Fierce Battle

The next morning, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrived at the Forest of Death in Konoha. Many examinees had already gathered.

Anko said, "Is everyone here? If so, come over and collect a Death Waiver." Anko pulled out a stack of waivers and placed them in front of the group.

Some examinees asked, "We're just here for an exam, why do we have to sign a death waiver?"

Anko gave a cold, sinister laugh. "Heh, because people die in this exam." As soon as she finished speaking, she appeared behind the examinee, holding a kunai to his throat.

Anko smiled coldly, "Do you have any other objections now?" The examinee was already trembling so violently from fear that he couldn't speak.

After cursing him as "trash," Anko returned to the podium and said, "If you want to take the exam, sign it quickly. No more nonsense."

Naruto walked up to Anko with a smile and said, "Anko-sensei, please give me a death waiver."

Anko looked at Naruto and laughed, "So soon, a kid who isn't afraid of death. Think carefully, kid; once you sign, there's no turning back."

Naruto laughed, "Anko-sensei, people die every day in this world, and I am a ninja. Death is a very normal thing for a ninja. Do you think I would be afraid?"

Anko looked at Naruto with admiration and said, "You are a qualified ninja." She handed Naruto a waiver. Naruto signed it and handed it back to her.

Sasuke also requested a waiver, and all the other examinees followed suit. Once everyone had signed, Anko brought out a large pile of scrolls.

"There are 26 scrolls here, one for each team. They are the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. You have five days to seize a scroll different from your own. The location is the Forest of Death behind me. Once you have it, you must reach the Central Tower within these five days."

"If you do that, you will pass the second exam. The exam officially begins now." With that, Anko opened the gates to the Forest of Death.

All the examinees scrambled to enter the forest. Once inside, Sasuke said to Naruto, "We should agree on a secret code. This will prevent others from transforming into us and tricking us out of our Scroll of Earth."

Naruto turned back and asked Sakura, "Sakura, what do you think of Sasuke's suggestion?"

Sakura replied, "Hmm, I think that's a good idea." After the three of them agreed on the code, Sasuke said to Naruto, "Naruto, use your White Eye to see who nearby has a Scroll of Heaven."

Just as Naruto activated his White Eye, he said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, look out!" He reached out and hurriedly pulled Sasuke to the side.

Several kunai pinned themselves to the spot where Sasuke had been standing. The tails of the kunai were attached to explosive tags. Seeing the tags, the three of them quickly dodged.

After an explosion, Naruto shouted into the woods, "Who's there? Come out!" At the same time, several chains shot out from Naruto's body toward the forest.

A figure flashed out from the trees, dodging Naruto's attack. The three of them looked at the person. It was a man who looked very much like a snake. Naruto knew this was Orochimaru.

Orochimaru said in surprise, "I didn't expect you to have the White Eye of the Hyuga Clan. Well, I suppose that makes sense, considering you are Hyuga Hiashi's future son-in-law. It's not strange for you to have it. Unfortunately, you are not my target this time."

Naruto replied, "I also didn't expect that the great Orochimaru of the Sannin would be someone who hides in the shadows."

Orochimaru was surprised, "Oh, you actually know who I am. How strange. It seems I underestimated you."

Naruto laughed, "It's nothing. I've heard about you countless times from the Pervy Sage; it would be hard not to know." Hearing this, Orochimaru realized that Jiraiya must have told him.

Sasuke asked, "Naruto, do you know this disgusting guy?"

Naruto nodded and said, "He is Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, on par with my master, Jiraiya."

Sakura asked in surprise, "If he's that powerful, why is he attacking us?"

Orochimaru laughed, "Nothing, I just wanted to play a game with you."

Orochimaru took out a Scroll of Heaven and said to the three of them, "Alright, the game of seizing scrolls begins now."

Sakura exclaimed, "The Scroll of Heaven! Naruto, Sasuke, he actually has a Scroll of Heaven. He's an examinee." At this point, everyone finally understood why Orochimaru was here.

Naruto said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, I'll hold him off. You take Sakura and leave quickly." Sasuke realized the gap in strength between them and Orochimaru.

Sasuke said to Naruto, "Naruto, why don't we go together? With your Flying Thunder God, he won't be able to catch us."

Naruto replied, "No, Sasuke. I want to test him, and see just how far my own strength has come."

Sasuke replied, "Then I'm staying too. I want to try as well."

Naruto replied, "No. If this were any other time, I would let you try, but we still have an exam to pass. I don't think we should take the risk."

Sasuke replied reluctantly, "Fine, I'll listen to you this time." Sasuke grabbed Sakura and ran back the way they came.

Orochimaru sneered, "Did I say you could leave?" With a flash of movement, he appeared in front of Sasuke to block his path, unleashing his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to grab him.

Sasuke suddenly ducked his head, and a kunai flew over him toward Orochimaru. Orochimaru tilted his head to dodge the kunai. "Rasengan!" Naruto appeared behind Orochimaru using the Flying Thunder God, slamming a Rasengan hard into the ground where Orochimaru stood.

