Genius, True to His Name!

After confirming that his companions were far enough away, Sasuke tried to deliberately trigger the power of the Cursed Seal.

In an instant, blackish-purple energy enveloped him.

Flame-like markings spread rapidly from the Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck, covering half his body and the left side of his face.

Power continuously surged through his body, while the bloodlust that had long lingered in his heart erupted at that moment.

Right then, Sasuke wanted to roar, destroy, run, and kill.

But willpower meant restraining oneself from indulging those urges and focusing on what truly needed to be done.

At that moment, he fully understood what the Will of Steel was for.

When you gazed into the abyss, the abyss gazed back at you. The Will of Steel let you dance back and forth over the abyss!

Ignoring the distractions in his mind, Sasuke began testing himself according to his original plan.

First, speed.

Sasuke threw three Kunai, then used the Body Flicker Technique to move to the other side and threw another three Shuriken. The ninja tools collided with crisp clangs, while Sasuke's figure became an Afterimage in the air.

Then Sasuke threw another six Kunai. Each one precisely passed through the gaps in the earlier ninja tools, pinning them firmly to the tree trunk.

Next came strength.

Sasuke lifted a Giant Rock and felt it was not enough.

He then targeted a tree so thick that two people would need to wrap their arms around it, pulling it up by the roots.

With all his strength, he hurled it forward. It flew dozens of meters before slamming into other trees and crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

Then came ninjutsu.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball shot into the sky.

Compared to before, Sasuke felt that his hand seals were faster and that he had greater control over the technique.

At the same time, the amount of Chakra in his body had barely changed.

If using the Great Fireball Technique before had been like pouring a cup of water from a teapot, it now felt like scooping a ladleful from a bathtub.

Feeling those astonishing changes, Sasuke was exhilarated from the bottom of his heart. He could not stop himself from laughing wildly, and his desire to kill burned more fiercely than ever.

"Sasuke!"

"We're coming!"

Naruto and Sakura had already been deeply concerned about Sasuke's condition. Hearing the commotion, they rushed over immediately.

Seeing the anxious looks on his companions' faces was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over Sasuke's head.

After coming to his senses, Sasuke quickly took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and suppressed the Cursed Seal.

"How many enemies are there?" Naruto asked in a low voice, assuming Sasuke had been fighting someone.

Naruto held a Kunai in each hand, crossed before him. Sakura also drew her weapon, and the two swiftly formed a back-to-back triangular formation with Sasuke, keeping watch on their surroundings.

"Sasuke-kun, just now..." Sakura's voice trembled slightly.

Seeing Sasuke after the Cursed Seal had activated frightened Sakura a little.

After catching his breath for a moment, Sasuke confirmed that he had suppressed the Cursed Seal. Counting silently, he estimated that three minutes was the limit from activation to the brink of losing control.

After mentally noting that number, Sasuke turned and lightly put an arm around each of their shoulders. "It's fine. Let's head back first, and I'll explain it to you two slowly."

"But the enemy..." Naruto was still warily looking around.

"There's no enemy!"

The three left amid their bickering. Deep within the forest, Yakushi Kabuto stood frozen in astonishment, holding a set of ninja information cards that now trembled slightly in his hand.

As Orochimaru's spy ninja planted in Konoha, Yakushi Kabuto knew very well that Orochimaru would test Sasuke in the Forest of Death.

But he had never expected Lord Orochimaru to directly bestow Heaven's Curse Mark upon him.

While that was unexpected, it was still understandable. Sasuke's performance just now, however, had completely exceeded Kabuto's understanding.

In his impression, people who had just undergone Cursed Seal transformation could scarcely still be called human.

Those monsters were savage and brutal, charging about recklessly. Only after a long period of practice and suppression could they achieve what Sasuke had just done.

As for controlling it freely all alone without outside assistance, that was even more difficult.

Was this the genius Lord Orochimaru dreamed of obtaining?

A white gleam flashed across Yakushi Kabuto's glasses. Based on this new variable, he began reevaluating and deducing the future once more.

Elsewhere, after hearing Sasuke's account, both Sakura and Naruto stared with their mouths wide open.

"I've heard of Orochimaru,"

Sakura said.

"At dinner once, my father spoke with his friends about his story. He was one of Konoha's famous Sannin and had once come close to becoming Hokage. Later, he seemed to have defected from the village over something. He's an S-Rank dangerous individual..."

"!!! You mean someone like that is after you? We have to find Kakashi right away! No, the Hokage!" Realizing the danger, Sakura became agitated again.

"We still don't know what he wants. But since he let me go, he probably will not come looking for trouble with me again anytime soon. Right now, the most urgent matter is still the exam itself." Sasuke's voice was steady.

"Then what exactly is this Cursed Seal you were talking about?" Naruto asked.

"I don't fully understand it either. It feels as though another power has taken up residence inside my body. I can borrow its strength, but it is also waiting for a chance to take away my sanity..."

"Isn't that just..." Naruto opened his mouth, but ultimately did not continue.

"Yes, just like you." After thinking about it, Sasuke still said the words. "That means we have another card to play in a crisis, but at the same time, the uncertainty will rise drastically."

Since they were companions who entrusted their lives to one another, some things had to be made clear.

Yet Naruto could not stop a trace of sorrow from welling up in his heart.

He knew all too well how many cold stares and how much neglect that kind of power had brought him. Now, Sasuke had stepped onto the same path.

It was hard to say whether that was a good thing.

"Anyway, nearly half the time has already passed. The later it gets, the more strong opponents will remain, and the harder the exam will become. We can't delay any longer. Let's get moving!"

With that settled, the three packed up and leaped through the treetops, racing forward.

Along the way, Sasuke received another system notification:

Congratulations, you have completed the suggestion—correctly understand the power of the Cursed Seal, actively train in daily life, and undergo evaluation. You have obtained a D-Rank Scroll.

Another scroll glowing with a faint green light floated there, waiting for Sasuke to open it.

Without hesitation, Sasuke willed it open.

You have opened a D-Rank Scroll. Congratulations, you have obtained Summoned Beast: Cunning Monkey Kitsu.

A summoned beast?

Sasuke's heart pounded like thunder.

He had always heard that the Summoning Technique was a ninjutsu reserved for important figures. Moreover, without a special connection, it was difficult to form a contract with a spirit beast.

For example, the Uchiha clan's ninja cats, which Sasuke knew best, were not something just anyone was qualified to obtain.

And now, he could gain a summoned beast so easily?

He stopped where he was.

His teammates stopped as well.

"Are you really not recovered yet?" Sakura asked with concern.