinned as Zaku was able to narrowly dodge Choji's attack as Kin looked at Dosu in surprise.

"What's wrong!? Why are you standing there like that?" Kin asked as Dosu found himself following Shikamaru's gestures.

"I-It's some kind of paralysis jutsu…" Dosu grunted in frustration as Shikamaru imitated a seagull, no doubt having some sort of fun with his jutsu.

"Ino, I'll leave the girl to you." Shikamaru said to Ino as she smirked.

"Okay, just take care of my body while I'm gone." Ino said before making a hand sign.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino said before her soul entered Kin's body.

At the exact same time, Zaku barely dodged another boulder run from Choji.

"Enough of this….Kin!" Zaku shouted out to his teammate as she looked down much to the concern of Zaku and Dosu.

"Party's over, fellas. Take it easy. One false move from either of you and your teammate here gets it in the neck." Ino as Kin smirked, holding a kunai to Kin's neck.

"Alright, got them!" Sarada laughed happily.

"All the need to do is drop their scroll and go!" Boruto smiling, happy that the fight was finally over.

Or….so they thought as Kin's teammates had a very….interesting reaction to say the least.

Right as Choji was about to railroad Zaku form his blindside, he sent both Choji and Ino flying away courtesy of a wave.

"What the hell? That's their teammate!" Boruto pointed out in shock.

"I…I…don't understand you guys…what kind of monster would attack their own teammate?" Ino asked with blood trailing down her lip as Zaku and Dosu merely chuckled at Ino's naiveté.

"I guess monsters like us." Zaku mused.

"You see, we don't play this game by your rules. It's not the scrolls we're after or even passing this test." Dosu cocked a head back much to the amazement of Team Ten.

"W-what the?" Ino asked as Dosu's visible eye widened.

"It's Sasuke." Dosu admitted as Shikamaru's jutsu chose that exact moment to break.

"So…your paralysis has a pretty limited duration, I see…" Dosu noted in amusement as Shikamaru grit his teeth at how quickly the tables seemingly turned.

"It's the Shadow Possession Jutsu, get your jutsus right." Shikamaru glared at Dosu.

"Whatever. And I see your teammate is able to slip her soul into her opponent. Very clever but dangerous. Anything that happens to Kin, happens to her, too. So if say…Kin were to die…" Dosu theorized much to the disgust of people both in and out of the memory.

"No concern for friendly fire I see…" Boruto scowled at Dosu.

"Not everyone is like us…" Mitsuki reminded his friend as Shikamaru shared Boruto's disgust.

"So what're you gonna do? Kill your teammate?" Shikamaru asked in disbelief at how callous someone could be to someone who was supposed to be his comrade, his friend even. How could anyone be so heartless?

"Well if push comes to shove yeah." Zaku smirked, holding a hand to a horrified Ino as Shikamaru and Choji could hardly believe their ears.

"Oh man what a drag." Shikamaru sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah no kidding…" Choji muttered as Zaku and Dosu took this time to basically brag.

"Did you really think you could beat us? Face it, you ninja are just a bunch of hacks." Zaku smirked as Dosu decided to add on.

"From a second rate village." Dosu was ready to end things.

"That's pretty tough talk!" An unexpected voice said from above as everyone looked to see none other than Neji and Tenten atop a tree from above.

"It's Uncle Neji and Auntie Tenten!" Boruto grinned, hopeful to see his uncle in action.

"Surprised they didn't get here sooner." Sarada noted.

"I guess that makes your village third rate. I wonder if any of you amateurs are ready to take on the real thing." Neji crossed his arms looking over the two sound ninja.

"It's Lee's team!" Sakura noted, definitely not expecting them but not surprised at the same time.

"Lee!" Tenten noticed her teammate's battered state.

"These Genin keep coming out of the woods like cockroaches…" Dosu growled, starting to get annoyed with all these Leaf kids coming out.

"It looks to me like someone used our teammate as a punching bag. Nobody does that and gets away with it!" Neji yelled in anger, activating his Byakugan.

"Whoa…I can literally feel the power from him…" Sarada shuddered feeling a tinge of pity for the sound ninja.

"Beat their asses! No complaints from me!" Boruto cheered.

"No playing around, Tenten. Full power." Neji said before noticing something as he deactivated his Byakugan.

"Well? Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come down here and do something?" Dosu asked, ready to send this brat flying away with the power of sound before Neji closed his eyes with a small smile.

"Actually…it looks like things have been taken out of my hands…" Neji softly said as he looked to somewhere as everyone noticed literal purple chakra rising from the ground.

"W-what the hell is that?" Boruto asked as there was a lone figure standing in the purple dome wall of chakra.

"S-someone's in there!" Sarada noted as Mitsuki walked closer before his eyes widened.

"That's Master Sasuke." Mitsuki noted.

"H-huh?" Sarada blinked as Mitsuki was right as the purple aura started to slowly die down, revealing Sasuke covered in black markings all around his body.

"W-what the hell? Those marks…" Boruto was in disbelief at the state of his master.

Mitsuki was silent, remembering how it was when he first awakened his Sage Mode.

Though none were more speechless than Sarada.

"….D…dad?" Sarada was in disbelief at what she was seeing.

"W-what happened…." Was all Boruto could say.

"The curse mark has slowly taken over him…" Mitsuki explained as Boruto unconsciously checked his palm, looking at the diamond shaped mark left by Momoshiki.

"I wonder…" Boruto asked as Sarada was speechless in amazement and horror.

Eveyrone else in the memory was speechless at what they were seeing as they could practically feel the power emanating from Sasuke.

None more than Sakura…..no doubt knowing this was Orochimaru's doing.

"Sakura…who did that to you?" Was all Sasuke could say as Sakura could say nothing.

"Who was it?" Sasuke asked again, the impatience in his voice clearly showing.

"S-Sasuke, what's happened to you?" Sakura asked, not answering his question though Sasuke didn't seem too bothered as Sasuke observed all the markings around his body.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. It's only the power flowing through me. In fact I've never felt better….he gave me this gift and he made me understand who I am…I'm an avenger. To follow my path, I must have power at any price even if it means being consumed by evil." Sasuke tried reassuring Sakura who looked even more doubtful as Sarada felt her heart drop.

"D…dad….no…he'd never go to someone like him…he wouldn't…" Sarada said as Boruto was just as speechless, definitely not expecting to see this side of Sasuke while Mitsuki was silent.

