At the other end of the Forest of Death.
Kabuto Yakushi, Akado Yoroi, and Misumi Tsurugi, Orochimaru's trio of spies, were dealing with another team they had just killed.
Kabuto sealed the three bodies into a scroll. "Experimental materials are hard to come by."
Akado Yoroi and Misumi Tsurugi wore masks, but had little patience. "Hey, hurry up. There's got to be a limit to collecting bodies. Konoha counts its dead."
Kabuto put the scroll away. "With so many wild beasts in the Forest of Death, it's perfectly normal for bodies to get eaten."
"Kabuto-kun, what you're doing is a little inhumane."
"Who's there?!"
Startled, the three prepared for battle, only to see Hongshi slowly walking out from deep in the forest.
Kabuto recognized Hongshi. "Hongshi of the Kira family?"
Hongshi walked very slowly, but gave the three an intensely dangerous feeling.
Akado Yoroi whispered, "He knows our secret. What do we do?"
Misumi Tsurugi drew a kunai. "Looks like he got separated from his teammates. Kill him."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, his gaze sharpening. "Yes, kill him. But his defense is astonishing. Yoroi, use that move of yours."
"Right!"
Misumi Tsurugi and Akado Yoroi charged at Hongshi one behind the other, Tsurugi stretching his arms over ten meters long.
"Oh? Did you eat the Gum-Gum Fruit? Can you use Conqueror's Haki?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Hongshi did not dodge. Misumi Tsurugi's arms coiled around him, restraining him, while Yoroi gathered blue chakra in his hand behind him and pressed it onto Hongshi's head.
Akado Yoroi's ninjutsu directly absorbed the chakra of anyone his hands touched, disregarding physical defenses. So even Hongshi could not defend against it without using the Rinnegan.
Misumi Tsurugi's ability, meanwhile, resembled Soft Physique Modification, letting him stretch every part of his body. Both men were among the inspirations for Orochimaru's human experiments.
Although Orochimaru was cruel, he treated his subordinates very well. He never experimented on them, using ordinary people or ninja instead.
He even applied his subordinates' unique ninjutsu to himself, giving them a twisted sense of vanity that made them follow him all the more willingly.
It had to be said that Orochimaru really did have a knack for controlling people. At the very least, his personal charisma was outstanding.
Misumi Tsurugi laughed smugly. "Once I've got you locked down, don't even think about escaping!" He stretched his entire body, winding it around Hongshi.
Akado Yoroi also began absorbing Hongshi's chakra. "Once all your chakra is drained, you'll die. Defense alone is useless."
"All right, then. Go ahead and absorb it."
"What powerful chak-"
Boom!
Before Akado Yoroi could finish, his body swelled and exploded in an instant, turning into white flames that vanished into the air without leaving even a trace of blood.
"Yoroi!" Misumi Tsurugi was startled and was about to release his hold and flee when he suddenly realized that Hongshi's body was becoming unbearably hot.
"Tch. As if you could withstand my chakra."
"Nuclear Release: Nuclear Explosion, one ten-thousandth."
Boom!
Another explosion rang out. Dazzling white light erupted with Hongshi at its center, and an enormous shock wave toppled the surrounding trees. Kabuto was no exception, only stopping when he slammed into a nearby boulder, but the impact also knocked him unconscious.
The light faded. Naturally, Misumi Tsurugi had been blasted away without a trace as well, leaving only a crater ten meters in radius, its soil scorched black.
Hongshi looked at his handiwork and shook his head.
"Tch. Still too powerful."
"Why are Orochimaru and his men all so disgusting? They're seriously terrifying."
As he spoke, Hongshi walked over to Kabuto, activated Thermonuclear Lightning Armor, and pressed his hand onto his head. "What's inside that brain of yours? Human Path: Mind Layer Dive."
"What?! An explosion that big! Did Orochimaru make a move?!" The enormous explosion in the Forest of Death naturally drew everyone's attention. Just before the jonin arrived, Hongshi finished probing and dispelled his shadow clone, leaving Kabuto alone.
Mitarashi Anko arrived first with three chunin. Looking at the enormous crater left by the explosion, she said, "Has Orochimaru invented some terrifying new weapon? You three, take this guy back and interrogate him about what happened. I have to report to Lord Third immediately."
"Yes!" The three chunin hoisted the unconscious Kabuto up and left.
Anko searched the area for a while, but found no traces before heading back to report.
Hongshi had spared Kabuto first because Kabuto was an extremely important character, and killing him now would affect the course of the entire plot. Second, to protect his identity as a spy in Konoha, Kabuto would not breathe a word as long as Hongshi did not expose him, because Konoha ninja killing each other was rather hard to justify.
In the end, Kabuto only said that he and his two teammates had triggered an explosive trap someone had set. He had survived because he was farther away, but had absolutely no recollection of what had happened.
Team 7 was facing off against the Sound Ninja trio. The six had already exchanged a few blows and realized their opponents' strength was not to be underestimated.
"Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!" Zaku spread his hands, and the air jets in them blasted enormous wind pressure toward Team 7.
Sakura stood in the middle of Team 7, with Naruto and Sasuke on either side. All three formed hand seals at once. "We'll finish you with the combination ninjutsu Hongshi-kun invented!"
