In the Forest of Death, the towering ancient trees were as numerous as a cow's hair, densely packed to the point where the horizon vanished into an emerald wall. Walking along the thick branches high above the forest floor, one could feel a strange vertigo—as though they were the ones shrinking instead of the trees growing.
Whsshh!
A blur of figures darted through the canopy nearby, sprinting desperately toward the central tower. Despite the strange and dangerous rules imposed by Orochimaru during this phase of the Chūnin Exams, most genin couldn't resist the urge to rush ahead.
Fenghuo, concealed in the shadows of the foliage, advanced slowly, ears sharp to every disturbance in the forest.
ROAR!
Suddenly, a beast's roar erupted from his left. The earth trembled violently as a massive, red-eyed wild boar thundered forward, charging straight toward Fenghuo's perch on a thick tree branch.
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
(Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!)
With rapid hand seals, Fenghuo spewed a series of small fireballs from his mouth. They arced in mid-air, crashing toward the boar like flaming meteors.
Snort-snort—ROAR!
The boar let out a furious bellow. Its thick, matted hide, layered with years of grime and hardened muck, absorbed the heat. The fireballs sputtered and exploded across its body with little effect.
BOOM!
The beast's tusks slammed into the trunk of the massive tree, carving deep gashes into the wood. With a grunt and twist of its neck, the giant tree toppled.
Fenghuo leapt effortlessly to a nearby branch, keeping his Sharingan-activated gaze locked on the boar, though his true focus remained on the surrounding terrain.
'A wild boar, this early? Did someone lure it here intentionally?'
His thoughts remained cautious.
Choosing to conserve his strength, Fenghuo dragged the fight out patiently. Eventually, the boar—heaving with fatigue, steam pouring from its nostrils—grunted one final time and turned tail, fleeing into the underbrush.
"…Huh."
Fenghuo blinked. He hadn't even gotten serious.
"Well, let's call it an unfortunate encounter."
He narrowed his eyes and resumed his slow, deliberate trek toward the center of the forest.
Along the way, he ran into more beasts—some nearly as strong as a Chūnin. If he could dispatch them swiftly, he did. If it took too much effort, he simply evaded them. No point in being the clam fighting the snipe when a third party could claim victory.
Eventually, beneath the gnarled roots of a giant tree, he spotted a hollow opening. At the entrance, dried blood stained the bark—dark red and cracked.
He dropped down silently and stepped into the hollow.
"…Tch."
A corpse lay crumpled inside. Fenghuo recognized him—another genin participating in the exams. Judging by the body temperature and stiffness, he hadn't been dead long.
Fenghuo checked the body. All the tools and scrolls were still there.
"Someone died already on the first day? Heh… the next four days will be a treat."
"Hey, look! A tree hollow!"
"I smell blood!"
Two voices echoed nearby.
Fenghuo narrowed his eyes and stepped outside.
"What the—just a brat?"
A pair of older genin, likely around eighteen or nineteen, emerged from the trees. The man had a short sword strapped to his back. At first, they seemed amused by Fenghuo's age—until they noticed the corpse behind him. Their smiles dropped into wary grimaces.
"You're more ruthless than you look, kid," the man said, hand slowly drifting to the hilt of his sword.
"If I said I didn't kill him, would you believe me?" Fenghuo asked flatly.
"Sure, of course we believe you—ha." The man's snide tone betrayed his disbelief.
"Yeah, after all, you're just a kid. How could you kill anyone?" The female ninja added, hand tightening around a shuriken behind her back.
The two circled to either side of him, flanking him.
"I suggest you back off," Fenghuo warned.
"No can do. Someone's dead. We have to investigate."
With perfect synchronization, they rushed him.
Fenghuo's eyes sharpened. "You really don't know how to quit."
"Konoha Ryū: Mikazuki no Mai!"
(Leaf-Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!)
The male ninja split into three—two shadow clones flanking him as they slashed toward Fenghuo in a synchronized crescent strike.
'That's Konoha's sword technique...'
Chakra surged into Fenghuo's palm. A sky-blue sphere formed instantly.
"Rasengan!"
(Spiraling Sphere!)
The female ninja hurled a giant spinning projectile.
"Fūma Shuriken!"
The shuriken whirled toward him, tearing up leaves as it spun.
Fenghuo calmly struck the male ninja with the Rasengan, blasting him away. He then leapt over the shuriken, landing with effortless grace.
"No way!" the male ninja gasped. "He saw through my clones that easily?! And what the hell was that technique?!"
"His eyes!" the female shouted. "He's Uchiha!"
Fenghuo's eyes glowed with the unmistakable red of the Sharingan—two tomoe in each.
"Sh–Sharingan with two tomoe?! He's a prodigy!"
The two ninjas exchanged nervous glances. They were nobodies—civilian-born. Killing a member of the Uchiha Clan, especially a genius, would mean death… if not during the exam, then afterward at the hands of ANBU.
"Damn it…" the man muttered, hand trembling on the sword hilt. His resentment boiled over—envy and frustration mixing into fury.
"Let's go," the woman said, keeping calm. "He's like Hatake Kakashi—not someone we want to cross."
"Tch. Lucky brat," the man muttered as he began to turn away.
Fenghuo tilted his head. A sharp grin crept across his face.
"Stop."
Both turned, startled.
"You think you can pick a fight, then walk away like nothing happened? Who gave you that kind of privilege?"
The tomoe in Fenghuo's eyes spun ominously, and a dark aura radiated from his small frame.
"Don't get cocky, brat!" the man snapped. "We're sparing you because you're Uchiha!"
"Oh? Then let me express my gratitude—on behalf of the Uchiha clan."
Fenghuo formed seals with blinding speed.
"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!"
(Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!)
BOOM!
Three roaring fireballs erupted from his mouth, hurtling toward the pair with blistering heat.
"Suiton: Mizurappa!"
(Water Style: Wild Water Wave!)
The male ninja countered, unleashing a jet of water that barely blocked the flames. Then he charged forward, hand on his scabbard.
He drew his sword in a flash, blade slicing through the air.
"Iaigiri!"
(Quick-Draw Slash!)
A crescent of chakra-enhanced steel sliced toward Fenghuo with deadly speed.
PS Note:
Author's Note: Don't ask me why swordsmen are using knives, or why a kid has Rasengan already. Let's just say it's the magic of plot and chakra.
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