"Sakura, tell me, which one of these people did this to you?" Sasuke asked, tired of messing around.

"That'd be me!" Zaku bragged as Sasuke turned his gaze to him.

"I hope he gives him hell for what he did to mom…" Sarada darkly commented as Dosu was definitely not agreeing with Zaku who looked eager to test Sasuke's power.

"Dosu, what's wrong? You're not getting cold feet are you?" Zaku snarled as Dosu turned to his teammate in what looked like actual concern.

"No! Zaku, you don't understand!" Dosu tried warning his teammate who looked unwavering in his decision.

"Watch this! I'll take care of the whole bunch of them in one swoop!" Zaku declared as Boruto face-palmed.

"Idiot!" Boruto face-palmed as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded whole-heartedly in agreement.

"Supersonic slicing wave!" Zaku yelled putting everything into his attack though no one except for Team Konohamaru saw Sasuke get Naruto and Sakura out of harm's way in the blink of an eye which made Dosu and Zaku's hearts stop as the dusk died down as Sasuke was relatively unharmed.

Taking advantage of their shocked expressions, Sasuke took the initiative to activate his own jutsu.

"Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, spitting flames of fire at Zaku.

"I don't think so! Try this!" Zaku tried blasting them away not realizing what was hidden under them.

"Shuriken!" Sarada pointed out.

"Huh?" Boruto asked.

"There's Shuriken in the flames!" Sarada noted as Dosu also noticed.

"Zaku! Get down!" Dosu yelled to his teammate before he was pelted with the Shurikens and flames, opening all sorts of wounds on him.

Before he could process the pain he was in, he suddenly found himself pinned to the ground courtesy of Sasuke's feet as he held both of his arms.

"What's he doing?" Boruto asked as Sarada and Mitsuki had a disturbingly sick idea of what Sasuke was going to do.

"You see to be very proud of these arms of yours…You must be very…attached…to them…" Sasuke smirked, applying more pressure to Zaku's ars.

"D-dad, no…." Sarada felt tears prickle her eyes as she couldn't believe this….this….monster….was the kind and wise man that was her father.

Before anyone knew anything, the sound of Zaku's arms breaking filled the ears of everyone watching.

No one watched the scene straight-faced.

"Dad!" Sarada yelled, horrified at what her father was doing. Just what the hell did that snaky. Slimy Orochimaru do to him?

"Holy shit!" Boruto could hardly believe what he was seeing though his shock level was on a different level of shocked than Sarada was….a whole other level while Mitsuki was silent.

As Sasuke dropped Zaku like a sack of potatoes, he turned his gaze to Dosu.

"Looks like you're the only one left. I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did." Sasuke smirked, knowing full well there was a huge power gap between him and Dosu as he slowly walked to Dosu, fully intending on sending him to hell.

"Dad! You have to stop! This isn't you!" Sarada yelled as she ran to her father in an attempt to stop him only to phase right through him.

"Sarada! Remember, this is a memory!" Boruto reminded his teammate who looked down.

"Someone! Please stop him!" Sarada pleaded. Not that she cared for the sound ninja but she didn't want her father's innocence to be soiled with their foul blood.

"Sasuke!"

Everyone turned to see a crying Sakura run to Sasuke before embracing him.

"What's she doing? What if he turns on her!?" Boruto yelled in alarm as he turned to Sakura, his red iris eyes meeting her jade ones.

"Please….stop…" Sakura pleaded with her loved one and much to everyone's amazement, the marks started to slowly recede away until he was back to his original appearance as he fell to the ground as Sakura caught him.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said to Sasuke as he looked puzzled as to what happened.

"Thankfully…he's back…." Sarada exhaled.

"Thank you mom…" Sarada thanked her mother, grateful her father was back as Boruto was starting to have a clearer picture on what led to Sasuke possibly leaving the Leaf Village.

"Geez…that was…too much…" Boruto muttered as Dosu walked to the two.

"You're strong, Sasuke. Too strong….we can't hope to defeat you the way you are now. We'll strike a deal…I give you the scroll and you let us go…" Dosu wagered.

"Typically. They meet their just desserts and wanna leave when it gets to be overwhelming." Sarada scoffed.

"What a baby." Boruto rolled his eyes as Dosu scooped up his teammates.

"It would seem we underestimated you….but at least we found out what we needed to know…For the moment we're even but if it should ever happen that we ever meet again in combat, I promise we won't run away." Dosu threated the two awake members of Team Seven.

"What an asshole. Gets saved from getting killed only to basically spit in their faces." Boruto scowled as Sakura decided to ask the necessary questions.

"Wait! Who is this Orochimaru!? What's he done to Sasuke!? And why Sasuke!?" Sakura demanded, her anger taking over though Dosu was just as clueless as her.

"I don't know. All I know is that we were told to target Sasuke and we did." Dosu said and before anyone knew anyting the memory started to slowly morph and mutate.

"W-what's happening?" Boruto asked.

"That Orochimaru is back!?" Sarada asked in disbelief as she noticed Orochimaru standing over a beaten Naruto and Sakura with Sasuke nowhere in sight.

"No it can't. It's not his face." Mituski pointed as Orochimaru was still in his "grass ninja" disguise.

"Oh…so some kind of nightmare?" Boruto asked before the scene started to disappate and mutate into the forest where the previous fight was as Naruto was screaming his head off before noticing Orochimaru was nowhere in sight with a huge lump on his head.

"Guess he's back in the game." Boruto laughed.

"And it looks like he has Masters Shikamaru and Choji to thank for that." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto blinked several times, feeling slightly disoriented and light-headed due to being out of it for a small while before utter realization hit his face.

"The grass ninja! Everybody! Quick! Get down!" Naruto yelled as everyone stared at Naruto like he was even crazier than he origjnally thought before a tag on his head from a nearby stick got him back to reality, courtesy of Choji as Shikamaru sighed.

"You really are one of a kind. And I mean you're the kind that gets on my nerves." Shikamaru shook his head at Naruto who grunted, not appreciating this treatment as Naruto noticed the lack of long hair on Sakura.

"O-oh no! Sakura! What happened!? I mean something serious happened to your hair!" Naruto panicked, running to where his teammates were as Sakura blinked as she struggled to explain what happened.

"Oh…I just wanted to change my look….I like it better long but when I'm out in the wilderness like this and I'm moving around all the times, it gets in the way too much…" Sakura "explained" as Naruto seemed relatively satisfied with Sakura's answer.

