In Bloom and in Battle

by Privation

After an untimely death, a woman awakens in a world she knows only from manga and anime—Naruto. Reborn as Kimiko Yuhi, the younger sister of Kurenai, she must navigate her new life in the Hidden Leaf Village, grappling with the disorientation of infancy and the reality of a ninja's world.

18. Chapter 18: Wildflower Chuunin Exam III

Chapter 18: Wildflower (Chuunin Exams Part II, Second Test)

The trek behind Anko was quiet. Tension hung in the air like a heavy fog. Her earlier warning—that half of them wouldn't make it past the second exam—had clearly done its job. The usual chatter from other teams had dwindled into whispers and wary glances.

Even Naruto and Sasuke were uncharacteristically silent. From what Kimiko could tell, it wasn't fear but focus. They were gearing up for what was to come. And honestly, so was she.

Her gaze lingered on the backs of the other teams ahead. She knew this next phase wouldn't be like the First Test. It wouldn't be about sitting still, staying quiet, or tricking proctors. No, this would be different. This time, they'd have to actively hunt down other teams. Fight them. Take from them. Win.

No automatic passes this time, she thought grimly. Their teamwork was strong, sure. They'd fought hard together. But survival tests like this required more than teamwork.

When they reached the front of the training grounds, Kimiko's pace slowed. Her eyes followed the line of the fence ahead, chain-linked fences lined with sharp spikes, as if to trap something inside rather than keep people out. Beyond it lay a twisting mess of ancient, mossy trees so large and dense that not even the sunlight could penetrate their canopy. Shadows hung thick between the trees like a fog.

The sight sent a chill down her spine. It wasn't just a forest. It was a labyrinth of shadows.

Anko turned to face them, one hand on her hip, the other hanging lazily by her side. Her grin was sharp, almost predatory. The wild energy around her was impossible to miss. She was enjoying this.

"This," Anko declared, her grin widening, her voice carrying just enough edge to hook everyone's attention, "is the arena for the second exam: Training Ground Forty-Four."

Her eyes scanned the crowd, watching their faces shift from curiosity to unease. Her grin widened even more.

"Also known…" she dragged out the pause, letting the moment breathe, her gaze flicking to them like a wolf sizing up prey, "…as the Forest of Death."

Right on cue, a sudden breeze rolled through the clearing. The hollow, eerie rustle of leaves echoed from the forest beyond the fence. It sounded like whispers.

"Forest… of Death?" someone muttered, their voice barely louder than a breath.

Kimiko narrowed her eyes at the forest, gaze moving slowly over the shapes of the gnarled trees. She didn't need to be told twice. She already knew. This wasn't just a forest. It was something more.

"Looks creepy," she said, her voice light but firm. Her eyes stayed on the trees, tracking every shadow that moved. "We ought to be on our guard."

"Smart," said Anko with a nod of approval. "You're about to find out firsthand why it's called the Forest of Death."

Her words hung heavy in the air, like the iron tang of blood.

Naruto huffed, pressing his fists to his hips. He swayed his hips from side to side, his grin wild and sharp. Mocking. Defiant.

"The Forest of Death, you'll soon realize why," he mimicked in a sing-song voice, his face twisted in mock terror. "Hah! That kinda threat won't work on me one bit." He jabbed a finger at Anko, grin wide and eyes fiery with confidence. "I'm not scared at all!"

Anko's eyes slid to him, and her grin softened into something much, much more dangerous.

"Oh?" she said softly. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "You've got a lot of energy, huh?"

Her hand flicked.

It was so fast that Kimiko barely saw it. The shine of steel, a streak of silver, and—

A kunai shot past Naruto's cheek. Barely a graze, but it left a sharp, shallow cut just beneath his cheekbone. A thin trail of red trickled down his cheek.

Kimiko's eyes darted to Anko. But Anko wasn't in front of him anymore.

She was behind him.

Her hand cupped his uninjured cheek, her breath ghosting across his skin. Her smile had returned, wide and sharp like a fresh wound. Her eyes glowed with something wild.

"Kids like you," she whispered, her voice low but clear, "are always the first to go."

Kimiko didn't move. Her eyes stayed locked on Anko, her body tense but still. It was a performance, a predator's display. A warning. But even knowing that, it didn't stop her muscles from coiling like springs. Her gaze flicked to Naruto. He was still, eyes wide with shock.

Anko tilted her head, letting her eyes flick to the blood on his cheek. Her eyes darkened. "Spilling all that rich, red, luscious blood…" she muttered, her voice trailing like a whisper on the wind. Her finger traced the blood on Naruto's cheek, slow and deliberate, before lifting it to her tongue.

Her smile widened.

Then Kimiko felt it.

It wasn't physical. It was something deeper. A pulse. A ripple.

Her heart skipped. It was faint, distant, like a predator's shadow far beyond her field of vision. But for a brief moment, she felt it.

There's something here.

Anko felt it too. Her eyes narrowed instantly. Her hand twitched, and another kunai dropped into her palm. Her head whipped around, eyes sharp, scanning.

There was a shift in the air. Not from Anko. Not from Naruto.

But from the figure standing just behind her.

Kimiko's eyes locked on them. A tall, androgynous figure with a Grass Village headband. Their straw hat tilted forward, hiding most of their face, but not enough to mask the eerie stillness in their posture.

Her heart thudded in her chest.

When did they get there?

The kunai Anko had thrown at Naruto was in their hand. No. It wasn't in their hand. It was wrapped in their tongue.

A long, slick, unnatural tongue slowly unfurled, letting the kunai slide free into the figure's hand. Their movements were slow, deliberate, and eerily calm. Too calm.

"Your kunai," the figure said softly, voice smooth and low. They leaned in, their face now mere inches from Anko's. "I believe you dropped it."

"Thanks," Anko replied, her grin tight and sharp. But Kimiko could see it now—the shift in her stance. The way her muscles tensed.

She's wondering how a genin snuck up on her.

"...But don't stand behind me radiating bloodlust," Anko murmured, her eyes narrowing into slits. Her grin was sharp, her voice low but laced with steel. "Unless you're ready to die."

Kimiko's breath caught in her throat. The realization hit her like a truck.

Her gaze snapped to the figure. Her eyes narrowed. Her heart stopped.

Her brain connected the dots. The slow, eerie movements. The slick, unnatural tongue. The Grass headband.

No. No, it can't be… Christ, did I forget that…

Her chest tightened. Her heart thudded like a drum in her ears. Her breath came slow, sharp, and shallow. She stared at the figure like she'd seen a ghost.

But it wasn't a ghost.

Her face twisted in horror. Her eyes widened with realization, her hands going cold.

Orochimaru.

Her fingers curled into fists. Her breathing came faster now, heartbeat thundering in her ears. She squeezed her hand into fists

He's here. He's really here.

Her eyes darted to Anko. Does she know?

No. Not yet. But Kimiko did. Her stomach churned with unease. This was the man. The one who concocted the entire plot to use Otogakure and Sunagakure to launch an attack on Konoha. In one month, this man would kill the Hokage.

And she couldn't do a single thing about it.

Her gaze flicked to Sasuke, standing just a few steps ahead, eyes focused and unaware. Her breath hitched in her chest.

This is it, isn't it? This is where it starts for him.

Her heart pounded against her ribs like a war drum. The weight of knowing the future pressed down on her like a boulder. She knew Orochimaru's goal. He wasn't just here for Konoha's destruction. He was here for Sasuke. Here to be the spark that would ignite the flames of Sasuke's descent into darkness.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. Her mind raced with thoughts, possibilities, and plans.

No. Stop. Breathe.

Her breath came in slow and steady, eyes narrowing with renewed focus. Panic would solve nothing. She closed her eyes for half a second, grounding herself.

Stop worrying. You already stopped Kabuto from manipulating us. You can stop him too. You can outmaneuver him. Just clear the forest. Get out before he can make a move on Sasuke.

It felt like hours before Orochimaru's tongue finally withdrew back into his mouth. It slid in with a sickeningly slow motion, his lips curling into a wicked smirk as he kept his eyes on Anko.

Naruto was still frozen, his eyes wide and wild, body held firmly in place by Anko's arm pressed against his neck. He didn't even struggle. His face was twisted in shock. He doesn't know what just brushed past him, Kimiko realized. Not yet.

The figure disguised as a Grass Genin licked his lips with exaggerated leisure, his eyes half-lidded like he was savoring something sweet.

"I'll try to keep it under control," he said, his voice smooth, soft, and coiling around each word like a snake slithering through grass. His straw hat shifted ever so slightly, letting just a bit of his face peek out from the shadows. "But the sight of fresh, warm blood..." His eyes drifted to Naruto's cheek, where a thin streak of blood was slowly sliding down. His smile widened. "...it makes me a little crazy."

He flicked his eyes back to Anko. "And I was already revved up from losing a strand of my precious hair."

"Naruto-kun…." A soft voice called out from behind her.

Kimiko glanced back, just for a moment. It was Hinata, her hands clutched to her chest, her eyes wide with worry.

Kimiko clenched her jaw. Don't look at me like that, Hinata. Her eyes flicked forward again, locking back on the Grass Genin. Don't look at me like that when he's still standing here.

Her heart thudded in her chest as the disguised Orochimaru walked by her. Close. Too close. She felt it in the shift of air, the subtle shift of his aura as he passed. His presence brushed against her like a cold gust of wind.

Oppressive.

Her fingers twitched, every nerve in her body screaming for her to move. Her muscles stayed locked in place. Her head didn't turn to follow him. She didn't need to look to know he was still there. Every instinct told her not to move. Her eyes tracked him from the corner of her vision as he passed by, his footsteps soft but deliberate.

Her breathing slowed. Shallow. Precise. Don't react. Don't show fear.

Her heart thudded harder than ever.

He's right there.

He's right there.

She could see him from the corner of her eye. His movements were unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. Her body tensed further as her hair stood on end. Her body knew before her brain did. It recognized the predator in him.

Anko's grin was back, wide and wild as she glanced around the group. "Looks like we've got a lot of hot-blooded kids this time," she said, almost laughing to herself. "Should be fun."

Kimiko eyed Anko. Does she really have no idea? No..she must have some suspicions at least.

Anko clapped her hands together, grin wide as she turned to the group. "Alright, listen up! Before we start the second exam, there's something I need to hand out." She reached into her coat, fingers rummaging inside before pulling out a thick stack of forms.

"Consent forms," Anko said, holding them up. She grinned wider, teeth flashing like fangs. "Everyone signs these before we begin."

"Why?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing as he rubbed the mark on his cheek.

Anko tilted her head, her smirk turning lopsided like she'd just caught him in a trap. "Because from here on out, corpses start to show up."

Silence.

Her grin only grew sharper. Her eyes scanned the group, watching them all shift in place. "Death happens here," she said slowly, letting the words hang in the air like the slow drip of a leaky faucet. "And by signing these, you recognize that Konoha isn't responsible for it. No excuses."

Her eyes flicked to Naruto, still grinning. "Otherwise, I get in trouble. And none of you would want that, right?"

Silence hung in the air. No one dared to speak as Anko's grin widened even more, her gaze scanning the genin like she was searching for prey. But she didn't wait for a response.

"Alright," she began, cracking her neck with a slow, deliberate tilt to the side. "First, I'll explain what the second exam entails. Then you'll sign your forms and hand them over to the proctors in that hut behind you." She jabbed a thumb toward a squat, weather-worn hut just a few feet away, half-hidden in the shadow of the fence. "Once your forms are in, you're locked in. No backing out."

Her eyes scanned the crowd, pausing briefly on a few faces. When they reached Kimiko, Naruto, and Sasuke, her grin sharpened. "So listen close. This isn't like the written exam. This time, we're doing things differently."

Anko paused for effect, eyes narrowing.

"It's a no-holds-barred survival test."

The tension in the crowd grew tighter, like a taut wire ready to snap. Whispers rippled among the genin. "Survival test?" Kimiko could hear someone mutter behind her.

Anko reached for the top of the stack of consent forms, pulling one free before casually tossing it to Naruto. He caught it, blinking, before passing it to a group of genin nearby. Kimiko took two from the pile, handed one to Sasuke without even glancing at him, and kept the other for herself.

"First, let me start with the topography of the training ground," Anko continued, pulling a scroll from inside her coat. She unfurled it with a sharp flick, revealing a large, intricate map of Training Ground Forty-Four.

"Sasuke, Sharingan," Kimiko said automatically, eyes fixed on the map.

She didn't even have to look at him to know he was already moving.

"On it," Sasuke replied crisply, his eyes flashing as his Sharingan spun to life. The tomoe circled his pupils, locking onto the map like a camera lens. He scanned it methodically, memorizing every line, river, and marking. It was great to have someone with practical photographic memory

Anko pressed her finger to the map, dragging it over the border. "Training Ground Forty-Four is surrounded by forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers, forests, cliffs, and everything you can think of. At the center, there's a tower." She tapped the tower on the map. "It's about ten kilometers from the gates to the tower."

A few genin glanced nervously at each other.

"Within this area, you'll undergo the survival test." She let the words settle, her eyes scanning for reactions. "You can use whatever weapons, jutsu, or tactics you want. No restrictions. No rules except one—get to the tower with what you need."

Anko reached into her coat, pulling out two scrolls, one in each hand. One was cream-colored with the kanji 'HEAVEN' written on it. The other was deep purple, marked 'EARTH.' She held them high so everyone could see.

"This…" She held up the scrolls, her eyes narrowing as her grin widened. "...is your goal."

"Scrolls?" someone muttered from the crowd.

"Yep!" Anko chirped, holding them up like a dealer showing off a jackpot hand. "There's a Scroll of Heaven…" She wiggled the cream-colored scroll. "...and a Scroll of Earth." She wiggled the purple one. "Here's the twist. Each team gets one."

She held them both high, one in each hand, her grin never fading.

"Twenty-six teams passed the first exam," she continued, tilting her head. "Half of those teams—thirteen—will get a Heaven Scroll." She lifted the cream scroll slightly higher. "The other half will get an Earth Scroll." She lifted the purple scroll to match it.

"To pass, you need both." Her grin grew wicked. "So what does that mean?"

Silence. Kimiko's eyes sharpened. She knew exactly what it meant.

Her hand shot up. "Mitarashi-sama." Her voice was clear, cutting through the quiet like the snap of a bowstring.

Anko's eyes flicked to her, brows raised in mild surprise. Her grin twitched. "Oh? 'Mitarashi-sama,' huh? Haven't heard that in a while." She tilted her head. "Go on, kid."

Kimiko's eyes didn't waver. "If we need both scrolls, that means at least thirteen teams will fail automatically, doesn't it?"

The grin on Anko's face was slow, deliberate, and proud. She tapped her temple with one finger, eyes glittering with amusement.

"Exactly."

Her words hit the genin like a thunderclap. Kimiko could hear it. The soft, sharp intake of breath from a dozen different teams. The quiet panic spreading from one group to the next. The weight of realization.

Half of them were guaranteed to fail.

