Annoying Pests

Naruto hoisted the Chainsword onto his shoulder, the muscles there bulging slightly. The faint heat steaming from his rapidly regenerating body turned into a wisp of white mist in the damp, cold air.

He ignored his still-unrecovered body, his ice-blue gaze sweeping over the figure wearing a blank mask.

"Zero."

His voice was hoarse, yet firm.

"Return to the shadows. Act as our eyes and ears and scout the route ahead. I only need Orochimaru's trail; do not report anything else. Do not reveal yourself without my orders."

Zero said nothing and merely gave a slight nod.

The next second, his figure silently vanished into the shadows beneath the trees, as though he had never existed.

Naruto turned and walked toward Haku, who was examining Sasuke's injuries.

"How long until his condition stabilizes?"

Haku did not look up. His fingers continued pressing lightly around the Curse Mark on Sasuke's neck, sensing the flow of that evil chakra.

"Commissar, this power is eroding his chakra pathway system. Ordinary medical ninjutsu can only delay it, not eradicate it. To restore his ability to move, we must first suppress the spread of this power."

He took a specially made scroll from his ninja tool pouch and unfurled it on the ground.

Dozens of Senbon of varying lengths were neatly secured to the scroll. Each was made of ice crystal, gleaming with a grim, cold light in the faint forest glow.

Haku looked up at Sakura, who was hugging her knees nearby with vacant eyes.

"Medic."

The title made Sakura's body jolt.

Haku pushed the scroll toward her, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.

"These Senbon are hollow inside and can guide chakra. Remember the thirty-six acupoints I taught you just now. Use your purest chakra control to insert them and guide the rampaging chakra within Sasuke Uchiha back onto the proper path."

He paused, his clear eyes fixed on Sakura.

"This is an order, and it is also your first test."

Sakura stared blankly at those cold instruments of murder, then at Sasuke's pained face.

Her hands began trembling violently beyond her control.

She picked up the shortest ice Senbon, its tip aimed at an acupoint on the side of Sasuke's neck.

Every diagram of the human chakra pathways taught at the Ninja Academy was crystal clear in her mind. Her theoretical knowledge was screaming.

But in reality, her companion—the boy she loved—lay on the ground like a rag doll, his life resting in her trembling hands.

Her mind went blank.

The needle tip swayed, and she did not dare bring it down.

Her fear was still so overwhelming that she could barely breathe.

"For every second you hesitate, the pollution takes root a little deeper inside him."

Naruto's icy voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Sakura froze.

Naruto slowly walked to her side and looked down at her.

"Your hesitation is costing him."

Those words were like a basin of ice water dumped over her head, instantly extinguishing all the chaotic emotions in Sakura's heart.

In their place was a ruthlessness forced out by desperation.

She suddenly bit through her lip, and the metallic tang of blood spread through her mouth.

The pain forcibly calmed her down.

She gathered all her chakra at her fingertips, and that trembling hand miraculously steadied.

She stopped thinking about this being Sasuke and stopped thinking about the consequences of failure.

In her eyes, there was only a "target" that needed to be pierced with precision.

Just as the needle tip was about to touch Sasuke's skin—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three dark figures descended from the sky with piercing whistles, forming a triangle that tightly surrounded them.

They wore Amegakure uniforms, and the symbols on their forehead protectors remained clear even in the dimness.

The lead Amegakure ninja greedily swept his gaze over the scroll on the ground, then looked at the fallen Sasuke and the seemingly badly injured Naruto before finally settling on Haku and Sakura.

Two seemingly frail little brats.

"Pretty lucky, aren't you, brats?"

The lead Amegakure ninja grinned maliciously, baring a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Hand over your Heaven and Earth Scroll, and I might consider sparing your miserable lives."

This sudden turn of events was the final straw, completely crushing the psychological defense Sakura had only just built.

The ice Senbon fell from her hand with a clang, shattering into several chunks of ice crystal.

Naruto did not even turn around to glance at the uninvited guests.

His gaze remained on Sakura, calm yet mixed with disappointment and appraisal.

He gave Haku an order at his side.

"Protect those two."

His tone was as though he were stating something utterly trivial.

"These pieces of trash aren't worth using the Chainsword on."

Naruto formed hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof! Poof!

Two Shadow Clones identical to him appeared instantly. Without a single unnecessary motion, they separately charged the Amegakure ninjas to the left and right.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Naruto's Shadow Clones used no ninjutsu, only pure taijutsu that was efficient to the point of brutality.

Fists, elbows, knees—every strike carried a dull crack through the air, smashing precisely into their opponents' weakest joints and vital points.

The two Amegakure ninjas did not even have time to react before they were swept into a torrential barrage of attacks. They could only block desperately as they were forced back step by step.

The lead Amegakure ninja's expression changed. He had not expected the Shadow Clones created by this seemingly badly injured brat to possess such terrifying strength.

He hesitated no longer and formed hand seals, preparing to unleash ninjutsu, but Naruto gave him no chance.

"Sakura Haruno."

Naruto spoke again. His voice was not loud, but it clearly overwhelmed the sound of colliding fists and feet.

"They came for us."

"They appeared because your earlier hesitation wasted precious time."

"Now, every breath you take is consuming the remaining value of this weapon. And I am evaluating your value."

"Carry out the order, medic."

Every word pierced her heart.

The last traces of color drained from Sakura's pale face.

She bent down. This time, there was no hesitation whatsoever.

Pfft!

The Senbon pierced the acupoint with flawless precision.

"Mmgh..."

The unconscious Sasuke let out a muffled groan, and his tightly furrowed brows seemed to ease slightly.

It worked!

Sakura's heart leaped with joy, and she immediately found the second, then the third acupoint...

Her movements grew faster and steadier.

On the other side, the battle had already been decided.

With two dull cracks of breaking bone, Naruto's two Shadow Clones cleanly and efficiently crippled the limbs of one Amegakure ninja.

Only the lead Amegakure ninja remained, staring at everything in terror.

He finally realized what kind of iron plate he had kicked.

Run!

The thought had only just arisen when an intense killing intent erupted behind him.

It was his silent companion whose limbs had been crippled. He had actually bitten open a scroll with his teeth!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

A Genin had actually brought a scroll containing a B-rank ninjutsu.

A massive water dragon appeared out of thin air, roaring as it charged toward Sakura, who was treating Sasuke, and Sasuke on the ground!

This was clearly an attempt to take them down together.

Haku instantly appeared in front of them, forming hand seals.

"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

Yet that undisguised, pure killing intent was like a key shoved into a lock that had long rusted shut, becoming the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Sasuke, who had remained unconscious all this time, abruptly opened his eyes.

They were not his usual black pupils.

They were crimson like a sea of blood, with two black Tomoe spinning madly within.

The Curse Mark on his neck writhed like a living thing. Black patterns rapidly spread at a speed visible to the naked eye, instantly covering half his body and face.

An ominous, violent chakra filled with hatred and the desire for destruction surged into the sky.