I'll Keep Growing

Beneath the forest canopy, the white-phosphorus giant snake writhed in agony, while Long-Tongued Man's severed head turned in astonishment.

Naruto charged through the air, having cracked the ground beneath him. With both arms, he drove the greatsword, wrapped in a fierce gust of wind, into the center of the rubbery tube that was the snake's neck.

Blood sprayed wildly, splattering Naruto's head and chest.

The long neck was almost severed, with only an inch of skin left. Yet that skin seemed like the softest substance in the world.

Using his head and body as the two ends of a bowstring, Long-Tongued Man stretched his neck and snapped away from Naruto, yanking his head back.

Naruto tried to pursue, but the exposed flesh where his body had been corroded inside the snake's belly was splashed with Long-Tongued Man's blood. A sharp pain struck, followed by rapidly spreading numbness.

There was no doubt about it. The blood was poisonous.

The numbness quickly spread through his body, and his knees buckled.

Thunk!

He planted the greatsword in the ground and leaned on it with an outstretched arm, forcing himself to stay upright.

"So that's it. You hid inside the snake's belly to withstand the corrosion, then waited for me to get close enough to attack?" Long-Tongued Man said as his head reattached, blood gushing from his mouth as he spoke.

A dense mass of snakes burrowed into the ring-shaped wound around his neck, but blood still flowed all the way around it. There was no sign of healing.

Sasuke stared at Naruto, his flesh a mangled mess, with only his two wide-open eyes still intact. Then he looked at Long-Tongued Man, so powerful and terrifying, yet still alive despite his mortal wound.

Trembling, he ran in front of Naruto, pulled the few pathetic shuriken from his ninja pouch, and held them across his chest, gritting his teeth.

"I am Orochimaru." Long-Tongued Man was astounded. Even the flesh made from the snakes' internal organs couldn't repair the wound, or even stop the bleeding. It kept rotting wherever the snakes burrowed in, and Chakra Threads couldn't stitch it closed, either.

He would probably have to use the Shedding Skin Technique and molt into a new body to survive.

"Naruto, you really are impressive. No wonder you're the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. You're far stronger than Sasuke."

For some reason, Sasuke began wondering what a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was. Was that the reason Naruto was so strong?

Orochimaru looked at him with pity. "Sasuke, it seems you know nothing at all. Konoha can't teach you, and it never will. Only I can give you true power."

"What the hell, you're trying to drive a wedge between us!" Naruto roared. "Sasuke's my little brother! I'm... the Overlord, Naruto!"

Sasuke's head was buzzing.

Orochimaru paused. He'd been sincerely trying to tempt him, and Naruto wasn't even going to argue? He was just going to charge in?

"Sasuke, this kid doesn't understand—"

"You do!" Naruto slammed his left fist against the sword. "Does a normal person show up like you?"

Orochimaru forced a gentle smile and coaxed, "Sasuke, your potential is limitless..."

Naruto: "Quack!!!"

Orochimaru's pupils narrowed to slits. He bared his fangs and opened his pointed mouth wide. "Nine-Tails brat! Don't make me kill you!"

"Oh, you're not going to kill me? I thought I was done for. Go on, then."

Naruto fell silent.

A man had to know when to bend and when to stand firm.

This old bastard was too strong. Naruto couldn't beat him, so he'd give the old man a chance.

Orochimaru had lost too much blood; his face was as pale as paper. He had to shed his skin and regenerate. "Sasuke, I'll come back for you—with the truth."

As he spoke, his legs gradually sank into the tree trunk. His purple tongue spat out a Book of Earth, which he tossed to the ground. "A little present for you."

The scroll landed. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke moved.

Three minutes passed. Only after Naruto confirmed he could no longer sense anyone did he collapse with a thud, gasping for breath.

"Pick up the scroll! Hide me!"

Sasuke hurried to do as he was told, then carried Naruto up into the tree.

Naruto had to strain even to breathe, and the slightest lapse threatened to suffocate him. The poison coursed through his blood vessels, attacking his organs and flesh with every passing moment.

It even tainted his mind, blurring his vision and filling it with one hallucination after another.

He'd been storing up Chakra the whole time, preparing to unleash it, and hadn't had any chance to suppress the poison. Only now could he focus inward on his cells and begin clearing it out and healing himself.

