The next day, the morning sun had just shown its rays when Team 7 arrived at the location of the second exam: a vast area surrounded by a high fence with one large gate inscribed "Training Area 44," or more notoriously known as the Forest of Death. The air around it felt heavy and full of anticipation. The Genin who passed the first exam had gathered, their faces showing various expressions. Mitarashi Anko stood in front of the gate, her wide smile looking a bit... insane.
"Alright, brats! Listen up!" Anko shouted in a loud voice that broke the silence. She explained the rules of the second exam: each team would be given one scroll, either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. They had to obtain the matching scroll from another team – by any means necessary – and bring both scrolls to the central tower in the middle of the forest within a five-day time limit. Fighting was allowed, and the risks... well, this was the Forest of Death.
"Remember," Anko continued after explaining various gruesome details about the forest, "in there, you are prey and predator. Survival is key. Don't anyone die foolishly before reaching the tower!" She grinned. "Alright, I've said everything I need to say. Lastly, I hope everyone can complete this assessment safely. Don't let your lives be lost! Good luck to everyone!"
The Genin's reactions varied. Some looked even more excited and eager to prove themselves, like some teams from other villages who looked thirsty for a fight. Others had pale faces, imagining the horrors awaiting them in the forest. However, having reached this point, after passing the pressure-filled first exam, not a single ninja chose to give up just like that.
Team 7 stepped up to the registration table, signing consent forms which essentially stated that they were fully responsible for their own fate within the forest. They then received an Earth Scroll. After that, they walked towards one of the many gates that would open simultaneously, ready to enter the Forest of Death.
"Sasuke-kun, Naruto," Sakura began with a slightly hesitant voice, holding the Earth Scroll they had just received, "I'll give this scroll to you to keep, Sasuke-kun. Or maybe Naruto can keep it?" After all, she felt her strength was the weakest among the three, and carrying such an important scroll would be too great a burden.
Naruto turned, smiling reassuringly. "Sakura-chan, you're wrong if you think that."
"That's right, Naruto-kun. Explain it to her," Hana whispered supportively from within his mind.
"Sasuke is already well-known, especially with his Uchiha name. He'll definitely be targeted by many people wanting to test their skills or just make a name for themselves," Naruto continued, repeating the analysis he had once discussed with Hana. "Conversely, a girl like you might be more easily overlooked by opponents initially. They'll underestimate you, and that could be our advantage."
Naruto patted his chest confidently. "And don't be afraid, Sakura-chan! I'll protect you! I won't let anyone touch you, dattebayo!"
"Naruto's right," Sasuke said curtly, and this time, for the first time in a long while, he fully agreed with Naruto's opinion without any sarcasm. He also realized the logic behind Naruto's words. Making himself a decoy while Sakura carried the scroll could be an effective strategy.
Sakura was stunned for a moment hearing her two teammates' words. A warmth spread through her heart. "Naruto... Sasuke-kun... Thank you." She gripped the Earth Scroll tighter, a new determination appearing in her eyes.
After the three of them had walked for a while into the damp and dark forest, the sharp whistling sound suddenly broke the silence.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several kunai shot out from behind the trees!
The kunai were quickly and accurately aimed at Sakura, who, based on appearance, indeed looked like the weakest member of the team. After all, she was a girl, and in the view of many traditional ninjas, often considered a weak point.
However, before the kunai could reach Sakura, Naruto, with surprising speed, was already standing beside her. CLANG! CLANG!
With a single swing of his own kunai, he deflected all the flying kunai to the ground, without Sakura getting hurt in the slightest. His movements were fast and efficient, a result of his intensive physical training.
"Wow, your reflexes are amazing, Yellow Brat. But that won't be enough," a hoarse voice sounded. A Ninja from Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village) appeared on a nearby tree branch, looking down on the three Konoha Genin with a disdainful gaze. "Three naughty brats, whoever has that scroll, hand it over nicely! Or you'll regret it!" he shouted arrogantly.
