Sakura Haruno stared in terror at Sasuke, who was radiating eerie chakra. Just moments ago, exhausted after staying up most of the night, Sakura had been jolted awake by a chilling presence close at hand. She had assumed an enemy had broken in, but to her astonishment, it was Sasuke Uchiha, still unconscious, who had begun to stir. Cloud-like markings were spreading from the spot where Orochimaru had bitten him, creeping over his body as visible streams of purplish-black chakra surged from him. The unsettling aura grew stronger by the moment.
Unnoticed by Sakura, the sealing array in the corner had quietly begun to work, slowly absorbing the increasingly dense chakra radiating from Sasuke Uchiha into the air.
But little by little, something went wrong with the barrier's ability to contain it. Given Sakura Haruno's skill, managing to set up a usable barrier at all was already remarkable. But the Cursed Seal's power was simply too terrifying. Sasuke's chakra was building far faster than the sealing array could absorb it. When the array was overwhelmed, small amounts of chakra leaked outside. It was only a matter of time before someone else noticed.
At daybreak, Konoha's team of Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga set out early and soon reached the center of the Forest of Death. All three were skilled at scouting and tracking down enemies, and their combat abilities were no slouch either. Their team had no weaknesses in either ranged or close-quarters combat. They had also collected a scroll early, so it was no surprise they reached their destination ahead of time. But a Sand Shinobi team had arrived even earlier, so for now they had to nervously share the place with those terrifying opponents.
The other team with a Byakugan belonged to the Genin under Might Guy's instruction. Setting aside Jinchuriki and a completely unimaginable powerhouse like Orochimaru, they were the strongest team in the Forest of Death, bar none. If they wanted to, the three of them could crush every other team, including the spy Kabuto Yakushi. If Neji Hyuga hadn't been too proud to snatch scrolls from the weak, they could have driven more than half the examinees out of the exam.
As they made their way forward, a fierce battle suddenly erupted nearby. The commotion suggested the fighters were no weaklings, so the three quickened their pace. By the time they arrived, though, the battle was already over. Aside from the battered Ino-Shika-Cho trio, there was no one else in sight.
Shikamaru Nara was the first to wake up. His family ran the biggest medicinal herb business in Konoha, so he took out the clan's secret medicine and gave some to himself, Choji, and Ino. Choji had thick skin and a sturdy build, and he was in the best shape of the three. After a little rest, he was back to normal, crunching on snacks. Shikamaru wasn't doing too badly either; his quick wits had helped him avoid a lot of the damage. Ino had it worst. Her external injuries were nothing serious, but the blow had damaged her internal organs, which would probably affect her fighting ability for quite some time. Fortunately, Ino rarely had to fight on the front lines, and the Yamanaka Clan's mind techniques hadn't been seriously affected.
As the three were still resting, they saw Neji Hyuga and his two teammates arrive.
"Today really isn't our lucky day," Shikamaru said, starting to doubt his luck. "If we can't handle this, we should hand over our scroll."
Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka could only nod. There was nothing they could do about it. When they weren't strong enough, they could only let others walk all over them.
"You three—who were you fighting just now?" Neji Hyuga asked from a tree, looking down at them.
"The three Sound Ninja," Shikamaru replied. Since he was the cleverest, he was considered the leader of Ino-Shika-Cho, even though he was the least motivated.
"Which way did they go?"
"This way." Shikamaru pointed.
"Let's go," Neji said.
"Aren't we going to take their scrolls?" Tenten's question made the three below tense up.
"Fighting weaklings like these doesn't interest me, much less taking advantage of them while they're hurt. Besides, they're from our own village. I'd never be able to hold my head up afterward." Neji then addressed the three below. "You should understand that newcomers ought to know their place. If you can't handle this, then quit. Struggling on here will only bring shame to the village."
With that, Neji Hyuga left with Rock Lee and Tenten, leaving behind the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who had been thoroughly looked down on but spared.
Choji Akimichi munched on snacks and said irritably, "Shikamaru, even though he was telling the truth, why did it feel so unpleasant?"
"Because he looked down on us. He may have the talent to be arrogant, as last year's top student, but we're not as bad as he says. We still have a chance."
"This is the place, right?" The Sound Ninja Trio had finally found the right spot. Zaku said casually, "Talk about hiding in plain sight. It's so close to us, and we've even passed by here a few times."
"Enough complaining," Dosu said. "Who would've thought a Genin could set up a small barrier here? That's practically unbelievable. It's no wonder we didn't notice. If they hadn't seemed to run into some trouble themselves, we'd never have guessed they were hiding here."
"Let's finish the mission quickly so we can head back. Maybe Lord Orochimaru will reward us," Kin, the kunoichi, said impatiently.
Sakura Haruno was still terribly worried about Sasuke Uchiha. The Cursed Seal now covered his entire body. After the massive chakra surge, its fluctuations had begun to settle, and the sealing array was working much more smoothly. The chakra's cold, eerie aura had also diminished. Sakura assumed it had simply dissipated on its own. With all her attention fixed on Sasuke, she failed to notice anything else—not even the uninvited guests outside.
With a deafening boom, a massive shock wave swept through the area, pulverizing the traps outside before slamming into the barrier. A shimmer of light suddenly rippled across a spot that had seemed empty.
"Look, this is it," Zaku said with satisfaction. "The little mouse can't hide anymore. Come out and die like a good little rodent."
Another Cutting Air Wave blasted forth. The barrier, already unable to withstand the attack, collapsed with a crash, revealing Sakura Haruno and the still-unconscious Naruto and Sasuke inside.
Seeing the three Sound Ninja outside, Sakura's mind went into a turmoil. She knew she was no match for them in a head-on fight. Their powerful technique had just shattered the barrier, leaving her no chance at all. But then she looked at Sasuke and Naruto, whom she had been protecting behind her.
"Sometimes, you just can't run away."
She tied her hair back, then had no choice but to step forward. She felt like a soldier marching toward a battlefield she was destined to die on. Some things could only be understood by experiencing them firsthand.
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