Chapter 10: The Seal and the Sound: Forest of Death Part II

The forest was still, its eerie silence broken only by the crackle of a distant breeze. Team Seven had taken refuge in a small clearing, Sasuke lying unconscious against a tree, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Sakura sat beside him, a damp cloth in her hand as she dabbed at his feverish forehead.

Naruto paced nearby, his arms crossed and his face set in a frown. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his chest, where Orochimaru had struck him. His chakra had been erratic all morning, fluctuating between surges of energy and moments of sluggishness.

"Stop pacing," Sakura muttered without looking up. "You're making me nervous."

Naruto paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't help it. Something's... off."

Sakura glanced at him, her eyes narrowing. "What's that?" she asked suddenly, her gaze fixed on the faint markings peeking out from under Naruto's shirt.

Naruto flinched, instinctively pulling his shirt back down. "Nothing!" he said quickly, turning away.

Sakura frowned, setting the cloth down and standing up. "Naruto, let me see."

"No way!" Naruto replied, zipping his jacket up hurriedly. He couldn't let Sakura see the seal. She didn't know about the Nine-Tails. She couldn't know.

Sakura crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin. "Naruto, I already saw it. Just let me look. I saw Orochimaru do something to you, remember? What if I can help?"

Naruto hesitated, his mind racing. He didn't want her to know, but... if Orochimaru had altered the seal, maybe she could help. Slowly, he unzipped his jacket and pulled up his shirt, revealing the intricate seal etched onto his stomach.

Sakura stepped closer, her sharp eyes studying the markings. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the edges of the seal. "This... this is Fuinjutsu," she said softly. "A complicated piece of it, too."

Naruto tensed under her touch, his heart pounding. "What does it mean?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Sakura traced the patterns carefully, her delicate hand trailing over the outer edges. Her fingers paused as she noticed a faint discoloration—a newer, cruder addition to the seal. "Orochimaru did this," she said, her voice filled with certainty. "This five-pronged seal here—it's not part of the original. It's disrupting the flow of chakra."

Naruto stared at her, his blue eyes wide. "You can tell that just by looking at it?"

Sakura nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she realized how close she was to him. She stepped back quickly, clearing her throat. "Sorry. But I think... I think I can fix it."

Naruto blinked, surprised. "You can?"

"I've been studying the scroll from the Second Hokage," Sakura explained, her confidence growing. "Releasing seals is much easier than creating them. I just need to remove Orochimaru's interference."

Naruto hesitated, his gaze meeting hers. For a moment, all his fears and doubts melted away as he saw the determination in her green eyes. "Sakura-chan, I... I trust you. Do it."

Sakura smiled, holding out her hand. Her fingers began to glow faintly with chakra as she focused on the seal. "Okay. This might feel a little weird, but it shouldn't hurt."

She placed her glowing hand over the five-pronged seal and whispered, "Five-Pronged Release!"

Naruto felt an immediate shift. The chaotic, volatile chakra that had been swirling within him suddenly calmed, returning to its usual steady rhythm. He took a deep breath, relief washing over him. "Sakura-chan... it worked! I feel normal again!"

Sakura grinned. "Good. I guess all that reading paid off."

Their brief moment of peace was shattered by the sound of rustling leaves and hurried footsteps. Sakura turned sharply, instinctively reaching for a kunai.

"Looks like we've got company," Naruto muttered, his fists clenching.

Three ninja emerged from the shadows, their headbands bearing the symbol of the Hidden Sound Village. They moved with predatory grace, their eyes locked on Team Seven.

"Well, well," the leader sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Looks like we found some easy pickings, prey licking their wounds."

Sakura stepped protectively in front of Sasuke, her kunai at the ready. "Naruto, we can't let them take our scrolls."

Naruto cracked his knuckles, his confidence returning with his stabilized chakra. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. They messed with the wrong team."

The Sound ninja wasted no time, launching their attack with ruthless precision. Naruto and Sakura braced themselves, knowing this fight would test everything they had.

The clearing in the Forest of Death erupted into chaos as Naruto and Sakura faced off against Zaku and Rin, two of the Sound Village genin. The third member of their team had slipped away, hunting for other targets, leaving Zaku and Rin confident that they could handle the two rookies.

Naruto cracked his knuckles, his usual grin plastered on his face. "You guys think you can take us just because there's two of you? Let's even the odds!"