"We'll never hand it over to you, Weird Uncle!" Naruto shouted back, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings, looking for other possible enemies. Sakura and Sasuke also immediately took their stances.
"If that's the case, then I'll punish you with pain!" The Rain Ninja leaped from the tree and pounced towards the three of them at high speed, kunai drawn.
Seeing this, Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan. "I'll take this one!" he exclaimed, directly confronting the Rain Ninja. A battle of taijutsu and shuriken throwing was inevitable. For a while, the fight between them seemed balanced, with Sasuke able to read his opponent's movements thanks to his Sharingan.
However, at this moment, two other Rain Ninjas appeared from different directions, surrounding Naruto and Sakura!
"Our targets are the girl and the noisy one!" one of them shouted. They quickly attacked Sakura and Naruto.
"Sakura-chan, fall back!" Naruto ordered. "Let me handle them!"
"Naruto-kun, use Kage Bunshin and your Reppūshō simultaneously! Overwhelm them!" Hana's instructions sounded clearly in his mind.
"Roger, Hana-neechan!"
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!
POOF! POOF! POOF!
In an instant, dozens of Narutos appeared, surrounding the two Rain Ninjas.
"Take this! Consecutive Fūton: Reppūshō!" all the Narutos shouted in unison.
Dozens of strong gusts of wind shot out from various directions, mercilessly bombarding the two Amegakure Ninjas. Although it was only a C-rank wind jutsu, when used by dozens of Narutos simultaneously with good synchronization, its power became extraordinary. Dust flew, small trees around them toppled, and the ground trembled.
When the smoke and dust began to clear, the two Amegakure Ninjas were seen lying helplessly, covered in wounds and bruises, with some bones possibly broken. They hadn't expected the blond brat who looked the weakest to unleash such a powerful attack.
Seeing the destruction before him and the two enemies who could no longer move, the original Naruto scratched his un-itchy head. "Hehehe... it seems... I overdid it... a little, huh?" he muttered with his trademark grin.
Sasuke, who had just finished defeating his enemy, turned towards Naruto with an incredulous look. Sakura, who hadn't had a chance to do anything because Naruto had already finished off the two Amegakure Ninjas attacking her, could only stand silently with her mouth slightly open. No one knew what they were thinking as they witnessed Naruto's sudden demonstration of power.
Next, after seeing that the Amegakure ninjas had the same scroll as them.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura continued to move forward through the Forest of Death, now much more careful and wary in case they encountered stronger enemies.
At the same time, at a guard post outside Konoha Village.
Anko and the other three proctors stared at three corpses lying gruesomely on the ground. Their faces were tense.
"Judging from the items they carried and their identification documents, they are Kusagakure ninjas who officially registered for the Chunin Exams," an examiner beside Anko explained, his tone serious. Anko herself stared at the three corpses with a deep frown. "Faceless... as if melted by something corrosive. Their entire facial surfaces are flat and horrifying."
'There's no doubt that this jutsu... this is Orochimaru's signature!' Anko thought, a bad premonition creeping over her. 'But why would that person come to this exam? What is his objective?' Anko thought quickly, then turned to the three examiners beside her.
She said to them with an urgent tone, "Something very dangerous has happened. The faces of these three Kusagakure Genin were stolen, and it's highly likely the culprit has infiltrated the Chunin Exams disguised as them. You must immediately inform Hokage-sama and request at least two Anbu squads to be on standby and sweep the Forest of Death! I will go in first to investigate the situation and find the intruder."
"Alright! Carry it out immediately!" After saying that, several people began to act quickly according to Anko's orders.
On the other side of the Forest of Death, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were resting for a moment under a large tree.
Suddenly, Naruto stopped chewing his rations and Sasuke also immediately took a wary stance at the same time. Both sensed a strange and threatening presence.
"Do you feel it too, Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly, his eyes narrowed, his Sharingan not yet active but his alertness heightened.
"Ah, it seems he has ill intentions towards us," Naruto replied in a low voice, his hand already ready to draw a kunai.
