Sasuke, Lightning Release, Justice Electric Shock

As his words fell, Karin's body trembled lightly in his arms.

She looked at the severed limbs and blood covering the ground, and the fear she had just forced down crawled back up her spine.

Biting her lip, she spoke softly, her voice still trembling. "But... the Jonin leading the Hidden Grass Village team is still here. He's very strong. If he finds out we killed his people, he'll definitely retaliate like crazy. What do we do then?"

Naruto lowered his gaze to her, gently wiping away the tears still wet on her cheeks with his fingertips. After thinking for a moment, he reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out an entirely black dagger.

Fine Uzumaki Clan patterns were carved into its hilt, while its blade glimmered with a faint golden light. It looked unremarkable.

"Take this."

Naruto pressed the dagger into her hand. His fingertips brushed her cool hand, and he deliberately eased his strength. "I made this especially for you. It'll give you a surprise when the time comes."

Karin held the dagger, her fingers tracing the familiar Uzumaki Clan patterns as she looked up at him in confusion.

Naruto merely gave her a mysterious smile, flashing a mouthful of white teeth. The mischief in his eyes was impossible to hide. "You'll find out when the time comes. I'll personally send that Jonin on his way. Then you'll be completely safe, won't you?"

Those warm words landed beside her ear, and Karin's heart abruptly skipped a beat.

She looked at the blond boy before her. Just moments ago, when he had been killing people, he had been as vicious as a demon crawling out of hell. Yet now, the way he looked at her was gentle enough to melt.

An indescribable feeling spread through her blood to every corner of her body, inexplicably heating her cheeks. Even the hand clutching the dagger tightened unconsciously.

Naruto noticed the red tips of her ears and could not help smiling. He reached out and ruffled her red hair again. "Stick with me during the Chunin Ninja Exams for the next few days. I'll teach you some ninjutsu and help you improve your strength."

He paused, unprecedented seriousness filling his azure eyes. "The Uzumaki Clan's greatest specialty is sealing ninjutsu. Do you want to learn it?"

Karin jerked her head up, and her eyes instantly reddened again.

Ever since childhood, she had heard her mother say that the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques were among the finest in the Ninja World. But after her mother passed away, no one had ever taught her anything again. She could only rely on her innate sensory ability and healing power to scrape by like a living blood bag at everyone's mercy.

She nodded hard, and tears fell again.

Naruto smiled as he wiped away her tears, then took her by the wrist and led her deeper into the Forest of Death.

He knew perfectly well that, according to the original timeline, Orochimaru should be coming for them right about now.

The snake stench deep in the forest was even more choking than the bloodied smell on the ground.

The moment Naruto led Karin in by the wrist, they ran into the famous scene—

Sasuke was kneeling on one knee, his left hand clamped tightly around his own throat. Veins bulged from his temples and ran all the way to his jawline.

The black markings of the Curse Mark of Heaven were spreading wildly across his skin, like living venomous snakes devouring his chakra and sanity.

Across from him, Orochimaru lowered his slit-pupiled eyes as though admiring a flawless vessel, the smile at his lips cold and greedy.

Sakura was curled up behind a tree, her face white as paper. The kunai in her hand shook so badly she could barely hold it. The instant she saw Naruto, tears poured from her eyes, and her voice cracked. "Naruto! Hurry! Sasuke, he—"

"Watch. He'll be fine."

Naruto raised a hand to cut her off, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. He even casually guided Karin farther behind him, toward a safer position.

Karin's sensory ability instantly surged to its limit, and every hair on her body stood on end.

The chakra of the man before her was cold and slick, like countless venomous snakes tangled together. It was so powerful that her scalp went numb, and she instinctively clenched the special dagger Naruto had given her.

Sasuke, still kneeling on the ground, stiffened sharply when he heard Naruto's voice.

When Orochimaru's overwhelming killing intent had descended on him earlier, his legs had truly gone weak.

He had not even been able to put up a decent resistance before the other man easily planted the Cursed Seal on him. The humiliation of being toyed with so casually, like an ant, had nearly burned through his sanity.

Yet this utterly miserable sight of him had been seen by Naruto.

Of all people, Naruto was the one he least wanted to see him in such a disgraceful state.

Never.

Sasuke suddenly lifted his head. His scarlet Sharingan flared to life, two tomoe spinning madly in his pupils, his violent aura nearly solidifying into something tangible.

"Oh?"

Orochimaru's slit pupils narrowed slightly, and the greed in his gaze toward Sasuke intensified.

Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

At this age, breaking through the limits of his killing intent and awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan directly through extreme humiliation and rage—this body's talent was hundreds of times better than he had expected.

He could already barely resist imagining how exhilarating it would be once he took this body and paired it with those Sharingan.

Sasuke abruptly rose to his feet. Though his body still trembled slightly under the Cursed Seal's corrosion, his back remained ramrod straight.

His hands flashed through seals, every movement clean and without a trace of excess. With his left palm facing downward, azure lightning instantly gathered in it. The crackling current tore through the forest's dead silence, electrifying even the surrounding air until it grew hot.

Naruto froze on the spot.

What the hell?

Chidori?

A million question marks flew through his mind. Kakashi should not have had the chance to teach him this yet. When had this kid learned it? Kakashi's private tutoring was a little too obvious, wasn't it?!

Before Naruto could finish being shocked, Sasuke had already locked Orochimaru down with his Sharingan. His voice carried the uniquely burning stubbornness of youth as he shouted each word:

"Though Naruto is usually crazy and reckless, there's one thing he said that was right!"

"We are justice!"

"Lightning Release: Justice Electric Shock!"

As his words fell, Sasuke shot straight at Orochimaru like a bolt of blue lightning!

The entire scene fell silent.

Naruto stood there with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, the corner of his mouth twitching furiously.

Justice Electric Shock?

You fucking called the Lightning Cutter Justice Electric Shock?!

If Kakashi found out that the signature ninjutsu he had developed at the cost of half his life had been renamed into something so embarrassingly edgy by this brat, he would probably leap out of his mask in rage, carry the Hokage Building on his back overnight, and chase Sasuke through three streets!

Far away at the entrance to the Chunin Ninja Exams venue, Kakashi suddenly sneezed with earth-shaking force for no apparent reason, nearly blowing his mask right off.

He rubbed his nose, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in his chest. He had the distinct feeling that something he treasured was currently being ruthlessly wrecked by someone.

Across from them, Orochimaru went numb as he watched Sasuke charge straight at him.

He had lived for so many years. He had seen edgy people before, but never anyone this edgy.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he frantically complained inwardly, What the hell, am I really going to swallow this kid and make him my vessel? He won't drag down my IQ too, will he? If I wear this face and start shouting technique names like that, how am I supposed to survive in the Ninja World?