Naruto said in surprise, "An Earth Clone? White Eye!" Discovering that he had only hit a clone, Naruto immediately activated his White Eye to search for Orochimaru's trail.

Naruto suddenly sent several chains from his body crashing into the ground nearby. Orochimaru immediately leaped out from the earth. The two of them watched each other with caution.

Seeing that Sasuke and Sakura had escaped safely, Naruto said triumphantly, "Orochimaru, let's continue this contest." Naruto sent several more chains attacking Orochimaru.

Orochimaru pressed his hands to the ground and said, "Earth Style: Earth Wall." After blocking the chains, he used a flash of movement to appear behind Naruto, forming seals and saying, "Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere."

Naruto hurriedly threw a kunai upward and used the Flying Thunder God to dodge into mid-air, avoiding the damage from the vacuum sphere. Seeing Naruto in the air, Orochimaru quickly formed seals and said, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu."

Naruto sent his Adamantine Sealing Chains to entangle the fire dragon and formed seals, "Seal: Fire Sealing Method." The fire dragon unleashed by Orochimaru was instantly sealed by Naruto.

After sealing the fire, the Adamantine Sealing Chains continued to attack Orochimaru. Orochimaru formed seals and said, "Summoning Jutsu." Orochimaru summoned a giant snake to block Naruto's attack and quickly retreated.

When Orochimaru looked back, the snake he had summoned had already been shredded by Naruto's chains. Orochimaru thought to himself, What a terrifying brat.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, who was fleeing with Sakura, encountered a masked youth.

Sasuke said coldly, "Who are you, and why are you blocking my path?"

"Heh, nothing. I just wanted to give you something."

The youth laughed. Sasuke said coldly, "I don't care who you are, get out of here right now, or I won't be polite."

The youth chuckled, "That won't do; you had better just obediently accept my gift." Having said that, the youth charged toward Sasuke.

Sasuke hurriedly said to Sakura, "Sakura, you go quickly, I'll hold him off."

Sakura replied, "No way, I am also a member of Team 7; how could I abandon my comrade and leave alone? Sasuke, let's defeat him together." With that, Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke.

She threw a fierce punch at the charging youth. The youth tried to parry Sakura's fist with one hand, but he didn't expect Sakura's strength to be so great, and a single punch sent him flying.

Sasuke stared blankly at Sakura and said, "Sakura, when did you become so strong?"

Sakura replied confidently, "I can't keep hiding behind you two and being protected forever."

At this moment, the youth who had been sent flying laughed, "I really underestimated you. I thought you were a burden, but it seems you're a surprise. In that case, I won't hold back anymore." After speaking, he released several chains that lunged toward Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke said in surprise, "Adamantine Sealing Chains? You're from the Uzumaki Clan." Sasuke and Sakura hurriedly dodged.

Sakura slammed a fierce punch into the ground. The earth collapsed instantly, and the youth hurriedly leaped into mid-air. At this moment, Sasuke was already waiting for him above.

Sasuke formed hand seals and said, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" The youth released several chains from his back to block the fireball, then formed seals and said, "Sealing Technique: Fire Sealing Method!"

Instantly, Sasuke's fireball was absorbed by the chains and redirected back at him. Sasuke fired a wire from his sleeve, pinning it to a tree, and pulled himself up to avoid the youth's attack.

Sasuke launched shuriken tied to the wire at the youth. The youth dodged the shuriken, but Sasuke manipulated the wire.

After binding the youth, he formed seals and said, "Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

Sakura looked at the youth burning in mid-air and said, "Is it over, Sasuke?"

Sasuke said uncertainly, "I don't know, it should be."

Just then, the youth suddenly appeared between the two and said, "That was really dangerous; I almost thought I was dead."

Sakura said in shock, "How is that possible?" In the split second of their surprise, the youth released several chains and bound them both. Sasuke tried to use his Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on the youth, but it was avoided.

The youth laughed, "Sasuke, you want to use genjutsu on me? That's impossible. Knowing you are from the Uchiha Clan, how could I not guard against your Sharingan?"

Sakura asked in confusion, "How did you escape from Sasuke's Fire Style?"

At this, Sasuke said, "Space-time ninjutsu."

Sakura was shocked, "Sasuke, what do you mean, space-time ninjutsu? How is that possible?"

The youth laughed, "I didn't expect you to see through it so quickly. That's right, what I used was space-time ninjutsu."

The youth walked up to Sasuke, took out a syringe, and said to him, "Now you can accept my gift."

Sakura said nervously, "What exactly are you trying to do to Sasuke?"

The youth laughed, "Nothing much, just giving him a small gift." Having said that, he injected the drug from the syringe into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke let out a miserable scream.

Sakura asked Sasuke nervously, "Sasuke, are you okay? What did you do to Sasuke?"

The youth laughed, "I told you, it's just a small gift. Alright, nothing else to do, I'm leaving." With that, the youth vanished, leaving only Sakura behind, holding Sasuke and crying helplessly.

The contract was completed today, +1 chapter to celebrate (^．^) Mwah~