The Top Student and the Newcomer

Sakura Haruno stared in terror at Sasuke, who was radiating a bizarre chakra. Just moments ago, exhausted from staying up most of the night, Sakura had been jolted awake by a chilling aura emanating from right beside her. Thinking it was an enemy infiltration, she was shocked to discover that it was actually the still-unconscious Sasuke Uchiha stirring. Cloud-like runes were spreading across his body from the spot where Orochimaru had bitten him, and a visible purple-black chakra surged from his entire frame, the unsettling aura growing increasingly intense.

In a corner that Sakura had failed to notice, the surrounding sealing formation began to work silently, slowly absorbing the increasingly dense chakra of Sasuke Uchiha that permeated the air.

However, the isolation effect of the barrier gradually began to fail. After all, given Sakura Haruno's strength, it was already quite remarkable that she had managed to set up a functional barrier at all. But the power of the Cursed Seal was simply too terrifying; the chakra Sasuke produced far exceeded the absorption rate of the sealing formation. As the formation struggled under the strain, some chakra leaked out, making it only a matter of time before others discovered them.

At the first light of dawn, the Konoha team of Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga set out early, successfully reaching the center of the Forest of Death. The three members of the team were all highly skilled in reconnaissance and target tracking, and their combat prowess was not lacking either; they were a well-rounded squad with no weaknesses in long-range or close-quarters combat. It was no surprise that they had gathered their scrolls early and arrived at their destination ahead of time. However, there was a Sand Shinobi team even faster than them, so for the time being, they would have to nervously coexist with those terrifying individuals.

Another team possessing the Byakugan was the genin squad led by the jonin Might Guy. If one excluded the jinchuriki and powerful, unimaginable ninjas like Orochimaru, these three were the strongest team in the Forest of Death, bar none. If they wished, the three could crush every other team, including the current spy, Kabuto Yakushi. If it weren't for the fact that the powerful Neji Hyuga disdained to snatch scrolls from incompetent fools, they could have driven nearly half of the examinees out of the exam.

While they were on their way, a powerful combat disturbance suddenly erupted. Judging by the intensity, it didn't seem to be the work of weaklings, so the three picked up their pace. However, by the time they arrived, the battle had long since ended, and apart from the battered and bruised Ino-Shika-Cho trio, no one else was in sight.

Shikamaru Nara was the first to wake up. Managing his family's business, which dealt in the largest medicinal herb trade in Konoha Village, he took out secret family medicine to treat himself, Choji, and Ino. Choji, being thick-skinned and sturdy, was in the best condition; after a brief recovery, he acted as if nothing had happened and pulled out snacks to munch on. Shikamaru was also doing alright, having dodged quite a bit of damage thanks to his quick wits. The most severely injured was Ino; while her external wounds were minor, her internal organs had suffered a shock, which would likely affect her combat effectiveness for a long time. Fortunately, Ino rarely needed to face combat on the front lines, and the Yamanaka clan's mental secret techniques remained largely unaffected.

Just as the three were resting, they saw Neji Hyuga and his team arrive.

"We're really out of luck today," Shikamaru couldn't help but doubt his own fortune. "If it comes to it, let's just hand over the scroll."

Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka could only nod; there was no other choice, as one could only be slaughtered when their strength was insufficient.

"You lot, who were you fighting just now?" Neji Hyuga asked, standing on a tree and looking down at them.

"Three Sound Ninja," Shikamaru Nara replied. Because he had the best mind, even though he was the least motivated, he was tacitly accepted as the leader of Ino-Shika-Cho.

"Which direction did they go?"

"That way." Shikamaru pointed in a direction.

"Let's go," Neji Hyuga said.

"Aren't we going to take their scrolls?" Tenten's words made the three below tense up.

"I have no interest in fighting such weaklings, let alone taking advantage of their vulnerability. Besides, they are ninjas from our own village; I wouldn't be able to hold my head high later." Neji continued, addressing those below, "You lot need to understand: newcomers should act like newcomers. If you really can't cut it, just quit. Forcing yourselves to stay here will only bring shame to the village."

With that, Neji Hyuga took Rock Lee and Tenten and left, leaving behind the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who had been thoroughly looked down upon but spared.

Choji Akimichi munched on his snacks and said unhappily, "Shikamaru, even if what he said is the truth, why is it so unpleasant to hear?"

"Because we were looked down upon. Although he has the strength to be arrogant as the top student of the previous class, we aren't as bad as he says. We still have a chance."

"Is this the place?" The Sound Ninja trio finally found the right spot. Zaku said brazenly, "Talk about hiding in plain sight. It was so close to us, and we've even passed by here several times."

"Alright, stop complaining," Dosu said. "Who would have thought there would be a ninja here capable of setting up a small-scale barrier? It's unbelievable for a genin. It's no wonder we didn't notice. If they hadn't seemed to run into some trouble themselves, we never would have guessed they were hiding right here."

"Let's finish the mission quickly so we can head back. Maybe we'll get a reward from Lord Orochimaru." The female ninja, Kin, was already impatient.

Sakura Haruno was still deeply worried about Sasuke Uchiha. By now, the Cursed Seal had spread across Sasuke's entire body. After a massive outburst, the chakra fluctuations had gradually subsided, and the sealing formation was running much more steadily. The chakra that brought a cold, eerie feeling had diminished significantly. Sakura, however, assumed this was a natural dissipation. With her heart entirely focused on Sasuke, she didn't notice anything else, not even sensing the uninvited guests outside.

With a loud bang, a massive shockwave crushed everything in its path, obliterating the traps outside before slamming into the set-up barrier. The previously empty space suddenly flickered with the glowing light of the flowing barrier.

"Look, this is it," Zaku said with satisfaction. "The little mouse can't hide anymore. Come out and accept your death."

Following this, another Cutting Air Wave was unleashed. The barrier, already pushed to its limit, collapsed with a roar, revealing Sakura Haruno inside along with the still-unconscious Naruto and Sasuke.

Looking at the three Sound Ninja outside, Sakura Haruno felt her heart descend into chaos. She knew her strength in a direct confrontation was nowhere near enough to stop them; the powerful ninjutsu they had just used to shatter the barrier proved she had no chance. However, she looked at Sasuke and Naruto, whom she was shielding behind her.

"Sometimes, there are things you just can't run away from."

Tying her hair back, Sakura Haruno was forced to step forward. She felt like a soldier walking toward a battlefield of certain death; some things must be experienced firsthand to be truly understood.