"That's….one way to describe what happened…" Sarada sighed, a flashback of Sasuke's one-sided fight against the Sound Ninja playing in her mind as Boruto and Mitsuki turned to their teammate in concern, already knowing what she was thinking about.

"Hey….you okay, Sarada?" Boruto asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah we are here for you. You know that, right?" Mitsuki asked as Sarada sighed before turning to her friends.

"Thanks guys…..it was just too much seeing dad be so vicious…" Sarada admitted as Boruto nodded.

"Believe me, I know what it's like….seeing someone you admire be so vicious and outta control…" Boruto said, remembering how his father unintentionally hurt him when he was possessed by the Nine Tailed Fox.

"But you know something? I'm sad for nothing. There's no way my dad will go to some creep like him. He has too strong of a will!" Sarada smiled as Boruto and Mitsuki averted their eyes for the same reason.

"So what's your story? Why're you guys here in the first place? What's going on around here?" Naruto asked Shikamaru and Choji who came up behind him who sighed.

"Explaining everything to you is going to be such a pain." Shikamaru rolled his eyes, frustrating Naruto at him being left out of the loop.

"Everyone just showed up to help." Sakura said before Naruto noticed Lee who was fully awake and getting scolded for his recklessness by Tenten.

"Aha! I know you Bushy-Brow!" Naruto pointed and shouted at Lee, a little too tactlessly much to Sakura's chagrin.

"Hey! Knock it off! You better not say anything bad about Lee!" Sakura yelled, before sending Naruto sending mad yards away, making him even more out of the loop and confused.

"Glad things seem to be back to normal!" Mitsuki laughed as Sarada sighed.

"Mom, you can really be too much at times…" Sarada shook her head as Boruto sweated.

"So scary….." Boruto shuddered, remembering the times he saw Sakura smack Naruto in his trip to the past.

Sakura then exhaled before strolling over to Lee.

"Lee….thank you…because of you, I was able to stand up for myself and I've become a little stronger." Sakura smiled before bowing to him, making Lee tear up at how it seemed that she had finally accepted him.

"Well she is right. It seems like he's putting her on the path to the woman she is now." Sarada smiled.

"Thank you Sakura…but I guess my efforts alone were not good enough." Lee wiped his eyes before turning to Sasuke, "So Sasuke, I guess the rumors about you were true. As expected of the Uchiha Clan but unlike me…I merely got beaten up…" Lee looked down sadly as Sasuke looked confused and lost.

"At least it seems like he doesn't remember…." Sarada noted.

"That's good for his mental sake…" Boruto sighed as Lee turned to Sakura with a smile.

"Sakura, the lotus of the leaf will always bloom twice. I promise to always protect!" Lee vowed with everyone smiling at Lee before the memory suddenly shifted to the middle of the forest.

"Where are we now?" Sarada asked.

"Over there!" Boruto pointed as he noticed a figure only to see Naruto clad in just his underwear before diving into the river below.

Upon doing a bit of swimming, Naruto threw out of the water three fishes which Sasuke promptly pinned to a tree with kunai.

"C'mon, is that it? I only got three now go and do it again. I could eat three fish myself." Sasuke scoffed, much to Naruto's irritation as he grit his teeth.

"Well if you think it's so easy, why don't you get wet and I'll stand on the shore!" Naruto spat as Sakura got Sasuke's attention.

"Sasuke! The fire's ready to light so I could use one of your fireballs?" Sakura asked as Sasuke sighed, getting tired of everyone asking him for favors.

"I've got to do everything around here." Sasuke muttered, offending Naruto even more.

"You do huh!? What have I been doing!?" Naruto yelled, getting even more annoyed that no one was paying him any attention.

"At least they're getting back to normal." Boruto mused.

"After what happened earlier, they need it." Sarada muttered as Naruto managed to get more fish before making his way back to his team as he immediately noticed the tense atmosphere in the air.

"What's wrong, guys?" Naruto asked, sitting down by his teammates as Sakura shot him a look of utter disbelief at Naruto's ridiculous question.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong, guys'? Haven't you paid attention to what's been happening?" Sakura asked as she didn't want to be too rude or nasty to Naruto.

"It's already been four days since the second exam began…" Sasuke said, looking at the ground, not even bothering to hide the stress in his face.

"Four days already!? That means they have a day left!" Boruto pointed out, not believing so much time had passed.

"Half a day given how late in the day it looks…." Mitsuki added as Sakura looked down.

"That's right…." Sakura admitted in shame.

"We're sure not going to break any records. And we only have twenty four hours left…" Sasuke noted.

"I wonder how many of the other teams have already got their scrolls and finished…." Sakura frowned while Naruto looked more interested in the fish being done which it was finally finished being cooked with everyone chowing down eagerly.

Or rather Naruto did while Sasuke and Sakura were too stressed to eat.

"We have to face it…there may not be any more heaven scrolls left…" Sakura looked down as Sasuke stared at her.

"Well that's a cheerful thought." Sasuke stated, not believing she was seemingly willing to throw in the towel. She couldn't be serious, could she?

"Maybe so but it's true. Look, you said it yourself, Sasuke. This is the fourth day we've been out here. That means we've already used up eighty percent of the time we've got to complete the exam. Only thirteen teams can pass because there are only thirteen pairs of heaven and earth scrolls. And you've got twenty six teams, seventy eight candidates out looking for them. And if those odds weren't bad enough, things have gotten worse. Don't forget that creep Orochimaru burnt the Heaven Scroll we had…." Sakura reminded her teammates.

"Yeah I remember." Sasuke admitted, albeit slightly begrudgingly.

"The number of complete pairs of scrolls that could be found was reduced by one night there. Not to mention all the ones that had been found and secured by other teams since then…." Sakura added as Sasuke looked down.

"Maybe we gave ourselves too much time to rest and recover from out last fight, I don't know but what I do know is that we've got to get serious now and make up for lost time. The next enemy we face could be our last chance…." Sasuke said before standing up.

"I'm going to get water." Sasuke stood up before leaving.

"Get water?" Boruto looked lost at that.

"It's probably a cover up to try to see if he could get a scroll." Mitsuki surmised.