"Next time, just Anko is fine," Anko said casually, shrugging her shoulders like she wasn't announcing a death sentence. "But yes. Half of you are walking out of this forest as failures." She let that sit for a second, tilting her head as if savoring it. "If you're lucky, you'll be walking at all."

She pointed toward the hut behind them.

"And that's not all. You've got 120 hours in which to complete this exam.." Her gaze shifted from team to team, her grin taking on a wilder edge. "That's five days to get both scrolls and make it to the tower."

"Five days out there?" Ino's sharp voice cut through the quiet murmurs. Her tone carried just enough disbelief to draw attention.

"What are we supposed to eat for food?!" Choji asked, his eyes wide with shock, hands pressed against his head like he'd just heard the end of the world.

"That's your problem," Anko said with a shrug. Her hands rested on her hips, relaxed like she was watching a show only she understood. "The forest is full of food. You just have to find it."

She tilted her head, eyes flicking over them like she was sizing up how long they'd last. "Of course, there's also plenty of man-eating animals, deadly insects, and poisonous plants. So, you know—pick carefully."

Kimiko shifted her stance, eyes narrowing slightly. Poisonous plants, huh? Her fingers tapped lightly at her side. She could already picture it. If they ran into trouble, she could harvest whatever the forest had to offer. Mix it. Apply it to her weapons. Turn it into an advantage. She knew she got into trouble by poisoning herself, but….every advantage here was necessary. Even if it meant revisiting that skillset.

But even that thought wasn't comforting. That wouldn't save them from Orochimaru.

Her breath slowed. She shoved the thought out of her mind. Focus on what you can control, Kimiko. Just survive the test.

"With these circumstances," came a cool, steady voice to her left. Kimiko turned, finding Neji Hyuga standing with his arms folded, his blank, pale eyes focused ahead. He didn't blink. "There's no way half the teams will pass the test."

"With the days getting longer, the nights grow shorter," said Rock Lee, standing just beside Neji, hands behind his back, eyes shining with determination. "That means less time to rest. It is a challenge indeed." His smile was small but sincere, the kind of smile that said he was already thinking of ways to overcome it.

"Completely surrounded by enemies," muttered Sasuke from Kimiko's right. He didn't look at her. His eyes were forward, his brow furrowed in deep thought. His voice was low, but Kimiko heard him clear as day. "There won't be time to rest. We'll have to keep a constant watch."

Kimiko glanced at him. He's already thinking ahead. Good.

"Not to mention teamwork," she added, gaze flicking across the faces of her teammates. "Cram three people into a cramped, dangerous place for five days straight, and someone's bound to snap. If one of us starts slipping, it could cost us everything."

Sasuke frowned, his eyes flicking toward her briefly. She didn't falter. She reached down, grabbing his wrist, and squeezed once.

"Right," he muttered. "We stick together. No exceptions."

Kimiko nodded once, her grip releasing.

"This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines," Anko called out, her voice commanding attention once more. "This isn't just about getting the scrolls. It's about surviving in enemy territory. Food scarcity, sleepless nights, constant threats—this whole place is designed to break you. And trust me—" she let her grin stretch just a bit wider "—some of you will break."

"Can we quit halfway if it proves too big a drag?" Shikamaru's voice rang out lazily, cutting through the tension with his usual deadpan tone. His hands were in his pockets, his posture slouched like he'd already made peace with being miserable.

Some of the other genin glanced his way, a few cracking small grins.

"No, of course not," Anko said, flicking a glance his way. "In battle, you can't quit halfway. Well, I guess you could..." she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she flashed him a sly grin, "...but you'd probably get killed."

Shikamaru sighed deeply, tilting his head back like he could see his whole future crumbling before him. "Yeah, that sounds about right. What a drag."

Anko raised her fist. "And of course, there are ways to get disqualified."

Her grin disappeared. Her eyes hardened.

"One. You don't make it to the tower in five days." Her voice was sharp and clear, cutting through the air like a blade. "Two. One of your teammates dies or is too injured to continue." Her eyes flicked toward the crowd, scanning faces. "And three…" she held up a third finger, her gaze suddenly sharper than before.

"Don't. Open. The. Scrolls."

Her words hung in the air like the toll of a bell.

"But what if we accidentally take a peek?" Chimed Naruto in.

Anko smirked at him, "Let me put it this way. You. Don't. Want. To. Know"

Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, grinning nervously.

Anko folded her arms, "Think of it this way—this is a test of trustworthiness and integrity. Ninjas are often entrusted with delivering top-secret intel. If you break that trust, it costs lives."

Her eyes locked on Naruto again, this time holding his gaze.

"Got it?"

He didn't answer right away, his grin fading. "Yeah, got it."

"Alright, that's all the explanation you'll get," Anko said, turning on her heel, coat flaring as she moved. "When you submit your consent forms, we'll trade you a scroll. Heaven or Earth, you won't know which one you'll get. Then, pick a gate. Each team gets to pick which gate they want to start at. Once you've got your scroll and gate, the exam begins at the same time for everyone."

She turned her head back toward them, eyes narrowed, grin sharp like fangs.

"Oh, and one last thing…"

The grin faded into something colder. Wilder. Her gaze flicked from team to team, landing briefly on Kimiko, Sasuke, and Naruto. Her eyes lingered.

"Just don't die."

The silence was heavier than before. No one spoke. No one moved.

Her gaze shifted to Sasuke. He was quiet, his eyes still fixed on the tower marked on the map. He has no idea. No idea that Orochimaru's eyes are on him.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before drifting to Naruto, who had crossed his arms, pouting as if Anko's warning had personally offended him. Her boys. Her team.

Her fingers curled slowly.

I won't let you touch them.

Her eyes shifted back to the hut where the proctors stood. She could see the faint shapes of the proctors watching them from behind the window. Her pulse was steady. Her breath calm.

"Alright," she muttered to herself, folding the consent form in her hands, her eyes burning with quiet resolve. "Let's go," She muttered as Naruto walked back and took her hand, Sasuke taking the other one as she led them over to a secluded place to plan.

---

As expected, the crowd of genin split into their teams, gathering in small clusters. Low murmurs and hushed conversations filled the air as each group turned inward, speaking only to each other. It was clear that the announcement of a team-versus-team format had shattered the illusion that this was simply about fighting proctors.

Now it was team versus team. Every team for themselves.

"I see how it is," Sasuke muttered, his eyes narrowing toward the hut where other teams were filtering in. Chuunin proctors were manning the front, their gazes sharp and watchful. Kimiko followed his gaze as the chuunin slowly drew a curtain over the hut's entrance, concealing the view of what was happening inside. Sasuke already took their signed consent forms, holding it with one hand that rested on the boulder they leaned on.

"We won't know which team has which scroll," Sasuke said. "And we won't know which team member is carrying it. It's just like what Ibiki said — stealing intelligence is a matter of life and death." He frowned, glancing around the field of teams. "Everyone is equally determined to win. And now, every single one of them is our enemy."

"Opponent," Kimiko corrected dryly, reaching over to rest her hands on Sasuke and Naruto's shoulders, grounding them both with a steady, reassuring touch. "Not enemy. But that's just semantics. The end result is the same."

She glanced toward the hut, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tilted her head in thought. "What we need to do now is plan."

"Man, this is gonna be so cool!" Naruto grinned wide, his hands on his hips, eyes filled with excitement. His grin was so wide it almost looked foolish. "It's like a real high-stakes mission!"

"Naruto," Kimiko said sharply, eyes narrowing but not unkindly. "Focus."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, scratching the back of his head but still grinning.

"Alright," Kimiko said, drawing their attention back. "Here's what we know. We don't know which team has which scroll, and that might mean we're going in blind." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms, irritation briefly flashing across her face. I can't even remember which teams had which scroll in the anime. Ugh.

"Not necessarily," Sasuke cut in, arms folded as his gaze shifted to Naruto. His eyes were sharper now, like he'd just pieced something crucial together. "Naruto, can you make shadow clones and have them transform into bugs? Small ones. Something that can spy on the other teams?"

Kimiko blinked, her eyes widening for a second. Her lips curled into a smile, her gaze warm with approval. "That's genius, Sasuke. And who cares about cheating? It's probably encouraged knowing how this exam is set up,"

Sasuke didn't react, his face as still and stoic as ever.

"It's only 'genius' when he says it," Naruto grumbled, shooting a quick glare at her, but his voice wasn't harsh. His gaze flicked to Sasuke for a moment before he sighed, already forming the cross-shaped handseal. "Fine, fine. But I'm the one doing all the work."

There was a quiet poof, but it wasn't a flashy burst of smoke like usual. Instead, a subtle blur of orange filled the air before it shifted and broke apart. Dozens of tiny, unassuming black flies hovered in the air, their buzzing barely audible. One by one, they floated toward the hut, flying so naturally that no one even glanced their way.

Kimiko's eyes tracked the flies, her smile soft with satisfaction. "Perfect." She glanced at Naruto. "Make sure they stay unnoticed, Naruto. No buzzing near anyone's ears."

"I know, I know!" Naruto muttered, his face scrunching in mock annoyance as he flicked his hand. "They're already doing it. Just sit tight."

Kimiko nodded, satisfied. She glanced toward Sasuke, her eyes sharpening again as her mind returned to the strategy. "Now that that's handled, we wait for Naruto's scouts to finish checking the other teams. Once we know which scroll we're getting, we pick a gate that gives us the most tactical advantage."

"How?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Simple," Kimiko said, folding her arms as she nodded toward the field. "We position ourselves at a gate near at least one or two teams with the opposite scroll." Her gaze was steady, her voice calm, like she'd already played this scenario out in her head a hundred times. "That way, no matter where we move, we already have a target."

Sasuke's eyes flickered with recognition, his lips quirking ever so slightly. "Smart," he murmured, his gaze locking onto Kimiko with a glint of respect. "It puts us right in the middle of the action, cuts through the process of fighting a team only to find out they have our scroll too."

Kimiko gave him a small nod. "Exactly."

For a moment, none of them spoke. The rain pattered softly against the roof of the hut, muffled but steady. The quiet hum of conversation from the other genin teams was distant but present, filling the air like background noise.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kimiko said, snapping her fingers as realization struck. "Do you have a pencil and paper?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, already reaching into his back pouch. "Why?"

"The map," Kimiko said, tapping her temple. "The one I had you memorize with your Sharingan?"

"Oh, right," Sasuke muttered, pulling out a folded piece of paper and a pencil. He crouched slightly as he began sketching with sharp, deliberate strokes. "It's fairly detailed, so it should help us navigate. It even has a legend for where certain animals and plants tend to appear." His eyes didn't leave the page as he worked, his attention focused solely on getting each line right. "This way, we'll know which areas to avoid and where to look for resources."

After a few moments, Sasuke handed her the completed map. Kimiko squinted as she examined it, turning it slightly in her hands.

"Hmm. Alright," she said, running a finger along one of the lines. "Your Sharingan is ridiculous, you know that?" She shot him a teasing grin.

"I'm aware," Sasuke muttered, still focused on his surroundings as he glanced at the teams in the distance.

Kimiko folded the map and tucked it into her pouch. Her gaze flicked toward the proctor's hut where teams were lined up to receive their scrolls. Her eyes sharpened.

"Alright, time to fetch our scroll."

The three of them walked to the testing station, hands linked together like an unbreakable chain. The chuunin proctor didn't even glance up, his face set in an expression of utter boredom. He accepted their signed consent form with the disinterest of someone who'd done this far too many times. Without a word, he handed them a scroll.

Kimiko turned it over in her hands. The scroll's cream-colored surface was pristine, and bold black kanji marked the front:

「天」 (Heaven)

Her eyes lingered on it for a moment before she nodded, sliding it carefully into her pouch. "I'm keeping this on me," she said as they walked away. Her gaze flicked to the crowd. Most teams had already received their scrolls. Only a few remained. It's starting.

Anko's voice rang out like a crack of thunder immediately after the last team received their scroll.

"Listen up!" she called, her eyes sharp as she tapped her wristwatch. "All teams have their scrolls. Head to your chosen gates and wait there. Once the gates open, the test begins."

On cue, the teams began flooding toward the gates like a swarm of ants, each group moving with quiet urgency.

Kimiko glanced at Naruto. "Release the clones. Tell us which teams have Earth scrolls."

Naruto nodded, forming the familiar hand seal.

There was a brief pulse of chakra as the information from his clones flooded back into him. His eyes glazed for a second before he blinked hard, rubbing his cheek.

"Man, quite a few of them have Earth scrolls," he muttered, glancing around at the crowd. "Lots of Konoha teams, some Suna teams too." He frowned, squinting toward the crowd. "They're spreading out though. Not one gate has too many of them."

Kimiko nodded, lips pressing into a line. That's to be expected. Law of averages.

Naruto scratched his cheek, his gaze flicking toward a group of genin. "There's that Grass team… y'know, the one with the person who's got that weird tongue?"

Kimiko's heart stuttered for a moment, fingers twitching at her side. Orochimaru.

Her body tensed before she could stop herself. Not him. Not now.

Her voice came out firm, sharp as a kunai. "That person gives me bad vibes. Let's pick a gate as far away from theirs as possible. The furthest one."

Naruto blinked, as did Sasuke, side-eyeing her, but they said nothing.

"What other teams are left?" she asked.

Naruto held up his fingers as he listed them. "There's Rock Lee's team, Kabuto's team, and that Sound team that tried to jump us." He counted them off.

No, Kabuto and the Sound team are basically Orochimaru too. And I don't want to fight with Neji, Tenten, and Lee unless absolutely necessary.

"Then there's that team we encountered before we found out about the exams, the one from Sunagakure?" said Naruto.

Kimiko's stomach turned. Her eyes flicked to the red-haired Suna genin in the distance, standing in the middle of his siblings.

No. Not him either.

Her gaze lingered on Gaara for a moment longer than she intended. His presence was heavy, like a slow, steady pressure. Kankuro and Temari were absolutely dwarfed by him.

Gaara's arguably more dangerous at this point. Orochimaru's more powerful, but he just wants to toy with us and test Sasuke's skills out. Gaara will just kill us because he wants to.

"We're not going after them," she said, sharper this time.

Naruto blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? Since when do you avoid fights?"

Sasuke turned too, side-eyeing her with the same quiet suspicion. "...That's not like you," he muttered, his gaze sharp. "You don't back down."

Kimiko clenched her teeth, forcing herself to breathe slowly. They're right. I don't back down. She felt the weight of their gazes on her. But this isn't about pride. Her fingers flexed at her sides.

"We'll get our chance to face them if we cross paths," Kimiko said, her voice slow and deliberate. "But it's smarter to clear our main objective first. Which is to gather both scrolls and head to the tower. Those are the mission parameters. Every second we spend in that forest is a moment wasted."

Her words lingered for a moment, hanging in the air.

Naruto scratched his head, looking between her and Sasuke. "Okay, fine. Makes sense."

Sasuke's eyes stayed on her for a moment longer before he gave a slow nod. "Hn."

Kimiko sighed quietly, relieved. "So, who's left?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "A team from Takigakure, another team from Suna, one from Kusagakure with a red-haired girl, a few from Konoha, and three teams from Ame." He tilted his head, glancing at the nearby teams.

