The Six Teams

A sudden change!

The trees and vines around them, which had seemed ordinary, suddenly came to life.

Thick roots snaked around the three of them like giant pythons, binding them fast in an instant.

The wooden vines had incredible restraining power and were exceptionally tough.

No matter how the three struggled or even tried to cut them with kunai, they wouldn't budge. Instead, they tightened even further.

"What's going on?"

"Let go of me!"

The three cried out in terror, their faces filled with fear and disbelief.

"Now's our chance!"

A cold glint flashed through Sasuke's eyes. He gripped a bloodstained kunai and darted past like a phantom.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three icy flashes swiftly swept across the trio's throats.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed.

The terror and resentment in the eyes of Zaku, Dosu, and Kin froze in place.

Their struggles stopped, and the signs of life quickly faded.

Sasuke flicked the droplets of blood off his kunai. His expression was stern, and he panted heavily, clearly exhausted.

"It's over!"

Naruto collapsed onto the ground, trembling all over like a leaf.

Yo emerged from the bushes with Karin and glanced at the two of them. "Well done!"

Sasuke snorted, dissatisfied with his performance.

If Yo hadn't stepped in, the three Otogakure ninja would definitely have gotten away.

He wanted to stand on his own, not keep relying on Yo to protect him.

Seeing the wounds on Sasuke and Naruto, Karin hurried over.

"P-please don't move..."

A gentle green glow of chakra appeared in Karin's palm. She held it just above the worst of Naruto's injuries.

The cut on Naruto's shoulder from a Senbon and the bruises on his body visibly began to heal.

A moment later,

they were completely healed!

"All done!"

Karin breathed a sigh of relief, withdrew her chakra, and wiped the sweat from her forehead before beginning to treat Sasuke.

"Wow! That's amazing! It doesn't hurt at all anymore!"

Naruto stood up in amazement, moved his arm around, then hopped up and down twice. He felt completely refreshed.

"That's the Mystical Palm Technique, a high-level medical ninjutsu!" Yo told Naruto. "Aren't you going to thank her?"

"Oh, right! Thanks, Karin! You're incredible!" Naruto immediately bowed to Karin in thanks.

"N-no need to thank me... It's what I'm supposed to do!" Karin hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks turning a little red.

Naruto's straightforward praise made her feel a little embarrassed.

Karin could tell that Naruto's gratitude was heartfelt, and it warmed her.

The ninja from Kusagakure had never thanked her. They only treated her like a blood bag they could use for healing.

"Karin, you're a sensory ninja. How come you're so good at medical ninjutsu?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I... I'm pretty good at sensing, and I've only... learned a little medical ninjutsu!" Karin replied softly.

She didn't want to reveal her special constitution. She was afraid people would treat her like a blood bag and bite her.

Yo smiled. "Karin is probably a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan!"

"The Uzumaki Clan is known for its powerful life force, vast chakra reserves, and exceptional talent for sealing jutsu."

"Speaking of which, Naruto, your mother was also from the Uzumaki Clan!"

"You have Uzumaki blood flowing through you, too!"

"Huh?!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He pointed at himself, then looked at Karin, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

"I... I'm part of the Uzumaki Clan, too? Just like Karin?"

This was the first time he'd ever learned anything about his mother's family!

The Uzumaki Clan?

Mom was from the Uzumaki Clan?

"Of course!"

Yo smiled. "Otherwise, why do you think your surname is Uzumaki?"

"The Uzumaki in Uzumaki Naruto is the surname of the Uzumaki Clan!"

Naruto was stunned. "The Uzumaki... the Uzumaki Clan..."

Karin covered her mouth in surprise.

No wonder... No wonder she'd sensed something strangely familiar and comforting about Naruto's chakra.

It turned out that Naruto was a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, just like her.

Sasuke listened from nearby, raising an eyebrow slightly. The Uzumaki Clan?

They'd studied that clan at school. He remembered they were distant relatives of the Senju Clan, but had eventually gone extinct.

"Yo, you know about my mom? What's her name? What kind of person was she? How did she die?"

Naruto grabbed Yo's arm, his emotions surging as he pressed him for answers.

"Well..."

Yo felt a headache coming on. "I only know that your mother was from the Uzumaki Clan. I don't know much else!"

"Besides, we're the same age. I don't know any more than you do!"

"All right!"

Naruto looked disappointed.

"Okay! Let's keep moving!"

Yo changed the subject. "We've collected both scrolls. Let's head straight for the tower at the center of the forest!"

It was better to let Naruto uncover the truth about his family on his own. There was no need to tell him everything right now.

"Yeah!"

"All right!"

The four of them wasted no time and hurried straight toward the central tower.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered other teams spying on or testing them.

After Yo showed a little of his strength, most chose to back off.

And so,

it took only half a day for Team 7 to reach the central tower.

They were the first ninja team to arrive. The examiners on guard were surprised to see them.

"Konoha Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yo, and..."

The Chunin in charge of registration glanced at Karin, hesitating.

"She's Karin, a surviving candidate from Kusagakure. She got separated from her teammates in the forest," Yo explained.

The Chunin examiner nodded and made a note in the records.

Inside the tower, the spacious hall was empty except for them.

Following the instructions on the wall, they presented their Heaven and Earth Scrolls, completing the core requirement of the second exam.

All that remained was a long wait. They spent five days in the relatively safe but tedious tower.

During that time, other teams that passed the exam arrived one after another.

Aside from the three from Sunagakure, the other teams all looked rather battered.

Five days later, the second exam, the Forest of Death, officially ended.

All the ninja teams were summoned to a hall inside the tower.

The atmosphere was tense, and quite a few candidates still had bandages wrapped around them.

A faint smell of blood and medicine hung in the air.

Gekko Hayate, one of the chief examiners for this Chunin exam, announced the list of those who had passed the second exam:

"After review, the following teams and members have successfully passed the second exam, the Forest of Death!"

"Six teams in total!"

"Team One: Konohagakure, Uchiha Yo, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Team Two: Konohagakure, Hinata Hyuga, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura."

"Team Three: Konohagakure, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Ino Yamanaka."

"Team Four: Konohagakure, Rock Lee, Tenten, Neji Hyuga."

"Team Five: Konohagakure, Yakushi Kabuto, Akado Yoroi, Tsurugi Misumi."

"Team Six: Sunagakure, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro."

After the names were read,

the hall fell silent. On the surface, everyone except the three from Sunagakure was from Konoha.

But in truth,

Yakushi Kabuto, Akado Yoroi, and Tsurugi Mizuki were spies from Otogakure.

Gekko Hayate coughed a few times. "That... concludes the list of all candidates who passed the second exam!"

"The Hokage will personally explain the content and rules of the third exam."

"Now..."

"Please take some time to rest and prepare for the upcoming preliminaries!"