"Hana-neechan, this aura... is very unpleasant," Naruto whispered inwardly.
"That's right, Naruto-kun. This aura is filled with something very evil. Be careful. This person is very dangerous," Hana replied, her tone sounding more serious than usual.
"You guys are really amazing, huh. You got that scroll very quickly, it seems… but unfortunately, their scroll is the same as yours…" A female ninja wearing a Kusagakure forehead protector slowly emerged from behind the shadows of the trees. Her way of walking was strange, like a snake.
She stared at Sasuke's boyish face with an intense gaze full of... love? No, it was more like a horrifying obsession. She licked her lips with her tongue that was almost half a meter long, making Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke shiver in horror.
Of course, the disguised Orochimaru also realized that in their last battle with the Amegakure Ninja, these three Konoha Genin showed great potential, especially Naruto who used Kage Bunshin and his wind jutsu massively. Unfortunately, his only primary target at the moment was Sasuke Uchiha. Orochimaru couldn't wait to leave his 'mark' on Sasuke.
At this moment, Orochimaru calmly took out a Heaven Scroll from under his clothes and showed it to the three of them. "You're looking for this, right?" However, something shocking and disgusting happened next – he actually opened his mouth wide and swallowed the entire Heaven Scroll in one gulp without hesitation!
Then, Orochimaru uttered a few words in a hoarse and cold voice that made their hair stand on end: "Let's begin... this battle of life and death!" Before he finished speaking, a horrifying and tangible killing intent, like a solid substance, suddenly erupted from his body, sweeping around like a raging storm wave, making Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke find it difficult to breathe.
The thick and real killing intent from Orochimaru instantly paralyzed Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Their legs felt rooted to the ground, breath caught in their throats, and their minds were filled with horrifying images of death. Sasuke and Sakura even began to show signs of hallucination due to the immense mental pressure.
"Naruto-kun! Wake up!" Hana's voice suddenly sounded loudly in Naruto's mind, like an awakening bell. Simultaneously, a warm and strong flow of chakra from Hana spread throughout Naruto's body. Instantly, the cold and gripping sensation that paralyzed him drastically reduced. The influence of Orochimaru's thick killing intent was successfully broken through.
"Hah... hah..." Naruto panted, cold sweat drenching his temples. His vision refocused. He saw Sasuke and Sakura still frozen, their faces pale, their eyes showing terror.
Without wasting time, Naruto immediately formed hand seals.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!
POOF! POOF!
Two Naruto clones appeared and immediately tapped Sasuke and Sakura's shoulders quite hard.
"Sasuke! Sakura-chan! Wake up!"
The physical touch and shout from the clones, coupled with a little chakra Naruto channeled through them, successfully pulled Sasuke and Sakura from Orochimaru's genjutsu and mental pressure. Both of them jolted in shock, their breath ragged.
"Wh-what... what happened?" Sakura asked, still trembling.
"That monster... his aura..." Sasuke clenched his fists, looking at Orochimaru with a mixture of fear and anger.
"No time to explain! We have to fight him together!" the original Naruto exclaimed. "Sasuke, let's go!"
Sasuke nodded. Both of them immediately dashed to attack Orochimaru, who was still standing with a cold smile, as if enjoying their fear. Orochimaru moved with incredible agility, his body slithering and dodging every attack from Naruto and Sasuke like a slippery snake.
"Damn it! He's so agile!" Naruto grumbled while continuing to throw punches.
"Let's try that combination jutsu, Naruto!" Sasuke suggested, his already active Sharingan eyes continuously watching Orochimaru's every move.
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!
Sasuke took a deep breath and spewed a giant fireball towards Orochimaru.
Fūton: Reppūshō!
Naruto, who was ready, immediately followed up with a strong gust of wind from his hand, directing and enlarging Sasuke's flames.
The combination attack of wind and fire created a massive and hot vortex of fire, shooting towards Orochimaru at high speed. This was a deadly attack for most ninjas. However, Orochimaru just smiled faintly. He formed hand seals quickly.