"Any of them mention which gate they're going to?" Kimiko asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Not really, but—" his eyes caught something, and he tilted his head. "Hold up." He pointed toward a cluster of teams walking toward the gates.

Kimiko followed his gaze and spotted them. Two teams. One from Amegakure, and one from Konoha. One gate between them. Far enough from other threats. This is perfect.

Naruto's grin returned, his eyes narrowing with excitement. "Oh, well, look at that."

Her gaze flicked from the teams to the gates. Her mind clicked into place. They're too close to each other. No matter which way they move, they'll be in our general path. We can intercept both of them if it comes to it.

Her lips curled into a small grin.

"Two teams, almost next to each other," she said softly, her eyes sharp. "Perfect."

Naruto grinned wide, his teeth flashing. "Double the chances of winning. And we get an extra scroll if they get involved."

Kimiko tilted her head toward Sasuke, her grin sharp as a blade. "Double the chances of winning," she repeated. "We'll take the gate between them. That way, they're bound to cross our paths."

Naruto flexed his fingers, eyes brimming with excitement.

"Yeah," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go hunting."

Sasuke glanced at them both, his eyes narrowing. Then, after a moment, he smirked.

"Let's."

It took nearly two hours for all the teams to pick their gates, but Team 7 was one of the first to settle into position at Gate Thirty-Three. The air was thick with anticipation, each team waiting in silence for the next signal.

Their gate was flanked by two others — Gate Thirty-Two, held by a team from Amegakure with an Earth scroll, and Gate Thirty-Four, manned by a Konoha team.

"We just need to find our target, bag them, and make a straight shot to the tower," Kimiko muttered, her eyes flicking to Sasuke and Naruto. If we move fast, we can clear the forest before Kabuto or Orochimaru gets the chance to track us. We avoid Gaara, too.

Her eyes shifted toward Gate Twenty-Eight, where she'd spotted Kabuto earlier. Far enough not to be an immediate threat, but too close for comfort.

He's five gates away, she noted, eyes narrowing. He'll be preoccupied with the teams surrounding him. For now, he's not a problem. But later?

She didn't like it.

"I dare anyone to find us!" Naruto shouted suddenly, tossing punches into the air with sharp jabs, his grin wild. "We'll knock 'em out twice as hard!"

"Easy, tiger," Kimiko giggled, running a hand through his spiky hair as she leaned forward. "Save it for the real thing."

Sasuke snorted, arms folded as he watched Naruto's antics. His gaze, however, never left the other teams.

Then, the voice of Anko Mitarashi thundered from atop a raised platform.

"Alright, you maggots!" she barked, grinning with wild glee. "The second part of the test has begun!"

The chuunin manning the gates all moved as one. Their synchronized movements echoed in sharp, metallic clanks as the chains locking the gates were unlatched.

CLANG.

The gates swung open with a harsh screech.

The sudden rush of adrenaline hit Kimiko like a pulse of electricity. Her heartbeat quickened, her breathing sharpened. It's time.

Naruto's grin widened. Sasuke's eyes glowed with sharp, quiet anticipation.

All at once, the three of them darted into the forest, leaping from the ground to the nearest gnarled branch. Their footsteps barely made a sound as they moved like shadows, weaving through the dense canopy. One jump. Another. Another. Their rhythm was in sync, a perfect, fluid machine of speed and precision.

As they sped from branch to branch, Kimiko glanced back at them. Her voice rang out, calm but firm.

"Naruto, Sasuke — guard me. I'm focusing on my sensory skills to pinpoint the two teams near us. They can't be far."

"Got it," Sasuke said, shifting his stance mid-leap, his eyes glancing left and right, ever watchful.

"Heh, leave it to us!" Naruto grinned, dropping into a wide stance as he scanned the area ahead.

Kimiko dropped down from the branches with a light thud, her landing perfectly balanced. She knelt low, pressing her index finger against the dirt. Her eyes fluttered closed as she drew in a slow, controlled breath.

Focus.

Her world shifted. The forest around her seemed to "breathe." The pulse of the world, once chaotic and unclear, slowly began to order itself.

Her sensory range pulled inward, centering on her immediate vicinity. Slowly, she expanded it, like letting ripples extend from a still pond.

Then, ping.

Six chakra signatures. Two groups. Her eyes flicked open.

"Alright," she said, rising to her feet. "I picked up six signatures. One group to the northwest — that's the Amegakure team. The other's to the east — the Konoha team." She pointed in each direction.

"Man, I don't wanna pick a fight with Konoha genin," Naruto muttered, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. "Feels wrong."

"That leaves the Amegakure team," Sasuke replied, gaze shifting to the northwest. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at Kimiko. "Can you hone in on them? Check their distance and movement?"

"On it," Kimiko said, closing her eyes again. Don't look too far. Pinpoint it. She focused on the blurs of blue that marked their presence. It was faint, but she could sense the small pulses of movement.

"...They're holding position," Kimiko muttered, brow furrowing. "They're not moving. Probably planning or setting traps."

"Should we ambush them? Tail them?" Sasuke asked, his eyes calculating each option.

Kimiko pursed her lips, her eyes flicking toward her pouch. Ambush could work, but it's risky. Tailing them is safer, but it might take too long.

"Hold on," she muttered, pulling out Sasuke's map. She unfolded it with sharp precision, laying it flat against a tree root. Sasuke pulled a pencil from his pouch and handed it to her.

She circled their approximate location.

"We're here," she muttered, marking the map. "They're here." She marked a spot in the northwest with an X. Her eyes shifted between the two points, calculating the distance. Her eyes sharpened. "Ah, I see it."

Her gaze flicked up toward Sasuke and Naruto.

"They're not setting traps," she said, "They're heading for this." Her finger tapped the map at the center tower.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What, already? Why would they—"

"They're looking to ambush a team who already has two scrolls," she cut in, tapping the map. "It's easier than chasing after random teams. If they sit near the tower, they're assured that whichever team they pick off would have two scrolls, or that they'd come across other teams with the same idea as them. It basically means they're choosing to lie in wait for their prey to come to them, even if it means they'd have to be patient for a day or two. "

Sasuke nodded slowly, eyes narrowing with focus. "Makes sense. No wasted effort. What's your plan then?"

She leaned down and drew a large oval path on the map. "We don't track them. We intercept them." She glanced at the two of them, eyes narrowing. "They'll follow this general path, since it's the only accessible path from that area. If we position ourselves here," she circled a spot on the oval she drew, "we can ambush them when they least expect it. One strike, clean and fast. We take their scroll and bolt straight to the tower."

Sasuke's gaze lingered on the map. "That'd put us closer to the tower. We'd cut our travel time." He tapped his finger on the X. "It's clean. Simple."

"We'll hit them while they're still moving," Kimiko said, folding the map with crisp precision. "We strike hard, strike fast, and leave no chance for them to retaliate."

"I like it," Naruto grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. "No point waiting around, right? We'll get 'em!"

Kimiko nodded, her eyes flicking to each of her teammates. "Then let's get moving. We'll set up along the path and wait for them to walk into us."

Naruto's grin widened, his fists tightening in excitement. "Heh, yeah. Let's go hunting."

"Let's," Sasuke grunted, his eyes focused ahead, already leaping onto the first branch.

Kimiko folded the map, tucking it into her pouch. She glanced to the northeast. The faint pulse of chakra flickered in her senses, steady and predictable.

I almost feel bad for them.

---

They moved swiftly along the path, silent as shadows. The rustle of leaves and faint chirping of insects filled the still air, but Kimiko's focus was sharper than ever.

Her heart beat in rhythm with the pulses of chakra she sensed ahead. Closer. Closer. It was faint at first — like distant flickers of light in a fog. But as they drew closer, the chakra signatures grew clearer, more distinct.

Her senses sharpened. There.

"Stop," she said softly, raising a hand.

Naruto and Sasuke halted instantly, falling into position beside her. Their breaths were quiet, steady, as they crouched low, eyes locked on her.

Kimiko's gaze swept through the dense undergrowth ahead. Her eyes narrowed in focus, and her voice dropped to a quiet murmur. "They're coming this way. They're sticking to the path, so they'll pass right through here."

Sasuke glanced toward her, his eyes sharp and calculating. "What's the plan?" he asked, his tone calm but ready.

Kimiko tapped her chin, eyes flicking between the trees and the direction of the incoming chakra signatures. Then, her gaze shifted to Naruto, and her lips curled into a small, knowing smile.

"Naruto, make three clones," she said, her eyes locked onto his. "Disguise them as one of the genin teams we saw earlier. Pick one of the weaker ones. Have them walk right into the enemy's path."

Naruto blinked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Why?"

Kimiko's smile grew sharper. "To make them drop their guard. If they see 'genin' who look lost or vulnerable, they'll think they hit the jackpot." She pointed toward the faint outlines of the approaching chakra. "Your clones will act like they're panicking, stumbling over themselves. Once the enemy chases them, have the clones flee and lead them..."

She stepped closer to a nearby tree, unsheathing her tanto with a quiet, sharp whisper of steel.

"Right here." Kimiko slashed a clean, deliberate mark into the bark, the cut sharp and unmistakable. She glanced back at them, her eyes hard. "This is the point of no return."

Her gaze shifted back to Naruto. "Once the enemy reaches this mark, have your clones stop running. Have them 'realize' they're cornered and suddenly charge back at them. The confusion will force them to turn around."

Her eyes flicked toward Sasuke. "That's when the three of us jump in behind them. We box them in from behind. No escape."

Naruto's grin spread wide. "Oho, I like it." He formed a cross-shaped hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

POOF!

Three perfect copies of Naruto appeared, each with a cocky grin. They simultaneously made a hand seal together, a puff of smoke surrounding them, and as it cleared, their features shifted. Their spiky blonde hair turned brown, their faces rougher, and their clothes shifted to green jackets with the unmistakable silver bands of Kusagakure genin.

Kimiko nodded. "Perfect. Now, get them moving. They'll pass the enemy soon."

"Got it!" The three clones dashed ahead, stomping a little louder than necessary to make sure their approach could be heard. Their "voices" rang out.

"Crap, where are we?! I thought this was the right way!" one clone shouted, loud enough to echo through the trees.

"We're so lost!" another clone yelled, sounding frantic.

The last one stumbled as he ran, deliberately crashing into a bush with a loud rustle. "We're gonna get ambushed at this rate! Hurry up!"

Kimiko smirked as she knelt down, running her fingers across the damp soil. "They'll hear them. They'll chase." Her eyes flicked to Sasuke and Naruto. "Positions."

Sasuke vanished.

One moment he was crouched beside her, and in the next, he was gone, his body flickering like a flame into the shadows of the trees above. She and Naruto blurred, jumping to one of the bushes at the side of the forest.

Naruto crouched beside Kimiko, hands twitching with excitement. His eyes darted between the clones and Kimiko. "Heh, they're gonna get played so bad."

Kimiko smiled, her gaze still locked on the incoming chakra signatures. "Don't get cocky, Naruto. Stay sharp."

She pressed her fingers against the ground again, focusing on her sensory range. Six chakras. Still moving. No signs of them splitting up.

Her breath came slow and steady. Her eyes opened.

"They're picking up the bait," she muttered. Her gaze shifted toward the mark on the tree. "Five… four… three…"

A rustling sound echoed from the direction of the clones. The unmistakable snap of branches, hurried steps, and quiet breaths. They weren't even trying to mask their approach.

They think they're hunting prey.

Kimiko's eyes sharpened. "Two… one…"

There was a loud yell.

"Stop running, you cowards!" one of the enemy shouted.

Kimiko's eyes flickered to Naruto. "Now."

"Forget running!" one of the clones shouted. "Let's just take them down!"

The three clones charged at full speed, fists raised like wild animals.

The enemy team didn't expect it. Their momentum shifted. Their leader barked, "They're fighting back! Take 'em down!"

As they prepared to meet the oncoming clones, Kimiko moved.

Her hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals, her fingers sharp and precise, her face calm but focused. Her eyes locked onto the perfect spot, calculating the point where the enemy would be most vulnerable.

Her voice rang out clearly.

"Water Style: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"

Kimiko's cheeks puffed up as she kneaded chakra, her lungs filling with air as she pulled on the water in her system. A moment later, she leaned forward and exhaled a thick, clear, sticky fluid that poured in a slow, heavy cascade onto the ground. The fluid pooled at her feet before surging forward, crawling along the ground like an expanding flood.

The viscous liquid crept toward the enemy team, its sticky texture coating the ground beneath their feet. It clung to rocks, roots, and grass, quickly turning the forest floor into a slick, adhesive trap. The syrup spread with purpose, and before long, it snaked beneath the enemy's feet.

"What the…?!" one of the Amegakure genin yelled, his eyes darting down to see the sticky, pale fluid gripping his shoes. He yanked his foot up with a grunt, only to hear a sharp, wet "schlllk" as his foot stuck harder. "I'm stuck!"

"Me too!" another cried, yanking his leg, but the syrup's grip didn't budge. "What is this stuff?!"

Their leader's eyes darted around in panic, scanning the treetops, looking for an attacker. His gaze finally locked onto Kimiko. His eyes narrowed as he saw her wiping the edge of her chin with two fingers, clearing away a stray trail of syrup.

"It's over. Sorry."

"Above!" one of his teammates screamed, eyes darting upward.

Too late.

Sasuke descended from above like a falling hawk. His hands moved quickly, his breath steady as he weaved hand seals mid-fall.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

He snapped his head forward, his chest swelling as he inhaled deeply. Then, in a sharp, controlled burst, he released a volley of small, fast-moving fireballs. Each one curved unpredictably, zig-zagging as they homed in on the trapped Amegakure team.

"MOVE!" the enemy leader barked, eyes wide with panic. He yanked at his feet, but the syrup gripped him like chains. "MOVE, MOVE!"

But there was nowhere to go.

The first fireball exploded against the genin's chest, the impact so fierce it sent a brief shockwave through the air. Flames erupted in a swirling bloom of orange and red. The boy's scream was immediate, high-pitched, and piercing. Fire licked up his jacket, eating through fabric in seconds. His frantic swatting only smeared the flames across his arms, causing his sleeves to catch fire.

"IT'S BURNING ME! IT'S BURNING!" he shrieked, his hands moving wildly as his eyes darted toward his trapped feet, desperate to pull himself free. His fingers clawed at his jacket, but the syrup gripped him tighter, making it impossible to remove the burning fabric. "HELP ME! GET IT OFF!"

Another fireball struck his back.

BOOM!

The impact blasted him forward, but the syrup held firm, causing his body to snap back like a yo-yo. Smoke poured from his coat, his eyes wild with panic. His head darted around frantically, his pupils blown wide from terror.

"GAH!"

Two more fireballs homed in on the second genin, curving mid-air with sharp, erratic zig-zags. The first fireball struck his arm, splintering his gauntlet as shards of metal and leather flew off. His arm went limp from the shock, and he winced. Before he could even react, the second fireball hit him square in the shoulder.

"AHHHHHH!" he howled, his voice raw and cracking from the sheer pain. "IT'S IN MY ARM! IT'S IN MY ARM!"

