The Golden Wind: A Naruto Fanfiction Chapter X: Naruto's Rival, a naruto fanfic

"This is the location for the second exam, the forty-fourth battle training zone, or... the Forest of Death." spoke Anko.

Naruto observed a box, camouflaged as a rock, inching towards him in a worm-like fashion. His eye twitched in disbelief. "A fake rock? What the hell..." The rock stopped two feet behind him. As Naruto walked and paused, the rock maintained its distance. When Naruto quickened his pace to a jog, the rock labored to follow. Accelerating further, Naruto sprinted, and the rock hastened its pace. Coming to a halt, Naruto spun around to confront the rock, which failed to stop in time.

Hands on his hips, Naruto glared down at the rock, pointing at it accusingly. "That's the worst disguise I've ever seen! There's perfectly square rocks with eye holes that move."

"You saw through my camouflage, again! You're slick, boss, just as I'd expect from my greatest rival!" The rock began to glow a bright, sun-like yellow and literally exploded. Naruto leaped back in response.

Yellow smoke poured from the rock, followed by an explosion that unleashed purple smoke, and then another with pink smoke. Amidst the smoke, Naruto heard choking and coughing sounds. As the smoke dissipated, he saw Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi. Naruto blinked in confusion.

"I think we used a little too much gunpowder, guys," Konohamaru remarked. They opened their eyes, saw Naruto towering over them, and froze. Naruto and the kids stared at eachother until they jumped into action.

"I'm Moegi, the sassiest kunoichi in preschool!" she declared, springing up with a dramatic flourish to the right.

"Algebra's my jam! Call me Udon!" he announced, striking a contrasting pose to the left, oblivious to the snot bubble making its own escape.

"And I'm the number one ninja in the village, Konohamaru!" he boasted, standing center stage. "And when we're all together,"

"We're the Konohamaru Ninja Squad!" they exclaimed together, their voices echoing with pint-sized might.

"Yeah, I know. How are you guys here though?"

"We're here on an official business!" exclaimed Konohamari

"Yeah! That's right! We came here for an exclusive interview!" Moegi added.

"Uha! Uha!" Udon nodded in agreement.

"We're here on an assignment to write an article for the academy newspaper. It's a big-time feature story all about the Chunin's election examination!" explained Konohamaru

"So that's why we wanted an exclusive interview with you. Please do it!" requested Moegi.

"It would mean a lot!" added Udon, snorting to stop his leaking snot.

"Yeah, but right now?" Naruto thought aloud.

"Hey! You over there!" Anko shouted, Naruto looked as she walked over. "What are you doin? You're holdin up the exams."

"Do you know of an 'Academy Newspaper'?" asked Naruto.

Anko gasped in surprise. "Oh, Yeah." she scratched the back of her head. "I forgot all about it, Lord Hokage had mentioned something about them interviewing me." She turned to face everybody.

"Interviewing you?" The kids shivered in fright.

"Alright, we're taking a ten-minute break, for those who are scheduled to be interviewed. Please be courteous and respectful to the reporters from the academy newspaper!" Anko shouted.

Naruto surveyed the Forest of Death, a place he had been close before. Reflecting on it, he realized he had encountered the purple lady before, not here but in another place. He shrugged off the memory; it didn't matter at all.

"This whole place really creeps me out," said Sakura.

"It should." Anko somehow heard her. "Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all." She pulled a stack of papers out of her trench coat. "It's just a standard consent form. "Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form, then sign it."

"What for?" Someone asked.

"Some of you may not come back from this test. Unfortunately, I have to get your consent to that risk, otherwise it would be my responsibility!" She chuckled.

"She's crazy!"

"What the hell?!"

"I don't want to be a Chūnin anymore..."

"Now, I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here," She gave Naruto a slip of papers. "Pass these out. The first thing you need to know is that this test will tax every one of your survival skills."

'Survival, what a drag.'

"First, let me describe the terrain of the practice field. The forty-fourth battlefield training zone features 44 locked entrance gates. Inside, you'll find rivers and a forest, and at the center, a locked tower situated ten kilometers from each gate. It is within this confined area that the survival test will take place. The test consists of an anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls."

At gate 16, Team Kurenai was ready to go. "Yahoo! We're the best at survival; defeat is not in our vocabulary! Stay strong, Hinata!"

Near gate 7, Team Asuma was gearing up. "This test might be deadly, such a drag. But we have to do it, so let's track down Naruto first," Shikamaru stated.

"Potato chips, check. Three-layer cake, check. Honeybun, check."

At gate 12, Team Kakashi waited in focused silence for the gates to open.

At gate 20, a trio of sound ninja assembled. "Heh, it's time to execute our mission," the bandaged one announced, his eye and ear the only visible features.