"Yeah most likely." Sarada agreed as Sasuke left, leaving Sakura and Naruto a bit lost before Naruto's eyes slightly lit up before getting the Earth scroll they had.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto said getting Sakura's attention, "I know how we can do this witout having to fight anyone." Naruto stated much to everyone's confusion.

"How?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow as Naruto poured out several scrolls in his weapons pouch.

"Oh I see." Mitsuki immediately understood Naruto's "plan" as Sarada just blinked.

"He can't be serious. No one's gonna believe that one of those scrolls will cut it as a heaven scroll." Sarada deadpanned as Sakura looked even more lost.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Sakura asked, utterly lost.

"What do you mean? Scrolls. I've got tons of them. You know, manuals of ninja and stuff like that. We could change one of these to look exactly like the heaven scroll." Naruto offered his idea as Sakura literally put an arm up in defense.

"Stop! Don't even! Even if you could fake the outside, how do you fake what's written inside? You couldn't know without reading it and that's against the rules, idiot." Sakura shut down Naruto's idea who didn't look unwavering in his plan.

"I've got it all figured out. I think these things have a secret code written in them that only makes sense if you put them both together. And that secret code is like the password you need in order to get into the tower at the end of the exam! Get it?" Naruto grinned, seemingly proud of his idea as Sakura just stared blankly at Naruto, wondering how much of an idiot he actually was.

"All I get is that you're a nimrod…" Sakura muttered, slowing building up her rage like a slowly erupting volcano before she exploded, "We've never even had a heaven scroll so how in the world are we going to take what's inside it!?", making Naruto stumble for a few seconds before he realized how foolhardy his proof is.

"The next 'brilliant' idea you get, how about keeping it to yourself?" Sakura suggested with a twitching brow before Naruto's head slowly raised as he had another idea.

"We do have a clue to what's inside the heaven scroll, the earth scroll." Naruto held said scroll up as Sakura glared at him.

"Either way, there's no guarantee they'll be exactly the same!" Boruto pointed out.

"You wouldn't." Sakura glared at her teammate.

"It's out only chance. I'm gonna open and read this scroll!" Naruto said before a harsh clonk from Sakura on his skull stopped his advances.

"Naruto! Can't you get it through your empty head!? We're expressively forbidden from opening the scrolls before arriving at the tower!" Sakura yelled.

"Thank you!" Sarada thanked.

"I know but if we don't do anything, we'll never make it!" Naruto whined before Sakura and Naruto looked at each other before looking down at the Heaven Scroll.

"…Okay fine…" Sakura said much to everyone's astonishment.

"Wait, what?" Sarada asked.

"Fine what?" Naruto blinked in confusion at Sakura's sudden statement.

"You're right…we're running out of time so let's do it…" Sakura sighed as Boruto and Sarada couldn't agree what they were hearing.

"Is she seriously? Wasn't she wailing on him for suggesting that like two minutes ago?" Sarada asked.

"I know they're desperate but still! Can't they at least wait until Uncle Sasuke gets back?" Boruto asked as Naruto gulped, starting to feel somewhat of a sense of foreboding.

"….W-well? You gonna do it?" Sakura asked as Naruto blinked back to reality.

"Y-yeah, believe it!" Naruto said slightly nervously as he started to slowly open the Earth Scroll but before he could open it any further from the flap, an unexpected hand, clapped down on Naruto's arm.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Kabuto looked down, much to everyone's shock.

"Kabuto? What's he doing here?" Sarada asked.

"I guess we should be thankful for him before they did anything too reckless." Mitsuki said as Sasuke immediately dashed back, mistaking Kabuto for an enemy initially before remembering him from the Chunin Exams.

Upon getting back, Kabuto informed Sasuke of what happened and needless to say, Sasuke wasn't too thrilled with his teammates.

"I can't believe you guys." Sasuke crossed his arms as Naruto and Sakura looked down in shame.

"He's like the irritated older brother of them." Sarada teased as Boruto and Mitsuki laughed.

"And Auntie Sakura would be the slightly responsible older sister." Boruto snickered.

"And Lord Seventh is the youngest sibling who needs to be kept on a leash." Mitsuki finished with all of Team Konohamaru sharing a laugh.

"If I hadn't come along when I did." Kabuto said as Sakura looked down harder.

"Sorry Sasuke… Sakura apologized, wishing she could crawl under a rock with Naruto muttered his own apology although his was significantly more half-hearted.

"There have been others who have broken the rules and tried to peek at the scrolls. I've seen what happens to them. They're protected by a powerful hypnosis jutsu, a kind of booby-trap for anyone unwise enough to try to read them. It will knock you senseless and by the time you wake up, the exam is over." Kabuto explained much to everyone's amazement.

"What!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"They really dodged a bullet." Sarada shook her head.

"So I guess we owe that Kabuto guy?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow.

"It would seem so." Mitsuki said as Sasuke sent a dirty look to Naruto and Sakura who looked away before he decided to fix his attention on Kabuto.

"Kabuto, right? We met at the registration. What're you doing wandering around all by yourself?" Sasuke asked, feeling a bit weary as he was in no mood to fight this bizarre bespectacled boy if he could help it.

"Don't worry, I'm not after your earth scroll." Kabuto was quick to reassure Sasuke's fear as he darted his eyes away.

"I guess not. I suppose if you were, you would have just swiped it from Naruto when you had the chance. So you're looking for a heaven scroll too, huh?" Sasuke asked as Kabuto smirked.

"Not really. You see, I already have them both. I had a run of luck. I was just on my way to the tower to wait for my teammates to show up." Kabuto pulled out both scrolls before shrugging, "Now if you'll excuse me." Kabuto was about to walk off before Sasuke stopped him.

"Hold on! I'll fight you for it." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Kabuto stared at Sasuke before amusement filled his eyes.

"How strong is Kabuto? Given that he's Orochimaru's right hand man…" Sarada trailed out.

"He has to be super strong then." Boruto said.

"His strength at that time was said to have been relative to Kakashi's from what my dad told me." Mitsuki said as his teammates looked at him in disbelief.

"That strong!? He has no chance then!" Boruto said as Kabuto smirked at him.

"You'll fight me for it?" Kabuto mused as Naruto and Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

"Hold on a second! Is this a joke!?" Naruto spat though he was ignored.

"Are you serious?" Kabuto asked as Sasuke's eyes narrowed further.

"Perfectly. Sorry but I don't have time to play nice." Sasuke glared at Kabuto as this didn't sit well with Naruto.