Fūton: Daitoppa!
A gust of wind far more powerful than Naruto's emerged from Orochimaru's mouth, easily splitting and extinguishing Naruto and Sasuke's combined fire and wind attack, even throwing both of them several meters back.
"Damn... so strong..." Sasuke hissed, trying to get up.
Naruto also felt the vast difference in power. "Hana-neechan... this person... he's too strong!"
"Fufufu~ Of course not, Naruto-kun," Hana replied with a strangely mischievous tone in the midst of this critical situation. "He's one of the Legendary Three Sannin, Orochimaru. You Genin are clearly no match for him. But don't worry, Onee-chan has a plan."
"What plan?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"It's simple," Hana said lightly. "Make a thousand... no, make as many Kage Bunshin as you can! Spread them throughout this Forest of Death! Tell them to shout for help to anyone they meet – proctors, Anbu passing by, or if you're lucky, the Third Hokage himself! Tell them there's an incredibly strong and dangerous enemy here, this is no longer an ordinary exam!"
"Th-that many?!" Naruto was shocked.
"With additional chakra from me, you can definitely do it, Naruto-kun! Create white smoke that billows as high as the sky! Let everyone know there's a big problem here!"
Naruto didn't hesitate anymore. He focused his chakra, feeling the warm flow of chakra from Hana giving him extra strength.
"TAJŪ KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
POOF!!!
In an instant, thick white smoke billowed out tremendously, covering an area hundreds of meters around them to a height of tens of meters, momentarily obscuring Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Sakura's vision.
When the smoke began to clear a little, the sight was truly extraordinary. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Naruto figures in their signature orange jackets now filled the forest. They all shouted in unison,
"HELP! THERE'S A STRONG ENEMY IN THIS SECTOR! EVERYONE WHO HEARS, COME IMMEDIATELY! IT'S OROCHIMARU! OROCHIMARU!"
The thousands of Naruto Kage Bunshin immediately scattered in all directions like a tidal wave, running through trees and bushes. A small fraction of them (hundreds) stayed behind, trying to buy time against Orochimaru with sporadic attacks.
Orochimaru, initially a little surprised by such a massive number of clones, now began to look annoyed.
"Kyuubi brat... so troublesome."
He stuck out his tongue, then formed seals.
Kuchiyose no Jutsu!
A giant snake emerged from the ground, destroying several trees. Simultaneously, thousands of small snakes also crawled out from Orochimaru's sleeves, attacking the crowd of 'Narutos' trying to approach.
However, many of Naruto's clones managed to escape the snakes' ambush, scattering who knows where. And what was more annoying for Orochimaru, every time some of those clones had a chance, they would simultaneously unleash the same wind jutsu, "Fūton: Reppūshō!", creating small windstorms that, while not seriously injuring him, greatly disturbed his concentration.
Thousands of blond-haired teenagers in orange jackets were now truly spreading throughout the Forest of Death.
Some of them had even managed to reach the outskirts of the forest and accidentally encountered some Chunin and Jonin who were patrolling or just passing by.
One of Naruto's clones, running the fastest thanks to a little extra 'push' from Hana, managed to meet Anko, who was moving quickly towards the location after examining the three Kusagakure Genin corpses.
"Miss Proctor!" that Naruto clone shouted. "There's great danger in the forest! There's a man... or maybe a woman... who's very strong! He claims to be Orochimaru!" (Of course, Orochimaru hadn't officially introduced himself, but Naruto was just repeating what Hana instructed him to say).
Anko was stunned. "Orochimaru?! Are you sure, brat?!"
Meanwhile, at the initial battle site, Orochimaru was really starting to get annoyed with this 'swarm of Narutos'.
They were endless. Every time he destroyed hundreds of clones with his snakes or jutsus, thousands more seemed to reappear instantly from behind puffs of smoke or trees.
He had even lost track of the real Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura amidst this chaos. His target, Sasuke, was now hiding somewhere.