Kabuto and his teammates took their positions at gate 38.

At gate 6, the sand ninja stood. Kankuro grumbled internally, 'Not only must I handle these other team punks, but there's Gaara, who might kill me.' The blonde girl seemed equally displeased.

At gate 15, an unsightly grass ninja said, "We'll go after the rookies, they're sitting ducks."

"We'll snatch their scroll in no time," added a woman with a straw hat, grass headband, and flowing hair. "No rules, right?"

At gate 23 stood a trio, slightly older than the rookies, hailing from Iwagakure. Their focus was the blonde boy.

At gate 41, Lee was mentally pumping himself up. 'Gai-Sensei! I'll make you proud. Just you watch! My name, Rock Lee, will be known by all!'

Neji simply smirked, confident in his status as the top genin.

Team Seven observed as gate 12 was unlocked, the guard still blocking the way. The clock hit 2:30. "Alright! Attention, maggots! The second phase of the test starts now!"

"You know who we're after," the Long-Haired Lady stated.

"Yeah."

"We only have one target, Sasuke Uchiha." declared the bandaged sound ninja, leaping from tree to tree.

Ino and Shikamaru peeked from behind their trees. Shikamaru surveyed the surroundings, saw nothing, and began to walk, with Ino following. "Are you serious? What are you doing?" Ino asked in disbelief.

Choji sat on the ground, cross-legged, opening a bag of chips with a smile. "I'm just snacking. I need to keep my strength up, right?" He took a handful and started eating.

"It's been like three minutes," Ino pointed out.

"Let's go, Choji, there's work to be done," Shikamaru urged.

Choji stood up and turned his back to his teammates, still eating. "I can't resist; I have to eat. These are my favorite," he explained.

Shikamaru and Ino watched Choji's back. "Snacks can wait; this is a survival exercise, remember? You should've packed more kunai instead of sweets," Ino reprimanded.

All of a sudden, Shikamaru became alert. "Guys, quick, hide!" he whispered with urgency. Ino leaped into a bush, and Shikamaru followed, pulling Choji by his scarf.

Three ninjas landed next to the bush, scanning their surroundings. Shikamaru watched from behind the foliage, cursing silently at the sight of potato chips scattered on the ground. One ninja gestured towards the northeast, and with a nod from the others, they all took off. Ino let out a sigh of relief. 'Aw man, five more days of this,' Shikamaru thought to himself.

Perched in the trees, three Amegakure ninjas signaled a halt, observing another group below. "We'll set a trap by the tower; they're all heading there. We can snatch the scrolls from anyone we catch," Kiba proposed. His dog growled, and Kiba tensed. "Ah, enemies already," he declared confidently.

"Those fools are so exposed, it's like they want to be captured," the first boy sneered.

"They're aware of us but too inept to locate us," noted the second boy.

"What's the matter?" inquired the third boy, seeing the first boy's ashen face. "Something's moving in your shirt?" A squelching noise followed his words.

A large, slug-like creature burst from the boy's shirt, latched onto his neck, blood trickling down as he fell. "Horrible! What is that?" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, similar creatures began to fall like rain. One latched onto the third boy's face, and two clung to the second boy's shoulders.

"Leeches," Kiba noted, eyeing one pierced by a shuriken on the ground, oozing blood. "Attracted to warmth and perspiration, they swarm and attack. Five minutes of their feeding, and you're dead. They're cunning predators, using their instincts to hunt our foes."

"Get them off!" The boys were now on the ground, swarmed by leeches. Then, a trap sprung, hoisting them into the air in a giant net, doomed to a grim end alongside the leeches.

"One team down." Kiba smirked.

Anko smirked as the agonizing screams found her ears. "Sound like the fun has begun!" She said enthusiastically.

Team Seven turned around as they heard screams of horror. "That... sounded like someone screaming." said Sakura. "I do not like this place."

"I'm going to use the bathroom." Naruto said, he was already walking away.

"You should've stayed in your pathetic stone village." Naruto spoke.

"You won't disrespect my village and get away with it." said the girl.

Naruto peered closer and recognized her. "Ah, of course. Old Ōnoki's granddaughter," he chuckled. "The old man sends his ninja to meet the same fate as he did in the third war, how fitting." Her fists tightened in anger. "Go tell your granddad to stop croaking; it's been twenty years," Naruto said with a smile as she formed handseals.

Naruto dodged as a rock spike erupted from the ground, with more spikes trailing him. He observed Kurotsuchi standing motionless, maintaining her handseal. As Naruto charged at her, she released the seal and raised her guard. Naruto swung at her face, which she deflected and countered. Naruto blocked and retaliated, but she evaded and struck Naruto's stomach, making him cough up blood. Naruto seized her hand and struck her with it. She retreated and quickly formed hand seals, then stomped the ground, causing a sword-shaped rock to emerge, which she grabbed and brandished.