"Back off, Sasuke! In case you've forgotten, this guy saved our butts!" Naruto spat.

"Naruto has a point. We don't wanna be ungrateful or anything." Sakura tried reasoning to Sasuke who would hear none of it.

"Shut up. It can't be helped. It's either him or us. Out here, it's all about surviving and winning. Nothing else matters." Sasuke assumed a fighting pose.

"I know he's right but to tell them to shut up…" Sarada frowned.

"They are losing time the longer they stand around." Boruto seemed to agree with Sasuke as Kabuto put a hand on his hip in amusement.

"Hmph, you're lying. Come on admit it. For all your tough talk, your heart really isn't in it." Kabuto called Sasuke on his bluff, igniting Sasuke's bluff before he continued, "If it was true, if winning was really the only thing that mattered to you, why openly challenge me to a fight? Why announce it and put me on my guard? Why not just jump me when my back's turned? After all, that is what a ninja would do?" Kabuto smirked as Sasuke growled as Naruto seemed to understand what Kabuto was saying.

"Hmm…that's pretty deep." Naruto muttered.

"Well he is right. For all his toughness, he's a bunny rabbit deep down." Sarada smiled softly.

"Especially when he's older." Boruto chuckled as Sasuke seemingly dropped his façade.

"It's okay. Acually, I admire you for it. So he's what I'll do. I'll show you the path you should follow." Kabuto suggested.

"This….sounds fishy." Sarada said.

"Yeah it's way too convenient." Boruto agreed.

"But they're on their last leg so what can they do?" Mitsuki asked as Kabuto continued.

But let's go, it's best we get out of here. The smell of that cooking fire is going to draw every wild beast in the forest. And not only animals but the competition, too." Kabuto was quick to point out as Team Seven quickly got their weapons and stuff ready before jumping trees to trees with Kabuto.

"You think there are still other candidates out there?" Sasuke asked Kabuto.

"Oh yeah, just think about it. What do you think is the most effective way of finding the scrolls in an area as large as this? To go searching through the forest for them? Kabuto asked the team.

"Uh…no." Sakura said with Kabuto agreeing.

"You wait for them to come to you. The tower at the center of the forest is the goal, right? So on the last day of the exam, that area will be crawling with teams converging on the tower with their scrolls." Kabuto explained.

"Oh I get him. Basically whatever poor sucker with their arm down, they can just jump someone!" Boruto realized with Kabuto meant.

"I wonder who the poor joe schmoe will be…" Sarada muttered.

"Oh I get it, like an ambush! So we just head for the tower, find a hiding place and when a team comes along with a heaven scroll, we jump them and take it!" Sakura basically said with Boruto and Sarada did.

"That's part of the problem." Kabuto interjected, surprising Sakura as he continued, "You guys aren't going to be the only ones thinking of this. Every other team that's lacking a scroll will be lying in wait just like you."

"Oh he's right….It's not like they're the only ones who may have only one scroll…" Sarada realized as Naruto chuckled.

"Heh, the more the merrier I'll say! Whoever they are, we'll take care of them! Wouldn't want this to be too easy." Naruto grinned in excitement.

"Typically dad. Loves a challenge." Boruto chuckled as his dad was way more pragmatic now.

"Indeed. It's not like he was some other orange clad person who spares people for petty reasons to have a fight and would risk the whole world or even the whole universe as a whole." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto and Sarada cut a look to Mitsuki as he looked somewhere else.

"Okay so we grab someone else's scroll and keep those losers from grabbing ours and bingo, we pass the second exam." Naruto grinned as Kabuto merely shook his head.

"That's merely two-thirds of the problem." Kabuto interjected again, slightly dejecting Naruto.

"Well at least we're getting closer. What else?" Sakura asked, not realizing just how dire their chances at nabbing a scroll were.

"Well, there's bound to be some collectors lurking around at the finish line. Even when you think you're home free, you can't relax your guard for an instant. This kind of exam always brings them out-Collectors….they gather extra sets of scrolls to use for various ends. For example to bribe their way out of unexpected situations or to provide their village mates with the scroll they're lacking. Some steal them to keep candidates from rival villages from passing or to help out teams from their own village who couldn't find the scrolls on their own. Others steal them for their own dark purposes. They'll hang onto them to use against the stronger teams farther down the line. They'll be there alright and they're bad news. The closer you get to the tower, the more likely you'll be to run into them." Kabuto spelled out the current circumstances for everyone involved.

"Geez, the way he makes it sound, the Chunin Exams are one big black market." Boruto muttered.

"Well it kind of was. Just like with you and your ninja tools, remember?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto blushed before looking away.

"I see and I think I'm starting to understand why you brought us along with you. It's because you're frightened, aren't you?" Sasuke pondered.

"You bet I am." Kabuto sliughtly chuckled before the day slowly mutated into night time.

"Uh oh, night time….And sunrise is only a couple of hours away…" Boruto dreaded.

"Which means the team they find could be their last." Sarada agreed, just as concerned.

"There's the tower and that means the end is in sight. Now comes the hard part." Kabuto stated to everyone.

"Well it's about time!" Naruto pumped, ready to win the exam before they hear someone or something rustling in the bushes behind them.

"Someone's hiding?" Sakura pointed out as Naruto threw a handful of Shuriken in the area where the sound was before the sound was revealed to be a large centipede.

"Gross!" Sarada cringed.

"That is one big bug…" Boruto blinked, just as creeped out.

"Shino-Sensei would probably love that." Mitsuki joked.

"Oh false alarm, it's just a centipede." Naruto said.

"It's just a centipede? That creepy thing's as big as a bug." Sakura cringed with Sarada nodding her head.

"Hey Naruto? Do us a favor and try to keep it down to a dull roar, will you? See, the whole idea is not to let anyone know we're here. If you go crashing through the forest like an elephant, you're going to draw collectors like flies. We want to find them before they find us." Kabuto said with Naruto looking absolutely embarrassed.

"Oh yeah…I see your point…" Naruto looked away in embarrassment.

"Take it slow and quiet. Let's use all the time we've got left." Kabuto said with everyone looking and scanning the area for any poor soul.

"Is it just me or does the tower not look any closer?" Sarada noted.

"Yeah it's like they're going in circles." Boruto added.

"I guess this means they're getting close to their potential new enemy…" Mitsuki assumed before Team Seven and Kabuto stumbled onto a trap with tons of dead bodies literaly around looking around like pincushions.

