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At this moment, Yuugao was on her way to the Forest of Death.
Yuugao Mitarashi was originally a seed casually discarded by Orochimaru when he left Konoha, intended for future use. However, whether it was due to a defect in the seed or because of Konoha's post-war advancements in research (such as the development of Kinkara), this particular "seed" grew abnormally large and eventually transformed into something resembling a sweet potato—far from the original intent.
Naruto looked at the Rain ninja before him and his teammates emerging from the bushes behind him. They didn't resemble Orochimaru but seemed like some forgettable extras.
Giving Sasuke a meaningful glance, Naruto signaled him to handle things as they pleased.
With that, both boys suddenly accelerated their pace.
Sasuke understood Naruto's unspoken message—one opponent each, and whoever finished first could take care of the remaining one.
Naruto, burdened with weights and not using Wind Wrap, wasn't as fast as Sasuke. By the time Sasuke had already driven a kunai into the chest cavity of one Rain ninja, Naruto had only just arrived in front of the other.
With a swift kick to the chin, Naruto sent the Rain ninja flying backward. Leaping after him, Naruto delivered an aerial downward strike, slamming the enemy forcefully to the ground. Upon landing, Naruto's rear leg bent while his front leg pressed down on the Rain ninja's chest. Under the combined force of 600 pounds of weight and the momentum of the strike, the ninja's chest caved inward.
"Lion Combo!" Naruto called out triumphantly.
It was shamelessly plagiarized—sure, others might cross dimensions to master techniques like the Rasengan, Chidori, or Raikiri without issue, but stealing the Lion Combo? That was child's play.
Sasuke, observing through his activated Sharingan, mentally recorded Naruto's move. "Not bad," he thought. "Looks cool." Then, with a quick thrust of his Chidori, he finished off the last Rain ninja.
Naruto almost cursed aloud. "Seriously? You used Chidori on a random extra?! Do you have so much chakra to spare? Even if you've got a power bank, this is ridiculous!"
Even though having backup reserves of energy was useful, wasting chakra like this was still unacceptable behavior.
The battle ended quickly. Sakura, who had been silently cheering for Sasuke throughout, barely managed to shout "666" before it was all over.
This exam was laughably easy against anyone except those few special individuals. Everyone else? Pathetic.
The trio began searching the corpses. Sakura examined the Rain ninja Naruto had defeated earlier and noticed minimal blood loss, though there was some internal bleeding evident from blood coming out of the mouth.
"Mission accomplished," Naruto said smugly, tossing two scrolls—one heaven, one earth—in his hands.
Sasuke smirked, exuding a sinister aura.
Sakura blushed slightly, her heart racing. If she were less composed, she might have already gotten flustered.
Naruto internally sighed at his teammates' antics—one loved showing off, the other enjoyed watching him show off. He wondered why genetics hadn't blessed him with anything beyond physical reflexes despite being Minato Namikaze's son. After pondering briefly, he decided to stop thinking about it. The sun was setting, and it was time to build shelter.
As a player influenced by Chinese gaming habits, Naruto shared a common trait with many Chinese gamers: regardless of whether it was a survival game, puzzle game, horror game, or any other genre, the first priority was always to construct a base.
Under the influence of domestic logic, he also planned to plant wheat near their home—a nod to how PLA soldiers would grow crops in deserts and snowy plains. Suffering from chronic insufficient firepower syndrome, which corresponded to chronic insufficient defense syndrome, Naruto decided to make the walls five meters thick.
As for Orochimaru, there was no avoiding him. Uncle Snake controlled snakes that sensed every corner of the forest. Even if the snakes failed, he could easily summon a sensory ninja via Edo Tensei, making escape impossible. To such a sensory expert, Naruto's overwhelming chakra signature stood out like the sun in the sky.
Since escape was futile, Naruto opted to prepare thoroughly instead. With that mindset, construction began. Naruto summoned shadow clones, took stones, infused them with magic power, placed them on the ground, layered clay over them, and repeated the process.
Sasuke chopped down trees to clear the surrounding area and fashion a roof—his lifelong feud with vegetation continuing unabated.
Sakura cleared weeds, preparing space for Naruto to plant wheat later.
Neither cared about Naruto's eccentricities; they already possessed the scrolls needed to pass. All that remained was reaching the tower within the allotted time—a mere ten kilometers away, easily traversable in five days even at a leisurely pace.
If they encountered enemies along the way, Sasuke figured collecting extra scrolls wouldn't hurt. Besides, it wasn't like he was carrying them—it was all on Naruto.
With shadow clones working alongside the original body, a reinforced house five meters thick was constructed in half an hour. It lacked doors, blocked by trees instead, ensuring windproofing.