Naruto drew his katana and took stance. He dashed toward her, and she was shocked as he suddenly appeared before her. Naruto's blade came down in a swift arc; she narrowly evaded, yet a sharp wince betrayed the deep gash left on her left cheek, from which blood began to seep.

'How?!' she yelled mentally, she observed Naruto's sword and saw blue chakra faintly surrounding it.

Naruto charged at her; katana poised for a strike. She countered swiftly, her fist backed by an encasing of solid rock, deflecting the sword and creating an opening. Her punch, though slower than normal, was aimed at Naruto. He agilely leapt onto her stony hand and delivered a kick to her face, propelling her into a tree. The impact of her rock-encased fist against the tree resounded through the air.

"Born from stone, yet your earth jutsu drains too much chakra. We may share a lineage with the Kage, but as long as yours are alive, your power is nothing compared to mine," Naruto declared.

"Don't be arrogant," Kurotsuchi cautioned.

Naruto just smiled and nodded. "That was pretty arrogant." He admitted. Kurotsuchi smirked; she could have taken a liking to the boy if he wasn't of Konohagakure's Ninja Forces. She didn't care much for avenging the Fourth's deeds—the boy was blameless—but orders were orders.

Kurotsuchi executed four handseals and took a deep breath. "Lava Release: Ash Stone Seal Technique." A billowing cloud of ash burst from her mouth, heading straight for Naruto. He dodged with ease, only to find his ankles ensnared by the sticky black substance she had fired.

"Fine, you've caught me. What now? You can't move without ending the jutsu," Naruto taunted.

"You'd be dead even if you tried," a voice said from behind Kurotsuchi. She turned to see two figures.

"We've been discovered," Naruto observed. "Didn't you think my team would find us? Let me go, and you can leave with your life," he proposed.

With a sigh, Kurotsuchi let the ash dissipate. "You win. You had the chance to attack me with a weapon or a ninjutsu while I was casting, but you didn't."

"You're not here to kill," Naruto noted. "You're already a Chūnin." Kurotsuchi responded with a smile.

"You'll see my face again, Naruto Namikaze." She puffed into smoke, dropping her transformation and revealing her true age, a few years older than Naruto, Kurotsuchi smiled and waved before disappearing in a gust of stone dust.

"Her teammates had the same scroll as us, an Earth Scroll. We didn't kill them," Sasuke stated.

Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to explain?" Sakura pressed.

"I am the son of the late Fourth Hokage. It was supposed to be a secret so that incidents like what just occurred would not happen. However, it doesn't matter because I look just like em', it should be obvious to anyone who has seen him," Naruto clarified.

Sakura blinked in confusion. "Huh?" An image of the Fourth Hokage popped into her head, then he looked at Naruto. Sakura went stiff and fell over comically.

Team Seven was resting when suddenly, Naruto received a cut across the cheek from an unseen force. They turned towards the source of the attack as a rumbling sound filled the air. "Put your guard up!" Naruto yelled. Moments later, a massive wave of wind burst from the trees, striking them with the force of an explosion's shockwave.

As the smoke dissipated, a team of grass ninjas was revealed. "Alright, you two spread out into the woods and stay alert," commanded the long-haired grass ninja. "I'll handle this alone..." She stood in front of a trail of craters that stretched deep into the forest.

Hidden near the crater trail, Sasuke took cover under a bush. Sensing a presence, he whirled around. "Sakura!" he exclaimed.

"Sasuke, what was that?" she asked, moving closer.

Sasuke brandished his kunai. "Stop. Answer the question first," he commanded.

"Ah! Uhm... 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," she recited. Sasuke relaxed and put away his kunai.

"Good."

Sasuke and Sakura looked in the direction of footsteps, Naruto was running towards them. "Hey! Are you guys alright!"

"Don't come any closer!" demanded Sakura, Naruto stopped in his tracks. "What's the password.

"Sure. No problem! 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." recited Naruto.

Sakura sighed in relaxation and Sasuke smirked. Sasuke hurled his kunai at Naruto, who looked surprised and jumped away and fell on the floor. "What was that, you coulda killed me!"

"He got that password right, word for word!" shouted Sakura.

"I get it. His way of speaking isn't like Naruto's. Naruto would've blurted out 'what the hell's your problem'. His running style is off too, and the real Naruto would've approached us cautiously, weapons ready, in case we were the impostors," Sasuke pointed out.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense," she said, reflecting on her knowledge of Naruto since their days as genin.