"Snake, ox, boar, tiger-Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger-Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Rabbit, snake, horse, ram, bird-Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Combination Ninjutsu: Swift Earth Flame Bullet!"
The soil beneath Sakura's feet shifted, and a brown ball of mud flew up. Sasuke's fire release ignited it, then Naruto's wind release greatly increased both its flames and its speed.
Zaku's Extreme Decapitating Airwaves had no effect, and the three hurriedly leaped aside.
"Shadow Clone: Fūma Shuriken, Three-Blade Shadow Windmill!"
Sasuke's Sharingan had already fully predicted all three of their movements. He displayed the shuriken skills he took pride in to their fullest, creating two shadow clones and throwing Fūma Shuriken simultaneously.
"Argh!"
"Argh!"
"Argh!"
The three Sound Ninja were struck by the enormous shuriken almost simultaneously, suffering severe injuries and falling to the ground.
"Aagh! Stop attacking!"
"W-we surrender!"
"Here's the scroll! D-don't attack us anymore!"
Kin and Zaku of the Sound Ninja trio had already fallen unconscious. Enduring the intense pain, Dosu voluntarily handed over the scroll and surrendered.
But Team 7's minds were being affected by the Cursed Seal, and they had no intention of letting them off so easily, advancing step by step.
Seeing this, Yuhan used a water clone to stand in front of the three. "They've already surrendered. Stop fighting."
Only then did the three stop, reining in their emotions. "Get lost."
"Thank you, thank you." The three thanked Yuhan and left, supporting one another.
Team 7 gathered around Hongshi again, the atmosphere heavy.
"We have to avenge Hongshi! We have to keep getting stronger."
"That's right. Revenge!"
"I~ want~ revenge~"
Yuhan looked at the agitated trio, shook his head, and said to Hongshi, "Boss, time to go. What are we eating after we hand in the scroll?"
"₍₍ᕕ⍢ᕗ⁾⁾ All right!"
Hongshi stood up and dusted off his backside. "Ichiraku Ramen, of course!"
Naruto: "∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll) Huh?"
Sakura: "∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll) What?!"
Sasuke: "∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll) Pfft!"
Hongshi turned to the three with a chuckle. "(*￣3￣)╭♡ Love you guys. Huh? What are you doing? Don't do anything rash!"
"Damn it! Cherry Blossom Impact!"
"Drop dead! Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"You bastard! Wind Release: Great Wind Cutter!"
"Aah! No! Yuhan, hurry and save me!"
Yuhan covered his mouth and laughed. "Hehehe. Hieimon, let's go catch a few fish in the river."
"Oh, sure." Only then did Hieimon set down his pen and paper, looking blankly at Naruto and the others. "What are they doing?"
"Nothing much. Just beating up the boss."
Understanding dawned on Hieimon. "Oh~ Good job. Keep it up."
With that, he tossed over two Five Release Blade iron rods. "Use these."
"Got it!"
"Thanks!"
Hongshi's voice came from amid the flames. "Yuhan! Hieimon! You bastards! I'm the boss!"
"Tch."
"Tch."
"=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)"
Day four of the second exam.
Because the three members of Team 7 had overused their chakra, they were very susceptible to being corrupted by the Cursed Seal's chakra again.
Hongshi searched Orochimaru's memories for a method of controlling the Cursed Seal's chakra, combined it with "Immobility," the method for gathering natural energy, and taught it to the three.
This continued for three full days.
Each of the three created three shadow clones. All twelve now sat cross-legged on the water, completely motionless, without even a ripple on its surface.
Hongshi stood opposite them.
"You have to be in an absolutely calm state. Sense the Cursed Seal's chakra and merge it with your own chakra. A two-to-one ratio is best."
Sakura was the first to succeed. The Cursed Seal moved at her will, gathering on her right arm. At the same time, the water surged and wrapped around her right arm.
With a cold expression, Sakura suddenly leaped toward Hongshi and flashed a cruel smile. "Water Release: Great Water Arm!"
Hongshi had never expected that Sakura's first action after gaining control of her chakra would be to attack him. "You! What are you doing?!"
"Die!"
"Ow! That hurts!"
Pain struck Hongshi's chest, and he staggered three steps backward.
At the same time, Naruto and Sasuke also woke from their training.
"Wind Release: Tornado!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The two unleashed a fire tornado, surrounding Hongshi's body.
With the addition of senjutsu chakra, Hongshi's physical defenses were ineffective, and he suffered a certain degree of injury.
"Ow! Hot, hot, hot, hot!"
Poof! It turned out this was only one of Hongshi's shadow clones.
"Yes!" Seeing Hongshi's shadow clone burst apart, the three members of Team 7 jumped on the water as though they had accomplished something incredible.
Yuhan looked at the delighted trio and shook his head. "All right, stop playing! It's time to head to the tower."
Hieimon also put down his notes. "R-right. Everyone, let's hurry over, or we'll fail the exam!"
Meanwhile, Hongshi's real body was sleeping soundly on the water on the other side. Only when his shadow clone was destroyed did his body twitch and he wake up.
"Oh! Have you mastered the Cursed Seal's power already?"
But when he rubbed his eyes, he saw that Team 7, Yuhan, and Hieimon had already gone far ahead, and shouted, "Hey! Wait for me!"
Hearing him, the five instead picked up speed and disappeared into the forest.