He clutched his shoulder, his fingers trembling as the flames burrowed deeper into his clothes, searing his skin. Smoke curled from the wounds, and his legs buckled as he slumped forward, but the syrup wouldn't let him fall.

"MAKE IT STOP!" he gasped, his voice breaking from the pain. "MAKE IT STOP!"

The final genin — their leader — gritted his teeth, eyes darting between his trapped comrades and the rapidly approaching flames. He reached into his ninja pouch, his hands trembling as he desperately searched for a tag, a kunai, anything.

"No, you don't."

Three senbon flew from the trees.

They struck each of the Amegakure genin at the same time — three precise hits to the side of their necks. Each one hit the carotid sinus, and the results were immediate.

Thump-thump-thump.

They dropped like strings had been cut. Their leader's pupils dilated, his limbs turning slack before his head slumped forward. His hands, which had been frantically gripping his pouch, fell limp. His knees buckled, his body sagging as he lay on the sticky syrup beneath him, which started to evaporate.

Kimiko landed in front of them, arms crossed in front of her chest

Her eyes flicked over each of them, ensuring they were truly out cold. Behind her, Sasuke landed beside her with barely a sound.

"Huh," Naruto muttered as he strolled toward them, scratching his head as he looked down at the unconscious bodies. He nudged one with his foot, tilting his head like he was inspecting a strange bug. "You didn't kill them, right?"

Kimiko shook her head, brushing her hands off as she crouched beside them. "Nah, they're fine. Same trick Haku used with his senbon. Puts them in a state of near-death. Keeps them quiet. Easier to loot that way."

Naruto crouched, flipping one of the genin over with his foot. "So, we robbing them now?"

"Yes, obviously," Kimiko said, her eyes flicking toward him. "Grab their scroll, weapons, and rations. Take it all."

Naruto glanced at her with a small grin. "Well, I guess I'll leave them some food. Unless…" He knelt down, tapping at one of the pouches on the downed leader's belt. "Unless they've got instant ramen."

"Don't count on it," Kimiko sighed, standing to her full height. Her lips twitched in mild amusement. "But I'm not wasting water on it either."

Naruto's shoulders slumped as he pouted. "Stingy."

Sasuke exhaled, hands in his pockets, his eyes flicking over the unconscious bodies with cold disinterest. "This was too easy."

"Ha!" Naruto's sudden bark of laughter cut through the stillness.

Kimiko tilted her head, glancing back over her shoulder. Naruto stood near one of the downed genin, crouched low with a grin stretching wide across his face. His eyes shimmered with excitement, as if he'd just struck gold. He held something in his hand, waving it wildly in the air like a child showing off a prized festival prize.

"Bingo! We got it!" Naruto declared with uncontained pride. His grin widened as he held the object high, his fingers gripping it like a rare treasure. The kanji for 「地」 (Earth) glowed faintly in the dappled sunlight filtering through the tangled canopy of the forest.

"Nice. No extra scroll?" Kimiko asked, tilting her head slightly, her red-ringed eyes flicking toward him with a calm but knowing look.

"Nah, no ramen either," Naruto grumbled, his face scrunching into a pout.

"Alright, well it can't be helped," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we should head straight for the tower. We have what we need. No reason to linger."

"Hold on," Sasuke interjected, his tone sharp but thoughtful. His Sharingan flickered in his eyes, scanning their surroundings with quiet intensity. "Before that, we need to make sure no one can pull any transformation tricks on us." He glanced at Naruto, his gaze narrowing slightly. "We'll need a system to make sure we don't get fooled by impostors."

Kimiko nodded. "Good point. You have a plan, Sasuke?"

But before he could respond, the air shifted violently.

The hairs on the back of Kimiko's neck stood on end.

"Move—!" she started, but the words were drowned out.

WHOOSH!

A deafening roar of wind surged from the depths of the forest, howling like a wild beast let loose from its cage. The gale struck with the force of a battering ram. Leaves, branches, and entire trees were ripped from the earth, their roots snapping like twigs.

Kimiko's eyes widened in pure shock. "What the hell—?!"

Her words were cut off as the sheer force of the gust slammed into her with the weight of a hurricane.

Her body was hurled through the air like a leaf caught in a storm. Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins. Kimiko's mind spun, her body twisting uncontrollably in midair. The world spun in a dizzying spiral — trees, sky, trees, ground — all blurring together.

Her fingers curled into a tight fist as she shifted her center of gravity. Her eyes narrowed, and she focused every ounce of chakra into her feet.

"Anchor. Hold. Land."

Her feet slammed into the bark of a large, gnarled tree. The impact rattled her bones, but she clenched her jaw, ignoring the pain. Her chakra surged down into her soles, clinging to the bark like glue. Her knees bent to absorb the impact, and with a quick twist of her hips, she launched herself off the tree, shooting forward like a bullet.

"Find Sasuke. Find Naruto. Regroup." She muttered to herself.

The rush of wind faded behind her, leaving behind a deep, haunting silence that only made her nerves feel tighter. Her eyes darted across the forest path as her body moved like a streak of black and crimson through the treetops.

But her instincts screamed at her.

A flash of brown and black entered her peripheral vision — too fast, too big. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"No—!"

CRACK!

A force like a warhammer struck her from the side. Her body snapped to the side like a ragdoll as her ribs were met with something hard, fast, and unyielding. The impact drove the air from her lungs, her breath forced out in a sharp gasp.

Her world flipped.

Her body crashed downward, slamming into the forest floor with an ear-splitting BOOM. Dirt and shattered bark shot into the air like an explosion. Kimiko coughed, her breath raspy and strained. Pain surged through her ribs and back, her body protesting as every muscle tensed with shock.

Her vision blurred, stars flickering in the edges of her sight.

"Up. Get up. Get up!"

She forced her hands into the dirt, fingers curling into the soil. Her nails dug deep as she pulled herself up, her breath short and ragged. Her mind was a haze of ringing noise and sharp pain, but she refused to stay down.

Her eyes opened.

What she saw made her heart stop.

A monster.

Towering above her, its shadow blotting out the light, was a snake. A colossal snake. Its scales were a dull, dirty brown, with jagged black spots stretching along its sides like stripes of war paint. Its head was the size of a boulder, its yellow eyes focused directly on her with the eerie stillness of a predator.

Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air.

Her air.

Her eyes locked on the snake's gaze, her breath coming slow and steady despite her pounding heart. She knew better than to panic. Panic was prey behavior.

"Don't move. Don't provoke it."

Her fingers twitched slowly toward the small pouch at her side, fingers brushing over the cold, smooth surface of her senbon. Her body remained perfectly still. The snake's yellow eyes remained unblinking.

Its head tilted. It watched her. Studying her.

Her gaze remained firm, steady, and unflinching. It wasn't fear that kept her still. It was calculation. Precision. Patience.

Her fingers slid across her pouch.

The tongue flicked out again, closer this time.

Her fingers brushed the tips of her senbon. Slowly. Carefully.

"One shot," she thought to herself, "One clean shot. Carotid artery, left side. If it moves, I move faster."

Her breath slowed. Her eyes locked on the beast.

The snake's body shifted ever so slightly, its head tilting as it drew closer. The low rumble of its breath echoed in her ears. The sharp, acrid scent of the Forest of Death filled her nose — moss, wet bark, and the faint tang of rot.

Her grip on the senbon grew firm.

Her muscles tensed.

It moved.

So did she.

CRACK!

The ground beneath them splintered as the snake's head shot forward, its fangs bared wide, aiming directly for her. But she was already gone, her body twisting like a dancer mid-spin. Her feet barely touched the ground as she leapt to the side, her eyes locked on the beast the whole time.

Her hand snapped forward. Three senbon cut through the air, each one sharp as a needle.

Tink-tink-tink.

The senbon struck the side of its head, glancing off its scales with a soft metallic ring. Her gaze hardened.

"Fuck, not deep enough."

Her eyes locked on the serpent. The snake hissed, its mouth opening wide as it raised its head, its body coiling like a spring.

"Big. Fast. Armored." She analyzed quickly, eyes darting to every scale, every twitch of its muscles. "I'll need more than senbon."

The snake lowered its head, pupils narrowing into thin slits.

"Alright, then," Kimiko murmured, brushing dust from her arms. She exhaled slowly, her eyes never leaving the snake. "Let's see if you're faster than me."

The snake's head lunged down like a falling boulder, slamming into the ground with a deafening crash. The earth splintered, dirt and shattered bark flying into the air like shrapnel. The ground trembled, the echoing thud rippling through the forest like distant thunder.

But Kimiko was already gone.

Her body blurred, a flicker of motion so fast it left an afterimage. She reappeared atop a twisted tree branch, balanced perfectly on the branch, her eyes locked on the beast below.

"Here it comes…" she muttered softly, eyes narrowing.

The snake's body coiled like a spring, its tail whipping upward in a flash of brown and black scales. The air cracked like a whip as the thick, muscular tail swung at her like a battering ram. The force of it tore apart everything in its path — leaves shredded, branches splintered, and entire chunks of bark blasted off the tree's trunk.

But Kimiko's form blurred again. Shunshin.

She vanished from the branch just before it exploded into splinters, her body dissipating into faint wisps of air. She reappeared ten feet to the right, crouched on another tree branch, her fingers already gripping three senbon from her pouch.

Her gaze flicked toward the snake, her eyes cold but steady. Her breath was slow, her body loose and relaxed.

Her hands moved swiftly, water chakra surged through her fingertips, coating the senbon in a slick, shimmering sheen. The water pulsed and coiled around each needle, growing into tiny whirlpools, the spinning force adding speed and cutting power. Her fingers flicked forward, and the three senbon flew through the air like missiles, spiraling as the water trails left thin blue streaks behind them.

This time, they struck true. Each senbon burrowed into the snake's flesh with a sickening squelch, tearing through its thick scales and puncturing the muscle beneath. The force of the water-enhanced projectiles left gaping wounds in its body.

"HISSSSSSS!"

The snake reared back, thrashing wildly, blood spraying from its wounds. Its cry echoed through the forest, a high, guttural shriek of pain that sent nearby birds scattering from the treetops. The sight of its crimson blood dripping from its scales only seemed to enrage it.

The snake's eyes snapped toward her, wide and wild, its pupils narrowing into razor-thin slits of pure hatred.

The snake's muscles coiled as it prepared to lunge at her again. It lowered its head, the power building in its massive body like a drawn bowstring. Kimiko knew that when it released, it would be twice as fast, twice as deadly.

Her fingers flexed, gripping the hilt of her tanto.

The moment the snake launched forward, Kimiko moved.

Her tanto slid free from its sheath with a soft "shhiiink", the polished steel gleaming briefly as it caught a stray beam of sunlight piercing the canopy. Her movements were fluid, like the gentle flow of a stream, her feet barely making a sound on the bark of the branch.

But this time, she didn't retreat.

She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with absolute focus, her gaze locked on a single point on the snake's body.

"Water Release: River General."

Water surged from her hand, spiraling around the tanto in a smooth, endless ribbon of liquid. The water wasn't just decoration — it twisted and spun at high velocity, forming a razor-thin blade extension that extended her tanto's reach. The ribbon of water spun so fast it hummed like a taut wire about to snap.

Her grip on the hilt tightened. Her breath slowed. Her heart steadied.

Kimiko shot forward like a bolt of lightning, her form a black-and-crimson blur as she met the charging snake head-on. Leaves twisted in wild spirals around them, displaced by the shockwave of their movement.

For an instant, it looked as though they would collide.

But at the last moment —

"Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Moonlight."

A flash of silver. A streak of blue. A line of white light carved through the forest like a falling star.

Her tanto's arc was perfect. Clean. Precise.

Her tanto slashed laterally, the water ribbon following in its wake like an arcing whip.

The blade did not stop.

The ribbon of water stretched past the snake, past the ground, past the surrounding trees.

SHHHHHHHRK!

The sound was distant but sharp, like the hiss of a blade sliding back into its scabbard. Kimiko landed on a branch a short distance away, her body low, her head down, and her tanto raised to her side. Her tanto dripped faint traces of water, the liquid swirling slowly as it fell.

Silence.

The snake paused mid-movement, frozen in place. Its body remained still, as if time had stopped for it. Its eyes were wide with confusion.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, slowly, it twitched.

A faint "shrrk" echoed from its midsection.

A line of red formed along its scales.

Blood sprayed into the air like a geyser.

The snake's body split apart, cut clean in half from head to tail. The two halves twisted and writhed in midair, arcs of blood painting the forest floor below. The ground was stained with red, the splash echoing like a heavy downpour. The dismembered body collapsed with a loud, wet "thump-thump", both halves twitching in unison.

A single droplet of blood ran down her cheek, trailing down her chin before falling to the forest floor below.

"Done." Kimiko huffed, wiping the streak of blood from her cheek with the back of her hand. Her breath was steady, but her eyes stayed sharp, scanning her surroundings for any signs of movement. Her fingers brushed a loose curl of hair back into place. "Now, to get back to Sasuke. But before that…"

She reached into her pouch, pulling out the Heaven Scroll. Her gaze shifted to a nearby tree with a deep, natural nook carved into its trunk. Perfect. Sliding the scroll into the crevice, she pressed it firmly, concealing it beneath a layer of loose bark and foliage.

I'll keep the Earth Scroll with me. If someone finds this, they'll think it's all we have. But if I carried both, we'd lose everything if I got caught. This way, even if I'm captured, they'll assume we're still looking for the second scroll.

"Well," she said, wiping her hand. "That's that."

With one fluid motion, she leapt from the tree, her form blurring as she dropped to the ground. Her knees bent to absorb the impact, her feet landing as light as a whisper on the dirt below. No wasted movement. No time to linger.

Her feet kicked off, propelling her into a sprint. She ducked low, weaving between the trees with the fluidity of a stream flowing downhill. Her senses were sharp, honed, and locked onto a single presence ahead of her. Sasuke's chakra.

Her sensory abilities pulsed outward, pinging his location like ripples through water.

"Hang in there, Sasuke," she muttered, her voice low but tense. Her fingers curled into fists as she ran. "If it's who I think it is…"

Her heart twisted. Her throat felt tight.

Please, no.

But when she saw him, the small hope she clung to shattered into dust.

There he was — Sasuke, crouched on one knee, kunai in hand, his eyes wide like a deer cornered by wolves. His breaths were shallow, erratic, his chest rising and falling too quickly. The faint tremble in his arms was barely visible, but she noticed.

Her eyes moved. She spotted it.

A giant dead snake, its body curled unnaturally, brown scales smeared with blood, six shurikens embedded around it in a precise circular pattern. His work. It wasn't dead by luck. He had killed it, but something else had broken him after.

Her gaze lifted.

There they stood.

A tall, thin figure stood in front of Sasuke, draped in a cream colored attire, with a wide-brimmed straw hat tilted just enough to shadow their face. They stood still — perfectly still. Not like a person. More like a predator. A predator waiting to pounce. Their presence was suffocating. It still wore the face of the grass-nin it killed.

Her heart sank. Her breath hitched.

"No."