Naruto's surprised expression shifted into an uncharacteristic smirk. "Aren't we the clever one," a woman's voice said through Naruto's form. With a large puff, Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke, revealing a tall woman in its wake. She is clad in a long, beige, high-collared robe, paired with dark, loose pants and a dark sash cinched around her waist. Her long, black hair cascades down her back.

The woman grasped her straw hat and gazed at Sasuke with an ominous air. "I'm impressed. You certainly haven't let your guard down, have you? This promises to be very entertaining," she said, elongating the 's' sounds as she spoke. She licked her lips with a long skinny tongue.

Sakura shivered in disgust. "She gives new meaning to the word creepy. Where is Naruto?"

Naruto stood in a clearing, attuned to his surroundings. He knew the enemy possessed wind release, yet it was used in an unprecedented manner. His own Wind Release: Great Breakthrough paled in comparison, despite having one of the largest chakra reserves in the village. Clearly, this adversary was beyond a mere Genin.

As a shadow loomed over him, Naruto's gaze snapped backward. A massive snake with malevolent eyes was inching closer. Patiently, Naruto waited. Suddenly, the snake lunged, its head plummeting towards him, but Naruto dodged swiftly.

The snake's tail coiled around Naruto, trapping him. 'Shit. I can't move,' he thought, cursing internally. The serpent swallowed him whole, and he disappeared inside it. But the creature quickly stopped, contorting with disturbing squelches. Suddenly, a katana burst through its neck, and Naruto broke free. He anchored his feet against a tree, propelling himself towards the snake, katana in hand. He struck its right eye, crushed the left underfoot, then withdrew his blade and soared upwards. Blue chakra enveloped his katana as he spun, severing the snake's head in a single, clean stroke. It thudded to the ground, spewing vile green acid. Naruto sheathed his katana and set out to find his team, covered in blood head to toe.

The woman extracted a scroll from her pouch, observing Sakura's reactions intently. "Ahhhhh. You'd love to get your hands on this Earth scroll, wouldn't you?" She lifted it to her face for a closer look. "It would complement your Heaven scroll so well..." Her long tongue emerged, licking her lips, before she raised the scroll to her face, coiled her tongue around it, and pushed it into her mouth, swallowing the Earth scroll whole. Sakura gasped in horror as a loud gulping sound echoed through the clearing.

"Well, when this is over, one of us will possess both scrolls," she said, licking her lips again. "And the other will be dead."

Sasuke and Sakura stiffened, their eyes widening in shock. They watched as two kunai sliced through the air, embedding themselves in the middle of their foreheads. The vision dissipated, and everything returned to normal. Frozen, they stared into the sky, their bodies going limp, nearly collapsing. Sasuke regained his composure, remaining on his feet with eyes wide and breaths heavy. He had witnessed his own death, yet he was alive.

'Is this an illusion?' he wondered internally. Sasuke's cheeks ballooned as he dropped to his hands and knees, vomiting onto the ground, while Sakura sat motionless. The snake-like woman observed them, still and expectant. 'No, it's more than that. Her intent to kill is nearly tangible. Gazing into her eyes, I witnessed the moment of my own demise,' Sasuke pondered, trembling as sweat cascaded down his face. "Who is she? What is she?!"

"Sakura?" he called out, turning to his unmoving teammate. She began to shake, tears spattering the earth. Her expression was one of terror. 'No use,' Sasuke realized, 'She's got it worse than me. We've got to get out of here... get away from her...' His gaze met her malevolent, serpentine eyes. 'She's death!'

The woman laughed sinisterly. "You're paralyzed in fear!"

Sasuke groaned in his mind. 'What's wrong with me. Move... Move... Move, Sasuke, Move!' Sasuke shakily reached for his pouch and pulled a kunai out slowly. Sasuke moved his hand on the floor and slowly stood up. Sasuke held eye contact with the woman the whole time he stood up. 'Even if it's just a little, move!'

The woman's face changed. "Very good... now what?"

'It's no use! I can't move!' Sasuke shouted mentally as he stood with his kunai.

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." The woman spoke as she approached them at a slow pace, drawing two kunai with her left hand. "But I don't have to tell you that, do I? You've seen it with your own eyes." Sasuke shivered, rooted to the spot as she approached. Lifting her left hand, she poised to launch the kunai. "I expected you to be more of a challenge. How disappointing." She flicked her wrist and launched the kunai.

The kunai flew towards Sasuke. The woman's expression turned into a frown when her kunai lodged into a tree behind the young ninja. Sasuke, activating his Sharingan, seized Sakura and leaped into the trees just as the woman hurled another pair of kunai in their direction. "He overcame his paralysis by stabbing himself... so, this prey is not so helpless after all.