"What the hell happened here?" Sarada cringed at all the death around her.

"Traps, huh?" Sasuke asked, surprisingly calm.

"Yah and it only gets worse from here." Kabuto said as Naruto blinked as he walked before tripping over a thin line of wire as a flurry of Shuriken started to slowly rain down upon Naruto.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled before Kabuto shoved himself on top of Naruto, protecting him before his back was basically turned into a pincushion.

"K-Kabuto!" Naruto yelled as Team Konohamaru could see Naruto's eyes twinge in sadness as they saw the memory flash slightly back to the Land of Waves before it returned back to current time.

"…I guess it would make him remember that time…" Sarada said as Naruto couldn't believe another person was protecting him.

"N-no…no way…" Naruto felt his heart stop but before he could get too sad, thankfully, Kabuto poofed into a log as the real one stood atop a nearby tree above.

"Thank god…" Naruto gratefully sighed in relief.

"Like I said, it only gets worse from here." Kabuto said as Team Seven merely shuddered in response as they realized just how screwed they were. Well, even more anyways.

As the team continued to trek on, Sakura huffed before taking a knee in exhaustion.

"For crying out loud….how far have we walked….that tower's not getting any closer…" Sakura huffed falling to the ground where she kept herself up, purely by her arms.

"Now that you mention it, I was thinking that, too. It's weird." Naruto agreed as Kabuto and Sasuke looked around.

"It would seem that we've been spotted. Somebody's playing games with us. That ring a bell?" Kabuto pointed behind Naruto as he felt his heart drop.

"Oh man, no way! It can't be! What's the big idea?" Naruto couldn't believe that they were back with the huge centipede.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"Must be some sort of genjutsu." Sarada said before activating her Sharingan.

"I knew it had to be something like that!" Boruto noted as Sasuke assumed the same.

"Genjutsu, huh?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"That's what it looks like. And we fell for it completely." Kabuto sighed, slightly bemused before continuing, "We were so concerned with not being seen by anyone that we didn't see we were walking around in circles."

"What's their game?" Sasuke asked.

"They're probably trying to wear us down and then strike when we're frustrated and mentally exhausted." Kabuto explained.

"You mean like we are, right now?" Sasuke asked.

"Right. They'll be coming soon." Kabuto said, cocking up his glasses as the enemies started to finally show themselves as tens of several different clones started literally come up from the trees, bushes and every around.

"What the hell? There's so many!" Sarada noted.

"Heh, looks like Lord Seventh's gonna get his fight after all." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Well Naruto, you wanted a fight." Sasuke smirked as Naruto smirked back.

"Hmph, four against forty? I like these odds!" Naruto grinned, prepping himself for the upcoming fight.

"W-what are they?" Sakura asked, feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the huge number.

"Clones by the looks of it and a whole lot of them." Kabuto answered as one of the black clad clones chuckled at the perplexed expressions of Naruto and Sakura.

"Like cornered rats." One of the clones said, much to Naruto's irritation.

"Oh yeah? Cornered rats, are we!?" Naruto yelled as he punched one in the torso, seemingly taking it down for the count.

"That's showing them, way to go!" Sakura cheered before Naruto's fist actually ran through him as if the clone's body was made of play doh.

"Wait, what? It's like his body is made of silly putty!" Sarada pointed out.

"What are they?" Boruto asked.

"That was a clone." Mitsuki said as everyone looked surprised and even slightly creeped out. What was this person's secret?

"I just touched him and he turned into mush….." Naruto barely got up in confusion, missing the clone forming out of the person's mangled body as it touted a double sided kunai.

"Behind you!" Boruto and Sarada yelled with Sasuke taking the initiative to save his friend.

"Naruto, watch out!" Sasuke yelled, activating his Sharingan as he threw a shuriken, sawing off the arm of the clone who was able to cleave off Naruto's head. Not at all pleased by this, the clone threw another double sided kunai at Sasuke who looked ready to move but found himself paralyzed.

"What's dad doing just standing there!? He's gonna get himself killed!?" Sarada yelled as Kabuto took note of this.

"Down!" Kabuto was quick to push Sasuke down, saving him at the cost of getting his upper arm cut.

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran to his side before helping him up.

"What's wrong with him? Why didn't he move?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki kneeled to Sasuke's level before his eyes widened as he noticed Sasuke's curse mark pulse and light up a light orange color.

"It's the curse mark. His body hasn't quite adapted to it yet." Mitsuki examined.

"What!? Geez, what did Orochimaru do to him?" Sarada growled, feeling a great amount of disdain for Orochimaru as Kabuto observed the kunai before noticing something quite literal and real about it.

"Surrender your scroll." All of the clones in the area continued to repeat almost like a mantra.

"Wait, that kunai looks real so Kabuto's wound isn't like a genjutsu." Boruto noticed as Sarada nodded as an idea came to her mind.

"Sharingan!" Sarada said as she activated her Sharingan before noticing a figure in the tree.

"These clones are just genjutsu and the real body is nearby!" Sarada informed her teammates.

"And of all the times that we can't interfere with a memory…" Boruto growled in frustration.

"The fact that Kabuto is wounded and bleeding means that these things are real Shadow Clones! But man, Shadow Clones are supposed to vanish when you give them a good shot but these things don't! So what the heck are we dealing with? Some kind of Genjutsu?" Naruto asked, catching onto what was happening as everyone else in the memory seemed to also as the clones continued their sayings of wanting Team Seven and Kabuto to surrender their scrolls.

"Ugh, do these guys ever shut up?" Boruto asked, getting annoyed with them saying "surrender your scrolls".

"For once I agree." Sarada said, wishing there was some sort of sound jutsu that can plug someone's ears.

"Come and get it!" Naruto yelled, ready for another round.

"It's no use, save it! You'll only be fighting illusions….it's Genjutsu alright…" Sasuke huffed in exhaustion trying to regain his surroundings.

"Illusions? But how? That gash on Kabuto's arm is real enough." Sakura was quick to point out as Kabuto cradled his injured arm.

"That's true but still Sasuke is right. It could be the real enemy is hiding somewhere in the woods nearby launching real attacks from behind a smokescreen of illusions and coordinating their movements with them so that we're fooled into thinking these Genjutsu Shinobi are the ones attacking us." Kabuto theorized.

"Geez, why can't things be easy for once?" Boruto muttered.

