A Fateful Encounter

In the Forest of Death, dense treetops broke the sunlight into fragments. The air beneath them was damp and thick with danger.

But after their grueling special training, Team 7 no longer found the forest quite so frightening.

They dealt with the ambush by three Sound Ninja with ease, their movements clean and decisive. They were nothing like the team they had been in the Land of Waves.

"Hmph. They barely put up a fight." Sasuke Uchiha flicked the blood from his Kunai, his gaze sharp.

"That was awesome! We've gotten so much stronger!" Naruto Uzumaki pumped his fist.

Sasuke's brow remained furrowed. He remembered how an enemy had tried to infiltrate their team with the Transformation Technique, and he was still on guard.

"We can't let our guard down yet," he said grimly. "We need a password to tell the real us from impostors."

Sasuke then recited an absurdly long and complicated password involving numbers, colors, animals, and even specific movements. Naruto stared at him, slack-jawed, his eyes practically spiraling.

"Wait, Sasuke! Who could remember all that?"

None of them noticed Orochimaru moving deep beneath their feet with Earth Release. Like a snake lying in wait, he heard every word.

He ran his long, thin tongue over his lips and laughed silently. Heh, heh, heh... That password is hard to remember, but for someone who's been a genius since childhood, it's child's play.

A sinister plan took shape. Without a sound, he released a specially prepared neurotoxin that drifted straight toward Naruto Uzumaki.

"Ow!" Naruto clutched his stomach, his face turning green. "My stomach... it hurts! I can't hold it. I've got to go! Wait here for me."

Without another word, he clutched his backside and hurried into the nearby bushes.

Sasuke and Sakura had no choice but to