Sakura and Sasuke sat atop a tree. Sakura watched as Sasuke ripped the kunai from his leg. "That wound is deep! Will you be alrigh-?" Sasuke covered Sakura's mouth and looked behind him in fear.

'I've never seen Sasuke like this... He's got me scared,' Sakura thought. A shadow loomed over them; she looked up to see a giant snake. She tried to warn Sasuke but found herself speechless. Ripping Sasuke's hand from her mouth, she shouted urgently, "Sasuke, watch out!"

Sasuke turned and saw the snake poised to attack. He leapt left, Sakura right, as the snake's fangs sank into the tree trunk. 'I didn't even notice, I'm losing it!' Sasuke chastised himself mentally.

From her position, Sakura observed the snake encircle a large tree and ascend. The snake spiraled to the top and lunged at Sasuke, who was still in mid-air, immobilized. Sasuke grunted, "No! Stay away!" He snatched shuriken and hurled them at the snake with all his might. The snake recoiled, clamping its mouth shut as the shuriken pierced the back of its throat. It hissed in agony and went limp, its head resting against a tree, blood seeping rapidly and staining the bark.

Sasuke, panting heavily, crouched on a branch. His eyes widened at the sight of the dead snake's skin cracking at a specific point. As the skin split, making a squelching sound, a voice emerged, "I sense your fear and desperation..." Sasuke's two tomoe eyes widened further as a woman emerged from the snake's carcass. "It's only natural... The prey must never lower its guard, not even for a moment." She raised her gaze, meeting Sasuke's eyes while drenched in snake slime. "In the presence of its predator," she proclaimed, flicking her tongue and bursting into raucous laughter. Her torso shot out from the snake, while her lower half stayed put; her body seemed to stretch as she hurtled towards a tree, scaling it as the snake had, wrapping around it.

The snake woman surged towards Sasuke; her ascent interrupted by a barrage of shuriken embedding into the tree above her. Sakura's eyes widened in alarm and Sasuke's head snapped towards the sky. "Naruto! You don't know what you're coming into, just go!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto looked down at Sasuke.

"You knew I wouldn't listen."

Sasuke sighed. "Stubbornness won't help right now, this thing is not on our level."

"Do you remember when Kakashi got trapped in the bubble, what did you say." Something in Sasuke's eyes clicked. Naruto jumped down and landed beside Sasuke. "We'll die regardless if this thing is as strong as you say."

Three Chunin Exam proctors were present, one crouched among them. "We have three bodies here," one of them declared.

"It seems to be some kind of Ninjutsu," another suggested.

"Whatever it is, we've got trouble on our hands."

"Hm."

"Everything was going so well..." He scratched his head, thinking, 'What a hassle.'

"We need to report this. Find Anko."

"Ah, nothing complements dango quite like sweet red bean soup!" Anko mused to herself, sitting in one of the booths she had used earlier for collecting information slips. She sipped from her can and then happily munched on her dango. "Looks like it's about that time! I'll check on the kids once I'm done with my snack. The faster ones should be finishing up. I guess I'll just hang back and meet them at the tower." With a flick, she sent her dango stick flying to join the 32 others in the nearby tree.

She observed as the floor before her burst into smoke, which cleared to unveil a proctor. "We have a problem, Ms. Anko!"

"Hm?" Anko inquired, swinging her feet. "What kind of problem?"

"Corpses, ma'am! Three of them!"

Anko groaned. "I'm trying to eat here," she complained.

"I believe you'll want to see them; there's something odd about them."

Anko gulped down her food with a noticeable sound. "Besides being dead?

"I went through their belongings, found their identification, ninja from the hidden grass village, all three of them were registered for the exams. They weren't just killed."

"Their faces.." Anko's fist clenched.

"There's nothing where their faces used to be like they melted or something. "

Anko spotted a purple sash around the waist of the corpse. "This is his jutsu. Why is he here. What's he doing at the Chunin Exams?" She grabbed the back of her neck. She turned around, becoming serious. "I need three photos of what these three used to look like! Where are their IDs!"

"Right here." A proctor handed her a stack of three pictures. At the top was a woman with a grass forehead protector tied around her forehead, she had long black hair.

'So, this is the face he stole.' Anko thought. She turned around and faced the three proctors. "We've got big trouble. Get moving, tell Lord Hokage exactly what's happened here. Get to anbu black ops while you're at it. Go!"

"Right." The three proctors vanished.

'He's come. He's here in Konoha.'

Naruto engaged the woman in hand-to-hand combat. He dodged several punches and countered with a flying knee, but the woman leaned back, grabbed his leg, spun around, and hurled him toward a tree. Naruto managed to plant his feet on the tree, standing upright. Sasuke charged at Naruto, who then flung Sasuke toward the woman.