Her feet touched the ground, but she barely felt it. She moved with calm precision, landing next to Sasuke, her eyes never leaving the figure in front of her. Her gaze was sharp, her face neutral, but inside, her mind churned.

"No. No. No."

Her hands twitched at her sides, fingers flexing as she curled them into fists, trying to find something—anything—to ground herself. She glanced down at Sasuke, whose gaze was locked on the figure, his kunai gripped tightly in both hands like a lifeline. He wasn't looking at her. He didn't even seem to notice her arrival.

He's paralyzed with fear.

She looked up, forcing herself to face the figure head-on. Her eyes met theirs, and it felt like she'd fallen into a pit with no bottom.

The figure tilted their head slowly, unnervingly slow, the motion like a snake inspecting prey. Their lips curled into a smile, and from their mouth, a long, slick tongue darted out, curling around their lips before pulling back in. Their voice was smooth as silk but laced with something vile.

"Well, well, well," they cooed, their voice light but suffocating in the still air. "It seems the little kunoichi dealt with my little friend without much effort. Clever girl."

The compliment was empty. It felt wrong. Like a predator praising the mouse for running fast.

"Now then..." The figure's smile widened unnaturally, far too wide for a human face. "Let's see if you can resist better than Sasuke-kun."

Her breath stopped.

Their eyes met hers.

And in an instant—

—her heart stopped.

No, it didn't stop. It squeezed. It locked up like it was caught in a vice. The air left her lungs in a sharp, silent gasp. Her body didn't move. Her muscles didn't respond. Her thoughts didn't flow. Her mind was still.

Killing Intent.

She knew this feeling. She'd felt it before. Zabuza. That fight on the bridge. The one before it. She had tasted it — that suffocating, drowning weight pressing down on her soul, making every instinct scream to kill herself. But this…

This was so much worse.

Zabuza's Killing Intent was like standing before a hurricane. Wild. Chaotic. Frightening. It was still frightening, but you know it was malicious by nature. That it had to actively exert some sort of attention, no matter how miniscule, to kill you.

This was different.

This was like being in the path of a predator that had already decided you were dead. Like she was an emaciated rodent in the face of a tall, towering serpent who could have consumed her and not paid a second thought about what her name was. That she was inconsequential beyond measure compared to the power before her.

Her fingers twitched involuntarily. Her nails dug into her palms, but she couldn't feel it. Her mind was filling with images. Horrible, horrible images. Her body being pierced by kunai. Her limbs being ripped off. Her chest being cleaved in two. Her body burning alive. The agony of her flesh boiling away, the smell of smoke and charred skin filling her nose.

Again. Again. Again.

Every death played out a thousand times in a second.

Her body on fire.
Her head being crushed.
Her heart being torn out.
Her limbs ripped apart.

Her vision shook.

Her knees buckled. Her muscles tensed so tight it felt like they might snap. Her lungs wouldn't draw breath. Her mind clawed at the walls of her thoughts, screaming at herself.

"No. No. No. No."

Her fingers twitched. Her legs moved half an inch forward but stopped. Her body felt like stone. She could feel the warmth of her own tears as they gathered at the edges of her eyes.

No. Not like this. Not like this. Not like this.

Move. Move. Move.

Her heart. Her mind. Her soul.

They all told her to run. Her vision blurred with tears, her eyes darting around, desperately searching for something, anything she could use. But she saw nothing. No escape. No options. Then, she gazed at Sasuke.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her hands shook. Her knees were still locked, but she managed to raise her gaze. Her lips moved, barely a whisper, her voice like a hollow echo.

"S-Sasuke," she gasped out, her voice barely a whisper, barely even a word. But her grip spoke for her. She squeezed his wrist so tight her own hand ached.

He blinked. His eyes flickered. The tremble in his arms stopped.

And then—

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The sharp ring of metal on metal echoed as a flurry of kunai rained down from above, scattering across the ground like thrown dice. Both of them moved at the same moment. They didn't even need to speak.

They jumped.

The force of the jump pushed Kimiko's hair back, the sharp, cool air rushing past her face as she spun in mid-air. Her sandals hit the bark of a thick branch, her knees bending on impact, her hands digging into the bark for balance. A second later, Sasuke landed next to her, his gaze already scanning the ground below.

"Run." He growled the word out like it hurt to speak. His voice was hoarse, like he'd been holding his breath for too long. He coughed, spat to the side, and turned his head toward her. "RUN!"

She didn't need to be told twice.

They moved. Fast. Desperate. Wild. Their feet blurred against the branches, leaping from one to the next, moving through the forest like twin streaks of shadow and light. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she could feel the cold air sting her lungs, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Her eyes flickered from branch to branch, feet landing on the bark for less than a second before she was off again.

She flared her chakra. A single pulse. "Find him. Find him. Find him." She reached for Naruto's presence in the forest, stretching her sensory range like a net, trying to hook onto his familiar chakra.

Her senses locked on. She felt him. A steady, wild burst of energy somewhere to the east. Relief surged in her chest, but only for a moment—

CRACK! BOOM!

The trees in front of them exploded. A flash of brown shot through the air like a battering ram. It tore through the branches, splintering wood like brittle twigs, sending them scattering in every direction.

Kimiko's eyes widened as her brain tried to process what she was seeing. A solid, shifting mass of scales, muscle, and fangs coiled and thrashed like a living storm.

"WATCH OUT!" she shouted, twisting her body in mid-air. She pushed chakra into her legs and kicked off the air itself, changing her momentum with a sharp burst. Sasuke followed her lead, twisting his body in a flip, just narrowly avoiding the massive body as it crashed through the branch they were aiming for.

CRASH! BOOM!

The branch shattered. Bark and debris shot out in every direction.

They hit a new branch, panting hard. Kimiko's eyes darted forward.

Three. Three of them.

Three massive brown-scaled snakes slithered across the branches, their golden eyes locked on her and Sasuke. Their slit pupils dilated as their tongues flicked out. They smelled them. They knew where they were.

"Three... Are you kidding me?!" she snarled, gripping her tanto as she slid it from its sheath.

The lead snake reared its head back, jaws wide, ready to lunge.

"We're not escaping unless we take them out," Sasuke said, his tone hard and focused.

Kimiko's breath came steady this time. She exhaled slowly, her eyes narrowing, her grip on her tanto shifting into a reverse hold. She glanced at Sasuke from the corner of her eye.

"You take the right, I'll take the left."

No nod. No hesitation. Just the flash of his Sharingan as he blurred into motion.

The first snake lunged. Kimiko twisted her body, her tanto flashing as she spun mid-flight. The head of the snake crashed into the branch she had just been on, splintering it into pieces. Her eyes flicked toward its head as she fell through the air. She could see it — the spot where the skull curved, the unguarded top of its head.

Her tanto hummed with chakra as she channeled water-style energy through the blade. A ribbon of water swirled around it, stretching it to twice its normal range. The water hissed like a live wire, the surface undulating with cutting pressure.

She pulled back her arm. Tightened her grip.

"TAKE THIS!"

Her slash was fast, precise, and pure. Her form curved through the air like a comet's trail. The ribbon of water followed her blade's arc, spiraling in a sweeping crescent.

The edge of the water ribbon hit the snake's head like a scythe, and on impact, it exploded outward in a watery pressurized explosion.

For a moment, nothing happened. Kimiko landed on a branch, looking back at the snake, who was frozen in place.

CRACK! SSSSHHHH—

The head of the snake slid cleanly off its body. Blood sprayed like a fountain, painting the bark, the leaves, and the dirt below in bright red arcs. The heavy body of the snake slumped, its massive form twitching once, twice, before it fell.

One down.

Her eyes darted to Sasuke. He was on the other side of the forest, his hands moving through seals with pinpoint precision. She felt his chakra spike.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

His mouth snapped open, releasing a cluster of miniature fireballs. Each one zipped through the air, twisting like homing missiles. The second snake reared back to dodge, but it was too big. Too slow.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The fireballs hit its face, bursting in rapid succession. Scales burned and flesh seared as smoke and embers filled the air. The snake thrashed violently, its head swaying side to side, flames still eating away at its eyes and jaw.

Kimiko's eyes flicked to the third snake. It hadn't moved yet, but its gaze was locked on her. Her gaze hardened. Her fingers moved.

"Water Style: Thousand Needles of Death!"

She slapped her hand against the blood-soaked bark below her, pulling moisture from the water created by her water ribbon exploding. Droplets rose into the air—tiny, flickering beads of water, moving as if drawn to her will.

One drop. Ten drops. A hundred. A thousand.

Her eyes narrowed. She made a single hand sign.

"Go."

The droplets sharpened into thin needles, spinning into a deadly vortex. They fired all at once, moving too fast to track.

SHHH-SSSSHH-SSSSSH!

The barrage struck the third snake from every angle, ripping through its flesh like a hailstorm of needles. Blood sprayed in fine red mist, each puncture a small eruption across its thick scales. The serpent's thrashing slowed, its powerful coils going slack as its body sagged beneath the relentless assault.

On the other side, Sasuke's target crumbled to the forest floor, its charred body still crackling with embers. Blackened scales flaked off in patches, the faint glow of residual heat flickering along its smoldering remains.

Three down, now, how to run-

A low, chilling laugh echoed through the air.

Kimiko's head snapped toward the source. Her eyes locked on it.

The second snake's body.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched it twitch unnaturally. The snake's punctured, blood-slicked flesh began to bulge, the muscles beneath writhing like something was crawling inside. Her breath caught in her throat.

No. No. No.

A sharp, wet splorch echoed.

A chunk of flesh exploded outward, sending bits of gore and bone flying as something rose from the carnage. Slowly, deliberately, the figure emerged from the ruined corpse of the snake, slick with fresh blood. The same inhuman face who was relentlessly chasing them gazed at them, lips curled into a crooked smile far too wide for a human jaw.

"Oh~ ho ho ho…" The figure's long, serpentine tongue flicked out of his mouth, licking the blood from his lips. He tilted his head at an unnatural angle, his smile widening. "How very impressive. To think you dealt with my little pets so cleanly." His eyes flicked to Sasuke. "You too, Sasuke-kun. I expected no less."

Kimiko felt her chest tighten. Her hands itched to grab her tanto, but she knew that wouldn't be enough. Not here. Not against him. It.

"Still," The disguised Orochimaru purred, his voice light, teasing, and venomous all at once. "If you can entertain me, I suppose I should reward you with… a little more attention."

The words barely finished before his body shifted.

Orochimaru's upper body extended unnaturally, his torso twisting and spinning like a snake lunging at prey. His clawed hand shot forward like a spear, a straight line of death heading straight for them.

Kimiko's breath caught. She tried to move—

A sudden storm of kunai and shuriken clashed with Orochimaru's attack, forcing him to twist mid-air. His head turned sharply, gaze flicking toward the source of the interruption.

Kimiko's head whipped toward the treetops, eyes wide.

There.

Naruto stood on a high branch, one foot braced against the bark, his arms crossed like he'd been there the whole time. Grinning. Confident.

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto called down with a sharp grin, cocking his head to the side. "Ran into an annoying problem."

Relief flooded through her chest, but it was far too brief.

"Naruto, run!" Sasuke's voice was rough, almost desperate. His body shifted as he turned, his eyes wild as he stared at their teammate. "Run! This isn't someone you can beat. He's way out of our league!"

Orochimaru's gaze snapped toward Naruto, his grin curling into something far more sinister. His eyes narrowed. His tongue flicked once more.

"My, my…" The disguised Sannin's eyes half-lidded with glee. "What excellent timing. My congratulations on defeating that snake so quickly….Naruto."

Naruto's brow furrowed. His grin turned into a scowl. "So it was you who summoned it, huh?! Figures." Naruto jabbed a finger down at Orochimaru, his face full of fiery determination. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh, you freak?!"

"Idiot!" Kimiko felt her heart leap to her throat. Her voice cracked with urgency. "Naruto! Stop provoking him! We need to run. We have to give u—"

Too late.

Before she could even process it, Naruto was on them.

Her head jerked, eyes wide as a flash of orange and black streaked past her. Her body shifted to block it, but—

Pain exploded through her jaw. Her head whipped to the side. Her feet slid across the bark of the branch, and she barely caught herself before falling off. A second later, Sasuke staggered next to her, his eyes just as wide. He clutched his cheek, his face twisted in shock.

Her mind barely registered it. Her fingers brushed her jaw. It throbbed. That was—

Naruto.

Naruto stood a few feet away, his hands clenched into fists. His eyes were sharp, wild, and angry. More angry than she'd ever seen.

"The hell is wrong with you two?!" Naruto's voice cut like thunder. His eyes darted between them, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "The Kimiko and Sasuke I know would NEVER back down. Never! What the hell happened to you?! Did that freak poison you or something?! What did he do to you?!"

Her heart stung.

Her eyes met his. She opened her mouth to argue, to snap back, to tell him he was an idiot and had no idea what he was saying—

But the words caught in her throat.

He wasn't wrong.

She bit her lip, eyes darting to the ground. The blood pounded in her ears, the lingering echoes of Orochimaru's Killing Intent still pressing on her like the weight of a boulder. Her fingers twitched, her grip tightening on her tanto.

No.

No. No more.

Her fingers curled into a fist. Her breathing steadied. Her eyes lifted.

She met Naruto's gaze with steady resolve. Her voice was quiet but clear.

"You're right."

Both Naruto and Sasuke glanced at her.

Kimiko straightened her back, her eyes sharp as glass. Her heart still raced, her fingers still trembled. But it didn't matter anymore.

"You're right," she said again. "We have no chance in hell of beating him. But that just means…" She lifted her tanto, the blade's edge catching the faint light from above. "…we don't go down quietly."

Her eyes met Sasuke's. Her voice was firm, sharp like a knife. "We fight."

He stared at her, his eyes full of doubt. "Kimiko…"

"Stop it." She cut him off, stepping forward, her gaze locked on him. "We're a team. We fight together. We'll die together if it comes to that. You're not going to die alone." Her gaze flicked to Naruto. "You'll have him." Her eyes snapped back to Sasuke. "You'll have me."

Her fingers twitched. Her muscles felt light now. Ready to fight.

"We're ninjas." Her eyes burned with resolve. "We prepare for this."

There was silence for a moment. Then, slowly, Sasuke's breath leveled out. His eyes hardened, sharper than ever. His gaze met hers, his Sharingan spinning slowly.

"…Alright," he muttered. "Together, then."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's feigned voice slithered into the air, his wide grin curling even further. "I seem to have underestimated you after all. You do have some fight in you. How delightful."

He rolled his shoulders, the pop of his joints audible in the quiet. His tongue flicked once more, slow, deliberate.

"Come then, little prey." The monster's eyes flashed with hunger. "Amuse me."

He raised his hands, no hand seals needed. The air shifted. A blast of wind tore through the forest, carrying with it the weight of a typhoon. Trees snapped like matchsticks. Bark exploded into the air as they twisted and toppled over. The roar was deafening, like the howl of a beast.

"Separate!" Kimiko barked, her voice sharp.

They jumped, each moving in a different direction. The gale howled behind them, tearing away everything it touched.

