Naruto and the others had signed the liability waivers, but being a ninja really was a high-risk profession.
"Here, you hold on to the scroll." Sasuke glanced at the scroll in his hand, then finally passed it to Naruto. He trusted Naruto's abilities.
"Earth Scroll." Naruto lowered his head, glanced at it, and tucked it into his vest.
The Forest of Death had many entrances. Naruto knew how strong he was, and he also knew Orochimaru would definitely come after Uchiha Sasuke, so he didn't bother choosing a particular entrance. He simply went in through the nearest one.
Everyone who saw Naruto's group set off looked at them differently, lost in thought.
Orochimaru smiled, finding it rather interesting.
Inside the Forest of Death, Naruto and the others walked along.
"What do we do next?" Sasuke asked.
"No rush. We've got three days. We'll take a scroll from whoever we run into," Naruto said casually.
Sasuke nodded.
A poisonous snake suddenly slithered across the ground, making Naruto frown.
"Be careful. I'm going to release a little of my presence to drive away the poisonous creatures." Naruto glanced at the other two. In truth, he was worried Hinata might get bitten.
They both stared at him blankly, not understanding. Naruto didn't explain.
In an instant, a heavy pressure radiated from Naruto. Any animal, intelligent or not, felt terrified by it. The poisonous creatures scattered in every direction. Standing beside Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke also felt a chill run down their spines.
Wherever Naruto went, snakes, insects, rats, and ants fled. Uchiha Sasuke frowned, unable to make sense of Naruto's ability. Hinata seemed thoughtful.
The Byakugan had a similar ability, but Hinata couldn't do it yet.
The three of them kept up a steady pace, in no hurry at all.
"Naruto, I hope you'll give it your all in these Chunin Ninja Exams," Sasuke said.
"You want to fight me?" Naruto rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Uchiha Sasuke was too deeply affected by Indra—or perhaps Sasuke himself hadn't even realized it. Beating Naruto made him happier than getting revenge.
After the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Sasuke awakened a One-Tomoe Sharingan, then Naruto beat him, and Uchiha Sasuke awakened a Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Naruto was at a loss for words. He had no doubt that if Uchiha Sasuke stabbed himself, he'd awaken a Mangekyō Sharingan on the spot.
But Naruto had no intention of helping him awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As long as Uchiha Sasuke had even a little confidence, he wanted to fight Naruto. The two of them had gotten used to this by now.
Time passed quickly. Naruto's group took their time as they walked. In other parts of the forest, people were already running into one another. Those who had passed the exam in particular all had their own ways of scouting.
Most people held back in battle. If their opponents handed over their scrolls, they rarely killed them. Some were different, though. Gaara, for example, took pleasure in killing.
On another path, the Kusagakure team Karin Uzumaki was with had just finished a fight. Two of them had suffered minor injuries.
"Useless. Get over here," one of the Kusagakure ninja snapped at Karin Uzumaki.
Karin Uzumaki was frightened. She knew exactly how her mother had died, and she was afraid she would meet the same fate.
When she didn't move, the man stepped forward and slapped her. He grabbed her long red hair and bit down on her shoulder.
"Ah!"
The wound on his body healed, and his chakra was replenished.
Karin Uzumaki couldn't help screaming. The other Kusagakure ninja frowned.
"Don't kill her. It'd be almost impossible to find another tool this useful."
Neither man looked at her as if she were a comrade.
Naruto and the others, not far away, heard the scream.
"Something's happening." Sasuke readied himself.
Hinata activated her Byakugan.
"There's a team over there."
Naruto wasn't concerned. They weren't on the same path, and he didn't want to take a detour. His target was Orochimaru.
Still, he instinctively used his sensory ability to check the area. His body suddenly paused, and his brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.
"It's nothing. Let's keep going," Naruto said expressionlessly.
They could both tell something was bothering him, but didn't feel it was their place to ask.
After Naruto left, a Shadow Clone appeared.
"The Uzumaki Clan." Naruto's expression darkened. He felt no attachment to his own clan and had never bothered to get involved. But now that he'd stumbled across one of them...and learned what had happened to her, he couldn't simply ignore it.
If he hadn't encountered her, Naruto would have forgotten this altogether.
The Uzumaki Clan's fate had rarely been a happy one, but the mother and daughter's story was among the most tragic.
Their country had been destroyed, and they had fled to Kusagakure, where they were imprisoned and used as tools—as chakra batteries. In the end, her mother had been drained of all her chakra and died. Karin Uzumaki had inherited her mother's place. If Sasuke hadn't rescued her and Orochimaru hadn't taken her in, who knew what would have happened to her?
Naruto appeared above the three of them. Karin Uzumaki was the first to sense his chakra. Even though it was only Naruto's Shadow Clone, its terrifying reserves were beyond anything she could imagine.
"What's with that look? You got a death wish?" The Kusagakure ninja saw her horrified expression and cursed at her.
The other man was smarter. He immediately followed Karin Uzumaki's gaze upward.
His pupils shrank.
When had he—
A man stared down at the three of them, expressionless.
"Enemy!" he shouted at once.
The two of them came to their senses, drew their weapons, and braced themselves against Naruto.
"It's you." They quickly recognized Naruto.
"Damn you, bitch! You saw the enemy and didn't warn us? We'll deal with you later." Both men flew into a rage, already wondering how they would punish her afterward.
"Kid, what do you want?" The two of them instantly puffed themselves up. Naruto was standing in midair, but that wasn't enough to scare them. The Ninja World was full of strange jutsu; just because they'd never seen something before didn't mean it was powerful.
Naruto didn't waste words. He simply attacked people like them.
He vanished, then appeared between them. Two foxes appeared and swallowed the men in one bite. They couldn't react at all. In an instant, they were gone without a trace.
"Don't kill me! I'm still useful." Karin Uzumaki had watched the whole thing and now stumbled backward in terror. In Kusagakure, she had no power at all. Later, she had Orochimaru's instruction. He might not have been a decent person, but there was no doubt he knew how to train his subordinates.
"I'm here to save you. My name is Naruto Uzumaki." Worried she might not believe him, Naruto restored his red hair.
Seeing Naruto's red hair, Karin Uzumaki relaxed a little.
"Thank you. My name is Karin Uzumaki." She quickly stood up.
She remembered hearing her mother talk about the Uzumaki Clan when she was little. Now that she had met someone from her clan, she was overwhelmed with excitement.
"Right now, the Chunin Ninja Exams are still underway. I'll take you somewhere safe first. Once I've finished the exam, we can discuss what to do about you," Naruto said after a moment's thought. Karin Uzumaki couldn't stay in Konoha. It wouldn't be good for either Naruto or her.
That old fox Danzo was never one to stay out of trouble.