She blocked Sasuke's kick, but he rebounded off her guard with a backflip, landed, and threw a right hook at her face. She parried the blow, and as Sasuke followed with a roundhouse kick, she retreated with a jump. Naruto, now behind her, harshly drove his foot into her back. Sasuke seized her and thrust her toward Naruto, who unleashed a barrage of punches on her back. Sasuke delivered an uppercut, and Naruto, seizing the back of her head, smashed it into his knee.

Naruto swung his katana from left to right, aiming to decapitate the woman. She swiftly caught the blade, flung it into the forest, then hoisted Naruto into the air, her hands glowing blue. As fatigue set in for Naruto, Sasuke hurled a kunai towards her head. She dodged it while still holding Naruto aloft. Sasuke then materialized behind her, compelling her to release Naruto. She retreated and perched on a tree branch.

"Intriguing... you work well together," she hissed.

Naruto executed a series of hand signs, then slashed the air, sending a slicing air projectile at the woman, who deftly avoided it. Sasuke, leaping up, inhaled deeply and unleashed a massive fireball at her. The woman countered with a blast of wind, redirecting the fireball back at them. Naruto pushed Sasuke out of harm's way, but the fireball's speed was overwhelming.

"Naruto!" Sasuke and Sakura cried out.

"Oh... That's a shame, I expected more from him," the woman said as a massive explosion resounded through the forest. As the smoke began to clear, an inhuman figure stood before her, its red eyes with slit pupils piercing through the haze.

'That's not the Sharingan...' Sasuke thought.

The woman's eyes widened. "So, this is where the Kyuubi is sealed..." She rushed toward Naruto, hoisting him into the air. With his shirt ripped apart in the explosion, the seal was in plain sight. "This is the handiwork of your foolish Fourth Hokage," she sneered. Naruto swung at her head, but she ducked. He followed with an elbow aimed at her face, which she also dodged. Then, a knee to her chest made her release him and leap back. "More, yes, fight more. Show me your true strength," she hissed.

Naruto disappeared in a dark red blur, reappearing behind the woman. He grabbed her shirt, lifting her up, and punched through her back, his fist emerging on the other side. Her body dissolved into mud. Suddenly unable to feel his body, Naruto went limp, held in place by a tongue that swung through the air. The woman charged, her fingers ablaze with purple fire, and slammed her hand into Naruto's stomach, eliciting a scream of agony from him.

Sasuke and Sakura could only watch as steam rose from her attack on Naruto, his screams ceasing as he became immobilized. Both Sasuke and Sakura stood petrified. Naruto's eyes, once red, trembled and reverted to blue before he collapsed. The woman rifled through Naruto's pouch, seizing his earth scroll. With a flick of her tongue, she hurled Naruto's body towards a tree, sending him on a trajectory that would surely lead to his death.

A pink streak darted through the air, catching Naruto mid-flight and alighting upon a tree branch. Sakura, with Naruto in tow, settled on the branch and propped him against it. "Naruto," she uttered. There was no response; his pulse was faint, yet he was alive.

"Sasuke! What's wrong with you?!" She shouted at the frozen boy. 'Sasuke?' she thought.

"If you aim to destroy me, let your hatred boil, abhor me, and live in disgrace. Run, Run away and cling to your pathetic life. Use your animosity, then... you can find me." His voice echoed throughout Sasuke's mind.

"No!" Sasuke shouted, his sharingan blazing.

"Hm, it's finally happened. His Uchiha blood has come to a boil," thought the snake. "I think I'll toy with him a bit and discover the full extent of his powers." The woman smiled, her inner laughter echoing.

Sasuke swiftly drew a kunai with his right hand. 'My sole focus was survival, to defeat my brother. How foolish I was, the truth is clear to me now. Naruto, Sakura, if I lack the courage to confront this demon, how will I ever have the strength to face him?' Sasuke pondered, a kunai clenched between his teeth.

Sasuke dashed towards the woman, he leapt from his tree, the woman sent a shockwaves of air but Sasuke was not coming towards her. Sasuke went into the trees above her. Sasuke sent a barrage of kunai which she easily dodged. Sasuke planted his feet on a tree and jumped off of it, whizzing through the air.

Sasuke aimed a kick at the woman's face, which she blocked with her forearm. He then attempted a stomp with his other foot, but she blocked that as well. Sasuke flipped over her, and as she launched a mid-air kick at him, he dodged by tilting his head. Landing, Sasuke executed a backflip to create distance. The woman charged at Sasuke, moving in a blur. Sasuke charged back towards her.

