Chapter 15

As team seven entered the room, they saw that it was full with genin from different villages a lot of whom were releasing killing intent at them. Sasuke and Sakura were a bit intimidated but Naruto just shrugged it off. Izumi had exposed him to much worse killing intent and he housed a bloodthirsty demon fox in his gut, it was kinda hard for these genin to frighten him. He looked around the room when he heard a squeal.

"Sasuke-kun! Did you mis me?" asked Ino as she jumped on his back, hugging him from behind.

"Ino-pig! Get your hands off Sasuke-kun!" shouted sakura as they began to argue with each other.

Naruto just tuned them out as he heard a lazy voice behind him. "Man, you're in this thing too Naruto. Troublesome," said shikamaru. This caused Naruto to chuckle at him and greet Choji with a nod who reciprocated the gesture.

Team eight then walked up with Kiba leading. "Seems like the gang's all here!" said kiba in a boisterous voice. Naruto shook his head at him and nodded to Shino who nodded back. He gave a smile to Hinata who blushed and hid behind Kiba. She was just too shy for her own good.

"You guys are loud," came an unknown voice. All of the rookies turned to see a siver haired genin with glasses and a Konoha hitae-ate on his forehead walking up. He introduced himself as Kabuto Yakushi and told them a bit of the exams and that this would be his seventh attempt. He also offered his nin info cards to give them information on people in the room. Sasuke jumped at the chance and asked for intel on Rock Lee and Gaara of the Desert while Shikamaru asked for Naruto Uzumaki as everyone stared at the lazy nara in surprise. Naruto gave him a glare which earned him a smirk on the nara's face.

Kabuto began with Lee and said that he was a taijutsu user who did not use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He then moved on to Gaara where he told the group that he was a foreign nin so all he had was mission stats and teammates but he did say that he was never injured on any mission. Before he could read out Naruto's card, it was snatched from him as Naruto read it. This shocked Naruto as it had his true skills on here. It was actually too detailed. It contained is fuinjutsu skill, his mission with mizuki and his elemental affinities. It was all perfect and detailed. He channeled his fire chakra and burned the card before levelling kabuto with an icy glare which made said genin nervous and sweating.

"I do not know where you got all that intel on me but your information was extremely detailed and you said that this is your seventh attempt while this is only our first try yet you have such intel. That fact is very strange." Said Naruto as kabuto's sweating increased. Naruto was suspicious of kabuto as he had classified intel and stuff that nobody else knew of. Luckily for the silver haired genin, a cloud of smoke appeared and Ibiki Morino arrived and quickly gave instructions to commence the first part of the exams.

As they received their papers, Naruto saw the need to cheat and activated his sharingan behind the seal and began to copy from someone while sakura knew the answers. He looked at the tenth question and noticed a restriction and just decided to wait for it to play out. After some time, Ibiki announced the tenth question which turned out to be a make or break typre of question. After some teams gave up and ibiki saw that there was no need to go further, he announced that those in the room had passed. As he said that, the room went into an uproar prompting ibiki to explain the nature of the exam. As he finished his explanation, a black ball smashed through the window and in came a person.

"The sexy and single second proctor Anko Mitarashi is here!" said a woman with purple hair pulled into a fanned ponytail. She was dressed in a mesh armour body suit, an orange skirt with a beige trenchcoat over it. She told the genin in the room to go training ground forty-four in an hour and anyone not there at the time would be disqualified. She then left the room. The chunin hopefuls left the room in a hurry to get to the location while ibiki went around collecting the exam papers. As he got to Naruto's paper, he saw a message that caused his eyes to go cold. The message read: KABUTO YAKUSHI IS A SPY. He immediately left to relay it to the hokage who assigned an ANBU team to follow him as he knew that Naruto would not joke around on such matters and that he could examine people carefully.