Kimiko gritted her teeth, gripping her tanto. Her breath came sharp and steady.

"Naruto!" she barked. "Make as many clones as you can. Sasuke, we attack when he's distracted!"

"Got it!" barked Naruto and Sasuke in unison.

In an instant, the forest filled with a storm of smoke clouds. When it cleared, a hundred Naruto clones stood ready. They charged forward like a wave, battle cries echoing through the trees as they surged toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's grin only widened, sharp and sinister. "It seems the friends I brought along weren't quite enough. No matter..." His hands pressed against the ground in one smooth, deliberate motion, his eyes half-lidded in amusement.

"Summoning Jutsu."

The forest shook as a wall of white smoke exploded outward. The ground trembled beneath them, and from the dissipating mist, a monstrous shape loomed over them.

A serpent. But not just any serpent.

This one was jade green, its scales shimmering like polished emerald, each one sharp as a blade. Black diamond-shaped spots lined its body, and when its slit-pupil eyes turned toward them, Kimiko felt a chill creep up her spine.

"It's different…" she muttered, her eyes darting across its form, noting the wide hood that unfurled like a cobra. Stronger. Smarter. Deadlier.

The snake reared its head back, its throat bulging unnaturally.

"MOVE!" Kimiko shouted, eyes widening.

The snake's throat convulsed before it unleashed a high-pressure blast of corrosive venom. The stream shot through the air like a liquid arrow, slicing clean through the clones, dissolving them with a sharp, wet hiss.

The venom sprayed the forest floor, eating through bark, leaves, and roots with ease. Trees sizzled and cracked, dark burns spreading like ink.

"Crap, it's not working!" Naruto hissed through his teeth, his eyes darting to his clones as they popped one after another. "They're not even slowing it down!"

But Kimiko wasn't watching the clones anymore. Her eyes were on Sasuke, who was moving through the trees.

He's going for it.

He blurred into motion, weaving through the air with great speed. He darted behind the snake, his Sharingan eyes locked on Orochimaru. He was fast — faster than she'd ever seen him move. But it still wasn't fast enough.

The snake's tail lashed out.

A sickening whip-crack echoed through the trees, destroying everything in its path as it headed towards Sasuke.

Kimiko's heart jumped. "Sasuke!"

The tail coiled around Sasuke like a vice, tightening in an instant. She watched as his eyes bulged, his breath cut off. His kunai clattered to the ground below as he clawed at the coils wrapped around his waist and chest. He was being crushed.

No. No. NO! Her thoughts spun as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her body moved before her mind did.

"I'm not letting this happen!"

Her tanto flashed from its sheath, her fingers gripping the hilt so tightly her knuckles went white. She jumped from the branch, charging straight for the snake's midsection.

Her chakra surged, cold and fast. Water-style energy flooded into her blade, a swirl of liquid encircling the steel. The water twisted and whipped around her tanto, growing into a circular ribbon of pressurized water.

"Move, move, MOVE!"

Her arm whipped forward, slicing horizontally with her tanto. The water ribbon extended, the force behind it turning the air around it sharp and slicing. She swung it again, creating a second and third arc, sending each one hurtling toward the snake's body.

Each arc of water struck with the force of a guillotine, exploding on impact with sharp bursts of mist. But something was wrong.

The cuts didn't go through.

Her heart sank as she watched the water strike the snake's scales and do nothing more than splash across its body. The crescent-shaped blades of water shattered like glass, spraying droplets in all directions.

"No way…" she muttered, her eyes widening.

Her eyes flicked toward its scales. Gleaming. Hard. Unyielding. Not like the brown snakes. These scales were stronger — tougher than iron.

"Watch out, Kimiko!" yelled the constricted Sasuke.

Her heart stopped for a moment. The same tail holding Sasuke swung.

It hit her like a battering ram. Her body spun through the air like a broken kite, crashing into the side of a large tree with a deafening crack. The bark shattered on impact, pieces of wood raining down around her as she gasped in pain. Her ribs burned with sharp, searing heat.

"Good effort," Orochimaru's voice drifted toward her, "But I'm afraid playtime is over."

Kimiko coughed, blood flecking her lips. She groaned, fingers twitching as she tried to rise. She glanced up, eyes narrowed, focusing on the snake. The water.

Her eyes flashed with realization.

The snake's body was wet. Soaked.

"That's enough." Her fingers twitched as she saw Sasuke's fingers weaving signs, and her chest swelled with pride. He understood.

Sasuke's eyes locked on to the snake. He grit his teeth as his hands moved faster.

"Lightning Style: Static Surge!"

ZAP-CRACK!

Electric blue energy shot from his body. Sparks lit the air, crawling up the wet scales of the snake. Lightning spread like veins through its entire body. The beast's thrashing became violent, its body twisting and convulsing in spasms as the electricity arced over its scales.

"HIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSS!"

The snake hissed in pain, its body twisting uncontrollably as smoke and steam rose from its flesh. The wetness intensified the effect. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

Orochimaru glanced down from atop the snake's head, lips curling into an amused grin. He was still untouched.

"Very clever, Sasuke-kun," he mused, his tone light, unconcerned. His eyes flicked toward Kimiko. "You, too. A resourceful team."

The snake didn't fall.

Even with its scales charred, its muscles still tensed, still moved. It shuddered, its eyes wild with rage, but it wasn't dead.

Kimiko's chest felt cold. How…?

"Seriously?!" she hissed, her fingers gripping the bark as she struggled to stand. We put everything into that!

"HA! DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!"

Her eyes flicked up.

Naruto.

A hundred Naruto clones poured from the canopy, charging toward the snake. They threw kunai in unison, pelting it like a rain of steel.

The snake hissed, its hood flaring.

"HSSSSSS—!"

The bulge in its throat returned. Kimiko's eyes widened.

"No! Naruto, get back!"

The snake spat a torrent of acidic fluid, the blast hitting the clones like a flood, erasing them in an instant.

But one of them — one kunai that was tossed and now lay forgotten — poofed.

"What?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.

The smoke cleared.

Naruto was there. He crouched low, fingers pressed to the ground, knees bent like a spring.

"Surprise, freak."

His hand pulled back, chakra swirling into his palm. His fingers curled into a fist, wind chakra surging around his arm.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm Fist!"

Naruto sprang up. His punch hit the snake's throat. Hard.

The impact was instant. The wind shot forward in a cutting spiral, driving the snake's head upward. Blood and venom spilled from its mouth.

"YES!" Kimiko's eyes lit up, but it was short-lived.

The snake's eyes glowed with raw fury. It reared its head back, scales smoking, and in a blur of green, its tail lashed forward.

Naruto's body was thrown like a ragdoll, crashing through the forest, smashing through trees.

Orochimaru's tongue shot out like a bolt of lightning — fast, silent, and impossible to track. It coiled around Naruto in an instant, the slick, snake-like muscle wrapping around his chest, pinning his arms to his sides. His feet kicked wildly, but his movements were restricted, his struggles useless.

"Gah—!" Naruto's eyes went wild, his body thrashing against the unyielding grip. His teeth clenched, his eyes sharp and fierce. "Disgusting freak! Put me down before I yank this stupid tongue out of your face!"

He writhed and kicked, but the tongue didn't budge. It only tightened. Orochimaru's gaze remained calm, unbothered by Naruto's words. His smile grew, eyes half-lidded with something close to amusement.

"Hmph… Such spirit," Orochimaru mused, "But you're not quite as helpless as you look, are you?"

His eyes flicked downward, focusing on Naruto's face. His eyes. The irises of his once-blue eyes had turned a deep, burning red, his pupils sharp slits like a fox.

"Extraordinary… so the Nine-Tailed Brat still lives."

Orochimaru pulled Naruto closer, his long tongue reeling him in like a fisherman with a hooked catch. Naruto snarled, his teeth bared, his breath coming in short, shallow growls. He writhed, muscles tensed, trying to break free, but it was useless. The grip was too tight.

"I see" Orochimaru whispered, tilting his head to the side as if examining something fascinating. "So when your anger is roused, some of the Nine-Tailed Fox's Chakra is released." His lips curled into a sharp smile. "What an interesting childhood you must have had."

Kimiko's nails dug into her palms. MOVE!

Her hands shot to her pouch. Three senbon. Her fingers twirled them in her grasp, lining them up like arrows on a bowstring. Her eyes burned with focus as her chakra surged into them. Water chakra.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru's gaze shifted, his eyes tracing the faint glow on Naruto's bare stomach. The tip of his tongue lifted Naruto's shirt, slowly revealing the Four Symbols Seal etched on his skin.

"Ah…" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with sadistic glee. "There it is. The seal used to contain the Nine-Tails…It appeared on your skin." His voice was almost a coo, soft like he was speaking to a child.

Kimiko's heart pounded against her chest. She knew this scene. She knew what was coming. Her throat tightened. NO! Not this!

Orochimaru gripped his left wrist with his right hand, his fingers tightening with a slow, deliberate twist. His wrist rotated unnaturally. His joints popped audibly, the motion too smooth, too precise.

No! Don't touch him!

Her hands moved before she even realized it. Her body lunged forward as she threw the senbon with every ounce of force she could muster. Her heart screamed, and with it, she poured everything into the throw. Her fingers flicked forward, and the chakra-infused projectiles shot through the air, cutting through the wind like missiles.

The senbon spun rapidly, a thin spiral of water forming around them. The trail they left in the air shimmered like streaks of blue light, the water making them faster, sharper, deadlier.

Kimiko's breath was sharp, her eyes focused like a hawk. Hit. Hit. HIT!

But Orochimaru's eyes didn't even flinch. He moved his fingers slowly, casually, like he had all the time in the world. His fingertips bloomed with pale lavender flames, five small orbs of ghostly fire.

"For twelve years the seal has remained unbroken," he said softly, his gaze locked on the seal as his hand drew back, fingers glowing like lit candles. "…Soon the demon's chakra and the boy's will be as one. But for now…he's just in my way."

"Five-Element Seal," Orochimaru muttered with chilling finality.

His hand swung forward. Too fast. Too precise.

"No!" Kimiko's voice ripped from her throat like a desperate cry.

Schhhhk!

The three senbon struck true.

The first pierced Orochimaru's wrist, driving clean through to the other side. The second hit his forearm, sinking through flesh and bone, while the third hit the base of his palm, forcing his fingers to spasm.

"Hmph."

Orochimaru's fingers flinched, the glowing flames at his fingertips flickering out like snuffed candles. His hand dropped at his side, loose and limp.

Kimiko felt her heart soar, relief crashing through her like a flood.

I hit him. I HIT HIM!

Naruto's eyes widened, his head twisting back to see her. His mouth opened, but whatever he was about to say was drowned out by the sound of Orochimaru's slow, deliberate laughter.

"…Well now."

The sharp clang of metal echoed.

The senbon fell from his wrist, clattering to the ground below. His head tilted slowly, his eyes narrowing, his pupils focusing on her with slow, unnerving deliberation.

"My, my…" His voice dripped with amusement as his lips curled into a smile that was too wide. "It seems I miscalculated. You're proving quite the nuisance, aren't you?"

Kimiko gripped her tanto tighter, her breath short but steady. "Let him go." Her voice was hard, louder than she thought it would be.

Orochimaru's smile didn't fade. "Oh?" he mused, tilting his head at a slight angle. "Let him go? So bold. So brave." His voice took on a mocking lilt, his tongue flicking out to lick the edge of his lips.

"I wonder… are you brave because you're strong? Or because you're a fool?"

Her fingers twitched. Her body felt light, ready to move.

"Test me and find out."

His smile widened, sharp like a blade.

"Then let's see."

His tongue twitched, pulling Naruto closer. And Naruto snarled, teeth bared like a wild animal, his eyes practically glowing with rage.

"Let me go, you freak!" Naruto shouted, thrashing against the binding tongue. "I'm gonna turn you into a pair of boots!"

Orochimaru's gaze didn't waver, but his eyes flicked back to Kimiko for just a moment. Her heart sank. She knew what that look meant.

He was playing with them.

He tugged Naruto even closer, their faces inches apart. The tension in the air grew thicker, the weight of it pressing down on her shoulders. Her breath felt heavier.

"Don't you dare!" Kimiko shouted, running forward, pulling her tanto free. Her eyes burned with fury, her legs ready to launch forward.

"I'll stop him," she whispered to herself. "I have to."

Her feet left the ground. She sprinted faster than she ever had, the tanto gleaming with the glow of her water chakra.

Her eyes locked on Orochimaru's eyes. She twisted her wrist, ready to swing, ready to carve through the monster's flesh. "Enough!"

But Orochimaru turned.

Too fast.

CRACK!

Her vision went white. Her back hit the ground. Hard. She coughed, eyes wide, gasping as the pain registered all at once.

She blinked, dazed, barely able to lift her head. Her eyes flicked toward Orochimaru.

He hadn't even moved his legs. His snake's tail had done it. The green, jade-scaled tail now hovered above her like a guillotine.

Her hands twitched as she tried to get up. Her fingers curled into the dirt. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.

"Don't break yet. I'm just getting started."

Her heart pounded in her chest like a war drum. Her vision swam from the impact, but she forced herself to her feet, gasping for air. Her ribs throbbed with sharp, biting pain. She pressed a hand to her side, fingers digging into her flak jacket as she steadied herself.

"Get up," she muttered to herself. "Get up, get up, get up."

Her eyes locked onto Orochimaru.

He stood atop the hood of the massive, jade-green snake, his eyes half-lidded with amusement. His tongue flicked lazily from his lips as if tasting the air. With a single, casual flick of his tongue, he hurled Naruto like discarded trash.

"NARUTO!" she screamed.

Her eyes tracked him as his body spiraled through the air, smashing through branches and colliding with the trunk of a large tree. Bark cracked. Leaves fell. His body slumped against the trunk, unmoving.

Move, move, MOVE! Her mind screamed.

Her feet twitched, but Orochimaru's gaze froze her in place. He was watching her now.

The snake slowly rotated its head, coiling its long body as Orochimaru shifted his attention fully to her. His grin widened, eyes sharp with cold intent.

"I've no quarrel with you, girl," he said, his voice smooth as velvet but laced with a predator's edge. "A shame you had to involve yourself. I suppose that means..." He tilted his head, gaze narrowing with cruel delight. "...I can't let you live."

Kimiko's chest felt tight. Her breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. Her legs locked up, her mind racing with a hundred desperate plans. But her body wouldn't listen.

The jade-green snake reared its head back, its hood expanding with a loud hiss. Saliva dripped from its fangs, thick and clear, sizzling as it hit the ground. Her eyes tracked the line of its movement, her fingers trembling.

It's going to bite me.

Her breath hitched. No time. No time. No time.

Her mind flashed to every jutsu she could use, but none of them were fast enough. It's too fast.

The snake lunged.

Her eyes widened, and instinct took over. She closed her eyes, body tense, hands raised weakly as if she could block it with her arms.

"This is it," she thought. "This is where I—"

But it never came.

Instead, she heard it.

THUD! CRACK!

Her eyes shot open just in time to see them.

Sasuke and Naruto.