He aimed another kick at her face, which she blocked, prompting him to jump off her arm. She tried to sweep his feet, but he jumped over the attempt. She threw a punch at his face, which he dodged, and when Sasuke punched at her stomach, she retreated with a jump. She rushed back in with a kick, which Sasuke evaded. Sasuke raised his foot and slammed it down towards her, but she sidestepped. She aimed a punch at Sasuke's face; he blocked it once, then again, before Sasuke retaliated with a swift roundhouse kick, causing her to leap high into the air.

She appeared behind Sasuke, but as he turned, she disappeared. Darting through the forest, she left a wake of dust and imprints on the trees from her swift passage. Sasuke's eyes finally caught her; her lower body elongated once more. She descended upon Sasuke, who narrowly evaded her attack. "I can see!" he exclaimed. Launching a fireball at the serpentine woman, she flailed like a wounded bird. He hurled another. As she was encircled by a whirlwind of fire, she shielded herself. The flames dissipated into smoke abruptly. A silhouette burst from the smoky veil, trailing wisps in their wake. She lunged for Sasuke, but he backflipped away, landing firmly. His gaze fixed on her intently.

'You're good... You predict my moves, and your aim is true... You can see my moves, can't you?' the Snake thought to himself.

Anko swiftly leaped among the trees, seizing a branch to spin acrobatically before alighting upon it. 'Sun's going down... I gotta find him soon. My odds are bad enough as it is, and will only get worse in the dark, but why, now. What the fuck could he be after? No matter, he's here, time to finish this.

The snake woman slammed her hands on her branch, sending a wave of wind at Sasuke, who was moving. Sasuke planted his feet on a branch and stood upside down, then he jumped from it and blurred towards the woman, catching her off guard. Sasuke grabbed her and locked his hands around her stomach and fell off the branch.

The woman screamed as Sasuke executed a belly-to-back suplex. As they plummeted towards the ground, a large tree branch intervened. Her head collided with the tree trunk, sending dust flying and causing the tree to tremble. Her hands quivered violently, and her body became rigid. Sasuke dismounted from her now limp body, which began to contort strangely before dissolving into mud. Sasuke dodged a flurry of incoming projectiles, recognizing them as kunai while he backflipped from the tree. Extracting wires, he swung from a branch, circling the tree, and conveniently landed on the same branch she had occupied.

The woman charged at Sasuke, delivering a punch to his face and two to his stomach. As Sasuke shielded his face, she drove her knee into his guard, then landed a final punch that sent him spiraling. Sasuke found himself on the same branch again, under the woman's intense gaze.

Sakura observed cautiously as the woman neared. "What a disappointment you've become," the woman said to Sasuke. "Your ancestors weep; the Uchiha clan would thank me for ending you. Foolish little worm," she taunted. Sasuke's eyes remained closed, signaling his unconscious state.

A hiss permeated the area as the woman grunted loudly. Something on her back exploded, causing her to fall to one knee beside Sasuke. Sasuke awoke and flipped away from her, sending shuriken attached to wires. They didn't hit her but encircled her instead. Sasuke landed on a tree, holding the wires in his hands and some in his mouth, then yanked them taut.

"The Sharingan Triple Windmill Attack!" she exclaimed.

The shuriken buzzed through the trees, slicing bark. Wires laid in front of her, pinning her against the tree, entangling every part of her body. She grunted as the impact slammed her into the tree.

Sasuke swiftly formed hand signs. "Flame Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Flames erupted from Sasuke, coursing towards the wires he had attached to the tree. The ferocious flames followed the wire's path and engulfed the woman. The woman's agonizing screams rung out through the forest as she burnt alive.

"He did it..." Sakura smiled from her tree.

Sasuke observed as the tree behind the woman nearly vanished. She lay limp, tethered to the tree by wires. The wires snapped, and the woman effortlessly broke free, her body bearing burn marks, her face disfigured. She seemed like an undying corpse. With a hand sign, Sasuke found himself immobilized. "N-No... Impossible!" he gasped.

The woman's voice began, "Such mastery of the Sharingan at such a young-"

Suddenly, her voice morphed into someone else's. "-age. You're indeed a true Uchiha. Yes... You're perfect. You're certainly his brother. Perhaps your eyes are even sharper than Itachi's."

"Who are you? What do you want?!" Sasuke yelled.

The figure brandished a heaven scroll, engulfed in green flames. "I am Orochimaru... but my desires will remain a mystery until our next encounter. That won't be until you top this test with the highest score." She continued, "First, you must overcome the hidden sound ninja loyal to me—"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you finished why don't you just go away! If we never meet again, It'll be too soon!"