As team seven got to the location, they aw a forest with huge trees behind a chain link fence and a locked gate with warning signs handing on it. "Welome to the Forest of Death! This will be the area for the second round of the exams. It will be a survival exercise. You will have five days to get to the tower in the middle of the forest with these two scrolls- one heaven and one earth," said anko as she pulled out two scrolls with the kanji on them for heaven and earth, "killing is allowed in the forest and you must have both scrolls when you get to the tower or you are disqualified. Each team will be given one scroll, either a heaven scroll or an earth scroll. You must also arrive with all of your teammates alive at the tower to pass this round. Next you need to sign these papers," continued anko as she passed around the papers. One genin asked what the papers were for to which anko replied that they were consent forms which gives Konoha a release if you die in the forest.

"What about food?" asked choji. Anko replied, "there is a lot of food in the forest so you can hunt and gather your own food." She then directed them to a tent to get the scrolls. Team seven received an earth scroll which sasuke said that he will keep since he was the strongest while sakura agreed with him. Naruto gave no argument about it since it was not worth it. Soon all the teams gathered at their respective gates before anko announced that the exams had now begun before all the gates opened and thteams rushed in.

They went a little way in before Naruto stopped them and said that they should make a plan as how they should go about their time in this forest. He suggested that they set traps and ambush a team near to the tower. "And who made you the leader?" questioned sasuke arrogantly causing Naruto to sigh. Looking at him, Naruto asked if he had a better idea. Sasuke then smirked and said that they should find a team, attack them, take their scroll before going to the tower. Sakura agreed saying that this plan was flawless. Seeing that they would not listen to him, Naruto decided to go along with the plan made by sasuke albeit reluctantly.

They surveyed the forest and Naruto sensed a team close by as they stood up. The hid in a tree and watched them in the clearing. They were a team from Amegakure. As Naruto was planning out his move, sasuke rushed in and engaged them in taijutsu. Sakura put the other one in a genjutsu and used a poisoned senbon to knock him out while Naruto appeared behind the last one and knocked him out with some lightning chakra on the nape of his neck. Sasuke then burned his opponent with a fireball jutsu and they searched for the scroll only finding an earth scroll, disappointing them. Naruto took the scroll and pocketed it.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the clearing and send Naruto flying away while a kusa kunoichi appeared to engage sasuke and sakura.

With Naruto

Naruto crashed into a tree, stunning him momentarily. He shook his head and focused his eyes and saw that he was carried away a distance. He deduced that it was a fairly high powered wind jutsu and whoever did it was no mere genin. A snake then appeared behind him and tried to eat him. he avoided the initial lunge and moved to the side but the snake kept on trying to swallow him. Naruto dodged around with his superior speed and was determined to end it. He made a hand seal and called out 'shadow clone jutsu' as four clones appeared, they immediately moved into a square formation and did unusual hand seals. They shouted 'uzumaki fuinjutsu: four sided paralysis'. Kanji appeared and froze the snake in place while the original Naruto made the tiger hand sign and called out 'fire style: great fireball jutsu' and let out a huge white fireball at the snake which charred it as an explosion rocked the field. The smoke cleared leaving a crater and a cooked snake in it which poofed out of existence. This alerted Naruto as his eyes widened in realization. That was a summon, there are only two summoners for snakes in the elemental nations. One is that proctor of this part of the exam and she has no reason to interfere like this. The other summoner is… thought Naruto as his breath hitched and his eyes widened even more as he knew who sent the snake now. He had no doubt in mind that the person who used that massive wind jutsu was the same person who summoned the snake. He immediately stretched out his sensory abilities and felt a strong individual at his team's location. He had no illusions of their inability to defeat this opponent and he stood up, released his restrictions and dashed towards them. As he moved, he wondered what could the person want with them but couldn't reflect or dwell on that thought.