The interior spanned four meters by four meters, with wooden flooring below and multiple layers of tapestries above for insulation. Oil lamps hung on the walls provided illumination.
The three sat together eating dinner.
Sasuke's respect for Naruto's logistical skills increased further. Constructing a military-grade defensive structure capable of withstanding significant force was impressive.
Sakura felt conflicted. While others struggled to survive in the harsh jungle, they were living comfortably, almost vacation-like. She couldn't help but feel thrilled.
"This is freaking awesome!" Sakura exclaimed boldly.
She now wanted to hug Iruka-sensei's legs and thank him for assigning her to this team. Not only was she grouped with Sasuke, but her teammate was Naruto—a provider who handled everything from food to shelter. Who would willingly endure insect bites and sleep outdoors when they could enjoy comfort?
"I heard Iruka-sensei is hospitalized. I should bring him a gift when we return," Sakura mused.
After finishing their meal, they prepared to rest.
No sooner had they lain down than a loud crash shook the house—but it held firm.
"Thank goodness it's made of stone," Naruto thought inwardly.
The story of the Three Little Pigs reinforced his belief that strong foundations mattered. Had steel walls been available in the shop, he'd have built with those instead.
Naruto rose and kicked open the tree blocking the entrance, ready to confront whoever dared test his fortress.
Sasuke followed suit.
Outside, Naruto saw a massive snake whose head had collided with the wall, its eyes swirling dizzily.
Suddenly, flames erupted in the distance, rushing toward them within seconds.
"Earth Style: Stone Wall Barrier!" Naruto infused magic into a stone block to block the inferno.
Pulling Sasuke behind the shield, Naruto braced for impact.
The intense heat and pressure slowly shattered the stone, fragments striking the house behind them.
When the flames subsided, Naruto glanced back to find his once-pristine house charred black.
Uncle Snake, are you here to steal men or demolish homes?
Naruto immediately recognized the culprit upon seeing the giant serpent: Orochimaru, the rogue ninja from Konoha. His mission this time? To send his teacher off permanently and snatch Uchiha heirs.
Orochimaru, formerly Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple, excelled in research until his human experimentation was discovered, leading to his defection. Later recruited by Akatsuki thanks to HR specialist Konan, Orochimaru clashed with members like Sasori due to personality conflicts. Eventually, he resigned after declaring compatibility issues, leaving the organization under threat of global pursuit.
A figure emerged from the flames, radiating chilling malice.
"I'm very interested in your abilities, brat."
Orochimaru extended his tongue, licking his lips provocatively. Its length inspired bold thoughts in certain minds.
He believed capturing this boy would bolster his experimental bases, which dwindled under constant pursuit by both Akatsuki and Konoha. Moreover, judging by the sturdiness of the house, it seemed perfect for delaying capture.
Unaware of Naruto's teleportation ability, Orochimaru anticipated victory.
Naruto was baffled. "You're interested in my house too? Where are your workers?"
He could only reply dryly, "I'm not interested in you."
Though he'd once been named Hsü Xian, he harbored no interest in reptilian encounters. "Go bother Sasuke."
Still, Naruto shed his weighted gear, preparing for battle despite knowing full well that facing Orochimaru meant certain defeat.
Escape? No, that didn't fit his character.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Strong?"
He knew Naruto rarely removed his weights unless facing formidable foes.
After glancing at Orochimaru, Naruto replied, "Trust me, this guy's unbeatable."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just from looking?"
Naruto shrugged off his weights. Orochimaru's predatory gaze, filled with excitement akin to spotting prey, sent shivers down his spine.
"Sasuke, be careful. My gut tells me this is a powerful foe," Naruto warned, refraining from revealing Orochimaru's identity outright.
"Sakura, find cover," he instructed the girl stepping out of the house.
Sakura hesitated, retreating behind the wall during the fiery onslaught. Yet, defying orders, she stood beside Sasuke, resolved to face danger head-on—perhaps sensing someone attempting to steal her man.
"Young one, your instincts are sharp," Orochimaru praised.
Most shinobi trusted intuition, given numerous survival stories attributed to gut feelings.
"Thanks," Naruto responded curtly, gripping a kunai tightly.
"No problem," Orochimaru replied nonchalantly before unleashing murderous intent.
Such was Orochimaru's nature—friendly conversation one moment, lethal aggression the next.
The trio froze under the oppressive killing intent.
Naruto cursed inwardly. "Damn, Uncle Snake fights dirtier than Zabuza!"
Meanwhile, Yuugao continued her journey toward the Forest of Death.