"Herring Can Grenade? A psychological weapon?"
Orochimaru scratched his head skeptically.
Wu Di explained with utmost seriousness.
"Yes, herring is a type of fish that contains neurotoxins."
"It is often found beneath ancient ice, making it extremely difficult to collect."
"Its smell is especially distinctive and can often cause vomiting and dizziness."
"Once used, nothing will grow within a ten-meter radius."
As Orochimaru listened to his introduction, his eyes narrowed.
He had come this time with quite a few objectives in mind.
If he had such a powerful weapon in hand, wouldn't his chances of success multiply?
Forget anything else—just the dizziness and vomiting effect alone would be enough, even if it only lasted a few seconds.
He excitedly took the grenade and left.
Wu Di watched his retreating back with a sly smile.
He had neglected to tell Orochimaru that the can of Surströmming used an instant fuse. The moment the pin was pulled, the grenade would immediately explode.
When that happened, the five kilograms of loose Surströmming hidden inside would rain down from the sky.
That sensation...
Wu Di shuddered and did not dare think about it any further.
The scene shifted to the entrance of the Forest of Death.
Chilling winds howled, and crows occasionally flew overhead in flocks.
The Konoha 12, along with the genin who had passed the first written exam, gathered together and listened as the chief examiner, Mitaraishi Anko, explained the rules.
"Each of your teams has a scroll, either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll."
"Each team must obtain a matching pair of Heaven and Earth Scrolls and reach the center of the Forest of Death within five days in order to pass."
"Now, your respective examiners will lead you to different gates."
"In thirty minutes, the gates will open simultaneously, and the exam will begin!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the advancing teams scattered and headed toward different gates.
Naruto followed behind the examiner with a grin, his hands behind his head.
"Once we get into the forest, I'll activate the map, and we'll head straight for the finish line. We'll definitely be the first ones there!"
Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto, who was lost in his fantasy, and snorted.
"Don't forget, we still need to take a scroll! Idiot!"
Naruto froze for a moment, then paused briefly before smiling.
"It's fine. We can just wait at the finish line."
"When someone passes by, we can help carry their scrolls for them, right? Just like Kakashi said, we don't produce scrolls—we're merely scroll carriers!"
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a glance. Naruto's words seemed to make a little sense, so they nodded in agreement.
"Fine, we'll do it your way!"
Naruto threw his head back and laughed wildly.
Ever since the three of them had been assigned to the same team, this was the first time they had followed his suggestion.
The feeling of being acknowledged was truly wonderful!
Before long, they arrived before a rust-covered gate.
At a glance, it was obvious that the gate had not been opened for many years.
Naruto shuddered.
"Um... um... are we sure we're going in through here?" he asked uncertainly.
The examiner merely glanced at him and ignored him.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed, and the rusted gate slowly opened.
Sasuke leaped forward and darted straight inside.
Seeing the dark, sinister forest, Naruto swallowed hard, his face turning slightly pale.
"Uh... are we sure we're going in?" No one answered him.
By the time he came back to himself, Sasuke and Sakura had already rushed far ahead.
"Wait for me!"
Naruto sprang forward and sped up to catch the two of them.
The deeper they went into the forest, the more sinister and terrifying it became. Dead vines wound around the tree trunks, and traces of dark red could occasionally be seen.
Naruto shuddered and hurriedly took out the map.
"Let's check our direction first!"
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a glance and both nodded.
Naruto cut his finger and dripped a drop of blood onto it. The entire map immediately glowed brightly.
A line that only he could see slowly appeared before his eyes.
"This way!" Naruto turned and leaped toward a spot slightly to the left.
Sakura followed not far behind, asking worriedly, "Naruto, are you sure this is the right path?"
Naruto smiled. "Don't worry. I can already see the route the map is pointing out. There's absolutely no way it can be wrong!"
Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other, decided to trust Naruto, and followed him deeper inside.
However, not long after they had gone on, someone clad in yellow blocked their path.
It was Orochimaru, disguised as a Grass ninja.
Orochimaru licked his lips and stared directly at Sasuke, an excited expression appearing on his face.
"A brat from the Uchiha Clan! Hehehe, how interesting!"
He muttered under his breath.
"Hey, don't block our way! We're really strong, you know!"
Naruto rolled up his sleeves and walked toward him step by step.
"Hehe, little fox demon, I didn't expect you to be so good at bragging!"
Orochimaru gave a sinister smile, leaped down from the tree, and pounced at Naruto.
Naruto's lips curled upward.
His map only lasted for one day, so he had to reach the center within that time.
Therefore, without a second thought, he brought out his trump card.
He raised two fingers and shouted.
"Sunflower - Acupoint Sealing Technique!"
Orochimaru was briefly stunned.
Before fleeing Konoha, he had studied every Konoha Ninjutsu there was. How had he never heard of a technique called the Sunflower - Acupoint Sealing Technique?
Had some new ninjutsu been created recently?
Still, no matter how advanced a technique used by a genin was, how advanced could it really be?
He did not guard against it at all and directly reached out to grab Naruto by the crown of his head.
However, just as his hand touched him, Naruto's two fingers struck his wrist.
He instantly felt as though his entire body had turned to stone, unable to move at all.
"Bang!"
His whole body smashed heavily into a boulder ahead of him, his head wedged perfectly into a crack in the stone.
Half his body remained exposed outside. If anyone came by, they would definitely spot him.
"Sasuke, Sakura, let's go!" Naruto called in a low voice.
The three of them did not stop and continued running deeper into the woods.
Orochimaru was stuck alone in the crack in the rock, unable to move and feeling utterly miserable.
If someone had come along and killed him right then, perhaps there would not have been so many stories afterward!
Still, Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Three Ninja. When necessary, his luck could surge as well.
During the five minutes he was immobilized, not a single team passed through that area.
After he recovered, he struggled for a long time before finally pulling his head out of the crack.
A small cut had already been carved into the face of that borrowed body.
"Little fox demon, Uchiha brat, you won't escape the palm of my hand!"
He lowered his voice and growled.
He had once been a member of Konoha, and he had entered the Forest of Death more times than he could count.
Looking back in the direction they had gone, he gave a sinister smile and murmured, "Those damned little brats should be heading toward the center, right?"
"My prey, you cannot escape the palm of my hand!"
He rolled his neck, then shot off with boundless excitement.
Before you continue