Both of them, battered, bloodied, and barely standing, had thrown themselves in front of her. They braced their backs against the snake's massive snout, their arms outstretched, legs locked in place. Their muscles strained, their faces twisted with raw effort.

"K-Kimiko…" Naruto's voice was hoarse, breathless, but it was still him. His hands pressed against the snake's scales, his fingers digging in for purchase. Blood dripped from his temple, trailing down his cheek. "D-Don't you dare give up on us!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, eyes wild with pain, but he still glared at her from over his shoulder. His Sharingan spun slowly, flickering with exhaustion. "Kimiko," he gasped, his breathing ragged. "W-What do we do?"

Her breath caught in her throat.

They're looking at me.

Her heart throbbed painfully. Her fingers curled, nails digging into her palm. Even now. Even while they're holding back a monster that should crush them in seconds.

Her vision blurred, tears stinging at the edges of her eyes. Her gaze flicked to their backs, scarred, bruised, and bloodied, and yet they still stood.

Her. They were protecting her.

Her throat felt tight. She didn't deserve this.

But the look in their eyes wasn't doubt. It wasn't anger.

It was trust.

They trusted her.

Her lips trembled. "Oh…boys. My boys." She bit down hard, teeth clenched. She felt something cold and sharp settle in her chest. Resolve.

Her eyes lifted, clear, focused. Not again. Not this time.

Her grip tightened around her tanto, her knuckles going white. Her eyes narrowed as her stance straightened.

"Naruto, Sasuke," she said softly, her voice like steel. They both glanced at her, eyes flickering with hope. "Don't you dare collapse on me."

"I'm going to end this." She snarled.

Their eyes widened. Naruto grinned, his breath ragged. "Tch… yeah, that's more like it."

Sasuke's lips pulled into a small smirk, his head tilting slightly. "Took you long enough."

Kimiko's gaze flicked upward to Orochimaru, locking eyes with him.

"You like playing with your food, right?" she said, her tone light, mocking. "Let me show you what happens when it bites back."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, his lips curling into a wide grin.

"Yes... show me." His voice was smooth, slow, and filled with excitement. "Show me everything you have, little kunoichi. I see I was wrong to ignore you."

Kimiko's hands moved fast, her fingers weaving seals with precision. Her breath was steady now. Her eyes sharp. Her heart calm.

"Water Style: Thousand Needles of Death."

Her chakra surged like a tide, pouring out into the air. The moisture from the atmosphere gathered, water droplets rising from the dew-covered leaves, the misty air, and even the faint residue of Orochimaru's snake.

The water droplets floated upward, suspended like stars, glistening in the faint light.

A hundred. Two hundred. Three hundred. More.

Her fingers tensed. Her eyes locked onto the snake. "Fire."

The air snapped.

The floating water droplets hardened into needles and shot forward in an instant, a barrage of sharp, glistening projectiles. They pierced into the snake's exposed hood, its underbelly, and its eyes. Each impact was a sharp, meaty thud, and each needle sank in deep.

"HISSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The snake thrashed, rearing back, its head shaking wildly. Its body twisted, eyes wild with pain. Its fangs snapped at nothing, slamming into trees and uprooting them in its thrashing.

Orochimaru frowned, his gaze flicking toward her. "Using the moisture in the air to provide you with water?" He seemed genuinely impressed. "Ingenious. To use the Nidaime's method instinctually…clever, very clever!"

Her hands moved again, forming more signs. Her chakra surged, her mind calm, her heart steady. She closed her eyes, feeling the ebb and flow of the water in the air. She felt it all.

"Water Style: Searing torrent."

The water from the ground, from the shattered droplets of her first attack, rose like a tide.

Her hand pressed forward. The water swirled and twisted, surrounding the snake's head in a spinning vortex. It solidified into a pillar of water, slamming into the snake, sending it crashing to the ground, drilling into its side.

The snake thrashed harder, its body twisting, but the conclusive blast of the water seemed to have brought it to its breaking point. Orochimaru, meanwhile, already hopped off its head, standing atop a branch, making no attempts at stopping them.

"Hm…to produce more water using your own chakra as a catalyst? How resourceful…"

Kimiko's breath was steady. Her eyes locked on the snake.

"Naruto, Sasuke," she said softly, "I'll deal with the snake. Two of you, deal with that person."

The two boys straightened, their eyes sharp, their breathing heavy but steady. Naruto wiped blood from the edge of his lip with the back of his hand, flashing a feral grin.

"Tch, 'bout time," Naruto said, his knuckles cracking as he flexed his fingers. "I'm sick of being on defense."

Sasuke spun a kunai in his hand, his eyes trained on Orochimaru with deadly focus. His gaze flicked toward Kimiko for a moment, his voice cool but firm. "Yeah… let's end it."

"On three," Kimiko muttered, her knees bending as she prepared to leap.

One.

Her heart steadied.

Two.

Her chakra surged to her legs, ready to explode.

Three.

They moved.

All three of them burst forward, their bodies blurring in different directions. Kimiko shot into the air, the wind whistling past her ears as she spun into a high flip. Below her, the snake's massive head twisted up, its wide hood flaring as it tracked her movement.

"You're too slow."

The moment its head shot upward, jaws wide to snap her out of the air, Kimiko flickered. Her body blurred like mist, vanishing just as the fangs snapped shut on the empty air where she'd been a heartbeat ago.

She reappeared on a nearby tree branch, crouched low, her tanto gleaming with the soft glow of her water chakra. Her eyes locked on her opponent. "No escape this time."

Her fingers flashed through quick, precise signs. Her chakra surged, cold and sharp.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Poof! Poof!

Two identical copies of her appeared, each one as sharp and poised as the original. Their gazes locked onto the snake. Their tanto blades flickered with the glow of water-infused chakra, their edges like fluid razors.

"Kimiko Style: Dance of the Seaside Moon!"

Her clones shot forward, two from the sides, while Kimiko herself launched from above. Their movements were smooth, graceful, yet deadly precise. Her tanto trailed arcs of water like crescent moons in the air.

SLASH!

The left clone's tanto carved a deep line into the side of the snake's neck, slicing through muscle and scale.

SLASH!

The right clone mirrored the attack, cutting deep into the opposite side of its neck.

"Push!" Kimiko growled through gritted teeth, her eyes narrowing with unshakable resolve.

Her blade met the snake's snout. For a moment, the resistance of its steel-like scales held firm. But she gripped the hilt of her tanto tighter, pouring more chakra into it.

"CUT!" she snarled.

With a burst of strength, her tanto sank into the snake's head.

The blade drove deep.

The clones burst into smoke on either side of the snake as her final slash cleaved clean through the beast's snout, driving it into the ground. Kimiko used the force of her momentum to twist her body mid-air. She landed atop its coiled head, her knees bent, breath sharp but controlled.

Her gaze flicked down at the beast's quivering head. Her grip on the tanto tightened as she ripped it from its skull. She pivoted her body into a spin, her arm swinging with perfect precision. Her blade whistled through the air.

The snake's head fell from its body in one clean motion. Blood sprayed into the air like a fountain, coating the forest floor in a slick, red mist.

Thud.

The head hit the ground. The massive, coiled body thrashed once, twice… then stilled.

It was dead.

Kimiko dropped to one knee, using her tanto for support as her breath came in shallow, controlled gulps. Her eyes stayed on the twitching body for a moment longer. Her fingers gripped her tanto so tight her knuckles went white.

Her breath came slow. Controlled. Cold.

"It's done," she whispered.

But then—

"Take this!" Naruto's voice rang out, sharp and loud.

Her eyes darted up, locking onto the scene below. Her heart skipped a beat.

Sasuke and Naruto were fighting Orochimaru.

Naruto dropped from the treetops with a wild yell, his leg shooting down like a meteor, aimed directly for Orochimaru's head.

"HAAA!"

Orochimaru's body twisted unnaturally, his spine bending inhumanly as he slithered back just in time to avoid the blow. Naruto's heel smashed into the ground with enough force to crack the earth.

Before Orochimaru could recover, Sasuke blurred in from the side. Fast. Precise. Ruthless. His kunai was already swinging, his Sharingan glowing bright as he locked onto Orochimaru's movement.

Sasuke's foot lashed out in a side kick aimed for Orochimaru's temple.

"You're open!" he growled.

But Orochimaru's eyes flicked toward Sasuke. His arm shot up, catching the kick mid-strike with his forearm. His fingers locked around Sasuke's ankle like steel clamps.

"Predictable."

He twisted. Hard.

"Tch!" Sasuke's eyes went wide as his body was yanked off balance. Orochimaru swung him like a ragdoll, his body spiraling through the air. His path twisted toward Naruto, the two boys about to collide.

No. Not happening. Sasuke's too smart for that.

Sasuke's body turned mid-air. His eyes tracked his landing, his hands twisted into the ground, and he flipped upright, his feet skidding along the dirt. He crouched next to Naruto, the two of them side-by-side once more.

Kimiko's eyes caught something she hadn't noticed before.

Sasuke's Sharingan had evolved.

The single tomoe had grown into two. Both his eyes now carried the two-tomoe Sharingan. The sharp glow of his eyes made him seem more powerful, his eyes locked on Orochimaru with a hunter's gaze.

Orochimaru's grin widened, his eyes alight with glee.

"I knew it. It finally happened." His tongue flicked from his mouth like a snake tasting the air. "Your Uchiha blood has come to a boil. Delicious."

He leaned forward, his eyes wild with amusement. "I'll play with you a little longer, Sasuke-kun. Show me how far you can go."

Sasuke snarled, "Naruto," he said, his voice as firm as steel. "Let's do it."

Naruto wiped the blood from his mouth, a grin sharper than any kunai forming on his face.

"Got it!"

Both of them shot forward like twin arrows.

The three of them moved as one, blurring into action. Orochimaru danced between them with a grace too perfect, too smooth to be human. Every swing of Naruto's wild punches and kicks met only air or a firm block. His attacks were wild but relentless, forcing Orochimaru to weave, duck, and twist.

"Tch!" Sasuke growled as he shot in from the side, his Sharingan tracking every flicker of movement. But even with his eyes sharp as razors, his every strike was met with a parry or sidestep. He could see it. He could see it—but he still couldn't match it.

"Too slow," Orochimaru said softly, his voice a low hum of condescension.

Naruto lunged with a wild, sweeping hook aimed for Orochimaru's jaw. But Orochimaru's head tilted at an unnatural angle, his neck twisting like a serpent's coil. He caught Naruto's wrist in one hand with a resounding clap.

"Predictable," Orochimaru whispered with disinterest

Naruto's eyes widened. "Nope, not this time!"

With a grunt, Naruto shoved his free hand forward for a palm strike aimed at Orochimaru's chest. Orochimaru's eyes flicked toward it, his arm darting up to block—exactly what Naruto wanted.

As Orochimaru's forearm met Naruto's palm, Naruto's lips curled into a sly grin as he immediately flipped out of the way. "Gotcha."

In that instant, Orochimaru felt it.

The papery texture pressed against his skin.

His eyes flicked to his arm.

An explosive tag.

"Heh—"

The world erupted in fire.

BOOM!

The forest shook with the shockwave. A blast of red-orange flames and black smoke surged into the air. The ground quaked, branches snapped, and the trunks of nearby trees groaned under the pressure.

Kimiko's eyes widened as she felt the heat brush against her face. "He got him!" she thought, lips parting in disbelief.

Through the haze of fire and smoke, Sasuke moved. His gaze never leaving the target. His fingers flicked with precise control, his shuriken flew, and one after another, they whistled through the air.

Three shuriken. Five. Six.

They spun wildly, but they didn't fly in straight paths. Each one curved, circling like hunting birds of prey.

Kimiko's sharp eyes caught it—a glint of silver in the air.

"Wire!"

Her heart thudded as realization hit. Each shuriken was connected to strands of thin, near-invisible ninja wire. The wire danced through the air, weaving around Orochimaru like a web, threading through tree branches and crisscrossing around his body.

"Incredible," she breathed, eyes locked on Sasuke as he bit down on the last string of wire with his teeth. His fingers pulled taut, his hands trembling with effort. "He's using the Sharingan to guide the wire perfectly."

Orochimaru's eyes followed the wire like a predator-tracking prey. "Oh… clever boy," he hissed, lips curling into a grin. "The Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack. It's been years since I've seen this technique. And you used it perfectly."

Sasuke yanked the wire with all his strength. The shuriken jerked mid-air, spinning back like hooked anchors. They twisted and locked the wire tight around Orochimaru's body, yanking him toward the nearest tree.

The wire bit into his flesh. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to bind him. His back hit the tree, his arms pinned to his sides, his torso secured to the trunk. The shuriken dug into the bark, locking him in place like a nailed-down effigy.

Orochimaru didn't look worried. His eyes flicked toward her, catching her gaze like a predator to prey.

"Naruto, now!" Sasuke snarled through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched around the ninja wire.

"ON IT!" Naruto's voice boomed like thunder.

Naruto skidded to a halt next to Sasuke, hands blurring into signs. His chest swelled with a deep breath, Sasuke's eyes locked with his for a brief moment.

"Do it together!" Sasuke barked.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Sasuke roared.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm Blast!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke exhaled, releasing a surge of roaring fire. The flames coiled like a dragon's breath, racing down the ninja wire. At the same time, Naruto thrust his palm forward, releasing a blast of compressed wind chakra.

The two jutsu combined—fire fed by wind.

The ninja wire became a conduit.

The flames rushed like a flood, but the addition of wind chakra twisted them into a storm of white-hot inferno. The simple orange fire transformed into a searing blue-white flame, the intensity so strong it scorched the ground in their wake.

The combined jutsu surged toward Orochimaru, the air trembling with the sound of roaring flame and rushing wind.

Kimiko shielded her face with her arms, feeling the intense wave of blistering heat as it passed by. Leaves curled and turned to ash, and the air shimmered with waves of distortion from the sheer heat.

"HAAAAAAAAHH!" Naruto and Sasuke roared in unison, pushing their combined attack further, harder.

The blaze hit.

The entire forest lit up in white light. The explosion of heat was deafening.

WHOOSH! BOOOOM!

The inferno hit Orochimaru dead-on. The wind-enhanced flames washed over his body, engulfing him in a whirling vortex of pure fire.

The flames roared like a beast in agony.

The scream that followed was worse.

"AAAAAAARRRRGHHHH!"

Kimiko's breath caught. Her heart thudded in her chest. Her eyes darted through the flames, looking for him, for any sign of movement. The fire eventually died down, leaving trails of orange embers floating in the air like dying fireflies.

Her gaze focused on the tree.

There he was.

Orochimaru.

His body was slumped against the tree. His head lolled to the side, the weight of it too much for his neck to support. His clothes were scorched, his skin blackened and burned. His right arm dangled uselessly at his side, the flesh melted away to reveal exposed white bone and muscle.

The ninja wire was still taut, holding him in place, like a moth pinned to a board.

Sasuke's fingers twitched, his breath sharp and shallow. His eyes burned with intensity, but he didn't let go of the wire. He didn't trust it.

Naruto huffed, his breaths coming in short, heavy gasps. His hands were still outstretched, fingers trembling.

