Uchiha Sasuke, empowered by the Curse Mark and driven by surging rage, defeated Zaku Abumi in an instant. Using his enhanced speed and strength, Sasuke wrapped his shuriken with Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu and launched a barrage at Zaku. The fiery attack came so swiftly that Zaku couldn't dodge. He reflexively countered with a blast of compressed air from his arms, attempting to disperse the flames—only to be blindsided by the hidden shuriken within the flames. As Zaku reeled from the strike, Sasuke closed the distance. For a fighter like Zaku, whose strength lay in mid-range shockwave attacks, close-quarters combat was a nightmare. Sasuke subdued him easily, locking his arms and pinning him to the ground.
The outcome shocked everyone. Sasuke, intoxicated by his own strength, let out a cold, unsettling laugh. His expression was twisted—far removed from his usual stoic demeanor. The Curse Mark was awakening the darker urges festering within him, amplifying his lust for power and vengeance.
Dosu Kinuta, witnessing both of his teammates defeated—Zaku unconscious and Kin Tsuchi downed—chose to surrender. He knelt, offering the Heaven scroll in exchange for their lives. Taking the injured Zaku and unconscious Kin with him, Dosu backed away cautiously.
"Sasuke Uchiha… You're strong. But don't think I'm weak. If we ever meet again, it'll be a real fight," Dosu muttered, leaving with a bitter glance.
Among the Sound Trio, Dosu was the most level-headed. Throughout the manga, he demonstrated restraint, even stopping his teammates from unnecessary violence. During the written exam, he refrained from hurting Chōji Akimichi. Here too, he begged for his teammates' lives rather than fight to the death. In a world where bloodlust is often glorified, Dosu's humanity made him stand out.
But even Dosu couldn't suppress the unease in his heart—his admiration for Orochimaru tainted by the cruel reality that they were merely tools to test Uchiha Sasuke. Being used as stepping stones left Dosu with one final resolve: to prove his worth by defeating Sasuke in the Chūnin Exams, fair and square.
"Not yet… I'll test some things first—then it'll be time to settle things with Sasuke."
Meanwhile, Haruno Sakura finally exhaled in relief as the Sound ninja retreated. But her sense of security was short-lived.
The Curse Mark continued to influence Sasuke—warping his thoughts, clouding his judgment. Normally cautious and calculating, Sasuke now sought an outlet for his seething emotions. His newfound strength gave him confidence… and recklessness.
"You in the trees… I know you're there. If you've got guts, come out already," Sasuke said, sensing hidden chakra.
From the trees, Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten stepped forward.
"So it's you guys…" Sasuke sneered. "Perfect timing."
He hadn't forgotten the humiliation of being defeated by Lee days earlier.
"We're not here to fight you," Lee replied. "We just came because we saw Sakura being attacked—"
But before Lee could finish, Sasuke struck. Caught off guard, Lee was floored in seconds.
"Your speed's not what it was before the exams," Sasuke mocked.
Though Lee was incredibly fast, he had underestimated the change in Sasuke. The gap in power was too wide now. Lee, stunned and wounded, was taken down within moments.
With an inflated ego and bloodlust mounting, Sasuke vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Neji.
"I hear you were the top rookie last year. Let's see what you've got."
Just as Sasuke was about to strike, he found himself frozen.
"Newcomers never know their place," Neji said coldly, turning as chakra flared around him. With the Byakugan active, he had already mapped out Sasuke's chakra flow.
"You walked right into my range."
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Though Mizuki once mocked the Byakugan as overkill, even he had to admit its lethality in the right hands. The moment Sasuke stepped into range, he was caught. Neji's precise strikes blocked all his tenketsu points, leaving him paralyzed and chakra-less.
"How… is this possible?" Sasuke gasped, helpless as the blows rained down.
"You thought beating Lee made you untouchable? You know nothing about the gap between us," Neji said coldly. He stepped forward and snatched the Heaven scroll Sasuke had taken from the Sound trio.
"This belongs to us now. Try and impress me next time. Honestly, your little tantrum doesn't even measure up to Lee's daily warm-up."
Unable to respond, Sasuke could only seethe in silence.
"One more thing," Neji added. "Maybe I'm not the strongest Genin—but even the strongest Genin is still just a Genin."
With that, Team Guy left, Tenten helping support an injured Lee.
"Damn it…" Sasuke muttered, his head spinning as the Curse Mark receded. His body, pushed past its limit, began to shut down. His knees buckled.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ran to catch him.
"I'm fine… just… can't use chakra right now," Sasuke muttered. "No combat ability, for the moment."
Sakura smiled with relief. For a girl in love, the rest didn't matter—Sasuke was alive, and that was enough. The mark on his neck could be dealt with later. When the exams ended, Kakashi-sensei would surely find a way to help him.
Just as things began to settle, footsteps approached their resting place.
"Great. You guys again?" Sasuke groaned.
It was Team 10—the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
"You don't look much better than us," Shikamaru said with a sigh, eyeing Sasuke's battered state.