"According to the rules of the second exam, the very first thing we should do upon entering the Forest of Death is hide ourselves, observe from the shadows, and wait for the right opportunity."
"That's what a normal person would think."
A black-haired boy was leaping from branch to branch atop a giant tree, his movements agile and silent.
"You're right, Sasuke," came a voice from behind.
"So, what do you think we should do instead?"
Sakura turned to glance at the boy beside her.
Sasuke looked into the depths of the forest, as if he could already see the central tower rising from the heart of the Forest of Death. A smug, rebellious smile crept onto his lips.
Seeing that smile, Sakura couldn't help but return a soft one of her own.
"Of course, we go straight to the tower and camp by the entrance!"
"Beat down everyone who shows up!"
"After all, they're all our enemies from this point forward. The fewer there are, the better our chances."
If Sakura were really just a simple Genin, she would've wholeheartedly agreed with Sasuke's plan. It was direct, strategic, and aggressive.
But she wasn't just any Genin. If she actually went ahead with this plan, Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably give her an earful. If they ended up making it so that no one from the Wind and Earth countries passed the exam, it would severely damage the reputations of Sunagakure and Iwagakure. The balance among the villages could be upset.
Did Hiruzen truly think she was just another Genin when he allowed her into the Chūnin Exams?
"This idea is awesome!" Naruto chimed in with unusual enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Let's do it!"
Sakura just shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "We'll talk about that later. The person I'm looking for is just ahead."
With that, she dashed forward, her eyes already catching sight of a striking red figure in the distance.
—
Karin walked silently behind two burly male Grass ninjas. She hadn't said a word since entering the forest.
She still wasn't sure if what Sakura had told her earlier was true. But if there was even a small chance it could help her escape her current miserable situation, then she was willing to take that risk.
Karin could guess what the pink-haired girl needed from her. That purple diamond mark on Sakura's forehead was packed with a huge amount of chakra. No doubt, she wanted Karin to act as a source of chakra.
But...
There was a big difference between being bitten by one person and being used by a whole group.
Besides, Karin didn't actually dislike that girl named Sakura.
"What are you dawdling for?!"
One of the Grass ninja snapped impatiently at her, clearly annoyed at her slow pace.
"I-I'm coming," Karin said nervously, pushing up her glasses and quickening her steps.
She had no idea where the girl who said she belonged to her was now. At the moment, all she could do was follow these two Grass ninjas and obey their commands.
"Tch. We should find a place to hide soon. If another team sees us, things could get ugly."
The leader of the Grass ninja team glanced at his companion and the scroll in their possession.
"There's really no need for that."
A clear, confident female voice rang out from ahead.
Startled, the Grass ninja team instinctively looked up.
There, standing on a thick branch with her arms crossed, was a pink-haired girl staring down at them.
Flanking her were two boys—one blonde and one dark-haired.
"Boss, they're from Konoha. What should we do?" one of the Grass ninja muttered, clearly unsettled.
"Tch."
The leader narrowed his eyes at Sakura, who stood confidently in the center. A glint of fighting spirit lit up his face.
"So what if they're from Konoha?"
"Even Konoha's ninjas are nothing special in front of me."
This Grass ninja had been hailed as a genius in his village. Facing Konoha's team, he was eager to test his strength. If he lost, they could always just hand over the scroll. No big deal.
"Naruto, Sasuke, they're yours."
Sakura waved her hand casually.
Naruto grinned widely, visibly pumped. "You got it, Sakura!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
He leapt into the air, forming the hand signs mid-jump. In an instant, hundreds of shadow clones exploded into existence, raining down toward the two stunned Grass ninjas.
"Well, looks like I don't need to do anything," Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow.
He knew Naruto's strength well. Even though Naruto was at the bottom of their class back in the academy, his Shadow Clone Jutsu was an absolute menace.
With his massive chakra reserves, it was hard to even tell which one was the real Naruto. That alone made him a formidable foe.
The Grass ninja who had initially charged forward halted mid-step as the clones descended upon him. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees with a dramatic slide, drawing long tracks in the dirt before bowing his head low in a perfect dogeza.
"Huh?!"
All the Narutos screeched to a halt, confused by the sudden and utterly un-ninja-like act of surrender.
"W-We lost! Here's our scroll, great Konoha ninja!" the Grass ninja cried, pulling out the Heaven Scroll and offering it up with both hands.
Sasuke's face twitched as he watched this utterly shameless performance.
Were all the ninjas from other villages this pathetic?
"Wait—what? We haven't even fought yet!" Naruto stared blankly at the guy kneeling before him.
"Sakura... This isn't the person you were looking for, right?" Sasuke said, turning to her with a deadpan expression.
"No," Sakura replied with a sigh, rubbing her temples. "Naruto always runs into the weirdest people…"
"Please spare us!" the Grass ninja shouted, as though he had no understanding of shame or dignity.
"Ahaha… S-sure, okay..." Naruto laughed awkwardly and scratched his head. Without thinking, he released the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and all the copies vanished in a puff of smoke.
But at that exact moment, the kneeling Grass ninja's head snapped up, his eyes gleaming with cold malice.
With terrifying speed, he slammed his forehead against the ground, triggering a hidden mechanism. A small dart coated in poison shot out from the back of his collar straight toward Naruto's exposed chest!
Clang!
A spark of lightning lit up the air as a kunai came flying from afar, striking the dart midair and sending it spinning harmlessly to the ground.
"Eh?"
Naruto looked down at the kunai on the ground in confusion.
"Idiot. If I hadn't reacted in time, you'd be dead," Sasuke said coldly as he strode forward, eyes sharp and unforgiving.
The act of surrender had been nothing but a ploy—a trap to get them to lower their guard. These enemy ninjas were even more cunning and vicious than Sasuke had expected.
"Huh?" Naruto was still too stunned to say anything. He could only stare blankly at the fallen kunai.
But even as he stood there dumbfounded, the Grass ninja had already swapped the scroll in his hand for a real kunai. With a burst of speed, he lunged straight at Naruto again, blade aimed directly for his neck!
"Tch. What a moron..."
Sasuke's face darkened as he moved to intercept.
(To be continued...)
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