Forming the cross-seal with his fingers, he shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke, dozens of Narutos materialized around the clearing, their confident smirks matching his. They surrounded the Sound ninja, cutting off all escape routes.

"Nice move." Sakura glanced at Naruto, a faint grin tugging at her lips.

Naruto shot her a quick look of appreciation. "Thanks, Sakura-chan. Couldn't have done it without you fixing my chakra."

Sakura readied her tools, her seal papers clutched in one hand and a kunai in the other. She'd set several traps earlier, hoping to gain the upper hand. As Zaku and Rin charged forward, Sakura triggered the traps, forcing the Sound ninja to leap and twist to avoid the hidden wires and explosive tags.

"Is that all you've got?" Zaku taunted, his voice full of bravado. He raised his arms, aiming his implanted air cannons. "Let me show you real power!"

A blast of compressed air tore through Naruto's clones, dispelling half of them instantly. The real Naruto and Sakura worked together seamlessly, evading the onslaught while counterattacking with precision. Naruto's clones provided cover, distracting the Sound ninja while Sakura maneuvered into position to throw her tagged kunai.

"You guys are better than I thought," Rin admitted, her tone grudging. She formed a series of hand seals, her chakra flaring. "But this ends now."

Naruto suddenly froze mid-step, his vision swimming. The forest around him blurred and twisted, and he felt a strange weight pressing on his mind.

"Genjutsu," he muttered, struggling to break free.

Rin smirked, her fingers still forming the last seal. "You Leaf ninja have such obvious weaknesses. Too bad you won't get to fix this one."

Naruto collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as he fought the illusion. "Sakura-chan... I... can't..."

Sakura turned, her eyes wide with panic. "Naruto!" She tried to reach him, but Zaku intercepted her with a powerful blast from his air cannons. The force sent her sprawling to the ground, her weapons scattering.

Zaku loomed over her, his expression dark. "You should've stayed down, little girl. Now you're gonna die."

Sakura gritted her teeth, trying to move, but the blast had left her dazed. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the end.

Suddenly, a dark, oppressive chakra filled the clearing, stopping Zaku in his tracks. Sakura's eyes snapped open, her gaze darting to Sasuke, who was slowly rising to his feet.

Sasuke's head hung low, his bangs shadowing his face. Black markings spread across his skin, pulsating with the sinister energy of the Curse Mark. When he finally looked up, his Sharingan burned with an intensity that sent chills down Sakura's spine.

"Sasuke?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Zaku smirked, clearly unimpressed. "So the pretty boy finally wakes up. What are you gonna do, huh?"

In an instant, Sasuke was behind him. Zaku barely had time to react before Sasuke grabbed his arm, twisting it with brutal precision. Zaku screamed as the sickening crepitus of breaking bones echoed through the clearing.

"You..." Sasuke said, his voice low and cold. "You dared to touch my teammates."

Rin tried to intervene, hurling a barrage of shuriken at Sasuke, but he dodged them effortlessly, his movements almost inhuman. He turned his cold gaze on her, and for a moment, she froze in fear.

"We're done here," Rin muttered, grabbing Zaku and retreating into the forest. Their confidence shattered, the Sound ninja fled, leaving Team Seven behind.

The oppressive chakra faded as Sasuke collapsed to his knees, clutching his neck where the Curse Mark had burned itself into his skin. Naruto finally broke free of the Genjutsu, groaning as he sat up.

"What... what happened?" he asked, rubbing his head.

Sakura rushed to Sasuke's side, her hands trembling as she checked his condition. "Sasuke, are you okay?"

Sasuke's breathing was ragged, his body shaking from the aftereffects of the Curse Mark. "I'm fine," he muttered, though his voice was strained.

Naruto stood, his gaze shifting between his teammates. He clenched his fists, the memory of Orochimaru's sinister smile flashing in his mind. "That power... it's because of him, isn't it? Orochimaru."

Sakura nodded, her face pale. "We need to get to the tower. We can't stay out here like this."

With their resolve renewed, Team Seven gathered their scrolls and helped Sasuke to his feet. The Forest of Death had tested them in ways they hadn't expected, but together, they had survived.

As they made their way toward the tower, the weight of what had happened lingered heavily in the air. The second phase of the Chūnin Exams was almost over, but the true challenges had only just begun.