Fortunately, he had Uzumaki Clan blood, a strong life force, and the special properties of Nine-Tails Chakra. He wouldn't drop dead on the spot.

Sasuke still didn't like Naruto calling him his little brother, but Naruto was right about one thing: that Orochimaru guy didn't seem like a good person.

Looking at the battered, ferocious, overbearing man who'd told him to run first when danger came, then charged back alone, Sasuke felt his eyes grow hot with the memory.

He almost wanted to cry.

Naruto had promised to protect him during the Genin exam, and he'd kept that promise with his life.

Naruto's chest heaved. He turned his head and spat out a huge mouthful of blood. "Get me some water."

Sasuke immediately started to climb down, but then he spotted Sunagakure's ninjas and quickly fell silent.

The boy at their head had a gourd on his back and the character for "love" carved into his forehead. His name was Gaara, and Sasuke remembered him well because his bloodlust was so intense.

Gaara went straight through the door into the tower. He must have already gotten a scroll and completed the task.

The second exam had begun less than two hours ago, which showed just how powerful he was.

Just then, the treetops rustled as two women, one tall and one short, landed in front of the tower.

Haruno Sakura shouted through her tears, "Naruto! Sasuke!"

Mitaraishi Anko frowned deeply as she inspected the traces of battle around them.

An hour ago, she'd been called to examine the body of a candidate who had died beneath a Buddha statue, his face completely blank.

She'd recognized at a glance that it had been stripped away by the Dead Soul Technique of her teacher, Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha and an S-rank rogue ninja.

She'd immediately gone searching in the forest. By chance, she'd run into Haruno Sakura, who had come looking for help. After hearing her description, Anko had instantly realized Orochimaru's target and rushed over.

"Examiner Mitaraishi! Help Naruto—he's been poisoned!" Sasuke called from the canopy.

Mitaraishi Anko was startled. The two kids were still here? She'd assumed they had no chance of resisting Orochimaru and had already been taken away.

She climbed up into the tree and saw Naruto, whose condition was too dreadful to look at.

Most of his blond hair had been corroded away, revealing patches of bloody scalp. His clothes were reduced to a few tattered scraps, and his skin was mottled purple and black.

She scooped him up. "We have to get you back for treatment immediately. Your Chunin Ninja Exams are over."

Naruto struggled and shoved her away, making her breasts bounce. He rolled onto his back in the tree. "Don't touch me. I'll be fine after I rest a little longer."

Mitaraishi Anko wouldn't let a child have his way. She picked him up again, folded her arms around him, and held him against her chest, trying to keep him under control.

"I told you." Naruto's right eye changed from blue to red, its pupil shifting from round to slit-shaped. "Let go of me."

The Nine-Tails' evil voice whispered endlessly in his mind, urging him to accept its power and embrace hatred. This little poison wound could be healed in an instant.

Naruto didn't need it. He could control his Chakra and heal himself. It would just take time.

Mitaraishi Anko was startled. Was the Tailed Beast about to go berserk?

Four pythons quickly slithered from her sleeve and bound Naruto's wrists and arms. "Naruto! Calm down! I'm trying to save you!"

"I'm perfectly calm." Naruto stared straight at Mitaraishi Anko, the first woman his thing had ever encountered. "I'll recover soon. Don't make me repeat myself."

Mitaraishi Anko's broad-minded spirit could feel the vigor of his youthful blood.

He was only thirteen, and not even as tall as she was. How had he developed so quickly?

At the same time, the unyielding certainty in Naruto's tone made her realize that if she kept pushing, he'd get serious.

"One day. If you still can't move by then, I'll declare you eliminated."

"Okay."

The moment Mitaraishi Anko released the pythons, Naruto rolled sideways and stood steadily on a branch. His flagpole, raised at a forty-five-degree angle, was saluting the examiner.

"Haha! Looks like I'm still quite charming!" Mitaraishi Anko laughed, hands on her hips, her whole body shaking.

Naruto felt much better.

Some respect came from instinct.

"Thank you, Examiner Mitaraishi."

He added earnestly, "I'll keep growing, too."

They looked at each other, and Mitaraishi Anko's face suddenly turned red.