"Whoever said being a shinobi is easy, moron!" Sarada chided Boruto who scoffed.

"Well wherever they are, what're we gonna do, just stand here? Let's go find these clowns and take care of them!" Naruto was ready to charge again before Kabuto stopped him.

"Hold on, Naruto. They'd love nothing better for us to go searching blindly through the forest while they sit back and take us out one by one. We'd just be making their jobs easier for them. I know this kind of attack. The kind who use it do so because they're weak in Taijutsu and afraid of close, hand to hand combat, according to my data. We have no choice…All we can do is hold our ground and fend off their attacks." Kabuto said to everyone as they didn't look too happy with that answer.

"Okay fine, whatever. Let's just do it." Naruto pulled a kunai out as the team had to avoid more weapons much to their chagrin.

"Man, how much longer is this gonna go on?" Sakura groaned with no one really disagreeing with her.

"Okay, this is gonna work." Naruto said, weaving a hand sign.

"Wait, it's pointless. You'll only waste your chakra. By trying to fight these, you'll just be doing what they want." Kabuto tried warning Naruto who merely grinned in response.

"If we were to eliminate all of the illusions, whoever is casting them wouldn't be able to hurl kunai at us without us being able to see where they're hiding. I'll show the two can play at this game." Naruto grinned like a fox before activating his signature jutsu, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" as the amount of clones were matched by the number of Naruto's clones in terms of numbers.

"Whoo! Clone Rumble!" Boruto grinned as he could've sworn he saw this in a video of sorts.

"But can they do it?" Sarada asked.

"Given where they are now, obviously." MItsuki answered as Sarada shot Mitsuki a look.

"Okay you don't have to get sarcastic with me! Smartass…" Sarada muttered the last part to herself.

Sasuke, Sakura and even Kabuto himself joined in the assault which seemed to push the clones back somewhat but eventually exhaustion was starting to kick in with the team.

"Oh no….they're on their last legs…" Sarada frowned in concern as she took note on how tired everyone looked.

"Even more, it's nearly sunrise!" Boruto pointed at the sun which was starting to slowly rise.

"Time is running out…" Mitsuki noted as the clones started to slowly disperse revealing the mastermind behind them, none other than Oboro.

"Hey wait, I remember him! He was the guy who tied dad up at the start of the exams!" Boruto pointed.

"Yeah! Looks like he recovered." Sarada said, not thrilled in seeing this clown again as those in the memory seemed to also remember Oboro, especially Sasuke.

"Hey, I know you. You're the one who cut me on the shoulder! That really messed me up, you know. Oh well….Now I can finally pay you back….with interest." Oboro's eyes gleamed in excitement as everyone seemed to tense in dread before Naruto suddenly smirked.

"Huh?" Oboro turned his head in confusion before a familiar voice made its presence known.

"Well, well….now who's the cornered rat?" The amused voice of Sasuke rang through the air, confusing everyone in the memory.

"Oh I see now. He tricked them." Boruto snickered.

"Worked like a charm, Naruto." Sakura also praised her teammate as Team Oboro noticed that Sasuke, Sakura and Kabuto were behind them.

"What!? It can't be! If they're over there then who're they!?" Oboro demanded as Naruto snickered.

"Confused? Sorry but it was the only way to get you guys to come out of hiding!" Naruto smirked as he revealed that the guys by his side were nothing but transformations of Naruto's Shadow Clones.

"Don't tell me that little brat!" Oboro could barely believe his ears. He thought his plan to get their scroll and kill them was one hundred percent fool proof!

"Heh! The Shadow Clones were only the first part of it. My real trick was coming up with clones for the rest of my squad." Naruto smirked, standing up.

"While our doubles did all the fighting and took the beatings, we were safe and sound waiting for you to show yourself. What do you think, guys? I think our little plan worked." Sasuke grinned, feeling proud of their little plan as it finally seemed like the tables were turning in their favor.

"Ingenious! That's one way to do it!" Sarada beamed.

"Now do it and take him down!" Boruto cheered as Naruto was ready to end things before he suddenly fell atop one knee.

"Dad?" Boruto asked.

"Having such a plan would be costly with his chakra…" Mitsuki noted.

"And with everything they've been through in the forest…." Sarada trailed on as Naruto gasped at his lack of energy.

"Naruto, take a break! You've used up too much of your chakra. Don't worry, I've got them." Sasuke grinned before Naruto suddenly found his second wind as he punched all three of Team Oboro into the ground.

"Hehe, after all the work I've done, there's no way I'm gonna stand back and let you have all the fun!" Naruto chuckled, holding a fist in exhaustion.

"But it won't do you any good if you fall over in exhaustion." Sarada frowned in concern. Especially with the seal Orochimaru placed on him, how long could Naruto carry on?

"But it's amazing watching how much dad has improved after several months!" Boruto smiled in absolute pride of his father as Team Seven and even Kabuto looked impressed with Naruto's strength.

Team Oboro looked downright fearful.

"This kid shouldn't even be able to move, let alone this…." Oboro gulped before growling.

Not bad but that doesn't mean it's over! We're still feeling lucky…And besides, time is running out for all of us…so we'll just have to take the gloves off and show you our Ninjutsu!" Oboro declared with the sun started to slowly rise in the area.

"Geez, can't these guys just take the L?" Boruto shook his head.

"Taking a note out of Yoroi's slang book, huh?" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto blushed.

"But time is running out. They need to end this soon…" Sarada noticed the sun was slowly getting brighter.

"Falcon Jutsu!" Oboro said as a swarm of clones surrounded him much to everyone's confusion.

"Shadow Clones?" Naruto and Boruto simultaneously asked.

"Big deal?" Boruto couldn't see what the big deal was.

"Those're real clones. Don't waste your strength, bone-head. Let them make the first move." Sasuke tried warning his friend as Naruto shook his head.

"If these are clones then the real ones are in there with them. All I've got to do is smash my way through until I find the ones that squeal!" Naruto argued much to Sasuke's chagrin.

"No, don't be an idiot! Listen to me!" Sasuke tried reasoning with Naruto who scoffed in defiance.

"Get off my back, will you!? Just stay out of it! I can handle this!" Naruto yelled as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed.

"They're doing this at a time like this!? Not even me and Boruto are this bad!" Sarada said, hoping they weren't that bad as Naruto charged the clones trying to search for the real one only to be unsuccessful in finding the source or laying a solid hit.