Kimiko's eyes darted toward them both. "They pulled it off. They really did it."

"Y-Yeah, we did!" Naruto's voice broke through the haze of fire and smoke, his grin wide and full of pride. He staggered forward, panting heavily, his arms trembling at his sides. "We actually did it!"

But the moment the adrenaline began to fade, reality set in.

Naruto dropped to his knees.

"D-dammit…" Sasuke's voice was hoarse as he fell beside him, his legs giving out from under him. He clutched his chest, his breathing ragged, the burn of chakra exhaustion hitting him hard. "Tch, that fight… took too much out of us."

Kimiko's heart skipped. "Not now..." Her eyes darted toward the enemy. "Not now, please..." Even she was dangerously close to running out of chakra, judging by the way her knees bucked.

And then, the ninja wire gave a slow, metallic groan.

Kimiko's head snapped toward the source of the sound. Her breath caught in her throat.

"No."

The wires snapped.

One by one, the taut strands of ninja wire severed as though they were threads of silk, cleanly cut by an invisible blade. The air filled with the soft metallic twangs of breaking wire.

From the sea of blackened bark, ash, and smoke, Orochimaru stepped forward.

He moved like he was strolling through a park. His body shifted with a slow, deliberate ease, each step crushing the ashes beneath his sandals.

The skin on his arms and face sloughed off in chunks, like burnt paper flaking from a log in a fire. It crumbled away, the outer shell of his "disguise" melting like wax.

Beneath it lay his true form.

Pale, unnervingly pale.

His skin was smooth like polished porcelain. His eyes, sharp and bright yellow, with slitted pupils that moved like a predator scanning its prey. The charred remnants of his old "face" hung from his cheek, slowly peeling away like a discarded mask.

Naruto's breath hitched. "W-what the hell…?" His eyes grew wide, his body frozen in place. "His face… it's different."

"No," Sasuke breathed. His gaze, sharper now with his newly evolved Sharingan, locked onto Orochimaru. "That's... that's his real face."

"Incredible."

Orochimaru's voice shifted, no longer the smooth, sickly sweet tone of his disguise. His voice was deeper, more serpentine, with a low rasping hum that sent a cold shiver up Kimiko's spine. "Such mastery of the Sharingan at such a young age. You're a true Uchiha after all… yes, you'll do nicely."

His gaze was locked on Sasuke, but it felt like his eyes were everywhere at once. Like no matter where you ran, he'd see you.

Kimiko's heart pounded. Her body screamed at her to move, to attack, to do something, but she couldn't.

"Move," she hissed at herself. "Move, move, MOVE!"

But her muscles wouldn't listen.

Her breathing hitched. No. Not this. Please, not this.

Orochimaru's hands flickered into a single seal. Just one.

Her body went rigid.

It wasn't just her. She felt it—an overwhelming, unseen force seizing her entire body at once. Every muscle locked, every joint froze in place. Her fingers twitched, her knees stiffened, her eyes widened in realization.

"No…" she muttered through gritted teeth. Her breath came shallow and frantic, her heart thundering in her chest. "Not Genjutsu... it's not Genjutsu... this is..."

Her eyes darted to Naruto, and she could see it—he was struggling too. His arms twitched, his fingers curling and uncurling like he was fighting against invisible binds.

"Hngh… ngh! Let… let me… GO!" Naruto roared, veins bulging in his forehead as he strained his muscles to move. His feet scraped the ground as he struggled, but it was no use. His body didn't move an inch.

"I can't… move…" Sasuke muttered, his voice low, strained, his teeth bared in frustration. "I… I can't move…!"

"Paralysis Jutsu."

Orochimaru's voice was soft but firm, as if explaining something to children. "A simple, yet effective technique. The more you fight it, the tighter it grips you. But go ahead and resist. It makes it more fun to watch."

Orochimaru's gaze shifted to Sasuke, his golden, slitted eyes narrowing with satisfaction. "You are definitely his brother," he said, his voice a soft, eerie hum. "If anything, your eyes are even keener than Itachi's."

"Tch!" Sasuke's eyes widened at the name, his breath caught in his chest. His teeth clenched, his voice sharp with anger. "Who are you?! How do you know that name?! What do you want?!"

Her nails dug into her palm, hard enough to draw blood. Move, Kimiko, please. Move.

"My name...is Orochimaru. But as to what I want…" Orochimaru's grin stretched, his tongue flicking out like a snake tasting the air. "That will have to wait until we meet again. Which, I assure you, we will. But only if you survive this test with the best possible score." His eyes glowed with sinister delight. "And to do that, you'll have to defeat the Hidden Sound ninja who serve me."

Kin. Zaku. Dosu. Kimiko's eyes narrowed as realization hit. Damn it. I almost forgot about them…

"I don't care about any of that!" Naruto barked, his blue eyes blazing with defiance as he stepped forward, his fists raised. "You're not gonna get the chance to meet Sasuke again, you freak!"

Orochimaru tilted his head, his gaze sharp as a knife. His smile widened.

"Oh, nine-tailed brat," he said, his tone almost pitying, his yellow eyes gleaming with malice. "I reckon I will. Trust me."

His hands blurred into a single seal. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

The world shifted.

A hurricane-force blast of wind erupted.

The air howled with the intensity of a typhoon. The trees bent, groaned, and snapped like twigs. Leaves and debris whipped around like shrapnel. The sheer force of it struck Naruto square in the chest, his body sent flying like a ragdoll.

"Naruto!" Kimiko screamed, watching him disappear into the distance. His body crashed into a tree with a loud, sickening CRACK. His body went limp. He didn't move.

"He's out." Her heart pounded in her chest, her vision narrowing as panic started to seep in. "He knocked him out with one move…"

Realization hit. "He could have ended all of us that quickly. He just wanted to toy with us."

Her chest rose and fell with shallow, panicked breaths. Her body was drenched in sweat. Her gaze flicked toward Sasuke, hoping he'd move first.

But he didn't.

Sasuke's feet were planted firmly on the ground, his kunai raised in front of him. His eyes were wide, his body locked with fear. Sasuke was frozen.

Kimiko opened her mouth to scream, to tell him to run, but her breath caught in her throat as her eyes caught the subtle shift in Orochimaru's posture.

His neck…

It stretched.

Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. Her breath hitched.

"NO!" she screamed. "SASUKE, MOVE!"

But it was already too late.

Orochimaru's neck shot forward like a spear.

The movement was too fast, too sudden. His head blurred, stretching through the air like a striking cobra.

Faster. Too fast.

Kimiko's hand darted into her pouch, finally breaking her paralysis, her fingers clenching around three senbon. She flicked her wrist, her body reacting before her mind could think. The three senbon spun through the air like needles of light, but—

Too slow.

Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Orochimaru's fangs sink into the side of Sasuke's neck.

"No…"

Sasuke's body jerked, his back arched in pain. His eyes shot wide open, blood-red Sharingan fading to black and blazing with shock. His hands clawed at Orochimaru's head, his fingers digging into his skin, but the grip was too strong.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

His scream echoed through the forest like a dying animal. His body trembled, his knees buckled, and his legs finally gave out. He collapsed onto all fours, one hand clutching his neck, his teeth bared in pure agony.

Kimiko watched in stunned horror as Orochimaru's head slithered back, his neck retracting into his shoulders like a serpent pulling its prey into its coils. His grin was sharp, his tongue flicking the air with satisfaction.

Her eyes locked onto the three tomoe-marked curse seal on Sasuke's neck, the exact spot where he was bitten.

Her heart shattered.

Her body shook. Her lips quivered.

"No…"

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees. Her fingers dug into the dirt. Her nails clawed the ground so hard that the soil filled the spaces under them.

"No, no, no, no, no—"

Her heart pounded in her ears like a war drum. Her mind spiraled into a storm of guilt and disbelief. Her gaze was locked on the seal.

"I failed."

Her fingers curled into fists, trembling with rage and self-loathing. Her mind screamed, loud and frantic, a whirlwind of blame and regret.

"I did everything. I did everything right. I fought with everything I had. But I couldn't stop it."

Her throat tightened. Her eyes burned with tears she refused to let fall.

"I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop it."

Her head dropped, her forehead pressing into the dirt. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

Her thoughts shattered as a chilling presence manifested before her. Orochimaru. He was suddenly there, like a nightmare materializing into reality.

Before she could react, his feet kicked her in the face, sending her flying upward, then his hand shot out like a viper. His fingers wrapped around her throat. Her breath hitched, her eyes wide with shock.

"Ah, and you…" Orochimaru's voice was smooth as silk, his grin razor-sharp. His golden, slitted eyes glowed with sickening delight. "You surprised me the most, Kimiko."

Her breath came in shallow gasps, her nails clawing at his wrist as he lifted her effortlessly off the ground, her feet dangling in the air. "Tch… don't… touch me!" she hissed, her voice strained.

Her nails scratched at his arm, but his grip didn't budge. His fingers dug into her neck like iron clamps, unyielding and cruel. The way he said her name—like he owned it—made something twist in her chest. He knows me. He knows my name.

Her eyes flicked to Sasuke and Naruto, still down, unable to help her.

"A shame, really," Orochimaru continued, tilting his head like he was observing a rare insect. "I never expected such talent to reveal itself here of all places." He gave a slow, somber shake of his head. "But to display such skill... alone, no less." His gaze flicked toward the lifeless corpse of the green snake Kimiko had killed. "To kill my pets… not once, but multiple times. I repeat myself, but I shouldn't have underestimated you. Talent can be found in many places."

Her vision blurred. Her lungs strained for air. Her eyes darted toward his face, sharp with defiance, and she forced herself to breathe, forced herself to stay conscious.

"You're wasting your time, I'll never let you have Sasuke." she rasped, voice hoarse but unbroken.

Orochimaru's gaze slowly moved back to her, his smile widening as he hummed with amusement. "I already have him, little girl. He just doesn't know it yet. But it doesn't stop there." His eyes flicked toward Sasuke and Naruto. "They look to you, you know. Both of them."

Her heart clenched.

"You're their center. Their support. They rely on you." His grin grew predatory, his eyes narrowing with twisted glee. "How fascinating. A leader. A talented kunoichi… and yet…" His smile disappeared. His fingers squeezed her throat, cutting off her air for a second.

Her body jolted. Her lungs burned. Her legs thrashed.

"Such a waste," he said softly, "You'll likely die here."

Her vision swam. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her thoughts slowed.

No. No. No.

Her fingers twitched. Her nails scraped against his forearm. Her mind surged with raw fury. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to die quietly.

Her eyes narrowed. Her gaze sharpened. Her lips curled with defiance.

"Then choke on this."

With the last bit of strength she could muster, she spat in his face.

Her saliva struck his cheek. It slid down, hot and wet.

Orochimaru blinked, slowly turning his head to look at her, his golden eyes filled with disbelief. There was a pause—a moment of silence, like the world itself stopped to register what just happened.

Then, he laughed.

"Hahaha… oh, you…" His tongue slid from his mouth, long and serpent-like, licking the spit clean off his face. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that—"

But then he paused.

His tongue stopped.

His eyes narrowed.

"...Hrm?" His brow furrowed, confusion clouding his features. Slowly, he glanced at his wrist, the same wrist that was clutching Kimiko's throat. He blinked. Once. Twice. His fingers flexed, digging slightly into her neck.

Kimiko winced, a jolt of pain coursing through her nerves. "Tch—!" Her chakra surged in response, fighting back against the invasive force of his chakra pressing into her.

And that's when Orochimaru felt it.

His eyes widened.

"Oh…?" His gaze flicked back to Kimiko, his confusion melting into dawning realization. "What… is this?"

He squinted, eyes focusing on the sensation running through her chakra network. His expression shifted from shock to understanding. His lips curled into a wild grin.

"Hahahahahaha!" His laughter echoed through the forest like a bell of madness. "I see it now! I understand it!" His eyes snapped toward Kimiko, filled with giddy excitement, "Poison. Your chakra network is swimming with it. They couldn't flush everything out, I see. No. Tsunade's the only one who can completely bleach you clean. "

Her eyes met his, defiant but filled with dread. He knew.

"Yes…" he hummed, his voice silky with admiration. "Your entire system is laced with it. You… you poisoned yourself, didn't you?" His grin grew wicked, like he'd uncovered her most intimate secret. "You've been saturating your chakra network with it, familiarizing your body with its essence."

Her lips tightened, but she said nothing.

"Oh, ho ho… what was it for, I wonder?" He tilted his head, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, like she was a fascinating new specimen. "For power? For control?"

His smile dropped for a moment, eyes narrowing. "No… it's deeper than that."

He sniffed the air, his grin slowly returning. "You must have felt it, haven't you? That sense of inadequacy. No power, no bloodline, no inherited gifts. Just a kunoichi from an inconsequential family, surrounded by two boys carrying legacies on their backs. The legacy of the Uchiha, and the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Her eyes flickered. Her breath came in short gasps.

"Yes… I see it now. That burning, desperate desire to bridge the gap. To carve power from nothing. To create strength where there was none." His eyes narrowed, his smile sharp as a razor. "You remind me of myself."

Her heart stopped.

"Tch—shut up," she hissed, her voice raspy but laced with venom. "I am nothing like you."

"Oh?" His eyes narrowed to golden slits, his smile curling wide. "Are you sure? I see it clearly. You're brilliant. Resourceful. Clever. Willing to go against tradition, and you're ready to risk your body for power. Just like me. "

Her teeth ground together. "You're wrong. I did this for them."

Orochimaru grinned. "Yes. Yes, you did. And that's why you'll break."

His fingers tightened around her throat like a noose.

Her nails dug into his forearm. Her arms trembled. Her breath hitched.

"Don't worry, Kimiko," he cooed, his eyes half-lidded with mock sympathy. "Sasuke-kun will be my next vessel, but you… you'll come along too." His voice dropped to a whisper, soft and saccharine. "He'll need a companion. And I'd be happy to mold you into something more. To make a place of honor for you by his side. I have lessons to teach someone like you, too."

Her heart pounded in her ears. Her breath was shallow. No. No, no, no.

"I see where you failed in your little experiment, by the way." His eyes glittered with sadistic amusement. "Your poison was incomplete. It wasn't stable enough. You were missing something." His eyes locked with hers, sharp and calculating. "But I know the secret ingredient. Shall I show you? A little favor from one scientist to another."

Her eyes widened.

"Don't."

"I insist. It's a senior's duty to aid those that came after them." His smile widened into something inhuman, unhinged. His mouth opened unnaturally wide. His teeth glistened, sharp as fangs.

"No! No, no, no!" She thrashed, legs kicking. Her chakra surged wildly, her heart racing. "Don't you DARE—"

His head shot forward like a serpent.

Fangs pierced her neck.

Her world burned.

Fire. Agony. White-hot pain surged from her neck, igniting every nerve in her body. Her eyes shot wide open. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream. Her nails clawed at his arm, drawing blood, but his grip didn't move.

"AH—AAAHHHHH!"

Her scream echoed through the forest.

Her vision flickered.

Her mind spiraled.

Her world went dark.