"Oh... He and I will meet again..." Orochimaru formed a hand sign, and his neck stretched out as his head soared through the air. His head darted towards Sasuke, opened its jaws, and sank its teeth into the left side of his neck. He lingered for a moment before withdrawing back to his body.

Three black tomoe materialized on the back of Sasuke's neck. He clutched it, groaning in agony. Sakura, carrying Naruto's body, leaped down to Sasuke as he collapsed, writhing in pain. "You, what have you done to Sasuke?!"

"I merely left him a parting gift. Soon, Sasuke will seek me out, craving my power. Meanwhile, I appreciate the showcase of your existing abilities," he said, blending into the tree he was perched on, his laughter echoing as he disappeared.

Orochimaru emerged from one tree and seamlessly blended into another, his head barely visible as if he were dozing. Spotting Anko's gaze, he grinned and let out a chuckle. "Ah, Anko, it has indeed been some time."

"Now's not the moment for nostalgia; you're an S-Class criminal, at the very top of the most wanted list. It's my duty to bring you down, and fittingly so, since you were the one who taught me everything, isn't that right, Sensei?" Anko declared, her fingers deftly positioned between the handles of her throwing knives.

"Hardly," retorted Orochimaru, his cheeks swelling before his tongue lashed out towards Anko. She dodged swiftly, landing on a tree, but not before Orochimaru's tongue coiled around her wrist, disarming her of the knives. With a forceful tug, he pulled, yet Anko managed to land on her feet.

"Striking Shadow Snake!" Anko thought, as four snakes sprang from the collar of her free hand's shirt. The green snakes slammed into Orochimaru's tree, and with a yank of her wrists, Orochimaru was pulled from his perch by the snakes. Anko slammed him against the tree behind her and withdrew the snakes. She pressed his hand against the tree and drove a kunai through both their hands. "Now, let me borrow your left hand," Anko said. Forming a hand sign with Orochimaru's hand, she declared, "You and I are going to die here." She closed her eyes. 'Ninja Art: Twin Snakes Sacrifice Jutsu!'

Orochimaru chuckled. "I'm afraid you'll die alone, Anko." He rose from the tree behind her, shedding the fake face to reveal the true Orochimaru as moonlight bathed him. "Substitution," he declared. Anko's head whipped back to the Orochimaru she had grasped, who now dissolved into mud. "Of course... You're one of the elite now, a righteous warrior. How naughty of you to use a forbidden jutsu." Orochimaru advanced towards Anko as she yanked the kunai from her hand and flung it at his face. Orochimaru caught the blade between his fingers with ease. "It won't work, Anko."

Orochimaru formed a handseal, causing Anko to gasp, then wince and groan in agony. As Orochimaru approached the standing Anko, she growled, "Why are you here?!"

"I'm disappointed. I was expecting a warm welcome after all this time."

"Don't tell me you've come to assassinate the Lord Hokage."

Orochimaru shook his head. "No, not yet. I don't have enough followers for that. But I've heard such great things about this village, I wanted to claim it as my own." Anko collapsed to her knees, clutching her neck. "It's your mark, isn't it? I placed the same curse mark on a man recently. He's quite a promising candidate."

"Always so selfish. That kid will die."

"Quite likely. The odds are one in ten against him, but he may survive, just as you did."

"You really want him, don't you?"

"Jealous, are you?" Orochimaru placed his hand on Anko's left cheek. "You can't forgive me, can you, for using you and then discarding you. In some ways, the boy has even more potential than you did. After all, he has inherited the Uchiha clan's sublime abilities." He chuckled. "And his physical condition is outstanding. Indeed, he might be the heir I'm searching for. At the very least, he adds excitement." Orochimaru stood up. "No matter what, ensure the exams aren't stopped prematurely." Turning away, Orochimaru said, "Three of my followers are also participating. I'm eager to see how they perform." He then vanished into a cloud of purple dust. "Remember this, if anything disrupts my entertainment, the Leaf Village will pay."

Orochimaru vanished, leaving his words echoing in Anko's mind as she suffered.

Tenten rested against her tree, sipping from her canteen. "Enough rest," Neji declared. "Other teams will be stopping soon, and that's our cue to move. We'll spread out; regardless of whether we encounter another team, we regroup here." He punctuated his command by embedding his kunai into the ground. "Understood?"

"No problem," Tenten exhaled.

"Roger that!" Lee exclaimed.

The trio of ninjas rose and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The bandaged Sound Ninja chuckled, locking his gaze on the target. "Gotcha. Just like Orochimaru said, we hit them at dawn. Keep in mind, our main target is the Uchiha."

"And if the other two interfere, we're clear to deal with them, right?" inquired the spiky-haired Sound Ninja, his hair reaching for the sky.

"Of course."