With sasuke and sakura

As Naruto was blown away, a creepy kunoichi came up and asked if they needed a heaven scroll as sasuke smirked at seeing the scroll. But, she swallowed the scroll and exclaimed that they shall do battle for it with their lives as she released her killing intent on the two genin. Sasuke and Sakura saw visions of their deaths from the intent and they realized that it was worse than that time against zabuza. Sasuke stabbed his leg to get rid of the feeling and attacked with some shurikens which was dodged as the female in front of them just stood up and laughed at them. This was what Naruto came up to see.

As Naruto appeared on the tree branch adjacent to them, the kunoichi looked at him and said, "how nice of you to join usss kukukukukuku." Naruto cursed under his breath as he had lost the element of surprise so he jumped down. He looked at his teammates and saw the fear in their eyes before turning to their foe. "Why are you here, Orochimaru?" questioned Naruto in hopes of buying time to formulate a strategy. The lady just laughed and replied, "quite sharp aren't yo Naruto-kun? Well I expected no less from minato and kushina's son kukuku." Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the names of his parents while sasuke and sakura were too scared to realize what was just said.

"Well now that the introductions are over with, let's move along with the show and let us see what you have to offer Naruto-kun. I want to see what that man's son is capable of in battle. Then I will move on to our dear sasuke-kun," said orochimaru as he attacked Naruto. Naruto saw the strike with his sharingan and blocked his fist. He retaliated with a kick to the ribs but was blocked by the snake sannin who kicked his head and sent him flying. Naruto rolled and landed on his feet and took a step back as he ducked under a kick and sent an uppercut to orochimaru. They keep engaging in taijutsu with a flurry of kicks and punches that were either avoided or blocked by each other.

Meanwhile, sakura silently came up to the side of a mesmerized and angry sasuke who was watching the fight with both awe and shock at the skill level of Naruto. "Sasuke-kun let's run away while Naruto-baka keeps him distracted. Even if he dies no one would care for a clan less, orphaned loser anyways," she whispered to him and he nodded as they both silently left the clearing.

By this time, Naruto was beginning to get overwhelmed as orochimaru had a lot more experience than him and he knew that he was being toyed with. "Sasuke get over here and give me a hand, I cannot defeat him on my own," yelled Naruto but was confused since no reply or help came for a few moments. "Sasuke? Sakura?" he yelled and felt that they were not in the clearing any longer. Anger bubbled within him. Those bastards used him as a distraction and left him at the mercy of an S-rank criminal while they ran to save their own asses. At the sight of this, Orochimaru chuckled silently.

"Kukuku seems like the mighty uchiha has fallen. Is this what the heir of that clan has fallen to? Such a shame." Chcuckled the snake sannin as Naruto decided to kick it up a notch. He threw seven shurikens at his foe who side stepped it but realized too late that there was wire attached to them. He saw Naruto manipulate the wires with his mouth and fingers at the same time. His eyes widened at that as he was now trapped against the tree with the wires infused with Naruto's chakra. Naruto then went through two hand seals and used "fire style: dragon flame jutsu'. He pumped a large amount of chakra into the attack as white flames ran down the wires and burned the trees and some trees behind it as well. He gasped and smirked but then saw orochimaru's body dissolve into mud before he was struck in his solar plexus and orochimaru kicked him into a tree after pumping some corrupted chakra into his forehead.

That was the sharingan triple windmill attack, no doubt about it. So Minato had this little secret stashed away that sly dog thought orochimaru as he looked over to his opponent and saw his eyes had a fully mature sharingan in each eye now visible with the seal broken.

"Kukuku ara ara such mastery over the sharingan at such a young age and to use that man's technique combo so efficiently you amuse me Naruto-kun," said orochimaru as he chuckled and Naruto's eyes widened and coughed up some blood. He realized that the seal must have broken during the fight. He was brought out of his musings as orochimaru spoke again. "After that majorly disappointing display of young sasuke-kun perhaps I should visit Izumi-chan. I heard she was quite the prodigy and have heard that you two were quite close. I didn't want her as she was a girl but now maybe I should go visit her."