"Naruto, stop!" Kabuto tried stopping Naruto in his seemingly foolish advance.

"Could be it they're all fake or could it be Genjutsu again?" Sakura asked.

"What's going on this time?" Boruto asked before a shriek of pain got everyone's attention as they turned to see Sasuke clenching his shoulder in pain.

"Sasuke, please stop using your Sharingan!" Sakura was quick to run to Sasuke's side as she tried to help him anyway she could.

"The curse mark again!?" Sarada asked in concern and disbelief as Naruto was quick to turn his head away, missing the incoming kunai from Oboro.

"Dad, duck!" Boruto yelled.

"You should never give your enemy an opening!" Naruto was slow to react to Oboro's threat and was saved from being cleaved by a kunai by Kabuto who was cut on his leg as well as his arm.

"Hey, Kabuto, you okay?" Naruto asked only to get angry when Kabuto didn't respond.

"Now you guys are gonna get it." Naruto growled.

"Forget it, Naruto…you can swing at those guys all day. You're just wasting your time on them….the real ones aren't there." Sasuke pushed himself awake.

"Yeah if what happened before was any indication, that's kinda obvious." Sarada nodding as Naruto was looking a bit tired at all this horseplay.

"What're you talking about? That last attack didn't come from any clone. Of course the real ones are here! They've gotta be here! If they're not then where the heck are they?" Naruto asked in frustration.

"Use your head, if I knew the answer to that, we wouldn't be in this fix." Sasuke grunted as Naruto fell on one knee again, exhaustion slowly taking its hold on Naruto.

"Looks like they've reached the end of their rope. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted." Oboro was ready to end it before he ended it with Sarada noticing something upon activating her Sharingan.

"They're down there!" Sarada pointed, revealing the real team.

"Oh I see now! They're using Earth Style jutsu to attack when everyone's guard is down!" Boruto realized before Kabuto was suddenly cut across the face with a sharp blow from a kunai.

"Oh damn!" Boruto yelled.

"Kabuto!" Naruto yelled as his friend hit the ground hard.

"That scar makes him look like Iruka." Mitsuki shrugged, ignoring the bizarre looks from his teammates.

Before Oboro could finish him off, he was cut off with a harsh glare from him.

"Whoa…what's with that look? It's…scary…." Sarada actually took a step back.

"Like he's gonna unleash a power that'll knock people out just by looking at them…" Boruto added as Team Oboro actually looked scared at the look in Kabuto's eyes.

Something which Naruto took advantage of and was quick to kick the jerks, knocking them out and finally ending the fight.

"Like you said, you should never let your guard down." Naruto chuckled.

"Haha, good point. Thank you, Naruto. You really saved my neck." Kabuto sheepishly laughed as Naruto finally fell back in exhaustion.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Sakura cheered as Boruto stretched his arms.

"Finally, it's over!" Boruto exhaled in relief.

"I'll say, it was starting to get tedious." Sarada agreed.

"It was like padding you see in an anime episode." Mitsuki also agreed, once again disregarding the looks he received from his friends.

Luckily, Team Oboro had the scroll Naruto and friends needed as they finally reached the tower as the sun fully came out, signaling the start of daytime.

"There you are, Kabuto. You're late." One of Kabuto's teammates, a male around his age with black glasses, said.

"Sorry about that. I got a little sidetracked." Kabuto sheepishly apologized as Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah and are we glad that you did. After all, it was only thanks to you that we got both scrolls!" Naruto smiled, feeling nothing but gratitude for the gray-haired young man.

"Not really. You did most of it on your own. Especially you, Naruto. Very Impressive." Kabuto complimented Naruto who blushed at the comment before he continued, "Well this is the door that we go through. So long and good luck to us both."

And with that both teams gave smiles of appreciation and friendship before entering the opposing doors.

"Huh…where is everyone?" Boruto asked.

"Maybe given that guy was the last guy they saw before they got to the tower, they're the last ones there?" Sarada threw out that possibility as Team Seven looked just as confused as Team Konohamaru.

"What's the deal? There's nobody here." Naruto was quick to point out the lack of people unlike last time as Sasuke and Sakura also looked around in confusion.

"It's okay, Sakura. I can imagine." Sasuke said before walking off.

"Sure." Sakura smiled though anyone could see internally she was pissed at that.

"Huh…I don't get it. What happens now?" Naruto asked as Sakura noticed something in front of them.

"Hold on a second, just look at that." Sakura pointed to what looked like a poster on the wall.

"What is it?" Boruto asked.

"If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are open together, the perilous path will become righteous together. This something is the secret way that guides us from this place today." Sakura explained much to Naruto's confusion.

"Uh…what?" Naruto looked utterly lost.

"It looks like there's a word missing there. Anyway I think it's about the scrolls. I think we're supposed to open and read the heaven and earth scrolls." Sakura surmised.

"Oh so it's time, huh?" Boruto asked.

"It would seem so." MItsuki said as everyone looked a bit nervous considering what they learned would happen to any unfortunate soul that dared open it before the tower but it was the right time now.

As the team did so, smoke started to seep from the scrolls.

"Wait, what's going on?" Boruto asked as Sasuke gasped in realization.

"It's a summoning jutsu! Naruto! Sakura! Quick! Get rid of the scrolls!" Sasuke ordered as the two didn't need to be reminded twice before quickly throwing them away before the smoke died down revealing none other than…

"It's you?" Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Hey. Long time no see, huh?" Iruka Umino grinned at his students.

"Iruka?" Everyone gasped out with varying levels of surprise.

---

And I think that's the PERFECT place to end the chapter!

Jesus Christ that was over 20,000 words on Word and next chapter it's gonna be even LONGER given that I plan on covering ALL of the preliminary matches!

Oh boy what fun….(Sweat drops) ^_^

But at least we're getting into the fun stuff now! I can only apologize again for the screw up with the upload time and failure to look over and make sure I put the right day down but I will NOT make that same mistake again! XD

And with that I shall leave you with this chapter and see you all again in Chapter 15 coming January 27th of next year so look for it then!

Thanks guys and have a great evening! ^_^

As a side note in doing to rewatching these episodes, I've listened to the second ending "Harmonia" and I remember the first time I saw it as a kid back in 2007! My mom bought me the Naruto Box Set which contained the episodes that had it and I honest to god thought it was a fever dream since I was home sick at the time XD