Naruto's eyes shadowed his hair. Meanwhile in his mind, the fox woke up at hearing that insult and looked to see what his container was going to do. He knew that it would be ugly even if he didn't win. "How dare you?" whispered Naruto as orochimaru raised his head to listen to what was being said. "How dare you speak Izumi-chan's name from your mouth? You threaten her in front of me, I will show you the true power of the sharingan," shouted Naruto in rage as he looked up with a furious expression as the fox grinned from behind his cage. Now that disgusting snake is in for it. Naruto released a huge pulse of chakra that was felt throughout the forest as orochimaru was forced to cover his eyes.

When he reopened them, he saw Naruto staring at him now unconsciously channelling lightning chakra as sparks flew around him in an erratic motion. What upped the intimidation factor were his eyes as the tomoe in them were spinning wildly while it seemed to burn at the snake's very soul.

Yes this is the power of his uchiha blood kukukuku thought orochimaru as he looked into those eyes. Naruto suddenly appeared in front of the sannin and hit him with a chakra powered fist as a sickening crunch was heard indicating a broken nose. He was sent flying as Naruto then appeared behind him and kicked him upwards where he moved above the rouge nin and smashed his fists down onto his stomach sending him plummeting to the ground below. As he was about to make contact with the ground, he was hit with an axe kick from the enraged redhead creating a crater on the ground. Orochimaru was shocked at how Naruto was keeping up with him but then he understood that the combination of his sharingan, heightened reflexes from the lightning chakra coursing over his body and sensory abilities allowed him to keep up with the sannin at his speed.

They reengaged in a battle of taijutsu when orochimaru pulled a sword from his mouth and stabbed Naruto through his heart but he disappeared in smoke before the sannin was then wrapped up once more in wires and tied to a tree but this time the wires were lace with lightning chakra and he was unable to substitute himself out. Naruto made some hand seals and used the 'dragon flame jutsu' once again. Naruto dropped to his knees as his sharingan deactivated from chakra depletion as he heard a chuckling sound coming from his foe. Looking up, he stared in horror as a burning orochimaru opened his mouth and another orochimaru exited.

"Kukuku yes you are a true inheritor of the sharingan and his son. You will be perfect. To be able to push me this far to use this jutsu is a feat in itself. Allow me to reward you with a gift." Said orochimaru as he formed a handsign and his neck extended and bit into Naruto's neck causing Naruto to scream out in pain as he felt his body burning from the inside. Orochimaru placed a heaven scroll into naruto's pocket as he left but not before telling him to survive and pass these exams.

Shikamaru and his team entered the clearing after feeling the chakra pulse and saw Naruto squirming while holding his neck. As he was about to go help, Ino placed a hand onto his shoulder and he looked at her annoyed. "What if it is a trap?" questioned the blonde and the nara swatted her hand away. "Naruto doesn't use such cheap tricks. I know him quite well. He is a friend and is currently hurt and in pain with nobody to help now will you stand in my way?" he said glaring at his teammate as Ino pulled away never seeing this side of her usually laid back, lazy teammate. They went out and looked at his condition and they saw that he had a mark on his neck that was pulsing as Naruto whimpered in pain. As they were about to pick him up, an ANBU came into the clearing and ordered them to stand aside. They obliged and looked on as the ANBU took his head and placed it onto her lap and removed her mask.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay, I'm here now" a melodious voice sounded and Naruto looked up and stared as Izumi ran her fingers through his hair and his whimpering and writhing ceased. She placed her fingers on his neck and kissed his forehead as he went unconscious and she tended to his wounds. She had felt the pulse of chakra while patrolling along with another strong presence next to him and immediately ran to him.

Team ten just gazed dumbfounded at the sight before their eyes but kept their mouths closed as one thought kept running through shikamaru's mind:

What happened to Naruto and where is his team?

To be continued